A Monday Update

Jo is working today because her boss was curling in a competition on the mainland over the weekend so she said she'd work today. Monday is a short day so I'll go get her around 3ish. The Blue Jays spring training game just finished so I've time for a quick update before I do a few chores.

Just Finished

I completed 2 books since my last update.

1. An Amateur Corpse by Simon Brett (Charles Paris #4 / 1978). Brett is my March focus author. I hope to read 3 or 4 of his mysteries.

"An Amateur Corpse is the 4th book in the Charles Paris mystery series by English author Simon Brett, one of 3 of his mystery series that I'm enjoying. Charles Paris is a struggling actor who gets involved in mysteries in each story. Simple, eh? Yup.

In this story, Charles is helping his best friend Hugo Mecken. Hugo is an ad executive who has provided Charles with an excellent opportunity to get into voice work. As a result Charles agreed to act as a critic for the Back Stager's production of The Seagull. The Back Stagers are an amateur troupe who present works and it so happens that Hugo's wife, Charlotte had the lead role.

Unfortunately, Charlotte, who is one of the few actual talents in the play, will end up murdered and Hugo will be arrested and also will confess to the murder. Relations between the two have been tense and Hugo has been drinking himself senseless. While Hugo can't actually remember committing the act, he figures he probably did and in any event doesn't actually care.

Charles doubts his friend's guilt and that is the crux of the story, as he conducts his own investigation, comes up with various suspects and ultimately... (well, I won't tell you if he actually solves it. I wouldn't want to ruin your reading fun)

It's an interesting series as it combines murder mysteries, with a behind the scenes look at the acting industry (in Great Britain) and the struggles of people to get into it. Paris has struggled for years, has ruined a marriage, is a bit of a drunk, and makes an interesting detective. His friend, Gerald, an entertainment lawyer, usually comes along for the ride and in this case represents Hugo. The rest of the cast are the actors in the Back Stager's troupe, all different and all possible suspects. 

An enjoyable read as always. I plan to explore Brett's other series this month and hope to read at least one more Paris as well. We'll see. Check them out. (3.5 stars)"

2. Saga, Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan (2016). One of my favorite graphic novel series.

"Saga, Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan is, of course, the sixth volume in the Saga....er.... saga? It consists of Chapters 31 - 36 in this entertaining outer space adventure series. 

Hazel, the daughter of warring space tribes, is now growing up, maybe 6ish and is a prisoner, along with her grand mother on the planet of Landfall, her mother's home planet. Mother and Dad have been reunited and are searching for Hazel. Two reporters are out on the hunt for the two, Mom a female soldier from Landfall and Dad a fighter from Wreath. (Hazel is their love child). Prince Robot IV, now a simple civilian is hiding out with his son. Mom and Dad of Hazel think he can help them get Hazel back. Oh yes, there's also a bounty hunter out there, seeking revenge because his girl friend was killed by Mom and Dad.

So the story wanders between the various groupings. There is lots of new info. There are reconciliations, new alliances and lots of action... It's an excellent story, just like the others, page turners as they are called. Great artwork. Great characters and lots of fun. I'm currently waiting for Volume 7 to arrive. If you like Sci Fi, you really should check the series out. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Murder in the Museum by Simon Brett (Fethering #4 / 2003)

"Bracketts, an Elizabethan house near town of Fethering, is about to be turned into a museum. Once the home of celebrated poet Esmond Cloudleigh, it has been decided that it should now become a shrine to his life and poetry.

But the transition from house to museum is running far from smoothly, and Carole Seddon soon begins to regret her decision to be on the Board as the witnesses bitter antagonism and rivalry amongst the members.

Then a shocking discovery is made: Buried in the kitchen garden is a human skeleton. And before too long, there is a second body, not yet cold."

No new books since my last update. Surprised? 😎😁

Women Authors Whose Works I've Been Enjoying - Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor

It's been two months since I last worked on this thread. Time goes by so quickly. Amazing. English fantasy author Jodi Taylor is the creator of the Chronicles of St. Mary's time travel series. I took a chance on the first book, Just One Damned Thing After Another and got hooked on the series. I've read the first three books of the now 15 book series and look forward to continuing with it. She has also started a new Time travel series, the Time Police and I look forward to trying that as well. She has also started two other series which I may have to check out. For the time being, let's look at the last book in the St. Mary's series that I've enjoyed and then the other two books I've got on my book shelf. 

1. A Second Chance (St. Mary's #3 / 2014).

"A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor is the 3rd book in the Chronicles of St Mary's time travel series. Each one seems a bit better than the previous book. So far anyway.

In this story, Max, head of the History department of St Mary's travels with her teams to Troy, a cheese rolling competition and the battle of Agincourt. Oh yes, she will meet up with arch-enemy Ronan again too. Her relationship with head engineer Leon is up and down and there will be tragedy and historical arguments (shocking and scary). Max is considering her retirement; will Troy be her last visit into the past?

The Chronicles are gritty and realistic and when necessary hold back no punches. Troy is a violent and shocking battle. The way it is portrayed and how the team prepares for observing the events is very interesting. Taylor presents a fascinating representation of the events at Troy. It's a very dark time, quite scary. 

The story is so well-crafted, moving from the time traveling to relationships. The cast of characters are all excellent and fleshed out. Jodi Taylor deals with the space-time conundrum, sometimes ignoring but it's always present.  The ending is surprising and makes you want to move along to the next book. RIGHT AWAY! So entertaining and 'enjoyable'. Just don't expect light fluff. I look forward to continuing the series and also trying the Connie Willis time travel series to compare the two. (4.0 stars)"

2. A Trail Through Time (St. Mary's #4 / 2014).

"St Mary’s is back and is facing a battle to survive in this, the fourth instalment of the Chronicles.

Max and Leon are re-united and looking forward to a peaceful lifetime together. But, sadly, they don’t even make it to lunchtime.

The action races from 17th century London to Ancient Egypt and from Pompeii to 14th century Southwark as they’re pursued up and down the timeline, playing a perilous game of hide and seek until they’re finally forced to take refuge at St Mary’s – where new dangers await them.

As usual, there are plenty of moments of humour, but the final, desperate, Battle of St Mary’s is in grim earnest. Overwhelmed and outnumbered and with the building crashing down around them, how can St Mary’s possibly survive?

So, make sure the tea’s good and strong…"

3. Doing Time (Time Police #1 / 2019).

"A long time ago in the future, the secret of time travel became known to all. Unsurprisingly, the world nearly ended. There will always be idiots who want to change history.

Enter the Time Police. An all-powerful, international organisation tasked with keeping the timeline straight. At all costs.

Their success is legendary. The Time Wars are over. But now they must fight to save a very different future - their own.

This is the story of Jane, Luke and Matthew - the worst recruits in Time Police history. Or, very possibly, three young people who might change everything."

The Chronicles of St. Marys got me interested in time travel series and I've since tried Connie Willis's Oxford Time Travel and others. The complete listing of Jodi Taylor's books can be found at this link.

