Category: FILM BUFF

Get 4 FREE Books!

(This offer is closed, but this page is retained for historical purposes)

Get any 4 of my eBooks FREE! (Ends midnight 1 Feb 2017 EST) – 

Here is what you do to claim your reward:

Buy the paperback or eBook online at Amazon before 1 Feb. Then go to my Facebook page and post a selfie of you with the book and the title “I bought December Radio” (or message me on your Instagram or twitter page – my social links are on the right margin of this page). Or Email a copy of the receipt: lazloferran@gmail.com. Don’t forget to include your choice of reward.

Continue reading “Get 4 FREE Books!”

Clinton wants to stop N. Korea, Trump to encourage them!

First of all, let me send out my heartfelt thoughts for the families of those lost in the Orlando, Florida bombing, and the singer killed last week. That said, America faces deep questions about weapons control, and not just the small arms variety.

With the outcome of the Briexit ‘in or out’ Referendum looking so close, that the result will probably be stalemate, eyes (especially mine) are looking to the USA for lively and meaningful debate. With Hillary’s nomination in the bag at the end of last week, Donald Trump issued a  warming that he would dish the dirt on the Clintons early this week. He should be careful. The Clintons probably are spectacularly rich, but Bill Clinton has earned more money for charity (The Clinton Foundation ) that any individual in history. Apart from calling the kettle black, can Trump say the same? Or anything like it? Any hint of corruption in his  life (and I bet there is much of it) and he will be hoisted by his own petard, as we say in the UK.

But the issue of the week is weapons. America must get its own gun-control laws in order, and quickly. Hillary has vowed to do it, if she wins. Trump just seems to be interested in making political capital  out of any and all situations. He will try to make capital out of the Florida bombing and shooting if he can, but it doesn’t stop there. He is also interested in making friends of violent regimes around the world. Continue reading “Clinton wants to stop N. Korea, Trump to encourage them!”

Movie Review by Lazlo Ferran: Oblivion, 2013

Oblivion movie still of the Sky Tower
Oblivion movie still of the Sky Tower

What more can be said of Tom Cruise in sci-fi roles? He always seems to deliver, so I was expecting something a bit special when I sat down to watch Oblivion last week.

Things were looking good after half an hour; great sets, great scenery and great special effects. Cruise was, as usual, dry in his delivery of Jack’s lines and held my attention.

But then I noticed something odd; Andrea Risborough, as Jack’s girlfriend and teammate Victoria, was acting badly. I thought, ‘Oh yeah, she must be an android and this will all be explained properly later,’ but no, the further into the movie I got, the more it became apparent that Victoria was human, and therefore badly portrayed. I am not saying Risborough can’t act, but she must have been at least badly cast here. It makes all the scenes with Cruise wooden and the love-making scene was just embarrassing. Continue reading “Movie Review by Lazlo Ferran: Oblivion, 2013”

RESULTS: VOTE FOR YOUR MOVIE TURKEY!

Jupiter AscendingThe votes are in on your worst Movie Turkey!

It’s been an interesting vote. Obviously more people have seen Jupiter Ascending than I thought! And I am obviously not the only one who thinks The Hobbit Trilogy is bad. So here we go with the top 3:

Tying in 1st Place with 5 Votes: Jupiter Ascending

There is not a lot of trivia I can give about this film but here goes! The Wachowski siblings second film that Natalie Portman dropped out of, following Cloud Atlas (2012). Continue reading “RESULTS: VOTE FOR YOUR MOVIE TURKEY!”

It’s New Year: Vote for your Movie Turkey!

At the Earth's Core
At the Earth’s Core

Okay all the nominations are in so its time to vote! Thank god there haven’t (so far) been any remakes of these movies!

The nominations are described in more detail 2 posts further down the page.

You have 6 votes per person. Please give 3 votes to your favourite (click the yellow ‘Vote’ button between each vote), 2 votes to your second favourite (click the yellow ‘Vote’ button between each vote) and 1 vote to your third favourite. Click ‘View Results’ if you want to see how the vote is going. Everyone should be able to vote, no matter what your browser.

Voting closes Sunday 10th January at midnight GMT. Continue reading “It’s New Year: Vote for your Movie Turkey!”

It’s Christmas: Nominate your Movie Turkey!

