Bright Star (film review)

This bitter-sweet, tender dramatisation of the love affair between English poet John Keats and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne, is exquisitely directed, written, photographed and acted. The two main leads, Abbie Cornish and Ben Wishaw, are particularly impressive and have great chemistry together, with many tender and beautifully captured love scenes between them. I say 'love scenes' and not 'sex scenes', but despite the lack of the latter Bright Star is brimming with sexuality. It's a bit like Pride And Prejudice in that respect. It also pulls no punches in depicting the hardships of early 19th century Britain; from the poverty and limited healthcare, to a women's lot to marry a rich husband out of necessity. Despite these circumstances, the love story within Bright Star has a very authentic feel to it, played out with lovely naturalism. A poignant, moving and affecting film that captures both the happiness and the pain that love can inspire. 8/10

The Family (film review)

With one or two exceptions, most notably Silver Linings Playbook, Robert de Niro's output has been far from admirable in the past ten or so years. Maybe he has been resting too much on his laurels. The Family fares no better. Resorting to crude stereotypes of Italian Americans and the French, this Luc Besson dark comedy focuses on an American family trying, unsuccessfully, to fit into French life after they enter an FBI witness protection programme. The script, by Besson, lacks subtlety, sharpness or flavour. The portrayal of the French are annoying assholes and Italian Americans as volatile and violent sociopaths provides very few, if any, laughs. A lot of the scenes just feel pointless and rather empty. For example, Michelle Pfeiffer's character visits a Catholic church and goes to confession at the request of the priest. She returns later to the church and the priest tells her to get out because her confession disturbed him so deeply. Why did Besson include this in the film? It adds nothing to the plot or themes of the film, and it is not funny. Maybe Besson just has a chip on his shoulder towards the Catholic Church. This sort of sloppy writing and direction is typical of The Family. Best to avoid. 4/10

To be or not to be: why I am voting Yes for Scottish independence

I have been a 'yes' voter from pretty much the start of the referendum campaign. My response to those in favour of staying British has been mixed; on one hand I can understand their anxiety and doubts, there are very reasonable questions that need to be answered, but on the other hand I just don't understand why some Scottish people don't want to have their future in their own hands and govern themselves. If we do go independent there will indeed be problems and obstacles to overcome, but I think we are smarter and more capable than we give ourselves credit for and that we can work out these problems, whatever they may be. It will be a time of adjustment and uncertainty, but that is inevitable and nothing to be afraid of. One of the main reasons I want Scottish independence is that the Scots did not vote in the current Tory government, who I particularly dislike. I find them patronising and out of touch with the ordinary man in the street. The south of England voted in the Tories and it is the south of England who will therefore get number one treatment from the Tories. The Tories boast that there has been economic recovery in Britain. That is only a half truth; to be more accurate there has been economic recovery in the south of England, not Britain as a whole. If we have an Edinburgh government then that government will only have Scottish matters to contend with and can give their 100% attention on the people that voted them into power. Another major reason for leaving the UK is the state of the NHS down south, which by all accounts is in a terrible state. In the Glasgow Herald newspaper there has been many letters sent in by doctors and nurses who are very concerned that the NHS in Scotland will get dragged down with the NHS in England. Also, if we go independent then getting rid of Trident will save the Scottish economy in the region of £350 million a year, money that can be reinvested into education, the NHS, etc. Westminster dumped Trident on us, as no other city or town in England wanted a nuclear arms base on its doorstep. Trident is only about 30 miles from Glasgow and Edinburgh. Finally, when Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to a Scottish referendum he did not allow a third option, which was 'yes, to be come independent over a gradual period of time'. I think he did this because he knew that if the Scottish people were given this option they would have gone for it. Cameron should not have denied us this alternative. The devolved Scottish government should have had the final say on how the Scottish people were to vote. So, these are some of the reasons why I am voting yes this Thursday. It is also just a gut reaction, a feeling that it is natural to want to govern ourselves and that we are good and clever enough to do it. Go for it Scotland.  