One final note. Jo and I enjoyed the Oscars last night. During one of the commercial breaks, they advertised a new movie. Let's go back a place first. In my last reading update, I provided a review of The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. It was an excellent Young Adult fantasy. In fact I bought the other two books in the series because I enjoyed it so much and want to see how it ends. Anyway, during one of the commercial breaks last night, there was an advertisement for a new movie based on The Wild Robot! It looks fantastic! I'll have to try and finish the other two books before it comes out.

Bill's Top Ten Lists for 2015

Every year for the past 3 or 4 years, I've finished off the year by listing my favourite books/ movies/ actors and actresses and TV shows for the past year. So, since we're no mid-December, I guess it's time for the 2015 list. I'll qualify my selections as I always do by saying, the books or movies might not necessarily have been released in 2015, but they were watched or read by me during the past year. Over the next 11 days, I'll list my Top Tens starting with number Ten in each category. Today, as a teaser, I'm going to list my Honorary Mentions in each category; 3 of each. The categories are, once again, Top Ten Books; Top Ten Songs Added to My usb; Top Ten TV Shows; Top Ten Movies; Top Ten Actors and Top Ten Actresses (these could have been chosen from either TV shows or movies). OK, so let's get on with this.

Bill's 2015 Honorary Mentions

Books

1. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham - This is an old classic SciFi favourite of mine, originally released in 1955. I've read two or three times before and this was one of my re-read choices for 2015. It didn't disappoint, once again, I was drawn in and fascinated by the story. It's one book that I would love to see as a movie and with the popularity of movies like The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner series, I think this is just the time for some excellent director to pick it up and make a movie about it. The story is about the aftermath (many, many years after) some sort of manmade disaster when mankind is struggling to survive and in this small corner of Greenland, they believe that any sort of mutation is a sin against God. A group of young people, who have some sort of mutation must try and keep it a secret or face severe consequences. It's a fascinating story and has not weakened with time; still excellent.

2. Gallow's View by Peter Robinson. This is the first Inspector Banks mystery and after enjoying the TV series very much, I finally took the plunge and tried the original book series. I wasn't disappointed. This first story was excellent. This was my review of it. "This is the first book in the Chief Inspector Banks mysteries. I liked it from the very opening pages and enjoyed the story thoroughly. Alan Banks is an interesting character, having moved from London to Eastvale in Yorkshire, in the hope of a quieter police life. He quickly is involved in a case of a peeper as well as a number of break-ins and finally a murder of an old woman. I enjoyed getting to know Alan and also his personal life. His wife, Sharon, was well-presented and also some of the other police officers that worked with Alan. The story was gritty enough but not so that it was disturbing. The pace of the book was excellent and I enjoyed how the cases were worked and ultimately how they were resolved. All in all, it was an excellent first story and I'm glad now that I have a few others of the series in my bookshelves awaiting my attention. As an aside, this series has also been developed for TV and while I felt the TV show to be quite different from the initial book, I enjoyed both immensely. Nice that both have their differences but at the same time hold there own as excellent series. I highly recommend you give this series a try if you like good mysteries."

3. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - This was a pure joy to read, quirky, funny and an interesting, fantastical mystery. I definitely look forward to reading more of this series. This was my review - "I don't normally like to give 5-star ratings but this book was just such a fun, entertaining read that I couldn't give myself a reason not to. I liked Thursday Next's character very much and the strange and wonderful persons who surrounded her made for a joyful ride, from her time travelling father who dropped in and out for little moments to Uncle Mycroft and Aunt Polly and even the only lightly introduced pet Dodo. There are so many characters and back stories that I want to find out more about that I'm really looking forward to finding the next episode in Thursday's adventures. What about this story? Well, basically Thursday Next is an SO-27 Literatec agent who works to find lost books, false books, etc. That's such a simplification in this fantastical world, where the Crimean conflict is still taking place, where the walls between reality and fiction are fragile and people can travel both ways, into and out of stories, but that's the gist of her job. She is seconded to a higher branch of Special Ops and finds herself arrayed against Acheron Hades, a mad, psychopath, who has stolen the original Martin Chuzzlewit and intends to kill off the main character if his demands are not met. Of course this will have a catastrophic impact on the story; it will no longer exist basically. So there you have the beginning; Thursday's adventures progress from there. It's fascinating and wild and well-written and so darned interesting. Enjoy!!!"

Song Downloads (These are songs that have been added to my usb over the course of the past year.)

1. Cool Kids by Echosmith - Echosmith are an American band formed in 2009 in California. This was one of the first songs I added to my usb in 2015. I found it listed on the BBC Playlist and when I checked it out, liked it immediately. If you click on the song title printed in bold, you will be taken to it on You Tube. The song was released in 2013 originally and reached number 25 in Canada.

2. Under the Shadows by Rae Morris - Rae Morris is an English singer / songwriter from Blackpool. I first heard of her when I heard her sing on Bombay Bicycle Club's Luna and liked her voice. I found this song listed on the BBC Radio 2 playlist and loved it. This also was an early 2015 addition to my usb. The song was released in 2015. (Once again, just click on the song title in bold and you'll be taken to it.) I like the video, her voice and the whole beat of the song.

3. Nature's Law by Embrace - I found this song on a Ken Bruce, BBC Radio 2 show in August. Embrace is a English alternative rock band that's been around since 1993. Nature's Law was released in 2006 and reached number 2 on the UK singles charts. It's a haunting, beautiful song. Love the piano beginning.

TV Shows

1. Chasing Shadows - This was one of those quirky shows that we discovered. It's a British mystery mini-series that stars Reese Shearsmith, as 'troubled' Detective Sergeant Sean Stone, who has been assigned to work on serial killer cases, with DCI Carl Pryor, played by Noel Clarke and, social worker Ruth Hattersley, played by Alex Kingston. Unfortunately, it only went for 4 episodes but it was fascinating. Reese Shearsmith is difficult to work with, is almost an idiot savant in some ways, cannot work well with others and has many, many issues. But a relationship develops between him and Alex Kingston, who is also fantastic. The missus and I really wanted this series to continue as it was so enjoyable. But I guess that was never the plan. Darn ITV.

2. Bitten. This is a Canadian-made SciFi series based on the books of Kelley Armstrong. Season 2 showed on our Space TV network and continued the excellent work from Season 1. It may not be for everybody; I mean it's about werewolves and witches, but I liked it. I've read the first book and they are very similar. Laura Vandervoort is great as the main, only? female werewolf and the support cast, including Greg Bryk, as the clan leader, Steve Lund and Greyston Holt all add to the story. This past season brought the wolves into contact with a coven who are under attack by some spiritual, witchy being. I liked how it was paced and I enjoyed the story. It was full of action, sometimes very creepy and I thought gritty and well done. I'm looking forward to Season 3.

3. Fear the Walking Dead. I've enjoyed The Walking Dead since it came out on AMC in 2010. I've missed the odd episode but have watched it religiously. I was interested when the ads started for this new spin-off, Fear the Walking Dead, wondering what it might be about. Well, basically, it features different people from The Walking Dead and is a sort of precursor to the events taking place in The Walking Dead. This is the build up to the plague of zombies and how a group of people in Los Angeles find themselves getting caught up in events as the plague starts. Very interesting, not quite as graphic as the original, since we don't really have zombies, per se, at least not those as eaten up and decayed as you get in the original series. I liked it and look forward to following this group of people into the future.

