Cinderella

For those who know what kind of films I like most of the time, they will probably be surprised to find out that I liked this film.  It flowed well, had decent acting and an amazing Fairy Godmother. 

It is a film for children, notably girls.  I am sure my daughter may have liked to watch it when she was younger, but by the time it came out, I am not sure it would have appealed to her.  In fact, this was a film that I watched alone.  My son did see me watching it, but the film held no appeal to him, which is not surprising.  Being a fairy tale it will not appease all, but it is not aimed at adults, it is aimed at girls.  And while other films have more girl power, this is not the wet blanket of a film that I expected.  While it would be interesting to see a Brothers Grimm version, I do not think it would perform as well at the box office!

The Purge: Election Year and an honourable mention about Sir Patrick Stewart

I have to say, I like this franchise, as did my daughter who decided to watch this one next in the series.  However, I did not like it enough that I am going to watch it again. It has been surprisingly not awful.  The acting in this film was suspect in places, but again, this is another worthy addition to the Purge Universe.  I do not watch many films like this, and it is refreshing to see one which does not focus on middle class white people.  Well, one which does not just focus on middle class white people.  If you liked the other films in the series, this will be one to watch as well.  

On the topic of middle class white people, Jean-Luc Picard is dead, specifically Patrick Stewart. I have to admit, I did not like The Next Generation, but the films from it were better, notably what I consider the second best of them, Star Trek: First Contact. He is also known to many as Professor Xavier, again a character who served as a role model for many. However while he was a celebrated Shakespear actor, I will remember him for his video on the ECHR. I was not aware about the way he spoke out against Domestic Violence until today. 

The Purge: Anarchy and a note about Meghan Markle

I know I am not watching these films in the order they came out, but my daughter picked which one we would see.  She does not get a chance to watch films like this at university as her housemates are not into films like this.  Class is an issue in this film, but not as much as in others, well, most of the time anyway.  Like the other films, I am glad I watched it, but also I am glad I did not pay to do so.  The strength of the film is that it has a different plot to the previous ones.  It is not just a copy and rehash but can be watched as a film in its own right.  But I will not be bothered to watch it again.  

On a different note, I am going to post about Meghan Markle.  I cannot say that I warm to her, but as posted before, it is appalling the way that she is judged harshly for things others are praised for.  Well, one other at least.  I have not followed the couple that much.  I know that they are clickbait and that the media work to show a side of her that people will grow to hate.  But, as noted in The Guardian, some of them need to think about who they backed.  I do not think it will make any difference to the appalling way that she is covered though.  She is after all someone who is just not white enough. 

The First Purge

So, the second instalment in these films. Again, I liked it and again, this was watched with my daughter.  It actually makes the first film appear more logical in the way it focuses on class, specifically race, and not gender.  While it is set in The Purge universe, it is a different film to the first in that this one focuses on those further down the ladder.  There were bits that did not make sense to me, but I will not post a spoiler about the film.  I am glad I watched it.  I am also glad that I had not paid to watch it in a cinema, but I will not be watching it again.  

The Purge

While my daughter is back, we have been watching films and we have watched The Purge.  I have heard a lot about it, but I was not sure if it would live up to the hype.  I have to say, I liked it.  So much that I will watch the next one in the series.  But, I do think that there would be a lot more violence towards women during it.  In fact, it is unfair to post that it is just me who thinks this. My daughter does as well.

Woman of the Hour and also Brazil

Our daughter is back at home and yesterday I watched this film with her.  My wife was in bed unwell and my son was resting having had an eventful night when friends of his stayed over.  

The film was a good one. The description of it on Netflix, which is where we watched it, does not do this justice.  The film is not one for the faint hearted.  If you wish to watch the Anna Kendrick from Pitch Perfect, this is not the film for you.  I was not sure what to expect when I watched this.  I am glad I did and it certainly deserves the four out of five review that it has been given.  I doubt I will watch it again, but I am very glad I watched it, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be reminded of how we have moved on with sexism, though it also shows that we still need to move on more.

