Hot on the heels of Wednesday’s get-together with Jo & Janet, watching Superman, it’s another of our TV Dinners with mates! And it’s our second ‘away match’ as we’re at Trish & John’s.

We’ve enjoyed a growing number of ‘TV Dinners’ in the past few years (see the foot of this Post). For us, they’re the perfect combo of the three Fs – good friends, good food and a good film! This was our 11th, and Trish has been scouring the cookbooks in the past few days to serve up something special

Yum Yum!

You can’t go wrong with Trish in the kitchen – and tonight was certainly no exception. Trish had created ‘Middle-Eastern Braised Beef’: a spicy concoction of guess what? Beef with courgettes, celery and tomatoes and the fragrance of fresh orange. But to start, err, Starters…

Yes, that all went down a treat! For me, the sauce was amazing!

Waiting for us on-screen is the recently released: Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. We watched it on Netflix (where, unusually, it was also on at many cinemas at the same time too!).

Official Cinema Poster

Official Trailer

Synopsis

“Amid the chaos of World War II, Tommy Shelby returns from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet. With the future of his family and country at stake, Shelby must face his demons and choose whether to confront his legacy or burn it to the ground“.

Rated 15 and running for 1 hour 52 minutes, this big-screen outing had received mixed reviews from professional critics and fans. This short review is completely spoiler-free, so read away!

Either way, as all four of us were already BIG fans of the series, and it was good to see the character of Thomas Shelby back in the spotlight. It was appropriate too, as the TV series and its 36 episodes left a few narrative strands unresolved when the final episode was shown on TV in April, 2022 (Can it be 6 years ago?)

Visually, it was a treat. It was a dark tale, both figuratively and literally. The subdued hues of the first couple of acts complemented the bleak storyline and the haunted figure of a man, who appeared to be a shadow of his former self. The way they’d lit the scenes brought out the moodiness of the unfolding tale of love, death, revenge and ultimately, peace (but maybe not in the way fans might expect). It didn’t take long to work out where the story was heading – and in doing so, the tension (already on at least ‘5’ from the beginning) was threatening to settle in at ’11’ for rest of the film! Yikes! . Somewhere in amongst all that bleakness, back in Kettering, Dessert was served (thank heavens for the pause button!) – in the shape of Tiramisu – dark too! . I see what you did there, Trish!

Main Cast

The cast all did a great job in portraying their characters and more widely, the world of a Peaky Blinder. I wasn’t sure whether the character of Duke Shelby had inherited all of his Dad’s traits – charisma, menacing persona, steely stare and most of all, impossible cheekbones, but he made a fair fist of it (see what I did there?) No? Just me then!

As all good stories do, the plot built to a suitably climactic finish, and when the curtain came down, we all took a breath! Phew! It has been an exhausting watch – but in a good way. All in all, for us, a very worthwhile and watchable experience. Prepare for a reasonably high body count (but not on the scale of a typical John Wick yarn); a clear line between the bad guys and the very bad guys, plus a brief glimpse of the (already famous and local to us) Kelmarsh Tunnel. Memorable and moody lighting was a real standout for me, and I’d watch it again, just for that experience!

We all loved it! It may not have given us the ending we were expecting, but it did serve as an appropriate final curtain to the Peaky Blinders saga. Or, did it?

We finished the evening with a suitably-sized cheeseboard (we’re all self-confessed ‘cheese monsters’!), listening to music courtesy of YouTube.

10.45pm: A late one for us and another great evening with T&J – here’s to 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 Winner, Winner! TV Dinner: Peaky Blinders – The Immortal Man (2026) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s another of our TV Dinners with good friends! On this occasion, it’s an ‘away fixture’ as we’re down at Jo & Janet’s watching the 2025 version of Superman on 4K DVD. It forms part of my growing 4K DVD collection, where this latest addition was a gift from Nicki a few months back for helping her out setting up her shiny new laptop – cheers, Nicki!

We’ve enjoyed a growing number of ‘TV Dinners’ in the past few years (see the foot of this Post). For us, they’re the perfect combo of the three Fs – good friends, good food and a good film! This was our tenth, and with Janet as Chef tonight, we knew we were in for some yummy food too!

I’m not sure how I missed this one last year when it hit the cinema circuit, but this evening, we definitely had the ‘best seats in the house’.

And with G & Ts immediately on arrival, the evening was off to a great start! This was followed by a really delicious home-cooked Lamb Tagine with an unseasonal (and generous) slice of Christmas Pudding, helped along by lashings of custard! . Is it me, or does Christmas Pudding taste even better when eaten outside of the Christmas period?

NOT just me then!!!

