Philomena - film review

Philomena 

November 2013

Starring Judy Dench (Philomena Lee) and Steve Coogan (Martin Sixsmith - BBC News at 10) 

A quirky film in the best tradition of British drama which follows Philomena Lee's search for her long lost son. 

Lee gave birth to her son out of wedlock in deeply Catholic Ireland at a time when that sort of thing was a major no no. Her sad tale reflects much of what is bad about the Catholic Church of the day and its fair to say that they dont come out of this very well - another twist of the never ending series of disclosures of child abuse. 

In her case her son is sold to Americans and she gets on with her life, but never quite forgetting her lost son. She tries in vain to track him down but the convent conveniently lost all records on a "big fire" and she hit a dead end. Enter Sixsmith, a world weary journalist and recently "retired" as a government spin doctor in the wake of the "good day to bury bad news" debacle. He picks up the story and used his expertise to take Philomena's search to a new level. 

I am not going to take the plot description any further - go and see the film. 

Within our audience there was physical laughs and tears during the telling of a compelling human interest story. Judy Dench is a bankable star but this is Coogan as an actor with gravitas - a million miles from the Alan Partridge character which irritates the life out of me. 

And that takes me to the cinema we attended. We saw Philomena at Birmingham's Electric Cinema at the back of New St Station (not to be confused with the Electric Cinema in Portobello Road, London).  Its the country's oldest working cinema with two small auditoriums showing a mix of contemporary, independent, foreign and classic films in a genuine art deco setting. There is nothing historic about the visual and audio side of the operation - that's all state of the art - but the ambience makes it a cut above the normal. 

We attended screen two which contains about 70 seats,  of which 60 are "normal" and the rest are sofas at the front and the back. Some of these roomy leather sofas come complete with waiter service summoned by text (another concession to the modern era) and the cinema is happy to run a tab which covers the pre screening cocktails, mid film coffee / chocolate all fortified with a pot of chocolate buttons and ice cream. All very personal and a bit special - you are made to feel like a guest rather than a punter. 

And the cost? Well - quality never comes cheap. The premium sofas are £13.50 a seat and the collection of refreshments listed above set me back another £20. And then there is the parking - a discounted £3 in the adjacent NCP. So just a place for a birthday treat I hear you say. Not necessarily. Strip away the comfy sofa and all the peripheral consumables and you are left with a little cinema of great character - and the standard seats are just £7.40 which is only a small premium over the bulk standard multiplex price. 

I think we have just found our new "regular" cinema! 

Pacific Rim - film review

Pacific Rim
Film Review
July 2013

I was in London this week and a few of the lads from the office decided to go and see Pacific Rim - would I like to join them?

Docklands on your own is pretty tedious, so off we went.

My short review?

Extravagant 3D effects and non stop action but ultimately its Independence Day with Transformers. No real plot and no discernible character development.

Earth was populated by aliens millions of years ago and they have patiently waited underground till our atmosphere was polluted enough to sustain them. Then they started to emerge like giant dinosaurs and man responded with giant machines which grappled and fought the invaders. But the invaders got bigger and bigger so the humans built walls which still coundn't stop them.

Enter the last of the "Tranformers" whi entered battle following a Henry 5th "band of brothers" speech and, against all odds, won the day.

It was fairly engaging but left knowing I had seen it all before. All in all an OK bit of high budget escapism which will appeal to all the family but ultimately will be completely forgettable,

An Audience - film review (sort of)

An Audience

July 2013

Its a bit like the game of charades. Is it a film or is it a show? Well the truth is that out trip to see An Audience was a bit of both.

Let me explain. An Audience, starring Helen Mirren, is a stage show presented by the National Theatre but in an attempt to bring theatre to a wider audience a number of their shows are televised live and shown at selected cinema's. However, on this occasion An Audience was so popular that a further screening was hosted at the Tamworth Odeon (Tamworth - that hotbed of thespian passion). So what we ended up with was a stage performance from the Gielgud Theatre, filmed live and re run as a repeat!

OK, so that's the technical stuff out of the way. What about the production?

Its based on the curious fact that every Tuesday (except Tony Blair who liked Wednesdays) the sitting PM pays a visit to Buckingham Palace and has an audience with the Queen, and there have been 12 of them over her 60 year reign.

