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The Boat That Rocked Film Review

There haven’t been too many films about pirate radio but Christian Slater’s Pump Up the Volume is a definite must for all radio anoraks. The Richard Curtis film ‘The Boat That Rocked’ is loosely based on Radio Caroline.

History lesson: In the 1960’s the BBC didn’t play pop or rock music. It played nice classical stuff. Though now the Sixties is well remembered for its music, it was actually hard to hear any of it on radio at the time.. and so this dilemma gave rise to Pirates, who actually played what the public wanted to hear and not what dear old Aunt Penelope wanted to hear only. These pirates, one of whom was Radio Caroline broadcast from a boat. End of History lesson.

The film is set in 1966 when Carl arrives to join his Godfather Quentin (Bill Nighy) on the boat, home to Radio Rock. The crew of Radio Rock, have love hate relationships but are all on board for the same reason, music.

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January 12, 2010
Glee: What’s all the Fuss about?

TV producers on this side of the Atlantic were smart, show the Pilot episode of Glee just after the X Factor final, big audience prime time weekend. This would have been ok if they had to show episode two the following week. Instead on a few occasions over Christmas we had to sit through reruns of the pilot episode again and again. January comes and they again shoe the pilot, move on already.. I know all the dance moves.

So what is Glee? The show that has taken America by storm? Yeah we hear that about a lot of shows and its not always true. So far I’ve watched up until Episode 13, Sectionals.. ooh what happens?

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January 12, 2010
Saccade: See How They Fly Review

I wrote this for MusicReviewUnsigned, when I get a direct link I will update.

The last time I heard of Saccade they were playing a lunchtime gig in B.C.F.E., I was eating while they did their load in.

The band have grown in stature since their debut in 07 ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’. The new single ‘See How They Fly’ is taken from their debut album ‘Last Tango’.

The first notes of the new single tip a hat at the current electronica phase, sounds like these wouldn’t sound out of place of Delphic’s current album. The guitars kick in to establish the track as a great rock song.

This is a well structured song and its refrain will get in your head and stay there for hours. Great guitar hooks, good vocals, massive drumming, great length for radio.

5 out of 6

myspace.com/saccade

January 11, 2010
Dorian Gray/The Invention of Lying Film Reviews

Another snowbound evening means another two movies, Dorian Gray and The Invention of Lying.

Dorian Gray
is based on the book of Oscar Wilde and directed by Oliver Parker, the film tells the story of Gray (Ben Barnes) whose physically remains young after selling his soul for eternal youth. The downside to this is a painting of the young Gray gets uglier each day. The once innocent Gray is led astray by Lord Henry (Colin Firth) but later in life when Gray wants to redeem himself for his life of drunken debauchary, he finds out he may be too late.

It’s an ok film , I love the colouring and grading and London around the beginning of the 19th century looks really good, I think though I should read the book.

The Invention Of Lying
was written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson and stars Gervais with Jennifer Garner who live in a world where there isn’t such a thing as lying. This means no fiction, all films are based on actual everts. After losing his job as a script writer, Mark Bellison (Gervais), tells the world’s first lie and his leads him to become a well known loser who speaks to ‘The Man in the Sky’.

The film is very hit and miss, it’s funnier before the first lie is told as everyone is brutally honest. However, we know Gervais is funny but there’s just not enough content in this, overall a little disappointing.

January 10, 2010