Well, more of an afternoon really! Here we are at our new home for enjoying Opera – The Savoy Cinema, Corby.

Beamed live to the cinema, from none other than the famous Royal Opera House, in our book, this is the smart way to enjoy Opera!

Last time we were here was to see La traviata back in January – and it didn’t disappoint. This time, it’s David McVicar’s production of Mozart’s famous ‘Magic Flute‘ (aka Die Zauberflöte). It’s easily our favourite Opera and we always look forward to the latest production.

As an extra bonus, parking was free here on a Sunday, so we were already 20p up on the deal! . And with tickets costing only £33 in total, as I’ve said before, this beats a journey to/from London.

Official Synopsis

Princess Pamina has been captured. Her mother, the Queen of the Night, tasks the young Prince Tamino with her daughter’s rescue. But when Tamino and his friendly sidekick, Papageno, embark on their adventure, they soon learn that when it comes to the quest for love, nothing is as it really seems. Guided by a magic flute, they encounter monsters, villains, and a mysterious brotherhood of men – but help, it turns out, comes when you least expect it

Did you know?

The Magic Flute was Mozart’s last opera before his death at the age of 35. The premiere took place on September 30, 1791, not in a royal theatre, but the popular Vienna Theatre Auf der Wieden. The actor Emanuel Schikaneder wrote the libretto and played the role of Papageno. It was a huge success from the outset – although some of Mozart’s masonic colleagues were offended by the opera’s references to their customs: a closely guarded secret. In fact, in some productions we’ve seen, it has been much more obvious that the story involves the Maisons. In contrast, this one avoided it completely! ‍

Curtain up!

With a relaxed 2pm start, it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! After a short on-screen preamble, it was ‘curtain up’, and we were enjoying the performance with an 80% full house at The Savoy. It’s sung in German (thankfully with English subtitles), and we learned that this performance wasn’t actually a live stream but a recording from earlier in the run. I’m not sure why it wasn’t live, but it still looked and sounded good .

It’s a serious story (as most Operas are, but with a bit of light comedy thrown in) and one of the few where a major character doesn’t peg it by the end! . In short, it’s a familiar tale of good vs evil, light vs dark and where true love wins in the end. The tale moves along at some pace, and although it’s not ‘a cast of thousands’, there are some points where there are a lot of people on stage – and that’s where seeing it in the cinema scores over craning your head attempting to see everyone.

It was certainly a memorable performance, where Act 2 contained the earworm! The tune is probably one of the most difficult arias in Opera to sing and is delivered by the ‘Queen of the Night’ character. I reckon it’s worth going, just to hear this single piece. The vocal skills required have to be at their best due to the range required, and also the ability to change speed very quickly. Ultimately, it was an exercise in breath control as much as singing ability. Kathryn Lewek, delivered it with passion! Apparently, she holds the record for performing it the most number of times in the USA. Wow, it certainly showed!

Elsewhere, the Orchestra, conducted by Marie Jacquot, was superb, and she received a rousing cheer at the end. The sets were a bit drab, but that was more than made up for by the acting, singing, music and lighting.

Overall, it felt like a long production, even though it was only two Acts (Act 1 = 65 minutes, Act 2 = 85 minutes) separated by a 20-minute interval. In fact, there were some scenes in Act 2, that neither of us recalls ever seeing before in previous productions – one example being a scene featuring animals of the forest.

In spite of the length (and the ‘new’ bits), it was a great afternoon, and still remains our favourite Opera!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post A Night at the Opera – The Magic Flute appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Off to the cinema – The Savoy in Corby – with Jo & Janet (Ann sat this one out!)

We’re here to see ‘Project Hail Mary‘ – a sci-fi adventure that I actually hadn’t read much about.

Official Synopsis

“Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory slowly returns, he soon discovers he must solve the riddle behind a mysterious substance that’s causing the sun to die out. As details of the mission unravel, he calls on his scientific training and sheer ingenuity – but he may not have to do it alone”.

Run time: 2 hours and 36 minutes

Cast & Creatives

Full details are here, courtesy of IMDB.com

Official Trailer

Any Good?

Where to start with this one? I’m still not sure whether it’s up there with 2001 – A Space Odyssey, Star Wars and Close Encounters, or it’s just another sci-fi piece of nonsense where all the spaceship’s crew are dead except for one (American*, of course!) and he saves the world! It’s based on the book of the same name by author, Andy Weir (who also penned The Martian, amongst others).

*Yes, I know, Ryan Gosling is CANADIAN!

After a sluggish first 45 minutes, it was all a bit superficial, where it couldn’t seem to make up its mind whether it was a light-hearted riff on a global problem or deliberately wrong-footing the audience as to its intentions. Thankfully, it eventually found its feet, but initially, I wasn’t ‘feeling it’. Having read the official synopsis, that had convinced me that I knew where this was all heading, I settled down to a good old space yarn!

Clearly, I knew nothing!

MILD SPOILER ALERT! DON’T READ ANY FURTHER
IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON SEEING THIS!

Yes, it was all a bit silly and unbelievable, but it definitely grew on me in spite of it starring Ryan Gosling who I last saw in that car crash of a film: ‘Barbie’ (so bad, I didn’t even blog about it!!). This one was a long film and sometimes it felt it, but at the 90-minute point, I was hooked! Ironically, some scenes felt rushed and I guess that’s where the book would be a better medium, whereas the film’s soundtrack was choral-based and suited the story perfectly.

In many ways, it was good to see a sci-fi adventure that didn’t over-rely on lasers/war/fancy spaceships and a planet full of special effects. I think if sci-fi isn’t your thing, this won’t change your mind, but it was certainly quite a few notches up from a lot of recent output from the same genre.

I mentioned earlier that the synopsis didn’t tell the whole story – and I do believe that was a deliberate marketing ploy to mostly wrong-foot the audience as to the ‘thrust’ of the movie. In short, it’s simply a ‘First Contact’ theme with a convincing love story that also includes the strongest of emotions on its journey: loss, betrayal, hoplessness, sacrifice and ultimately, happiness. Well, that’s a reason to see it, surely?

The final scene is super-silly and in my view, diminished the seriousness of the movie’s main theme. They could have easily left that out, and it wouldn’t have matttered – what is it with American films where there HAS to be a happy ending! However, on a more positive note, and in spite of Ryan Gosling’s woeful performance in Barbie, he’s has gone up in my estimations. To pull off this film where the whole story pretty much relies on the main star being in 98% of the scenes, is no mean feat – and he did this with ease and was totally convincing throughout.

All in all, an entertaining piece of cinema that’s either ‘genius’ or ‘nonsense’, depending on your interpretation. Cleverly filmed with CGI thankfully, set to ‘restrained’. Slightly long but well-scripted, with a great choral soundtrack. It looks its best on the big screen, but the 4K DVD, when released, will certainly have its fans.

Worth a punt!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Film: Project Hail Mary (2026) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Yes, it’s that time again, and we’re off to the Ballet – courtesy of a live-stream to The Savoy Cinema in nearby Corby.

Beamed live to the cinema, from none other than the famous Royal Opera House, for those who don’t live close to the Royal Opera House, this is the smart way to enjoy a Ballet!

Last time we were here was to see La traviata back in January – and it didn’t disappoint. This time, it’s Peter Wright‘s production of ‘Giselle’. It’s running from 14 February until 20 March 2026, and tickets for the Opera House range from £35 to an eye-watering £224. Not for us though – less than £35 in total, courtesy of the Savoy!

Official Synopsis

The peasant girl Giselle has fallen in love with Albrecht. When she discovers that he is actually a nobleman promised to another, she kills herself in despair. Her spirit joins the Wilis: the vengeful ghosts of women hell-bent on killing any man who crosses their path in a dance to the death. Wracked with guilt, Albrecht visits Giselle’s grave, where he must face the Wilis – and Giselle’s ghost.

Yikes! That all sounds depressing… and apparently, it’s a bit spooky too! Still, for variety, it’s also a tale of infatuation, betrayal and redemption, so it sounds like a little like Eastenders where a box of tissues will be obligatory! .

