David M. Brown's Blog, page 27
March 16, 2014
This Week’s Books (16/03/14)
Harvey Rosenfeld – Depravity: A Narrative of 16 Serial Killers (2009)
Their crimes span the globe but one thing unites them: they are sixteen of the twentieth century’s most notorious serial killers. In this well-researched volume, find out their motives and what made them tick. Walk the path of investigators who broke cases and listen to the words spoken from the killers mouth.
All of them made their communities tremble in fear. They include:
● Johann Otto Hoch, who moved to America from Germany in the 1890s and married a string of women. Instead of being the man of their dreams, he became their worst nightmare.
● Fritz Haarmann, “The Vampire of Hanover,” killed dozens of young male vagrants and prostitutes from 1919 to 1924 in Germany.
● Bla Kiss, a Hungarian serial killer, killed young women and tried pickling them in giant metal drums.
● Robert Hansen, who began killing prostitutes in Alaska around 1980. He’d let them flee in the wilderness before hunting them down with a knife and rifle.
Learn about these and other serial killers. Find out what motivated them to lead such horrible lives and how they were finally brought to justice in “Depravity: A Narrative of 16 Serial Killers.”
Verdict: 2/5
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Claire Berlinski – There is No Alternative: Why Margaret Thatcher Matters (2008)
Great Britain in the 1970s appeared to be in terminal decline—ungovernable, an economic train wreck, and rapidly headed for global irrelevance. Three decades later, it is the richest and most influential country in Europe, and Margaret Thatcher is the reason. The preternaturally determined Thatcher rose from nothing, seized control of Britain’s Conservative party, and took a sledgehammer to the nation’s postwar socialist consensus. She proved that socialism could be reversed, inspiring a global free-market revolution. Simultaneously exploiting every politically useful aspect of her femininity and defying every conventional expectation of women in power, Thatcher crushed her enemies with a calculated ruthlessness that stunned the British public and without doubt caused immense collateral damage.Ultimately, however, Claire Berlinski agrees with Thatcher: There was no alternative. Berlinski explains what Thatcher did, why it matters, and how she got away with it in this vivid and immensely readable portrait of one of the towering figures of the twentieth century.
Verdict: 4/5
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March 14, 2014
Dave’s Odyssey #14
In May 2008, I went travelling on my own for the first time and was out of England for a month. Along the way I took in Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Thailand before coming home. I kept a journal of my time on the road, so here’s a day by day account of my trials and tribulations that has the undeserved title of Dave’s Odyssey.
Day 14 – Rotorua – Auckland
View from Mt. Eden
Ah, the 7.30 a.m. wake-up call. I could get used to this. Amazing to think I was staying in bed while 9.00 before this tour. I’m sure my routine will be completely messed up on my return to sunny England. We left Rotorua at 9.00 and made the morning journey to Auckland. Cameron stopped off in Matawaka on the way, which was almost deserted when we arrived. The majority of the townspeople were at church. It was Sunday after all.
More Lord of the Rings references came through. Matawaka is close to the setting for the Shire in the first film. Indeed, just beyond the point where we had stopped was a little shop called Hobbiton. I shouldn’t laugh but Alison, who had been really upset the other day when Cameron didn’t stop so she could take a picture of Mount Doom, was frustrated again here. She was frantically trying to turn on the camera as we pulled away from the coach stop and sat at some traffic lights. The lights changed just at the wrong time and Alison failed to get that prized picture once again. I’m not being cruel but if you’re THAT keen to get Lord of the Rings photos why not go on the tour they have which takes you to all the sights?
As we closed on Auckland there were one or two sights along the road which were worth repeating here. I saw one poor chap walking towards his car with some petrol having clearly run out of fuel. That was bad enough but as we continued along the road it was ages before I saw a single petrol station. He must have walked a fair way.
Road signs are not usually an area of interest for me but the ones on the road to Auckland are simply genius. Speeding is a problem anywhere in the world but I think New Zealand are top of the table in terms of subtlety. A series of messages read as follows:- “Driving too fast: CRASH!”, “Ambulance 38 mins,” “Surgery to save your life 9 hours,” “Spinal unit 6 months,” “Grieving for dead passenger – a lifetime,” and finally “Arrive alive. SLOW DOWN.” My only concern with the signs is that they read like one of those serials and would surely be more of a distraction to the driver. I mean the last thing they need when they’re speeding along is something to read.
Old Crater
On reaching Auckland it was soon clear that this was definitely a city. The place was gigantic, much larger than Wellington, and that’s the New Zealand capital. Cameron took us to the top of Mount Eden to get some terrific shots of the city. As well as the high rise buildings you could see hundreds of ships around the harbours and out on the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean, while on the outskirts of the city were hundreds of houses, stretching into the distance. It was quite something.
Mount Eden was also home to a large crater, testament to a, thankfully, inactive volcano. Relief was short-lived as Cameron informed us that there are ample active volcanoes to compensate for the submission of this one. With his assurances that tremors are quite frequent as well, Cameron sure knew how to make us relax!
We stopped off in the city centre for lunch before taking a scenic drive across a bridge and back again into the city. The view of Auckland from the bridge was magnificent. Dozens of boats were at sea while hundreds more were all lined up in an aquatic boat park. From Viaduct Harbour we took even more photos before heading for our hotel.
Our home for the next two nights is the Sky City Hotel, the tallest building in Auckland. On arrival we found only half the rooms were ready, despite Cameron calling them five hours earlier with word we were on our way. I was the last to get a card key but the delay wasn’t all that much to be fair.
View from Mt. Eden
The hotel room is rather fancy. A flat screen television, a mini-bar with an annoying assortment of tempting treats and some complimentary tea and coffee but no milk! All the hotels have had similar luxuries – not the flat screen TV though – but the Sky City Hotel means business when it comes to service. Their guidelines are strict enough to not allow you to wander to the pool in your swimsuit/trunks. You have to get changed once you’re at the pool. Smart dress is the emphasis in this place. Not sure what the hell I was doing here then!
I had an hour wandering Auckland. I stayed clear of most of the shops because I had all my New Zealand souvenirs now and it was too soon to hit the Internet cafes again. I contented myself with a stroll on the waterfront. I did manage to struggle finding my way back to the hotel even though it is the tallest of all the buildings! Word of advice: never go travelling with me.
Tomorrow is a free day so looking through the map of Auckland there seems to be plenty to do aside from shopping. Best make the most of New Zealand. We’re heading for the airport early afternoon on Tuesday. If Australia is as good as, dare I say better than, New Zealand then the best of this tour is still to come.
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March 12, 2014
Masterpieces #9: 1984
About 1984 (1949)
Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while the year 1984 has come and gone, Orwell’s narrative is timelier than ever. 1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions. A legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.
