SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER REVIEWS

What I've Been Reading

 

How to raise outdoor kids  by Linda Drummond

Full disclosure, Linda is a close friend of mine, but I know how incredibly hard she worked on this book. I didn't really realise the amount of work though until I saw the finished product. This is a huge book with loads of information and ideas. It is the kind of book you will read cover to cover but can also dip in and out of. If you have kids and want them off their devices or even need to help cure boredom, this is the book for you. Really any one with kids will love this. Full of detailed, researched information presented in an easy to digest way. The ideas are easy and cheap or free to replicate and evoked a lot of my childhood from the 70s.

The Final Painting : the last works of the great masters by Patrick de Rynck

This was a fascinating insight into a range of artists from all eras of art. A few pages on each with some lovely examples of their work and mostly concentrating on their end of life. The thing I found most interesting about the book was that almost all of the artists - over many different styles or eras of art - painted self portraits towards the end! Reflecting I guess.

Secrets Beyond the screen by Anita Jacoby

Anita Jacoby is one of Australian television's best producers. She started as a journalist at the Women’s Weekly before getting her tv start on Simon Townsend’s Wonderworld (as many did). She even worked at NBN in the early 80s. She got her first producer job on Good Morning Australia with kerri-Anne Kennerly and Gordon Elliot then The Today Show with Liz Hayes and George Negus, before moving on to 60 minutes in it’s heyday.

In the 2000s she teamed up with Andrew Denton to form Zapruder which produced Enough Rope, Hungry Beast, Gruen and much more. The book covers all the ins and out of these times and her great successes, smashing the glass ceiling. It was not all smiles, dealing with sexism and toxic work environment. It also covers a terrible accident she had in 1990. 

Anita also intertwines the story of her beloved father. A formidable business man, she learnt a lot from him and he guided her through her career. She knew there were a few skeletons in his closet, as he had 3 ex-wives prior to marrying her mother but she was at a dinner party when a notorious court case he was involved in was brought up. She had no idea what the person was talking about and decided to put her investigative journalism to work, And she uncovered a whole lot of stories and information about her father, not all of it good.

This just tips the surface of this well written memoir. 

The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight

This was not as good as I hoped. It is a non-fiction book about a a man who pulls together an official bureau to track Premonitions. There are some really interesting stories and seemingly some genuine premonitions but ultimately there was not real outcome which would have been great.

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

I really enjoyed this debut novella. Set in what felt like a recent time, there is looting and gun fires, a town is overtaken. A young girl gets her hand on a small bus and rounds as many people up as she can and they drive away from the violence. A hero is born and a story begins, 

 

Chronicles of a Bookseller by Nadia Wassef

Nadia set up a bookshop with her sisters in Egypt about 20 years. This was a big deal as there were no bookshops like this one, and that it was run by women. 

 

No Time Like the Future: an optimist considers mortality by Michael J. Fox

This is another great read from Fox. His openness and honesty about his life and his illness. This book concentrates on health, Parkinsons and the small and larger episodes he has and how he tries to stay optimistic. During the past few years he has had additional health issues which has pushed this optimism to outer and he had to use all his strength and tools to keep on track. The book is not all doom and gloom, it is very optimistic, and also includes tales from his acting life and his family.

Glossy: the inside story of Vogue by Nina-Sophia Miralles

This was a basic history of Vogue magazine; talking about some of the fashion, personalities, cover models, and big celebrations over the years. It was an easy read, but lacked a lot of depth and had minimal photos which was disappointing.

 

Fugitive by Simon Tedeschi 

Beautiful prose and sometimes pure poetry telling some stories from his life in music. The most haunting pieces were how he plays and absorbs the musical experience.

 

I am C-3PO: the inside story by Anthony Daniels

This was loads of fun, the story behind how Anthony Daniels became C-3PO and loads and loads of behind the scenes Star Wars stuff. He talks about finding the character's voice and fitting inside that very challenging costume and some of the tougher scenes to film physically. He talks about his co-stars and his love for most of them. He is not backward in saying his piece, but you also get that he just loves being part of the machine. For fans I guess, but interesting to anyone.

 

How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons): poems by Barbara Kingsolver

I am a big fan of Kingsolver's fiction, and this book of poetry left me loving her even more. Divided into different sections for each theme. There was a section of How to poems - how to knit a sweater, be hopeful, have a child etc. There is another with lovely, long, whimsical poems about a family trip to Italy. Another with poems honouring the deceased, family and friends. Another on nature and so on. I really enjoyed this and my poetry journey continues.