Lucy (film review)

Lucy is much more than Scarlett Johansson defeating foes and overcoming obstacles in a sexy and cool way, although she does this very well and is a significant proportion of the film's success and enjoyment. Luc Besson writes and directs a film along the lines of Limitless but of course gives it his own rather far fetched twist; a drug is developed that allows human beings to access more of their brains capacity, currently assumed by the medical profession to be about only 10%. Scarlett Johansson's character Lucy accidentally absorbs a large quantity of this drug and as her brain capacity soon rapidly increases, so does her ability to retain and process information at a staggering rate and even control and manipulate certain external objects. The second part of that sentence, about controlling external objects, is indeed very far fetched and probably subject to scientific ridicule. But Besson has such fun with the themes and visuals that he almost gets away with it. I say almost, as the last twenty minutes of the film is way over the top and doesn't really make any sense. Morgan Freeman's character is very interesting. He plays a professor and scientist who is an expert in the human brain, and is soon contacted by Lucy with the hope of not only making sense of what she is experiencing but also to save her life. I obviously won't tell you what happens at the end but the underlying philosophy is a largely secular one; that we are merely a highly sophisticated collection of cells and that our main purpose in life is to pass on our genetics and knowledge to the next generation of human beings. That aside, it is a thought provoking and largely enjoyable film with an excellent performance by Johansson. 7/10      

John Lloyd, Jack Dee and Mark Nelson at the Edinburgh Festival

       

The weather at the bus stop in Glasgow was sunny and bright, so the omens looked good. But as Alan, Tony and I headed east on the bus the grey clouds rolled in and ruminated over Edinburgh for the rest of the day. Rain threatened but never really materialised, a welcome reprieve. Our first show was John Lloyd's Museum of Curiosity at the Cowbarn, Underbelly's Bristo Square. We smuggled our pints of Strongbow into the Cowbarn, even though it is legal to drink in the streets of Edinburgh and were not in any danger of being thrown into a police car. As we took out seats we read various interesting facts from a screen at the back of the stage. The only one I can remember is that J.D Salinger carried the first six chapters of Catcher In The Rye in his backpack as he stormed Utah Beach on D Day. John Lloyd is a British writer, presenter and producer, best know for being involved in such shows as Blackadder, Not The Nine O'Clock, Spitting Image and QI. He is currently presenter of The Museum Of Curiosity on BBC Radio 4, where guests (usually an author, an academic and a comedian) are invited to donate an object that fascinates them into the virtual museum. The four guests at our live show were comedian Jimeon, academic Simon Singh, another comedian called Tim, although his surname escapes me, and a youngish guy called Dan who works on the radio show. I had seen Jimeon advertised about Edinburgh during the Festival but had never experience his comedy before. This Irish/Australian was probably the least interesting and funny of the quartet. Tim was interesting but not particularly funny. He donated a paper canoe to the museum, as he had sailed one 60 miles up the Thames, setting some kind of record. Dan chipped in now and again but I don't think that he donated an item. Simon Singh, the academic, proved to be the most interesting of the lot. I can't remember what he actually donated, but he talked about the enigma machine and codebreaking at Bletchley Park and then about the link between mathematics and The Simpsons, the popular cartoon show. I could quite happily have listened to Singh for the full hour, he was very interesting, articulate and insightful. So a good start to the day. After another pint we headed to Assembly George Square St for Jack Dee's Help Desk. Leaflets were handed out before the show and audience members wrote down problems that they were having, the idea being the Jack and his panel of guests could help to solve some of the problems. The panel consisted of unknown comedians, some funnier than others, but Jack's quick wit kept the laughs coming. The audience members participated well, especially some guy who, I hope in jest, wanted to save money by installing a shute for his elderly mother instead of an expensive chair lift. Laughter works up quite an appetite so after a huge KFC dinner we were refuelled and ready for the next show, which was comedian Mark Nelson at the Gilded Balloon Teviot. We had seen Mark perform a few years before, so we knew what to expect; a funny and lighter version of Frankie Boyle. Nelson's show was called Please Think Responsibly and most of his material was garnered from being a husband and father. It was a solid set, and Mark can be genuinely very funny, but I was a bit put off by his crudity and bad language. 90% of it was unnecessary. It left a slightly sour taste in my mouth, so I was glad to have another pint in the Gilded Balloon and ruminate with Tony and Alan over the successes and failures of the Festival. Today had probably been my most enjoyable outing of this years festival. My favourite: Tim Vine. Biggest disappointment: Animal Farm (mainly because it was in a foreign language and the subtitles were out of synch). Surprise package: either Mitch Benn or John Lloyd. Another good year. Plenty of laughter, interesting conversations and pretty girls.

