I think I just didn’t understand this film. The start was really Severence and I thought it was going in one direction, but then it took a different turn and then a few other ones after that. I don’t know why Meg Ryan played multiple characters, I don’t understand why Joe went along with the plan without asking more questions, and I am really not sure how and why the volcano spat them out at the end without any harm or injury to either of them. A lot of questions and no answers. There may have been some interesting messages in there about not selling your soul to the company store, but they were really hidden by the nonsense.

Really loved this book. Obviously had watched the TV show on Apple TV which was incredible, and so reading the book was like returning to an old friend. The adaptation is pretty close to the source material, so I could picture some of the scenes as they played out, but there were minor differences and I enjoyed seeing them. It was nice, if enraging from a feminist point of view, to dip back into this world and I hope that Elizabeth is a bit happier after the end of the book!

I can’t believe I’ve never seen this before, it’s such a good film. Good actors, great cocktail skills, budding romance and a twisting, turning story that comes to a sort of happy ending. It really reminded me of White Men Can’t Jump, in that it’s really two guys coming together and then making a lot of bad decisions and playing their egos off against each other in the worst possible way. But that does make for an entertaining film just as WMCJ did too.

This was SO GOOD. It felt almost like an indy film - slow, patient, quiet, but absolutely engrossing, focused on the people more than the story, letting them allow the plot to unfold around them. Of course it’s not an indy film, it has Gene Hackman and Harrison Ford in it, but it’s just brilliant. An unexpected but immediate favourite.

I’ve recently become a little bit obsessed with Geoff Marshall’s YouTube videos, following his stories about railways, stations, the trains that run on them as well as bus routes. It’s very London focussed, naturally, but there are excursions outside the capital too. As his about blurb states: You’ll find me travelling around London and the rest of the country on public transport, creating stories about stations, trains and buses, as well as engineering and design… In 2017, I visited all 2,563 stations in Great Britain, followed in 2019 by going to all 198 stations in Ireland, and I continue to visit new stations as they open. In 2024, I rode a section of all 544 Bus Routes in London.

I really enjoyed this album. I knew I liked Razorlight but when I looked at the track listing, it was only Golden Touch that I thought I recognised - turns out there were a good handful of tunes on there that I remembered from the first time round. Great millennium style guitar pop rock, with Stumble and Fall potentially standing out more than Golden Touch by the end!

Pretty good pop album from Ariana, featuring those intense and soaring vocals that we’ve come to know and love, alongside deep-dives into feelings, relationships, hardships, and just trying to learn to love yourself. I don’t think there were any bangers on there, so I’m not sure it’s going to live long in the memory, but it’s a nice one to listen to.

Let’s cut to the chase: I remembered this being better than it was. It was up there with Scream in my head, one of those 90s slasher movies that has pretty people, good tunes, and a brilliant horror mystery to be unravelled. It had two of those things going for it, but everything else was nonsense. The initial accident that caused the problem was blown out of all proportion and a lot of the choices made afterwards make no sense… laughable in places. The acting isn’t that great, really, they’re all quite young and go on to do a better job in other things, I think. Watchable but probably not a first choice.

I’ve tried to read this a couple of times, and I remember watching the TV show and liking that so thinking the book should capture me as well. For whatever reason it didn’t grab me before but I wasn’t ready to let it go… and I guess that’s worked out, as I got through the whole thing this time, hooray! It’s a good ghost story, well reasoned with only hints of the supernatural. The underlying story is horrifying, obviously, and very disquieting, but overall a good tense read.

This movie has some really promising elements but they aren’t used very well and the end result feels like a sprawling mess. Goldie Hawn is legendary, obviously, and can carry any movie she’s in, so she’s very watchable from start to finish. But it’s a real shame that the brilliant army stuff is bookended with some really boring men-are-terrible romance stuff. I would have watched much more of the middle third, but could live without the start and end… making for a rollercoaster viewing experience.

There’s no question that Arnie and Danny are a power couple in the comedy sense, and they do look like they’re having a lot of fun together in this movie. But I remember it being more fun all round, it actually ended up feeling really slow and ultimately quite boring. You could see where it was going and I just didn’t have the patience to go along with them to get there.