 

One Hundred Days

One Hundred Days refers to 100 days of confinement the main character, Karuna, takes after giving birth to her daughter at age 16. The year is 1987 and Karuna lives with her strict Chinese Mother, her father has abandoned them. Karuna’s mother is very controlling and concerned about her daughter. She has a brief affair with an older boy, her tutor, and falls pregnant. She is 16. She hides is for as long as she can, and her mother is mortified. Entrenched in superstition and Chinese cultural beliefs, her mother starts to place even more restrictions on Karuna under the banner of ‘looking after the baby’. She also tells Karuna, that once the baby is born she will raise it and it will be Karuna’s sibling. And the drama’s continue from there.

The book is written with Karuna as the narrator telling the story to her child about how they came to be and how things happened. It is written beautifully, Alice has a lovely way with words and descriptions and you can see it all unfolding in your head. And whilst the story sounds dire, it is actually quite funny. The breaks up the tension of the novel. It is perfectly constructed, there is no fill, it moves fast and you want to keep reading to find out what happens next. It also reads a little bit like a fairy tale, a fractured fairy tale if you will. She references Labyrinth the movie a bit, the story has a Rapunzel feel to it, and then there is the Chinese cultural stories and beliefs.

I think it is important to stretch our brains and read about diversity but I also really enjoy reading about other cultures, this was one!

 

What I've Been Watching

 

Doctor Who

This is easily the best episode of Doctor Who I have watched in many years. I loved Jodi's doctor but the writing let her down a lot. This episode had so much within it was worthy of multiple watches, something I rarely do.

It was her swansong, and she was - as always - magnificent. Her regeneration was beautiful and worthy of her time in the Tardis.

The first 30 minutes was genuinely thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat. The look at memory lane with past characters returning was lovely and sentimental and really added depth to the story. The Russian/Rasputan link was purely so they could add the comedic element of The Master dancing to Boney M I am sure, but why not, it was a great scene.

And then back to the ending, which was genuinely a surprise and a wow moment unlike any other wow moment on the show.

I really look forward to seeing these new shows in 2023.

Around the World in 80 days

This was a bit disappointing. With David Tennant as the lead I had high hopes, but it was all about action and drama, and less about travel and the characters than I had hoped. I did finish it to the end and the final episode was great but ultimately it was missing something. 

Summer Love

This was a good little Australian show with short stories each week. The main character is a summer beach house. Each week different people stay at the house and discover love, no necessarily romantic love, but love. A range of great Australian actors visited the house each week, with drama and humour. Well worth a watch.

Kominsky Method 

I devoured all 3 seasons of this great comedy quickly. It is an easy watch, I have always been a fan of Michael Douglas and I also love Alan Arkin and their chemistry is wonderful. The supporting cast of mostly newbies and some classic character actors are superb. It will make you laugh and cry. Adding the brilliant Kathleen Turner as Douglas' ex wife was genius, their chemistry is boundless. If you haven't seen it, you are really missing out.

Lupin S1

I finally got around to watching S1 of Lupin with Omar Sy in the lead role. I have always found him very charismatic, and in this he is really that. It has loads of fabulous shots around Paris, especially The Louvre, and is sharp and all killer, no filler. Lupin is trying to find right the wrongs on his father, based on an old book called Lupin his father gave him. It smurs the boundaries of right and wrong, and is fascinating to watch.

Pistol

Fabulous series on the Sex Pistols from the memoir of Glen Matlock. Told from his perspective and just fascinating. It has always been about Johnny Rotten, Malcolm or Sid. This felt fresh and authentic. The casting was great. The inclusion of Chrissie Hynde brilliant, I had no idea how close she was to the action and that she was part of their story early on. I don't think you would have to be a fan to enjoy this. Music also awesome, but that's a given really.

Taronga: Who's Who in the Zoo S2 - I finally finished this season, and it is wonderful. Set behind the scenes at Taronga Zoo, you get to meet the fabulous staff and all the animals they care for. You hear about the concept of modern zoos, which are purely about conservation, and see how they do that. For this animal lover, it is pure joy.

Escape from the Chateau S8

This season was shot during lockdown. So no events, but much still needs to be done. Mostly retiling the roof, which was a huge undertaking. And lots of insights and looks into other areas of the grounds and Chateau. This family are charismatic and interesting. I love this show.