Well, the food certainly didn’t disappoint – thanks Janet, but how about the DVD?

Synopsis
When Superman gets drawn into conflicts at home and abroad, his actions are questioned, allowing tech billionaire Lex Luthor to get the Man of Steel out of the way for good. Will intrepid reporter Lois Lane and Superman’s four-legged companion, Krypto, be able to help him before it’s too late?

I’m just old enough to have seen quite a few Superman adventures on the big screen over the years. The first (for me): the iconic Christopher Reeve outings between 1978 and 1987 probably started my love for superheroes on the big screen. In later years, Henry Cavill donned the cape and left me with even more positive impressions of the Man of Steel.

So, this latest interpretation starring David Corenswetis (nope, me neither!) in the titular role and starring, largely, a cast of unknowns, it was directed by Superhero supremo, James Gunn, who has form for directing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy outings before being poached to become head of DC Studios – Marvel’s rival!

All the publicity at the time of release focused on a retelling of the Superman story. As the opening scenes unfolded, it was immediately clear that this was going to be an interpretation like no other! So, if you came here to experience the familiar backstory – Kal-El being evacuated to Earth/growing up as a foster child/his initial awkwardness fitting in at work, etc., etc. – forget it!

This was all assumed knowledge, and we were soon into a familiar good vs evil battle between our hero and Superman’s nemesis: Lex Luther (played convincingly by Nicholas Hoult). Oh, good, I’d heard of him! . Whilst we’re on the subject of characters, I think it’s fair to say that an unexpected cast member eventually stole the whole film! I won’t reveal who it is here, but this film is worth a watch, just for those scenes! (and there’s a lot of them!). Yes, he wears a cape too!

For me, acting aside, the storyline was a bit all over the place, but by the third act, it was clear where it was all heading. The script was similarly afflicted, but good to hear the familiar tones of the familiar Superman Theme from earlier productions.

As expected, the SFX were outstanding (as they always are these days!) and the story ended with the obligatory – for those on the other side of the pond – sugary-sweet happy ending. Aww, God Bless America!

Would I watch it again? . Probably not, but for those who haven’t, and want to – it’s worth 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 Winner, Winner! TV Dinner: Superman (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Yes, another of our TV Dinners with mates! This time it’s Sir Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour – and we’re watching it with Trish & John. We’d originally seen the film just before its official release back in January, 2018, courtesy of Sky VIP. We hadn’t really spent any quality time with our friends since Myra’s funeral a few weeks ago, and it was good to catch up with all their news. It looks like Australia might be a few steps closer for our good friends!

We’ve enjoyed quite a few of these ‘TV Dinnners’ in the past few years (see later) – the perfect combination of good friends, good food and a good Film! This was our ninth ‘square-eye spectacle’ and with the DVD loaded, it was just a case of pressing the ‘play’ button with our TV Dinner just moments away.

What an engaging Film! Even though we’ve seen it a few times, it was just as watchable tonight as it was during our first screening all those years ago. Top marks for Sir Gary Oldman, who did such a convincing job of portraying the iconic Brit! They don’t make Brits like that anymore! Sir Winston Churchill may not have had a perfect record, but he got us through one of the most challenging periods of our history

Ann, as usual, did miracles in the kitchen! . Tonight, she served up ‘Mexican Cottage Pie’ – a slightly spicier variation on that Brit favourite with Sweet Potato Mash taking place of the usual topping!

Needless to say, it all went down a treat – and for some of us, more than once!! .

But wait! There’s more! We’re all ‘cheese monsters’, so it was only right that a Cheeseboard was part of the feast (but we did skip the Dessert Course as a concession to Lent!). All in all, then, a great evening with great mates. Here’s to 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 Winner, Winner! TV Dinner: The Darkest Hour (2018) 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.

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.

It’s another of our ‘Winner Winner, TV Dinner’ Nights. Jo & Janet joined us for 2024’s ‘Paddington in Peru‘. On the ‘Dinner, Dinner’ front, a rare evening off (pretty much) for Ann as J&J supplied the Mains and the Dessert – all we needed to do was prepare the veg and the custard!!

When we originally arranged this one, the movie was free on Amazon Prime, but by the time we fixed the date, it was charging for it – and unusually, all the other streaming platforms were too! Not a free showing ANYWHERE – unless we ventured into the dubious world of illegal streaming (and we don’t do that here!). So, £4 later and courtesy of Amazon Prime rental, we were ready – and so was the veg and custard!!!

Synopsis

Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.

Any good?