This did not feel at all like a John Hughes movie, it was more like a Gremlins film or something odd like that. It was really weird and awful and yet somehow kind of intriguing. I thought we might be able to make it through more of the movie but once they got drunk and Anthony Michael Hall started up the worst and oddest accent ever, it was all over. A rare JH mis-step.

The premise of this kept me reading, a woman disappears and there are tantalising clues about where she may or may not have gone - with not enough evidence of foul play for the police to get involved. The characters were well drawn and dialogue good, plus there are a couple of other viewpoints sprinkled in early on and we don’t know who they really are or how they fit into the puzzle. So it’s good from that point of view, but I did think the foreshadowing cliffhanger was overused and it seemed to come to a very quick end after so much build up.

I listened to the audiobook of this, read by the author Shirley Ballas. It was an eye-opening insight to Shirley’s life. I, like many, didn’t know of her until she was hired as the head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, and recently they did a small video that looked into her life and it sounded really fascinating - full of hard work and difficult decisions, and fighting your way in a male dominated world. This book is more of the same, well told, honest and insightful. I really enjoyed it.

I remember liking this previously, but oof, it has not aged well at all, has it? There’s obviously the problematic transphobic ’twist’ ending, but even outside of that there’s plenty of sexism, racism, general bawdy humour that doesn’t sit well anymore. Elements of it are still entertaining, and there a lot of quotable lines in there that still stick in my brain but I’m very happy to move on from this and never look back.

On the one hand, the sheer volume of intellectual property that Disney has control over continues to baffle and concern but on the other hand, you get to enjoy a game where all the worlds collide and Disney characters from far and wide come together in a game like this. I don’t think I would have paid top dollar for this but I might have picked it up in a sale… as it turns out, the game is free in Apple Arcade, so definitely worth a look!

As a category, this kind of game should be right up my street - it’s third person player, it’s a story-driven action/adventure and it’s an offfical Star Wars game. Sign me up! This was in the January sales for the Playstation, so picked it up with the intention of getting completely stuck in once I was done with Spider-Man. Of course, the webbed one took a bit longer than I’d thought but once I got through saving New York, I headed over to a galaxy far away.

I was subscribed to Paramount+ through their app and happily watching my way through Yellowstone and Frasier and other such high profile releases, when Apple TV released an update to their platform that integrated usability with certain streamers. From the outset that was already confusing, because you could add a channel, such as Channel 4, Paramount or Disney and it would bring in the traditional gallery of potential watches that would then take you to the programme.

We’re definitely seeing signs of spring everywhere, and if I’m honest some scary signs of summer even during February. The tentative blue skies mean it’s time to start thinking about the garden. I tried to be patient this year, just because there was a nice sunny day in Feb, I didn’t suddenly rush out and plant everything. I waited until March, until a couple more frosts had passed by, and then got things underway.

It seems to be something of a tradition for me to post a picture of emerging tree blossoms as the spring starts to unfold. 2021 - Tonight, on a very special Blossom 2018 - The golden hour

Loved this so much. Kate Bush is so talented, I can’t believe this was her debut album. This did have the problem I talk about a lot where classic songs are just so beloved that the rest of the album can’t live up to it - but in this case, the rest of the album was still absolutely brilliant, even with that. I maybe tailed off a bit of enthusiasm for the last two tracks but otherwise this is legendary.

I don’t know John Squire, so I was only really interested in one half of this partnership, and this was exactly what I expected it to be - reliving the glory days of the 90s with guitar music and whining vocals. It’s enjoyable because that kind of music is good, but there’s really nothing at all memorable about it. Worth a listen but probably not going on the repeat list.

I don’t remember a lot about the first film, other than enjoying it more than I’d exepcted. As part of 90s night, I was surprised to realise this sequel snuck into the chosen decade so we gave it a go. It’s more of the same surreal comedy as you’d expect, and although hit and miss throughout, there were many laugh out loud moments. And I hadn’t realised just how closely you need to watch, even paintings in the background could be a gag, or background actors doing something that you might otherwise miss. Good, funny, restores a bit of faith in films, even if nowhere near perfect.

Going into this, I was expecting the absolute worst of bawdy comedies so actually I was pleasantly surprised that this was watchable and had a few funny moments. But don’t get me wrong, it’s not a good movie at all. There’s a nugget of a good premise under there but of course it’s swallowed up in cheap gags, painful stereotypes and the inevitable laxative-related pranks. Still, I can see why Ryan Reynolds has gone on to bigger and better things, you can almost see little Deadpool seeds starting to be planted. Terrible but ticked off the list now.

