Paddington (2014)
Today I went with my housemates, and my good friend Spencer, to see the new Paddington movie.
This is the first movie I've seen in the theaters in a while and the first I've seen since moving to Australia. Assigned seating in a movie theater is a bit odd, but still not such a bad idea. The last time I went to the movies, I shared some popcorn with my housemate, but this time, they were planning on going to dinner afterward and didn't want to spoil their appetites. It was just as well for me. Sometimes I find nibbles during movies distracting, and I did not want to be distracted during Paddington.
I was first introduced to Paddington through the shorts broadcast in between Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood on PBS when I was much younger. Then my housemate found a copy of Paddington at Work at the Symphony Book Fair and we read that. We never had all the Paddington books, only the one, but I still feel I know Paddington pretty well -- if only because I am a bear.
I really didn't know what to expect from the movie. I'm always a bit nervous about movie adaptations of books I know, but this one looked pretty good from the previews. And even if it was horrible, I would have had a nice adventure.
It was not horrible. It was a very good movie -- fun, entertaining and exciting, all the things you want from a movie. I will say this, the movie is not the book I know, but that may be because it was based on stories from other Paddington books. I found the characters of the Browns not to be perfectly in character with either the portrayals in the books or the tv shorts. I did enjoy them nonetheless. Paddington was perfectly portrayed, if not an exact adaptation from the books. I'm not a big fan of Nicole Kidman, but she was well cast as the villain.
On the whole the movie was very enjoyable. It was fun and funny. There were a few scary parts, especially for bears. But have no fear, by the end of the movie, all was well for the Browns and Paddington.
I had a wonderful time seeing this movie and highly recommend it to anyone, particularly for bears.
And if you do go see it, watch for the cameo appearance of Paddington Bear creator and author Michael Bond.
One Bear's Opinion: Five Marmalade Sandwiches (and one to keep for emergencies)
Happy Viewing Everyone,
Oliver
Friday, December 19, 2014
Friday, September 26, 2014
One Bear's Opinion -- Perfect Days
Sometimes all you need is a couple of books and some friends to make the day perfectly complete.
Here's hoping everyone has such a great Friday,
Oliver (and friends)
Oliver (and friends)
Sunday, July 20, 2014
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Mr. Churchill's Secretary -- Susan Elia MacNeal
This is one of the books my housemate found on her book buying adventure when she was back in the land of cheap books. I'm fairly sure she saw it on the shelf and decided to give it a try based on the title and the blurb.
I am very glad she did. I have found some new friends. The book was a fun read, and the descriptions of daily life in 1940 London were vivid enough to make it feel truly real. Good books do that, they can draw you into not only the story, but the setting. With a good book it is possible for me to get lost in the world of the story, so much so that sometimes I wonder why the people that populate my real life are not the characters when they are talking to me. On more than one occasion while reading this book, I caught myself looking up from the book and wondering why my bedroom looked nothing like the bombed-out streets of London.
Mr. Churchill's Secretary is a good mystery, with some twists and turns. I really can't say it kept me guessing to last page, but that is mainly because I dropped the book and upon retrieving it, accidentally saw one of the clues. I spoiled the mystery for myself, but that did not make it any less enjoyable to read. (I know many people, my housemate included, read the last pages of mysteries first.)
I know the book was historical fiction, and I understand that not everything described in the book is, or needs to be, historically accurate. There are many thing in historical fiction I can overlook that because I know it is fiction, but there were a few things that rankled with me in this book. Firstly, I really disliked the way the author tried to make the characters embrace anachronistic attitudes about alternative lifestyles. I know alternative lifestyles have existed as long as people have, but the author's style of forcing acceptance and/or mainstream normalcy by emphasizing things that would have been hidden at the time was irritating. I do not need a current social justice lecture in my leisure reading, especially when I thought I was reading a historical fiction mystery. But I do need the characters to be products of their time. I'm perfectly willing to suspend belief for the purposes of the story, but the story needs to make sense in its own parameters. Forcing current ideals on otherwise time-appropriate characters makes those characters very hard to believe. I think of the characters as friends, and I am still looking forward to other adventures with them, but the disconnect between their time and this was glaring and definitely made them feel as though they were merely tools, forced to do the author's bidding, not their independent characters of their own.
The other thing that really grated on my nerves was the author tried, and for the most part succeeded, to get snippets of all of Winston Churchill's famous speeches in the text of the book. I know it was war-time and Churchill did many "rally the troops" speeches, but it was not necessary to quote all of them. The point that the main character was a typist for the Mr. Churchill could have been just as easily made without her speaking along with the Prime Minister on the radio.
On the whole it was a good book, and I look forward to the others in the series. Maggie, John, David, and Sarah have become friends and I am anxious to share their next adventures.