Movies (I qualify this category by stating that I don't get out to the movie theaters so usually try to catch up on any trips we go on, watching on airplane flights and also when they come up on our movie channel)

1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - I think this was my favourite of the three. My enjoyment of the first was affected partly because I was trying to get used to stupid 3-D glasses and also, it was sort of slow developing. The second was also ok, but everything tied together nicely with this final story. Lots of action, enough of Evangeline Lilly as a lovely elf and just a darn good story and finale.

2. Maleficent - I was pleasantly surprised with this. The missus told me that she had watched it when it came up on our movie channels, so begrudgingly somewhat, I watched it the next time. I do like Angelina Jolie and she did seem to enjoy her role as Maleficent, the evil witch who puts the spell on Sleeping Beauty. But the story was so well-told, added some nice touches explaining why Maleficent was as she was and also was very touching as the movie moved along. Lovely story and a neat fantasy.

3. Godzilla - This was a pleasant surprise. There have been so many versions of the Godzilla story, from the original Japanese B-movies, where Godzilla battles everybody from Mothra to King Kong, etc. Then there was also the Matthew Broderick version, which I enjoyed, even if it was somewhat cheesy, but entertaining. This latest version came out in 2014 and was darker and grittier than I expected. Interesting and well-paced, I'm going to have to watch again, as I know I've missed bits and pieces. But it's worth watching again. Check it out.

Actresses

1. Nicola Walker - Nicola Walker is an English actor who I've seen in many TV series over the past few years, from the disturbed Helen Bartlett in 2013's Scott and Bailey to confused but lovely Gillian in Last Tango in Halifax. Most recently, the missus and I enjoyed her performance as DCI Cassie Stuart in 2015's Unforgotten, an excellent British series, about the investigation into the discovery of the bones of a young man in a cellar. She was excellent as the lead investigator, made the part serious and believable. She has a quality about her that draws you in, no matter what role she plays. It was nice to see her in this role, which was very sympathetic.

2. Claire Calbraith - Claire Calbraith is an English actress who I first saw as a housemaid in Downton Abbey, who has a brief dalliance with Lord Downton. The next time we noticed her was when she joined the cast of Vera, as an ex Military policewoman who joins the police force and works for Vera. In both roles, she was excellent, adding something to both series. Now she has turned up in the excellent series, Home Fires, about an group of women, all excellent actresses, I must say, members of the local Women's Institute, who work together to keep their town safe and secure during the beginnings of WWII. Excellent series and she is excellent in the role of Steph Farrow, common sense farmer whose husband has gone off to enlist, leaving her and her son to manage the farm and deal with the wartime bureaucracy. Looking forward to Season 2.

3. Marisa Ramirez -  Marisa Ramirez is an American actress out of Los Angeles, who we first noticed in Against the Wall, a police show where she played a pregnant, spunky Internal Affairs cop, partner to Rachel Carpani. For the past 3 Seasons, she's been partnered with Donnie Wahlberg in Blue Bloods. I think my wife would agree with me when I say she's the best partner he's ever had in the show and she adds such a great quality to her role as Detective Maria Baez. They'd better keep her on the show!!

Actors

1. John Simm - John Simm is an English actor who has popped up on so many shows that I've watched over the years; State of Play (2003), Life on Mars (2006-2007), Doctor Who (various times) and, most recently, in 2015, in the excellent mini-series, Code of a Killer, where he plays real-life scientist, Alec Jeffreys, who discovered DNA fingerprinting and used it successfully in helping bring in a double murderer. It was an excellent mini-series and he was believable and excellent in the role of the scientist. Great part.

2. Martin Shaw - Shaw is an English actor who has been around for ages but who I've only become acquainted with in his roles of Judge John Deed and more recently in the excellent Inspector George Gently series. The missus and I watch Gently whenever it is on and this past season, as Gently deals with the onset of multiple sclerosis, has been one of the best yet. I'm glad that I've had the opportunity to have the chance to watch him perform. He's excellent.

3. Peter Capaldi - Scottish actor, Peter Capaldi is another who has been around for a very long time, but I've only recently made his acquaintance as he took over the role of the Doctor, in the long running BBC series, Doctor Who. I was kind of disappointed the first season. I think I liked Matt Smith so much, that I had difficulty adjusting to an older Doctor once again. But I started watching again this season and have once again fallen in love with the show. And, giving credit where credit is due, Capaldi has been excellent and is the main reason I'm back to watching each episode with anticipation. He's grown into the role and has made it his own. Love it.

So there you go, the Honourable Mention portion of my Top Ten lists for 2015. Tomorrow we'll hit off with the Number 10's. See you then. :)

Top Ten Lists - Favourite War Movies

It's been awhile since I've done a Top Ten Movie list. I was looking at my various lists from days gone by and I figured it's time for the War movies. As a kid I loved going to war movies and then my buddies and I would spend days with our toy guns re-enacting these self-same movies. Funny how 7 or 8 guys could relive the Battle of the Bulge or the D-Day invasion, but we were able to do so. Funny thing is, that even though we enjoyed playing with guns back then, I think for the most part we ended up pretty sane, normal adults. Anyway, that was a bit of a self-righteous digression. Not only did we enjoy war movies, we bought war comics, like Sgt Rock and Sgt Fury and The Haunted Tank and played with GI Joes. What fun!

I can think of so many books I read that also struck a chord; Leon Uris' Battle Cry, which was about the US Marines during WWII; Torpedo Run by Robb White (from my public school days), On The Beach (almost anti-war or at least nuclear bombs, by Nevil Shute), Fail-Safe by Eugene Burdick, amongst others.

But anyway, this was supposed to be a Blog about war movies. I haven't watched so many recently, unless I see them on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) so the list may be somewhat dated; more movies from my childhood and early teens, than recent movies. So bear with me. Maybe there are some movies you haven't seen that you might find worth watching. I hope so.

So on with the list. (You'll note many movies that are left out that other folks would put in, such as Full Metal Jacket, Saving Private Ryan, Das Boot, etc. But the list is of course, very personal, some I've watched many, many times or others that have hit close to the heart, even if only watched once, and a couple are movies I remember as a youngster, from my time at Saturday matinees with my best friends) Anyway, once again, on with the list!

Number Ten - This is one of those movies from my Saturday matinees, 55 Days at Peking. It was a movie about the Boxer Rebellion in China and the siege of the Foreign Embassy compound in Peking; with a heroic defence led by Charlton Heston as the head of the US Marine Corps detachment. I recall this being a very exciting, sit on the edge of your seat movie; the threat of the Boxers, the efforts to protect the foreigners until help can arrive.

I don't think I've ever seen since that Saturday matinee at the Base Theater in Chatham, N.B., unless I caught it on an afternoon spent on the couch watching old movies. But it is one that I always remember.

