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Troll, 2022 ★★★★

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 10:50:51 -0400

We decided to catch up on one or two shows, on Netflix last night, and chose the movie, Troll (no, not the kiddies animated version). And, I have to say, I’m glad we went with a silly fantasy because, it was ridiculously good fun. Putting aside whether we believe in trolls or not. It doesn’t matter. They gave their existence plausibility in this amusing Norwegian romp through the countryside.

Genuine and heartfelt in places, whimsical in others, it was all the scifi references and throw away lines that made this all the more enjoyable. And yes, before you ask, we will be watching Troll II at some point and will probably enjoy it just as much.

Great fun from beginning to end.

How to get to Heaven from Belfast, 2026 ★★★★½

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 10:29:55 -0400

Three lifelong friends reunite after the death of an old classmate turns a wake into a dark mystery. They embark on a thrilling adventure across Ireland, piecing together enigmatic truths amid complicated lives.

We started watching the absolutely crazy Irish dramady, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast written by the team that brought you Derry Girls, and, in between the wonderfully twisted storyline, machine-gun delivered dialogue, and hilarious stunts, we were rolling around on the couch in stitches. I laughed so much my jaw hurt.

This is must-see TV if you’re looking for a break from the usual crime caper, especially as this one is laced with some great Irish snark and humour. Never mind some class acting by our 3 leading ladies.

Grab some popcorn and just enjoy the ride.

Last Meals

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 13:39:07 -0400

This weekend we caught a couple of episodes of a new show on Netflix called: Last Meals, in which the host, Josh Scherer from Mythical Kitchen, interviews a celebrity about their lives whilst enjoying what they would eat for their last meal on Earth. Hence the name of the show.

Funnily enough Gabz talked about this over on Mastodon too, writing in his post Last Meal all the delicious things he’d have for his last meal. So of course, I had to follow suit and write about what I would love to eat as my Last Meal.

First Course

I would start with a soup, Gazpacho to be exact. And not any Gazpacho, my fav was made by the head chef at the Musee des Beaux Arts restaurant here, in Quebec City. It was bursting with flavour and definitely up there in soup heaven.

Second Course

I’d follow that up with my favourite ham & mushroom pizza (or, even just a slice) from the No. 900 which does the best pizza I’ve ever tasted outside of Italy. Well okay, I haven’t tasted every pizza. But this one is pretty close to the best you’ll ever taste, and so says the Michelin Guide.

Main Course

Ah, there are so many dishes I’d want to taste again and for my last meal. Dishes my mother cooked me as a kid. Her sweet and sour pork, her Chinese BBQ pork, or her 5 spice slow roasted pork. But of them all, I think I would go for her traditional Sunday roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings and my dad’s special gravy.

Maybe, like the show, I could have a small tasting of all these dishes and maybe side of my mum’s mac and cheese as well, thanks.

Dessert

No meal is complete without at least one or two desserts. And out of all the ice creams I’ve tasted over my life time, and enjoyed, I think, in the end, I’d go for the singularly outstanding tasting lemon merengue pie made locally, here, on the island the ile d’Orleans. The lemon quotient in these pies is off the charts. Never mind the soft fluffy pillow of merengue that sits atop the tart velvety lemon filling that literally make your mouth salivate.

Not to be outdone, I’d also want a serving of my mother’s stick-to-your-ribs rice pudding. It was thick enough you could stand a spoon up in it and rich enough that you couldn’t stop eating it. And yes, we all fought over who got the skin off the top. There was never enough to go around.

And there you have it. I might even finish the meal off with a good coffee, a selection of cheeses and Carr’s water biscuits. Except, I’m no longer allowed coffee, so maybe a good Turkish or Moroccan mint tea.

And you, what would you have for your last meal on earth?

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Below, 2026 ★★★½

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:21:22 -0400

Set in the struggling fishing community of Snook’s Arm, Newfoundland, the story follows local fisherman Calvin Penney (Josh Hartnett) as he and his family deal with economic uncertainty, a looming government resettlement program.

