Book: Tress of the Emerald Sea, Brandon Sanderson

Tress is proof that we don't need big. A wonderful story that is as dense as it is breezy, this, for me, was the perfect antidote to the sheer exhaustion from binging everything published in the Cosmere to date.

It's as dense as it was whimsical, as pacey as it was deep, and as funny as it was significant. As a Cosmere story it moved the world on tremendously, it didn't hold back and was generous in all that it gave.

Technically it was a wonderful book too, albeit with a bit of laboured characterisation. Everything was so smooth, so fluid, that it was a distinct pleasure to read.

Definitely recommended and a hope for the Cosmere going forward. Speaking of which, seeing as I've finally caught up with the lore it'll be a while before I return to this particular universe.

Film: John Wick: Chapter 4

More of the same doesn't have to be a bad thing, especially with the tuned and concise film-making presented to us by John Wick. Some might say that Chapters 2 and 3 started getting bloated, but I thought they were okay at the time.

It's only coming to Chapter 4 that you can begin to see the trajectory of the franchise over the decade or so that it's been with us. It's now middle ages, a bit pudgy around the middle and get confused sometimes. It's still good, somewhat mature... but also not as quick as it used to be.

What is good is great, but it's way too long with obvious cuts that could have been made. Some characters and arcs seem wholly superfluous in fact. One can hope that this is the peak of escalation that results in such fat, but I'd be happy to take the termination of the series as an alternative. Some things just get ruined in the chase for bigger and better, and JW is way too good to go down that road.

Film: Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Maybe I'm just getting old, but these days all I'm really looking for in a movie is a solid production, a decent plot and zero overreach. And I'm glad to say that Shazam 2 (because who likes subtitles anyway) does exactly what it was supposed to do.

I can't say it's an original film, but in a world of Marvel-saturation, going back to the basics turned out to be quite the novel move. The acting was fine, the film was fun, and the superhero antics more than adequate. If this is what the new DCEU is going to be like going forward, then I'm all for it.

Film: Creed III

It goes to show how many legs the Rocky films had, given how Creed (the franchise) seems tired and running out of steam by the third. The film was equally convenient and implausible, both made all the worse by its rushed pacing. It laboured emotional themes, which also isn't necessarily a problem except when the emotions feel so cartoony.

There was some interesting bits - the fights were novel enough to be enjoyable, and the experimentation with their visuals paid off. There were only three though, with the final one not even being the better of them.

It was a decent jaunt I suppose... just not the knockout I wanted it to be. Disappointing.

Book: The Lost Metal, Brandon Sanderson

Maybe it's overexposure (whether that's for me to the books or the books to everyone I'm not sure) but The Lost Metal just didn't feel like a great book. It was very perfunctory, with a plot that had few twists or excitement as a result. What it did give instead is a shed load of Cosmere.

So fanservice then? I prefer "bridging", in that - finally - we have some explicit references to the Cosmere, World Hopping, Investiture and it's various forms and manifestations and how all the various geography of the Cosmere may fit together. Plenty has been left for the future, but as a start this makes TLM a pretty essential part of the wider series as a whole.

It also marks the last in Era 2 of Mistborn, and as a conclusion it was okay. It could certainly have been much worse. Either way the book was short (well at least compared to the more recent Stormlight novels) so however flat the substance of the book was it wasn't much to suffer from.

Otherwise everything else is as you'd expect by now - TLM was well written, never fatally boring and gave enough to keep me going to the end.

Film: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

I suppose the curse of having such a great formula (as the MCU does), is that eventually we become desensitised to it. Quantumania isn's a bad film. It's not great either. It just exists... which might be topical given the subject matter (but probably isn't).

If that opening is confusing and nonsense, then I'm glad because it sets the tone for the film I'm trying to write about. Why is the quantum realm so... populated? And that with generic alien type beings? Why is the leaping into such a pivotal part of the next arc of the MCU so... bland? Why does this film even exist?