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George Orwell – 1984 (1949)
The most famous dystopian novel ever written, George Orwell’s final book resonates in modern society with such terms as ‘newspeak,’ ‘Room 101’ and, of course, ‘Big Brother’ now part of the public consciousness. Though Orwell’s vision did not occur in 1984 there are some aspects of his future society that are relevant to contemporary society. It is a brutal depiction of a totalitarian regime where obedience is paramount and the forsaking of those you love is more preferable to breaking the rules.
Set in London (Airstrip One) in 1984, the novel follows the progress of Winston Smith who works in the Record Department of the Ministry of Truth. His job is to rewrite historical texts and sources to create a vision of the past that is suitable to the needs of the Party, the ruling order who maintain control over the citizens via extensive surveillance cameras and the imposing head of their Party, Big Brother, whose image is plastered on posters with the stark warning, “Big Brother Is Watching You.” Orwell’s vision of the world has three superpowers competing against each other for unclaimed land. London falls within the jurisdiction of Oceania with Big Brother the omniscient ruler, the lucrative Inner Party and the less privileged Outer Party just beneath, while the bulk of the population is made of the Proles, the everyday men and women. In this society the primary concern of every individual is obedience to Big Brother with the fearsome Thought Police keeping careful watch over the citizens for any signs of transgression. As part of the Outer Party, Winston works for one of the four Ministries – Peace, Plenty, Love and Truth – whose titles are actually the opposite of their true natures. The Ministry of Peace actually deals in war while the Ministry of Love practices torture. The four Ministries have the responsibility of maintaining control over the citizens but in Winston they have an individual who manages to write his hatred of Big Brother in a book out of view of the surveillance cameras but his biggest act of disobedience is his affair with a mechanic named Julia. Can love overcome an unforgiving society?
1984 can be read both as a novel with an engaging plot and as an analysis of society as Orwell saw it in his time and how he envisaged the world would develop. Freedom of individuals is feared by authorities and the only way to truly be in control is to deny your subjects all their rights. Any hint of disobedience is punishable by extreme torture and even death. Totalitarian regimes do exist in the world today where individuals have little in the way of rights but Orwell’s vision is of something even more extreme. Big Brother has the ability to monitor an individual’s every move. The ill-conceived Channel 4 programme offers a reflection of how such a society would be with 24 hour surveillance wherever we are, in our homes, at work or wandering the streets. The Party is fearful not just of actions but of thoughts and ideas. All rebellions and revolutions begin as ideas and the Party seeks to control even this aspect of the individual. Winston’s work in the Ministry of Truth in editing historical documents exemplifies the idea that the Proles are not only told what to think but they are told how society, history and the world in general functions and such knowledge is not to be questioned. In our society we give so much credence to what is on the news or in the media. Given necessary images and correspondent reports we accept what we are seeing, we may question the morality of a given event but we don’t question whether the facts we are given are correct or not. In Apocalypse Now! Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) reads articles from American newspapers to his would-be assassin, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), which reveal the Vietnam War is going well and that the US is on course for victory. Major battles the Americans may have won but the Vietnamese were the eventual winners after wearing their enemies down over many years. The media is a powerful tool in our society and in 1984 the Party is aware of its own influence given the unquestioning loyalty of its subjects.
The Party’s ability to control the citizens is never better demonstrated than the way it breaks down individuals through relentless interrogation. The infamous Room 101 comes into this phase of the novel. It is a room specially designed for prisoners and traitors and delivers the worst possible punishment – it recreates the worst fear of an individual and makes it manifest for them to suffer. This is the saddest part of the novel. Like Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World there is a feeling of despair throughout and Orwell’s ending is befitting of the totalitarian regime with Big Brother watching over everyone and everything.
1984 is a fascinating and incredible book. Orwell’s vision and terminology have, to some extent, become part of our society today. Surveillance cameras are plentiful and the idea that we could be watched and listened to at any moment is certainly not out of the question. The totalitarian regime that attempts to suppress Winston and Julia with such relentless malice is a frightening one but with the continued advancements in technology it is less far-fetched today than it was when Orwell first wrote the novel, and that remains a sobering thought.
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March 10, 2014
This Week’s Films (10/03/14)
A Cry in the Dark (1988)
The true story of Lindy Chamberlain (played by Meryl Streep) whose baby Azaria disappeared on a family camping holiday in the Australian outback in 1980. She insisted the child was snatched from their tent by a dingo but was convicted of murder and imprisoned. On appeal, the decision was reversed and the conviction quashed. A body has never been found.
Verdict: 7/10
Mimic 3: Sentinel (2003)
The studio that thrilled you with the SCREAM, HELLRAISER, and CHILDREN OF THE CORN movies now delivers MIMIC 3: SENTINEL, the third and scariest entry in the unstoppably suspenseful and terrifying MIMIC legacy! When residents of his apartment building begin to disappear, Marvin comes to believe the unthinkable: the mutant breed of giant carnivorous insects that once plagued society are back and beginning to revisit their devastation! Though he’s confined to his room due to a severe illness, Marvin must rally whatever support he can in order to exterminate these horrifying creatures before he ends up their next victim! Filled with all-new action and incredibly eye-popping special effects, this terror-filled thriller is a must-see for all fans of intense big-screen excitement!
Verdict: 4/10
The Prophecy II (1998)
In one chilling suspenseful thriller, Christopher Walken (Sleepy Hollow, Pulp Fiction) delivers a tour-de-force performance in his continuing role as the menacing angel Gabriel. When the powers of good and evil descend to Earth in a battle over mankind, the only hope for survival is the unborn child of an innocent woman (Jennifer Beals - Devil in a Blue Dress). With the help of a mysterious stranger, she races to protect her child and save all humanity…unless Gabriel catches her first.
Verdict: 5/10
The Amityville Horror (2005)
From Michael Bay, the producer of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” comes the true story of Amityville. In November 1974, a family of six was brutally murdered. Now, a year later, an unsuspecting young couple, George (Ryan Reynolds, “Blade: Trinity,” “The In-Laws”) and Kathy Lutz (Melissa George, TV’s “Alias”), and their children move into the house that was the site of the horrific event and is now haunted by a murderous presence. What follows is 28 days of unimaginable terror. With demonic visions of the dead and relentless screams of terror, this is the haunted house story that isn’t just a movie – it’s real.
Verdict: 4/10
Seraphim Falls (2006)
Liam Neeson (Batman Begins, Star Wars: Episode 1 “The Phantom Menace” ) and Pierce Brosnan (Bond movies, The Thomas Crown Affair) star in this epic chase and primal battle set in the breathtaking landscape of the West. The civil war has ended but Colonel Morsman Carver (Neeson) is on one final mission: to kill Gideon (Brosnan) no matter what it takes. Launched by a gunshot and propelled by rage, the relentless pursuit takes them both far from the comforts and codes of civilization, into the bloodiest recesses of their own souls. Also starring Academy Award® winner Anjelica Huston and Angie Harmon. It’s been five years since the end of the American Civil War. Somewhere deep within the snowy mountains of the American West a lone figure – Gideon (Brosnan) sits in front of a fire, lost in thought. Abruptly, he is pulled out of his reverie by the echo of a Henry rifle and a bullet puffing into the snow inches from his head. Instantly Gideon calculates his one chance of survival. To leave everything he owns and run for the cover. And so begins the thrilling account of Colonel Morsman Carver’s (Neeson) terrible revenge – to hunt down and kill Gideon, no matter what it takes. There will be many men dead before these two meet face to face, and only then will Carver fully comprehend the full cost of his undertaking. Launched by a gunshot and propelled by rage, the relentless pursuit will take them both far from the comforts and codes of civilization and into the unforgiving wilderness.