Paul Merton and Whose Live Show Is It Anyway? at the Edinburgh Festival

Alan and Hannah had gone through to Edinburgh earlier in the day to watch a musical about sex trafficking, so Tony and I followed on a few hours later. The plan was to meet at the Pleasance Courtyard for Paul Merton's Impro Chums, a show we had seen a few years ago and we were therefore confident of another fun packed hour of improvisation. The Grand was packed to the rafters, testimony to Merton's popularity as a performer and comedian. His chums included Greg Proops (Tony and I exchanged anxious glances as he bounded on-stage), Mike McShane and a few others whose names now escape me. Proops proved to be a much better improviser than stand up comedian. He was as witty and sharp as the rest. But Merton was probably the funniest of the lot, outshining his chums. Some sketches worked better than others, and if they were not laugh out loud funny they were at least amusing and we could admire the performer's quickness of thought. Afterwards we went somewhere for a pleasant pint and then a bit of dinner at the Assembly Courtyard. As I chomped on my gluten free chicken burger the rain started to come down and for the rest of the day the weather would prove to be as mercurial as Paul Merton's wit. And I mean that as a compliment to Paul. Our next show was Nina Conti at the Assembly Roxy, a venue which was new to us all. It turned out to be an attractive church which is now used as a theatre. But maybe a modern venue would have been better and more immune to the rain lashing down. When we arrived we discovered that The Roxy had suffered a power failure, possibly due to the weather and the old wiring circuits within the restored 19th century church but we will never know. We sheltered from the wind and rain for about half an hour, using Tony as a human shield, but eventually abandoned ship and headed for the luxury of a bar and the necessity of a few pints. It was disappointing to miss the Nina Conti show, she's a very talented and funny ventriloquist, but there was nothing that could be done. Such is life. So instead we sat in the aptly named Rascals bar for a couple of hours nursing pints of cider and chatting amiably. We braved the wind and rain once more and charged to the McEwan Hall in Underbelly's Bristo Square, another new venue for us. Back in the 1990's there was a popular British television show called Whose Line Is It Anyway?. It was basically the same idea as Paul Merton's impro chums and this year they had reformed for a festival run. Clive Anderson was host, Philip Pope was on keyboards for any sketches that required music, and the performers were Phil Jupitus, Stephen Frost, Greg Proops (again) and Richard Vranch (again from Improv Chums and I am conscious that I have probably misspelt his name). The show was in memory of the great Robin Williams, who had tragically died a few days earlier, and I thought this was a nice touch and indeed it got a warm round of applause. The show was certainly as good as Impro Chums, despite the overlap of performers and sketch ideas. The audience lapped it up and I can imagine that Whose Live Show Is It Anyway? will be sold out for the remainder of the festival. We headed home after this show, catching the 10.30 pm bus and thus avoiding any drunken idiots. Not my favourite festival day but that is not to say I didn't enjoy it. Oh, for the darling buds of May, and not the cold rain of August.

 
                                                           Host Clive Anderson

Tim Vine, Animal Farm and Mitch Benn at the Edinburgh Festival

                                                                      Mitch Benn

The weather in the week leading up to our first day at the festival was actually pretty decent but on the allotted day it was peeing down with rain. But this was not going to stop us from having fun. First up was a theatre production of George Orwell's classic Animal Farm at the Assembly George Square. I was curious about this, having recently read the book for the first time. The play started with a voice over in what sounded like Russian but with a screen above the stage providing English subtitles. Initially I thought that this was just a reference to the Russian revolution, which Animal Farm partly satirises, but the cast came on stage and started speaking in the same language. This had not been mentioned in the Fringe book. Furthermore, the lines spoken by the cast and the subtitles on the screen were out of synch, so it was difficult to know exactly who was speaking. It took me about 15 minutes to adjust to this, but after that I quite enjoyed the show. The acting was of a decent quality, the stage props and set design were quite clever and much thought had been given to the screenplay. So it was a good production, just not what we had expected. (The cast were actually from Georgia, not Russia, but we only found this out later) After Animal Farm we had a good wait until out next show, so we (Tony, Alan, Hannah and I) had a bit of lunch and a pint while trying to evade the lashing rain. Mitch Benn was next. I was unfamiliar with his work but according to Alan he was a contributor to Radio Four's topical The Now Show. I have listened to it a few times and found it funny and interesting so I had fairly high hopes for Benn. We crossed to the New Town and settled into our seats at The Stand Comedy Club. Benn's show was called Don't Believe A Word and was a humorous foray into astrology, homeopathy, and, somewhat predictably, religion. Basically things that you can be sceptical about. I was waiting for a big religious bashing rant but it never quite amounted to that, thank goodness. Not so much because I am a practising Catholic but I just want to be entertained and not have an atheist push his own agenda. Benn did a bit of agenda pushing but he was not too bad. I disagreed with some of his points of view but wasn't offended at any point. He was more irreverent than offensive. But was he funny? At times yes, so it was a decent show. After Benn we had an early dinner at Conan Doyle's pub and then made our way back to the Old Town, this time hiring a hackney to shelter us from the rain. Tim Vine was our final show of the day. The king of corny but clever one liners and general silliness. We nursed an agreeable pint under the shelter of cover and then queued up for the show, a long queue which did not surprise me. He's a sell out performer. Alan and I had seen him live a couple of years ago and had enjoyed his set immensely, so we knew that we were in for a good show. And indeed we were not disappointed. Corny but very funny. And not one swear word or crude joke. We had a drink at the Waverley Pub, kitsch and fun, and then headed back to Glasgow for one last pint. So, overall a successful start to the Festival. Just hope that the weather is kinder to us next time.