We found our ‘posh’ seats and settled in. As the countdown on screen approached zero, the lights went down and up popped the silky smooth Petroc Trewlawny and ever-smiling Dame Darcy Bussell who were hosting the evening for those of us about to watch it at one of the 1000 cinemas streaming the performance.

The Savoy by now was about 95% full, and the views via the live stream showed that it was a full house at the Opera House too! With our hosts helping us to understand ballet as an art form, it was ‘every day, a school day’, as we learned that mime is a very important factor in ballet!

We’ve not seen Giselle before, and apart from the rather depressing storyline, we weren’t familiar with the plot nor the music. We’d pre-booked our usual super-comfy seats (that also recline), and Ann had helpfully brought along drinks and snacks for the interval!

Curtain up! And with the anti-depressant tablets close by, we settled down for this new experience. With Akane Takada playing the part of Giselle and Matthew Ball as a very athletic Albrecht. The music, with the score by Adolphe Adam, turned out to be very agreeable – somewhat Tchaikovsky-like in places, with musicians from the ROH at the top of their game (as usual). The set design by John Macfarlane was deliberately dark and sinister, and complemented the storyline perfectly (lots of dead trees – Monty Don would have had a fit!).

Act 1 (55 minutes ish) was all about the young lovers and the pursuit of young love (Awww!) but by the end, our heroine – Giselle – had died of a broken heart whilst her beau, Albrecht, was now in desperate need of some counselling! Yikes! Where are my pills? After a very short 6-minute local interval, Act 2 (also 55 minutes) began, and we were introduced to ‘the Wilis’ (stop sniggering at the back!), it’s pronounced Vilis anyway!!

Yes, those Wilis were definitely a scary bunch of women, where the final Act was all about Albrecht taking them on, in his search for Giselle who was now in full Marty Hopkirk mode. The choreography was superb and the lead dancers especially, redefined ‘supple’ in every possible way!

Plot aside, even if ballet isn’t your thing, you have to marvel at the physical fitness of the performers. The benefit of seeing it at the cinema is that the camera closeups really capture extra detail that would be simply lost watching it at the Opera House. It amplified the complex choreography and the punishing dance routines that are a ‘normal’ part of ‘ballet thing’. I hadn’t realised that ballet dancers were so muscular! It made me reflect on my recent Pilates classes and how inflexible my body is!

At just before 10pm, it was all over, and we’re both convinced that this is THE way to enjoy Ballet (especially ones that are unfamiliar). And, it was a happy ending too (sort of!)

The background information provided by Petroc and Darcy put it all into context, whilst the camera work brought out the best in the production. Add to that the sound quality and the super-comfy seats made it all an easy and very enjoyable watch. Did I mention that the ticket price was a lot more attractive too!?

The only downer? Attempting to master the car park machine on arrival took the combined talents of two other ‘parkees’ and me to eventually work out how to actually pay for a ticket! Still, not paying (the 20p) for the privilege wasn’t an option!! – I’m not made of money!

Our next cultural event here at the Savoy is The Magic Flute (another LiveStream from the ROH) on the 26th April.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Off tutu the Ballet! – Giselle appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We’re off to the Opera – in Corby. Now there’s a sentence, I didn’t think I’d ever write!

We’re here at the excellent Savoy Cinema in nearby, Corby for the livestream of the RBO‘s latest production of Verdi’s La traviata (translates to “The Fallen Woman”). Don’t worry, it’s not a Health & Safety theme! The last time we were here with our cultural heads on, was with Sue J and friends, to see The Nutcracker last December.

Official Synopsis

At one of her lavish parties, celebrated Parisian courtesan Violetta is introduced to Alfredo Germont. The two fall madly in love, and though hesitant to leave behind her life of luxury and freedom, Violetta follows her heart. But the young couple’s happiness is short-lived, as the harsh realities of life soon come knocking!

A more detailed background to the Opera is HERE, but in short, it follows the operatic tradition of ultimately, the death of one of the leads! I’ve seen quite a few Operas in my time, and the endings can be somewhat depressing – and this one continues that tradition! Don’t see this one if you need cheering up and take some tissues!!

Err, Happy New Year!

Ironically, these days, it’s one of the more popular Operas to go and see and a good one to cut your teeth on if you’re new to the whole Opera scene. In Verdi‘s lifetime, it was his most frequently performed work (even though the premiere on 6th March 1853, was not well-received by the audience). He wrote quite a few masterpieces in his time, and you can see a full list HERE.

OK, seeing it at the cinema is maybe not as good as experiencing it live from its ‘home’ at the Royal Opera House – you just can’t beat the ‘live’ experience, but consider this…

…watching on the big screen at your local cinema! No need to get the train all the way to London/the cinema seats are more comfortable/you experience a much better view of the performance (including close-ups throughout of the cast), and the drinks are much better value. Best of all, the tickets are far cheaper!

What did we think?

A great performance! Very ‘opera-ey’ (in a good way!) The voices of the three leads, ‘Alfredo‘ (Giovanni Sala), ‘Georgio’ (Aleksei Isaev) and of course, ‘Violetta‘ (Ermonela Jaho) were all amazing! If you know the story, you’ll already know that ‘Violetta’ is in pretty much all the scenes, and as a result, it asks a lot from the person playing that role. Maybe the frequent closeups helped, but we were able to appreciate even more, the skills involved in performing in an Opera! Not only the singing, but the acting too! (and I’ve never really thought about the acting side of an Opera before). Good to know that Ermonela Jaho has played this part around 300 times during her career – that’s a good great track record!!

The final Act is as scripted, 100% misery, as Violetta ‘croaks it’ in the end, but not after the most emotional (and longest!) ‘death scene’ I think I ever seen – at around 30 minutes. The acting closeups showed that the performer really looked like she was in pain, but was singing pretty much for the whole time! Impressive stuff, and it helped me appreciate Opera, as an art form, in a slightly different light.

Overall, maybe the super-comfy (fully reclining) seats and the pin-sharp picture helped, but ultimately, it was a great experience. Any disappointments? Maybe the audio could have been piped through more of the (numerous) speakers, but what we heard from the front was crystal clear.

It’s a performance in three Acts and even though the running time was just over 3 hours (two intervals and a brief pause for a scene change) it didn’t feel that long! The scenery, the costumes, the singing, and of course the acting was, all-in-all, a typical RBO production with everyone at the top of their game. In short ‘Wow!’

Cast

10.45pm: Home and a late one for us, these days! I think I’m really getting into this ‘Opera Thing’, but I’m pretty sure that part of it is down to seeing it on the big screen, sitting in comfy seats and NOT having to travel far to enjoy the experience! . Roll on the next one!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post A Night at the Opera appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We’re round at ours with great mates, Jo & Janet and watching last year’s Brad Pitt blockbuster: ‘F1 – The Movie’. Ann is playing to her strengths, conjuring up some yummy food!

I’m not quite sure why we didn’t see this when it first came out, but it seems to have been received well by audiences, and we’re all looking forward to it.

Synopsis

“In the 1990s, Sonny Hayes was Formula 1’s most promising driver until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, the owner of a struggling Formula 1 team convinces Sonny to return to racing and become the best in the world. Driving alongside the team’s hotshot rookie, Sonny soon learns that the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone”

Any good?

Wow! What a great piece of entertainment that was! Possibly MY best film of the year. OK, I’m a car nut, so maybe that’s not a surprise.

On the Menu Tonight…

The return of an old favourite for Mains tonight – Mary Berry’s Souffle-topped Fish Pie followed by a pavlova overflowing with fruit!

What a great evening! Good to catch up with Jo & Janet too! . Not surprisingly, the food was excellent! . In spite of the long runtime, we all thoroughly enjoyed Brad Pitt’s latest outing – and even if you’re not an F1 fan (or even interested in motor-sport), with its credible storyline and amazing filming, this was a great watch!)

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Winner, Winner! TV Dinner! – F1 – The Movie (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

The ‘Christmas Spirit’ continues (Turkey for lunch too!) as we headed to nearby Corby, and the Savoy Cinema to see the two-act Ballet and festive favourite: The Nutcracker. At this time of year, understandably, it was a popular performance, making it impossible for all five of us (Diane, Val, Sue, Ann and me) to sit in the same row – in spite of us booking ahead . The audience was mostly of a ‘certain age’ so, thankfully, there was no risk of those around us diving into troughs of tortillas and slurping flagons of fizz whilst the Sugar Plum Fairy was doing her thing!