It’s been well documented on this site that I’m not a huge poetry lover but I do like something accessible such as this novel - a story in the form of a diary, where the protagonist intends to write a poem a day but gets distracted many times along the way by the trials and tribulations of life. It’s witty and full of wordplay, and reminded me of a grown up Adrian Mole at times. Very good.

This is a nice gentle romance where two people going through some difficult times find comfort in each other - from a distance to start with, and then over a hedge. There are miscommunications and misunderstandings along the way, and if I’m honest some of it felt a bit contrived and over-dramatic, but equally, it was still compelling to find out if they would break the impasse and realise they were right for each other all along.

I recently finished watching the new streaming show The Artful Dodger on Disney+, a show that takes that fabled character from Oliver Twist and shows what he may have gotten up to in later years. We meet Dodger, going by his real name Jack Dawkins, in Australia setting up a new life for himself as a successful surgeon but his rogueish tendancies keep coming back to the fore.

I love, love, loved this album. I’m a big Erasure fan anyway, although not everything they do hits exactly the right spot. This album, though, is basically perfect. Some real bangers on there, particularly tracks 4 to 6, but all of it is great and makes you want to sing along, belting out the words I Love to Hate Youuuuuuu.

This was a pretty good pop album, I quite like that it’s more dancy than other pop records and it’s very listenable. On My Love stands out as the best track on the album, although that may be because it just reminds me of Strictly when Zara was doing the rounds promoting it. Solid album but potentially not one that will live long in the memory.

Recently spotted that there was a remake of this and as the original was made in the 90s, it fitted perfectly into one of our 90s nights. I didn’t know anything about it, and was pleasantly surprised. Overall, I enjoyed the film and it was an entertaining couple of hours, but if I drill down into it, there’s a lot I didn’t really like.

Loved this! It was so different to what I was expecting - I thought it would be a mildly amusing comedy about a sporting underdog overcoming the odds, and there was that but it was also so much more. It was completely oddball from start to finish but also absolutely adorable and a great way to learn a bit more about American Samoa. A sporting story I had no idea about and definitely want to know more about Jaiyah and her journey. Plus you can’t help but love ‘Who’s on the Plane?’, I think we could have a film length version of that next.

I saw Alan Davies on the Channel 4 program with Bill Bailey, where they walk around and open up a bit about themselves and Alan mentioned that joining a writing group had allowed him to go on to write a book about his childhood and being abused by his father - I suddenly remembered I owned this book! So I read it and boy is it a moving and difficult read but so brave and honest and like holding someone’s hand as they discover things about themselves and their past and about how hard it is to unravel memories. A must read.

The third book in the Ryan series, and I’ll be honest that this one didn’t grab me quite as much as the other two, but was still a very good read. This time Ryan is on the outskirts more than ever and the investigation, such as it is, is left to other members of the team. There’s quite a lot of introspection and injury throughout this one but it does feel like we’ve cracked open the case significantly so I’m curious what will happen in the next book.

I loved this. It took me a minute to get into it, but you’re soon grabbed by the premise and the countdown of days and the small revelations as and when they come. You know the sad times are coming but they’re still brutal when they happen but thankfully there are lighter moments too that keep you reading to what is ultimately a pretty happy ending. A quick read, not easy but gentle, definitely worth a look.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this movie but actually I really enjoyed it. It’s one of those where there’s no huge drama, you just follow some teens living their life and having their own angst until a satisfactory if not entirely happy ending. It was good, the backdrop of the theme park made for some great shots, and there was plenty of dark humour to be enjoyed. I thought Kristen Wiig was underused, it was a joy when she showed up each time. Could watch this over and again.

Spring days offset by flooding rain. Totally normal.

I only recognised one song off this album and if I’m being perfectly honest, the rest of it didn’t quite gel for me. It feels like the band weren’t really sure what kind of album they were going for and dipped into a new genre each track completely at random. Maybe roll a dice and it came up country, roll a dice and it came up baroque? Who knows? Listenable but not one I’d seek out again.

I knew that this was an album inspired by J-Lo’s rekindled romance with Ben Affleck but oof, that’s pretty much all it is. The songs are okay, although there are no absolute bangers on there, but it’s all just very much in love and over-sharing just a bit too much. It’s not as bad as some of the saccharine loved up albums that I’ve listened to in the past, but it’s not far off.

