Tag: tv/film/book rev

New Dr Who

5th April 2010 admin Uncategorised Leave a comment

Journalism in the UK, is covered by the laws of Liable and from an ethics point of view the press complaints authority.

Here at johnsunter.com we have only 2 rules:

1. We don’t talk spin or bs, its the real deal or nothing (if it wasn’t, it would be a bit silly having a subtitle of the adventures of an ordinary person.

2. When were wrong, we say were wrong.

In this case, rule number 2 applies.

I had previously said that Matt Smith would make a terrible Dr Who and that he was too young (You can read my full comments here).

I watched him in the new role the other evening, and I have to say that I was completely mistaken. David Tennant’s shoes were always going to be hard to fill, but Matt really made the part his own, genuinely pulled off the 900 year old thing and added new energy to the program.

I don’t like the opening music, and I’m not keen on the new logo, but Amy Pond makes a convincing assistant. I also enjoyed the future highlights section at the end of the show. If it delivers on that, it will easily be the best series of Dr Who since 2004.

I dont imagine that Matt Smith visits this blog, but if you are/do, I would like to personally apologise for my previous comments. Dr Who, is one of the few really good things on TV and you make an excelent Dr.

The Wire – Special Interogation.

9th March 2010 admin Uncategorised Leave a comment

This is one of the funniest scenes ever, from Season 5 of the Wire. It contains some bad language (like most of the Wire) so its probably best not to watch it at work ! (or put it on silent and read the subtitles).

Even more hilarious, is where Lansman, plays the part of a professor !.

Media.

7th March 2010 admin Uncategorised Leave a comment

I recently watched the final episode of The Wire. If you haven’t seen it, its true what people say, its probably the best TV series ever made.

I’ve started watching foreign films (Akira, said to be the best manga film ever made).

On the comedy front, watched Step brothers. Absolutely hilarious (you can watch the “dinosaur” scene here).

Overheard a conversation in the pub the other day. A young woman I know quite well, called Becky, was talking to someone at the bar. Describing a TV series, she was asked what channel it was on.

I was expecting to hear a reply like BBC 3, SKY 1 or something like that. In reply she said , do you know BBC I player ?. I’ve wondered for sometime, when media would fully cross over from TV to Computer etc. Its started already.

In terms of American TV, I’ve just started watching Prison Break. Fringe has just finished, with a rather disappointing finally.

Nip Tuck, a series Ive been watching for ages, finally finished the other evening. It had jumped the shark completely. Even the final episode was pretty terrible.

Joss Wheedon’s Doll House has ended. I cant help feeling that it never really found its feet.

House is good as ever, and the jury is still out on Caprica, the series that precedes the dazzling, Battlestar Galactica.

Books and employment.

14th January 2010 admin Uncategorised Leave a comment

I’m still looking for work. The good news, is that my change in status has allowed me to consider a change in vocation, and I recently applied for a job at Waterstones (I would really love to work in a bookshop).

While I was thinking about what job I would like to try my hand at, I considered for a moment, what the worst possible job would be. After some consideration, I’ve decided that its checking X-Rayed baggage at an Airport. Whilst I know the job has to be done, who in their right mind would WANT a job like that.

Back on the subject of books, one book I keep trying to get into, but never seem to succeed, is ironically Getting Things Done by David Allen.

As a last resort, I even took it with me on a train journey to Manchester (It was calculated by Brian Tracey, that if you sit down to do some work on either a train or a plain, you are 35 times more productive).

I got half way through it speed reading in an hour, but its still hard going.

I’ve also joined Chester library. As part of my daily routine, I am going through my shelf of technology books, and reading for 2 hours each day (I normally read in the library, as I find my room isolating sometimes).

While reading the Citrix and VM Ware books, it was annoying to keep finding things that would have solved “baffling” problems in just a few minutes, when I was at work, if Id only had time to read them (but who HAS time when their actually working ?)

Some years ago, I read Rich Dad – Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaka.

I wont spoil the book, but he talks about real ways to make money, the myth of the middle classess and stuff like that.