As for Brazil, what a result!  The importance of voting has been shown here with Lula becoming President despite losing the first round.  This may be a feature in the USA where turnout for mid-term elections is not as great as it is for Presidential ones.  

I saw Americans Fighting

Pete Hegseth made a joke about how NATO forces (and those of other nations) acted in Afghanistan. Needless to say, this is not appreciated by nations who lost soldiers serving. In my job I have encountered many a former veteran who served in Afghanistan, including one who did so serving there for the USSR! One person I have met has major life changing injuries as a result of life there. Sadly, many Americans will believe this lie. 

As noted in the video below, a refusal to accept the sacrifices made will mean that nations will be less likely to help America again. The video is not completely accurate. Georgia was invaded twice by Russia the video forgetting the invasion of the 1990’s. And the reason that NATO members have not aided Israel and the USA in The Epstein War against Iran is because it has no proper goals (other than working to distract people from Trump being in The Epstein Files) and has no legal or moral basis. 

Dealing with paedophiles

Sadly, all organisations will be infiltrated by paedophiles.  Some will attract others more, notably ones where children are being looked after, as to put it simply, a lion hunts at the waterhole.  I work in an organisation which rightly has security checks to check for suspicious activity.  The same happens with political parties.  They become infiltrated, but it is how they deal with such matters which is important.

The Republican Party have been found wanting under Donald Trump, on more than one occasion.  At the moment, the main issue in the media is the attack advert of Vivek Ramaswamy. This features the mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, saying that she lied about being raped.  The step father of Amy Acton had previously been charged for incest, this being the man that Vivek Ramaswamy's advert appears to be defending.  The mother of Amy Acton, decided to stand by her man rather than her children, and from the advert, continues to do so.  That in itself is bad enough.  

However, there has been outrage in Texas as Ken Paxton had a plea deal with one predator who was offered a stay of one day in jail.  We do not know the full facts, and it may be that this was the least worse option of several terrible choices.  But the GOP also have had issues with Matt Gaetz who had been considered to be the US attorney general under Donald Trump.  He had accidentally had sex with a seventeen year old sex worker, the accident being that she was a minor under US law, but something he may genuinely have been unaware of.  To be fair, he has not been found guilty of anything which makes him just as innocent as Andrew Tate.               

But the elephant in the room is Donald Trump.  They man who went to war after he was named in The Epstein Files as having an intimate encounter with a minor.  It will be interesting to see if US voters and the media join the dots and fixate on this issue.  Sadly, I do not think that they will.

Does it matter if Trump is bisexual?

Lots of people have asked about the sexuality of Donald Trump.  Recently comments which have been made about men’s bodies have been reported a lot, but The Epstein Files refer to Bubba. While people have been wondering about this, few mention that the man who is also in The Epstein Files with allegations involving a minor, may be bisexual. 

Back from Bristol

We are back at home after an enjoyable by exhausting long weekend in Bristol.  

Over our time there we had some great food. But sadly, I was not able to taste it and therefore not appreciate it like the others.  I suspect I have had COVID recently as my smell has also changed. But despite this, it was great for us all (without the dog) being together for a few days.

Masters of the Universe

I was expecting this film to be terrible. It was not.  However, I can see why The Guardian rated it two out of five, but I honestly think it was better than that. When it comes to the plot making sense it was overdone at times or just made little sense, an example of which is keeping a lot of prisoners locked up with a tiger for over a decade. But, at least for the first part of the film, it was fun. It was so much better than the version from the 1980’s, but I do like the link it had to it.

If you want to relax with a fun film where you switch your brain off, this is worthwhile. Despite the fact that it has a very generic story at times, I liked it. My son is interested in watching it and I am hoping I get to watch it with him. It may be appreciated more in years to come. 

Russia has helped Iran kill American soldiers. Should Trump thank Putin?

The USA has agreed a deal to buy Russian diesel and has cut the aid it gives to Ukraine, both by warning when Russia is launching a missile attack, but also placing limits on Starlink.

What is interesting is how the American public appear to be fine with the way that Trump is helping a nation that has aided Iran in killing Americans in the Middle East. 