Number 9 -  Oddly enough, this is another movie with Charlton Heston in the starring role; this time a British officer, Sir Charles 'Chinese' Gordon in Khartoum. Released in 1966, the movie revolves around the siege of the city of Khartoum by the Mahdi, played by Sir Laurence Olivier. Gordon is sent to the Sudan as a token by the British government but in the movie, disobeys his orders and begins a defence of the besieged city of Khartoum, ultimately with tragic results. It's an intense interesting movie, very dramatic and well-acted by Heston, even playing a British officer.

As a side note, I received an interesting book from my daughter and her boyfriend for my 55th birthday, War Made New by Max Boot, which discusses various battles and weaponry that have made the modern world and one of those is the battle between the relief soldiers sent to the Sudan after the siege of Khartoum; quite interesting.

Number 8 - Two movies based on books by Cornelius Ryan have made my Top Ten list; the first is about Operation Market Garden, the assault by Allied Air Forces, during World War II on the Netherlands. The movie is A Bridge Too Far, directed by Richard Attenborough and with as fantastic a cast of actors as you'll see today; Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Ryan O'Neal, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, James Caan, Colin Farrell, etc.

It's one of those epic war movies, great scope, great action, great actors. The aim of the Operation was to seize the bridges of the Netherlands before the German armies could destroy them, thereby easing the follow-on invasion of Germany and achieving a quick end to WWII. Great in scope, it also focuses on smaller more intimate actions taking place; that of Anthony Hopkins small group of paratroopers trying to hold a particular bridge and Gene Hackman's failed drop into the area with his Polish troops, only to be massacred by waiting German forces. It's an excellent movie, covering a key battle of WWII.

Number 7 - This next movie is based on a classic novel by Alistair MacLean, The Guns of Navarone. the book was written in 1957 and is about an Allied commando team dropped onto the fictitious island of Navarone in the Aegean Sea with the mission of destroying the impregnable Nazi fortress that threatens Allied shipping in the area.

The movie was released in 1961 and stars David Niven, Anthony Quinn and Gregory Peck amongst a great cast. As with most Alistair MacLean stories (one of my favourite authors of the time), there is much intrigue as the small group of commandos makes its way across the island to find and destroy the Nazi fortress.

This was a great book and a great movie, both interesting in their own right and well worth watching and/ or reading.

Number 6 - This next movie features Stanley Kubrick's foray into the Cold War, with a classic anti-war movie, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The film was released in 1964 and features the great Peter Sellers as three characters; Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, a RAF liaison officer trapped with a mad US BGen on a Strategic Air Command base; as flustered US President Merkin Muffley, trying to stop a nuclear war and deal with his insane staff in the War Room, and as the wheel-chair bound, Dr Strangelove, a science advisor, also located in the war room.

This is a fantastic black comedy, with many excellent roles, George C. Scott, as Gen Buck Turgidson, Slim Pickens as Maj 'King' Kong, a SAC bomber pilot leading his aircraft on an erroneous bombing mission into Russia. A very funny movie, but also very topical at the time as the US was in the midst of the Cold War with the USSR and the US public (well, the whole world, actually) was trying to live with the constant threat of nuclear war.

Number 5 - The next selection is based on a 1952 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny. The book was excellent, tense, exciting and so well-written. The movie was released two years later, starring Humphrey Bogart as Lt Cmdr Queeg, Van Johnson as Lt Steve Maryk and Fred MacMurray as the ship's doctor, Lt Tom Keefer.

The story/ movie follows the USS Caine during WWII as it takes part in various actions. During their cruise, Van Johnson and other members of the crew become increasingly aware that Lt Cmdr Queeg is mad and in the end take over the ship, relieving him of this command. The remainder of the movie revolves around the Court Martial hearing into the 'mutiny' of the crew as charged by Queeg.

This is a fascinating movie, great character studies and leaving us with the question to answer; was it mutiny or a justified ethical decision by Van Johnson to take over the ship.

Number 4 - I've only ever been able to watch this next movie once and don't think I could watch again. It's one of those 'must-see' films, intense, powerful and covering an area of WWII that speaks of the 'evil' that took place. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally, the movie was released in 1993 and is probably Stephen Spielberg's most powerful directorial effort.

The book was also powerful and a page-turner, one that you couldn't put down; describing the efforts of Oscar Schindler to save over 1200 Jews from concentration camps in Poland and Germany.

The movie was a tour de force for Spielberg; intense, powerful, even terrifying, with excellent acting roles for Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes, to name just a few of the excellent actors that were in this movie. As I stated at the beginning, this is a must-see movie, if you want a portrayal of a time in history that must never be forgotten, but be aware how powerful this movie is.

Number 3 - This next movie is a David Lean epic from 1957, starring Alex Guinness as Col Nicholson, leading a band of British and American P.O.W's in a Japanese P.O.W camp. The movie is based on a French novel, written in 1952, by Pierre Boulle, one that I remember reading in high school.

This movie features a powerful piece of acting by Sir Alex Guinness, as the Colonel who must assist the Japanese in building a railroad bridge of the River Kwai. The movie is a battle of wits between Guinness and the Japanese Col, Sessue Hayawaka, as Guinness strives to ensure his officers are not treated as slave labour and as he gradually takes over the construction of the bridge, not realizing that the Allies have a plot to destroy this same bridge.

This is very much a psychological movie, as Guinness strives to maintain morale, his ethics and standards in this battle with the Japanese Colonel. Excellent, powerful, lovingly filmed movie.

Number 2 - This is the second movie based on a Cornelius Ryan novel, epic in scope and fascinating; The Longest Day. Once again, this movie is grand in scale, with a cast that rivals any movie you might ever see. Every actor of the time is in it, John Wayne, Eddie Albert, Sal Mineo, Richard Burton, etc....

The movie is about the D-Day invasion; the planning for it, the waiting for the weather to clear so it could take place, the initial invasion and the struggle to establish and maintain the beachhead and then to movie inland.

So well filmed, so dramatic and just excellent to watch. The action keeps you on the edge of your seat, the humour is great and the cast making the movie one of the best ever. Released in 1962,this is a true classic and one I've watched many times.




OK, now on to the one you've been waiting for, my favourite all-time war movie -

Number 1 - I can't think how many times I've watched this movie. I can catch it in the middle and still enjoy and I've never tired of watching it from beginning to end. The Great Escape was released in 1963, directed by John Sturges. It was based on a novel of the same name by Australian writer and member of the RAAF, who was in Stalag III and participated in the planning of the Great Escape. Due to claustrophobia he did not do any of the tunnelling nor did he try to escape through the tunnels.

The movie stars Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, to name just a few and is based on a true attempt by Allied aircrews to conduct a major escape from a German POW camp and thereby cause German forces to waste time trying to capture them.

The movie is fascinating, the planning for the escape, the work conducted to dig the tunnels, deceive the warders of the activities, dispose of the dirt, prepare false papers and cloths for the escapees and then the actions of the actual escape.

Amazing story, amazing movie and one I most highly recommend if you've never seen. Just to watch Steve McQueen on his motorcycle chase across the country or James Coburn as he slowly makes his way across Germany and France. Excellent through and through!