Verdict: 6/10
The Strangers (2008)
Explore your worst fears imaginable with this shocking suspense thriller inspired by disturbing true events. After a 4 a.m. knock at the door and a haunting voice, Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt’s (Scott Speedman) remote getaway becomes a psychological night of terror as three masked strangers invade. Now they must go far beyond what they thought themselves capable of if they hope to survive.
Verdict: 4/10
The Desert Fox (1951)
James Mason delivers a strong performance in this fascinating portrait of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. In the early 1940′s, Rommel’s juggernaut Afrika Korps dominated North Africa. But as the tide turned and he came to the painful realization that his Fuhrer, to whom he hd sworn allegiance, was destroying Germany, his ingrained sense of duty pushed him into a conspiracy against Hitler. Co-starring Jessica Tandy as Rommel’s wife and Cedric Hardwicke as another anti-Hitler conspirator, The Desert Fox is an intimate look at one of the most respected military tacticians of modern times.
Verdict: 6/10
The Squad (2011)
Nine soldiers head deep into the mountainous plains of Colombia to investigate a remote military base that is believed to have been attacked. As the squad looks into the mysterious circumstances, the desolation takes a toll on their sanity.
Verdict: 6/10
Hunter Prey (2010)
Sandy Collora is perhaps best known as the man who directed the cult short film Batman: Dead End, praised by Kevin Smith as possibly the truest, best Batman movie ever made , albeit before the Nolan era. Now, seven years later, Collora has thrown off the shackles of his short film career with the release of his debut feature film Hunter Prey, a science fiction spectacular with the same heart and soul as the glorious Sci-fi of the mid 1980s.
Verdict: 6/10
You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (2008)
Comedy superstar Adam Sandler is back – and funnier than ever – as The Zohan, the finest counterterrorist agent the Israeli army has. That is, until he fakes his death and travels to Manhattan to live his dream…as a hairdresser. Now this skilled fighting machine who used to clip bad guys is out to prove he can make the cut as a top stylist. All goes silky smooth until his cover is blown when he’s recognized by a Palestinian cab driver (Rob Schneider). Now, The Zohan must fight to live a peaceful new life in New York in this razor-sharp action-packed comedy from Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, Judd Apatow and Dennis Dugan.
Verdict: 3/10
Identity (2003)
A whodunit revolving around a group of 10 strangers who find themselves running from a desert storm. They hole up in a roadside motel that proves as hospitable as the Bates Motel. The patrons are killed, one by one, and the survivors must try to figure out who the killer is before they, too, check out… permanently! Stars John Cusack (upcoming The Runaway Jury, America’s Sweethearts), Ray Liotta (Narc, Hannibal, Unlawful Entry), Rebecca DeMornay (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Never Talk to Strangers), Jake Busey (Tomcats, Starship Troopers), Amanda Peet (upcoming The Whole Ten Yards, High Crimes), Alfred Molina (Frida, Chocolat), John C. McGinley (Stealing Harvard, The Animal, TV’s Scrubs), Directed by James Mangold (Kate & Leopold, Girl, Interrupted, Cop Land).
Verdict: 9/10
The Rise & Fall of a White Collar Hooligan (2012)
Football hooligan Mike Jacobs is going nowhere in life when he meets old friend Eddie Hill at a riot. Under Eddie’s tutelage he soon finds himself inducted into the world of credit card fraud, where organised gangs withdraw hundreds of thousands of pounds from cash machines every night. As Mike becomes seduced by the money and women that come with his new lifestyle, the dangers increase and he soon finds events spiralling beyond his control.
Verdict: 4/10
The Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000)
Christopher Walken (SUICIDE KINGS, THE PROPHECY) and Vincent Spano (THE TIE THAT BINDS) star in THE ASCENT, the third thrilling installment of the action-packed PROPHECY trilogy! As fearsome armies of rebel angels continue to wage war in heaven and on earth, Pyriel, the brutal Angel of Genocide, rises to power with the evil intent to destroy all of humankind! The only one on earth with the ability to stop the bloodshed is Danyael, who was born of an angel and a woman. But he is unaware of his true purpose … until, during a harrowing journey of discovery, Danyael meets Gabriel (Walken), the fallen angel who has acted as his secret guardian! Brace yourself for an epic battle of the ages as Danyael sets out to confront Pyriel in a bid to save the world and fulfill his ultimate destiny!
Verdict: 5/10
Garbage (2013)
Two garbage truck drivers in Hollywood become celebrities overnight after they find Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Jerry Maguire” and suddenly their lives go topsy-turvy.
Verdict: 5/10
The Messengers (2007)
Desperate for a fresh start after a tough two years in Chicago, the Solomon family retreats to a desolate sunflower farm in North Dakota. But the calm of farm life is shattered when 16-year-old Jess (Kristen Stewart) and her 3-year-old brother Ben begin to see nightmarish apparitions throughout their new home – visions that nobody else can see. As the visions grow darker, they become fear-inspiring experiences and Jess’ parents (Dylan McDermott and Penelope Ann Miller) start to question their daughter’s sanity.
Verdict: 4/10
Darkness Falls (2003)
As a young boy, Kyle (Chaney Kley) claimed to have seen the tooth fairy. He also claimed she tried to kill him. When evil emerges again, Kyle must return home to confront his troubled past and save his childhood sweetheart Caitlin (Emma Caulfield) and her younger brother, Michael. Kyle must do battle with the winged creature of doom he saw that night so many years ago, which has plagued the town of Darkness Falls for over one hundred and fifty years. Evil is back with a vengeance. And it’s not leaving without Caitlin’s brother.
Verdict: 2/10
Maniac (2012)
Elijah Wood stars in this remake of director William Lustig’s 1980 horror classic of the same name. To say that Frank (Wood) is a troubled young man would be an understatement – as the ever-growing number of young women he has murdered since the death of his mother (America Olivo), with whom he enjoyed an unhealthily close relationship, demonstrates only too well. Frank runs a mannequin store and likes to apply the scalps of his victims to the models in his spare time. However, when beautiful young artist Anna (Nora Arnezeder) wanders into the store and talks about making use of its resources for an exhibition she is planning, she presents Frank with a troubling quandary. Anna appears to offer the possibility of a human relationship that will fill the void created by his mother’s death, but she also excites his desire to kill and possess. Will Frank be able to overcome his homicidal urges?