                                                                          Tim Vine

Beasts Of The Southern Wild

The two main characters, Hushpuppy and her father Wink, live in a poverty stricken community in Southern Louisiana that is separated from the rest of the world by a levee. It's a film primarily about defiance and a group of people determined to live life on their own terms. The father/daughter relationship is poignant and moving as an ailing Wink tries to prepare his daughter for what is to come. The cast is mostly made up of non actors but you would not think this given the convincing nature of their performances. Quvenzhane Wallis as Hushpuppy and Dwight Henry as Wink are both outstanding. The soundtrack is superb and mirrors the film's tone and feel: magical, vigorous and life affirming. One of the best indie films of recent years. 8/10

Comedy and the spirit of mockery

                                                              Compere Raymond Mearns


Kaldi's restaurant has become a place of rest and relaxation for my family and I, a place that would make us feel better thanks to the friendly service and convivial atmosphere. Unfortunately it was host to a comedy night that didn't make me feel so great about myself. The compere Raymond Mearns was the main reason for this. His lazy comedy involved picking out certain folk from the audience and making fun of the them. And I was one of his victims. I detest this spirit of mockery. If you are going to make fun of someone then make fun of yourself. Or, at the very least, be gentle in your teasing. The headline act didn't turn up, which was the main reason for me being there, so instead a second rate comedian was called up at short notice. Amid his crude humour he found time to have another dig at me. It was poor stuff. You should go away from this kind of experience feeling uplifted but their style and subject matter seemed to have the opposite effect. Well, as the good book says, shake the dust from your feet and move on to better things.

Band Of Skulls in concert

Their name might sound like a heavy metal band but Band Of Skulls fall more into the category of alternative rock. It's taken them a while to gain a much deserved fan base and recognition but the trio from Southampton have come a lone way since their inception in 2004. I am a fairly recent convert, having stumbled across them on YouTube. Tonight they were playing at Glasgow's Queen Margaret Union and apparently it was a sell out. One advantage of the venue was £2.90 for a pint of Magners cider served by attractive young students. Those at the gig were a mixture of young bright things and ageing rockers - I think I am falling slowly into the later category. I got there early enough to take in the support act. They were quite good but maybe it says something when their best song of the set is a cover version, in this case a haunting adaptation of Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game'. Another thing, they didn't tell the audience their band name, which for a fledgling young band is an huge oversight. I refuelled at the bar, spoilt for choice as to which barmaid shall serve me. I went for the blonde this time. By the time I got back the venue was almost full and I had to jostle to get a decent view. After much technical prep by the roadies Band Of Skulls arrived on stage to a roaring welcome. They launched straight into a song that I assumed was from their as yet unreleased new album. It was really good and set the bar for the rest of their gig. I noticed a difference between Band Of Skulls and their support act - the former had much better stage presence and just seemed to nail their songs with a superior sound and energy. Drums and bass were really tight and kept the groove, allowing lead guitarist and joint vocalist Russell Marsden to punch out rock riffs with expression and power. I didn't know all of their songs but it didn't really matter, they are a really top class live band. Quite noisy, so be warned. After the gig, as we all filed out of the Queen Margaret Union, a fight broke out; bouncers jumped in, screams and beer flying in every direction. It was probably the two barmaids fighting over me. Ah well. Only to be expected.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (film review)