My immediate thought after watching the movie was: "this really is a MCU movie", such was the identikit feel of it all. Haven't we been here before? But again, maybe that was all part of the satire.

I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either, which is actually more irritating than it sounds. I won't recommend it then, but I guess you already know if you're going to watch it anyway.

Food: Thai and Pie

Holy fusion Batman! Okay technically this wasn't really a fusion place, although perhaps still novel. The pitch is that while the grown ups attend for an adult Thai meal, there is enough on the menu to placate the fussy kids - burgers, chicken and of course, pie. Pretty clever, I guess? Except four out of the five of us last night ordered pies. So consider this review incomplete, I suppose.

The pies were alright. Maybe it's difficult to get pies wrong? That said my chicken and beans with spicy curry and melted cheese was as eclectic as it could get, with my colleagues' more traditional chicken and mushroom pies being solid picks too. In hindsight I should have gone for the lamb, so perhaps a return visit is in order (spoilers).

The bite I had of the remaining green curry and egg fried rice were equally solid, with all accompaniments also doing their part. The place was empty when we ate (late) but I can imagine the family friendly atmosphere and patient service. The bill came to just under £15 per head, which felt a little on the pricey side but not enough to irritate.

I rather liked Thai and Pie. It was a no frills, but not disappointing, experience which sits at an interesting location in Chadwell Heath. I do see myself visiting again during a future occasion where we don't want to travel or spend too much time thinking about what to eat.

Food: Jacuzzi

I'm known to have some pretty strong opinions on... well everything really. I prefer "robust and rigorous" myself, and make no apology for caring enough about the world to really decide how I feel about something. And one of the things I don't really care for is food. More specifically: expensive, opulent and aesthetic food, of the type seemingly created especially for the 'gram.

So I was pretty ambivalent about our booking at Jacuzzi tonight. Apparently it was the latest from someone or thing called "Big Momma" which was supposed to mean something to me. All I knew was that it was Italian and hip.

But as strong as my opinions get, I'm equally able to identify the exceptions and cases where my opinions fall short - and I'm happy to say that Jacuzzi is such an exception. The food in this place was good. Like, really good.

I could tell you about the Endive or the focaccia to start, but my limited understanding of food means I'd just say they were a bloody good salad and bread. Similarly the pastas and pizza we shared for the mains were just great, yet very classy, comfort food. We were well stuffed and satisfied by the end, and that was even before we received the apple torta for dessert.

The place itself was fancy and pompous, but the quality and enjoyment of the food more than made up for that. It did have a fair few couples there tonight but I wouldn't necessarily clock is as a necessarily romantic place. What was lacking was the service which was surprising in a place like this. Everyone seemed polite but there just wasn't the care such a place promises to offer. However what was equally surprising was the bill at the end - £35 per head seemed like a crazy bargain, and I had to check the bill a couple of times to make sure nothing had bee left off. I can only imagine the food is subsidised by drink the other tables were ordering.

So yeah, colour me pleasantly surprised - Jacuzzi is a place I recommend and would even try again, and I really don't mind admitting that.

Film: Knock at the Cabin

If anything encapsulates the phrase "glutton for punishment" it's watching a Shyamalan film expecting something, well, good. Is that unfair? I think it is. I have liked some of his films. I think I have have disliked more though.

But I'm here to tell you about Cabin, not Shyamalan. I think the main problem I had with the film was how it was built like a tv show - this would have made a pretty interesting four-parter actually. The acting was good, with Bautista playing a great friendly giant and some amazing child acting from Kristen Cui. The pacing was pretty decent too, with the 100 mins or so of runtime breezing by.

I suppose that leaves the plot and it's probably here that the film failed. Largely predictable from the opening conceit, there were no real surprises here, and no real reason to keep watching.

My feelings about the film have gotten worse after having digested it, so sadly no, there'll be no recommendation here.