One Bear's Opinion: Three Cups of Strong, Black British Tea, without sugar (there's a war on, you know)
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This is one of the books my housemate found on her book buying adventure when she was back in the land of cheap books. I'm fairly sure she saw it on the shelf and decided to give it a try based on the title and the blurb.
I am very glad she did. I have found some new friends. The book was a fun read, and the descriptions of daily life in 1940 London were vivid enough to make it feel truly real. Good books do that, they can draw you into not only the story, but the setting. With a good book it is possible for me to get lost in the world of the story, so much so that sometimes I wonder why the people that populate my real life are not the characters when they are talking to me. On more than one occasion while reading this book, I caught myself looking up from the book and wondering why my bedroom looked nothing like the bombed-out streets of London.
Mr. Churchill's Secretary is a good mystery, with some twists and turns. I really can't say it kept me guessing to last page, but that is mainly because I dropped the book and upon retrieving it, accidentally saw one of the clues. I spoiled the mystery for myself, but that did not make it any less enjoyable to read. (I know many people, my housemate included, read the last pages of mysteries first.)
I know the book was historical fiction, and I understand that not everything described in the book is, or needs to be, historically accurate. There are many thing in historical fiction I can overlook that because I know it is fiction, but there were a few things that rankled with me in this book. Firstly, I really disliked the way the author tried to make the characters embrace anachronistic attitudes about alternative lifestyles. I know alternative lifestyles have existed as long as people have, but the author's style of forcing acceptance and/or mainstream normalcy by emphasizing things that would have been hidden at the time was irritating. I do not need a current social justice lecture in my leisure reading, especially when I thought I was reading a historical fiction mystery. But I do need the characters to be products of their time. I'm perfectly willing to suspend belief for the purposes of the story, but the story needs to make sense in its own parameters. Forcing current ideals on otherwise time-appropriate characters makes those characters very hard to believe. I think of the characters as friends, and I am still looking forward to other adventures with them, but the disconnect between their time and this was glaring and definitely made them feel as though they were merely tools, forced to do the author's bidding, not their independent characters of their own.
The other thing that really grated on my nerves was the author tried, and for the most part succeeded, to get snippets of all of Winston Churchill's famous speeches in the text of the book. I know it was war-time and Churchill did many "rally the troops" speeches, but it was not necessary to quote all of them. The point that the main character was a typist for the Mr. Churchill could have been just as easily made without her speaking along with the Prime Minister on the radio.
On the whole it was a good book, and I look forward to the others in the series. Maggie, John, David, and Sarah have become friends and I am anxious to share their next adventures.
One Bear's Opinion: Three Cups of Strong, Black British Tea, without sugar (there's a war on, you know)
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Monday, June 30, 2014
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Murder That Changed the World by Greg King and Sue Woolmans
This is a departure from my usual reading. Usually I read fluffy mystery novels, best categorized as "Cozy Mysteries." But this year marks the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and, 6 weeks later, the start of World War I, so when my housemate found this book at the bookstore, we decided it was perfect timing to read it. I'm sure that's why the bookstore had it displayed so prominently, but we were both planning to read a World War I history anyway.
In all honesty, I am not unfamiliar with the royals in the pre-World War I Empires. I have read several historical biographies of Tsar Nicholas II, as well as biographies of Queen Victoria's daughters and granddaughters. I was familiar with the major players. But I had known of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, only peripherally in those books. I had never read anything specifically about him or the Austro-Hungarian Empire prior to the War. Sure, I knew of the assassination from school textbooks and answering essay questions. And when we were in college together, my housemate took a history class titled "Europe Since 1914" which the professor wanted to subtitle "From Sarajevo to Sarajevo." (For reference, we were in college in the early- and mid-1990's, when Yugoslavia was self-destructing.)
But in all that time, and through all those histories, I had never really read anything specifically about Archduke Franz Ferdinand. It was time to rectify that. And this book was perfect for it.
I am picky about my historical biographies, in that I prefer to read ones I know are well-researched and based predominantly in verifiable fact. Don't get me wrong, historical fiction has its place, but not in biographies. I had read both Greg King's The Fate of the Romanovs and The Court of the Last Tsar: Pomp, Power, and Pageantry in the Reign of Nicholas II previously, so I knew him to be a reputable biographer and one who researched his books well, so I was happy to begin the book.
It is nearly impossible for me to review this book without discussing the book, so I will have to mention some things that may be considered spoilers to people who have not read the book. If you are concerned about spoilers, please do not read this review any further, but know that I can definitely recommend this book if you are interested in the subject.