I watched the last couple of episodes last night of, Below, a Canadian based miniseries on Netflix. While it’s billed as a supernatural thriller, and while it does have some thrilling moments, I wouldn’t say there were any supernatural elements, not really. Though there were moments when the action will make you jump. But it’s all very earth-bound (or is that sea-bound?) dread provided by a very plausible monster.

And no, I won’t tell you what it is, you’ll just have to watch this fun, moody and, dare I say it, atmospheric series. Some excellent performances, a great supporting cast, and even better scenery make this one a thoroughly enjoyable romp at sea.

Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man, 2025 ★★½

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:12:43 -0400

At nearly two and a half hours long, this third instalment of the Knives Out franchise, Wake Up Dead Man, was 45 minutes too long. At least, in my humble opinion. I started to watch this Wednesday evening and, got as far as Msgr. Wick’ confession to Father Jud outside the church and, gave up due to the trite and childish need to appeal to an audience of 12 year old boys. I didn’t actually finish the movie till yesterday afternoon.

Sadly, my opinion didn’t change much about the characters and, by the sordid end, hoped they would all end up dead. The only light in this whole hot mess was Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. He lifted this morass but still, in the end, couldn’t save it from itself.

Save yourself the trouble, go watch something else.

Mini Movie Reviews

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0400

In the spirit of the Mini Book Review trending about the web, I thought to write my own (rather sarcastic, or it that, scathing?) mini movie reviews. You’ve been warned, there are …

SPOILERS AHEAD.

Murder on the Orient Express — A movie in which twelve suspects of varying social status have three minutes of screen time to convince Kenneth Branagh—er, I mean, Poirot—that they are not the killer of Johnny Depp’s despicable character and the obvious bad guy.

With a waveringly bad accent, the heroic Hercule Poirot confronts the suspects—who are artfully arranged at a table in the mouth of the train tunnel to look like Da Vinci’s Last Super—and recounts a series of events in flashback to solve the mystery.

And … they all did it.

3 Billboards outside Ebbings, Missouri — A foul-mouth red-neck woman hurls abuse at the town’s Sheriff and his inept, racist department for not finding her daughter’s killer. In a last ditch effort to get the dying Sheriff to find a clue, she rents three billboards to get her message across. More swearing and ultra violence ensues before the Sheriff blows his brains out, and a disgraced deputy miraculously over-hears someone bragging in a bar of his rape conquest.

Disgraced deputy and foul-mouthed woman team up, and go on a road-trip to murder the bragging rapist.

Lady Bird — A dull, coming of-age movie in which the two central characters of a mother and daughter hurl derogatory abuse at one another. Where the character of Christine ‘Lady Bird,’ a senior at Catholic high school about to graduate and go to college, acts like a self-centred spoilt child in a series of lack-lustre vignettes. The two best of which are wasted in the trailer for the movie to make you think this is a comedy. It isn’t.

Dunkirk — A long, slow, and violent look at the evacuation of 400,000 Allied troops from the beaches at Dunkirk, via three interwoven threads, confusingly mixed at random. With a total lack of regard to any continuity, we see disturbing images of men drowning, men being blown up, men running along a beach. Men waiting in long lines out in the open, waiting to be shot at by the enemy. Men screaming and jumping off sinking ships, and drowning in long drawn out sequences to heroic, and very jarring music.

There is little or no credible dialogue, as there are few speaking parts. One of which is Kenneth Branagh as a Naval Officer stood on a pier looking heroically out to sea, or to the sky, for deliverance. There is none … for him, or for us.

And there you have it, of course, this is all just my opinion. No popcorn was harm in the writing of these scathing reviews.

Bandidos S1, 2024 ★★★½

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:43:10 -0400

The English-dubbed Mexican show, Bandidos, about a group of desperate friends and frenemies coming together to find lost Spanish treasure, turned out to be an absolute comedy gem.

