The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)

[TG]

I read "the boy in the stripped pyjamas" recently. Short kids book but stunning.

Not read the book. But I recommend the film. Beautifully acted and directed with restraint that lets the actors tell the story with real emotion.

Its quite a shocking moment when the boy begins to dig underneath the fence to help the other boy look for his father and everything clicks into place and you suddenly KNOW how its going to end.

I'll not bother now then 

 

You divined the ending already? 

[Snoopy]

TBH I have avoided reading it thus far as I had a feeling the ending would not be a happy one ~ in fact I suspected an upsetting end to the story. Now you have told me that one boy starts digging to get the other one out and why there seems little point in seeking to confirm or deny my suspicions

[Bar Wench]

TBH I have avoided reading it thus far as I had a feeling the ending would not be a happy one ~ in fact I suspected an upsetting end to the story. Now you have told me that one boy starts digging to get the other one out and why there seems little point in seeking to confirm or deny my suspicions

It is upsetting. I don't often cry at books but I did at that one.

[Snoopy]

There is plenty of sadness in the world as it is ~ we all know what happened in those camps. Enough already.
Surely there are other things to write about, make films of, make up stories about.

Another thing in simialr vein ~ has anyone else noticed that just about every other book written these days is about child abuse of one sort or another. Sure it exists and one abused child is one too many but I cannot believe ALL these authors were really abused to the extent that they are claiming.

So books about Nazi attrocities and abusive parents are not what I want as entertainment. I know the history, I know the facts and my reading more of it won't make it go away.

Currently re-reading Brideshead and other Waugh stuff in an omni-book being sold off for 20p in our local library. 800 pages of pure pleasure.

[Pastis]

Agreed   

Scoop?

[TG]

You have the right of it in the child abuse books point. It all seems to have started with that book by David Pelzer "A child called It" which spawned many more of that ilk.

Pelzer's story seems not to be all he claimed but that has not stopped everyone who got a slap from their parents writing a book about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Pelzer

[Snoopy]

Agreed   

Scoop?

Decline and Fall
Black Mischief
A Handful of Dust
Scoop
Put Out More Flags
Brideshead Revisited

864 pages in all.

Yes I have read them all before but who cares for 20 pence 


Also I mentioned the other day that I had ordered some old radio programme recordings from an advert on this site.

They have arrived. $19.95 incl P&P.

3 discs in MP3 format (to squeeze lots of progs on)

Handcock's Half Hour x 72 half hour programmes
Beyond Our Ken x 108 half hour programmes
The Navy Lark x 99 half hour programmes

Obviously can only be played via my PC but they are all original recordings (complete with scratchy sounds)

Absolute joy ~ highly recommended ~ onehundredandthirtynine and a half hours of listening pleasure lies before me ~ That's 11.66 days !!!!!!!!

Go to http://www.otrcat.com/ and tell them I sent you 

[TG]

Movie.

'The international'

Normally the sort of film I would wait for the DVD to come out. However, this was our first visit to the new 'Showcase' cinema that opened here recently.

Lovely, big comfy seats, loads of legroom, massive screen, crystal picture quality and ear crushing sound. Looking forward to trying the 'Directors lounge' experience.

Good film. Convoluted thriller set in the world of high finance. Not an action film if that is what you are looking for though the experience is enlivened by a massive and brilliantly staged gun battle in an art gallery.

GM stylee review : No shagging. Stupendous gunfight. Need to concentrate.

[Grumpmeister]

I bought the new Linkin Park live album Road to Revolution today and I have to admit it is blinding. For any fan's who haven't already picked this up yet it is the Milton Keynes concert from their Projekt Revolution tourwith a guest appearance from Jay-Z reprising 2 songs from Collision Course.

For anyone who hasn't come across this band before (something tells me I'm about to show my lack of years now) they are an American band nu metal/rap band with a string of international hits including Somewhere I belong, Breaking the Habit, Numb, Feint, Shadow of the Day and What I've Done to name a few.

With a densley layered style using 2 lead vocalists, Chester Bennington who is best known for his screaming vocals and Mike Shinoda the group's MC who performs the rapping and backing vocals and a range of instruments not normally associated with the genre including the shakuhachi (a Japanese flute made of bamboo) this band has developed a large following over the last 13 years.

One track on the album that was completely unexpected in the set was an accoustic version of Pushing Me Away with Chester Bennington's distinctive vocal style softened and accompanied only by a piano. If you are used to the normal version of the track then this is a total departure and one that works extremely well.

The album itself is also good value as unlike with other bands, the DVD of the concert is also included with the CD. All in all if you are a fan of the group and havent yet picked up this album it is well worth getting.

[TG]

Knowing

That is to say the motion picture 'Knowing' starring Nicholas Cage and some other people and some special effects.

We splashed out and saw this in the 'Directors lounge' at our local Showcase cinema type place. Bloody expensive but worth every penny in my opinion.

Nice bar to spend the wait in, waitress service, escorted to seats, seats are huge lean back style of fing with their own tablas. In pairs making it an ideal cinema experience for couples. Escorted to seats by nice lady, booze and food allowed. Loads of legroom which is a blessing as far as yours truly is concerned.

The film?   ...mmm

Very well made. A couple of truly stunning set pieces that rivet you to the screen. But overall, average.

GM stylee review: They wont be showing this aboard aeroplanes. No shagging. 

[Snoopy]

So you are now digging out a cellar under the house to install a home cinema eh?

[TG]

So you are now digging out a cellar under the house to install a home cinema eh?

No.

It was a nice cinematic day out, meal afterwards. Cellar cinema is not for me.

[Snoopy]

So you are now digging out a cellar under the house to install a home cinema eh?

No.

It was a nice cinematic day out, meal afterwards. Cellar cinema is not for me.

Very wise. 

[Barman]

I installed my new projector today like... 

[Snoopy]

Really