The Fires Beneath: The Life of Monica Wilson, South African Anthropologist
Book
The Fires Beneath is a powerful and affecting story of love and loss. Monica Wilson, nee Hunter, was...

Fergie Rises: How Britain's Greatest Football Manager Was Made at Aberdeen
Book
When Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2013 season, he was the most successful football...

James Watt: Making the World Anew
Book
Among the many treasures in the collections of the Science Museum in London is the complete workshop...

Bristol Lodekkas
Book
The Bristol Lodekka derived from a prototype of 1949. It offered the solution to a problem familiar...

Medieval Art, Architecture and Archaeology in the Dioceses of Aberdeen and Moray
Book
Exploring the medieval heritage of Aberdeenshire and Moray, the essays in this volume contain...
Modern Architecture A-Z
Book
Space shapersAn encyclopedia of modern architectureWith more than 280 entries, this architectural A...

Alex Kapranos recommended track The Lowlands of Holland by Steeleye Span in Hark! The Village Wait by Steeleye Span in Music (curated)

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated 300 (2007) in Movies
Oct 3, 2020
Some of the shots are expertly crafted recreations of the graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, and as such, is a damn faithful adaption of a cult classic comic series.
The visual effects are stunning at times, and the sepia tone it's draped in lends a lot to its overall feel (even if it's a subject of criticism from many)
Gerard Butler takes the lead as King Leonidas of Sparta, in what has arguably become his most well known roll in the years following. It's easy to look over his thick Scottish accent (in ancient Greece...) when he's playing the character with such enthusiasm. Most of his lines have become highly quotable, even familiar to those who have never seen the film. 300 would be a much lesser film without his involvement.
Rodrigo Santoro carves a striking figure as primary antagonist Xerxes, his androgynous look and demonic-like voice providing a memorable villain.
The cast is rounded out by the likes of Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, and an early role for Michael Fassbender, a sturdy ensemble cast.
The set pieces are pretty thrilling, and results in a movie that blurs the fantastical, with a real life historic battle. It's an interesting mix that works well.
300 is a film that throws big sloppy buckets of testosterone at its audience, whilst simultaneously flaunting a silly amount of homoerotic undertones and CGI pectoral muscles, and it's great.

Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Highland Fling in Books
Jun 24, 2019
It follows Albert Gates, an artist who has moved to Paris, as he accompanies friends to Dalloch Castle in the Scottish Highlands. He meets Jane there, and they bond while irritating the other guests to keep themselves amused. The friends of Albert's, Sally and Walter, have their own happenings both during the holiday and after returning home.
Albert opens an art exhibition that receives more attention than Jane anticipated, and Jane starts to panic. Is there a wedding on the horizon, or will Albert be going back to Paris alone?
This actually has some rather dramatic moments, including a fire that strikes in the night. The characters are all very different, such as the foreigner-hating General Murgatroyd (whom Albert takes great joy in winding up). At first, I really wasn't taken with this book. But when I sat and really read it, I actually did start to enjoy it.
I really don't read books like this usually, and I wasn't sure how much I would like it. But it is a good book, and I definitely recommend it for lovers of classics or similar genres to this. 3 to 3.5 stars.

The Forgotten Kingdom (The Lost Queen Trilogy #2)
Book
AD 573. Imprisoned in her chamber, Languoreth awaits news in torment. Her husband and son have...
HIstorical Fiction Fiction