Full of action and fun, this one had me laughing at the group’s antics as they try to outwit the bad guys and get to the treasure first. All-in-all, a thoroughly enjoyable romp through the Mexican countryside.

I’m really looking forward to jumping in and watching season 2.

The Island, 2025 ★★★

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:33:45 -0400

This Scottish drama The Island is set on one of the Hebridean islands and centres on a dysfunctional family with secrets. The head of this family just happens to be the Lord of the Manor whose wife is brutally murder.

What unfolds is a fairly slow, meandering story of lies, deceit, and betrayals all of which lead to an obvious conclusion. That said, the scenery was magnificent. The acting, however, was a tad earnest. Not bad if you have nothing else to watch.

The Gorge, 2025 ★★★½

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:38:17 -0400

In total contrast to how bored we were watching Reptile the other night, we were fully engaged with the horror-tinged action thriller, The Gorge. The premise is comic-book to be sure, and the whole section they were actually in the Gorge was memorable. But only because we both sat there having a good laugh at the really bad monsters.

But what made this fun and watchable were the two main characters, perfectly acted by Miles Teller and Anya Taylor Joy. It felt like they had good chemistry onscreen and the banter was fun and lightweight. While the action didn’t overwhelm the duo’s dynamics.

Grab a bag of popcorn and just enjoy this one for what it is, implausible fun.

The Bombing of Pan Am 103, 2025 ★★★★

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:33:06 -0400

We started watching The Bombing of Pan Am 103 a BBC coproduction showing on Netflix. We’re 3 episodes in this 5-part mini series and, let me tell you, it’s gripping and tense in a documentary style way, with scenes of real footage intercut between the dramatisation of the event and aftermath.

This one is both a little chilling but nonetheless, compulsive viewing. Also, I was surprised by a number of things I learned last night that I never knew about about the crash and subsequent inquiry.

We’ll watch the last 2 episodes tonight.

Reptile, 2026 ★★

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:30:00 -0400

Last night we watched the overly long movie, Reptile over on Netflix. At 2 hours plus this felt like it could have been 90 minutes and it would still have felt like it was too long. Why? An overly meandering storyline that, quite frankly, failed dismally to go anywhere. The conclusion stilted to the point it was left hanging in midair, unresolved. And the final scene? Bizarre by anyone’s standards of out there weird. That’s two hours of my life gone.

If I were you, I would slither on over to find something better, elsewhere.

Paradise S2, 2026 ★★★½

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:24:21 -0400

It took a while to get there after meandering all over the place. But season 2 of Dan Fogelman’s series, Paradise finally got there in the end. That is, after what feels like a complete change of direction mid season. A pivot that cleared away half the cast and, along with it, any lingering doubt that this was just a post-apocalyptic drama. Now taking on elements of a fully-fledged scifi thriller.

Will it deliver in season 3? That remains to be seen. I can only hope so.

Godzilla, 2014 ★★★★½

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:01:24 -0400

Looking for something to watch last night (as I’m in between books) I watched the 2014 version of Godzilla starring Ken Watanabe, Brian Cranston and a very short lived, Juliette Binoche. I have a really big soft spot for Godzilla movies and so, given they’re all slightly different, and aim for different things, it’s really hard to pick a favourite.

I love this version for it’s non-stop action. It really doesn’t let up much in the way of excitement, which I have to admit, can get a bit chaotic at times. But, in the end, it delivers a satisfying fun roller coaster ride with our hero, Godzilla, swimming off into the sunset.

What’s fun about this movie — and it took me a while to realise this — is that Apple’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series is based off this film. With that in mind, last night’s viewing was a little more thoughtful as I saw different elements in another light, and where certain events then pop up in the subsequent TV series.

All in all, a fun frantic ride on the back of a monster. Godzilla for the win.

Dark Matter S2, 2026 ★★½

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:16:42 -0400

I forgot to ask everyone this morning, but who here watched the season opener of Dark Matter over on Apple this weekend?

Anyone? And, of course, what did you think of it?