These audiences are not minuted or recorded in any way and neither the Queen or her PM's have ever revealed what has been said. So, you are a stressed PM who, during your term in office, sees the Queen 1:1 maybe 70 times - what passes between them.

Its pure speculation and this show attempts to fill the blank canvas, and does so with aplom. There are great cameos featuring the likes of Anthony Eden during the Suez Crisis through the less kind interpretations of Major, Thatcher and Brown. It it therefore a canter through the post war political scene, each PM sitting in the therapists chair baring their soul to the one constant strand in the shape of the monarch.

Its also an interesting insight into the changing life of the Monarch who has had to endure more than a few brick bats herself over the years. A measured transformation from a little princess in her palace to the woman of immense integrity and stature we see today. (Hmm, that's high praise from someone who would never have described himself as a Royalist).

It a compelling production written by Peter Morgan which drags you in and even the fact that its a televised repeat shown in a cinema doesn't detract from its power. Maybe that was one of the most interesting things - the reaction of the audience. It was theatre behaviour in a cinema. The audience laughed, engaged - and even went out to get ice cream during the full length intermission.

So this worked on two levels. 

1. The show was great - entertainment and education packed in a fast paced 2.5 hour package

2. The theatre in the cinema concept took you 90% of the way to a live performance, at a fraction of the price and co convenient.

A good evening's entertainment supplemented with fish and chips from Glascote Chip Shop - I know how to show a girl a good time!

Oblivion - film review

Oblivion

April 2013

Take a two hour running time, add a dash of the Matrix, a hefty dose of Independence Day and liberally sprinkle with the essence of about 20 classic sci fi films and what to you get? - Oblivion!

When I say Oblivion I don't mean a film which sinks into the celluloid mire without a trace, but rather the Tom Cruise film of that name which by some miracle pulls off the rampant plagarism and delivers a sci fi movie which is a cut above the norm.

Its a post apocalyptic story of man (America) fighting the evil planet raping aliens. A story of the underdog battling against all the odds - and delivering triumph in the end (Independence Day). We even have the hero flying the suicide mission, but even here all is not as it seems.

Dont expect a tight plot - its got more loose ends than my favourite boating sweater, but the central tale is as compelling as it is heart warming. As ever, aliens clever enough to deploy all that technology seem very gullible in the final showdown, but that is how aliens are!

The opening half hour sets the scene and it takes a while for the film to get going - even then its not always clear exactly who the bad guys are. But then things liven up and just as you fear for the future of the human remnant, Morgan Freemans sonorous narrative cuts in and assures you that all will be well - things always work out ok when you have Morgan Freeman in your corner.

Its a good sci fi film, a familiar but the eclectic collection of plotlines are woven together very well and its well worth a look see. 

A good film which entertained and exceeded expectations.

Cloud Atlas - film review

Cloud Atlas

Film Review

March 2013

I'm not sure where to start with a review for this film, I have a nagging feeling that both the film and the 2004 book on which it was based, were cunningly devised to foil all attempts as a short, concise review.

Let me try and get this organised in my head:

There isn't one plot line here but a staggering six, set over a period of 500 years with the core premise that individual actions have impacts both today and tomorrow. I have heard it described as a "worthy" tale which I take to mean that its a film with a message. You certainly leave the auditorium with something to think about, and in my case I spent the next hour or so working out which actors played which roles.

The thing is that the cast play multiple roles in different periods all cunningly disguised beneath layers of latex and prosthesis. Some of fake noses are almost comical but that dosn't detract from the film itself. Perhaps the most cunningly hidden multi character was none other than Hugh Grant, in fact I only realised it was him in the role of creepy nuclear power boss.

So, the film comes in six phases:

1849 set at sea as a lawyer sails home from America with a stowaway slave:

1931 about a Cambridge gay musician and his role as amanuensis for an elderly composer

1973 and a San Fransisco conspiracy from the dawn of the nuclear age

2012 English publisher in which Jim Broadbent reduced the audience to near hysteria

2144 futuristic uprising in a new Seoul, Korea

24th century post apocolyptic Hawaii

All this complexity could so easily result in a film which lacks any sort of cohesion, but thankfully the links between the periods are at times subtle but amazingly it works. The film weighs in at very nearly three hours and whilst the comfort factor of the AMG cinema's seats was exceeded, the plots remained compelling as they drew to their aligned conclusion.