First, the book is about Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Countess Sophie, more than about the assassination in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. Naturally the assassination is discussed, but the main focus of the book is the life of the Archduke, not so much his death, or a discussion of the after-effects of his murder.
Second, and this is important, because it is the crux of the author's theory of the assassination, the marriage of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie was a morganatic one, meaning that the couple were of unequal social rank. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife Sophie was the daughter of a Bohemian aristocrat. She was not royal, and as a result of an oath the Archduke took on June 28, 1901, should he ascend to the throne, his wife Sophie would not become Queen/Empress and his children were specifically excluded from inheriting either the throne or anything from the Hapsburg line.
The central theory of the book is that the morganatic marriage set the stage for the assassination. Not that there was such public and popular dislike or disapproval of the marriage, but because Sophie was not and never would be a royal, she was not entitled to the same protection as the Archduke, even if traveling with him. Emperor Franz Josef's Lord Chamberlain, Prince Montenuovo not only made sure that Sophie never forgot she was not a Hapsburg, he ensured and insisted on the different treatment whenever and wherever the Archduke and Countess appeared together. While the authors acknowledge the role of Gavrilo Princip as assassin, there is definitely a theory that the enforced differential treatment, to the point of not allowing royal guards along the route because Sophie was in the car, and she was not entitled to such a guard, was a major factor in allowing the assassination to be successful.
It was a very interesting portrait of the couple, and the treatment of the Countess. It was definitely a theory that is never presented in high school history classes. And I certainly learned things reading the book. In fact, I learned that Archduke Franz Ferdinand's sons were captured by the Nazi Regime after the Anschluss and sent to hard labor at Dachau Concentration Camp. They were released only on intervention by members of other European Royal Families. That was a completely unexpected repercussion of the assassination of their parents.
It was a heavy book, both in subject matter and actual weight of the book. And reading it was sometimes slow going, not only because of the subject matter, but because I wrestled with the Austrian, Bohemian, Serbian, and Croatian names. I liked that the authors kept the names as close to the actual names as possible, but I did struggle with them. It is definitely worth reading if you are at all interested in the life of the Archduke. There is really very little discussion of World War I. My edition was subtitled Sarajevo 1914 and the Murder That Changed the World, but other editions have the much more accurate subtitle Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World. Either way, the Archduke never realized what an impact his life and death would have.
One Bear's Opinion: Five Cups of Viennese Coffee and a slice of sachertorte for after
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This is a departure from my usual reading. Usually I read fluffy mystery novels, best categorized as "Cozy Mysteries." But this year marks the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and, 6 weeks later, the start of World War I, so when my housemate found this book at the bookstore, we decided it was perfect timing to read it. I'm sure that's why the bookstore had it displayed so prominently, but we were both planning to read a World War I history anyway.
In all honesty, I am not unfamiliar with the royals in the pre-World War I Empires. I have read several historical biographies of Tsar Nicholas II, as well as biographies of Queen Victoria's daughters and granddaughters. I was familiar with the major players. But I had known of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, only peripherally in those books. I had never read anything specifically about him or the Austro-Hungarian Empire prior to the War. Sure, I knew of the assassination from school textbooks and answering essay questions. And when we were in college together, my housemate took a history class titled "Europe Since 1914" which the professor wanted to subtitle "From Sarajevo to Sarajevo." (For reference, we were in college in the early- and mid-1990's, when Yugoslavia was self-destructing.)
But in all that time, and through all those histories, I had never really read anything specifically about Archduke Franz Ferdinand. It was time to rectify that. And this book was perfect for it.
I am picky about my historical biographies, in that I prefer to read ones I know are well-researched and based predominantly in verifiable fact. Don't get me wrong, historical fiction has its place, but not in biographies. I had read both Greg King's The Fate of the Romanovs and The Court of the Last Tsar: Pomp, Power, and Pageantry in the Reign of Nicholas II previously, so I knew him to be a reputable biographer and one who researched his books well, so I was happy to begin the book.
It is nearly impossible for me to review this book without discussing the book, so I will have to mention some things that may be considered spoilers to people who have not read the book. If you are concerned about spoilers, please do not read this review any further, but know that I can definitely recommend this book if you are interested in the subject.
First, the book is about Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Countess Sophie, more than about the assassination in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. Naturally the assassination is discussed, but the main focus of the book is the life of the Archduke, not so much his death, or a discussion of the after-effects of his murder.
Second, and this is important, because it is the crux of the author's theory of the assassination, the marriage of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie was a morganatic one, meaning that the couple were of unequal social rank. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife Sophie was the daughter of a Bohemian aristocrat. She was not royal, and as a result of an oath the Archduke took on June 28, 1901, should he ascend to the throne, his wife Sophie would not become Queen/Empress and his children were specifically excluded from inheriting either the throne or anything from the Hapsburg line.
