Monty Python - The End?

Hello Readers

This is  a rather short review due to the watershed. Whatever that is on the internet, it best be short. 

Last night I saw Monty Python almost live at the cinema. To be honest I did not read many of the critics reviews as I knew they would be split. I often don't care for someone else to tell me if I might enjoy something untilI have seen, read or listened. 

I grew up watching and listening to so much in my youth and Month Python was always considered funny but a little rude. To be honest if you look back and some other radio shows (yes radio) they pushed the boundaries just as much with the odd double entendre. 

For me, the final show was a great trip into my past and a fitting farewell to a comedy group who did push boundaries. I sang along to all the songs and remembered most of the words. The Galaxy song a favourite of mine updated due to the 5 minute argument of a scientist and a comedic. 

Some have claimed that it was tired and old. Hell the ages of the remaining Python's were past 70! They dont move like they did, they did not need to for me. The show was a combination of past success and the clear brilliant idea of Eric Idle who masterminded Spamalot. Please note that show moves around with a young cast.

So to those who complained about the content, the editing on telly and more well you just did not get it, did you. 

Long live Monty Python and forever be naughty boys!

Captain America - The Winter Soldier Review

Hello dear reader

For the past few years, Marvel has been producing a number of very high quality comic book films. Wheather it started with the first X-Men or Iron Man movie is subject to a small debate. For me, I believe they had a plan from both. In fact, I believe they have at least three strands going very much like the comics themselves.

This year, Marvel is hitting the big screen with four strands, each one pushing the universe just that touch further. The first of these is Captain America  : The Winter Soldier, the second in this series. This movie picks up a short time after the first Avengers with Captain America working for Shield and learning of the new World he has been thrust into. The opening scene shows our hero 'jogging' around a Washington land mark, passing others at ease. It is of course all part of the set up to the movie as well we know.

The movie quickly moves apace, yet it does not appear to miss anything in the telling of it's story. The balance is possibly the best of all the recent Marvel movies. You have a number of well known characters, a few new ones and a really well designed plot. That is due in large parts to the huge story lines available from the comic books. Yet Marvel, for the most part, seems to be able to transfer those comic stories into first class film scripts. Given some of these stories span maybe 10 to 20 comics, it shows the great care and planning that is going into each one. With only one minor issue recently, IronMan 3 and the treatment of a certain villain, Marvel is showing how comic movies can be made.

The 2-diamentional paper characters have come to life in a very substantial way, so much so that a whole new audience may never have seen the Marvel comic universe before these movies started. It broke box office records, hit the number one spot with ease and will ensure at least one more Captain America movie.

As for the movie itself, spoiler alerts for anyone who has not seen the adverts or watched the films, yet.

Captain America, it is wonderfully crafted. The action is well designed, the script has just the right amount of twists and the supporting cast does do just that, support the movie. I did have a good idea of what this movie was about given that I have read the comics but seeing it is different to reading it. The plot unfolds and Steve Rogers (Captain America himself) feels even more out of time, even more betrayed than before. He has to take sides again and has no idea who he can turn to. He finds one man who has no special powers, just an ordinary man who he has to bring into this now complex plot.

There is an unexpected death but in comic books does that really ever happen? Well you would have to watch the movie to see. There are villains and this time they are well written and given proper time. You do have to watch until the very end of this film and I mean the very end. Marvel now has the habit of putting two extras in. Nick Fury makes another appearance, along with a couple of other recurring characters giving both scope and a feel of continuation to these films. They are linked just like the comics and again can be seen without really watching all the rest. Their appeal is certainly not slowing down, neither is the speed at which the films are being released.

I will happily watch this film again and add it to my growing list of Marvel movies. They are beating DC hands down and so far DC don't seem to know what to do next. Apart from the Batman movies, the rest of DC's attempts have been missing something each time. With another Spiderman, the movie of the year for me X-Men Days of Future Past and the new Guardians movie, Marvel is just capturing more and more of this market.

It looks like for me, I have a few nights planned at the cinema.

Tagline: 'Winter it might have been but the plot was hot.'