This really is (and was) the Ballet for all non-Ballet lovers! Read on!!

Penned by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, it was all part of the continuing RBO 2025-26 Season that sees the Royal Ballet and Opera reaching out to new audiences via Cinemas, here and around the world.

This particular production by Peter Wright was celebrating its 40th Anniversary and contained a lot of tunes that most of us can already hum, even if we don’t know the titles or where we first heard them! . Fruit ‘n’ Nut anyone? .

Looking back in time, I see that the last time we saw this live, was at the Opera House, almost 14 years ago, back in January 2012 .

Official Synopsis:
The magician Herr Drosselmeyer needs to save his nephew. Hans-Peter has been transformed into a Nutcracker. The only way to save him is for the Nutcracker to defeat the Mouse King and find a girl to love and care for him. A flicker of hope comes in the form of the young Clara, whom Drosselmeyer meets at a Christmas party. With some magic, a cosy Christmas gathering turns into a marvellous adventure.

We all arrived in good time, and although by curtain up, it wasn’t a full house – it was close! Tonight’s performance was co-costed by Petroc Trelawny and Darcey Bussell whose role was to interact with the cinema audiences and provide some context to the Nutcracker story and its link with the RBO. If you ever wanted to know more about ballet shoes, this was the place to be! DB did a great job, presenting live around the world, juggling microphone, cue-cards and said shoes whilst sticking to the script. Petroc, meanwhile, was very Petroc – cool, calm and engaging throughout.

7.45pm: Curtain up!

I’d read that the whole performance had been shown on the Savoy website as a whopping 210 minutes – that’s 3½ hours! Yikes! I don’t recall the version we saw back in 2012 being that long, but perhaps they’d factored in the interval and the pre-performance sections too? Anyhow, we’d packed accordingly, with a flask of hot coffee and some nibbles to get us through to the end.

As I mentioned earlier, this really is the Ballet for non-ballet lovers. Forget about the plot, and just sit back and let the whole thing wash over you. The choreography, the costumes, the lighting and special effects, the dazzling colour palette, the large cast (made up of all ages) – and the memorable music – all combined to make this a real feel-good experience.

And if all of that doesn’t grab you, then it’s worth appreciating the sheer physical fitness of the dancers. Yes, the guys might not look like the epitome of rugged maleness in their tight err, tights, blond wigs and eyeliner, but you try doing that with either of your legs and your next stop will be A&E! Impressive stuff, and they didn’t even break a sweat!

At just after 9.45, the performance came to a close – and what a performance! Close on two hours of Christmassy magic (not 210 minutes, as advertised – I suspect a small typo on their website). What made it so special? Maybe the camera techniques helped: panning and zooming to bring the audience closer to the performers (whereas actually sitting in one of the seats at the Royal Opera House can be quite restrictive). Or maybe it’s just the heartwarming story? All-in-all, I’m not sure, but what I do know is, tonight was a magical experience, full of Christmas cheer and performers at the top of their game.

If you don’t come out at the end surrounded by a Christmassy Glow, then you went to the wrong show!

Merry Christmas!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post “Your Crackers, M’Lord!” appeared first on Steve's Blog.

For me, as a BIG Marvel fan (since the very first in 2008), I can’t quite recall why I didn’t see this at the cinema when it was released back in July of this year. Maybe it was simply that the highly infectious ailment called ‘super-hero fatigue’ had finally caught up with me too, after previously infecting most fans of this genre! Simply put: there were just too many Marvel Films being released, and it was difficult to keep up. Oh, and the quality suffered too!

In this fan’s eyes, some of the past batch of Marvel so-called ‘blockbusters’ just weren’t busting ANY blocks at all!

Yes, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels and finally, the woeful Thor: Love and Thunder, I’m looking at you lot! . Having said that, the more recent: Thunderbolts, Deadpool & Wolverine and finally Captain America, Brand New World have all been marked improvements

So, this is THE Marvel movie that is supposed to put Marvel Productions back on track, and judging by most of the reviews at the time, it seems that everyone was satisfied after just a few weeks in the cinema – including the professional critics! . Since then, ordinary punters seem to agree, as it has taken over $519m at the Box Office to date – which is perfectly respectable!

Tonight, therefore, was going to be the perfect combo of a great film (hopefully!) and a yummy meal (definitely!) as we invited Jo and Janet around for another of our Movie Nights/TV Dinners with Friends. Well, even if the movie turns out to be a disaster, we know the food and company is going to tick all the boxes!

Previous TV Dinners/Movie Nights
Paddington in Peru – March 2025
Avatar, The Way of Water – February 2025
Grease – January 2025
The Imitation Game – August 2024
Mexican Possible 3 – March 2024
Top Gun: Maverick (again!) – August 2023
Spider-man – Into the Spiderverse – June 2023
The Banshees of Inisherin – March 2023
Top Gun: Maverick – February 2023
The King’s Man – October 2022
Dune (the original) – November 2021
Black Panther – June 2018

With Ann in the kitchen, you can’t go wrong! On tonight’s menu…

• Ox Cheek Casserole (a low and slow 4 hours of cooking)
• Mashed Potato
• Roasted Squash
• Cabbage, followed by
• Apple & Raspberry Crumble
• REAL Custard

With the food doing its usual magic, it was time to settle down for the Film…

7.50pm: We’re going in! See you in 114 minutes!

Synopsis

On an parallel-Earth in 1964, the world celebrates the fourth anniversary of astronauts Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm becoming the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four after they gained superhuman abilities from exposure to cosmic rays during a previous space mission. The team struggle against the world-devouring Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer. After the Surfer reveals Earth’s doom, the Fantastic Four attempt to negotiate, but are forced into a difficult choice.

Any good?

Well, that was all very watchable and good to have a variation on the usual ‘good vs evil’ trope. The SFX, as you might imagine, were top notch and in spite of the almost two-hour runtime, it didn’t feel that long. Given that Fantastic Four has seen a number of on-screen interpretations over the years (1994, 2005, 2007 and 2015) this, for me, was by far the best, not just because of the generous budget ($200-250m) but for the non-standard storyline and great cinematography. If you’re not a fan of the genre, this one won’t change your mind, but it was a good bit of escapist fun – AND, more crucially, more like Marvel Productions used to be. It seems that the deliberate reduction in the number of films Marvel is turning out has had a knock-on effect regarding quality – great news!

Don’t forget to stick with the credits, as halfway through, there’s a sneak-peek of a character (possibly) from a future Marvel movie – Avengers: Doomsday – scheduled for Christmas NEXT year

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Winner, Winner! TV Dinner! – Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Who needs the TARDIS to travel in time? All I need is an episode of Thunderbirds to instantly transport me back to the 60s!

In fact, it was just after my 9th birthday that I first got acquainted with the Tracy Family and all their high-tech kit (ahh, so that’s where I get my obsession from!).

Fast-forward 60 years (yes, 60!) and this year, in 2025, something very special happened. Well, two special events actually!

Special Event 1 – Thunderbirds in Blu-Ray

First, a new DVD collection to celebrate 60 years. This was made possible through a Kickstarter campaign and the co-operation of ITV Studios

To celebrate the anniversary, all 32 episodes have been digitally restored, and for the first time, available on Blu-Ray DVD. At almost £90, it’s probably going to be on a lot of Christmas Lists!

And it’s all packaged with lots (and lots) of extras to give this iconic series a really premium and exclusive feel.

But wait! a Thunderbirds DVD in Blu-Ray? Blu-Ray? That’s so last century! Everyone knows that if you want the ultimate in picture and sound quality, then UHD/4K is the best there is. And although you can’t BUY these newly restored Thunderbirds episodes in UHD/4K, selected cinemas are showing two episodes in this ultimate format. So, with four times the pixels, that means an even better picture, plus they’ve also dabbled with the audio mix too – apparently, it’s now in 5.1 Surround Sound! Nice!! . Cue ‘Special Event 2’.