Book: Rhythm of War, Brandon Sanderson

The first, and possibly only, striking thing about Rhythm of War is just how big it is. The Stormlight Chronicles have always been the more grown up books of The Cosmere, but this was quite the slog.

And I feel that the book suffered for it, if only because it had the effect of diluting the significant plot developments and set pieces which would have otherwise stood out in a slimmer tome.

I'd like to say that the quality of the writing hadn't suffered either... but I noticed a significant change in flow here, a sense that a lot of the prose was just churned out. This made the book not as special as the others, and just normal.

Of course we don't read these books in isolation: finally it seems that the Cosmere has fully spilled over and even my amateur eyes spotted numerous crossing overs. This alone made the book exciting and compelling enough to bear with it's glacial pacing.

It's hard not to recommend RoW, essential as it is. I just hope it's the peak of Cosmere book word counts, and we return to the more pure and to the point approach enjoyed previously.

Film: Plane

Yes, your first instinct is correct and you know exactly what there is to find in Gerard Butler's latest.

The only real surprise is how they manage to squeeze such a solid movie into the 100 minutes or so. That said, now that I think about it, not much actually happens in it's well delineated three act.

This may all sound like negative things, but the truth is that Plane is so unassuming, so straightforward, that it doesn't actually disappoint. It's like comfort food, or a well worn pair of jeans.

And of course Gerard is great in it too, so this definitely comes recommended... although perhaps you don't need to go to the cinema to watch it.

Film: Pathaan

I guess it was too much to ask for. SRK and Padukone in the same film? A political spy thriller? Surely this would bring us back to the second (or was it the third?) golden age of Bollywood - these guys weren't about to put their names against a turkey now right?

Wrong. Pathaan stunk. Part of the YRF Spy Universe (which I hadn't had heard of till today which shows how out of touch I am) means that there are more of these, and I'm grateful to now know which films to avoid.

Bad plot, bad acting, bad CGI (including - get this - pasted on abs) are all well and present. Even the promise of Deepika playing a Pakistani spy wasn't enough for me - and that's something I am truly surprised about. Even the audience's whoops were deflated and deflating.

I dunno. Maybe it's not the film. Maybe it's me and I'm just too old for this now. Which is actually funny for those who bothered to stay after the credits for the stinger. I'd suggest not watching it in the first place.

Film: M3GAN

First things first I guess: M3GAN is not the millennial's answer to Chucky, even though I admit that that is what I was expecting. No, M3GAN manages to make the creepy toy genre it's own, and amazingly manages to inject some new things into the mix.

That's not to say this was a great film. Neither was it bad. It was passable and although I don't regret spending the time to watch it, I don't think I'd watch it again, nor have missed anything if I didn't the first time.

I suppose really it was all very predictable and not as clever as its antagonist. In a world of AI and robotics it might be a bit of a reminder-slash-warning about the future to come but it's also slapstick enough for that message not to be taken seriously. That's actually a bit of a shame.

Otherwise it was well built, with props to M3GAN herself (and that dance). Not quite a recommendation though, unless you already know what you're getting yourself into.

Buffy Revamped

Any trepidation I had about booking this show blind quickly evaporated before the show had even begun. Wilton's Music Hall itself was a lovely venue - well, as lovely as a gentrified grade II listed music hall can be. The set was simple but told a lot - that this was going to be something simple, clever and very funny.

And that's pretty much what we got. As much as I love Buffy (and the TV show), there are tons of flaws, in jokes and observations my friends and I have made over the years, and this show was just about calling all these things out while still giving us the fan service we came from. And given the one man show format, this was as close to satirical Buffy stand up as we were going to get.

Brendan Murphy is a talent and a genius, and pulled off quite the feat - although, fine, he didn't cover all episodes in all seven seasons but the strokes were more than broad enough.

Simple, clever and funny, I very much recommend Buffy Revamped - although perhaps not to those who aren't familiar with the show. It truly was the compliment to the Buffy meetup late last year that I didn't think I needed.

