Number 146 on the top 1000 films of all time is the historical drama The Elephant Man.
Based on the shocking true life story, the Elephant Man follows the life of the severely deformed Joseph Merrick (John Hurt.) Rescued from the carnival freakshow Doctor Treever (Anthony Hopkins.) Joseph Merrick starts trying to integrate him back into society.
What made this film so powerful is its timelessness. It's set during the Victorian era, but its themes are as relevant now as they were then. Granted, we're a great deal more liberal and freak shows are a thing of the past, but there is still a strong fear of the unknown. This is bred from ignorance and results in hatred, especially in the hatred that Merrick experiences.
After he is rescued and is staying in a hospital, a night porter charges members of the public to gawk, taunt and abuse Joseph Merrick. This disturbing scene was wonderfully accompanied by circus music. Circus music is supposed to represent joy and happiness, but it was distorted into something evil here.
Another powerful scene which sees Merrick running from an angry mob culminates in him yelling "I'm not an elephant. I'm not an animal. I'm a human being." This is something we forget when we're so steered by our own ignorance.
Stepping off my liberal soapbox for a second, the acting was terrific. Anthony Hopkins was very sympathetic as Dr Treever. It was a far cry from when he played a very different doctor - I am of course talking about Dr Hannibal Lector in the Silence of the Lambs. But the obvious star was John Hurt. Even wearing prosthetics that took 7 hours to apply, he still brought a great humanity to the character.
Legend has it the prosthetics were so remarkable they inspired the Oscars to create an award honouring best make-up in film.
The Elephant Man was a poignant film that challenges our fear of the unknown. Hurt and Hopkins were both great and the outstanding prosthetics was the icing on top of a brilliant cake.
Monday, 4 March 2019
Hunted Season 4 Episode 6 review
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 6
24 hours to go. Four remaining fugitives. Since the show's inception, the Hunters have never had a clean sweep. Can they change that here?
In the last episode, the four fugitives brothers - Harry and Frank Savage and recently split-up friends, Nate and Ish, receive a phone call telling them about the extraction point. The only catch? By accessing the phone call. their location becomes known to the Hunters.
The Hunters identify Ish as being in Stafford, Nate in Solihull, on the outskirts of Birmingham and the Savages in Reading. All four fugitives need to safely reach the extraction point in Birmingham city Centre to win.
With only a day to go, the fugitives are balls of terror, excitement, fatigue and paranoia. Considering this, the Hunters target Ish first. They see him on CCTV riding a bicycle and wonder whether he might be making use of Staffordshire's card network. They send teams to the canals. They also send a helicopter. ish hears it and ducks into a local wood. His paranoia takes over, as he wonders whether he has been caught.
However, the Hunters arne't able to get eyes on and soon call back the helicopter, allowing Ish to escape. Again, I ask why were the Hunters not using their thermal imaging camera. Anyway, Ish starts cycling along the canal. And the Hunters start asking the locals who point them in the right direction. Disaster strikes when Ish's bike is punctured and he tries to fix it under a bridge. Little does he know the Hunters are right on top of him. And not before long, after 24 days on the run, Ish is caught. But that's not all. Ish has written down the extraction point in his diary and the Hunters take the diary.
While trying to decipher it, the Hunters focus on Ish's estranged friend Nate. Nate is on the outskirts of Birmingham and he calls upon a new friend to hole him up for the night. The next day, Nate's contact hands him to another friend who drives him to Birmingham City Centre.
Meanwhile, the Hunters interrogate Ish and try to entrap him into giving up the location of the extraction point. They make him think that they've caught Nate. If Nate is caught, why not give up the location? To sweeten the deal, the Hunters try to bribe Ish with 4 grand. He falls for the trap and almost takes the money, but decides against it. He knows he couldn't live with himself if he ratted out the others for only 4 grand.
The Hunters tried a similar tactic in S2 where they feel bribing Madu with £1000. He smartly asks for £50,00, which the Hutners refused. £4000 is nothing. If Nate wins, he could win £33,000. He could share this with Ish and he would share a lot more than 4 grand.