The central theory of the book is that the morganatic marriage set the stage for the assassination. Not that there was such public and popular dislike or disapproval of the marriage, but because Sophie was not and never would be a royal, she was not entitled to the same protection as the Archduke, even if traveling with him. Emperor Franz Josef's Lord Chamberlain, Prince Montenuovo not only made sure that Sophie never forgot she was not a Hapsburg, he ensured and insisted on the different treatment whenever and wherever the Archduke and Countess appeared together. While the authors acknowledge the role of Gavrilo Princip as assassin, there is definitely a theory that the enforced differential treatment, to the point of not allowing royal guards along the route because Sophie was in the car, and she was not entitled to such a guard, was a major factor in allowing the assassination to be successful.
It was a very interesting portrait of the couple, and the treatment of the Countess. It was definitely a theory that is never presented in high school history classes. And I certainly learned things reading the book. In fact, I learned that Archduke Franz Ferdinand's sons were captured by the Nazi Regime after the Anschluss and sent to hard labor at Dachau Concentration Camp. They were released only on intervention by members of other European Royal Families. That was a completely unexpected repercussion of the assassination of their parents.
It was a heavy book, both in subject matter and actual weight of the book. And reading it was sometimes slow going, not only because of the subject matter, but because I wrestled with the Austrian, Bohemian, Serbian, and Croatian names. I liked that the authors kept the names as close to the actual names as possible, but I did struggle with them. It is definitely worth reading if you are at all interested in the life of the Archduke. There is really very little discussion of World War I. My edition was subtitled Sarajevo 1914 and the Murder That Changed the World, but other editions have the much more accurate subtitle Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World. Either way, the Archduke never realized what an impact his life and death would have.
One Bear's Opinion: Five Cups of Viennese Coffee and a slice of sachertorte for after
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Monday, March 17, 2014
Question Time, Translated
Everyone who knows me knows I'm a political junkie. Parliament is sitting again, which means I get to watch my favorite reality television series.
Yes, It's time for Question Time again. Just turning over to the ABC and it hasn't started started just quite yet because the Prime Minister is speaking on indulgence to the missing Malaysian plane.
And now, for your pleasure, I present Paraphrased Question Time.
You can thank me later,
Spencer
Yes, It's time for Question Time again. Just turning over to the ABC and it hasn't started started just quite yet because the Prime Minister is speaking on indulgence to the missing Malaysian plane.
And now, for your pleasure, I present Paraphrased Question Time.
You can thank me later,
Spencer
First Question: Will the Prime Minister release the Commission of Audit Report before the Western Australia election?
Answer: We will release it when we release it. (In other words, not only no, but FUCK NO!)
Second Question: I admit to losing the thread of this question but it doesn't matter -- this was a government side question and its only purpose was to allow the Government to prattle on about something which aggrandizes them while disparaging the opposition. This one was about roads in the electorate of Robinson (wherever the heck that is).
Answer: The tagline of this answer is about cutting out 21 sets of traffic lights though use of a tunnel (at least until the tunnel is blocked, or closed, and then there is a bigger issue). And there was a final thought that roads aren't really roads, they are paths to the future.
Third Question: Prime Minister, did you add a single dollar or a single meter of road as a result of your re-announcement yesterday?
Answer: I want to be a deliverer. I want to be a builder. This government will get things done. (In other words, not yet, and in all actuality, probably not at all)
Fourth Question: Will the Treasurer outline the importance of repealing the mining tax, and what will that mean to my constituents in the electorate of Swan?
Answer: We want to get rid of the taxes because the big business that is financing our government wants us to. And Rio Tinto says ditch the tax because they don't like it, but they don't pay it anyway.
Interruption in which the Speaker to once again show she does not know how to be impartial (a point of order which was disallowed by the Speaker).
Fifth Question: Why is the Prime Minister hiding his 900 page plan of cuts for Western Australia, and don't the people of Western Australia deserve to know what they are hiding before the election on April 4?
Objection by the Leader of the House as the question was argument and a Point of Order by the Opposition, which was disallowed by the Speaker.
Answer: We are carefully considering the report, and it will be published once the government has considered the recommendations in it. Then there was some tangential prattle about the Opposition and not repealing the Mining Tax. (In other words, something in there is unfavorable to the Government and they don't want it to get out before an election because it could hurt the chances for the Government candidate.)
Sixth Question: Could the Minister for Foreign Affairs tell the house what the plans are to fund agriculture and training development for the women of Papua New Guinea?
Answer: Our research shows that if women were given access to the research already out there, everything can improve by 25%. Additionally, if training is available, things will only get better, and we have announced scholarships, one of them to a Papua New Guinea woman (aren't we great???). But we really can't do much more, and it's not our fault because the aid budget that the Government inherited was so bad.