Verdict: 6/10
I, Anna (2012)
DCI Bernie Reid’s latest case is the mystery of a man brutally murdered in a London apartment building. As an insomniac going through a divorce, Reid’s concentration on the case is further complicated after an encounter with Anna, an enigmatic figure. He tracks her down to a party where Anna denies any knowledge of having already met him. Despite her protestations, there is a mutual attraction between them. Bernie’s professional ethics come into question as he grows more attached to Anna, who is about to unveil a dark mystery.
Verdict: 5/10
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)
James Caan (The Godfather), Nicolas Cage (Face/Off) and Sarah Jessica Parker (“Sex and the City”) are three sides of a deliriously funny triangle in this “refreshing blast of comic lunacy” (WCBS-TV) that gambles with an offbeat premise and hits the jackpot with big laughs! Jack Singer (Cage) is terrified of commitment but even more terrified of losing his beautiful schoolteacher fiance Betsy (Parker). So as an act of faith, he takes the plunge and agrees to tie the knot in a quickie Vegas ceremony. But when he makes a bad $60,000 bet with mobster Tommy Korman (Caan), the marriage “knot”and all of Jack’s dreams starts unraveling fast. The only way that Korman willforgive the debt, he says, is if Jack will loan him Betsy for the rest of the weekend! It’s yet another sucker bet for Jack though because Korman plans to win Betsy away for good!
Verdict: 6/10
Prime (2005)
A career driven professional from Manhattan is wooed by a young painter, who also happens to be the son of her psychoanalyst.
Verdict: 5/10
Apartment 143 (2011)
A team of parapsychologists sets out to investigate a series of anomalous phenomena taking place in a newly occupied apartment. Telephone calls with no caller, mysterious shadows, extraordinary light emissions, flying objects, and exploding light bulbs are some of the events they will face while recording their every step with state-of-the-art technology. Using infrared filming, digital photography, psychophonic recordings, movement detectors, and magnetic field alteration meters, the group’s attempts to contact the “other side” will grow increasingly dangerous as they near a point of no return…
Verdict: 1/10
Unrest (2006)
Unsettling horror starring Corri English. Alison Blanchard (English) is a first-year medical student who discovers that death may not be as final as she once believed when the spirit of the cadaver assigned to her in Gross Anatomy class attempts to resolve some unfinished business in the mortal realm. When the sheet is pulled back and Alison’s cadaver is revealed, the nervous student suddenly senses a powerful energy and passes out. When she comes to she finds herself in Dr Blackwell’s (Derrick O’Connor) office, where she confides that she felt a strange presence in the lab. But Alison finds her strange malaise immediately written off as ‘first year jitters’. When her friend is discovered dead in a basement corridor and the rising body count appears to be connected with her investigation into the cadaver’s fate, the frightened medical student does her best to put the mystery, and the murderous spirit, to rest.
Verdict: 4/10
A Late Quartet (2012)
Academy Award Winners Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman strike all the right chords with Academy Award Nominee Catherine Keener and Mark Ivanir in this powerful story that blends raw emotion with fiery passion to form an unforgettable cinematic masterpiece. After 25 years together, the members of a world-renowned string quartet learn that their beloved cellist (Walken) may soon be forced to retire. But the news stirs up equally painful challenges when competing egos, harbored resentment, and irrepressible lust threaten to derail the group as they struggle to maintain harmony in their music – and their lives.
Verdict: 8/10
Land of the Dead (2005)
Packed with more heart-pounding and blood-curdling thrills than any theater could show, this special Unrated Director’s Cut unleashes the ultimate vision of George A. Romero’s latest living-dead shock-fest! Starring Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper and John Leguizamo, Land of the Dead finds humanity’s last remnants battling to survive the unspeakable truth: The ravenous zombie hordes besieging their fortified city…are evolving!
Verdict: 6/10
Just Like Heaven (2005)
A young doctor gets into a car accident rendering her a spirit stuck between heaven and earth. Not realizing she’s dead, she goes to her apartment only to find that it has been sublet by a lonely architect.
Verdict: 7/10
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March 9, 2014
This Week’s Books (09/03/14)
Iris Chang – The Rape of Nanking (1997)
In December 1937, the Japanese army invaded the ancient city of Nanking, systematically raping, torturing, and murdering more than 300,000 Chinese civilians. This book tells the story from three perspectives: of the Japanese soldiers who performed it, of the Chinese civilians who endured it, and of a group of Europeans and Americans who refused to abandon the city and were able to create a safety zone that saved many.
Verdict: 4/5
Orson Scott Card – The Worthing Saga (1978)
Gathering every story about Jason Worthing, this volume includes “The Worthing Chronicle,” as well as all of the other stories set on Capitol and later on Jason’s colonized planet.
It was a miracle of science that permitted human beings to live, if not forever, then for a long, long time. Some people, anyway. The rich, the powerful–they lived their lives at the rate of one year every ten. Somec created two societies: that of people who lived out their normal span and died, and those who slept away the decades, skipping over the intervening years and events. It allowed great plans to be put in motion. It allowed interstellar Empires to be built.
It came near to destroying humanity.
After a long, long time of decadence and stagnation, a few seed ships were sent out to save our species. They carried human embryos and supplies, and teaching robots, and one man. The Worthing Saga is the story of one of these men, Jason Worthing, and the world he found for the seed he carried.
Verdict: 3/5
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March 7, 2014
Dave’s Odyssey #13
In May 2008, I went travelling on my own for the first time and was out of England for a month. Along the way I took in Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Thailand before coming home. I kept a journal of my time on the road, so here’s a day by day account of my trials and tribulations that has the undeserved title of Dave’s Odyssey.
Day 13 – Rotorua
St. Faith’s Church
Cameron returned to his laid back approach with a 7.30 a.m. wake-up call today. Our first stop was just down the road at Ohinemutu village, a Maori settlement. It contained St. Faith’s Church along with memorials to lost Maoris. Their bodies were not buried underground due to the geothermal activity. This was on show even on random streets in Rotorua where steam was rising from grates and some areas were cordoned off by fence posts.
The idea that New Zealand’s north island would be warmer had clearly gone to the heads of some of the tour group. The sun was out but it was chilly so we had to go back to the hotel for the benefit of those that hadn’t brought a jacket or were wearing shorts!
Government Gardens
We then headed for the Government Gardens where a photographer awaited us. It was like being back in primary school as we were all lined up for a group photo. While this was going on a party of East Asian tourists were passing and decided to take shots of us as well. Most of our group assumed they were Japanese and shouted ‘sayonara’ as the tourists waved to us. Their lack of smiles and puzzlement suggested to me that they probably weren’t from Japan.
After our group photo we had a bit of time to wander the gardens. Staying in Rotorua, one thing you have to get used to is the smell of sulphur. This scent grew stronger as I headed back to the coach and I soon found the source. It came from Rachel Spring, which was worth a photo though when THAT close up a nose peg is well recommended.