Although it probably wasn’t quite as good as the two ‘Paddingtons’ that preceded this one – Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017), it was still a great watch! The animation was as good as it gets and the story/script kept things moving at a comfortable pace. Although the plot is of the ‘wafer thin’ variety, it’s perfect for a relaxing evening where your brain can function at just 50% and still follow what’s going on. Stick around at the end for a cameo appearance from a previously ‘loved’ character – it’s worth it! And talking of characters, no, you’re not going mad – the actress playing ‘Mrs Brown’ has changed from Sally Hawkins to Emily Mortimer.

Dinner, Dinner!

On the menu tonight: Salmon and Cranberry Wellington followed by Orange & Cointreau Steamed Pudding

Well, that all went down a treat! Now for Dessert!

A perfect evening in!

Here’s to our next TV Dinner!

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! – Paddington in Peru appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We haven’t done one of these for a while – it’s another of our ‘Winner Winner, TV Dinner’ Nights. Jo & Janet joined us and with Ann on cooking duties and me in charge of the DVD remote control tonight – on the menu was a fish dish, a couple of puds and 2022’s ‘Avatar – The Way of Water‘.

The DVD had been on my watchlist since my birthday in September last year, so it was about time we ticked that one off!

Any good?

First off, this is a LONG one! Coming in at a mighty 3 hours 12 minutes, so long in fact, that it could have easily been a Marvel Production . If you recall the original Avatar movie from 2009, this is more of the same and part of a series of connected films for the boys (and girls) in blue! James Cameron Director takes on Directoral duties (again) where we’re promised at least another two, maybe three, further films in future years to complete the story-arc.

It was a slow start but I guess that was to get everyone up to speed with the backstory – and there are quite a few characters (and their motives) to wrap your head around too. I guess with so many years between the first Avatar story and this one, there’s a need to recap in detail. The pace improved and the story unfolded. Things cranked up enormously during the last 45 minutes, where the climactic ‘good v evil’ showdown had us all on the edge of our seats. That aside, I think if there had been a camera on us four, it would have captured dropped jaws pretty much throughout. Why? The visuals were probably the best we’ve ever seen in a film! Rumour has it that James Cameron delayed the release of this one because he wanted to ensure that the technology used for creating the worlds was up to the job – seems it was worth the wait! Absolutely stunning!

For that reason, even if Sci-Fi/Fantasy isn’t your thing, this is worth a watch for the sheer spectacle of it all. OK, the story/plot is quite predictable, but it’s all lifted by the totally convincing ‘other-worldliness’ of the production. The imagination used in creating the world of the Na’vi – the environment, the creatures and pretty much everything else was nothing like we’d ever seen before. Everything looked so ‘real’, where even the ‘human’ characters with their characteristic blue skins and pointy ears were totally convincing!

Yes, as I’ve said, it was a long one, and they probably could have shaved off 30 minutes – for that reason alone, I’ve dropped ‘half a star’. Having said that, ultimately, it was all worth it simply because of the outstanding realisation of Cameron’s vision. In a word… WOW!

No surprise perhaps to learn afterwards that this is (at the time of writing) the third most-watched movie in the world (based on box-office takings). With James Cameron’s original Avatar at number 1, and Marvel’s ‘Avengers Endgame’ at number 2. It will be interesting to see how long these positions are maintained – especially as Marvel is on the cusp of rebooting the franchise and there are more Avatar stories to tell!

Details of the most successful films are HERE.

Dinner, Dinner!

It’s hard to eat when, because of the film, your jaw is on the floor – but we managed it. A yummy Fish & Gnocchi Crumble followed by Trifle and/or individual Apple Crumbles. It was all absolutely delicious!

Here’s to the next TV D|inner!

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! – Avatar, The Way of Water appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Well, I think that’s a record (even for us, as big Tom Cruise fans!).

We first saw Top Gun – Maverick with Jo & Janet just after it first came out (June 2022).

Next, it was at one of our TV Dinners with David & Valerie (February 2023) and more recently, at Boughton House (May 2023) with Jo, Janet & Carol – where we also ran into Rosi and David.

So, tonight made it our fourth viewing, this time with good friends Trish & John – their first watch – all helped along with one of Ann’s superb TV Dinners!

We’re pleased to report that the combination of Tom Cruise, Lasagne & Salad, followed by Cheese and Biscuits plus a cheeky Rhubarb Crumble all went down a treat! . There was also some Prosecco, a bottle of Rosé and a Shiraz in there somewhere too! . It seemed strange doing all this in the MIDDLE of a week (rather than the usual Friday or Saturday), but we soon got used to it! .

It turned into a relatively late one for us – for all the right reasons – and I eventually dropped J&T back at theirs just before 11pm. We all agreed that we’d do something similar again where the challenge will be to find a movie that we all like. My suggestion is Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning (Part 1) that we saw at the cinema back in July.