Top Ten Favourite Books - Number 2

This isn't the first time I've talked about this book, as I had recently re-read it and discussed it as one of my January book reads. I've also discussed in the various book groups that I joined in my  Goodreads website. To me it's an iconic book in the post-apocalyptic genre. The basic story line is as follows from the summary on the back jacket...

"The last generation.. innocent victims of an accidental war, living out the last days, making plans that will never be carried out, making do with what they have - however temporary it might be - hoping for the miracle that will not come. As the deadly rain moves ever closer, and the world as we know it winds toward an inevitable end."

It's an extremely depressing subject, but Nevil Shute has a way of presenting the story to make even the 'end of the world' not necessarily positive, but to demonstrate how mankind could cope with it in an honourable manner. Not to say that everybody in the story is always positive and dancing around the Maypole. Certain characters drink too much, party too much, live in denial; however these are realistic coping mechanisms. Still, the story is wonderfully presented; there is a gentleness to it that belies the subject matter and Shute never delves too much into the seedier aspects of the situation. They remain on the periphery, with Shute focusing on the main characters and their relationships.

The main characters are -

Commander Dwight Towers, an American submarine Captain, with his submarine, the USS Sawfish, which he has seconded to the Australian government;

Moira Davidson, an Australian woman, living out her time in a state of drunkenness;

Lt Peter Holmes, an Australian Naval officer, who is assigned to the Sawfish as his last assignment;

May Holmes, Peter's wife, who lives in denial, trying to cope with the future, and

John Osborne, an Australian scientist, also assigned to the Sawfish to travel with it and take readings of the atmosphere in that area of Australia where the nuclear cloud has already hit.

The lives of these main characters are gently interwoven by Nevil Shute, each dealing with the future in his or her unique way, each affecting the others in positive ways, affecting their methods of dealing with the tragic future coming their way. Shute presents this 'nightmare' scenario in a manner that, even though the future may be bleak (I won't ruin the story by leaking how it ends), these people try to live their lives on a daily basis, in such a manner that no matter what ultimately happens, they know they have lived with their heads held high.

On the Beach is a book I've read many times and it is a story that I never tire of. I give this book 5 stars (out of five, of course); it is a cautionary tale of the future that everyone should read.

There was also an excellent movie made in 1959 by Stanley Kramer, that I've also watched many times and enjoyed as much as I have the book. It has a great cast, with Gregory Peck more than suitable as Dwight Towers and Ava Gardner as Moira Davison.

At the time, there were obviously not as a great many Australian actors known in the US, as there are now, so the parts of John Osborne, Peter and Mary Holmes were played respectively by American actors, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins and Donna Anderson.

However, this in no way detracts from the strength and drama of the movie. Stanley Kramer is very respectful of the writing style of Nevil Shute and presents the story in a very similar style. It was one movie that suitably portrayed the book and was every bit as good as the book.

Other Nevil Shute books/ movies

I must say that I haven't read a great many Shute books. The one that particularly hits home for me is Pied Piper. The picture to the left isn't the edition that I possess, but I was a bit lazy today to take a photograph of it, so I used on online. The basic story is -

"One man's thrilling rescue of seven abandoned children during the Nazi invasion of France in the fateful summer of 1940."

The story is about an old English gentleman, dealing with the death of his son who embarks on a fishing trip to the French Alps and has to return to England because of the Nazi invasion of France. On his way, he acquires his flock of children, who he must deliver safely to England.

This is a fascinating story, told in a similar style to On the Beach. It tells the story of an individual thrust into an astonishing situation, who uses his positiveness, his humanity, to manoeuvre his way through dangerous, life-threatening situations. Another story that I give a 5 star rating.

This story was also turned into an excellent movie in 1942, starring Monty Woolley as John Howard, the Pied Piper, and also Roddy McDowell, Ann Baxter and Otto Preminger. Also a great movie, one that you would enjoy completely.

Currently in my To Be Read book shelf, I have -

Landfall (1940) - A young RAF pilot is accused of sinking a British sub;

The Far Country (1952) - A young woman travels to Australia. A condemnation of British socialism and the national health service;

Most Secret (1945) - Unconventional attacks on German forces using a French fishing boat; and

So Disdained (1928) -  written soon after the General Strike of 1926, reflected the debate in British Society about socialism and considered whether Italian fascism was an effective antidote.

One other Nevil Shute story turned into an excellent movie, that I want to mention, is No Highway. Starring James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich and Glynnis Johns, the movie was based on the novel of the same name and was released in 1951. Stewart plays the role of Theodore Honey, an eccentric "boffin" at RAE Farnborough who predicts metal fatigue in a new airliner.

Stewart is sent to Labrador aboard one of the aircraft to investigate a previous crash of one of the same planes to help prove his theory. It becomes evident that the plane he is flying on is reaching the flying hours where his theory may happen before they land in Labrador.

The movie, as most of Shute's books/ movies, is about the lovely interplay between the main characters, between Stewart and Dietrich and between Stewart and Johns. Once again, his characters are placed in situations that threaten their very existence, but once again, there is a lovely humanity and sensibility that draws you into the plot. Both my wife and I have seen this movie a few times and each time it is as engrossing as the next.

The next time you're looking for an excellent story or movie, you can't go wrong if you choose one of Nevil Shute's. Enjoy!

More Movies - Favourite Suspense/ Thrillers

This was a hard category to pick for; what exactly is a suspense/ thriller movie? I looked through various lists, such as AFI, BFI and others and they all seem to vary. I decided for my purposes, that I'd try to limit my picks to mysteries and spy-type adventures. So with that, and probably even stretching that definition a bit, here go my top ten favourites.

10 - INCEPTION

In the main, the movies I've picked are movies I've watched many times and in each case have enjoyed the movie as much as the first time. However, my first pick is one I've only seen once. Basically, that's because it's the newest movie on the list. However, having enjoyed it so much, I'm sure both Jo and I will watch it many more times as it becomes more available.
Inception could possibly fall under the Sci Fi category because it is a very futuristic movie. But, there is so much more to the movie, the intricate plot that the characters, lead by Leonardo DiCaprio, must follow to succeed in completing the perfect heist, that it makes a wonderful 'buddy' crime/ suspense film.
The movie was directed by Christopher Nolan, who also gave us such great movies as Memento, The Prestige and the Dark Knight movies. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio (who I don't normally care for), the wonderful Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to name just a few of the excellent cast.
The movie has fantastic special effects, the plot is intricate and detailed and leaves you on the end of your seat and ultimately, it is a satisfying, thrill ride through the mind.

9 - THE UNTOUCHABLES

Brian de Palma brought us The Untouchables in 1987. It's a movie that both the wife and I have seen in part or completely 10 or 12 times. It never stops being entertaining. Starring Kevin Costner as the noted Federal Agent, Elliot Ness, the movie revolves around his efforts to bring notorious crime lord Al Capone, played suitably by Robert de Niro, to justice.
With a hand - picked team of uncorrupted cops, his Untouchables, played with verve and energy by Sean Connery, Andy Garcia and Charles Martin Smith, he has to fight not only a corrupt Chicago police force, but also Capone`s henchmen.
This is a thrilling, exciting movie. Brian de Palma has some iconic moments as he does in most of his movies. Take for example the scene at the train station with the baby in the buggy (I won't say any more in case you haven't seen it). Robert de Niro is his over the top best as Capone and has a few great moments; e.g. a scene with a baseball bat. Kevin Costner is perfectly suited as Elliot Ness, a bit holier than though, but with a steely determination. Sean Connery is at his best as the crusty Irish-American policeman and even the supporting cast of the Untouchables, Andy Garcia and Charles Martin Smith are excellent.
This is a great, fun-filled suspense thriller. You've got to watch it!