Old People's Home For teenagers

This follows up Old People's Homes for Preschoolers, but matching the oldies up with teens and giving room for greater depth. Everyone in the series grew exponentially during the series with learning from both sides of each other being powerful and rewarding, not just for them but for us watching. Much was learnt, mostly that people are people. There were laughs and many tears, this is possibly one of the best 'reality' shows out there. 

Great Southern Landscapes with Rachel Griffiths

She's done it again, a great documentary about Australian art, this time landscapes. Each week Rachel was given a handful of Australian Landscapes within a theme and asked to choose one. She would then head to where the painting was painted, or in one case the photo was taken, and see if she can recreate the pic on an ipad and meet those involved. I bloody loved it!

Take 5 with Zan Rowe

I have listened to Zan's Take 5 on the radio on and off over the years, but this was a visual version of it. A perfect show in many ways. Each week an artist is asked to pick their Top 5 influential songs, Zan meets with them, spins the tracks (mostly on vinyl, squee!), and the artist tells the stories. Compelling, fascinating insights, with often remarkable and emotional stories, and each time brilliant tracks! I was blown away by Guy Pearce and Tori Amos, loved Tony Armstrong, was surprised by Keith Urban ( I love love loved his kd Lang story), and even enjoyed Missy Higgins (so not a fan). I was thrilled to hear it is coming back for a second season. S1 is still on iview, so do yourself a favour!

A Quiet Place II

This was almost as good as the first movie, it goes back to the origin (although we never find out why) and takes it further than where it was left off. It still had me on the edge of my seat, and the kids still gave the most powerful performances. To say any more would be spoilers! It finished up with you knowing there will be a third.

Stardust

I am only writing about this dogshit movie to say do not watch it. In fact, I only got 20 mins into it before giving it up. I knew it would be bad but I was curious. IT was a biopic about Bowie that did not get the blessing (or indeed the music rights) from the family. So yeah, a Bowie movie without music. It was about his younger years before he was famous, or as he got famous. The story didn't feel authentic, and the acting was crap. Just don't!

Spiderman, No Way Home

I really enjoyed this with the multiple universes overlapping. Everyone was great, the film itself probably needed 30 minutes shaved off (but I tend to say that about most films over 90 minutes these days), the action was fun and the acting great.

Boy

Taika Waititi's first film, Boy is a great film. Dramatic and humourous. Boy's father is her hero, Boy's father is a loser, but Boy refuses to see that. This is that perfect blend of New Zealand dry humour and lush surroundings. Waititi plays the Michael Jackson loving father as you can only imagine. It is one of those films that bubbles along without too much plot points, but it works. A must see film.

The High Note 

A predictable film about a music diva, Tracee Ellis Ross (daughter of Diana), who is getting a little long in the tooth. Her PA, Dakota Johnson, has dreams of producing, and when she redoes one of the diva's songs, all hell breaks loose. Ross can sing, but usually does not, she should! SHe is also a gifted comedian, which she is better known for, there was not much humour in this and it could have done with some. It is not a bad movie, just so so.

Gloria Bell

Julianne Moore is Gloria Bell, a 50 something divorced woman with two older children. She is happy enough in her life, has a good job, and loves to go to discos in the LA scene and dance. But one night she meets an interesting older man, John Turturro, but he comes with complications. Will she follow love and stick to her simplistic life. I really loved this little gem, great music, both Moore and Turturro are great, the supporting cast are also wonderful. 

The Batman

I enjoyed the latest Batman, although I still wish there was humour within. I actually thought Pattinson was great, to my utter surprise. His supporting cast were exceptional, especially Colin Farrell and Paul Dano as The Penguin and The Riddler. Andy Serkis was a great modern Alfred and Jeffrey Wright a great stabliser as Commissioner Gordon. The action was great, the car chases excellent, again, needed some time shaved off, but overall totally worth a watch.

What I've Been Listening To

Springsteen and the E Street Band: the Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concert

This was a re-release of an early live concert and it was great. Wonderful sound and the band on fire.

Paul Simon

Been listening to Paul Simon at work, his work is always a perfect soundtrack to anything.

Nilsson

Got some more Nilsson on vinyl, his songs always hold up, even the obscure stuff. Love him to bits.

Michelle Shocked: Short, Sharp, Shocked

I have always loved this album, it is a great mix of alt country, and I recently got a copy on vinyl. I am aware over the years Shocked has become a little...shocking, but I still love this album.

Van Morrison

Went down a Van wormhole early October, playing a lot of his albums. Again, Van's ideals have been a little off putting lately, but his music still lives. 

The Cars

Always a fave, another one I have been playing at work. Their work seems uniquely timeless.