Most will be more familiar with the ice cream, but probably don't realise why it's called Phish Food.

The Gentlemen

Got a chance to watch this last night.

Typical slick Guy Ritchie movie with a clever script, plenty of twists and turns, and a great ensemble cast. It also has the obligatory Guy Ritchie appalling English accents by American actors but some ingenious directorial ploys which make it a most enjoyable two hours. The show is stolen by a terrific performance from Hugh Grant as a cheeky cockney Private Investigator but Matthew McConaughey puts in a solid stint as the main protagonist while Charlie Hunnam demonstrates why he is the king of cool.

The opening half hour is a little slow and requires plenty of concentration, invest or you’ll miss out in the latter stages.

It’s not going to win a best picture Oscar but it is a solid 8/10. Very enjoyable.

Agree 100% with South Stander's review above.

Two from Netflix last night.

Spenser Confidential - better than I expected, not the most complex plot and nothing new (think updated Lethal Weapon without the humour), but very watchable.

The Circle - when Netflix get Emma Watson and Tom Hanks into a film about what a large corporate internet business might actually be up to it gets interesting. It doesn't directly suggest Google and the Pentagon are in cahoots, but does give a pause for thought on just where an ever connected world [icould[/i lead. Emma Watson actually acting and Tom Hanks being uncomfortably affable and slimy at the same time. Enjoyed it.

The biggest turkey since christmas - Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, just bl00dy awful.

A mixture I've seen in recent months-

Call of The Wild - inoffensive, watchable, not going to win awards.
Dolittle - as above
Paddington 2 - worth it to see Hugh Grant tap dance!
Emma - as period costume dramas go, it's rubbish
Knives Out - a lot better than expected, Daniel Craig's accent is hilarious

Dark Water - just brilliant, you'll never trust Teflon again. (Pelican Brief with a different villain)

odd things that "were just on but I watched it anyway"

Pitch Perfect - the best of the three (four is rumoured to be on the cards), a true feel good film.
" 2 - the worst of the three, still raises a smile
" 3 - fun and makes you smile (Spice Girls the movie, with singing!)
The Hustle - Rebel Wilson is over the top funny, Anne Hathaway tiptoes on the borderline of almost acting...

seen about 150 more in the last few years, more reviews in a while...

As the author of the novel "Three Good Years" I would be very interested to read some reviews by a few fans of the greatest game. It has a background of Work, Family Life, Saving the NHS and Rugby League and is set during the 2006, 07 and 08 seasons. It is the sixth novel in a series which is set against a strong Lancashire/Yorkshire background.
My other five novels have already been well reviewed by such media people as Tony Collins, Ray French, Dave Hadfield, Tony Hannan, Mike Stephenson, Gavin Willacy and Graham Williams along with the late Stan Barstow who wrote "A Kind of Loving" in the late Fifties..

Something we can agree on. Did all three series last week.

If you need a binge worthy tv series look no further than the Sopranos. Great writing, equally great acting (from the main cast anyway), combines brutal and violent scenes with light hearted humour seamlessly.

I've only watched the first episode of Ozark. It was ok but didn't grip me immediately. Does it grab your attention more as it goes on?

Yes, it took me 2 or 3 to get into it. Pleased I stuck with it.

Just finished watching the Witcher. Game of Thrones meets Lord of the Rings with a dash of Harry Potter.

Reading this, "Elizabeth Woodville - A Life: The Real Story of the 'White Queen' by David MacGibbon".

Read 30 pages and the proof reader must have been on holiday.

I just sat down to watch the first episode of Gordon, Gino and Fred's American Road Trip. What an utter T*t Gino comes over as. It has the feeling of a Top Gear rip off without any of the charm. All three present themselves as the kind of people you would not want to run in to on the local high street after dark with Gino being the one that you would expect to get arrested having glassed some bar staff. They have absolutely no chemistry. You could just imagine in the pitch to the BBC someone suggesting a programme that was a cross between said Top Gear and The Hangover. Soft and tired TV aimed at those people who find vomiting into an open topped car funny.

Watched ‘Call of the Wild’ (2020) after a recommendation from a friend that it was ‘nice’ but what a waste of 100 minutes.

Harrison Ford tries his best but the material he’s given to work with is woeful and the CGI dog, the central character of the film, is terribly clunky and impossible to believe in. With a computer generated dog at their disposal the film makers deliver ever more fantastical stunts which require total suspension of reality from the viewer.

I’m not sure of the intended audience. It seemed too violent and disturbing for its PG rating, but I might be out of touch, while also being far too twee for an adult audience.

Nothing more than a disappointing 5/10.

Best film I’ve seen recently was Uncut Gems on Netflix.

Best series I’ve ever seen in order:
The Wire
Sopranos
Breaking Bad

At the moment I’m watching Ozark which is sort of like a poor mans breaking bad. It’s good, but not a patch on BB.

If you can get a copy of Love/Hate then I’d also recommend as a highly binge worthy drama set in Dublin.