Food: Laurel House

It's not often I visit St Albans for... well anything let alone food. But given the location of the rest of the dinner party it made more sense to pick that as a dining spot than a more neutral midpoint like Harrow or the like. And so I went.

Now I'm not about to claim that Laurel House is worth leaving London for, but given the circumstances it was actually quite the solid choice. I went for the Classic Burger as the "Special Hunger Buster" seemed a little too much. It wasn't bad, but I already forget how it actually was which I suppose makes the food here a little unexciting. On the other hand it wasn't memorable for the wrong reasons either so there is that.

Laurel House is managed by a friendly Algerian chap who gave us the kind of care and attention you want from an small and intimate place like this - perhaps a little too intimate however as we only came across three other customers during our time there which we found odd.

Still at £15 per head including drinks (the meals all came with a side) there really was little to complain about with Laurel House. I'd definitely visit again given the chance... but then how often does one need to go to St Albans really?

Umrah 2022

Every time I visit the holy cities I convince myself it'll be my last.

Each time the reasons vary, but it almost always has to do with the change. In that sense having been blessed to have visited as frequently as I have can be a bit of a curse. That said, I do think part of the problem is how precious some can get about visiting.

It's becoming a bit of a Disneyland. Pilgrims on Facebook or Instagram live while on their tawafs, expert dua poses for the hero selfies. Dawdling and gossiping to whittle away the time. It's not as much sad as frustrating.

The four-plus-four days were just about enough for me, although one of the days in Makkah was spent visiting Taif - a first for us with our shiny new tourist visas (spoiler: it wasn't worth the wait, but at least it let us do another Umrah). We are still yet to use the inter city train - the maths just don't work for us once you consider the numbers and convenience of door to door service.

The post COVID crowd management is a mixed blessing. Makkah seems artificially busy, with only pilgrims (or technically those dressed as pilgrims) were allowed into the mataaf. Madinah did it right though - finally introducing a queue for salutations to the Prophet and a quite nifty and well organised booking system for a slot in the Riaz ul Jannah.

We managed to do everything we wanted to this trip, although for us that doesn't mean much. As a bonus we had a World Cup to watch during the evenings which was fun - particularly as a well supported Morocco over-performed. Flying Qatar Airways back ensured we watched the final in the air which was a sweet bonus.

So yeah, a pretty standard trip and optimised to the hilt. I can of course imagine going back as the frustration is forgotten, but I suspect the key is to go for even shorter periods of time and get out before it all becomes too much.

Food: Cristina's Steak

As halal places proliferate and up their game for a fussy audience, I've actually started to enjoy well cooked meat. Having recently come back from having eaten a rather good steak (by my reckoning anyway), I went for a burger tonight at Cristina's in Barking. Specifically, "the mess" which was as delightfully challenging as it sounds.

It was basically a cheeseburger on drugs, with added mac n cheese and smoked brisket. Of course, it fell apart just by looking at it but that was partly the point I suppose.

As a novelty then my food got full marks. However I can't say I was fully satiated by the end of the meal - perhaps it was the amount of food that was lacking, or the quality, but I was left wanting slightly more.

At over £15 per head it wasnt the cheapest of meals but the place was really nice, and the service more than enough to compensate. Awkward parking didn't help with the overall experience however, which is a shame because in total Cristina's just had too much going against it to warrant a return visit.

Food: Toro's Steakhouse

I've never really considered myself a steak person. This is after even having had prime Argentinean steak in Buenos Aires which was... okay I guess? Nevertheless I wasn't too upset as we entered our random place to eat today - how bad could it be?

Well it turns out that it can actually be rather good. We went large and for one of the most expensive steaks on the menu (which actually wasn't too spendy) and quite frankly I wasn't disappointed. Soft, succulent and marinated in a way that didn't get in the way of the natural flavour, it hit all the right spots.

And at around £23 per head including sides and a drink, it didn't really hurt the wallet either. We'll definitely be coming back to this place.