But in the end, it doesn't matter, as the Hunters decipher Ish's diary. They discover the extraction point in in Birmingham at 1. They deduce that canal and road are too slow to escape, so the extraction will take place via helicopter. They start scouring Birmingham city centre for helipads. There aren't too many, so things aren't too difficult for them.
Meanwhile, Nate is in Birmingham, trying to find the extraction point himself. But the Hunters spot him and give chase. He escapes by ducking into a council estate/rabbit warren. For now Nate is safe. Knowing there are few helipads in Birmingham, the Hunters begin investigating roof-top carparks. From there, they deduce the extraction point is on the top of the Edgbaston car park.
Having roughed it in Reading overnight, the Savages have travelled to Birmingham. With only an hour to go, the Hunt is on. The Savages are about as close as brothers could be with Frank always looking after Harry. The Hunters know they'll be tough to beat. With only 20 minutes to go, the Savages are nearing the RDZ and wisely dump their bags, but the Hunters still spot them on CCTV. And then they spot them in real life. Frank and harry split and after a valiant effort, Harry is caught, allowing Frank a chance to escape.
From here, we jump back to Nate who is only ten minutes away from winning. He has changed his clothes and has the car park in sight. He makes a break for it, but the Hunters have the carpark covered. They spot Nate and give chase. In his hurry, he trips over, allowing the Hunters to catch him. This leaves Frank Savage as last man standing.
Frank has managed to evade the Hunters and is determined to win for him and Harry. He finds the car park and hearing the oncoming helicopter, he makes a break for the top. He reaches the roof, but the Hunters are waiting for him. Just minutes away from winning, he is caught. In the first time in the show's history, all of the fugitives have been caught. And that's because the show is far harder than it used to be.
For the previous seasons, the extraction point has always been a remote location, not a car park in the centre of a massive city like Birmingham. Maybe after 3 years of having egg in the face, the producers decided to switch things up. The fact that fugitives have escaped every single year doesn't make the Hunters look very good. While this change certainly made things very challenging, it also made things unfair too. Due to the Hunters already being on the rooftop, it's difficult to see how Frank could have boarded the helicopter or even how the helicopter was supposed to land.
But anyway, all credit to all ten fugitives and especially the final four who were fingertips away from winning. Having blogged extensively on the show, I'd like to think I would do quite well on this show, but I'll probably get caught on day 1.
Top tips for going on the run
1. If you're that close to the end, then don't bother fixing the bike puncture. Dump the bike. If Ish had done this, he might have escaped.
2. If the Hunters offer you money, always ask for more. £4000 is nothing compared to a share of £100000.
3. Don't write things down. Commit them to memory. I'm not sure why Ish couldn't have committed the extraction point details to memory.
And as always, don't tell me your plan below. The Hunters are watching.
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 6
24 hours to go. Four remaining fugitives. Since the show's inception, the Hunters have never had a clean sweep. Can they change that here?
In the last episode, the four fugitives brothers - Harry and Frank Savage and recently split-up friends, Nate and Ish, receive a phone call telling them about the extraction point. The only catch? By accessing the phone call. their location becomes known to the Hunters.
The Hunters identify Ish as being in Stafford, Nate in Solihull, on the outskirts of Birmingham and the Savages in Reading. All four fugitives need to safely reach the extraction point in Birmingham city Centre to win.
With only a day to go, the fugitives are balls of terror, excitement, fatigue and paranoia. Considering this, the Hunters target Ish first. They see him on CCTV riding a bicycle and wonder whether he might be making use of Staffordshire's card network. They send teams to the canals. They also send a helicopter. ish hears it and ducks into a local wood. His paranoia takes over, as he wonders whether he has been caught.
However, the Hunters arne't able to get eyes on and soon call back the helicopter, allowing Ish to escape. Again, I ask why were the Hunters not using their thermal imaging camera. Anyway, Ish starts cycling along the canal. And the Hunters start asking the locals who point them in the right direction. Disaster strikes when Ish's bike is punctured and he tries to fix it under a bridge. Little does he know the Hunters are right on top of him. And not before long, after 24 days on the run, Ish is caught. But that's not all. Ish has written down the extraction point in his diary and the Hunters take the diary.