The book takes its name from his own and his friends family. The two were so close that they considered themselves to have 2 famlies, and therefore 2 dads.

The basic play is that his dad was a lawyer, drove a BMW etc, and his friends Dad owned a pool cleaning business, a shop and stuff like that. Because his friends dad lived simply and used his money for leverage etc, he died a billionaire, while his lawyer dad, died broke.

One section of the book, talks about how Rich Dad, drove a very cheap knockabout car, despite the fact, that he was very wealthy. The logic went that a Rich Dad, should spend all available money, on assets. Since an asset is something that normally increases in value, and a car normally decreases, it was reasoned that a car could only be an asset, if it could be used to generate money.

I was recently talking to a friend. I wont name him or go into specifics, but he has a property portfolio worth around £1,000,000.

We were discussing the book, which he had also read, and to my amazement, it was the inspiration for him to purchase the vehicle above, which cost less than £1000. The Jeep carries £2000 worth of beer to his pub each week !.

I normally try to act on things that I read in books, but It was amazing to see someone read the same book as me, and take it so literally.

NYE (the “yoof” word for New Years Eve).

31st December 2009 admin Uncategorised Leave a comment

Its said that you should spend the special moments of your life with the people you love. Since I love Dr Who and Family Guy, I’m going to be spending one of mine, with them.

Yes, for the first time in years, I’m actually going to be staying in on New Year. The reason. Well, its a mixture of things:

1. Money is tight and even local pubs seem to be charging an entrance fee.

2. I can’t ever remember in my life, a NYE that lived up to expectations (a lot like watching the sun rise/set over the worlds most beautiful sights, in that respect).

3. Although Amelia has “seen off” my collection of Carlsberg, I still have some Wine, a nice Pizza, and when I’m ready to go to sleep, I only have a few metres to walk.

Well, I’ll be up early tomorrow, finalising my plans for 2010. It reminds me of something that happened last New Year.

I was talking to a friend, and commented the year had been probably the worse one of my life. My friend asked which foreign places I had visited that year. I replied Bangkok, Koh Chang, Borneo, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, St Petersburg and various destinations in Morocco.

After a pause, he said, for just about everyone else in this pub, it would have been the best year of their life !. It gave me a bit of perspective.

I’m not being a complete Social Hermit though, this afternoon, I’m off to meet the Excellent Ralph and Aud (who I first met on the Adventure Company’s trip, Pyramids to Petra).

Over Christmas, I popped up to spend time with my family. It was really nice being able to spend time with them, and get to know my niece a bit better, who I hardly ever see.

Dave and Leigh made some really nice food, mum didn’t comment on my increasing weight and impending baldness and the following day, I went to see Avatar 3d. Overall, an excellent experience.

In the evening, we watched a program about Steve Coogan. During his stand up, he said “why do people criticise David Beckham because he isn’t intelligent”. After a pause “Nobody criticises Stephen Hawking, because he cant play football”. Hilarious.

Next day, we all meet up, and I get to spend time with Lee and Susan, 2 of my oldest friends.

Of the many interesting conversations, one about Political correctness.

There is nothing inherently wrong with Political correctness says Lee, only that some individuals have hijacked it for their own purpose.

I reply that its like a compass on a ship or sonar on a ship. They are there so that in times of confusion or poor visibility, the ship could still be navigated.

The idea was never that on a sunny day, everyone looks at the monitors, and nobody looks out of the window.

Which of us is right. I have no idea, but that’s why I love discussions with these 2 !.

Noughties, Dr Who and Theology.

22nd December 2009 admin Uncategorised Leave a comment

I’ll be writing personal Christmas emails tomorrow to everyone, but if I don’t get time, or some other problem, please accept my best wishes for Christmas and New Year, to everyone reading this.

If there is one thing that makes me want to scream at the moment (apart from climate change and X factor !) its the phrase used to describe the decade. The noughtie’s. Utter crap. It should be called the Zero’s, and sounds like something that children would say.

