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The Sparks Brothers (2021)
The Sparks Brothers (2021)
2021 |
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
When I first saw the preview for The Sparks Brothers, I was instantly intrigued, and eagerly counted down until the release date, 18 June. Then, when I checked the showtimes, I realized it was not playing at the theaters that had advertised it, and I would have to drive 45 minutes to see it. As luck would have it, I got an email at 2PM on Thursday from Focus Features, inviting me to an online screening that started at 7PM that same day.
The band ‘Sparks’, sounded familiar, but I couldn’t exactly remember where I knew them from. I decided to go into the documentary film blind because I wanted to enjoy it. Many of the talking heads in this documentary were some of my favorite musicians, like Beck, Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand, and Nick Rhodes and John Taylor from Duran Duran.
The Sparks Brothers are Ron and Russell Mael, who seem to be notoriously elusive. Honestly, the entire time, I didn’t know if these guys were being serious, or just messing with everyone. The documentary takes you through the brothers’ early life, then their massive, five-decade career. Apparently, all my favorite bands were inspired by the Mael bros, so that’s probably why their music sounded vaguely familiar in the movie trailer.
This is Edgar Wright’s first documentary, and I liked his approach. I watch a lot of documentary films, and sometimes they’re really hit or miss. Wright’s was a hit for me. It ebbed and flowed naturally and kept me engaged for the entire runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes. The variety of talking heads was diverse, the brothers, musicians, actors, longtime fans, former producers and bandmates, as well as Wright himself, were all great contributors. I don’t think the Mael bros would have chosen to do a documentary with any other filmmaker, and that it was a true collaboration. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen this year, and I am so glad I got the invitation at the last minute.
  
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
2009 | Action, Animation, Comedy
9
8.7 (23 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Law of equivalent exchange
Contains spoilers, click to show
I have watched this anime on Netflix a few times and now own the box set on DVD. It has made me laugh, cry, root for a mass murderer (rest in peace Barry the Chopper) and yell "WHAT THE F***!!"

The two most heart wrenching moments in this series for me is Ed screaming for Al to come back and sacrificing a limb to get his baby brothers soul back and the moment the little girl turns into a chimera. "Daddy play?" Always makes me tear up.

In the end Ed and Al get their happy ending, with Ed and Winry getting married and having kids. It's a true testament as tongow much Ed loves Al by the fact he gave up his alchemy to save his brother.

Happy endings might seem a tad cliche but if any characters in any universe deserved it, it was the Elric brothers

Would like to see a spin off tho with Roy mustang and his crew!!!
  
John Ashdown-Hill really has the ability to write clearly and compellingly. This latest offering takes a look at the middle of the brothers of York, George, Duke of Clarence.

Much less well known than his more famous brothers, Edward IV and Richard III, nonetheless, Clarence and his life and death were am important part of the story of this period. His supposed death by drowning in a butt of Malmsey wine is one of those well known 'facts' that might be a mythology all of its own, but Ashdown-Hill provides evidence to suggest that drowning was used as a method of execution in this period and considered kinder than hanging or beheading!

It's not a long book and a good proportion is given over to a study of the Clarence vault at Tewksbury abbey and the remains therein. If you are interested in the period, this is certainly worth a read. I look forward to the forthcoming companion volume, The Dublin King.