Film: The Menu

Going in blind, The Menu served up a really good, surprising treat[1]. I had an inkling about what it was all about, but the primary reason I wanted to watch this film was because of the anti-foodie position it promised me. It didn't disappoint on that level, and even went quite a bit further.

The threesome of Fiennes, Tayloy-Joy and Hoult were a joy to watch, and although the overarching plot was thin, there was enough progression and development to keep things interesting.

Otherwise it was well filmed, well scripted and well produced movie that deserves attention either at the cinema or at home. Recommended.

[1] Pun intended.

Film: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Wakanda Forever was okay. It had the right ingredients - decent action, an okay plot, some above par character development for a film of this genre. The main theme was that of death - with the cynical side of me feeling it was a bit too laboured - but ultimately this was a film with the good guys and the villains.

It could easily have passed as a non MCU film - indeed there were not many stingers or foreshadowing of a larger scope here. As such it shed some of the burden other MCU films find themselves carrying and was better for it.

So perhaps not quite a full recommendation and yet not a condemnation either. It was simply... okay.

Film: Black Adam

Ooof. As much of a Dwayne Johnson fanboi I am, even he couldn't save this mess of a film. Weak plots and bad acting in a comic book film can be forgiven and even expected, but this was bad for its own reasons.

If anything there was just too much. Too much action, too many fights (some repeated), too much talking, too many twists. It felt like it was made for the sake of it, as if The Rock himself was in the cutting room glaring at anyone who hoped to make this a better movie by cutting out the fat.

There's some redeeming features I guess, but in this day and age that's just not enough. If you have to watch this, then wait for it to come at home, fast forward button at your fingertips.

Return To The Hellmouth: The Big Buffy Meetup

I'm not a Buffy fan. Despite ranking it as one of my favourite shows, skipping countless parties and social events during university to get home in time on a Thursday night, and being able to reel off quotes and plotlines on tap... I'm not a Buffy fan.

In many ways this could be seen as deflating. But no, I still had fun this balmy Saturday night at the Mockingbird cinema in Birmingham where a bunch of real Buffy fans congregated to celebrate 25 years of the TV show. Jeez, we're old. Still given the week I've had, I think my nerd credentials are still pretty good.

These real fans dressed up (although I was quite proud of my Sunnydale High t-shirt), knew all the words to the songs - and choreography - from "Once More With Feeling" and got more than a single question right during the Buffy trivia quiz. No, I'm no fan.

It was wonderful being with real fans though - real fandom being entertaining to watch, especially when you can partly relate to the source of that fanatical love. It was fun to see the karaoke, the drunken dancing, the pre-empting of script during the three episodes screened on the big screen. Tonight I realised how much Spike was loved and Dawn hated, and exactly how queer Buffy fans can be.

It was a great night, full of nostalgia and another reminder of how quickly time has passed. For me Buffy still holds up, and I left tempted to rewatch the show again - and who knows maybe this time I can actually become a real Buffy fan.

The episodes screened tonight were:

S3E16 - Doppelgängland

S6E07 - Once More, With Feeling 

S6E8 - Tabula Rasa

Back to the Future The Musical

A stage production for what I've accepted to be my favourite film of all time was never going to disappoint. I can say that, even after concluding that it wasn't the best show I've seen. That is the power of nostalgia and genuine 80s quality.

To be honest I didn't even know that this was going to be a musical - I expected songs from the movie OST of course, but nothing original. In many ways it was the songs that dragged the show - a result of my bias, I'm sure - and a lot of them seemed to have just been superfluous filler. Otherwise everything was spot on - the acting, singing and dancing made me want to join in (as all good musicals should) although while the production values were top notch, I did feel the show relied on video a tad too much - but that was more due to the nature of the story than lazy design. It almost felt like I was watching the original cast at times.

Being a stage production, some things had to go and other things were added. Some hit, and some missed and it made me genuinely sad that one of my favourite scenes was binned. By the end of the show I couldn't decide if my love for the movie enhanced or detracted from my appreciation of the show, but considering I'm still smiling I suspect it's the latter.