Anyway, those good old Boys at BBC News have published a list of 11 photos that define the decade. I don’t like the royals being in 2 pictures out of the 11, think the David Cameron Photo is hilarious and liked the simple picture of a girl standing in the rain.

They also have an A4 sheet you can print with slogans and logo’s of the decade. You can download it here (I’ve printed it and put it up in my room, its quite good).

The final Dr Who episode The end of time, with David Tennant will be shown on Christmas day. Most people (well me) believe that David has redefined the character and program.

Surprising then, that he is being replaced by some demographicaly pleasing replacement along with a demographicaly pleasing assistant. Personally, I think Bill Nighy would make a superb Dr.

Anyway, to go along with all that, they have produced a new logo. I think its rubbish, but what do I know.

For people who have watched the Dr at some point on Saturday evening, throughout the last 4 decades, you can look up your favourite logo here.

As an atheist, I don’t believe in God. Put simply, I don’t believe in a supreme being who controls everything.

There is a technique used by Tony Robbins, for when someone says I can’t/it can’t be done, etc. After a pause, Tony says, but if it could, what would it look like, how would it work etc. (you get the idea).

I tried this on myself, and asked, if God was real/existed etc., what would he be like ?.

Enlightenment. Its Simon Calder.

For those that don’t know (the kind of ignorant people, who read the sport section of a newspaper, rather than the travel section) Simon Calder is probably the best know travel journalist in the UK.

Unpretentious, practical, and yet passionate about travel, he defines the simple pleasure’s of adventure by his very personality. I was delighted to see a video about things to do in Chester (my home town) made by him, you can watch it here.

Invictus.

16th December 2009 admin Uncategorised Leave a comment

I recently read about a film called Invictus (the superb Morgan Freeman, is tipped to get an Oscar for it).

The film is about Nelson Mandela, and the South African Rugby team and how he used the team as a vehicle to unite the country.

I was interested, as I had the privilege of watching a Rugby Match, in a pub whilst in South Africa. I was struck by the cross section of people, who were made up of every race, tribe and cultural group within the country (SA has 11 national languages) and their instant connection, once the match began.

I’m looking forward to watching the film, and for those that don’t know, Invictus is the name of a Poem by William Ernest Henley, which Nelson Mandela memorized whilst imprisoned at Robben Island (I saw Nelson Mandela’s cell, and spent time in his small garden, within the prison, where he wrote A long walk to freedom ).

In these difficult times of recession and uncertain futures, I thought I would put it up here for people to read.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning s of chance
my head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley.

Several times while I was visiting the country, I heard Robben Island described as the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, with all the other ones…

For those that are interested, these are some of their names.

Cold weather arrives.

7th December 2009 admin Uncategorised Leave a comment

Thanks to everyone who came out on the 13th of November, to celebrate the completion of my bluelist. Between Land-rovers, waiting at airports and trying to sleep on planes, I had been travelling for 30 hours, but I still found the energy to stay out for a whole evening with my friends.

A couple of people asked me what I was going to do now its complete. Well, in the short term, I want to sort out my house, the bills, spend more time with friends/family, and stuff like that.

Once things get back to normal, I have another interesting idea, that I’m exploring at the moment. I read in the travel section of the Mail (in between articles on British values and broken society !) about someone who visited a different city for a weekend break, every month for a year.

The idea, is that if you don’t actually mind where you go, you can travel really cheaply.

I want to do that for a year, while I plan a 2nd bluelist. Places on my mind at the moment, are Cuba, Israel, Washington, San Francisco. If your reading this and you know somewhere cool to visit, then give me a shout.

Well, if the recession is biting, it certainly wasn’t showing on the streets of Chester on Saturday. They even had a chap doing ice sculptures.

A friend recently gave me a TV (he didn’t need it any more, and it was a lot better than the one that I had). I was immensely great full and I remembered a film some years ago called pay it forward.

The idea, is that you do a good deed for someone, and they pay it forward, to someone else, and so on and so on. My previous portable TV (which the “new” one replaced) was more reliable than one that belonged to another friend. Using a shopping trolley, I popped over with it the other evening.