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 Winner, Winner! TV Dinner! – Top Gun: Maverick (again!) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It was another of our ‘Dinner-on-a-tray-with-a-movie-night! We invited Jo round (Janet’s away in Kos) to watch Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse on DVD.

Released in 2018, and with a respectable runtime of just under two hours (1h 56m), it was worth a rewatch as it’s the indirect prequel to: Spider-man – ACROSS the Spider-verse that’s just out across cinemas in the UK (I’m planning to see it with Jo next Tuesday).

Official Poster

What’s the Story?

Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realises that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.

Cast & Creatives

Directed by – Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Story by – Phil Lord

Screenplay by – Phil Lord, Rodney Rothman

Music by – Daniel Pemberton

Editing by – Robert Fisher Jr.

Casting by – Mary Hidalgo

Special Effects – Colin Nicholson

Full list HERE

Any good?

Ann served up Chicken Casserole – so that was an immediate five-star affair, but what about the DVD??

Well, the first thing to remind any potential viewers is that it’s computer animation – not your usual film. If that’s not your thing, then stop reading now! However, if you didn’t see it when it first came out (somehow, I missed it in 2018) AND you’re not averse to a grown-up ‘cartoon for kids and adults alike’, then stick around! Not sure why it got a PG rating though????

First of all, let me say that it’s a complex story – ‘the Multiverse’ – but delivered in a very accessible way. In my view, this one is much more easily grasped, compared with say, the ultra-complex (and rather messy) Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022).

Clever and witty dialogue, a decent soundtrack and the clever use of screen space make this worth a watch for just those reasons alone. In short, it’s a treat in every sense! But above all, it’s the animation that stands out and is probably like nothing like you’ve seen before! At times, it looked almost ‘real’ in spite of the characters deliberately designed to look cartoonish. In fact, I’d say it’s this realism alone (rather than the storyline – as intriguing as it is) that will stick with you after the credits.

Although the now-famous Marvel Studios were part of this production, it was Sony who, at the time, had the rights to the Spider-man catalogue and therefore bagged the lead credits at the start. Maybe because of that, there are no Marvel-esque mid-credit (or post-credit) scenes to stick around for.

Wow! A great watch, where even Ann (who’s not moved much by all this super-hero nonsense) remarked on the quality of the animation! Praise indeed!!!

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! – Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Another of our ‘dinners round the box’. Tonight, it’s 2022’s ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ that did very well at The Golden Globes and has been tipped to do well at the forthcoming Oscars. What’s not to love?

Cast

Colin Farrell
as Pádraic Súilleabháin
Brendan Gleeson
as Colm Doherty
Kerry Condon
as Siobhán Súilleabháin
Barry Keoghan
as Dominic Kearney
Gary Lydon
as Garda Peadar Kearney
Pat Shortt
as Publican Jonjo Devine

The Story

Set on an island off the coast of Ireland and miles from anywhere, these two lifelong friends face a dilemma when one of them decides to end their relationship.

Any Good?

This was Mrs P choice of movies and with no sign of any spandex, this definitely didn’t feel like my sort of film AT ALL!

Fine Actors, Great cinematography, superb acting, gentle Irish humour, a Liberal use of ‘feckin’ plus a donkey who almost stole the movie. But, all-in-all, one of the most boring films I’ve seen in a long, long while! . That’s 1 hour 54 minutes (it felt MUCH longer!) that I’m not going to get back!

Obviously, I’m missing something that the Golden Globes felt worthy of praise – but whatever it was, it really did pass me by!

I shan’t have any problems sleeping tonight!

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! – The Banshees of Inisherin appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Towards the end of last year, we decided that in the new year, every so often, we’d invite friends round, cook something and enjoy a film together! – We’re calling them…

“Winner, Winner! TV Dinner!”

So, for 2023, our first of these get-togethers was having David & Valerie here with Top Gun – Maverick ready to play. We saw the film last June (see my review HERE) and loved it! Even Ann, who’s not usually a fan of this kind of movie, commented it was her fave film of the year!

Praise indeed, where I’m sure Tom will be pleased to hear the news!

Anyway, back to the food..! . As usual, Ann had been busy in the kitchen where, on the menu tonight, we were about to enjoy…

Cottage Pie with a Kick (the ‘kick’ being a generous splash of Port in the mix)

Strawberry Jam Sponge & Custard

Well, that seemed to go down very well (literally!) and where the sponge that was so light, it almost floated away (that’ll be down to the two-hour steaming then!)

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 Winner, Winner! TV Dinner! – Top Gun: Maverick appeared first on Steve's Blog.