George Cukor: Hollywood Master
R. Barton Palmer and Murray Pomerance
Book
Presents a critical analysis of the films and career of George Cukor. Though many of his films are...
Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few
Book
'A very good guide to the state we're in' Paul Krugman, New York Review of Books 'A well-written,...
Vespa Scooters - Classic 2-Stroke Models 1960-2008: The Essential Buyer's Guide
Book
The two stroke Vespa is rightly regarded as an iconic scooter. It's initial purpose was to provide...
How We Played: Games from Childhood Past
Book
Games make up a huge part of childhood, and memories of specific games stay with us throughout our...
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Searchers (1956) in Movies
Oct 8, 2020
On one level this is another colourful, slightly cheesy and rather sentimental 1950s western - but on another it has a darkness to it which is quite surprising, for all that this moral ambiguity arguably eventually consumed the genre. It's a film about racism and an obsessive desire for vengeance - the Native Americans in this film are given a degree of depth and generally treated respectfully, but the film is honest about the savage conflict between them and the colonial population, and Wayne's mania for revenge, though understated, is clear. The film's subtexts about the importance of family and what it means to be an American are well-presented, though no doubt problematic for many modern viewers. Still, this is a hugely important and influential western and probably a great movie too.
Chinaberry Sidewalks: A Memoir
Book
In a tender and uproarious memoir, singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell reveals the good, the bad, and...
David McK (3425 KP) rated The Imitation Game (2014) in Movies
Feb 26, 2022
This flits back and forth between three timelines: the 1950s (just before Turing committed society, after being found guilty of Homosexual behaviour, which was outlawed at the time), the late 30s/early 40s (his work at Bletchley) and the 1920s (his childhood at a public boarding school, where he was bullied).
Cumberbatch manages to bring a different aura to his portrayal of Turing than he did previously to Sherlock - even though both are geniuses who struggle with a low EQ (Emotional Quotient) - while Kiera Knightley does her period piece acting as his fellow (perhaps even smarter) codebreaker Joan, who has to also put up with the misogynistic attitudes of the time.
And yes, the Imitation Game of the title is a real philosophical conundrum (which is described during the movie itself).
Sisters of the East End: A 1950s Nurse and Midwife
Book
Heart-warming tales of nursing and midwifery from the Sisters who worked with Jennifer Worth. "A...
Chelsee R Clawson (23 KP) rated Call the Midwife - Season 1 in TV
Mar 6, 2018
Tuppence for Paper and String
Book
'Each and every single one of the 100 plus children I have cared for over the past 62 years are very...