Meeting House, Te Puia
The last stop on our tour was Te Puia, a Maori site a bit like a museum but with more spectacular sights. We were met by a tour guide who carried some form of plant through most of the next two hours or so. She informed us that one way or another we help to fund Te Puia and that the tour was not just for information but was symbolic of unity between ourselves and the Maori. It’s their belief that our ancestors live on through us and that our tour of Te Puia secured bonds of friendship with our predecessors and those of the Maori alive today. It was an idyllic notion to have all of us getting along.
At the entrance was a pile of stones supporting a small fountain. We were invited to scoop a handful of water from the basin and place it on the rocks. The gesture was a means for us to share our important memories with the Maori. I thought of my close-knit family – those alive and those now gone – as the memories I wanted to share with these remarkable people.
Geysers, Te Puia
Te Puia contained some fantastic displays. One of the earliest was a darkened corridor illuminated by screens telling stories from Maori myth and legend. There were too many to note here but each offered an explanation for the characteristics of New Zealand’s landscape including the geysers and mud pools.
We were next shown a series of Maori dwellings, including a meetinghouse in the centre. Our group was permitted to enter but out of Maori custom we were asked, if able, to remove our shoes first. The interior was set out like a very small theatre with a stage at one end while the walls were covered in intricate carvings that were a testament to time and patience.
Mud Pools, Te Puia
Next up we moved onto the Arts and Crafts section. Two women were hard at work fashioning clothes from plants. The plant our guide had been carrying throughout the tour was now used to demonstrate how the process worked. At one point she had to rub the stem of the plant against her bare leg which won a few whistling approvals from the elderly gents. We also saw a wood carvers’ hut where two men gave another demonstration. I was glad to be near the back as bits of wood and splinters were flying everywhere. It turns out only men can carve in Maori tradition but this is not a sexist custom for once. Women are highly regarded in Maori society and considered too good to belittle themselves with the simple act of carving. We also learned that the Maori world is different to the vanity world of Europe. Here the larger the woman the better, in fact being as thin as a model is frowned upon. It’s refreshing to see different attitudes.
Geysers, Te Puia
The next section of Te Puia was the geysers and mud pools. The steam from the geysers rose so high that at times you couldn’t tell where it ended and the clouds began. We were invited to sit on the rocks overlooking the geysers, which initially didn’t seem safe what with small patches of steam pouring out of them. It was a warm seat on the rocks but pleasant rather than uncomfortable.
Time was against us so we stopped off quickly at the mud pools before concluding our tour with a must-see in New Zealand – kiwis. The hut we were escorted into was dark as the kiwis are nocturnal but we still had enough light to perceive them. They were much bigger than I expected. Only two were in this enclosure. The female had rejected four previous suitors before being willing to share her home with the fifth male.
During our stop in the kiwi hut, the tour guide was telling me about Japan and how she had spent three years there. In terms of the language barrier she said it wasn’t as bad as you might think. One soon learns some emergency dialogue to get by. It certainly made me feel better about going to the Land of the Rising Sun one day.
Cameron’s Laughing Gas Pool – note the footprints from a previous tourist eager to try out the pool!
We were taken back to the hotel after Te Puia and the afternoon was free. I headed into town and had a quick wander round the shops before stopping off at an Internet café. It was high time I emailed some people. I spent an hour sending half a dozen emails and getting up to date on the football. The season isn’t quite over but it’s getting there now.
After the café I bumped into Alison from our tour group who pointed me in the direction of a walking trail along Lake Rotorua. It would lead me close to the hotel so I decided it was worth a look. Wooden walkways had been set up as some parts were dangerous due to the ever-present geothermal activity. Pesky midges were all over the path but that didn’t stop me finding one or two highlights.
I happened upon two pools with peculiar names – “The Coffee Pot” and “Cameron’s Laughing Gas Pool.” “The Coffee Pot” was used by early European settlers to cure a series of ailments but the smell wasn’t good and the liquid stained the skin. “Cameron’s Laughing Gas Pool” was, unfortunately, not named after our tour guide. Its name came from its therapeutic effects for those that dared to use it. Immersion in the water caused laughing fits and the really unfortunate were known to faint, which wasn’t a good idea if you were alone. Despite a fence keeping tourists at bay I did notice a line of footprints leading up to the pool. Some people are just too curious.
A Korean tourist is chosen to take part in the traditional greeting from a Maori warrior
After the walk I headed back to the hotel for a shower and to prepare myself for the Hangi dinner and Maori concert in the evening. The meal began at 6.30 and the place was just around the corner from the hotel. Hopefully it would be a night to remember!
The concert took place at Matariki. We had food first which turned out really well because I’m always a bit wary with these buffets. As it turned out they had plenty to offer. The dessert was paradise but I opted for something small in the shape of chocolate ice cream, fruit salad and a large serving of some of the most delicious cream I’d tasted in years.
Maori Concert
Before the meal our hostess, who was also part of the show, took us through the Maori greeting. A Korean couple that were the only representatives from their country were given the honour of meeting the Maoris. A warrior appeared on stage, did some fancy moves while twirling a large spear, before placing a leaf on the floor. The Korean man was then invited to pick up the leaf before shaking hands with the Maori warrior and they concluded by touching noses twice. With that the ceremony of welcome was over.
The Maori show itself was simply brilliant. A series of different dances, singing, wielding all kinds of items as part of their routine, it was a privilege to be there. Before the show ended a group of women were chosen to go up on stage and practice one of the dances. The best bit was when the men were hand-picked to perform some warrior moves, including shouting very loudly, widening their eyes as much as possible; in short trying to ‘pull an ugly face,’ their words not mine. Thankfully, I avoided being nominated to go on stage but it was hilarious all the same.
Maori Concert
The show drew to an end and as we left I bought a couple of photos as mementoes. My own photos hadn’t come out that good so these made up for it and at $5 each I couldn’t complain.
After the show it was back to the hotel. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Rotorua and press on to Auckland, our last stop in New Zealand. When I get home I’m going to read up on the Maori who have really fascinated me during my brief stay here in Rotorua. Hopefully the rest of the tour will bring the same kind of surprises.
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March 5, 2014
Masterpieces #8: Tsotsi
About Tsotsi (2005)
Hard-hitting Afrikaans drama. Presley Chweneyagae stars as the title character, a young delinquent who supports himself through a life of crime on the tough streets of Johannesburg. Coming from a brutal and deprived background, Tsotsi thinks nothing of committing acts of violence, but when he murders a woman to steal her car, he is forced to confront the consequences of his actions when he discovers the dead woman’s baby on the back seat. Unsure what to do, he takes the child home and tries to care for it. As the baby gradually reawakens his buried sense of humanity, Tsotsi is forced to make a momentous decision when he comes across the child’s bereaved family during a robbery.Starring: Presley Chweneyagae, Mothusi Magano, Israel Makoe, Percy Matsemela, Jerry Mofokeng
Directed by: Gavin Hood
Runtime: 95 minutes
Studio: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
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Tsotsi (2005)
Gavin Hood’s Oscar-winning 2005 adaptation of Athol Fugard’s novel first caught my interest when I read about it in Empire. I’ve since read Fugard’s novel and have enjoyed both but the film truly is something very special. Set in Johannesburg in South Africa, Tsotsi depicts six days in the life of a gang leader who commits a series of atrocious crimes at the outset but through one unfortunate accident is forced to not only face his brutality but he has the chance of redemption.