There are so many facets to this film that one viewing isn't really enough. The complexity and intricacy of the story will stand two or three repeats, and its easy to see how the budget grew of £100m, a record sum for an independent film. So, if you like plot driven independent films, ones with star casts and ones which leave you thinking and wanting to come back for second helpings, this is one for you.

If my review has left you confused and none the wiser, invest £8 and go see it for yourself.

The Hobbit Pt1 - film review

The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey

January 2013

I am a bit of a fan of Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I was excited to hear that The Hobbit was being shot by the same team. Sadly, I wasn't as impressed by the end result.

The problem I have with the film is simple. The original books where huge sprawling tomes and the challenge was to try and fit all the content into the three films. Even with three films and nine hours to play with it was still a difficult task and a lot of good bits hit the cutting room floor, sections which were reinstated in the DVD version which then weighed in close on four hours per episode - but vastly improved the end result.

The Hobbit, by contrast, is a modest length book but because they really want to milk the franchise, its been spun out into a further three episodes. Put simply, there isn't enough plot to sustain another nine hours of screen time - so all the rest is battle scene padding. Don't get me wrong, its very good CGT padding but the underlying plot matches the pace of the glaciers through which the cast travel.

And then there is the 3D. At the risk of sounding like a sad old git (which of course I am not) I am not a 3D enthusiast. About 75% of the showings were in the more expensive 3D format and the 2D were relegated to really inconvenient times so we were condemned to perch those ridiculous gasses on our noses and watch the "not very realistic" 3D effects. I find myself very aware of the whole 3D thing and this detracts from my ability to lose myself in the film. Far from drawing me in I find myself increasingly assuming the role of an observer, which is quite the opposite of 3D's intention. Give me 2D with a compelling storyline any day.

Overall I enjoyed the film and will almost certainly watch the three episodes, but I am fairly confident that the end result would be better condensed into two, or maybe even one single pacy film.

The Watch - film review

The Watch 
Film Review
September 2012

What do I say! Sometimes some of these oddball films come up trumps and sometimes they don't - this one didn't!

Maybe I should have appreciated that comedy and sci fi are uneasy bedfellows but an evening with Jeff presented itself and this seemed the best of the bunch.

Lets be clear, this isnt a story about a timepiece. Its a tale of four socially dysfunctional guys from Smallsville USA who, in response to a murder, set up a neighbourhood watch scheme. After much ridicule from the public and the local police they find themselves caught up in the midst of an alien invasion - and its up to them to save the planet.

There is much madcap chasing around but the outcome was never really in doubt. Hey, how often do the baddies / aliens win in this sort of situation? There are some funny moments and some unexpected twists, but overall the film struggles to lift itself above the mundane.

If you think I am being a bit hard on it, it is probably telling that this new release attracted an audience of less than 25. Mind you, Jeff loved it, especially the innuendo and shoot outs, so I guess that the target market is not the 50 something bank manager brigade....

Prometheus - film review

Prometheus

Film Review

June 2012

This film came as something of a surprise, with my pre knowledge limited to the fact that it is a Sci Fi movie which is the staple fare for cinema trips with Jeff.

It wasn't long before I saw its links with Alien, Ridley Scott's 1979 classic which had us all on the edge of our seats watching on horror as Sigourney Weaver's stomach was rent asunder by the alien within.

This is Ridley Scott's latest offering and effectively represents a prequel to Alien, offering an explanation to where the Aliens came from. The film works well as a stand alone item, and a huge sprawling effort it is too. Whereas Alien was shot on the tight confines of a spacecraft, Prometheus is set on a far distant moon set in a constellation which was depicted in several places on earth, all drawn thousands of years apart.

After  years of suspended animation the crew of Prometheus wake to find a huge structure which is explored and is found to contain some unexpected inhabitants who share the same desire to incubate and inhabit host bodies. Whilst this is a straight lift from Alien, the gore is amplified and repeated, scenes which has my toes curling and my bum on the edge of the seat.

I wont spoil the plot, its well worth a look but perhaps the laurels have to go to Michael Fassbender and his depiction of the android David - who has a worrying tendency to have a mind of his own. The film is scary, very scary for a 15 and plays out in front of a stunning CGT backdrop. We saw it in 2D but on reflection I think it would have justified the the 3D premium.