I’m not going to lie, I struggled at the best of times to get through season 1 and then, at the end, shrugged and wondered why I bothered. It wasn’t exactly riviting TV. In fact, the exact opposite.

It all felt like so much of a missed opportunity to do something either down right chilling, or at the very least, mildly creepy. But instead, the scifi aspect of the whole thing is downplayed to focus on this idiot guy played by an actor I’m not really fond of. I mean, come on, the man has the expression of a dog waiting in the pound to be put out of its misery.

So no, before you ask, I won’t be bothering to watch out the season. To be frank, I really don’t give a damn where he and his family end up. It’s always going to be Chicago from the looks of it. And probably an unpleasant one at that.

Dull and derivative.

The Mitchells vs the Machines, 2026 ★★★★

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:00:00 -0400

So Sunday evening, at a loss as to what to watch given we were camped out on the couch, huddled under a blanket, staring out the window at the rain coming down in veritable sheets. I said to the OH pick something funny, silly, and quirky, thinking they’d find a decent enough comedy on Netflix but wasn’t quite ready for what they chose: The Mitchells vs the Machines!

As it turned out, The Mitchells vs the Machines was an absolute blast. I found myself smirking, then giggling then finally laughing so hard we had to stop play at various places, scroll back a frame or two, to catch a missed joke.

This film is hilarious. The in and out jokes never stop coming. It really is one laugh a minute, action-packed, family-friendly, chaos-induction, popcorn chomping, coming of age adventure.

If you haven’t already seen this then get sat down, grab a bag of your favourite snacks, and enjoy the laughs.

Silo S3 E5, 2026 ★★★★

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Finally, got to see this week’s episode of Silo and, wow, this is what we’ve all been waiting for. And finally, some action, and answers as to what’s been going on while we weren’t looking. We’ve had 4 torturous episodes of being spoon fed tiny snippets of information and background with, to be honest, what felt like a lot of unnecessary filler.

And suddenly, in episode 5? A whole load of missing threads are revealed and we get to see what’s happening. Though, not quite why, not yet. But that glimpse gives me hope we’re rumbling toward an explosive, if not, climactic finish to the season.

Yay!

War Machine, 2026 ★★½

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 -0400

This movie was one long testosterone fuelled promo advert for the US Army Rangers, what with all the machismo and chest thumping, gruff voices, and lone-wolf attitudes I felt like I needed a shower afterwards. Over baked and undercooked, this one lacked enough ingredients to make it thoughtful, or even interesting.

Lots of big bangs and explosions and not much else.

Sugar S1 E1-3, 2024 ★★★½

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:30:00 -0400

Following on from watching Tehran yesterday, we started, or I should say, I started watching Sugar on Apple TV. The OH didn’t like it and, after about 10 minutes, left me to watch it on my own. I have to admit, I found it a little off to begin with but, stuck with it through to a second and then, third episode and now? I’m looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about.

Certainly a different take on the Gumshoe Detective slash P.I. genre, with some big reveal coming and, given the clues, I think I know what. Talk about mash-up.

Will see how this one pans out.

Tehran S3, 2026 ★★★★½

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:30:00 -0400

We watched the last couple of episodes from S3 of Tehran last night and, let me say, it ended with a Bang!

A very satisfying bang at that.

The build-up through three season of this Israeli spy thriller has been expertly done, with twisty, savvy, politically-dripping storylines ripped from the headlines. What with guest appearances from Glenn Close and Hugh Laurie, the acting has been top-notch. The writing gripping. And the tension, absolutely nerve-wrecking.

But, is it the end? No. It seems not. There’s one more season coming next year. And I for one can’t wait to see what the ruthless Yulia has in store for our intrepid spy, Tamar.

What's on TV?

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:30:00 -0400

As we have 3 months of Apple TV for free, we started binge watching one show after another. And, last night, watched the first few episode of the world’s worst TV show, ever: Star City.