The premise to the film is gang leader Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae), literally meaning ‘thug,’ who happens upon a rich estate and proceeds to steal a car from a woman who is having trouble opening the gates to her home. As Tsotsi drives away he panics and shoots the woman as she tries to stop him. Not far down the road Tsotsi crashes the car when he hears a baby crying on the backseat! At this point he faces a difficult dilemma – leave the baby in the middle of nowhere or take the child home with him. After some hesitation Tsotsi decides on the latter option. The film traces the next six days as the authorities search for the child, while Tsotsi slowly begins to change with the responsibility of a baby to care for.
The film could easily have descended down the road of melodrama with a brutal criminal suddenly becoming a law abiding citizen overnight. Tsotsi doesn’t work quite that simply. In fact to begin with Tsotsi is pretty hopeless at caring for the child, even resorting to forcing a neighbour, Miriam (Terry Pheto), at gunpoint to breastfeed the baby. It is a combination of Tsotsi’s meeting with Miriam and caring for the child that begins to make him see the world differently.
The performances and characters in the film are excellent with Chweneyagae outstanding in the lead. Tsotsi does contain some moments that are difficult to watch but in revealing the past of its protagonist he becomes a more sympathetic character driven to his life of crime by a need for survival. Not that his past can atone Tsotsi for his present actions. In the end, although he has been changed by his experience of caring for a baby, Tsotsi is forced to decide between right and wrong and his final decision is a reflection of the impact the six days of caring for a baby have had on him.
Depicting the sad poverty that sadly afflicts many African people to this day, Tsotsi offers a brief insight into one of many painful stories that will exist on the streets of Johanessburg. There are no Hollywood endings here, just an eye opening injection of the real world that is hard to survive in.
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March 3, 2014
This Week’s Films (03/03/14)
When the Lights Went Out (2012)
EMBRACE THE TRUTH AND EXPERIENCE UNRIVALED TERROR…
Yorkshire, 1974, the Maynard family moves into their dream house. It’s a dream that quickly descends into a panic stricken nightmare as the family discovers a horrifying truth that will make the history books. The house is already occupied by the most violent poltergeist ever documented, a poltergeist that will tear you from your bed as you sleep and drag you helplessly into the darkness.
As the attacks on the family become increasingly violent and terrifying, it becomes clear that the exorcism of the poltergeist will be their only chance for survival.
Based on true events that occurred at No. 30 East Drive on the Chesterfield Estate, Pontefract, West Yorkshire. The subject of a plethora of research group studies, books and newspaper reports, this is the horrifying story of what really happened.
Verdict: 3/10
Bait (2012)
After an unstoppable tsunami destroys everything in its path, a sunny paradise beach town is suddenly turned into a living hell. Trapped in a submerged supermarket a group of survivors are desperately trying to find an escape route. To make matters worse their being hunted by a very large and very hungry great white shark. Are they able to band together to survive with their limbs attached? Or are they destined to join the food chain? Drenched in gore and swimming in blood, Bait is an intense horror you can really get your teeth into.
Verdict: 2/10
Waxwork (1988)
In this horror film, an evil magician creates a wax display of famous monsters and murderers and invites a group of unsuspecting young college students to view the collection. However, when the kids are trapped in the deadly displays, one-by-one they soon discover that the wax models are more than they appear to be.
Verdict: 5/10
The Burrowers (2008)
Supernatural horror set in the Wild West. A band of brave pioneers sets out to find and recover a family of settlers that appears to have been abducted following an attack on a frontier homestead. Expecting the offenders to be the usual posse of hostile natives, the group prepares for routine battle. But as men start to vanish mysteriously and hideous evidence begins to accumulate, the men realise that their enemy may not be merely human after all…
Verdict: 4/10
Catchfire (1990)
When artist Anne (Jodie Foster) inadvertently stumbles across a mob killing she becomes the target for hit man Milo (Dennis Hopper). But he falls for her, kidnaps her and then must protect her from his angry employers. Credited to Alan Smithee, ‘Catchfire’ was in fact directed by Dennis Hopper, who disowned the film after the studio took it out of his hands and released their own cut.
Verdict: 4/10
Righteous Kill (2008)
Crime thriller starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as a pair of long-time New York City police detectives assigned to investigate the vigilante murder of a notorious pimp, a case which appears to have links to a murder they worked on many years before. Is it possible that a serial killer is on the loose, and that their original investigation put the wrong man behind bars?
Verdict: 7/10
Fish Tank (2009)
British director Andrea Arnold (Red Road) won the Cannes Jury Prize for the searing and invigorating FISH TANK, about a fifteen-year-old girl, Mia (electrifying newcomer Katie Jarvis), who lives with her mother and sister in the depressed housing projects of Essex. Mia’s adolescent conflicts and emerging sexuality reach boiling points when her mother’s new boyfriend (a lethally attractive Michael Fassbender [Hunger, Inglourious Basterds]) enters the picture. In her young career, Arnold has already proven herself to be a master of social realism (evoking the work of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach), investing her sympathetic portraits of dead-end lives with a poetic, earthy sensibility all her own. FISH TANK heralds the official arrival of a major new filmmaker.
Verdict: 8/10
The Wicker Man (2006)
Reworking of Anthony Shaffer’s 1973 cult classic. Upon receiving a letter from his one-time fiancee, Willow (Kate Beahan), imploring him to search for her missing daughter on the secluded island of Summersisle, California highway patrolman Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) quickly makes his way to the island to locate the girl and seek an answer as to why Willow suddenly and inexplicably disappeared shortly before their wedding date. Once there, Malus is troubled to discover that although there are traces of the child to be found in such locations as the local schoolhouse, the residents of Summersisle seem reluctant to offer any specific details as to the girl’s apparent death. His investigation effectively stalled by the highly secretive Wiccan community, Sheriff Malus soon discovers that there are still some cultures that have their own unique beliefs about humankind’s relationship with Mother Earth, and refuse to adapt to the rules of modern society.
Verdict: 3/10
Wilderness (2006)
Violent British horror. A group of young offenders are given the chance to rehabilitate themselves and learn self-sufficiency skills when they are sent off to a boot camp on a remote island. What they discover is a forbidding landscape inhabited by a vicious psychopath, who starts hunting them and picking them off using an array of horrific traps. Against the odds and the elements, the young prisoners have to learn to work together in order to survive.
Verdict: 5/10
The Bay (2012)
Chesapeake Bay is a seaside town that relies on water and the dockside tourism it brings to the community. When two biological researchers find a staggering level of toxicity in the water they attempt to alert the mayor before the situation gets out of control. However, the mayor refuses to raise the alarm in fear of creating a panic among the citizens of the docile town.