World Archery 2014

Dear Reader

This weekend has been a very busy one indeed. I took part in my very first indoor world archery event at Telford International centre. It is the biggest event I have taken part in to date. Over 860 archers of all ages and many nationalities came together to enjoy the 3rd leg of this international event. The top archers competing side by side with many UK club ones. 

For me, this was a chance to compete on a world stage, not many times you get to do that. The event was held over three days starting Friday at 2pm.  There were 4 qualification groups, over 200 archers each time. I was shooting in the first group along side well known archers Brady Ellison and Jake Kaminski from the US and top archers in the UK, Larry Godfrey, Alan Wills, Naomi Folkard, Dannielle Brown, Becky Martin and Pip Taylor to name just a very small amount. It really had a true international field, yet for me it was not scary as I thought it could have been. Maybe that is my age or the fact I had nothing to prove to anyone. Either way it attracted good competitors. Something else to mention was the number of juniors pushing themselves in such a competition. It really is not easy to put yourself under such pressure without good support which from what I saw all juniors had. It will take time to understand the mental skills required to just shoot and ignore everything else. Many GB juniors took part and did well. For me they all did well.

I knew it was a tough competition but that was not the point for me. It was the expereince, just being at the event was different then normal shoots. Yet in many ways it was just like any other. That for me is the core of archery. Archers don't seem to compete against anyone except themselves and the target. They will help each other, offer support and even find the odd spare part if needed. 

I met up with a few familar people as you do. Everyone was in the same boat, a 3-spot target 18 meters distance. Sounds easy? For the top archer who practice every day over 1000 arrows a week its still tough. Top score 592 out of 600. I finished in the top 30 in my group but knew with 3 more I hoped to finish mid table which I did. 

At one point I did hit three 10's something many strive for. That was very uplifting.  

After the shoot I spent some time looking around the stands and stalls. Now that was dangerous, so many new bits. I kept my nerve just about. I also did one more thing which will make one person very happy and me very rich - maybe.  

I did get the chance to shoot again on Sunday morning. A early start 5.30am, drive to Telford ready to shoot at 7.30am on one of the smallest targets I have seen. Again another good shoot, a personal best as well. 

Archer folk are a friendly lot and once more I enjoyed another good time. If I ever get the chance to do this again I would. Take the opportuties when you can. 

One last thing, the event well organised, the staff friendly and many were archers themselves. It was well attended, well run and a credit to UK archery. 

Tagline: 'Brilliant'

2014 and all that

Hello Dear Reader

It's been a while since I last posted anything, well just before Christmas 2013 to be correct. Since then what has happened. We have lost a Doctor and gained another pleased don't ask Who, we have seen Christmas gales and rain just surviving for some. We also saw, some of us did, Sherlock up and running about, again.

Doctor Who drew a number of differing responses from it's Christmas episode, maybe coming to quickly on the heels of one the best I have seen to-date. Many people will always want to see something their way and to be honest I am no different. I would like to see a return to the original way of story telling, 6 to 8 episodes 45 minutes each giving the characters, writers and viewers a chance to indulge in the story. I very much doubt my one view will make much difference but at least I can say it.

That is in complete contrast to Sherlock, which has been very well written, acted and staged to a degree that you almost forget its 90 minutes long. The last three episodes held over 8 million viewers each time enthralled by the stories. The thought of reducing this to 45 minutes and waiting might seem cruel, in fact it possibly would be cruel. Even finding the odd plot error (in my humble view) still did not distract from the overall entertainment, which for me is what this was about. The plot errors? Well Magnussen having a real letter, maybe that was a con, mentioning that he had items brought in and Mary having a memory stick. All this when it is reviled that Magnussen kept nothing. Having read the books, you can clearly see everything that Doyle placed in the stories transferred to the small screen. Will there be more? One can hope so.

So 2014 has started. My writing is continuing, I am close to finishing my first novel (draft maybe) and I plan to sort out my poems. Archery is another of my passions which just before Christmas produced my very first Robin Hood. For those who don't know thats when you hit one of your own arrows and end up costing you a trip to the shop. I do plan to improve my overall fitness and possibly go back to the gym. That's what you call a throw-away statement.

Tagline 'Did you miss me?'