Special Event 2 – Thunderbirds in 4K

For fans of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s most ambitious series, today, things get even better for fans! Around the UK in selected cinemas, they’re showing two episodes back-to-back on the big screen – and that’s a first! OK, there have been Thunderbird FILMS in the past – Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968), but this is the very first time – anywhere in the world – that two selected TV episodes are being shown in cinemas. But the biggest news of all is that they are being shown in UHD/4K! It literally doesn’t get any better than that.

Not EVERY cinema chain was showing this very special presentation – certainly not our nearest and newest Cineworld (which was a bit of a surprise). However, our current fave – The Savoy in nearby(ish) Corby (together with 200 others around the UK) – was! Tickets were duly booked on Thursday, 28 August, before they all sold out.

So, what’s being shown? Well, it HAS to be the very first episode from 1965, doesn’t it? – Trapped in the Sky.

Synopsis – Trapped In the Sky (50mins)
Master criminal, the Hood, plants a bomb on board the new atomic-powered airliner, Fireflash, before it departs on its maiden flight. Unable to land for fear of setting off the bomb, the crew and passengers’ only hope of survival lies with International Rescue.

…and the second? Largely regarded as the most exciting Thunderbirds episode ever made – Terror in New York City.

Synopsis – Terror In New York City (50mins)
After Thunderbird 2 is heavily damaged in a mistaken attack, it leaves the team seemingly without a swift means to transport any rescue gear to New York City to save a news crew trapped underneath the collapsed Empire State Building.

Off we went for the 3pm-only performance. We were fully expecting (hoping?) that some attendees will dress for the occasion. Sadly, our pink Rolls-Royce wasn’t available!

We’re going in! See you on the other side.

Official Trailer

Sadly, no-one dressed up, but it was good to see ‘children’ of all ages there. We took our seats in the luxury recliners and waited for the start. Sadly, it all went wrong from there! Most serious of all, they showed it all in the wrong screen ratio, so the top, bottom, and sides were chopped off. Initially, we thought it was a temporary blip, but the issue continued for the whole two-hour performance

A few of us briefly left our seats and had a chat with the staff, but it turned out that the cinema had been sent the wrong print – and the more we watched and listened, the more shortcomings we noticed. The sound was only coming out of the FRONT speaker (so no ‘5.1 Surround Sound’ then!) and on a closer look at the image, it certainly wasn’t UHD/4K – in fact, it didn’t even look Blu-Ray to me! Later, the Cinema concluded that they must have sent the wrong version. How embarrassing for them!!

So, overall, it was an enjoyable event, but out of all of us (especially given the hype) I was VERY disappointed with the technical shortfalls. That aside, it was worth reminding ourselves that these episodes were from 60 years ago, and although the script creaked a bit in places, it had held up remarkably well! Surely that’s a reminder of how much more sophisticated this series was, compared with most other kids’ programmes of the day.

As we left, still feeling somewhat disappointed (where I was all set to have a moan at ‘management’ ) we witnessed a superb piece of pro-active customer service! . The Duty Manager diverted everyone who’d been there to another part of the cinema and immediately issued full refunds – we didn’t need to ask! We haven’t seen that sort of responsiveness in many years, and it rescued the very negative experience towards something more positive.

OK, I’m still a bit miffed that I didn’t get to see it in all its 4K gloriousness, but that’s now in the past. The cinema did remind us that they hoped to acquire the correct print in time for the second and final showing next Thursday (6pm) but by then, we’ll be in Margate for my Birthday.

FAB? Well, not quite!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Thunderbirds are… 4K! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Off to Cineworld in Rushden Lakes with Jo and Janet to see the 6.20pm performance of ‘Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning’.

This is the concluding part to 2023’s blockbuster of a similar name – Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part 1 (later re-titled to Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning). I guess we all thought this one would be following a similar naming convention, but they seem to have dropped the ‘Part 2’ err, part, and slightly altered the ‘strap’. No doubt, some clever marketing person will understand the reason for this.

Our original plans were to see this one over at The Savoy in Corby (our now fave Cinema) but it wasn’t showing there tonight, so we ‘slummed it’ at CineWorld at Rushden Lakes. As usual, it was a Friday night and the car park at Rushden Lakes was heaving! Luckily, we found a solitary space not too far from the entrance, and were soon queuing for our beverage-of-choice.

In we go!!!

There are lots of rumours circulating that this will be Cruise’s final appearance in the MI franchise, but maybe that’s just hype to fill the cinemas around the world. He’s certainly revitalised this series of films and brought the 60’s TV series to a whole new audience – and many of the old audience too! (Oh! Just me then!)

Official Trailer

The above trailer first appeared about a month ago, showcasing Tom Cruise’s obsession with doing all his own stunts – and trying to ‘out-stunt’ his previous efforts! If anyone recalls his motorcycle scene where he rode off the side of a mountain – that’s going to take some beating in this one (read on… the biplane stunt is unforgettable!)

Synopsis

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team race against time to find the Entity,
a rogue artificial intelligence that can destroy mankind.

Worth Seeing..?

Mild Spoilers Ahead!

After we got through what seemed to be an extra-long series of previews for ‘coming soon’, we were finally ready for the Final Reckoning. Well, on a positive note, it looks like June might be quite busy for us at the cinema! CineWorld, Screen 14 was maybe half full by the time curtain up came, where most people had decided that to save time, eating separately in a restaurant, they’d stock up with mega-buckets of popcorn. Worse still, instead of traditional popcorn, the latest obsession (well, in these parts) a trough of Chilli with the obligatory dips! I don’t mind the first, but Chilli is a bit of an acquired taste – especially in public!

Back to the movie! That’s a first! A short piece to camera pre-film by TC himself thanking us for seeing the film. Apart from a genuine desire to cement himself as one of the nicest people in the industry, I wasn’t sure of the purpose. Hey-ho, he certainly made us feel err, ‘special’.

It was a long one at 2 hours 50 minutes, although fortunately, it didn’t feel quite that long! So, camel bladders only for this one, it seemed! Unlike previous MI instalments, the first part of tonight’s was a bit of a chatterbox, with not that much action. I guess this was needed to help those who hadn’t seen Dead Reckoning – Part 1 and to help wrap their head around what was going on. Clever gadgets and latex face masks, so much a staple of the MI ‘thing’, were sadly sidelined to a degree in this one, in fact, if you’d arrived partway through, you might have wondered if this was a Mission Impossible film AT ALL! Yes, not exactly a gadget-fest! – more’s the pity!

All our favourite characters were back (Grace, Benji and Luther) but be warned, some don’t make it to the end credits. Tom Cruise excels at what he does best – running and extreme stunts – and if we were worried about whether he’d top the ‘bike scene’ from the previous movie, we needn’t have! Example 1: The scene in the sunken submarine is NOT for anyone who:- has a hint of claustrophobia/hates water – but most of all, loathes drowning!!! . It’s a scene that will have you on the edge of your seat on more than a dozen occasions! And to top that, there’s example 2: the biplane chase towards the end of the movie! Good grief, that was stressful to watch, but worth the ticket price for that alone!! It’s well known that TC does most of his own stunts, and having apparently passed out whilst ‘hanging on a wing’ (as you do!) during rehearsals, this outing confirmed he’s either completely bonkers or he’s fearless! Once you’ve seen it, answers on a postcard, please!

Apart from the ‘regulars’, there are a few faces from past episodes making a welcome return – with one, especially, completely unexpected where you’ll need a good memory for which MI film you first saw them in (I think it’s the first one from 1996!)

The film motored on, with a lot of Tom Cruise running everywhere (OK, that’s an MI ‘thing’!) and where the action scenes, when they eventually arrived, were top notch. It’s a storyline that demands you don’t look too deeply for plot-holes, but it all made for a riveting three hours – thank heavens for CineWorld’s ultra comfy seats! The whole ‘AI’ plot driver is very vague as to how ‘it’ would accomplish its goals, but the tin-foil hat brigade will be able to dine out on this one for ages! Acting by everyone is very convincing, where, in spite of the ludicrous plot, they give us a credible glimpse of a future that seems to benefit no-one on the planet!