As a result, a deadly plague is unleashed, turning the people of Chesapeake Bay into hosts for a mutant breed of parasites. Taking control of their minds, and eventually their bodies, the parasites soon cause the town to descend in absolute terror as they quickly realise the harrowing reality they are faced with.
Verdict: 6/10
Amour (2012)
Insightful. Original. Exquisite. Georges and Anne have known a lifetime of love within their intimate marriage. Though their bond has survived time’s test, it’s about to meet its greatest challenge. Acclaimed director Michael Haneke brings a performance tour-de-force to the screen in a film that exalts the beautiful, compassionate and courageous within us all.
Verdict: 10/10
Wayne’s World (1992)
Based on the Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name Wayne’s World is a wacky irreverent pop-culture comedy about the adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey). From Wayne’s basement the pair broadcast a talk-show called Wayne’s World on local public access television. The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive (Rob Lowe) who wants to produce a big-budget version of Wayne’s World and he also wants Wayne’s girlfriend a rock singer named Cassandra (Tia Carrere). Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show but also Cassandra. Director Penelope Spheeris Myers and Carvey hang a lot of silly but funny jokes on this thin plot and the energy of the cast – as well as the wild pop-culture references – make Wayne’s World a cut above the average Saturday Night Live spin-off movie.
Verdict: 8/10
The Switch (2010)
Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) is a smart, fun-loving single woman who, despite her slightly neurotic best friend Wally’s (Jason Bateman) objections, decides it’s time to have a baby—even if it means doing it by herself… With a little help from a charming sperm donor (Patrick Wilson), Kassie conceives and make a new life for her instant family away from the hubbub of the city. But unbeknownst to her, Wally had drunkenly switched the donation with his own ‘special offering’. Seven years later when Kassie moves back to town, Wally finally gets acquainted with Sebastian, her precocious and somewhat neurotic – not to mention hypochondriac – son. Things start seeming a little too familiar and Wally starts filling the blanks from that drunken night. Could it be..?
Verdict: 6/10
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March 2, 2014
This Week’s Books (02/03/14)
Tom Holland – In the Shadow of the Sword (2012)
The acclaimed author of Rubicon and other superb works of popular history now produces a thrillingly panoramic (and incredibly timely) account of the rise of Islam.
No less significant than the collapse of the Roman Republic or the Persian invasion of Greece, the evolution of the Arab empire is one of the supreme narratives of ancient history, a story dazzlingly rich in drama, character, and achievement. Just like the Romans, the Arabs came from nowhere to carve out a stupefyingly vast dominion—except that they achieved their conquests not over the course of centuries as the Romans did but in a matter of decades. Just like the Greeks during the Persian wars, they overcame seemingly insuperable odds to emerge triumphant against the greatest empire of the day—not by standing on the defensive, however, but by hurling themselves against all who lay in their path.
Verdict: 3/5
Ashley & Miles Baynton-Williams – Maps of War (2007)
A lavish collection of 150 contemporary maps of the world’s greatest battles. This unique collection highlights the extraordinary influence cartography has had on the nature of warfare. The ideal gift for both history and map lovers, this stunning book provides a captivating illustrated history of the last 500 years of warfare.
Verdict: 4/5
Judith Flanders: The Invention of Murder (2011)
In this fascinating exploration of murder in the nineteenth century, Judith Flanders examines some of the most gripping cases that captivated the Victorians and gave rise to the first detective fiction
Murder in the nineteenth century was rare. But murder as sensation and entertainment became ubiquitous, with cold-blooded killings transformed into novels, broadsides, ballads, opera, and melodrama—even into puppet shows and performing dog-acts. Detective fiction and the new police force developed in parallel, each imitating the other—the founders of Scotland Yard gave rise to Dickens’s Inspector Bucket, the first fictional police detective, who in turn influenced Sherlock Holmes and, ultimately, even P.D. James and Patricia Cornwell.
In this meticulously researched and engrossing book, Judith Flanders retells the gruesome stories of many different types of murder, both famous and obscure: from Greenacre, who transported his dismembered fiancée around town by omnibus, to Burke and Hare’s bodysnatching business in Edinburgh; from the crimes (and myths) of Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper, to the tragedy of the murdered Marr family in London’s East End. Through these stories of murder—from the brutal to the pathetic—Flanders builds a rich and multi-faceted portrait of Victorian society. With an irresistible cast of swindlers, forgers, and poisoners, the mad, the bad and the utterly dangerous, The Invention of Murder is both a mesmerizing tale of crime and punishment, and history at its most readable.
Verdict: 4/5
A.J. Jacobs: The Guinea Pig Diaries (2009)
For his first book, The Know-It-All, A. J. Jacobs read the entire Encyclopædia Britannica from cover to cover in a quest to learn everything in the world. In The Year of Living Biblically, he followed every single rule of the Bible — from the Ten Commandments right on down to stoning adulterers.
Now comes a collection of his most hilarious and thought-provoking experiments yet. In his role as human guinea pig, Jacobs fearlessly takes on a series of life-altering challenges that provides readers with equal parts insight and humor. (And which drives A.J.’s patient wife, Julie, to the brink of insanity.)
Among the many adventures:
• He outsources his life. A.J. hires a team of people in Bangalore, India, to take care of everything in his life from answering his e-mails to arguing with his spouse.
• He spends a month practicing Radical Honesty — a movement that encourages us to remove the filters between our brains and mouths. (To give you an idea of what happened, the name of the chapter is “I Think You’re Fat.”)
• He goes to the Academy Awards disguised as a movie star to understand the strange and warping effects of fame.
• He commits himself to ultimate rationality, using cutting-edge science to make the best decisions possible. It changes the way he makes choices big and small, from what to buy at the grocery store to how to talk to his kids. And his revelations will change how you make decisions, too.
• He attempts to follow George Washington’s rules of life, uncovering surprising truths about leadership and politics in the twenty-first century. He also spends a lot of time bowing and doffing his hat.
• And then there’s the month when he followed his wife’s every whim — foot massages, Kate Hudson movies, and all. Depending on your point of view, it’s either the best or worst idea in the history of American marriage.
A mix of Bill Bryson, George Plimpton, and Malcolm Gladwell, A.J. explores the big issues of our time — happiness, dating, morality, marriage — by immersing himself in eye-opening situations. You’ll be entertained by these stories — some of which are new, some of which had their start in Esquire magazine. But you’ll also learn to look at life in new ways.
The Guinea Pig Diaries is a book packed with both laughs and enlightenment — and that’s a promise we can make with Radical Honesty.
Verdict: 4/5
Richard Matheson – I Am Legend (1954)
Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth… but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville’s blood.
By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.
How long can one man survive like this?
Verdict: 4/5
Simon Braund – The Greatest Movies You’ll Never See (2013)
What could stop Steven Spielberg from making a movie about aliens? Who pulled the plug on Alfred Hitchcock’s “Kaleidoscope”? Why did Orson Welles say he had “wasted the greater part” of his life? What prevented David Lynch’s “Ronnie Rocket” from getting off the ground? All is revealed in “The Greatest Movies You’ll Never See.”