Wes Anderson's latest does not disappoint. Witty, inventive, visually striking, delightfully offbeat and quirky are just some of the adjectives that I would use to describe The Grand Budapest Hotel. The assemble cast is outstanding, but it is Ralph Fiennes who really steals the show as the charming, eccentric and ever so slightly camp concierge who is framed for murder and endeavours to clear his name with the help of his faithful lobby boy Zero. The whole cast is great but Fiennes is absolutely brilliant, possibly his best performance since The English Patient. Anderson has great fun with it all and it is hard not to warm to his creativeness and charm. Top notch entertainment. 8/10

Rushmore (film review)

It's hard to believe that this was Jason Schwartzman's first stab at acting - he gives such an honest and accomplished performance as Max Fischer, an eccentric and precocious teenager at Rushmore School who is much more interested in extra-curricular activities than his grades. Teetering on the edge of expulsion, matters are complicated when he befriends a rich businessman, played brilliantly by Bill Murray, and also falls in love with elementary school teacher Olivia Williams. Wes Anderson's quirky and offbeat style really works a charm here, with Owen Wilson collaborating to hone a sharp, inventive and sensitive screenplay. The cool soundtrack is inspired, fitting in perfectly with Rushmore's tone and subject matter. Overall it's just such a loveable, bitter-sweet and funny film. 9/10

Deal Or No Deal versus Wayne Rooney

I enjoy watching a popular game show on television called Deal Or No Deal. It's a simple game; there are 22 boxes with varying amounts of money in them. The contestant chooses a box at random and then opens the other 21 boxes, revealing either high money or low money. After a few boxes The Banker, a character on the show, offers the contestant a certain amount of money. The contestant can either 'deal or no deal'. It's a game primarily of luck and knowing when to deal or to go for the big money. What I like about the game are the contestants. They are just good, ordinary people who deserve this opportunity to win life changing money. Their gratitude at winning, say, £10,000, is a refreshing antithesis to the culture of greed that seems rife throughout modern culture at the moment. Wayne Rooney's recent bumper contract of £300,000 a week really sickened me. No man or woman is worth that. It's unfair, unnecessary, and a slap in the face to the ordinary punters who work just as hard as Rooney but don't earn a fraction of what he is on. It's not good for Rooney either, for his ego or how he values himself as a person. It's something I get really angry about. So that is why I watch Deal Or No Deal. It keeps me sane. Most of the contestants have modest dreams and desires; a deposit for a house, treat the family to a holiday, etc. And I bet, at the end of the day, they value the money more than any Wayne Rooney will ever do.  

Down Under by Bill Bryson (review)

Bill Bryson brings his trademark wit and insightful curiosity down under to Australia in this highly enjoyable and interesting book. He delves deeply into the culture, history, people, wildlife and landscapes of this huge and fascinating country. Bryson has the gift of bringing these things to life and at times making seemingly boring subject matters worth reading about. His enthusiasm and love for Australia is infectious but he is not afraid to write about Australia's most notable social failure, the desolation of the Aborigines. There is a sense of poignancy and helplessness in the book regarding the fate of these people. But there is plenty to admire about Australia; Bryson's description of the towns and cities and people is very favourable and I think perhaps the Australian tourist board owes him a gratitude of thanks for promoting their country in such a good light. It might not be the funniest of Bryson's books, but it still contains many humorous anecdotes and observations, a skill that he has honed down to a fine art. Due to the copious amounts of deadly creatures that abound in Oz, and which Bryson is not slow to point out, it is highly unlikely that I will ever set foot in this dangerous country. But thanks to Down Under I feel that I have, in some way, travelled around Australia with Bryson, albeit from a safe distance. 8/10