While trying to decipher it, the Hunters focus on Ish's estranged friend Nate. Nate is on the outskirts of Birmingham and he calls upon a new friend to hole him up for the night. The next day, Nate's contact hands him to another friend who drives him to Birmingham City Centre.
Meanwhile, the Hunters interrogate Ish and try to entrap him into giving up the location of the extraction point. They make him think that they've caught Nate. If Nate is caught, why not give up the location? To sweeten the deal, the Hunters try to bribe Ish with 4 grand. He falls for the trap and almost takes the money, but decides against it. He knows he couldn't live with himself if he ratted out the others for only 4 grand.
The Hunters tried a similar tactic in S2 where they feel bribing Madu with £1000. He smartly asks for £50,00, which the Hutners refused. £4000 is nothing. If Nate wins, he could win £33,000. He could share this with Ish and he would share a lot more than 4 grand.
But in the end, it doesn't matter, as the Hunters decipher Ish's diary. They discover the extraction point in in Birmingham at 1. They deduce that canal and road are too slow to escape, so the extraction will take place via helicopter. They start scouring Birmingham city centre for helipads. There aren't too many, so things aren't too difficult for them.
Meanwhile, Nate is in Birmingham, trying to find the extraction point himself. But the Hunters spot him and give chase. He escapes by ducking into a council estate/rabbit warren. For now Nate is safe. Knowing there are few helipads in Birmingham, the Hunters begin investigating roof-top carparks. From there, they deduce the extraction point is on the top of the Edgbaston car park.
Having roughed it in Reading overnight, the Savages have travelled to Birmingham. With only an hour to go, the Hunt is on. The Savages are about as close as brothers could be with Frank always looking after Harry. The Hunters know they'll be tough to beat. With only 20 minutes to go, the Savages are nearing the RDZ and wisely dump their bags, but the Hunters still spot them on CCTV. And then they spot them in real life. Frank and harry split and after a valiant effort, Harry is caught, allowing Frank a chance to escape.
From here, we jump back to Nate who is only ten minutes away from winning. He has changed his clothes and has the car park in sight. He makes a break for it, but the Hunters have the carpark covered. They spot Nate and give chase. In his hurry, he trips over, allowing the Hunters to catch him. This leaves Frank Savage as last man standing.
Frank has managed to evade the Hunters and is determined to win for him and Harry. He finds the car park and hearing the oncoming helicopter, he makes a break for the top. He reaches the roof, but the Hunters are waiting for him. Just minutes away from winning, he is caught. In the first time in the show's history, all of the fugitives have been caught. And that's because the show is far harder than it used to be.
For the previous seasons, the extraction point has always been a remote location, not a car park in the centre of a massive city like Birmingham. Maybe after 3 years of having egg in the face, the producers decided to switch things up. The fact that fugitives have escaped every single year doesn't make the Hunters look very good. While this change certainly made things very challenging, it also made things unfair too. Due to the Hunters already being on the rooftop, it's difficult to see how Frank could have boarded the helicopter or even how the helicopter was supposed to land.
But anyway, all credit to all ten fugitives and especially the final four who were fingertips away from winning. Having blogged extensively on the show, I'd like to think I would do quite well on this show, but I'll probably get caught on day 1.
Top tips for going on the run
1. If you're that close to the end, then don't bother fixing the bike puncture. Dump the bike. If Ish had done this, he might have escaped.
2. If the Hunters offer you money, always ask for more. £4000 is nothing compared to a share of £100000.
3. Don't write things down. Commit them to memory. I'm not sure why Ish couldn't have committed the extraction point details to memory.
And as always, don't tell me your plan below. The Hunters are watching.
Warrior review
Number 145 on the top 1000 films of all time is the 2011 sports drama Warrior.
Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) and his estranged older brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton) used to be MMA fighters. But when their strained personal lives become too much to bear, they find themselves returning to MMA.
I think the biggest problem for me with this film is that I have no interest in MMA. Like Rocky or Rush, I just have no interest in the subject matter. This meant that much of the emotional gravitas of the film was lost on me. And, as you would expect, MMA itself features heavily, which I found uninteresting to watch. This isn't to say that the fights weren't well choregraphed, but I didn't find them engaging at all.