8 - ENEMY OF THE STATE

Tony Scott has directed and produced some great movies; Top Gun, Man on Fire and The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 to name a few. In 1998, he teamed up with Will Smith to direct a high tech thriller that is one of my favourites, Enemy of the State.
The basic story involves a murder of a US politician by the head of a super secret government agency, and this murder is accidentally caught on film by a local wild life advocate.
This causes a chain of events that pulls lawyer, Will Smith, into one of the great chase movies you'll ever watch. Tracked by Jon Voigt's team of NSA agents, utilizing every type of high tech gadget known to man, Will Smith must enlist the aid of a disgruntled, ex - CIA operative, Gene Hackman, to bring his life back under control and also bring Voigt to justice.
The movie is high-paced and full of special effects, but Will Smith and his family bring a nice touch of humour to the film to help lighten the tension when necessary. Gene Hackman is also excellent as his companion, bringing his crusty nature and his own brand of gadgets into the fray against the NSA group.
The movie will keep you on the edge of your seats and waiting for the next bit of action that's just around the corner. Enjoy!

7 - SEVEN

This is one of the two movies I have from 1995, both intense suspense thrillers. The movie was directed by David Fincher, who already had and continues to have some excellent action movies to his credit; Alien 3, Panic Room and Zodiac. The movie starred Brad Pitt as a young cop , a rookie to the Force and Morgan Freeman, an older cop who is counting the days to retirement.
Both are assigned to a case that will change their lives. The murders are based on the 7 Deadly Sins and each is filmed in dark, gloomy back drops, adding to the sense of mystery and tension.
As the case develops, the two cops become friends and feed off each other. I won't go into the murders in any detail nor mention who the murderer is. Needless to say, I found parts of the film very surprising and even though I felt that I had a clear picture of the final scenes, they were still surprising and well done.
Both Pitt and Freeman are excellent actors and I think this movie is one of their best pieces of work. Even though a small part, Gwynneth Paltrow is also lovely and adds some innocence to what is a dark, very moody suspense thriller.



6 - THE BOURNE IDENTITY

This is the first movie in the Bourne series, based on the books by Robert Ludlum. Each movie is great, full of action and well-acted by Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. I actually have some difficulty picking which is my favourite as each is super. I like Joan Allen in both the Supremacy and Ultimatum, but without the success of this first film, the other two might not have been made.
Released in 2002, the Bourne Identity is the story of a man whose wounded body is discovered by fishermen who nurse him back to health. He can remember nothing and begins to try to rebuild his memory based on clues such as the Swiss bank account, the number of which, is implanted in his hip. He soon realizes that he is being hunted and takes off with Marie on a search to find out who he is and why he is being hunted.
Matt Damon is excellent as the spy who is trying to discover his true identity as he races across Europe chased by CIA hit men. He has been in so many great movies, but he truly makes this series excellent with his abilities to portray an action hero that is three dimensional.
There is also a great supporting cast; with Chris Cooper, Brian Cox and Julia Stiles. The story is exciting, the action is non-stop and so well-choreographed and the plot is tense and suspenseful. After this one, you`ll want to see the rest, because they are sooooo goood!

5 - THE BONE COLLECTOR

I started reading Jeffrey Deaver`s books at the same time that this movie came out in 1999. I actually bought the book at the book store as I was on my way to the movie and read the first twenty or thirty pages while I waited for the film to start. Neither disappointed me. The Bone Collector is one of Deaver`s Lincoln Rhymes series of suspense novels. Lincoln Rhymes, played with such style by Denzel Washington in the movie, is a quadriplegic ex-homicide detective who still contracts his work to the New York Police Department. Angelina Jolie plays Amelia Sachs, a uniformed cop, who is the first officer on the scene of the crime that will eventually bring her into contact with Rhymes and begin a partnership that follows the two through many more books, but unfortunately, no more movies.
The movie is a tense thriller that follows Washington and Jolie, accompanied on the ride by Ed O`Neill and Queen Latifah, amongst others, through the sewers and crime zones of New York as they try to solve the case of The Bone Collector.
This is forensic science at its most interesting. The movie offers such an intriguing premise of Washington, confined to his bed as he talks Jolie through crime scenes so she can gather the clues and information necessary to solve the murders being perpetrated. The movie is tense and well presented and the acting team do such a great job of maintaining the suspense and displaying a wonderful sympathy. You`ll be glued to your seats watching this one.

4 - COPYCAT

The other movie from 1995 that made my Top Ten list is Copycat, a suspense thriller starring two great actresses, Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. Directed by Jon Amiel, it is the story of an agoraphobic psychologist, Weaver, and a seasoned police officer, Hunter, who are drawn together to bring down a serial killer who imitates serial killers from the past.
This is one of the great movies, made even better by the talents of Weaver and Hunter. Weaver plays her character, a slightly drunk criminal psychologist who is terrified to leave her apartment because of events in her past perfectly. She is flirty, sexy and intelligent. Hunter, as the Police detective is all business, smarter than her male counterparts, somewhat stiff necked, but knows what she`s about.
The two make an excellent partnership, sometimes volatile, with nice friction, but ultimately, they are the team that will solve this crime, bring down this cruel murderer. Their lives will be endangered as the work through the evidence and there will enough tension to make you chew through a pillow as you watch.
This is a classic of the genre, one that well deserves to be in my top ten list.

3 - NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Oddly enough, or maybe fittingly, my final three selections are from Alfred Hitchcock`s great library of suspense movies. There are so many to choose from, but these are my personal favourites. North By Northwest was released in 1959 and stars the classy Cary Grant, star of many Hitchcock films, and the lovely Eva Marie Saint, one of Hitchcock`s, lovely blondes.
In the movie, the basic plot is quite simple. It tells the story of a hapless New York advertising executive (Grant) who is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive.
Like so many movies that were influenced by Hitchcock`s ideas (see Enemy of the State above for that matter, or Eagle Eye or so many others), this one grabs an innocent and puts him into a situation that will try his wits, risk his life and ultimately, get the bad guys!
Grant is great as always. He is always cool and suave in any situation. He always gets the lady, the lovely Saint. And he finds a way out of any situation. There are so many iconic scenes in this movie; such as the plane attack on the lonely road surrounded by corn fields; the fight on the summit of Mount Washington. And through all this action and this adventure, Grant maintains a cool aplomb and never lets a hair fall out of place. It`s a true suspense thriller and one of my favourites.

