Search
Search results
Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Lost At Christmas (2020) in Movies
Oct 29, 2021 (Updated Nov 2, 2021)
We are getting closer to the festive season and Christmas comes a little early with the new film from Ryan Hendrick, Lost at Christmas.
This quaint film is one that work is one that works very well with its subdued pace and comedic moments as Jen and Rob attempt to get to Glasgow in Jen’s Ex’s stolen car, only to find themselves stuck without transport and arriving in a snowed in at the ClacHaig Inn where they learn more about each other as they stay there while they wait for the roads to clear.
This quaint film is one that work is one that works very well with its subdued pace and comedic moments as Jen and Rob attempt to get to Glasgow in Jen’s Ex’s stolen car, only to find themselves stuck without transport and arriving in a snowed in at the ClacHaig Inn where they learn more about each other as they stay there while they wait for the roads to clear.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Old Friends and New Enemies (Charlie Cameron #2) in Books
Nov 21, 2019
Glasgow private detective Charlie Cameron finds himself out of his depth when he finds out that an old friend has been killed. Getting on the wrong side of an organised crime family would be bad enough but just when he needs hits wits about him the personal nature of the case clouds his judgement. And things aren't made easier by a police detective with a grudge who thinks he is guilty.
This is a terrifically gritty crime novel. Glasgow is a good setting for this kind of work and Mullen does a great job of describing the city and the surroundings. Cameron is a very likeable character and seems very believable. The rest of the cast are just as well defined, from Cameron's slightly dodgy friend to the Rafferty family who are nasty but with a solid basis on why they are.
As the plot unfolds the reader knows more than Cameron which makes some of his mis-steps in dealing with the case agonising to read when he puts himself in more danger when he is trying to extricate himself. The ending ties everything up neatly but don't expect a fairy tale ending.
Overall this is a terrific crime novel and if the other Cameron books are anything like this then it will be a series to get hold of.
This is a terrifically gritty crime novel. Glasgow is a good setting for this kind of work and Mullen does a great job of describing the city and the surroundings. Cameron is a very likeable character and seems very believable. The rest of the cast are just as well defined, from Cameron's slightly dodgy friend to the Rafferty family who are nasty but with a solid basis on why they are.
As the plot unfolds the reader knows more than Cameron which makes some of his mis-steps in dealing with the case agonising to read when he puts himself in more danger when he is trying to extricate himself. The ending ties everything up neatly but don't expect a fairy tale ending.
Overall this is a terrific crime novel and if the other Cameron books are anything like this then it will be a series to get hold of.
Sonofdel (6251 KP) rated Billy Connolly: Made In Scotland in TV
Jul 23, 2019 (Updated Jul 23, 2019)
A Wonderful Journey
I have loved Billy Connolly for many years and have watched most if not all of his television series. I decided to watch this as it shows just how he became the Big Yin. It shows his childhood on the streets of Glasgow, his brief, yet insightful working life, and his love of music, drama, art and all things entertainment. This was done last year and he speaks openly and frankly about his Parkinsons Disease and how it affects him. I loved this show and its both funny and moving and there will be tears i am sure when you watch it.
ClareR (5577 KP) rated Edge of The Grave in Books
May 16, 2023
These are the mean, violent streets of Glasgow in 1932. It’s a time when police officers like DI Jimmy Dreghorn and his man-mountain ex-Olympic wrestlerDS Archie McDaid get the results that are needed in the way that is necessary.
Corruption is rife, as is poverty and unemployment (it’s the Depression). Everyone is out for themselves - and that includes the police.
This is a hard, gritty read, not for the faint hearted, but compelling nonetheless. I was gripped from start to finish, and I’ve spotted that there’s more to come from Dreghorn and McDaid in a second book - it’s on my wish list already!
Corruption is rife, as is poverty and unemployment (it’s the Depression). Everyone is out for themselves - and that includes the police.
This is a hard, gritty read, not for the faint hearted, but compelling nonetheless. I was gripped from start to finish, and I’ve spotted that there’s more to come from Dreghorn and McDaid in a second book - it’s on my wish list already!
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated The Busconductor Hines in Books
Jul 2, 2019
Fairly good read
As realism goes, this book is spot on. Kelman's portrayal of Glasgow in the 1980's is accurate. The book is written in 5 chapters, each detailing the unsatisfactory life of Hines who is caught up in a job he feels desperately unhappy in, a struggling marriage and early signs of depression. Whilst Kelman's use of realism sucks the reader into 'place' the novel itself is frustrating in the sense that their is no real plot and nothing really exciting happens. I struggled to finish the book and was disappointed at the end. I can however, commend the author on his realist technique.
