TV, Movies, Books

It has been a wee while since I binge watched the excellent nonsense of Strike Back and I look forward to the last series which should be out some time this year if my memory serves. Despite having Netflix, NowTV and Prime I was lost for something to watch. I noticed The Boys on Prime and remembered a graphic novel (comic) with the same name, so I dipped my toe in, and what a find, superb entertainment, gripping story line and terrific acting, the premise is that superheroes abound and seven in particular are like a multi-national corporation run for profit. I won't go further as this would spoil the story line but it is masterful, and a new villain to rival Darth Vader but with nice shiny teeth.

The fourth season of The Expanse is back and I am unsure, I have only one episode to watch and found myself fast forwarding the previous one, I am not interested in characters backgrounds where they are all hiding a secret or had a terrible upbringing and are filled with angst and I certainly do not want to hear or watch them explaining this with doleful faces, thank god for remotes. Thankfully the action picked up and it got back on track so it is still a top pick for me. My allegiance is leaning towards the Belters.

Another which I just found and again have nearly completed is Carnival Row, a strange, steampunk tale filled with faeries, pucks (no me neither) and other unearthly creatures. Right away you will see the deliberate liberal take on racism and immigration, you couldn't miss it as it is layed on thicker than treacle. Despite this the production is good, the acting is good and the storyline in between the propaganda is good, there are a lot of big names and money in this production and it shows. The shows star, Orlando Bloom, had his sons name Flynn tattooed on his arm in morse code, being an ex sparker I realised it actually says Frynn, but I have not had the heart to tell him.

Looking around for something to watch while painting I went back to Van Helsing which I had ditched, ten minutes in I realised why I had ditched it.

I also managed to see Joker at last, as a big fan of Batman comics (you never see me or Batman in the same room) I just could not imagine this guy as the Joker, to me it was nothing special and although I did not pick up on it seemingly he might or might not be The Joker, so what was the point? As for Joaquin Phoenix getting an Oscar for it, he wouldn't have got my vote, a big hoo ha about nothing.

I started and finished Killing Hitlers Reich and I will put my hands up, it was a struggle, a vast amount of excellent information in the book but the way it was presented I found it hard to follow, I also think it needed more maps but that was not in my control.

I found Rick Atkinson's An Army at Dawn about the Americans and Operation Torch the invasion of North Africa in a second hand book shop in Morecambe, having read his opening volume on the American War of Independence I had heard good things about his WWII trilogy. The book was excellent and a real eye opener for me, I thought during Torch the Allies landed without any hassle, the Yanks got a bloody nose at Kasserine, learned a lesson then we all went on and took Tunis. Not according to Atkinson, the operation was a mess almost to the end, mistakes were made a plenty by both the British and Americans, and the French put up a real fight as we attempted to land and push inland. I should think the Allies learned a lot from this campaign and Sicily etc. which helped Overlord become a success. Well recommended and some great ideas for you who game North Africa.

I still have several books in my ready to read pile, but have now picked up The Anarchy which deals with the East India Company's rise to take over the Indian sub-continent, a fascinating story of merchant adventurers, Mughal Emperors, incredible wealth, ambition and greed. The sums of money involved translated to today's currency are mouth-watering and of course it was all about money.

In my hurry I almost forgot Avenue 5 written by the great Armando Ianucci. A space cruise ship hits a snag and the journey will last three years instead of 3 months, the whole premise is genius and the characters fascinating, Hugh Laurie is the captain. Well it tickled me.