I mean, come on people, every last character on this really show was speaking with a regional British accent that, quite honestly, had me laughing. Aren’t they all supposed to be, eh, Russian?

I think I was in some sort of cultural shock, or something. Hearing these people earnestly being cruel and vindictive in a harsh northern English accent, or delivering dead-pan sentiments of someone’s misconduct with a Glaswegian twang was just too much. Then, when, the erstwhile (boo, hiss) baddie, Anna Maxwell Martin as Lyudmilla Raskova, the head of the KGB surveillance department at Star City bleated on at someone, I lost it altogether.

At least in For All Mankind the Russian characters were played by various European actors who had those clipped vowels and accents that lent credibility to them being ‘Russian’. But in Star City?

It’s like we’re stuck in a dull rainy corner of Manchester or northern Leeds. Any minute we’ll hear the theme song to Coronation Street playing on a black and white telly in the corner of someone’s apartment.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Unfamiliar, 2026 ★★★★½

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:30:00 -0400

If you haven’t seen it yet, then I’m here to tell you, get thee hence and go watch the new German spy thriller, Unfamiliar, on Netflix. Because it’s one of the best things I’ve seen this year (yeah, okay, we’re only in the middle of February, but the statement is still true.) We literally inhaled three episodes a night for the last couple of nights caught up in the guessing game of who, what, where, and why.

A taut, well paced, action-filled thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

Runaway, 2026 ★★

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 10:30:00 -0400

A desperate father searching for his runaway daughter gets caught up in a murder case and stumbles upon secrets that could destroy his family for good.

We watched the last couple of episodes of Harlan Coben’s mini series, Run Away, on Netflix last night. And, well, what can I say? What seemed like a great premise and a story ripped straight from the news headlines, this one came across as convoluted rather than clever. And muddled rather than twisted. Both of us kind of guessed early on certain key plot points even before the so-called great reveal at the end.

There were some interesting aspects, but over-all? It lacked integrity in that we’re once again presented with the big bad cult brainwashing people into subservient belief. As the side plot, quite frankly, it bordered on the ridiculous. And then, the big reveal?

Seriously, no. Just, no.

Borderlands, 2024 ★★★½

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 22:30:00 -0400

Well, I don’t care what anyone else says, we watched Borderlands on DVD last night and, I have to say, it was pure unadulterated fun. I should also add noisy, colourful, crazy, madcap, seriously demented fun. Kudos to both Kate Blanchet and Jamie Lee Curtis for knocking it out of the ballpark. Seriously, Jamie Lee gets better every film I see her in. Also, Kate was excellent as Lilith, she nailed the character.

Stranger Things S4, 2025 ★★★

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 13:30:00 -0400

We watched the torturous last episode of season 4 of Stranger Things last night which left me asking a number of questions. Like, “Why the hell did I put myself through watching several overly long episodes bulked out with so. much. filler?”

And … “Do I really want to watch season 5 based on my viewing experience of season 4?”

And … the answer is, no, maybe, I don’t know. Honestly. I might leave watching it till sometime in January, at least till all the episodes have aired and all the hype is over with.

As for what I thought of season 4? It wasn’t my favourite for a number of reasons (seasons 1 and 2 were the best). The humour was thin on the ground this time around, wedged in between lengthy and very boring monologues. And then what felt like tedious schlock action pieces.

Oh, and don’t get me started on the monster being a dude in a really bad rubber suit.

I mean, really? Sigh, I wanted so much more.

The Abandons, 2025 ★★★

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:30:00 -0400

I’ve persisted with The Abandons despite being triggered in the first episode and then, taking a over a week before watching the next episode. Why did I come back to it? I’m not sure other than being intrigued to see where a show (and a western at that) starring not one but two female leads, goes.

The main event and catalyst in the first episode put me off wanting to watch more. But here I am 4 episodes in and wondering which of the two women, Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson) or Fiona Nolan (Lena Headey), will win the day in their battle of wills?

And how will it all end? In hell fire and damnation I suspect.