Darren Hayman recommended Trackless Woods by Iris Dement in Music (curated)
Ross (3282 KP) rated Bottleneck in Books
Jul 16, 2018
Excellent pacing to the next Cullen adventure. A body is discovered in the hidden streets underneath Edinburgh's old town and the ensuing investigation leads them to investigate members of the Scottish music scene and venture North to Cullen's hometown of Dalhousie (loosely based on my own hometown of Carnoustie), and West to Glasgow.
The story also continues the ups and downs of Cullen's relationship with Sharon McNeill and his career aspirations, building on the previous books in the series.
This is quite a short and very pacey book that is a genuine page-turner (as the chapters are quite short it's always "one more chapter", until the cleaner gets angry at me spending too long on the toilet at work).
The story also continues the ups and downs of Cullen's relationship with Sharon McNeill and his career aspirations, building on the previous books in the series.
This is quite a short and very pacey book that is a genuine page-turner (as the chapters are quite short it's always "one more chapter", until the cleaner gets angry at me spending too long on the toilet at work).
Awix (3310 KP) rated Unleashed (2005) in Movies
Apr 4, 2019
Bonkers martial arts thriller off the Luc Besson action conveyor belt. Danny (Li) has been raised as a human attack dog by senior gangster Bart (Hoskins); one day he stumbles into freedom and is befriended by a blind piano tuner (Freeman) and his daughter. But will his past catch up with him? (All this supposedly takes place in a Glasgow almost exclusively populated by Asians, Americans, and Cockneys.)
The plot is barking mad (not inappropriately for a film with the alternative title of Danny the Dog) and impossible to take seriously, but that's hardly new for a Besson film, nor necessarily a disincentive to see it. This one is lifted by genuinely good performances from Hoskins and Freeman, and extended sequences of Li beating the living daylights out of everyone in sight (at one point there's a kung fu fight in a toilet cubicle, which is surely a first). Not to be taken remotely seriously, but still highly entertaining.
The plot is barking mad (not inappropriately for a film with the alternative title of Danny the Dog) and impossible to take seriously, but that's hardly new for a Besson film, nor necessarily a disincentive to see it. This one is lifted by genuinely good performances from Hoskins and Freeman, and extended sequences of Li beating the living daylights out of everyone in sight (at one point there's a kung fu fight in a toilet cubicle, which is surely a first). Not to be taken remotely seriously, but still highly entertaining.
Bobby Gillespie recommended African Dub All-Mighty - Chapter 3 by Joe Gibbs & The Professionals in Music (curated)
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Under the Skin (2014) in Movies
Nov 29, 2020
The closest we may ever get to a Biker Mice From Mars movie...
In all seriousness, Under the Skin is quite an experience. It's a film that leaves more questions than it answers, and is purposefully provocative in it's desire to explain a damned thing.
It has a jarring mixture of styles, alternating between almost amateur/hidden camera shots and visually stunning moments on a whim. It has plenty of beautiful vistas, and plenty of simplistic yet surreal moments when things get a little extra-terrestrial.
Scarlett Johansson puts in a solid performance as the mysterious being, managing to come off dangerous and vulnerable all at the same time, certainly sympathetic for a creature the audience know very little about. The climax of the film is hard to watch, and highlights the ugliness of the human race effectively, and the entire film is backed by an incredible music score.
I'm not going to pretend I fully understood Under the Skin, but it's truly otherworldly whilst feeling grounded in its Glasgow setting. A genuinely uncomfortable yet beautiful experience.
In all seriousness, Under the Skin is quite an experience. It's a film that leaves more questions than it answers, and is purposefully provocative in it's desire to explain a damned thing.
It has a jarring mixture of styles, alternating between almost amateur/hidden camera shots and visually stunning moments on a whim. It has plenty of beautiful vistas, and plenty of simplistic yet surreal moments when things get a little extra-terrestrial.
Scarlett Johansson puts in a solid performance as the mysterious being, managing to come off dangerous and vulnerable all at the same time, certainly sympathetic for a creature the audience know very little about. The climax of the film is hard to watch, and highlights the ugliness of the human race effectively, and the entire film is backed by an incredible music score.
I'm not going to pretend I fully understood Under the Skin, but it's truly otherworldly whilst feeling grounded in its Glasgow setting. A genuinely uncomfortable yet beautiful experience.