Seventh Question: Minister for the Environment, the Carbon Tax has penalized Woodside Energy unfairly. As such, what impact has the Carbon Tax had on Western Australia and why should it be repealed forthwith?
Answer: Woodside Energy don't want to pay the tax. They are funding our government and they asked us to repeal it. That was our deal and we have to honor our deal with our financial backers.
Eighth Question: Has the Minister for Justice received a full copy of the Commission of Audit Report?
Answer: No
Ninth Question: Could the Treasurer outline the challenges the the budget faces in the next decade, and can he discuss the status of budget inherited from the previous Government.
Answer: The previous Government left us with a dreadful budget. So we have to cut our tax revenue so that we can fix it. We have to make the hard choices and cut programs because they left us not enough money to do what we want to make our financial backers happy.
Interruption for the Speaker to ask the Treasurer to withdraw the use of the word hypocrite.
Tenth Question: Prime Minister, don't Western Australians deserve to know what the government is keeping secret in the Commission of Audit report?
Answer: How low can the opposition sink with these kinds of scare tactics? And a few urges to cut the taxes our financial backers don't like. (In other words, something really bad we don't want out to ruin the election.)
Interesting to note, the Prime Minister used the word hypocrite to describe a particular member of the Opposition and was not challenged or sanctioned.
Eleventh Question: Will the Minister for Immigration update the house on the last successful people smuggling adventure?
Answer: It's been 88 days since people have landed in Australia by boat. We've stopped the boats. And the people of Western Australia are going to an election, and the Government is doing it's job. (In other words, we're spending money on this plan to keep the Australian public occupied so they can't think about what we're really doing with the big business financial backers.)
Twelfth Question: Prime Minister, there has been a Senate Order to release the Commission to Audit report to the Senate, why are you not releasing it and what don't you want Western Australia to know?
Answer: I am surprised that the Leader of the Opposition thinks that there is something sinister because the Senate issued an order and we haven't responded, especially considering that the previous Government failed to comply with over 40 Senate Orders for requests for documents. (In other words, something really big that will most definitely affect the election.)
Interruption for a Point of Order by the Opposition, overruled by the Speaker.
Thirteenth Question: Minister for Foreign Affairs, how is the Government supporting efforts to locate the missing Malaysian air Flight MH370
Answer: Immediately after the flight went missing, we offered our support in whatever manner Malaysia deemed best, but we still don't know anything more.
(Editorial aside: this the was the only question today which was fully and truthfully answered.)
Fourteenth Question: Why is the Prime Minister cutting support to the children of veterans who have been injured to killed? Will he reverse his position?
Answer: We were upfront that this benefit will be removed because it was budgeted to be paid for by the Mining Tax, which we're eliminating. And I know it's an unpopular decision, but we're doing it anyway because this Government is keeping its commitments to the big business financial backers. And the people of Australia will understand.
Fifteenth Question: Minister for Defense, how is the Government assisting retired military personnel by changes to the superannuation?
Answer: The Government is ensuring a "fair dinkum" deal for Military families, but the Senate, which we don't control., is hampering our efforts by not repealing the Carbon Tax.
Interruption for Point of Order by the Opposition, which was overruled by the Speaker
Sixteenth Question: Prime Minister, only 1200 children receive the benefit, why is it being cut when the Government can fund other, more expensive programs.
Answer: The truth is that is an election commitment we made (to our big business financial backers) and we are going to carry through with our election commitments. "No Government can continue to be generous with other people's money."
Seventeenth Question: Minister for Small Business, how is the government reducing red tape for owners of small business and how will this help the members of my district of Ryan?
Answer: We are trying, but the big meanies in the Opposition left us with a horrible situation, and won't help us by agreeing to change requirements, or repealing the Carbon Tax.
Eighteenth Question: Prime Minister, why are you not reversing the decision on the Military family benefit?
Answer: Because we made an election commitment (to our big business financial backers) and we are keeping our election commitments.
Motion for leave to table a document from the Western Australia RSL leader; Leave was not granted.
Nineteenth Question: Minister for Education, how is the Government getting on with fulfilling its commitments in education?
Answer: We created a group to address student outcomes and a curriculum review. We want to expand independent public schools. (In other words, we want to make it so we have to pay less.) (Note: the Minister for Education put on a voice to quote former Prime Minister Gillard speaking in support of the current Government plan.)
Member for Perth ejected under Standing Order 94A.
Twentieth Question: Prime Minister, the military benefit for the 1200 children costs $250,000, which is less than the cost of the Government's Paid Parental Leave Scheme payout to only 4 women. Why are 4 well-paid women more worthy than 1200 children?