The acting and performances were very good, but I just didn't enjoy the film. Out of the two leads, I much preferred Brendan. I felt his character was written for better. It was more personable and Edgerton played the character well. Tom Hardy also played Tommy well, but his character was more opaque. I didn't relate to him as much as I did with Brendan.
So, while a lot of people may enjoy this film and consider it one of the best 1000 in the world, it just wasn't for me.
Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) and his estranged older brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton) used to be MMA fighters. But when their strained personal lives become too much to bear, they find themselves returning to MMA.
I think the biggest problem for me with this film is that I have no interest in MMA. Like Rocky or Rush, I just have no interest in the subject matter. This meant that much of the emotional gravitas of the film was lost on me. And, as you would expect, MMA itself features heavily, which I found uninteresting to watch. This isn't to say that the fights weren't well choregraphed, but I didn't find them engaging at all.
The acting and performances were very good, but I just didn't enjoy the film. Out of the two leads, I much preferred Brendan. I felt his character was written for better. It was more personable and Edgerton played the character well. Tom Hardy also played Tommy well, but his character was more opaque. I didn't relate to him as much as I did with Brendan.
So, while a lot of people may enjoy this film and consider it one of the best 1000 in the world, it just wasn't for me.
Friday, 22 February 2019
Hunted Episode 5 Review
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
I have always said that Matt Mason's overconfidence would be his downfall and I was proven correct in this episode. After an audacious plan to lure the Hunters to Devon, send them on a wild goose chase, in an attempt to deflate the tyres on their car, goes wrong, Matt scurries back to safety. when the Hunters don't take the bait for the trap, Matt is driven to a safehouse. What Matt doesn't know is that the Hunters are lying in wait. He arrives and after 21 days on the run, he is caught.
Next up we have this year's underdog Loren Hannon. Essex girl Loren began poorly by leaving behind her itinerary for the Hunters to find. But she has only gone from strength to strength. She has spent most of her life caring for her agoraphobic mother. Thus she has lived a very sheltered existence.
Last episode, after feeling particularly homesick, she tries to meet her sisters in Derby, but they don't show up. Distressed, but not beaten, Loren plans to go home to see her mum.
She goes to a local pub and asks for help there. The barman, Leon, says his mum Patricia will put her up for the night. Patricia does this and more. She says her friend Hugo can drive Loren to Essex. But the Hunters implement a social media campaign that results in Loren being ratted out by a member of the public. Further CCTV reveal her location in the pub. The Hunters interrogate one of the workers and he give sup Leon. The Hunters interrogate Patricia and despite initially rebuffing them, her story collapses once they search her phone.
They become suspicious of her absent call history and upon a little digging, they find out about Hugo. They send teams to where Hugo is picking up Loren. But while Loren is en route, she becomes paranoid, worrying that the Hunters have identified Hugo. She wisely ditches the plan, leaving the ground Hunters with lots of egg on their face. But Loren is still determined to get to Essex. She borrows a phone to call her best friend's boyfriend Kieran. He picks up her up and drives her home.
But the Hunters have tracked the call and identify Kieran's vehicle. They follow Kieran's van and just as Loren reaches home, the Hunters catch her. After 23 days, Loren has been caught.
Finally, we have friends Ismail and Nathaniel. We discover that growing up Ish was bullied, shy and very introverted. Nathaniel was the opposite, but remains intensely loyal to his friend. But the Hunters suspect Ish as being the weak link.
After a few nights of wild-camping off-grid in Huddersfield, Ish is dreadfully homesick and wants to see his sister Hafsza. Nate knows this is a massive risk, but is prepared to help his friend. He devises a plan which involves the boy splitting. Nate enlists his friend Drew to pose as Ish. The two go to their university city of Nottingham and livestream in the city centre. They hope to lure the hunters to Nottingham, allowing Ish to see Hafsza in Derby. The two will reunite in Dudley.