All in all then, a thoroughly engaging film, but if I’m honest, I was slightly disappointed at the amount of talking vs the amount of action, especially in the early scenes. It’s an overly sentimental ending that seems to be mandatory for these kind of outings these days (our friends across the pond, seem to demand it!), but it brings things to a satisfying conclusion. The final scenes are sufficiently ambiguous so as not to confirm nor deny the possibility of the Mission Impossible franchise continuing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another in some or other in a few years. However, if it’s without TC, it won’t be the same.

I know it’s respectful to sit through the credits, but there’s no mid nor end credit scene to give you a clue as to what’s next, so best get an early night in!

Main Cast

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Hayley Atwell as Grace
Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn
Esai Morales as Gabriel
Pom Klementieff as Paris
Henry Czerny as Kittridge
Holt McCallany as Serling
Janet McTeer as Walters
Nick Offerman as General Sidney
Hannah Waddingham as Admiral Neely
Tramell Tillman as Captain Bledsoe
Angela Bassett as Erika Sloane
Shea Whigham as Briggs
Greg Tarzan Davis as Degas
Mark Gatiss as Angstrom

Creatives

Based on the television series created by Bruce Geller

Written by Erik Jendresen & Christopher McQuarrie

Chris Brock: Executive Producer
Tom Cruise: Executive Producer
David Ellison: Executive Producer
Dana Goldberg: Executive Producer
Tommy Gormley: Executive Producer
Don Granger: Executive Producer
Susan E. Novick: Executive Producer
Phew! So many ‘Execs!’

Gina Hallas: Co-Producer

Music by Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey
Cinematography by Fraser Taggart
Editing by Eddie Hamilton

Full cast list HERE courtesy of IMDB.

In spite of my reservations of the lack of action and gadgets, is it worth nearly three hours of your time and would I watch it again? Yes and yes! Would I buy it on 4K DVD when it’s released? Yes! (although the biplane scene won’t feel quite as impactful on the small screen!).

Go see!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Film: Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

This afternoon we joined Jo & Janet on a trip to the Corby’s Savoy Cinema (our new ‘go-to’ picture house) to see the new film: Black Bag for its early evening performance.

It was only our third visit here since our local Odeon closed down – and it’s been worth the extra miles, in every sense! – great seats, great prices and great picture & audio quality! And there’s a car-park right next door too!

Synopsis

When his beloved wife, Kathryn, is suspected of betraying the nation,
intelligence agent George Woodhouse faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.

Official Trailer

Who’s in it?

With Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve, Ocean’s Thirteen, and many others) behind the lens, it was surely an instant ‘Brucie Bonus’!

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean
Michael Fassbender as George Woodhouse|
Marisa Abela as Clarissa Dubose
Tom Burke as Freddie Smalls
Naomie Harris as Dr. Zoe Vaughan
Regé-Jean Page as Col. James Stokes
Pierce Brosnan as Arthur Steiglitz
Gustaf Skarsgård as Meacham
Kae Alexander as Anna Ko
Ambika Mod as Angela Childs

(Thanks IMDB)

Any good?

A top-notch cast should have also made this a must-watch… Nope! Not at all… If you’re partial to a spy-thriller, this may not be the one for you! It certainly didn’t tick (m)any boxes for me at all!! I spent the first 25 minutes trying to work out where it was all going! At that point, it was just irritating. .

With Soderbergh’s track-record, I went in thinking it was going to be Bond or Bourne in style, but it was all talk – literally! To call it a ‘slow burner’ is being polite and although it came together in the final 20 minutes, the whole thing plodded along with no sense of urgency. Action scenes? Just the one… Stunt-men (and women)? None required… CGI? Completely redundant.

Think of it as more of a whodunnit than anything else. In that respect, it was OK (but still so slooooow!). So, just as well, the run-time was only around 90 minutes.

Disappointing, to say the least (but the girls enjoyed it).

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Film: Black Bag (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

I’m back into my ‘Marvel Movie Phase’. Actually, I never went away, but I think Marvel Films itself (who are desperate to rekindle their past box-office successes) have drastically reduced their output of late – so there hasn’t been much to go and see!

Our destination? My second visit to the Savoy Cinema in Corby (one of our nearest picture houses since the local Odeon closed its doors back in January). Tonight, it’s with great mates, Jo & Janet (Ann ‘passed’ on this one, fearing another Marvel commercial disaster- a bit of a trend for Marvel of late!! ).

This one is probably the last from Marvel in its Phase 5 of sci-fi flicks! More specifically, it’s the 35th of their ‘Cinematic Universe’ series with only Thunderbolts* due soon to complete this latest Phase. BTW, the asterisk in that title is deliberate, but no-one seems to know why it’s there! Me included! . Plenty of theories online though! Phase 5? Want a reminder of the timeline of the Phases? No? thought not! But here they are anyway…

The Infinity Saga
Phase One (2008–2012)
Phase Two (2013–2015)
Phase Three (2016–2019)

The Multiverse Saga
Phase Four (2021–2022)
Phase Five (2023–2025)
Phase Six (2025–2027)

Phase 6 begins later this year (July, if things go to plan) and will involve The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and yes, The Avengers (but not John Steed and Mrs Peel! – or even Tony Stark’s Iron Man) – Confused? Truth be told, there has been a bewildering number of film and TV productions since the very first Marvel outing in 2008 – and that was to become an issue… Read on! Back then, it started well, but with so much to keep track of, over almost 20 years, a new phenomenon was born: ‘Superhero Fatigue’. I’m retired, with more time on my hands than many, and even I found it impossible to watch everything! Additionally, it all became a bit ‘samey’ with the addition of impenetrable plot lines.

So, being the helpful guy that I am, below is a list of all the films to date… For the sake of space, it only includes Marvel’s films and none of their TV-related offerings.

The film list is presented in the best order to watch them (with their release date shown after the title).

Still here?

Luckily, brighter souls than me (thanks, Digital Spy) have got their head around ALL of Marvel’s related output and published a COMPLETE watchlist HERE. Films, TV – EVERYTHING! (Easy tiger! The sheer volume is not for the faint-hearted! )

Synopsis

[The new} Captain America finds himself in the middle of an international incident after meeting with US President Thaddeus Ross.
He must soon discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red

Official Trailer

A Return to Form..?

Right off the bat, I’d say that I couldn’t help ‘tripping over’ the swathe of negativity about this one. I’m quite prepared to make up my own mind about it, but the following doesn’t bode well – and if you’re not a fan of the genre, or more specifically, Marvel Films, this isn’t going to do anything to encourage you to go and see it!

Well, based on these comments, I guess the only way was ‘up’! In my humble opinion, it all began to go wrong for Marvel much earlier than tonight! Current wisdom suggests the rot began a few years ago. First, in 2021 with ‘Eternals’ with then 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Adding to the run of disappointments was 2022’s Thor, Love and Thunder (possibly the worst film I’d ever seen! EVER! – and I’m known for watching quite a lot of rubbish in pursuit of my art!)

The Savoy Cinema

It’s Saturday, 1st March, and one of the few days when it’s been a beautiful day weather-wise – it was even slightly warm too! It really felt like winter was over – at last! – and the perfect excuse to take the short drive to The Savoy after a busy day in the garden. We’ve booked the 5.50pm showing, where I expected that we might be one of the last to see this blockbuster as it was released on Valentine’s Day!

We thought we might have the screen to ourselves, but it soon filled to about 50-60% capacity. Here we go…

Back to tonight! Straight into the story with no overly-long credit sequences – that’s a good start! In the first 20 minutes, there was plenty of action too – I’m liking this. Wow! A coherent plot too – what a very pleasant surprise! . That’s better. This felt like a true return to form for Marvel. Great acting, a story that was easy to follow, plus some really good action scenes. A sprightly 82-year-old, Harrison Ford, probably stole the show for me as the US President, but everyone else gave impressive performances too!

Hey, this was more like Marvel’s films used to be before the stories became over-complicated and the visuals were too reliant on CGI.

Even better news in that anyone can watch this one having no previous experience of Marvel’s gargantuan filmic output (with the caveat that watching ‘The Incredible Hulk’ from 2008 will explain the frequent references to [Bruce] Banner aka The Hulk).