Its Christmas after all, and even when times are hard, there is always some kindness that we can show.

Happy birthday to my old friend Lee Sawbridge (he was with me on my first adventures around the Alps and Europe 20 years ago, and more recently, dropped me at the Airport for the last of my bluelist journeys).

I wont be able to make it on Saturday Lee, but I sent you a card, which I actually chose myself.

In my local the other night, were a band called Severenth. Heavy metal isn’t really my thing, but there music was pretty catchy, and I found myself singing along to it.

It would be fair to say that the band and their fans (who completely filled the pub) weren’t exactly dressed for a job interview and that many of them, you wouldn’t have wanted to meet in the proverbial dark alley.

The thing that surprised (and frankly shocked) me, was how polite they were. People would say excuse me to get to the bar, hold the bathroom door open.

Just goes to show, that appearances can be deceiving. Several times a year, hundreds of suited “gentlemen” arrive in Chester for the races, and cause mayhem. Give me the HM crew any day.

Rumors continue, that the renowned internet sleuth Dave Mandy (aka Dizzy Dave) was somehow involved in the death of Micheal Jackson.

Speculation is based on Dave, having information about the death, before anyone else in the pub that night, despite a large portfolio of Smartphones being represented.

For the record, it was a HTC Android device that got there first, with 2nd place going to several IPhones.

Its was with a mixture of elation and regret, that I watched the final episode of the crime “drama” monk.

It ended on a high note, altough it was easy to work out who the murder was (or was that because Ive watched it so often, and got onto the “wavelength” of the writers).

For several years, I used to watch it on Saturday mornings. I really will miss that show.

Other drama, is that the rather excelent Doll House, has been cancelled. It was commented that this might be because nobody watches stuff on TV any more, everybody downloads, and because it usually misses out the adverts, the producers werent making any money.

I cant really comment, as I dont know the industry that well. Downloading certainly seems to have effected global tv listings. It used to be that house would shown in the UK, 4 months after it was shown in the use. These days, House and dozens of other shows are on less than a week later.

One thing that has shocked me, is the closing down of Mininova (a popular torrent site for downloading music, tv and films, for people that dont know). My suprise, hasn been the close down of the site itself, but the demographic of people who have emailed and called me about finding an alternative site.

I don’t praise or condemn downloading, but I know about technology. The people who contacted me, were mostly, the very last people in the world I would have expected to be “torrenting”.

I recorded Dr Who and the waters of Mars, while I was away in Capetown. I didn’t think it was as good as some of the other episodes Ive watched. That is of course from a story perspective. David Tarrent was as excellent as he’s ever been, playing a kind of manic Dr, who knows his days are numbered.

One other things about the episode, was that it raised a point Ive considered hundreds of times while watching Dr Who over the last 30 years. The question always arises, who doesnt the Dr just put the people who are in danger into the Tardis and “fly” away.

I know all the stuff about one of the people he saves might give birth to a future Hitler, and all the rest, but there and then, it must have occurred to him sometime, to put the present, before the future, and just help the people who are right in front of him. That question was answered for the first time in Waters of Mars.

Two other things Im watching at the moment at Mad Men (a brill program I started watching on the Plane back from Capetown) and season 4 of the Unit. I cant believe they stopped making that series, its amazing.

Near and Far have a great Christmas. The search for adventure continues (although its mostly at home for the time being :)…

Media

1st October 2009 admin Uncategorised 1 Comment

Watched 2 Films recently at the cinema. Gamer and Soriety, are the kind of films you can take a chance with, when you have an unlimited cinema card.

To give an example. Bruce Willis film I would pay money to watch, Final destination is a gamble I can take.

Using Love Film, I was able to re-watch (and this time see the ending) of a brilliant BBC Drama, from about 15 years ago called Gallowglass. There just doesnt seem to be quiality drama like that around anymore.

I also watched a film called Whitechappel, with Rupert Penry Jones, who you might remember from Spooks. It really was a superb thriller, if you get the chance, watch it.