But the Hunters are close to catching Loren and they don't fall for the lure. This allows Ish to see Hafsza and make it to the rendezvous. Meanwhile, the Hunters have figured out the trap and send teams to intercept. While Nate is heading to the RDZ, he becomes paranoid and decides not to go. Instead, he is dropped off 14 miles away in Birmingham. This leaves Ish paranoid and isolated, as he wanders how he'll cope without his friend.
With 45 hours to go, we have our four finalists: brothers Harry and Frank Savage and the now divided friends, Nate and Ish.
They are told to access a pre-recorded message that will notify them of their extraction point. If they can make it there without being caught, they will win. The catch? Listening to the message reveals their exact location to the Hunters. To quote Harry Savage, "shit just got real."
Top tips for going on the run
1. Don't be overconfident. This was Matt Mason's downfall.
2. If you know the Hunters are following you then don't go home.
3. Always trust your instincts. This helped Loren temporarily escape the Hunters.
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
I have always said that Matt Mason's overconfidence would be his downfall and I was proven correct in this episode. After an audacious plan to lure the Hunters to Devon, send them on a wild goose chase, in an attempt to deflate the tyres on their car, goes wrong, Matt scurries back to safety. when the Hunters don't take the bait for the trap, Matt is driven to a safehouse. What Matt doesn't know is that the Hunters are lying in wait. He arrives and after 21 days on the run, he is caught.
Next up we have this year's underdog Loren Hannon. Essex girl Loren began poorly by leaving behind her itinerary for the Hunters to find. But she has only gone from strength to strength. She has spent most of her life caring for her agoraphobic mother. Thus she has lived a very sheltered existence.
Last episode, after feeling particularly homesick, she tries to meet her sisters in Derby, but they don't show up. Distressed, but not beaten, Loren plans to go home to see her mum.
She goes to a local pub and asks for help there. The barman, Leon, says his mum Patricia will put her up for the night. Patricia does this and more. She says her friend Hugo can drive Loren to Essex. But the Hunters implement a social media campaign that results in Loren being ratted out by a member of the public. Further CCTV reveal her location in the pub. The Hunters interrogate one of the workers and he give sup Leon. The Hunters interrogate Patricia and despite initially rebuffing them, her story collapses once they search her phone.
They become suspicious of her absent call history and upon a little digging, they find out about Hugo. They send teams to where Hugo is picking up Loren. But while Loren is en route, she becomes paranoid, worrying that the Hunters have identified Hugo. She wisely ditches the plan, leaving the ground Hunters with lots of egg on their face. But Loren is still determined to get to Essex. She borrows a phone to call her best friend's boyfriend Kieran. He picks up her up and drives her home.
But the Hunters have tracked the call and identify Kieran's vehicle. They follow Kieran's van and just as Loren reaches home, the Hunters catch her. After 23 days, Loren has been caught.
Finally, we have friends Ismail and Nathaniel. We discover that growing up Ish was bullied, shy and very introverted. Nathaniel was the opposite, but remains intensely loyal to his friend. But the Hunters suspect Ish as being the weak link.
After a few nights of wild-camping off-grid in Huddersfield, Ish is dreadfully homesick and wants to see his sister Hafsza. Nate knows this is a massive risk, but is prepared to help his friend. He devises a plan which involves the boy splitting. Nate enlists his friend Drew to pose as Ish. The two go to their university city of Nottingham and livestream in the city centre. They hope to lure the hunters to Nottingham, allowing Ish to see Hafsza in Derby. The two will reunite in Dudley.
But the Hunters are close to catching Loren and they don't fall for the lure. This allows Ish to see Hafsza and make it to the rendezvous. Meanwhile, the Hunters have figured out the trap and send teams to intercept. While Nate is heading to the RDZ, he becomes paranoid and decides not to go. Instead, he is dropped off 14 miles away in Birmingham. This leaves Ish paranoid and isolated, as he wanders how he'll cope without his friend.
With 45 hours to go, we have our four finalists: brothers Harry and Frank Savage and the now divided friends, Nate and Ish.
They are told to access a pre-recorded message that will notify them of their extraction point. If they can make it there without being caught, they will win. The catch? Listening to the message reveals their exact location to the Hunters. To quote Harry Savage, "shit just got real."