Any disappointments? Just one: and it wasn’t Marvel’s fault. The family of five in front of us managed to break all the ‘rules of the cinema’ that included: talking, using their phone and fidgeting throughout! Thanks! . We felt sorry for the couple to our right who probably had it slightly worse than us as they were closer to the noise! We saw them on the way out getting their money back!!

For devotees of Marvel, don’t forget to stick around for the now obligatory end-credit scene. I won’t spoil it here, but there are two pivotal characters in conversation who set the scene nicely for something VERY big in the future!

and finally…

All-in-all then: We’re loving The Savoy Cinema, and it looks like Marvel might be back on track – Oh, and it didn’t rain today! Happy days!!!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Film: Captain America – Brave New World (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

This wouldn’t usually be my first choice of film — I’m more into ones in ‘spandex’! However, we had an ulterior motive!

With the local Odeon recently closing its doors for good, we wanted to see what ‘The Savoy’ was like in nearby Corby. Apart from CineWorld at Rushden Lakes, this one is now probably one of our closest picture houses.

Well, it certainly looked more attractive from the outside, and the prices were kinder too! Two tickets for a smidge over £20 was a bargain. It was a lot smaller than many of the cinemas we’ve been frequenting in recent years, but that gave it a more intimate feel and added to the charm.

We headed for Screen 4 (that seated around 80 people) and our seats. And talking of seats – what a choice. They offer three ‘styles’ including recliners and ‘double-seats’ for the romantic sort. We’d booked ours right at the back and they were super-comfy. The picture quality was pin-sharp and the audio 7.1 Dolby Surround was easily as impressive as the far newer and larger CineWorld at Rushden Lakes!

So, as far as the cinema choice was concerned – full marks! We’ll certainly be coming here again, where I’d go as far as to say, it’s a superior replacement to the defunct Odeon and on par with CineWorld for seat comfort and picture/sound quality

What about the Film?

Oh, I nearly forgot…

Synopsis

Bridget Jones finally has some luck in her life; she has a great job as a screenwriter,
her family and a new boyfriend; the fact that he is over twenty years younger than
her, isn’t the only thing that is causing problems.

As I already commented, this wouldn’t normally be my first choice, but with the Daily Telegraph awarding it FIVE stars (it’s very rare for their Robbie Collin and Tim Robey to award top marks for a film), I was simply there out of curiosity! (and they say romance is dead!)

Two hours and 4 minutes later, as rom-coms go, this one turned out to be one of the best (although not quite ‘5-stars’ in my world). It was easily as good as 1999’s Notting Hill and 2003’s Love Actually. ‘Emotional Roller-Coaster’ is a bit of an over-used phrase these days, but this one deserves it! From laugh out loud, laugh quietly and laugh just inwardly moments to some very sad and poignant pieces that will have you reaching for the tissues on more than a few occasions!

For me, the run-time felt a tad long (maybe by 20-30 minutes) but the storyline played out pretty much as you might expect. But then again, maybe not, as a curved-ball thrown in with some velocity, two-thirds of the way in, might just leave you wondering ‘where’s this going then?’

The Players

Renée Zellweger as Bridget
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mr Wallaker
Leo Woodall as Leo Roxster (steady ladies!)
Jim Broadbent as Bridget’s Dad
Isla Fisher as Rebecca
Colin Firth as Mark Darcy
Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver
Mila Jankovic as Mabel
Casper Knopf as Billy Darcy

The stellar cast was superb and all looked like they were enjoying every second of their performance. Renée Zellweger made every convincing Brit and Hugh Grant seems to have re-invented himself in recent years as ‘the loveable rogue’.

All-in-all then, much against my initial feelings about it, I really enjoyed this one! I did notice that I was one of only two blokes in the audience (just sayin’!)

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Film: Bridget Jones – Mad About The Boy (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

This was a milestone event – our final visit to the local Odeon. The building is due for demolition next week (Tuesday, the 28th), leaving the town with no cinema at all.

Apparently, the town has had a cinema, somewhere in the town, for the past 100 years! And now it doesn’t – and the natives are restless!!

Tonight, it wasn’t particularly the film that mattered, as it was more about a ‘final opportunity’ to see this oft-visited picture palace before it becomes a pile of bricks! From the developer’s perspective, it’s all part of a bigger picture where the land PLUS all the surrounding buildings are being demolished to make way for…

…well, no-one seems to be 100% certain! – the latest rumour being ‘open storage’ (whatever that is!).

With Hobson’s Choice – the Pub/Restaurant opposite – already boarded up and marked for a similar fate plus nearby Frankie and Benny’s on the receiving end of a bulldozer a few days back and finally, Mazza’s (the Indian Restaurant) that’s stood empty for nigh-on 10 years), leaving only the nearby KFC, the only building left standing.

And then, last Tuesday, it was announced that they were on the demolition list too!

The local online petition only attracted around 3000 signatures, so that won’t have made any difference! We arrived at the Cinema and it was near-deserted! Happily, still plenty of staff though! . After a(another) ‘final visit to the in-house Costa, we headed for the Screen.

Things didn’t improve much when we got to our seats – the Screen was completely empty (although the two back rows DID fill up just before ‘curtain up’).

The Film

Oh, the film… we chose to see ‘Flight Risk‘ starring Mark Wahlberg, Michele Docker and Topher Grace (who??)

Synopsis

A U.S. marshal boards a small plane to transfer a government witness to New York. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions start to rise as not everyone on the flight is who they appear to be.

Official Trailer

Any Good?

Actually, it was a really good film. Directed by none other than Mel Gibson, it was a riveting, if not stressful and claustrophobic watch! . Set almost entirely on a small plane, it was very well done – and very convincing, with Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley from Downton Abbey) making a very convincing American!

Well, that’s then of an era! . For me, it’ll be sadly missed and where we now have to work out the best alternative location for our regular ‘movie fix’. . Looks like the nearest cinema will now be CineWorld at Rushden Lakes, the new ‘Luxe’ Odeon in Northampton (ironically on the site of the recently closed CineWorld!) or The Savoy Cinema in Corby.

There’s a really comprehensive article by Kettering local, Tony Smith, in the Northamptonshire Telegraph listing ALL the Cinemas that Kettering has seen through the years! Read it HERE.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Odeon Kettering – The Final Visit appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We got together with John & Trish round at ours for our first Movie Night of 2025.

Our Film of choice was the iconic Grease, from 1978. Ann laid on some food too!

We even squeezed in a Cheeseboard!!

It was great to see Grease again. I think we knew all the tunes and all the lyrics too! . By 10pm, the film had ended and we chatted about ‘this and that’ Meanwhile, outside, it had snowed!

Just after 10.30, we said our goodbyes and agreed to do this again before too long! Gosh! It looked cold out there!

A bit of essential ‘deck clearing’ before we called it a night just after 11!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Movie Night: Grease appeared first on Steve's Blog.

6.45am: Morning all! . Welcome back, loyal Reader! 6.45???? What a lightweight! Well, everyone deserves a lie-in occasionally – and have you seen the weather out there?

“Wellington in Wellingtons”?? – sometimes the Post titles just write themselves!

We’re now halfway through our adventure on the other side of the world, and I think I’m finally getting used to the timezone out here. A great night’s sleep – and I’m awake during the day too!

Missed a previous Post?
Click HERE

Day 16 – Where are we?
(Thursday, 14th November)

It’s Day 16 of our New Zealand adventure and our second day in the capital city of Wellington. We arrived yesterday after a four-hour drive from Napier. We’re here until Saturday when we take the Interislander Ferry to the South Island to continue our holiday.

Our accommodation at ‘Quest on the Terrace’ serves our purpose, but with a fuse-board that doesn’t like us using the oven, ‘Challenge in the Kitchen’ is probably a more appropriate name!

With ‘rain stopping play’ initially today, we confined ourselves to enjoying Wellington from the inside. Our first stop was the local Museum…

Museum of New Zealand

10.50am: Better known as Te Papa, and open from 10 until 6, the Museum opened its doors in 1998 after merging the National Museum of New Zealand and the National Art Gallery.