At the Earth's Core
At the Earth’s Core

It wouldn’t be Christmas without turkey and if indigestion hasn’t already set in, maybe there’s space for a bit more? What is your top nomination for movie Turkeys? It doesn’t have to be a Christmas movie but just one so bad that you either reach for the remote or fall asleep.

How to spot a Turkey Movie

Turkey movies can be hard to pick out: you often don’t remember their names or who’s in them. But of course if its a sequel or a remake it has a very good chance of being a Turkey! Some movies are so bad they are actually fun and good for a few laughs. These aren’t those movies. Continue reading “It’s Christmas: Nominate your Movie Turkey!”

Review: The Blue Max

The Blue Max - 1966
The Blue Max – 1966

The 1966 movie, The Blue Max, stands out in my mind as the only movie I can think of without a hero.

I watched The Blue Max last week (okay I admit it, I have it on DVD). I am a huge fan of aviation films and this one is all about a German Air Force pilot in World War I. Skip the bits about aircraft if that is not your thing but that’s not really the primary point of this film.

Briefly, Bruno Stachel is an infantry corporal in the trenches. From a working-class background, he nevertheless longs for the noble arena of death in the skies and enlists in the German Air Force. He proves a talented pilot but his new squadron of officers, enlisted from the ruling classes, do not accept his ambitious ruthlessness. They have a strict code of conduct, which he breaks in many ways, including bedding the top-scoring Willi’s aunt and lover, the Countess Kaeti. Willi’s nobility, until now, has extended to taking Stachel under his wing but now the gloves are off and the two duel for supremacy in the skies and in bed. Continue reading “Review: The Blue Max”

Poll: Which is the best Scifi Vehicle Ever?

Elevator vehicle under Fireflash from Thunderbirds
Elevator vehicle under Fireflash from Thunderbirds

Another great vote this week; which is the best scifi vehicle of all time?

The choice is HUGE but below are just a few suggestions to get you started. Please nominate your favourites by commenting here or tweet me @Lazlo_F or message me on Facebook. The nomination deadline will be 22 June at 5pm. Then we will vote!

Ein weiterer großer Stimme in dieser Woche; Welches ist das beste SciFi Fahrzeug aller Zeiten?

Die Auswahl ist riesig Gewinn Hier sind nur ein paar Vorschläge, um Ihnen den Einstieg. Bitte benennen Sie Ihre Favoriten von hier zu kommentieren oder tweet ich Lazlo_F gold Nachricht auf mich Facebook. Der Nominierungsfrist wird am 22. Juni 17.00 Uhr sein. Dann werden wir abstimmen! Continue reading “Poll: Which is the best Scifi Vehicle Ever?”

Should a hero be a Brando or a Martin Freeman?

Marlon Brando in The Young Lions
Marlon Brando in The Young Lions

Superhero or Everyman?

I woke up this morning wondering what to blog about and I decided the best post would be about the subject of my pondering at the moment; what makes a good hero?

Everyone (well, in the West anyway) will know who Marlon Brando is, possibly the greatest and certainly one of the greatest actors of all time. Martin Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins in the recent Hobbit films.

I am as big a fan of Bilbo as anybody, and nobody can deny Bilbo is the hero of The Hobbit. What is more, he is an ‘everyman.’ What that means is that everyone can identify with his situation because he is just a normal guy. Brando, on the other hand, rarely plays normal guys; from The Wild One to Superman and Apocalypse Now, nearly all his characters are superhuman or out-and-out rebels; men on the edge of society. Continue reading “Should a hero be a Brando or a Martin Freeman?”

Poll Results: Which is the Best Robot in Scifi?

If you voted on the Best Robot in Scifi or are just passing by, below you will find the winner. Make sure to leave you comments; whether you agree or disagree.

Rachael Tyrell from Blade RunnerRachaell Tyrell from Blade Runner
Rachael Tyrell from Blade Runner

Results of Best Robot in Scifi poll

1. Rachael – Blade Runner (Movie Blade Runner) played by Sean Young

2. R2D2 – (Movie Star Wars), T000 – (Movie Terminator 2 – Judgement Day) played by Robert Patrick, Ash – (Movie Alien) played by Ian Holm and Roy Batty (Movie Blade Runner) Played by Rutger Hauer, all tie for second.

Interesting facts about Rachael’s part: Continue reading “Poll Results: Which is the Best Robot in Scifi?”