Top tips for going on the run
1. Don't be overconfident. This was Matt Mason's downfall.
2. If you know the Hunters are following you then don't go home.
3. Always trust your instincts. This helped Loren temporarily escape the Hunters.
Les Diabolique Review
Number 144 on the top 1000 greatest films of all time is the 1955 French psychological thriller Les Diaboloqie.
Michel Delasalle is the cruel, abusive and all-around mean-hearted headteacher of a second-rate Parisian boarding school. His wife Christina (Vera Clouzat) and his mistress Nicole (Simone Sigouret) plot to kill him. Having done so, his body seemingly disappears and a number of strange events start occurring.
This was reportedly the inspiration behind Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and it is easy to see why, as it has all the hallmarks of a Hitchcock film. It also watched as a classic noir movie.
Of the two women, Nicole was the brains behind the operation and Sigouret did well to portray the ruthless pragmatism behind the character. On the other hand, Nicole is quiet and fragile, with a heart condition. Lastly, Paul Mourise portrayed an appropriate unsympathetic Michel Dellaselle. He was a truly unlikeable character and his death did little to pull at my heartstrings.
Something else that was interesting was the complete lack of background music. Apart from the credits, there was no music at all. While this might lead to boring silences in other films, here it worked well to build up the tension.
But I don't have much to say about this film. I enjoyed it with its moral duplicitous characters, tension building and effective use of silence. The film concludes by asking the audience not to spoil the shock twist ending. I ask you to do the same in the comments below.
Michel Delasalle is the cruel, abusive and all-around mean-hearted headteacher of a second-rate Parisian boarding school. His wife Christina (Vera Clouzat) and his mistress Nicole (Simone Sigouret) plot to kill him. Having done so, his body seemingly disappears and a number of strange events start occurring.
This was reportedly the inspiration behind Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and it is easy to see why, as it has all the hallmarks of a Hitchcock film. It also watched as a classic noir movie.
Of the two women, Nicole was the brains behind the operation and Sigouret did well to portray the ruthless pragmatism behind the character. On the other hand, Nicole is quiet and fragile, with a heart condition. Lastly, Paul Mourise portrayed an appropriate unsympathetic Michel Dellaselle. He was a truly unlikeable character and his death did little to pull at my heartstrings.
Something else that was interesting was the complete lack of background music. Apart from the credits, there was no music at all. While this might lead to boring silences in other films, here it worked well to build up the tension.
But I don't have much to say about this film. I enjoyed it with its moral duplicitous characters, tension building and effective use of silence. The film concludes by asking the audience not to spoil the shock twist ending. I ask you to do the same in the comments below.
Sunday, 3 February 2019
Hunted Season 4 Episode 4 Review
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
In what is becoming a Hunted tradition, this episode picks up where the last one left off. The Hunters have tracked Nathaniel and Ismail to Huddersfield where they are being sheltered in a rental property.
The Hunters send in a ground team and box off the boys. Just when it looks like the two friends will be caught, they're tipped off and escape. Their whereabouts are currently unknown.
Next we move onto brothers Harry and Frank Savage. They have hiked their way back to Frank's home county of Sussex and are looking for a way to go home. They've been on the run for 16 days and the Hunters rightly suspect they are tired and miserable. They think the brothers will make contact with their older sister Lizzie. After their mother passed away, Lizzie became the mum of the family.
The boys make contact with a friend called Matt who owns a pub. Matt shelters and feeds the two. Afterwards, Matt goes to Lizzie's house to broker a meet. However, the Hunters get there first. While Lizzie is out, they bug her house with spy cameras. They spot Matt on the cameras while Lizzie is still out. Through facial recognition and social media, the Hunters discover Matt's connection to Harry and Frank.
Lizzie calls Matt and arranges to meet the boys at a burger van they have frequented in the past. The Hunters track the call and send teams to intercept. As Matt drives the boys to the rendezvous, they start becoming paranoid. They see the Hunters everywhere, but they make it to the rendezvous. Just as it looks like Lizzie isn't showing, she appears and gives the boys money. With the Hunters closing in, Harry and Frank just escape in time. Their whereabouts are unknown.