Right from the off, this was an impressive location. Everything was so spacious. With six floors plus a Cafe, an observation terrace and an art exhibition (level 5, closed temporarily) there was a lot to see here, where in pure numbers, it’s 36,000 square metres of display space. It cost just 35NZD each (that’s £32.40 in total for the two of us), to get in, we thought it was good value too, especially given that the tickets last 48 hours.

After a quick trip to the Café (purely for research purposes!) we began to look around.

Level 2

First stop? The Museum’s presentation of the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign. For obvious reasons, it doesn’t get a lot of air-time back in the UK – but here it was pored over in GREAT detail.

In amongst the very detailed timeline and account of that fateful April day in 1915 – and beyond – was a series of statue-like models of some who served during that time, including:-

• Spencer Westmacott
• Percival Fenwick
• Lottie Le Gallais and
• Cecil Malthus

As I hope you can see, they were incredibly lifelike… and what made them all unique, was they were about 3 times normal size, thus dwarfing us visitors. We don’t think we’ve seen anything like it in any other Museum we’ve visited around the world – and it made the whole experience feel much more ‘real’ and also unsettling, in equal measure.

The level of detail on the models was nothing short of incredible!

An incredible set of displays!

Our next stop was to the adjacent exhibition entitled… Nature.

This was an interactive zone celebrating New Zealand’s unique environment.

This contained another fascinating series of exhibits. I particularly liked the ‘endangered birds’ display called ‘Nest’ (and it looked like one too! – see below). Inside the ‘nest’, it displayed a photograph of the bird with an example of their egg. Pressing the egg lightly played the sound of the bird calling.

TODAY’S TRIVIA: There are no nuclear power stations in New Zealand.

Also on this floor was a feature about New Zealand’s volcanoes and earthquakes

And if earthquakes and volcanoes are enough to keep you on the edge of your seat as a citizen, then there was a very unnerving demonstration of the impact of a Tsunami on the city of Wellington!

There was also a simulation of what it felt like to actually inside a house when an earthquake comes calling! Using a combination of pre-recorded video with actors talking us through the experience, it was chilling stuff, where it all felt VERY realistic!

Level 3

12.25pm: On Level 3, we were greeted with ‘Blood Earth Fire”. This exhibition dealt with people’s impact on the land.

One of the more important topics presented was the continued deforestation of the country and where a ‘birds eye view’ of the country showed that in New Zealand today, only 25% of Indigenous forest remains.

Level 4

Another important topic presented here was the impact of immigration throughout New Zealand’s history.

Would you have got in, in 1840?

The rest of this floor was dedicated to the social history of New Zealand, including a detailed account of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Level 5

Closed today but would usually contain works from the National Art Collection and feature the Euan & Ann Sinclair gallery.

Level 6

This was the Viewing Terrace and offered unrivalled views across Wellington Harbour.

1.12pm: Well, it looked as if the rain was clearing up and the Sun was doing its best to make a re-appearance. We took a slow walk back to the Apartment, for a late lunch before heading out again to catch the premiere of Gladiator II.

Film: ‘Gladiator II’

Well, with our local Odeon back home closing for good in a few months, we had to find another cinema to see this year’s blockbuster. Most of our friends would have settled for CineWorld Rushden Lakes, but not us! We took a walk to the Empire Theatre here in Wellington for the 5pm performance.

What a beautiful old building! Originally built in 1924, the building has undergone a series of remodellings and changes in ownership over the years. Considering it wasn’t designed originally as a cinema, it had super-comfy seats and great picture and sound quality too (Dolby Atmos, no less)!

5.00pm: And being this side of the world, we got to see it a whole day before the UK and a whole WEEK before the USA/Canada as part of its worldwide release. SPOILER ALERT: Russell Crowe is in it!

Best Film of the year – GO SEE!

7.32pm: We left the Cinema and walked back to the Apartment, where in total we’d covered 5.9 miles today with all our other wanderings!

TODAY’S TRIVIA: 18 New Zealand is similar in size to the UK but has a population of around 4 million (compared to 68 million in the UK).

Tomorrow, it’s our last full day here in Wellington, and we’re heading for the New Zealand Parliament for our free one hour tour. Sleep well – see you Friday!!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Holiday: Day 16 – Wellington in Wellingtons? appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s not unusual for us to go to the local Odeon, but tonight was for TWO very different reasons.

Reason 1: This is the LAST TIME we’ll ever visit this Odeon. Why? It’s being bulldozed, together with the nearby Pub – Hobson’s Choice, to make way for (ahem!) ‘a new development’. Most of us locals are still reeling from the shock. Both buildings have been here as long as we have (20-plus years), in fact, I read that once it’s demolished it’ll be the first time in 100 years that Kettering hasn’t had a cinema! A sad day when that happens!

Reason 2: We’re NOT here to see a film. Instead, we’re watching a live transmission of the Opera, Marriage of Figaro starring the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House – and it’s a ‘one night only’ performance!

This is such a smart way to see Opera. No need to go all the way to London and by keeping it local, we get the best seats in the house – plus, it saves a fortune on travel and ticket prices! It’s not our first time seeing Opera on the cheap, as we were here in 2018 watching Carmen! Does it lose any of the atmosphere of actually being there live? Well, possibly, but the fact that the cameras can zoom in and pick up the facial expressions is something that you don’t get to appreciate at the ROH (unless you’re in row A…and rich!) .

In many operas, the heroine meets an untimely demise. Sadly, tonight Ying Fang aka Susanna was hampered by something much smaller than the script – flu! Her understudy did a great job though!

Curtain up was at 6.30 and good job we had reasonably comfy seats, as its runtime was close to four hours! . OK, that included a thirty-minute interval (where Mrs P had prepared some elegant nibbles that befitted the occasion). Screen 6 isn’t the largest screen here, but it was good to see that it was just under half full for this one-off live-streaming event. I learned later that it had been beamed to most of the big cinema chains in the UK, so I wonder how that helped takings?

Before it all began, there was a useful introduction for noobies to the Opera itself by a rather gushing presenter, but in between her smiles the size of Corby (no one should be that happy!) she set the scene perfectly.

All-in-all then, a very worthwhile experience. and a great way to experience this rather elitist art-form without bankrupting yourself in the process – ROH tickets topped out at £245! (we paid £20 each!) and I’m sure we’ll do this all again sometime, but alas, not HERE!

We left the Odeon just after 10.35pm and where, looking at the staff, they all seemed to be pretty chilled, in spite of the imminent demise of Kettering’s ONLY cinema.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Figarodeon appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Well, that was a surprise! Nearby Hobson’s Choice announced it was closing its doors permanently!

OK, it was never going to be awarded a Michelin Star, but it was on our doorstep and offered a ‘basic’ menu (read ‘cheap’) and the staff there were always super-friendly. Every time I visited, it was always doing a good trade, so initially, I wasn’t sure why they’d suddenly announced this news? It was a real shock to the system as it’s been there pretty much as long as we’ve lived here.

Given that nearby Mazza’s (the Indian Restaurant) closed some years ago and that was followed by its neighbour, Frankie and Benny’s, in October 2022, that only left KFC and the Odeon in the immediate area. Surely, they wouldn’t go the same way? Would they? WOULD THEY?

A few hours later, KFC put out a Press Release in the local paper confirming they had no plans to close! (Although I don’t think a lot of us were convinced!!)

So, what of the Odeon? Surely Kettering’s ONLY cinema wouldn’t suffer the same fate?

Then, a week later, our worst fears were confirmed… (KFC is staying open) BUT the Odeon is closing next January!

Later newspaper reports said that the whole area is to be bulldozed! Surely not another self-storage area or warehousing!!! Local rumours sprang up immediately suggesting that they’d both ‘sold up’ whilst later news hinted at the Landlord buying them out of their leases.

Whatever the reason, all-in-all, it’s a very sad day for us locals! . To think that Kettering once boasted SIX cinemas!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Closed for good! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s fair to say we love a good pie and a pud! We also like a great movie and an evening with friends. So, why not combine all three!?

Tonight, inspired by our recent visit with John & Trish to Bletchley Park and then our first visit to PieFest a few weeks ago – tonight, it all came together with the perfect combo of pie, people and moving pictures. John & Trish popped around to watch the 2014 film ‘The Imitation Game‘ whilst Ann recreated the famous Lord Woolton Pie and Bread and Apple Pudding from the war years. We last saw the film at the cinema when it first came out in 2014 and gave it five stars – let’s hope the food is as popular!