Answer: We made a commitment at the election and everyone knew it, and this Government needs to, and intends to, keep our commitments (to our big business financial backers). Besides, the Veterans understand our position and decision.
Twenty-First Question: Minister for Health, how have delays in delivering a promised Super Clinic affected the people of Western Australia?
Answer: This Government will deliver on its promises, but this was the previous government's promise, so we have nothing to do with it, and there is nothing we can do about it. In short, it's all the previous Government's fault, and by the way, Western Australia, please vote for us in the upcoming election.
Prime Minister says "After 21 well-answered questions, I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper." (Look I can get a dig in to the opposition…aren't I clever?)
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Another Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Autobiography by Morrissey
Morrissey is a bit of a polarising influence in my house. One of my housemates is a big fan. My other housemate regards Morrissey records as she would sharp objects – best hidden somewhere safe when the former housemate is having a down phase. It was enough to make me want to find out more about him.
Autobiography is written almost stream-of-consciousness style and I suspect it may even be the first draft. There are no chapter divisions and single paragraphs can sprawl over more than two pages. Despite this, it’s an easy, engaging and yes, entertaining read.
There are occasional wild tangents but he always returns to the main point before you’ve had enough time to forget what it was. It’s part pub conversation with cheeky asides, part film with the occasional flashback.
He does not dwell disproportionately on any perceived glory days. The Smiths are over by the half way point of the book, which is entirely fair enough since they were over by the half way point of Morrissey’s life thus far.
There are inconsistencies of course. Few would argue that Morrissey is always the most reliable witness. There were two errors that stood out to me. One was his recollection that Rough Trade Records boss Geoff Travis had approached George Martin to produce The Queen Is Dead, but George Martin declined the offer on the grounds that he only wanted to be known for producing The Beatles. That may well have been what Geoff Travis told Morrissey but a moment’s research into George Martin’s career would prove such an excuse untrue.
The other is where he states that EMI Australia refused to release an album called Viva Hate and instead changed the title to Education In Reverse. In fact, it was just a mistake. Morrissey had a habit of scratching cryptic messages into the run-out grooves of his records, and that was the message in his first solo album. The factory mistook this for the title. Within weeks, the misprinted copies were withdrawn and Viva Hate was duly available in Australia as intended. It’s not as dramatic a story but it’s closer to the truth.
In the end, it doesn’t matter. This is Morrissey unfiltered. It’s his truth as he chooses to tell it. Others may tell theirs one day. Or maybe not.
Although he often portrays himself as the victim of numerous conspiracies, he mostly avoids self-justification. The one major exception to this is the section on The Smiths Trial of 1996 where former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce sued Morrissey and Marr for unpaid earnings. He presents a comprehensive rebuttal of the judge’s summing up and makes a compelling case for incompetence on the part of the judge. Again though, this is Morrissey’s side of the story and other may recall things differently.
Although his loathing of Mike Joyce is deliberately palpable, this is only expressed during the trial. During the section on The Smiths, Morrissey has nothing but praise for his former bandmate’s musicianship which suggests an objectivity that few might otherwise give the author credit for. In fact, most people who pass through his life and career are treated the same way, written of affectionately while they are working with him and disparagingly afterwards. By contrast, his musical director of 20 year, Boz Boorer is hardly mentioned and songwriting partner for the Kill Uncle album Mark E Nevin is not mentioned at all. I suspect both might be relieved by this.
Having stated early in the book that the music was always what mattered most, above all else, he ends up writing far more about his business arrangements than the creative process and we learn more about where each successive single debuted on the charts than how the song was written and recorded.
Yes, it’s a book full of foibles but anyone with even a vague awareness of Morrissey should expect that. It is a pop autobiography as unique as the artist himself and as such, it’s well worth a read even if you’re not a massive fan.
One Bear’s Opinion: Five big mugs of sweet black tea.
Sláinte,
Spencer
Morrissey is a bit of a polarising influence in my house. One of my housemates is a big fan. My other housemate regards Morrissey records as she would sharp objects – best hidden somewhere safe when the former housemate is having a down phase. It was enough to make me want to find out more about him.
Autobiography is written almost stream-of-consciousness style and I suspect it may even be the first draft. There are no chapter divisions and single paragraphs can sprawl over more than two pages. Despite this, it’s an easy, engaging and yes, entertaining read.
There are occasional wild tangents but he always returns to the main point before you’ve had enough time to forget what it was. It’s part pub conversation with cheeky asides, part film with the occasional flashback.
He does not dwell disproportionately on any perceived glory days. The Smiths are over by the half way point of the book, which is entirely fair enough since they were over by the half way point of Morrissey’s life thus far.