2 - THE 39 STEPS

My second Hitchcock selection is a classic from 1935, The 39 Steps, starring Robert Donat. This movie was based on the classic spy thriller by John Buchan and has been remade at least 3 other times, as movies and TV mini series. But, in my mind, no matter how good the others might be, this is the best, the classic.
It tells the story of a man in London who gets involved trying to help a counterespionage agent. When the agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring trying to steal top secret information.
Robert Donat is much like Cary Grant in North By Northwest, a man caught up in events, who with panache and flair sets about saving himself and in the process, also saving his country.
Besides being a great cross country chase movie, the plot and mystery add to the suspense. We wonder what the 39 steps might be, who is involved and will Donat be able to solve the mystery at the end.
Even though made in the 1930`s, the movie still seems relevant and the tension still works. Hitchcock has a knack for developing tension and action that will keep you waiting for more. A super movie through and through.

1 - REAR WINDOW

Not only my favourite suspense movie, Rear Window also ranks right up there as one of my top ten favourite movies of all-time. It has everything you could want in a movie. Think about it for a minute. The movie takes place in a bedroom, with a man with his legs in a cast, looking out over his back yard. This never changes, and yet, you will find this one of the most suspenseful movies ever. There is no blood and guts, nobody loses body parts (well, not so you see anyway) and there are no car chases or bombs going off.
James Stewart, another Hitchcock favourite, is a news photographer, who is confined to his room because he broke both his legs. He tries to occupy himself by watching the activities from his rear apartment window and entertaining the lovely Grace Kelly (yum).
One night, as he dozes in his chair, he hears a scream and as he looks out his window, thinks he sees a murder in the facing apartment. This starts a chain of events that will ultimately threaten his life as he tries to persuade Kelly, his wonderful nurse, Stella, played with spunk by Thelma Ritter and the doubting cops, represented by Wendell Corey, that Raymond Burr has murdered his wife.
The movie also displays a wonderful cross section of his neighbours as they go through the daily routines; with Stewart watching with interest. But Hitchcock keeps ratcheting up the tension until the great climax. The acting of Stewart, Kelly and Ritter is great. And so much acting they have to do when the set is so limited; everything relies on the reactions and ability to maintain the suspense. They do this so very well.

I hope you enjoy my choices if you`ve never seen any of them before. I`m sure you have your own favourites as well.

More Movies - Favourite SciFi Films

Probably my favourite genre of movie is the SciFi movie. I enjoy the imagination, the special effects, the interesting aliens, and if it's well-done, the fascinating story lines. My Top Ten list covers a variety, from old classics to some newer movies and I think they display a nice variety.



John Carpenter's Starman

 Number Ten is from 1984 and I think it's John Carpenter's best movie. Starman starred Jeff Bridges as an alien who crashes on Earth and must travel across the United States in order to rendezvous with his ship. To do so, he kidnaps Karen Allen, a widower who is having great difficulty dealing with the death of her husband. Basically, Bridges is able to assume the appearance of her husband (alien trickery) to make himself seem more familiar to her. During the journey across the US, Karen tries to escape and, as well, the US government is chasing them as they want to experiment on the alien. The US government is represented by Charles Martin Smith and Richard Jaeckel.

The best aspects of this movie are the interactions between Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges and also the people they meet along the way. These interactions provide Bridges with insight into humanity and in many ways help develop his character; from alien to human. It's a great movie and so many excellent vignettes. I enjoyed Jeff Bridges, one of his strongest roles, and Karen Allen is also excellent. Charles Martin Smith also puts in a very strong performance as the UFO expert who must battle his interest in aliens and his concept of right. There was a TV series spin-off in 1986 with Robert Hayes, in which the alien returns to Earth to help the son he fathered on his previous visit.



Robert Wise's The Day The Earth Stood Still

 Number 9 is one of the classics. In 1951, Robert Wise, who also directed West Side Story and The Sound of Music, amongst others, directed Michael Rennie as that noted alien, Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still. Rennie, or Klaatu, is sent as a representative of other alien races to warn Earth that if they don't live peacefully, they will be destroyed as a threat to the peace in the galaxy.

Klaatu assumes his human form to interact with Earth, especially with Patricia Neal and her son and to attempt to get his message across to the rest of the planet. In the interim, his spaceship is guarded by his Alien robot, Gort. This was a very interesting movie, slowly paced, and attempting to present the dangers of nuclear weapon. There are some nice small scale special effects, especially, when Klaatu demonstrates the power of the alien races. (I won't ruin that for you if you haven't seen before.)

As mentioned, this is a classic. As a side note, a rock band of the 80's, took the name of Michael Rennie's character, Klaatu. They were a mysterious group, many rumours of who was in the band, but they did produce some good songs; notably a version of The Carpenter's, Calling Occupants. There was a 2008 version of the movie, starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, but I must say I have never got up the interest to watch it. Maybe someday.



Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys

 Bruce Willis is in two of my favourite SciFi movies, the first one being Number 8.  12 Monkeys comes from the weird and wonderful mind of ex-Monty Python star, Terry Gilliam. He also brought us such films as Brazil and The Time Bandits.

12 Monkeys stars Bruce Willis as a man from the devastated future who is sent back to the present to stop 'someone' from setting the events in action which will result in this awful future.

During his trips back, he meets the lovely Madeleine Stowe as a psychiatrist who believes Willis to be insane. In the insane asylum, Willis meets Brad Pitt, in one of his wilder roles. He hams it up terribly, but is fantastic.

I really enjoyed this movie, the story line was interesting and complex. The ending surprised me, but I won't get into it as I wouldn't want to ruin the movie for anyone. Suffice it to say, Bruce Willis is Bruce Willis at his best and Brad Pitt is fantastic. An excellent effort from Terry Gilliam.



Francois Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451







Number 7 is not only a great movie but also an excellent SciFi novel by Ray Bradbury. Released in 1966, Fahrenheit 451  starred Oscar Werner as a Fireman whose job is to track down people who save books and then burn them. He meets Julie Christie and gradually begins to question his life.

As mentioned, this is also an excellent novel and the movie follows the ideas and concepts of censorship very well. The movie is definitely recognizable as a movie of the 60's, as the special effects aren't great. However, I think Truffaut displayed the bleakness of Ray Bradbury's future so very well.

Oscar Werner is excellent as Guy Montag, the troubled fireman. I particularly liked the scenes at the end as Montag meets the 'resistance', those people who hide out and try to keep literature alive.





Luc Besson's The Fifth Element

 Number 6 is the second Bruce Willis movie.Oddly, it also has a number in the title (12 Monkeys, The Sixth Sense) and The Fifth Element, written and directed by Luc Besson. I will say that my wife doesn't particularly care for this movie, although she will sit and watch it with me. However, I think it covers all the bases; great special effects, interesting concept, sound acting and even a sense of humour.

Bruce Willis once again proves he is an action hero par excellence and in this movie he is surrounded by a great cast. Gary Oldham can play any role and here he is perfectly cast as the villain, Zorg, playing him with wit and menace. Mila Jovovich plays the 5th Element with a nice innocence but also proves her skills as a deadly killing machine. Ian Holm as the high priest is also wonderful. Chris Tucker is outlandish and hilarious as the VJ Ruby Rhod. Even small bit parts like Luke Perry as Billy and Lee Evans as Fog are well acted.