So definitely one for the fans, and perhaps for those new to the franchise given how the kid sitting in front of me reacted to the twists and turns. Recommended.

Book: Dawnshard, Brandon Sanderson

Dawnshard seems far more significant to the Cosmere than it should be, considering it's actually a "novella". At 150 odd pages its a quick, yet dense, read, and in many ways raises more questions than it answers. That's not to say that anything in the Cosmere is irrelevant, it's more a warning that one shouldn't underestimate this book.

Everything else remains standard Cosmere fare: the novella is well written, the action dramatic, the progress generous and the plot tantalising (which isn't necessarily great for those of us who need answers). It's vital in both the Stormlight Archive and wider Cosmere, which I suspect will be par for the course going forward.

Film: Bullet Train

There's something valuable about a film with a focused remit. That's not to say that Bullet Train was focused - if anything it was a bit of a mess and I loved it.

The star of the show was easily Brad Pitt. I'd even suggest the film wouldn't have been half as good without him. Otherwise it was simple, not overly ambitious (in a good way) and funny with a decently layered whodunit plot. Oh and the action was on par too.

Easily one of the best films I've seen this year and I can't wait to watch it again once it's available for home viewing. Recommended

Eighteen

To be fair I have managed to generate a bit of content on these pages since last year's anniversary, which vindicates the theory that it was the pandemic to blame for the drought over the last couple of years.

Of course on the other hand barring a few exceptions I have reverted to the age old movies-books-and-travel tradition. This is a shame since I actually do have a lot to say - I'm just saying it to friends and in person. I suspect it's because these exchanges bring more value rather than laziness - if anything having the same conversation multiple times can be exhausting too.

But here we are, creeping ever closer to the two decade mark. Who knew this thing had legs (even though it is a bit of a limp)?

Film: Nope

Although Nope is the weakest of his first three films, there's no doubt that Jordan Peele knows how to make a movie. Like Get Out and Us, Nope has three perfectly weighted and approachable acts, and a tempo that both entertains and pays off at the end. It's a testament to both how easy and difficult it is to make a good film. It's Shyamalan done right.

That's not to say this was my favourite film ever. The acting was adequate, and although other parts of the production were fine, I had problems picking out parts of the dialogue (my own biases notwithstanding).

But overall Nope was a decent romp, and example of how to literally stick to the script. Recommended.

Food: Every Fish Bar

I've been wanting to try this place since reading about it here, and it just so happened that a close friend lives around the corner, giving me the excuse to both visit him and, hopefully, enjoy a decent fish and chips.

Quite frankly... it was just fish and chips. It wasn't the most memorable of meals, but it most certainly wasn't the worst and given how often I've visited below par chippys that alone brings value to the place.

Reasonably priced, clean and with great service there's no reason to avoid Every Fish when you fancy a solid fish and chips - just don't go out of your way to visit.

Film: Thor: Love and Thunder

As the MCU becomes ever more diluted and prolific, as does the specialness of each movie that's released. So while Love and Thunder isn't a bad film per se... neither does it bring anything new to the series as a whole.

It's a very light-hearted affair, despite the stakes. Shallow even. But ultimately it does the job as the fourth in a long lasting sub series, providing a few cute moments and jokes along the way.

Nandita Das in Conversation

An impromptu invitation brought some friends and me to the Cine Lumiere in Kensington for an evening with the illustrious Nandita Das.

Das spoke about her life as an actor, director and producer, as well as as a mother and Indian. It was a pleasure just hearing her speak, with her calm and concise demeanour making it easy to scratch well beneath the surface.

What was less impressive, as always, was the Q&A afterwards, with the majority of contributors choosing to hear their own voice rather than that of the guest. Some things never change.

I was pleasantly surprised by the wisdom and wit offered by the "Bollywood star", and it was a throwback to the the talks we used to attend back in my 20s - honest, clever and extremely valuable.