Anna Calvi in concert

A drizzly, cold night in Glasgow. I needed something to warm me up and brighten up the gloom of Scotland in February - Anna Calvi and a few pints of cider might just be the answer. I entered The Arches and unzipped a few layers of clothes. Unfortunately the cloak room was not open tonight so I had to lump around looking like a fatty. I headed straight for the bar through a barrage of noise and ordered a pint of Magners, then double backed to listen to Anna Meredith, the support act for the evening. They were a trio; a girl on cello, a guitarist and Meredith on laptop, percussion, clarinet and vocals. It was an interesting fusion of electronica and alternative rock and I tapped my feet along quite happily. The guitarist and cellist were especially good, and maybe they should have been given a bit more room to demonstrate their considerable skills. After they finished I headed back to the bar, apologising my way past people in that typically British manner, and ordered Gaymers, a lovely English cider which I wish was more on tap in Scotland. I edged my way through a steadily increasing crowd and found a fairly decent vantage point that I also hoped would be a sweet acoustic spot. I didn't want to be too close to the amps. Anna and her quartet arrived onstage to a hearty welcome and without much fuss launched straight into a song. I had read on Wikipedia that Calvi had been lauded for her live performances and within a few songs I could see why. There was power and intensity and energy focused skilfully into each song that was at times breath-taking. I idly wondered how they achieved such a level - probably hundreds of hours of practise is the answer. But they sounded fresh and original, there was nothing stale or rehearsed about them. Calvi and her band performed the stronger songs from her recent album 'One Breath' and also delved into her first self titled album. If there were any weaknesses to her performance then I wasn't aware of them. Her guitar playing was exemplary and boy, does she have a rare set of lungs. I left The Arches feeling fully validated in paying £14 for such an experience, and even forgave the crooks at the box office for adding on a service charge and processing fees. Great gig. Up there with Throwing Muses.   

Plunkett & Macleane (film review)

Unusual and quirky period thriller starring Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller as two men of contrasting social standings who gang together to become highwaymen, targeting only the super wealthy. Liv Tyler, with an impeccable English accent, complicates matters when Jonny Lee Miller falls in love with her. Alan Cumming, Michael Gambon and Ken Stott are all excellent in their supporting roles, and the acting is definitely one of the strengths of this film. The costumes and period settings are equally impressive, from the extravagant lifestyles of the rich to the mud and rags of the poor. The addition of a modern soundtrack to a period drama was a bold but successful choice and composer Craig Armstrong does a good job. The story and dialogue is a bit hit and miss, at times losing my interest, and the characters could have been more fully rounded, but there is enough in this stylish film to merit a watch. 7/10

The Gatekeepers (film review)

First film of the New Year. Maybe I should have started off with something a bit more cheerful than a documentary about Israeli intelligence in fighting the war against terrorism. Six ex-former heads of Shin Bet (Israeli's security agency) are interviewed for the first time ever and give their accounts of, and opinions on, the tragic hostilities between Israel and Palestine. The documentary is generally very balanced and objective, with director Dror Moreh showing video clips of atrocities committed by both sides and not being afraid to ask the former heads of Shin Bet difficult questions. The six different perspectives work really well in building up a picture of what it is like to be in the middle of such an extremely complex and disturbing conflict. Hopefully this thought provoking film will help in some small way in moving the peace process along. 8/10

The Best of 2013!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Top Ten DVD's (that I watched in 2013)



1. Magnolia

2. Scent Of A Woman 


3. Howard's End                                      

4. Searching For Sugar Man

5. Senna

6. The Fall

7. Untouchable

8. Silver Linings Playbook

9. Take Shelter

10. Detachment





Top Ten Books (that I read in 2013)

1. Dubliners by James Joyce
2. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
3. Saturday by Ian McEwan
4. The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson
5. A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man by James Joyce
6. The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
7. James Joyce: A Biography by Gordon Bowker
8. The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney
9. Our Lady Of The Forest by David Guterson
10. The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing







 Top Ten Albums (that I bought in 2013)

1. 1. Symphonies Nos 35 - 41 by Mozart                             
2. One Breath by Anna Calvi
3. Aventine by Agnes Obel
4. The Best Of John Renbourn
5. Anna Calvi by Anna Calvi
6. Big Time by Tom Waits
7. The Velvet Underground & Nico
8. If  You Leave by Daughter
9. Once I Was An Eagle by Laura Marling
10. High Violet by The National

Top Ten Films of 2013

1. Les Miserables

2. Rush

3. Gravity

4. Lincoln

5. Life Of Pi

6. Prisoners

7. Star Trek: Into Darkness

8. Behind The Candelabra

9. Cloud Atlas

10. Trance

Top Ten Babes of 2013

 

1.       Melanie Laurent (pictured)                                              

       2.       Kerry Washington
       3.       Kirsten Dunst
       4.     Jennifer Aniston
       5.       Rosario Dawson
       6.       Emma Stone
       7.       Halle Berry
       8.       Nadine Velazquez

9.    Mia Wasikowska
10.  Zooey Deschanel