Worzel Gummidge: The Scarecrow Of Scatterbrook Farm. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Cast: Mackenzie Crook, Steve Pemberton, Rosie Cavaliero, India Brown, Thierry Wickens, Vicki Pepperdine, Ben Langley, Mariam Haque, Tom Meeten, Francesca Mills, Tim Plester, Phil Hulford, Andrew James Spooner, Kiran Shah, Charlie Mayhew. 

To step into the shoes of the late, great, Jon Pertwee is surely a daunting task to which few would entertain, let alone actually attempt; and yet in the guise of one of the actor’s most famous parts, that of Worzel Gummidge, Mackenzie Crook not only captures the essence of the children’s television favourite, he brings the much loved scarecrow into the modern age, one that is steeped in a reflection of the need to bring nature much closer to the generations who have grown up within the boundary of concrete and tarmac, and the concern over climate change and human-made pollution has wrecked upon the planet.

Worzel Gummidge: The Scarecrow Of Scatterbrook Farm. Television Review. full post

(425 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

James Bond: Goldfinger. Audio Drama Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Cast: Toby Stephens, Ian McKellen, Rosamund Pike, Lisa Dillon, John Standing, Tom Hollander, Tim Pigott-Smith, Hector Elizondo, Alistair McGowan, Henry Goodman, Ian Ogilvy, Lloyd Owen, Jon David Yu, Anna Louise Plowman, Martin Jarvis, Nigel Anthony, Alan Shearman, Kyle Stoller, Tracy Patin.

There are many images that come to mind when you think of James Bond, the cars, the exotic destinations, the acts of heroism, the portrayals of the women to enter the British spy’s life, some of whom have left a lasting impression on the viewer’s mind, not only for their strength of character but for the way they became a symbol of the times, for the way some were murdered at the hands of Bond’s enemies in retribution for the spy getting too close to solving the mystery.

James Bond: Goldfinger. Audio Drama Review. full post

(533 words, estimated 2:08 mins reading time)

James Bond: Moonraker. Audio Drama Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10

Cast: Toby Stephens, Samuel West, John Baddeley, Janie Dee, John Standing, Julian Sands, Jared Harris, Patricia Hodge, Katherine Kingsley, Nigel Anthony, Simon de Deney, Jon Glover, Ian Ogilvy, Matthew Wolf, Darren Richardson, Kenneth Danziger, Martin Jarvis.

There are many reasons for which a story needs to be altered dramatically to make it stand up the cinematic scrutiny in the modern age, and whilst the original tale might be in itself one of beauty, of fascinating intrigue, its very premise in the age of the blockbuster and the need for revenue return would not see it become an instant best seller, or indeed a memorable film in which, in the case of the James Bond franchise, to captivate an audience so they will keep coming back for more.

James Bond: Moonraker. Audio Drama Review. full post

(490 words, estimated 1:58 mins reading time)

Susan Hill’s Ghost Story. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Douglas Henshall, Neve McIntosh, Louise Lombard, Adrian Rawlins, Casper Knopf, Maryam Hamidi, Cal MacAninch, Woody Norman, Paul Barber, Andrew John Tait, Calum Caulfield, Billy Thomson.

The issue with ghost stories that some might have has always been in the way the tale is resolved, like the mythical beast who sees the balance of power restored by the villagers below with one last gift offered to sate the taste of vengeance running in its blood. It is to this end that the typical ghost story ends the way it does, the murdered victim slipping away into the ether as the trembling confession is pulled from the mouth of the killer; it is neat and most of the time still leaves the viewer or reader with their own satisfaction sated.

Susan Hill’s Ghost Story. Television Review. full post

(415 words, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)

Cattle & Cane, Navigator. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

A statement is only as good as its delivery and memorability, weak words are akin to the limp handshake, instantly regretted, despite their hopeful sincerity, and one that leaves the recipient wondering where they stand.

What is needed is the forcefulness of the Navigator, the directional guide who sees the display and can add their own sense of confidence to the journey; and it is a journey that the sibling duo, Joe and Helen Hammill are gearing up for in this their third studio album, a voyage of a more intimate setting but one that has the strength to stand in its Americana feel without blushing as other bands have faced over the years.

Cattle & Cane, Navigator. Album Review. full post

(358 words, estimated 1:26 mins reading time)

His Dark Materials. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Cast: Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, Lucian Msamti, James Cosmo, Ariyon Bakare, Daniel Frogson, Anne-Marie Duff, Clarke Peters, Will Keen, Gary Lewis, Lewin Lloyd, James McAvoy, Georgina Campbell, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ruta Gedmintas, Lia Williams, Amir Wilson, Nina Sosanya, Simon Manyonda, Geoff Ball, Mat Fraser, David Langham, Robert Emms, Morfydd Clark, Frank Bourke, Jamie Wilkes, Joe Tandberg, Kit Connor, Harry Melling, Omid Djalali, Andrew Scott.

His Dark Materials. Television Review. full post

(442 words, estimated 1:46 mins reading time)

James Bond: Thunderball. Audio Drama Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7.5/10

Cast: Toby Stephens, Tom Conti, Alfred Molina, Janet Montgomery, John Sessions, Lisa Dillon, James Callis, Josh Stamberg, Ian Ogilvy, John Standing, Janie Dee, Julian Sands, Nigel Lindsay, Matthew Wolf, Alan Shearman, Darren Richardson, Aaron Lyons, Simon de Deney.

A film that suffers under the weight of its writer’s history is one that finds itself developing the human disorder of duel personality, and whilst Thunderball is film that sparks the imagination, it also leaves the fan wondering how the series could hope to capture the brilliance of the previous film, Goldfinger.

James Bond: Thunderball. Audio Drama Review. full post

(454 words, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)

Still Open All Hours, Series Six. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: David Jason, James Baxter, Stephanie Cole, Maggie Ollerenshaw, Brigit Forsyth, Johnny Vegas, Sally Lindsay, Tim Healy, Kulvinder Ghir, Geoffrey Whitehead, Sue Holderness, Katie Redford, Sophie Willan, Dean Smith, Archie Panjabi, Clive Mantle.

There is a place for consistency in this world, that not everything requires the phantasm of excess to thrill and delight an audience, that it is worth remembering that the so called gentle comedy can be just as subversive as the supposed anarchic; and across time it is to actors such as David Jason that provides the link between the two.

Still Open All Hours, Series Six. Television Review. full post

(364 words, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)

Martin’s Close. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Peter Capaldi, Wilf Scolding, Simon Williams, Sara Crowe, James Holmes, Fisayo Akinade, Elliot Levey, Jessica Temple.

Christmas isn’t Christmas without a good ghost story to chill the blood before the delight associated with the big day, it is perhaps one of the true reminders of our own mortality that we have taken for granted in an age of reason and excess, and one that cannot be dismissed easily when placed against the all- consuming thought of endings, of how the year is once more placed in darkness and shrouded in winter meaning.

Martin’s Close. Television Review. full post

(378 words, estimated 1:31 mins reading time)

Not Going Out: Driving Home For Christmas. 2019 Christmas Special. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: Lee Mack, Sally Bretton, Bobby Ball, Deborah Grant, Geoffrey Whitehead.

The absurd lengths that some people will go to deliver the perfect Christmas is rarely seen as being a laughing matter, a day of peace hijacked by the sheer need to be triumphant and the one-upmanship of being considered the best parent in the world drives many to actions they wouldn’t even dream of committing the rest of the year.

Not Going Out: Driving Home For Christmas. 2019 Christmas Special. Television Review. full post

(387 words, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)