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Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones
Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones
1967 | Sci-Fi
9
6.1 (9 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Patrick troughton (4 more)
Fraser Hines
Pauline Colin's
Animation
Donald Pickering
Just watched the first three episodes of this lost classic doctor who that was first shown in the 1960s but was junked by the BBC in the 70s but all that remains of the story is episodes one and three untill now we can watch it in full animated release is it any good so far yes the plot which takes place in and around Gatwick airport in which aliens are kindapping young people thru chameleon tours and replacing them with dupaites. The plot is very invasion of the body snatchers but on a BBC budget. Acting wise Patrick troughton is in his element as the doctor with support from the rest of the cast. Looking forward to the animated release later in the year fury from the deep that once a true classic
  
A Spy Among Friends: Philby and the Great Betrayal
A Spy Among Friends: Philby and the Great Betrayal
Ben Macintyre | 2015 | Biography, History & Politics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
If you're looking for a non-fiction book that reads like fiction, this is definitely a must-read.
Kim Philby is infamous, he was responsible for compromising countless agents/missions from the 1930s to the 1960s. He's the inspiration behind a lot of spy fiction, one of the biggest ones being Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The book has a few main sources, Philby himself in his strange memoir written after he fled to Moscow, Nicholas Elliot, a friend and co-worker from MI-6, and James Angleton, also a friend from the CIA. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but there were so many signs of treachery, it's hard to believe that it took 30 years to finally get a confession from him.
And, I mean, come on, the dude decided on giving himself the nickname of Kim, like the character in Rudyard Kipling's novel.
  
Nothing But a Man (1963)
Nothing But a Man (1963)
1963 | Classics, Drama
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"The movie that I always watch before doing just about any project — and certainly before doing this one — is called Nothing But A Man. It’s a classic film. Ivan Dixon played the lead character and it’s just about this black man trying to make his way through the world. But it’s a beautiful, beautiful film, and it breaks my heart every time I watch it. It’s just one of the most extraordinary movies I’ve ever seen. I was introduced to it by a friend of mine; I was doing a play — probably eight or nine years ago — and my friend, Aunjanue Ellis, who is an actress, put me on to it and I had not seen it before. Now I watch it all the time. It’s great – I think it was in the 1960s. Ivan Dixon and Abbey Lincoln -– it just was super. An incredible film."

Source
  

"Full disclosure: Amy is a friend, and I have tasted her cupcakes. They’re really, really good. (And that is not a euphemism.) I Like You is a spin on those 1960s cookbooks about how to make a nice home and how to entertain. I picked it because I love the character Amy plays: a hostess from the ’60s, in cheap hosiery, wigs, and crazy costumes. But it’s also got recipes for a delicious meatloaf and advice on how to deal with drunk guests. My favorite tip is that when you’re having a party, you should fill your medicine cabinet with marbles—so that when people are snooping, they get caught. I know that Amy really does like to entertain that way. Sometimes she’ll charge people 25 cents to take a picture with a stuffed rabbit. The book is hilarious, beautifully designed, and captures Amy in so many ways"

Source
  
The Umbrella Academy - Season 2
The Umbrella Academy - Season 2
2020 | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
It follows the theme of the previous season, and doesn't try away from tackling bigger issues (0 more)
Not quite as gripping as the first season (0 more)
Enjoyable watch
Contains spoilers, click to show
Just like the first season, season 2 is full of random jokes, questionable choices and mayhem that seems to follow these siblings. After traveling back in time to escape the apocalypse the siblings are spat out in the 1960s, each finds thier own way to adapt and makes a life, until in typical style they discover the end of the world followed them back too.
The season doesn't shy away from some of the bigger topics of the 60s and today, including racism and homophobia. They are well portrayed and addressed and fit in well with the overall storyline.
However, I did not find this season as gripping as the first, but I can't put my finger on why that is.
  
Dr Who: Dead Air
Dr Who: Dead Air
James Goss | 2010
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
There's an old (well, now old) episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer where The Hush comes to town, and everyone loses the ability to speak.

I've no idea which came first - edit: Buffy episode did - but I strongly suspect it was the inspiration for this audio drama, where the Hush is a sentient weapon left over from the Time War between the Time Lords and the Daleks, is on board a pirate radio station just outside Liverpool in the 1960s, and is looking for a way to escape and propagate.