The film's promoters have done much to distance this from the slightly overdone Alien franchise, seeking to attract a new audience. The reality is that this has enough of Alien to satisfy the 50 somethings like me who saw Alien in their teens, but enough fresh and new to get a whole new following.

The plotline is strong and unfinished, with the film's  heroine, Dr Elizabeth Shaw and a decapitated David set up for a continuation - and a film I will certainly go and see. 

Something old, something new, a little borrowed, out of the blue.

Wanderlust - film review

Wanderlust 

Film Review

March 2012


I saw a trailer for Wanderlust and thought "there is a film to avoid" - I should have listened to my instinct. The film was only out on general release yesterday, but word of its shortcomings seem to have preceded it in Derby and only a handful of viewers were present for its afternoon showing. In short,  its a clunker.

I had an afternoon out with Tilly and with the weather putting paid to a canal walk, we looked for some inside entertainment. The options at the Showcase were not terribly inspiring and the normally bankable Jennifer Aniston in a rom-com looked about right to engage a 19 year old girl.


The film is about a George and Linda, a pair of married yuppies from New York who fall on hard times and have to give up their cafe culture and micro loft / studio apartment, driving to Atlanta to take up a job with George's brother, one of the most engaging characters in the film.


Along the way they stopped off at a B&B which turned out to be a hippy commune, only to be confronted by the nudist wine maker who ran after them with his tackle out in all its glory, a sight which raised the first of many titters of embarrassment rather than the full blooded belly laughs which were being looked for.


After a mind expanding night they move onto Atlanta, returning when they decide that the commune life is for them. Sure, there are some amusing moments but the commune is depicted  in such a stereotypical way - 1970's vegan hippy dippys with shared ownership and free love a way of life. The commune's elder is Alan Alda who adds a certain Alzheimer's crazyness to the undertaking, which is led by the manic but charismatic hippy called Seth. His apparent commitment proves to be flawed and in so doing he brings a layer of instability to this alternative  Elysium.


Whilst the whole seems implausible, the story is to some extent redeemed by the exploration of the relationship between George and Linda. They entered the film stressed and in disharmony and whilst they were both attracted to the commune, it was only Linda who really engaged with it.  So it was disengagement, to engagement followed by separation as they went their own ways only to find themselves again as a couple and they use their experiences and relationships to realise their ambition and those of the people they meet.

All in all its a film which fails to work on most levels. I don't know about Wanderlust, more like Interest-lost if the truth be told. 

One has to question why Aniston became involved with this project. Maybe she just needed the money!

Top tip - stay away.

In Time - film review

In Time

Film Review

In Time - an intriguing concept which lapses into a two dimensional chase.

I would suggest that a more accurate title would be "Time is money". Set in the not so distant future where humanity has been genetically engineered to stop at the age of 25, after which you have just one year of time on your clock, counting down on your left forearm in flashing neon lights like a 1970's Casio calculator. The key twist is that this time is a transferable commodity, bought and sold, won and lost, borrowed and banked - run out and you are dead! 

The end result is an impoverished underclass who scratch around trying to accumulate enough minutes to last another day, whilst at the other end of the spectrum there is the "monied" ruling class who have all the time in the world - literally. So here is a fascinating opportunity to look at inequality, a world where for the haves to live on in luxury, the have not's must die. Unfair, but not so far from the reality we know. 

The shame is that this original premise in not fully explored. Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is the hero from the ghetto, aged 28 (or 25 plus 3 as he puts it), acquires over 100 years or tradeable life which he uses to buy and gamble his way into the world of the wealthy - time rich who are nearly immortal but lead impoverished and empty lives. Will meets Sylvia Weiss (Amanda Segfried, aged 25 plus 2) - daughter of one of the worlds most wealthy time lenders and a classic Bonnie and Clyde partnership ensues. 

Will wants to change the world, just like his father, and Sylvia wants excitement. They blunder around chased by a time marshal who plays a central role, but who's character and motivation is never unpacked - an opportunity missed. There is a lot of "will they wont they" as they fumble around for a plan, but in the end they decide upon a spot of Quantitative Easing which hits the spot, but leaves the film with an uncertain outcome. I suspect that the idea is to leave scope for a sequel, but the concept has probably run its course and will be left to time out like the people of its creation. 