The story is of the deadly Evil approaching Earth to destroy it. Mila Jovovich is sent to Earth to try and stop this deadly evil. She is assisted in her mission by Bruce Willis as Korbin Dallas, an ex - soldier who is now a taxi driver. The mission takes them into outer space to find the other elements necessary to stop Evil. It's a high paced adventure and an excellent SciFi movie from beginning to the very end.



The War of the Worlds

 Number 5 is another classic. The War of the Worlds starred Gene Barry and was released in 1953.

The first thing I will say is that I am disappointed that the movie could not be set in the era and locale of HG Well's book, that being the 1890s and in England. However, besides that disappointment, I find this movie a guilty pleasure.

It's one of those movies I can watch over and over and I must say that I have. There are corny bits but for some reason, the idea of HG Wells' story come across quite well. Gene Barry is satisfactory as the scientist asked to help discover what the meteors that landed in California might possibly be.

There is suitable tension as the Army and Air Force try with all their might to destroy the alien invaders from Mars.

All in all, it's a very enjoyable movie and worth seeing. Hopefully, someday, a director, maybe Peter Jackson will release a version that is loyal to the book. When Steven Spielberg put out his version in 2005 I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, it was more of a action vehicle for Tom Cruise than an homage to Wells' story.



The First Star Wars movie

 Number 4 happens to be Number IV in the first Star Wars Trilogy. In case of point it was the very first Star Wars movie, but in George Lucas' scheme of things, the first movie was the middle his originally planned 3 trilogies. Confusing, much? Star Wars: A New Hope came out in 1977. This is one of those much awaited movies where I actually remember where I was.

In the summer of 1977, I was spending my time training with the Canadian Forces, working at Base Supply at Canadian Forces Base Halifax. When the cinema down the road on Barrington Street. A bunch of us went down and stood in a huge line awaiting this movie. It had been anticipated so very much and there were huge line ups everywhere.

It definitely lived up to its billing; the special effects were awesome for the time and, in effect, even now they still hold up. They set the trend for so many future SciFi movies. George Lucas was an inspiration and created an empire out of this movie.

Anyway, the movie was great and the follow-on movies were even better. The cast became household names. Having said that, only Harrison Ford was able to move on from Star Wars and not be typecast as Hans Solo.

They did update each movie, with some added technologies, but in my mind, I don't think it was really necessary and didn't really add anything to the originals. The second trilogy was somewhat disappointing; I don't think it had the inventiveness or freshness of the original trilogy. So where were you when you went to see the first Star Wars?

For Number 3, I go back to the classics. Oddly, I saw the 1978 remake first and quite liked it. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, starring Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum and Brook Adams was tense, creepy and well-directed. I enjoyed it so much I researched where it came from and was informed that the movie was originally based on a novel by Jack Finney's novel, The Body Snatchers, written in 1955. As well, the original movie from 1955 was based on the story.



Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers

 Number 3 on the list then is the 1955 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter. While the special effects in the '78 version were better, the original had a touch to it that really grabbed me. And if there is a choice between a well-made original and a well-made remake, I'll always pick the original.

The story deals with alien spores from space that choose Earth to settle. The spores form pods from the essences of individuals and create duplicates. When the duplicates are formed, the original is destroyed.

The story is so neat, with family members of pod people trying to explain that the pod person isn't their husband or wife or child, but not being believed. Gradually, Kevin McCarthy as the local doctor begins to suspect that things aren't normal in his community. With the help of others, mainly Dana Wynter, he investigates and discovers the alien spores and the plan to take over the Earth.

The movie is tensely directed and came out at a time when Communism was considered to be a threat to individualism and freedom. It struck a chord then, but its success was also in large part that it was a very good movie. There have been other Body Snatcher type movies; in 1993, Gabrielle Anwar starred in a version called simply Body Snatchers. I also heartily recommend this version. You can't go wrong with a good alien invasion story.  One final movie of this ilk that I'd like to recommend is one based on Robert Heinlein's The Puppet Masters. While not of the same quality as the Body Snatcher movies, it's a very entertaining movie and a great story.

Ridley Scott's Aliens

Number 2 is Aliens, the second of Ridley Scott's series. I had listed the first Alien movie in my list of Top Ten Horror movies, but this is the highlight of the series in my books.

In this version, the characters are much better developed, we get to really get to know Sigourney Weaver's character, Ripley and the action is constant and thrilling. The Space Marines are an interesting bunch, from tough female marine, Vasquez, to the true group leader, Michael Biehn, as Hicks, through to Bill Paxton's whiny, Hudson. Lance Hendrickson as the updated Android (or Artificial Person as he prefers) is the most humane of all the characters. Paul Reiser is perfect as the evil company rep who will go to any ends to get a live Alien. And finally, Carrie Henn in her only acting role as little Newt, who has as much courage as any of the Marines.

This movie is not stop action, thrills and spills. It's scary, creepy and full of tension. Some scenes stand out in my memory; Lance Hendrickson volunteering to crawl down the tunnel to get to the automatic recall so he can get the spaceship back. If you have any sort of claustrophobia, it will give you chills. It was an excellent movie and Ripley as the super mom was wonderful. Of all the Alien movies, and they were all great, this is my clear favourite.



Ridley Scott's Blade Runner

 And finally, my favourite SciFi movie, Number One on my list. In 1982, Ridley Scott released another excellent movie, based on Phillip K. Dicks' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. The movie became a cult classic and all time SciFi favourite. Starring Harrison Ford as Richard Deckard, my Number 1 movie is Blade Runner.

This is a fantastic SciFi movie; gritty cop movie with the science fiction thrown in. Deckard's job is to find android's who have escaped and are trying to live as humans.

The setting of the movie is dark, rainy, gloomy; film noir at its best. Ridley Scott creates such an excellent mood and texture. The characters are all great, Rutger Hauer as the head android of a group that have escaped from Mars is intensely disturbing. Darryl Hannah as one of his followers gives her best acting role of her career. Sean Young is cool and detached; is she human or android? Even the Toy Maker, Joe Turkel creates interest.

It's a moody movie, but a true classic and one that bears watching over and over again.

Honourable Mentions

There are so many excellent SciFi movies and they cover such wide ranging topics and ideas. Some of my other favourites include:

Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton's story of cloning dinosaurs
The Abyss - a love story set thousands of feet underwater.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai - witty, funny story about Aliens invaders from the Eighth Dimension. Starring Jeff Goldblum as New Jersey and Peter Weller as Buckaroo and John Lithgow as the mad Alien.
eXistenZ - From Canadian director, David Cronenberg, a strange story of virtual reality and games designers on the run from assassins.
Strange Days - From Jarhead Director, Kathryn Bigelow, another cop type SciFi story dealing with murder, mayhem and virtual reality set on the Eve of the new Millennium.
District 9 - A South African entry, interesting movie about Aliens who crash on Earth and are forced to live in slums around Johannesburg. Very interesting strange movie.
Cloverfield - Final mention is to another Alien invasion film, as caught on film by a group of party goers who must try to escape New York. Very well done movie, with humour and interesting ideas.