I saw this on my bookshelf as I was browsing through and realised I probably wouldn’t need to read it as have just watched the TV adaptation on Netflix. But once I started, for some reason, I couldn’t stop, even though the book and the series follow very closely together. Some names, locations, it being set in the UK have changed but otherwise it was a very faithful adaptation that I have now read as well!

This film was so high up on many of the ‘best of 90s’ lists I’ve been looking at to try and keep our 90s evenings going. I thought I must have been missing out on something but now, having watched it, I guess I’m just missing something. It wasn’t good? It wasn’t funny, except in a couple of rare places. The good thing about it is following a bunch of flawed people, just trying to navigate their way. But it felt drawn out and dull, and the switches of narrator jarring rather than effective.

I loved this, what a great rom-com! Two gorgeous people fussing and fighting and gallavanting around Australia gradually falling in love, it’s great. Funny in all the right places, and with nudity and crude jokes that don’t feel grubby, plus I love the fact that nothing is thrown away. The coffee has an impact a few times, the cookie theft comes back in a surprisingly emotional way, it’s all there for a reason. All the Shakespeare stuff went over my head, but doesn’t matter, I loved it.

I listened to the audiobook of this and although the subject matter wasn’t really of huge interest to me, the way it was read and the way the story unfolded and then totally twisted back on itself made me want to keep listening. It was a tense and moody story, not so much thriller but the kind the gets under your skin until you reach the satisfactory ending.

Ah lovely Alicia Keys, I was reminded that I had her autobiography when she popped up on the Superbowl Half Time show, and I quickly read through it. It’s exactly what you would expect from Alicia, down to earth and with that New York grittiness that you’d expect but also old soul romance and a bit of an earth mother vibe as well. It’s so easy to forget how young she was when that first album came out and reading everything that went on behind the scenes before and after is so enlightening. A great read.

I listened to the audiobook of this and I’m so glad I did because the narrator had the best accent that really brought the story to life. It’s a great tale, too, one that is empowering but real, inspiring but totally human. A journey of figuring out that as a woman, you should apologise less and take up more space - or at least the same amount of space as other people who don’t apologise all the time. A great, real story, with a happy ending. Loved it.

Donna Summer is a stone cold legend and there’s no debate about that, but I have to be honest and say a 16 minute track is too much. I love to love you too, Donna, but not that much. Still, it’s inarguably great dance music and goes down very well.

Had to listen to this as Usher is everywhere right now for doing the Superbowl Half Time Show. From what I’ve seen, the show went pretty well but if I’m honest, the album didn’t feel particularly special. It’s good music, exactly what you’d expect from Usher, and there are some good guest vocalists on there, but I don’t know that it’s moving the needle at all. A good listen but not groundbreaking.

I watched and enjoyed the film adaptation of this story a long while back but hadn’t got around to reading the source material. I’m aware quite a lot of the claims in this ’true story’ have been debunked but if you go in with that knowledge and read it as a semi-fictional account, then it still really works. It’s quite the adventure and told well, although I have to admit by the second half I was a bit over hearing all the numerical details of how to beat the cheque system. But a good read, anyway.

I, like many people, have been waiting for this to be available on streaming for SO LONG and so it was super exciting for it finally to be released on Netflix this week. I remembered loving it but couldn’t remember much of the story or even if it was actually any good. Turns out, it isn’t the best but it’s very watchable and the nostalgia factor is high.

During our second 90s evening (it’s becoming a thing!) I noticed something during the Gladiators episode that was so smoothly done, it hadn’t even registered in my mind. The men’s and women’s events were swapped in order throughout the show and for each episode. For example, who was introduced first, sometimes the men, sometimes the women. Who took to the Eliminator first at the end of the episode? This time it was the men, the other time it was the women.

Just a word of appreciation for the third series of The Morning Show, which I recently finished watching - a little bit later than it’s first release, but better late than never. There’s something about this show that is just endlessly fascinating, even though most of the people in it have a bit of a screw loose and aren’t at all relatable. Sometimes even within an episode, I wonder why I’m watching it, but when the series was over, I missed it. There was a gap in my day that I had previously filled with TV show execs battling it out for supremacy within their own network and with other companies.