Sometimes its the little things in films which bug me. In this case it was Sylvia Weiss who morphed from a spoilt and protected brat to a gun toting Lara Croft in the blink of an eye. But what was worse was the fact that she did so wearing a pair of the most ridiculous 5" heel platform shoes. I am not sure which was more implausible: running and jumping in these high fashion effectations or the fact that humankind would be stupid enough to bring back platform soles for a third time.... 

So, the film contains a premise which really gets you thinking, but whose interpretation utterly fails to do the concept justice. Entertaining but it could have been so much more.

Larry Crowne - film review

Larry Crowne - Film Review

December 2011

This is a bizzare film review if ever there was one, written 36,500 ft over Moscow en route to Almaty, Kazakhstan and a cool minus 63 degrees C nine inches from my business class shoulder. Do in flight movies count? - I see no reason why not.

I like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, two long term bankable stars who I feel I have grown up with and offering a storyline I can relate to. Larry (Hanks) is a divorcee made redundant by Wallmart due to an absence of a college education. A disillusioned Larry returns to school to finish an education he abandoned 25 years ago when he entered the navy. Whilst he is at college he undergoes a metamorphosis, winding back the years and in the process winning the heart of his teacher (Roberts) who herself is going through the last stages of an unhappy marriage.

End result - two middle aged people find themselves, rekindle the passion of their youth and, of course, each other. I don't know if they live happily ever after but the vibes are positive.

In a way the story is as old as the hills, well acted and directed by Hanks who brings a chuckle to jet lagged lips and a warm glow to the heart. Sure its a lightweight rom-com whose plot I will have forgotten  by the time by the time 2011 slips away, but it offered a pleasant escape as I blasted over the Russian steppes.

Its worth seeing if easy watching is what you want, but possibly not worth a 2000 mile detour. Hey up - the Urals are coming up ahead. Time to sign off.

The King's Speech

The King's Speech

March 2011

We have been wanting to see this film for months, since it was released way back before Belle's accident. But with Belle's eyesight not returning to its normal self as fast as we had hoped, the trip to the cinema was much delayed.

In the meantime Colin Firth was nominated for and duly received his Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the tongue tied King George VI. Such is the success of the film that it is still showing regularly at our local Showcase, which was good news for us.

This is a truly great film, one which unusually portrays the Royal Family in a very human and positive light. The background to the story is well known - George V dies and Edward assumes the crown, only to fall for Mrs Simpson and then abdicates. This thrusts George unexpectedly onto the throne on the eve of World War Two. But king George has a problem - a major speech impediment which renders him tongue tied when speaking publicly - which is a major problem in his line of work.

His wife (the perennially lovely Helen Bonham-Carter) finds an unorthodox speech therapist and so the story continues. The tale covers the unsteady blooming of their friendship, an unusual partnership of equals in  world where kings and commoners don't usually meet.

The film drags you in , the audience willing him on over every faltering syllable culminating in the powerful delivery of The Kings Speech at the outbreak of war. The crowds cheered, the radio technicians cheered, his family cheered and so did we inside our hearts. Its a heart warming tale of triumph over adversity, a human king facing his fears and leading a frightened nation into war.

Well worth a watch and Colin Firth is a worthy winner of his Oscar. 

Gullivers Travels - film review

Gullivers Travels

Film Review

Feb 2011

We had a request from Tilly to go and see Gullivers Travels whilst visiting her in Derbyshire, and why not?

I read Gullivers Travels as a teenager and kind of enjoyed it, but on reflection I missed the satire which is an essential part of Jonathan Swift's 1726 original.

But its not just the satire that's missing from this film, its large swathes of part one and all of parts two, three and four. Put simply, its relationship to the original text is tenuous at best. But then, this is a kids film starring Jack Black of School of Rock fame, and what's more its in 3D so I guess we shouldn't expect anything more than the lightest nod towards the original.

Jack Black cavorts his way through the film, inserting more dimension than the 3D specs. In fact this is the first 3D film I have seen outside Disney and I was left  bit underwhelmed. Maybe I expected too much of this amazing new technology, but whilst it added a certain something it failed to live up to its promise.

As for the film? It was as two dimensional are the graphics were three. Jack Black is Jack Black in the same way that Hugh Grant is always a British toff. He bounced around but kept returning to his trademark rock act.

