Arts Reviews

As a change from books all the time, I include occasional film, TV and theatre reviews – indexed below:

Film – Big Screen, DVD and Blu-Ray

A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (2020) – Tom Hanks,  Review
Alice in Wonderland (2010) dir Tim Burton – Review
American Hustle (2014) – Review
Arthur Christmas (2011) Aardman – Review
Baby Driver (2017) dir Edgar Wright, Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx etc Review
Beryl on the box etc – for Beryl Bainbridge Reading Week 2012 – Survey
Burn After Reading (2008) dir Coen Brothers – DVD – Review
Character forming – Discussion on book or movie first – (2012) – Discussion
Coraline (3D) (2009) – Review
Drive (2011) – Thoughts on seeing this violent but arty film on TV in 2014
Easy Virtue (2008) based on the Noel Coward play – DVD – Review
An Education (2010) – Film (DVD) and book review – Review
Frankenstein – (2012) NT live starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller – Review
Frankenweenie (2012) – dir Tim Burton – Film Review
Gran Torino (2009) – Clint Eastwood – DVD – Review
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) dir Wes Anderson – Review
The Great Gatsby (2013) dir Baz Luhrman – Review
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince (2009) – Review
In Bruges (2008) Brendon Gleason, Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes – DVD – Review
Inside Llewyn Davis (2014) – Blu-ray – Review
King Lear (2014) Simon Russell Beale – NT Live – Review
La La Land (2016) – Comments
Les Miserables – on film and stage (2014) – Review
Let the Right One In (2008) (Swedish – subtitled) – Comments
Life of Brian by Monty Python – Comments from 2011
Macbeth (2013) dir Kenneth Branagh – NT live – Review
Moon (2009) dir Duncan Jones, starring Sam Rockwell – DVD – Review
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010) – Emma Thompson – Review
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) – Book v Movie – Review
Shrek Forever After (2010) – No 4 in the series – Comments
Skyfall (2012) dir Sam Mendes, starring Daniel Craig as James Bond – Review
Spotlight (2016) – Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, Mark Ruffalo – Review
Stardust (2007) – Claire Danes, Robert de Niro – DVD Comments
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) – Review
The Theory of Everything – Review
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011) – Review
Up (2009) Pixar – DVD – Review
Up in the Air (2009) – DVD – Review
A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014) – Film v book – Review
Welcome to the Punch (2013) – British gangster movie – Review

Yesterday (2019) – Danny Boyle/Richard Curtis – Beatles Romcom – Review

TV

BBC TV Sci-Fi Sound Effects (2013) – CD – Review
Beryl on the box etc – for Beryl Bainbridge Reading Week 2012 – Survey
Desperate Romantics – (2009) TV series on the Pre-Raphaelites – Discussion
Doctor Who (2013) – Who’s your doctor? – TV – Discussion
Holy Flying Circus (2011) TV drama on the Python’s Life of Brian – Review
Hustle (series 5) (2009) TV drama – Comments on ep1
Jackanory (BBC) – Comments
Jesus Christ Superstar (2012) – TV talent show + Theatre nostalgia from the 1970s – Discussion
Mad Men – Season 2 (2009) – Comments on ep1
Rocket Science (BBC) – a programme about science in schools – (2009) – Discussion

Theatre & Concerts (incl on big screen)

The Entertainer – Branagh at the Garrick (2016) Review
Frankenstein – (2012) NT live – Benedict Cumberbatch, Johnny Lee Miller – Review
Groundhog Day – (2016) Old Vic – Danny Rubin & Tim Minchin, starring Andy Karl review
Hamlet – (2017) Harold Pinter Theatre – Andrew Scott, dir Robert Icke. Fabulous! Review
Jesus Christ Superstar (2012) – TV show + Theatre nostalgia – Discussion
John Wilson Orchestra – Hollywood at the Proms (2012) – Review
King Lear (2014) Simon Russell Beale – NT Live – Review
Les Miserables – on film and stage (2014) – Review
A Little Hotel on the Side – Feydeau – (2013) Theatre Royal Bath, Richard McCabe, Richard Wilson. Review
Macbeth (2013) dir Kenneth Branagh – NT live – Review
Matilda – RSC Stratford (2010-11) Tim Michin et al, dir Matthew Warchus – Review
McBusted at Birmingham (March 2015) – Review
Noyes Fludde – Benjamin Britten Centenary (2013) – Memories
Oliver! (2009) – Rowan Atkinson & Jodie Prenger – Review
Rattigan Double Bill – Harlequinade/All On Her Own – Ken Branagh at the Garrick (2015) Review
The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill – National Theatre (2016) starring Rory Kinnear, dir Rufus Norris. Review
Wendy & Peter Pan (2013-4) RSC Stratford – Review
The Wind in the Willows – Toby Hulse – Watermill Theatre, Newbury – Review

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