I continue to watch season 1 of The Unit, as recommended by Kingsley, who I met in India (and also a mate from Corning, called Glenn). The simplest way to describe this program (which goes on for 4 series) is like Ultimate Force, but done properly !.

An absolutely fantastic film I saw recently (presently showing on sky box office) is Traitor. Don Cheadle made a name for himself in Hotel Rwanda, and this film is just as interesting, exciting and informative.

US TV wise, new series of Fringe and Dollhouse have just started, and are even better than last season (much like season 2 of True Blood, which has only just finished).

Law and Order – Special Victims Unit (normally shortened to just SVU) is back for its 11th season, if you can believe that. First episode of the season was on the other evening, and its one of the best Ive ever seen (and there are hundreds of episodes to compare it too !).

Finally, house is back, in season 6. I wont go into any details, as some people wont have seen the final part of season 5. Suffice to say, its the best episode of house, that I have personaly ever seen.

Update

11th September 2009 admin Uncategorised Leave a comment

Just read this really cool thing on BBC News. Most of you know already, that this website is dedicate to Alan Turing.

Some of you will remember a couple of months ago, I was experimenting with some budget adventures.

The other Sunday, I got the chance to complete one, that had evaded me for some time. For £4.40, its possible to get a return from Chester to Southport (its like I always say, adventure is everywhere, you just have to look).

I haven’t been there, in something like 14 years, but it was a pretty cool place. It was very family orientated. Although families aren’t really my thing, it was this focus that removed the tackiness and which is normally associated with places like Blackpool.

I broke the rule of Sunter, and didn’t actually take an spare trainers or anything like that.

We even had lunch at MacDonald’s, and Coffee at Nero (for budget adventuring, this would normally been a distinct no-no, but finances have change, and I just haven’t eaten a MacDonald’s in ages !.

We wandered around the promenade, which was spotlessly clean, and then headed for the beach (okay, it could have been sunnier !).

As we wandered towards the Ocean (Amelia came with me) I realised that the actual Sea, is about 2 miles out from the beach !.

The last time I stood in such a vast open space, was in the Moroccan desert.

Last weekend, I spent Saturday afternoon in the cinema. I went to see District 9. I want say anything else about this film, but if you haven’t seen it, you really should.

I hate it when pretentious people describe something as excellent on many levels, but in this case that was completely it.

As a drama, thriller, action flick and public commentary, this film scores, in just about every category.

On another subject, one thing I really hate in films, is when there is a really great premise for a film, but the end product, just waste’s it completely. A film I watched with Love film recently (21) was exactly like this.

The basic premise, is that a group of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the most genius University’s in the world) go to Vegas, and attempt to beat the system and make a fortune.

Overly long, it really was just a wast of my time.

In other Media recently.

Great news: Big brother is being canceled. Thank God. It symbolizes, for me, everything that’s wrong with society.

Bad news: Oasis have split up. Although don’t live there anymore, Ill always be a son of Manchester (although the thing is, I still thing that the Smiths are the best things to come out of the city !)

Ive been watching True Blood. I thought the premise sounded a bit iffy, but its one of the best programs to appear on HBO in a while. Season 6 of House commences on the 21st of September.

Jude and Nathan are on holiday at the moment. Since Ive recorded about 25 episodes of Family Guy, and the Cats and I, are working our way through them.

Sunday morning, I wen for a walk around Chester and took a couple of pictures. On my way back from the Forest, I visited the Racecourse and took this picture.

This weekend (ie Tomorrow) is Chester Races, so Ill be sure to hide in my house).

The good news, is that there are loads of cool places to explore and relax in, which the visiting “Mongol Hoards” don’t know about. This is one of my favorite places (I wont say where it is, for obvious reasons) and I come and sit, and read here all the time.

After this, I popped over to Bar Lounge, where my friend Julian was exhibiting one of his paintings. Unfortunately, it was ticket only, so I never got to see it.

Well, Ill get going now, but near and far take care and hope to hear from you all soon.