Russia and Brexit

The Prime Minister spoke on The Rest is Politics, a podcast that I listen to, saying that Russia interfered in the EU referendum on Brexit.  Despite the outcry over this, he is right. 

This does not invalidate the outcome.  Russia has interfered in many elections, not just in the UK.  

In 2017, The Times reported that Russian Twitter accounts promoted Brexit ahead of the referendum.

In 2018, the Guardian revealed that the Leave.EU campaign met Russian officials as many as eleven times. The US Senate also prepared a report detailing how Russia worked to promote Brexit.  

In 2020, The Russia Report was published, which despite the allegations and evidence, deliberately did not look at Russian meddling in the Brexit vote. 

Livestreaming American morality

The USA have decided to execute a mass shooter by firing squad.  He was serving as a US major at the time in 2009 and I do not have an issue with him facing the death penalty (he would have known he might face this if he survived) or even a firing squad.  

I think that it is insane for the USA to livestream it.  I suspect that US citizens abroad will face an increased danger of being abducted to have the same "punishment” meted out by people who pervert Islam to justify hatred. We have seen how Unislamic State have live-streamed executions before. I hope I am wrong about this and that innocents are not abducted and murdered because of this.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

I doubt that I will watch this again. Based on a book, I suspect that the film is aimed at those who have read it. When it comes to direction, the film flows well, I have no concerns with the standard of acting and you do feel for the characters. But as a film, the film is ponderous and slow. I would not have paid to watch it in the cinema and would have been disappointed if I had.  However, based on the film, I suspect that the book is as good as the reviews (see earlier links) say it is.

As for yesterday, it was a slow day. I have had a few days away from work and today I felt the benefits of taking things easy. We took our son to Gaia, had a brilliant brunch, but then I spent the day ferrying the family about. While not exciting, it was what I needed. My son and wife went to a Jo Malone evening in town, my wife also went to book club and while she was away I bonded with my son by taking him to ASDA. I am feeling my stress reduce and am glad of the day. 

Barbie and Maria Elia

First of all, the film. I am not going to watch Barbie ever again. If I remember right, my daughter was not impressed by it when she watched it.  In fact, it has mixed reviews, some liking it more than others.

Like many films with a lot of hype, it had a lot to live up to. But I am not its target audience. It is aimed at teaching/reminding women and girls across the globe that it is okay for women to be different and that they can do what men do.  Watching it how also is more interesting with the outcry over how the poor woman from Cornell has been treated. Barbieland, a place where women make the rules is discriminatory to men, but even then is not as bad as our world is to women. A more serious film would not have had the appeal this has had, and this means that the message which it did give has a wider reach than otherwise. If a sequel is released, I suspect I will not be bothered to watch it.

Anyway, time with my wife. We went to a meal hosted by Maria Elia. She has events hosted on her property and this is the second that we have been to. Like before, this was amazing. We met a lovely couple while waiting for it to start. The only downside of the event being how the weather changed to being seasonal and therefore cold. They did have a fire-pit, but being fussy, maybe two would have been better. That is the only negative about the evening. The food was awesome, and at the table, as before, we were fortunate with the company we had. The lady I sat next to knew Maria Elia and had cooked for her in her home. My wife had fun with the couple next to her. As the lady I was sitting next to said, a meal is not just about the food, she was right and she, along with my wife and Maria Elia (who signed her books) made it such a fabulous night. 

The October 7th attacks

It is strange to post on this the day after the anniversary of the attacks but this way I can reflect on the coverage.  Let me say that while Israel has every right to defend itself and retaliate against attacks against it, it has been too heavy handed by essentially levelling Gaza, increasing its ethnic cleansing of The West Bank as well as its actions in Lebanon.

I understand the desire of Palestinians to strike back against the oppressive rule of Netanyahu, one of the chants I do not engage with on the Sunday weekly protest (when I attend) refers to the right to resist. The October 7th attacks, while genius in the way they were carried out, were a war crime against civilians and had to be punished (within the remit of international law). It was not just the targeting of civilians, it was the atrocities carried out during the attacks. They had tried to do things peacefully, and after coming to an internationally acclaimed agreement, Israel ignored it. 