In-universe, this is presented as a recording of the what went on onboard the ship, with David Tennant's Doctor warning the listener NOT to listen to the end as otherwise the Hush might escape ...

The result in an OK story: it's not the worst Dr Who audio drama I've listened to, but nor is it the best.
  
40x40

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Black Cake in Books

Feb 4, 2022  
Black Cake
Black Cake
Charmaine Wilkerson | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Siblings Byron and Benny are estranged, but after their mother's death, they discover she’s left them a black cake, a beloved food from their childhood and history, and a voice recording that reveals many surprises about her past. Their mother Eleanor's story is heartbreaking and shocking, but will it bring Byron and Benny together to share the cake "when the time is right," as their mother desired?

This is a really interesting and different book. It’s a sweeping tale that spans from the 1960s to the present and touches on racism, homophobia, immigration, assault, the meaning of family, and so much more. If that sounds like a lot, it is, and sometimes it feels like too much. The story meanders at times--it's a lot to go from the 1960s to the near present, and the story is told through many narrators and short chapters. It's sometimes confusing to keep track of. At times, the musings and whining of present-day Byron and Benny are frustrating because you just want to get back to Eleanor and the past.

And that is where BLACK CAKE shines. Because while this is a debut novel and it shows at times, the story really is engrossing, especially when Eleanor gets into her origin story and we learn about the Caribbean and how she became who she is. There's almost a mystery in there, and it's fascinating. We are taken back to the islands, meeting a young determined swimmer and her best friend. I love how Wilkerson weaves everything together into a touching and poignant tale that delves deep into this family's past. I was mesmerized and needed to know everything that happened. There are a lot of characters and a few false starts, but this story winds around to make sense, and it was a really beautiful and fascinating.

I received a copy of this book from Random House / Ballantine and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
  
Giovanni's Room
Giovanni's Room
James Baldwin | 2007 | Essays
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is one of those great works of literature where despite loathing the protagonist, the prose is so magnificent you can see past it - almost. It definitely reminded me of Nabokov's renowned tale Lolita where you detest Humbert Humbert, but it's still a masterpiece.

This is the story of an American David, set in the 1950s-1960s, who begins a tumultuous love affair with an Italian man in Paris, while deciding whether to marry his fiancee. He is arrogant, selfish, spoilt and horribly flawed to the point you just think he's more evil than misguided. He can't admit to himself that he is gay, but instead strings along everyone around him and says he's punishing himself. In the end, his lack of character destroys everyone around him including himself but in a very different way. Massively misogynistic at times and I'm not sure if it was the author's intention or a reflection of how he also sees women. Beautifully written nonetheless.
  
Priestdaddy
Priestdaddy
Patricia Lockwood | 2017 | Biography, Essays
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The eccentric and quirky life of a Catholic family
This is an intriguing memoir about the author's experiences of living in an unconventional, but highly religious family, with a Catholic gun-toting priest for a father. It is highly sarcastic, and hilarious at times, reading about Patricia Lockwood's family antics. When I first began this autobiography, I honestly believed it was set in the 1960s as her father disallows the sisters to go to college, instead spending money on guitars, and describing the effects of living next to a radioactive plant. But lo and behold, Lockwood is writing about only a decade ago.

She leads an eccentric lifestyle, following in her family's footsteps, writing poetry and travelling across the US after a marrying a man off the internet. But it also reveals her doubts about their customs and practices, and how she questions the function of the church - especially with claims of molestation. An interesting and enjoyable read.
  
The Keepers - Season 1
The Keepers - Season 1
2017 | Crime, Documentary
This was a decent, interesting yet harrowing series. It initially looked at the disappearance and then death of a young nun teacher, and another young woman within days if each other in 1960s Baltimore. Thereafter the story unfolded covering abuse in the catholic school, repressed memories and a cast of very unusual characters from the city, all of whom appear to have been involved.
While the series is interesting, and the stories being told are truly horrific, the series itself seems to get distracted and is at times all over the place. The first few episodes were quite focused, but the last 2 episodes were a frantic rush to close off aspects of the story, but a number of other avenues suddenly appeared out of nowhere, leading to quite a confusing, tiring conclusion.
One of these days there will be a true crime series on Netflix that ends with all questions answered.