If you’ve not heard of the pie before, I’m not surprised, as I can’t think it features much on peoples ‘to eat’ list these days! . There seems to be quite a few variations about – some have mash on the top, some have a white sauce inside – so it was difficult to be sure ours was ‘authentic’. We kept ours simple, featuring a combination of cauliflower, swede and carrots thickened with oatmeal (weird!) – and with the pastry made, in part, from mashed potato (yes, really!), it sounded like an acquired taste, for sure! .

With home-grown green-beans helped along with some extra mashed potato and gravy, we were all set to travel back to the 40s!. And with possibly one of our last opportunities to eat outside (the sun had been shining most of the day) and period music courtesy of Amazon, all we needed was sirens and a speech by Churchill to complete the illusion!

And what of the pie itself? I think honestly, to everyone’s surprise, it was absolutely delicious! Really! We knew it would be ‘OK’ (you can’t go wrong with Ann in the Galley!) but it really did exceed all our expectations! . Well done Mrs P!

After the main course, it was for the film – and it was as good as we remember it first time around.

Completing the 1940’s theme, Ann served up ‘Bread & Apple Pudding’ – another wartime favourite – and again, it was delicious.

By the time we hit the Cheese, we headed back to 2024 judging by the amount on offer! Typically, back in the 40s, it was 1 ounce per person per week. Looking at the size of the cheeseboard (and all of us being confirmed ‘cheese monsters’) meant we had enough cheese for about 5 years!

It had been a great evening and the wartime theme worked well. I dropped John & Trish back at theirs just after 10pm. That left Ann to deal with more 21st century matters including emptying the dishwasher! A great division of labour!

Pie recipe HERE

Pud recipe HERE

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Movie Night: The Imitation Game appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Crikey! A movie from Marvel! It’s been a while!

I’m off to the local Odeon with Jo & Janet to see their latest – Deadpool & Wolverine – the 34th (yes, really, see later) in Marvel’s super-hero movie franchise.

And this isn’t just ANOTHER one from the Marvel Film Factory… this one is supposed to restore Marvel’s reputation as the producer of blockbuster super-hero movies. A little worrying then, that the Telegraph’s chief movie critic, Robbie Collin, recently awarded it just ONE STAR!

But hey! What does he know? . But he may have a point! From this fan’s perspective, the only way is surely UP after the recent crappy output from Marvel including: Thor: Love and Thunder (garbage!), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (disappointing!), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (ditto) and The Marvels (horrid!). It’s hard to believe, but Marvel has been churning out these movies since 2008, so maybe it’s just film-fatigue!

Phase 1 (2008 to 2012)
1. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
2. Captain Marvel (2019)
3. Iron Man (2008)
4. Iron Man 2 (2010)
5. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
6. Thor (2011)
7. The Avengers/Avengers Assemble* *Slightly different title for the UK only (2012)

Phase 2 (2013 to 2015)
8. Iron Man 3 (2013)
9. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
11. Guardians of the Galaxy (2017)
12. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
13. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
14. Ant-Man (2015)

Phase 3 (2016 to 2019)
15. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
16. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
17. Doctor Strange (2016)
18. Black Panther (2017)
19. Thor: Ragnarök (2017)
20. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
22. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
23. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Phase 4 (2021 to 2022)
24. Black Widow (2021)
25. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
26. Eternals (2021)
27. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
28. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
29. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
30. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Phase 5 (2023-2024)
31. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
32. Guardians of the Galaxy (Volume 3) (2023)
33. The Marvels (2023)

For my sins, I’ve seen them all – with Captain America: The First Avenger being the first, and IMHO the best! . Anyway, back to today and here is the most recent official trailer

I picked up Jo & Janet just after 1pm and we headed for Screen 4…

Synopsis

“Deadpool’s peaceful existence comes crashing down when the Time Variance Authority (The TVA) recruits him to help safeguard the multiverse.
He soon unites with his would-be pal, Wolverine, to complete the mission and save his world from an existential threat”.

OK, we’re going in! See you in 135 minutes!

Any good..?

If you’ve already got a feel for Marvel super-hero movies, this one WILL be a surprise – on so many levels.

Violent! Yes, and some! . Within the first 10-minutes, a blood-bath ensued and it was all pretty graphic. This will put a lot of people off, but stick with it (if you can). Be prepared though for more of the same, in all shapes and sizes, as the story plays out.

Style? It’s not usual for Marvel to give their movies an overall comedic style (and for me, this hasn’t worked too well in the past for them), but surprise, surprise, it worked really well on this occasion. It’s not laugh-out-loud, but it is witty!

Fourth Wall? Another departure from the ‘Marvel norm’ and they carried it off in such a way that it all felt part of the unfolding story.

Dialogue? Very clever. It helps if you know your Marvel film history and the various references (sometimes visually) to the franchise’s backstory. All this gave the script an extra lift with its numerous reference points to what had gone before (the good and the bad). Even as a casual viewer, you’ll find it a giggle, but super-fans (like me) will enjoy these extra layers to the rather simplistic plot.

Worth seeing..?

For me, the self-awareness of the franchise’s highs and lows to-date referenced directly and indirectly throughout plus the occasional ‘breaking the fourth wall’ gave it all an extra something. The story itself isn’t that spectacular compared say to earlier storylines, but it all works. If you’re missing your spandex, be prepared too for the appearance of quite a few other super-heroes from past movies – especially one of the original Avengers… but not in the role you’d expect. How many did you spot?

In so many ways, this was NOT just another Marvel outing. Has it restored Marvel’s reputation? I’m not sure, and certainly not based on the plot alone, but its ‘self-knowing’ style and the chemistry between the two leads brought a certain something to the story that’s been sadly lacking in recent MCU instalments. I think this one will rise above those with ease and with Marvel confirming that they are now going to concentrate on qualITY rather quantITY, things look for a re-pairing in the future – they’d be mad not to!

And there’s more…

Us Marvel fans are used to sticking around for the mid-credit and post-credit scenes to get a glimpse of what’s next for the Marvel ‘juggernaut’. Although there is one, you can afford to miss it, as it doesn’t add much to what’s coming up.

If you’ve grown somewhat weary of recent Marvel movies, this one is a refreshing change. With bags chemistry, wit and (mostly) respectful nods to the past make this an unusual, but ultimately satisfying, instalment to the franchise.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Film: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

10.27pm: Evening all! It’s nearly showtime at 11pm and well past my bedtime – but we think it’s worth it, as Jo and I are here at Cineworld, Rushden Lakes about to watch the season series finalé of one of our favourite programmes – Doctor Who.

Yes, THE CINEMA! In a masterclass of marketing, last week’s episode and ‘tomorrow’s’ – ‘Empire of Death’ – are being shown in a special double-bill. The last time they tried something similar, it was for the 50th Anniversary starring Matt Smith and David Tennant in the title role(s?), and I was there for it at the local Odeon on the 23rd of November – where it was packed!

…and eleven years later, it was a also great turnout at Screen 9 – with a ride range of ages from, I’d say, 20s through to 70s!. See! We’re not the only two fans left!!

11.16pm: We’re off!

What’s all the fuss about? Above is the official trailer! See you in around two hours, where, as a bonus for us fans, the finalé is slightly longer than usual – 55 minutes.

1.16am: That’s a first! Rushden Lakes is almost deserted! It’s just after 1.15am and it seems like it’s not worth going to bed… but I did, eventually!. So, before I hit the ‘land of nod’, just a few words to say that this evening/morning was definitely worth it! This quaint ol’ British Sci-fi series transferred perfectly to the big screen and easily held its own amongst other recent blockbusters from the same genre. Do yourself a favour – even if you’re not a fan – and tune into BBC1 at 6.40pm tonight to watch what we just watched! Story-wise, my detailed review will be up tomorrow night in a separate post after the finalé airs – whilst for impatient sorts, the episode drops on iPlayer from 6am.

1.43am: Nighty-night!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Doctor Who Series Finalé 2024 – Advanced Screening appeared first on Steve's Blog.