The book may contain a depth which has resulted in it being in print for nearly 300 years but there is no way this film will go down as anything more than short lived lightweight froth.

Its been out a month and will probably soon disappear from cinemas - and you won't have missed anything.

World Trade Centre - film review

World Trade Centre

Film Review

February 2011

I don't usually post reviews of DVD's, it somehow feels like cheating and I should really reserve my writing for films I have seen "live" at the cinema. But rules are there to be broken so here goes.

When Belle first fell and smashed her cheek Bones very kindly sent us (Belle really) a supply of DVD's - and a very good selection they were. 

Last night I was in with Jeff (Belle was out at her book group doing intellectual stuff) and we alighted on the 2006 World Trade Centre by Oliver Stone. I remember this film coming out and deciding to give it a miss because it seemed to be rather insensitive to release anything on the subject so soon after all those lives were lost.

I therefore approached it with some trepidation. In the event it turned out to be yet another film in a long line we have watched recently which have been based on the rescue of the trapped. In this case it was Nicholas Cage and fellow NYPD officers trapped under the concourse between the two towers. 

It's interesting to consider how this film handled what was an open sore in the US's, if not the World's, psyche. Far from focusing on the big picture, the fall of the twin towers was almost a backdrop to the personal struggle of two real policemen buried beneath twenty feet of rubble. I was impressed that the writers managed to find a story of hope and triumph from such a scene of utter devastation and loss - no matter how small.

For me it was a reminder if that fateful day, which is possibly the closest thing to a JFK moment in my life. For Jeff it was an eye opener about something which happened before he really became aware of world events.

Perhaps the greatest miracle of all was the number who did escape. 90% of the 40,000 souls in the buildings made it out, but given the size of the buildings the number of escapees from the rubble was minuscule - just 20, with the two hero's being numbers 18 and 19.

The towers are gone but the memory lingers on. The rubble has been cleared but still the War on Terrorism rages on.

Will there ever be "peace on earth and good will to all men?" I fear not. We seem to be a warlike race since time immemorial and beneath the surface of even the most peaceful of us there seems to lie the potential for anger, rage and destruction.

127 Hours - film review

127 Hours

Film review

January 2011

Jeff and I seem to be into something of a run of films where the bulk of the action takes place in one location. First there was the lift in Devil, then the coffin in Buried and now its a bloke trapped in a canyon by a boulder.

127 Hours

I have been told that there are only about a dozen basic stories in the whole world, and each book / film reworks one of then in a new context. If so, what theme does 127 Hours follow? Answer: the common man faces a natural adversity and triumphs.

The plot line is simplicity itself really. A devil may care twenty something with a passion  for canyoning in Utah is introduced tearing across the desert on his mountain bike and then leaping down ravines with reckless abandon. All this comes to a shuddering halt when he slips down a big fissure and dislodges a boulder with proceeds to fall and trap his arm.

From the outset you know that this is a true story "about a bloke who cuts his own arm off", so how can they possibly make an absorbing film where the only character spends 90% of the time on his own with just a boulder for company?

I admit that I was sceptical but I shouldn't have been. You see, this film was directed by Danny Boyle who excels in turning unusual topics into compelling viewing. Think Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire, to name but a few. The bloke is a cinematic genius who's ability to tell a tale pulls which draws an audience rather than overpaid Hollywood stars.

The four days spent attached to the boulder are a clever mix of third party footage, "self shot" video and delirium induced flashbacks which fleshes out the character. In the end, with food and water gone, he resorts to the drastic option of a self amputation, all in glorious technicolour. One moment he is in a semi conscious dream scene with Dido singing at her ethereal best and the next it's jarring acid rock as he plunges a blunt knife into his own arm ending with crescendo achieved as he cuts through his main nerves. I don't know if it's all anatomically correct, but its certainly gripping stuff. Even worse was when he had to break each bone in his arm, an action which had the audience groaning and clutching at their own appendages!

In true "real life" style, the hero escapes and survives to tell the tale, but only by the skin of his teeth. What's more, he emerges a better man and the film concludes with a single message to the audience :

If you go into the wilderness alone, at least leave a note saying where you are going.


Its a surprise winner in the Ahab chart - well worth a look if you are not too squeamish.