There are inconsistencies of course. Few would argue that Morrissey is always the most reliable witness. There were two errors that stood out to me. One was his recollection that Rough Trade Records boss Geoff Travis had approached George Martin to produce The Queen Is Dead, but George Martin declined the offer on the grounds that he only wanted to be known for producing The Beatles. That may well have been what Geoff Travis told Morrissey but a moment’s research into George Martin’s career would prove such an excuse untrue.
The other is where he states that EMI Australia refused to release an album called Viva Hate and instead changed the title to Education In Reverse. In fact, it was just a mistake. Morrissey had a habit of scratching cryptic messages into the run-out grooves of his records, and that was the message in his first solo album. The factory mistook this for the title. Within weeks, the misprinted copies were withdrawn and Viva Hate was duly available in Australia as intended. It’s not as dramatic a story but it’s closer to the truth.
In the end, it doesn’t matter. This is Morrissey unfiltered. It’s his truth as he chooses to tell it. Others may tell theirs one day. Or maybe not.
Although he often portrays himself as the victim of numerous conspiracies, he mostly avoids self-justification. The one major exception to this is the section on The Smiths Trial of 1996 where former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce sued Morrissey and Marr for unpaid earnings. He presents a comprehensive rebuttal of the judge’s summing up and makes a compelling case for incompetence on the part of the judge. Again though, this is Morrissey’s side of the story and other may recall things differently.
Although his loathing of Mike Joyce is deliberately palpable, this is only expressed during the trial. During the section on The Smiths, Morrissey has nothing but praise for his former bandmate’s musicianship which suggests an objectivity that few might otherwise give the author credit for. In fact, most people who pass through his life and career are treated the same way, written of affectionately while they are working with him and disparagingly afterwards. By contrast, his musical director of 20 year, Boz Boorer is hardly mentioned and songwriting partner for the Kill Uncle album Mark E Nevin is not mentioned at all. I suspect both might be relieved by this.
Having stated early in the book that the music was always what mattered most, above all else, he ends up writing far more about his business arrangements than the creative process and we learn more about where each successive single debuted on the charts than how the song was written and recorded.
Yes, it’s a book full of foibles but anyone with even a vague awareness of Morrissey should expect that. It is a pop autobiography as unique as the artist himself and as such, it’s well worth a read even if you’re not a massive fan.
One Bear’s Opinion: Five big mugs of sweet black tea.
Sláinte,
Spencer
Thursday, January 23, 2014
One Bear's Opinion -- Hogan's Heroes Reviewed, Part 1
I was introduced to Hogan's Heroes pretty late in the game, when it aired on Nick at Nite, long after it was on network tv for its original run. But from the first episode, I was hooked! Hogan's Heroes has become my go-to fluff tv for when I need something silly, either to forget or escape from the world, or just to have some noise on in the background. It's silly, and in the way of most 60's sitcoms, good, clean fun. It's just what the doctor ordered when I need a dose of mindless escapism. Though recent information shows, it might not be as unbelievable or as ridiculous as the producers may have wanted viewers to think. New information indicates that there were real "Hogans" in POW camps in Europe in World War II. That is too cool for words. Truly.
Anyway, I have the complete series on DVD and as I watch it through again, I'm going to review the episodes.
Season 1, Episode 1 (The Informer)
This is the only Black & White episode of Hogan's Heroes and served as the pilot. Most of the regular cast is in attendance, and the basic groundwork for the series is laid. Olsen, the "outside" man is never seen again, nor is the Russian prisoner, but the basic cast is all present and accounted for.
As a pilot, it works very well, especially for a series that never really changes. It lays the general idea for the forthcoming episodes and gives some of the "behind the scenes" information on the workings of Stalag 13's "traveler's aide" that are missing from following episodes. But for the fact that this episode is in Black & White, it could have been played in any order through out the six years of the series. As with all the other episodes, save the couple that are two-parts, it can be played in any order and there is no difference. Many series have an overarching story arc that carries from one episode to the next. Hogan's Heroes is not one of those series. The characters do not significantly age, there are no real cast changes, and as much as I would have loved to see the Stalag 13 Prisoners escape or the War end, there is nothing that really differentiates a Season 1 episode from a Season 6 episode. Each season is just a collection of self-contained half-hour episodes. Heck, it almost never changes seasons!
The Pilot is one of my favorite episodes, but only because it shows the underground operation a bit better than the others. Truly, as far as Hogan's Heroes goes, if you have seen one episode, you have seen them all. There is no need to start with the Pilot and work your way through. It is possible to pick it up at any point in the series.