A movie can boast a legendary director, a superlative script, and the hottest stars, but studio jitters, spiraling budgets, on-set clashes, and overreaching ambition can all conspire to keep it from being made. Even events off-set can conspire to stop the mightiest movies in their tracks. Witness the collapse of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” in the aftermath of 9/11, or the demise of “Something’s Got to Give” following the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe (leaving the most famous sequence in the history of unmade movies). In exhaustive detail, this book untangles the misfortune, quarrels, and twists of fate that doomed some of the greatest movies you’ll never see.
With dozens of directing from Kubrick to the Coen Brothers and stars from Salvador Dali to the Sex Pistols, the eye-opening entries in “The Greatest Movies You’ll Never See” unravel just why unmade masterpieces are stuck in “development hell” and assess the chances of them ever being completed and released. Each ill-fated work–from Charlie Chaplin’s pet project on Napoleon to David Fincher’s foray into sex and mutation–is examined in an in-depth essay. Selected entries boast script extracts, test footage frames, and concept art. Sidebars shine a spotlight on related movies, stars, and sources. Acclaimed designers and illustrators have executed spectacular original poster artwork–loyal to the vision of each original director–to accompany each of the unmade films.
Verdict: 4/5
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February 28, 2014
Dave’s Odyssey #12
In May 2008, I went travelling on my own for the first time and was out of England for a month. Along the way I took in Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Thailand before coming home. I kept a journal of my time on the road, so here’s a day by day account of my trials and tribulations that has the undeserved title of Dave’s Odyssey.
Day 12 – Wellington – Rotorua
Mt. Tongariro
I got plenty of sleep so wasn’t fussed by the 7.00 a.m. wake-up call. After breakfast we set out from Wellington and it wouldn’t be until early evening before we reached the Maori centre of Rotorua.
The landscape on New Zealand’s north island was volcanic and in complete contrast to the south. The odd mountain was still around as were the forests but generally the land didn’t hold the same eye-catching traits as its southern neighbour. At least that’s how it seemed at the start of the day. Things were soon to change.
We stopped off in the town of Levin for the obligatory café break. I opted to wander the shops and found a terrific souvenir shop. I promised myself I wouldn’t buy anything other than gifts for family but I nearly broke my vow here. They had a fine display of dragon ornaments with prices ranging from $30 – $100 which wasn’t bad because some were huge. It would have been impractical to sacrifice more space in my backpack though, especially with Australia still to come.
Wairakei Geothermal Power Plant
Having resisted the dragons I next found a collection of knights from the Hundred Years War – both English and French – and they were fantastic. Some were small enough to consider a purchase but again I stood firm and forced myself out of the shop. It was a pity but my photos and memories would be the only souvenirs I’d really need.
We stopped off at a rather peculiar café in Te Hapi. On making your order, cafés usually give you a number for your table. Well, this café did as well only the number were engraved on the side of a small boot. It got worse. Inside the boot was the name of a well-known celebrity. I ended up with Rod Stewart. One couple ahead of me in the queue and from the tour group – Peter and Mary – made the mistake of sniffing the inside of the boot. Their grimaces convinced me it wasn’t something I should try myself.
I had lunch with another couple from our group – Eddie and Sandra. “John Travolta” was the name engraved in their boot! They were telling me about their travels and how New Zealand and Australia completed their cycle of the whole world. They must have seen a lot. I was advised not to go to South Africa alone and even the likes of France had a story to tell of the criminals waiting to pounce at night.
Wairakei Geothermal Power Plant
We pressed on and entered Tongariro National Park. The desert road ran through some fairly barren land but there was still enough vegetation to make me question why the word ‘desert’ was used. We were given sights of the three volcanoes – Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. The mountains featured in The Lord of the Rings, though it pained Cameron to reveal that. He wasn’t overly keen on the films or the Tolkien tourists. In fairness, much as I loved the films, I wasn’t really interested in visiting all the sites where the trilogy was made.
The clouds obscured some of our view of the volcanoes and in our group, Alison, was very annoyed when Cameron didn’t stop when we passed the volcano that apparently doubled as Mt. Doom in The Lord of the Rings, at least that’s what Alison shouted across the coach. Twice I might add! We did get a good shot of Mt. Tongariro, which was covered in snow and seemed to glow on one side where it was caught by the sun’s rays.
We next stopped off at Lake Taupo. There was a typical New Zealand town on its banks and for those that fancied a challenge they could have a stab at a bit of golf. The lake had set up a hole-in-one test; participants had to drive the ball over the water, onto a small barge and into the hole. The reward for this feat was $1000, which seemed a bit low for such a big ask. I felt sorry for the numerous fish that must have suffered hours of golf balls raining down on them.
Cameron wasn’t as laid back as the previous day but he still managed to stretch out our journey to Rotorua till dark. He did shed light on his origins, however, and revealed his father was Scottish and his mother Maori. He quipped that such a combination means half of him likes to have a good time, while the other half doesn’t want to pay for it.
Cameron’s Mud Pool
From Lake Taupo we continued along and found some of New Zealand’s fabulous forests lying in heaps, the foliage cut away and the timber waiting to be burned when the land was drier. New Zealand is changing. The emphasis is turning towards dairy farming and Cameron informed us quite worryingly that in two years we could come back and find some of New Zealand unrecognisable. It was sad to see the land make way for industry but with annual profits averaging $700k a year it was easy to see why more New Zealanders wanted to get rich from dairy farming.
The volcanic activity of New Zealand’s north island became most apparent when we visited the Wairakei Geothermal Power Plant. Rising from the ground were clouds of steam and the power stations in New Zealand harnessed this power. We were able to take some snaps of the station from a distance and what a spectacle it was. The steam rose naturally from the ground and could be found miles from the power station. Running alongside the pipes were drains filled with flowing, boiling water. I’d never seen anything like it.
Cameron’s Mud Pool
Before Rotorua, Cameron took us to his ‘secret mud pool.’ It was more than just a pool of mud thankfully. The heat beneath the ground made the pool resemble a bubbling cauldron from some children’s fairy tale. The steam was rising from the surface as were thick, squelchy bubbles, which, on bursting, fired small bits of mud into the air. It wasn’t an overly pleasant scent but it was a must for the photo album.
We finally reached Rotorua at night and were staying in another Ibis Hotel, same as in Wellington. I only wanted a snack for supper and as luck would have it I’m not just situated opposite the lift but right next to a vending machine as well. Lady Luck was on my side. I got two cans of pop for the price of one. Some people are just blessed it seems.
Tomorrow we would see Rotorua then in the evening attend a dinner and Maori concert. A nominated member of our group would have to act as our chieftain and face the head Maori in a contest of welcome. It promised to be a memorable day. Just what we needed as the farewell to New Zealand drew ever closer.
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