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.

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.

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.

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.