Season 1, Episode 2 (Hold That Tiger)
This episode, and the all the following ones are in color and the regular cast is present and set. This episode introduces a recurring French underground agent, Tiger, whose name I am not entirely sure is not a play on the plot to steal a German Tiger Tank. In truth, I am not sure that Tiger was not intended to be a one-time character, used only for this episode.
The episode does lay out how well Hogan and his men have the German guards under their control. The most interesting part of this episode is that Colonel Klink suspects Hogan of something, while in others he is sure there is no way Hogan can have any part in the sabotage. Klink often waffles back and forth on believing Hogan and his men capable of the sabotage and suspecting they had a hand in it. Perhaps it's much like Sergeant Schultz, if he admits he knows, he must do something about that knowledge, and doing something with that knowledge will only serve to ensure he is sent for a nice long trip to the Russian Front.
Going into each episode, it is known from the beginning that Hogan's men will triumph over the Germans, so there is no real worry about Hogan's men., but it's still fun to watch how the sabotage is carried out and which of the Germans looks the most foolish. Klink is sometimes the fool, but Shultz almost never is. I think Hogan and his men need Schultz on their side too much to make too big a fool of him. This is one of the episodes where Klink ends up looking foolish and knows it, but he is also sure Hogan had a hand in it.
More to come as I work my way through the series. If you haven't checked out Hogan's Heroes yet, do so when you can. It's well worth the 22 minutes for an episode on DVD, or the half hour on a syndicated episode on live tv. And as a bonus, you'll get a lot of references in other shows. I have lost count how many references there are to Hogan's Heroes in more contemporary productions. It's definitely one of those "Ohh, so that's where that came from!" shows.
Happy Watching Everyone,
Oliver
Anyway, I have the complete series on DVD and as I watch it through again, I'm going to review the episodes.
Season 1, Episode 1 (The Informer)
This is the only Black & White episode of Hogan's Heroes and served as the pilot. Most of the regular cast is in attendance, and the basic groundwork for the series is laid. Olsen, the "outside" man is never seen again, nor is the Russian prisoner, but the basic cast is all present and accounted for.
As a pilot, it works very well, especially for a series that never really changes. It lays the general idea for the forthcoming episodes and gives some of the "behind the scenes" information on the workings of Stalag 13's "traveler's aide" that are missing from following episodes. But for the fact that this episode is in Black & White, it could have been played in any order through out the six years of the series. As with all the other episodes, save the couple that are two-parts, it can be played in any order and there is no difference. Many series have an overarching story arc that carries from one episode to the next. Hogan's Heroes is not one of those series. The characters do not significantly age, there are no real cast changes, and as much as I would have loved to see the Stalag 13 Prisoners escape or the War end, there is nothing that really differentiates a Season 1 episode from a Season 6 episode. Each season is just a collection of self-contained half-hour episodes. Heck, it almost never changes seasons!
The Pilot is one of my favorite episodes, but only because it shows the underground operation a bit better than the others. Truly, as far as Hogan's Heroes goes, if you have seen one episode, you have seen them all. There is no need to start with the Pilot and work your way through. It is possible to pick it up at any point in the series.
Season 1, Episode 2 (Hold That Tiger)
This episode, and the all the following ones are in color and the regular cast is present and set. This episode introduces a recurring French underground agent, Tiger, whose name I am not entirely sure is not a play on the plot to steal a German Tiger Tank. In truth, I am not sure that Tiger was not intended to be a one-time character, used only for this episode.
The episode does lay out how well Hogan and his men have the German guards under their control. The most interesting part of this episode is that Colonel Klink suspects Hogan of something, while in others he is sure there is no way Hogan can have any part in the sabotage. Klink often waffles back and forth on believing Hogan and his men capable of the sabotage and suspecting they had a hand in it. Perhaps it's much like Sergeant Schultz, if he admits he knows, he must do something about that knowledge, and doing something with that knowledge will only serve to ensure he is sent for a nice long trip to the Russian Front.
Going into each episode, it is known from the beginning that Hogan's men will triumph over the Germans, so there is no real worry about Hogan's men., but it's still fun to watch how the sabotage is carried out and which of the Germans looks the most foolish. Klink is sometimes the fool, but Shultz almost never is. I think Hogan and his men need Schultz on their side too much to make too big a fool of him. This is one of the episodes where Klink ends up looking foolish and knows it, but he is also sure Hogan had a hand in it.
More to come as I work my way through the series. If you haven't checked out Hogan's Heroes yet, do so when you can. It's well worth the 22 minutes for an episode on DVD, or the half hour on a syndicated episode on live tv. And as a bonus, you'll get a lot of references in other shows. I have lost count how many references there are to Hogan's Heroes in more contemporary productions. It's definitely one of those "Ohh, so that's where that came from!" shows.
Happy Watching Everyone,
Oliver
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