But the actions of the Israeli government have been inexcusable. There are too many crimes resulting in death in Gaza as a result of this. While Israel claims that the IDF takes every precaution to avoid civilian deaths, two examples show just how much of a lie this is. One is the killing of some escaped hostages by the IDF who had a white flag. The IDF only investigated this once their identities were discovered and if not, they would have been labelled terrorists and the way they were killed would never have been looked at. The other is the ambush, murder and attempted disposal of evidence when Palestinian paramedics were killed by the IDF which had to keep changing its story as more evidence came out.

In The West Bank, IDF soldiers stand by while the violence of “settlers” continues, essentially enabling civilians to carry out ethnic cleansing. 

Sadly, too many people appear to turn a blind eye to the horrors inflicted by Hamas, or the current Israeli government. 

So, in summary:

I believe in the right of Israel and Palestine to exist honouring the Oslo Accords (but with West Bank settlements coming under Palestinian rule).

Israel has the right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza and Lebanon 

The blockade of Gaza by Israel before the attacks was illegal 

The ethnic cleansing of the West Bank before and since October 7th is a violation of international law

The response of Israel to the attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah has been disproportionate and both should be investigated as the war crimes they are.

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan

I had not realised that I had missed this when watching the series. I found it by accident, this being released after the remake series finished. 

I loved the original series. As bad as it was it was great for the child that I was back then. The remake series was great.  It is not a brilliant film, it is made for fans of the remake series and I doubt it has any appeal to anyone who has not watched it. Watching a film about genocide today was in hindsight, surreal. 

For me it was good to watch it again. But I would not recommend it to anyone who has not watched the remake series. I do think that there were some plot holes, but not having watched the series for many years, I cannot be certain. 

Suella Braverman had better tell the England team that they have players who should not be part of the team

Suella Braverman is an interesting person.  I have discussed nationality before and sadly it is time to do so again.  She is right to state that she is not ethnically English.  But she should also be clear that she is English.  I am biased over this.  As an Arsenal fan, we have had many a player who represents our country who is not white. Bukayo Saka is one of several Arsenal players who play for England but are not white.  If Suella Braverman had her way, a lot of the England team would not have played against Croatia on Saturday.  Something many Croatian fans would have been pleased about. 

The bottom line is that there are some people who do not consider King Charles to be British because his father is considered Greek.  I am glad that they are not applying double standards, but it does show how silly they are to hold such views.

Toy Story 5

My wife and I have just watched this.  Our son made a choice not to do so, he stated that he is too old for this.  Which has been a theme for several of the films in the series.  

I did enjoy the film.  It was lovable, but parts of me were annoyed, notably by battery life and toys being waterproof.  (Sorry about the spoilers.)  It was great to watch it with my wife however, as it brought back shared memories of our children, including how my son played with a box with wheels on over his actual toy cars once.  While it is the worst film in the series, it is still a good film to watch.  I would possibly watch it again, but overall, I am glad we watched it at home instead of in the cinema.

It turns out that I am a racist

There has been an interesting proposal from the Green Party.  Let me say that although I am not a Jew, I can be considered to be a Zionist as I support a two state solution, which means that I want a Palestinian State to exist alongside Israel.

My view is that the Oslo Peace Accords should be honoured and that any settlements in The West Bank should be transferred to be administered by the Palestinian Authority. 

I guess it all comes down to what people consider to be Zionism.  Despite the claims in the video below (if it works), there are Israeli's who want a two state solution. 

The team which rhymes with City

Manchester City have been found wanting.  Concerns have been present for some time and a decision has been made.  

I am sure that there are to be legal appeals, but fans of other teams are celebrating that justice appears to have been done.  

Personally, I feel that they should face a points deduction, one point for each infringement, but with the option of spreading this across ten years.  Which would mean a ten point deduction this season if they took this up.  Or they can take it now, but that would mean demotion at the end of the season but due to the number of infringements, that should mean a demotion of more than one league placement. I would favour to the old third division, which means League One.

I did try to share a video at work about this, but I did not realise that Paddy Power have two of them.  One in English, one in Arabic.