Next we have Loren Hannon who I feel is this year's underdog. In the first episode, she left behind her itinerary which the Hunters found. She received a lot of slack for this online, but she is still fighting on. Nick Cummings and Alex Ayling were underdogs too and they went on to win. Anyway, this episode picks up on Loren in the Scottish Highlands. She sends a taunting postcard to the Hunters before hitchhiking her way south to the Lake District.
Here we learn more about her past. She has spent much of her life as her mum's caregiver and thus has lived a very sheltered existence. She is not prepared for hiking through the Lake District at all, but she makes a good fist of it.
Anyway, the Hunters suspect the postcard is a decoy and they don't fall for it. Instead, they use social media to advertise wanted posters for Loren. Meanwhile, the homesick Loren devises a plan to see her family. She uses a stranger's phone to call her best friend's boyfriend to broker a meeting between her and her sisters in Derby. From there, she hitch-hikes down to the Sandbach service station in Cheshire.
Then she begins asking literally anybody and everybody if they can drive her to Derby. After a lot of failing, she eventually succeeds. But then one of the people she's asked rats her out to the Hunters. The Hunters pull CCTV from the service station and spot Loren making a show of herself out front. But in the meantime she has made it to Derby.
She arrives at the rendezvous to find her sisters aren't there. Distraught and alone, Loren decides to leave. We see the pressure get to her as she breaks down. Loren is isolated and upset, but she remains on the run. Her whereabouts are unknown.
Finally, we have Royal Marine Commando, Matt Mason. Throughout the series, we have seen his cockiness come through. The Hunters think this will be his downfall. And maybe they're right, as Matt reveals his next audacious plan to taunt the Hunters.
Having long left Gloucester, he is now in Devon and plans to lure the Hunters to a beach called Saunton Sands. While they're looking for him, he will deflate the tyres on their card.
But the Hunters know he's going to try something clever and they stay alert. Also they have access to his internet search history and have figured out what route he is taking. They know he is in Devon. They believe he'll make use of his extensive Royal Marine Commando network.
They discover a marine called John Peel living in the area and suspect Matt will make contact with him. They then spot Matt on the local CCTV. Their suspicions prove true, as Matt asks for John's help. John's daughter phones up Matt's wife, Lyndsay, and asks her to come to Saunton Sands.
Knowing the Hunters won't be far behind, Matt lies in wait. But things go wrong when Lyndsay shows up, but the Hunters don't. Matt quickly realises they haven't taken the bait and aborts the plan. John drives him back to his house, but what neither of them know is that the Hunters know where John lives and are sending ground teams to intercept. Will Matt's overconfidence prove his fatal downfall? We'll have to wait until next week to find out.
Top tips for going on the run.
I would say don't make contact with your family - this could have been fatal for the Savages or Loren, but the rules state you need to make contact. While you might not do this in real life, this is a television programme and needs to be dramatic and entertaining for audiences.
1. Don't become overconfident. I feel like this will be Matt's downfall.
2. Be careful in trying to outsmart the Hunters. They're ready for traps.
3. Keep an eye out for CCTV. This gave away Loren's location.
Don't tell me your plan in the comments below. The Hunters are watching.
Episode 2
Episode 3
In what is becoming a Hunted tradition, this episode picks up where the last one left off. The Hunters have tracked Nathaniel and Ismail to Huddersfield where they are being sheltered in a rental property.
The Hunters send in a ground team and box off the boys. Just when it looks like the two friends will be caught, they're tipped off and escape. Their whereabouts are currently unknown.
Next we move onto brothers Harry and Frank Savage. They have hiked their way back to Frank's home county of Sussex and are looking for a way to go home. They've been on the run for 16 days and the Hunters rightly suspect they are tired and miserable. They think the brothers will make contact with their older sister Lizzie. After their mother passed away, Lizzie became the mum of the family.
The boys make contact with a friend called Matt who owns a pub. Matt shelters and feeds the two. Afterwards, Matt goes to Lizzie's house to broker a meet. However, the Hunters get there first. While Lizzie is out, they bug her house with spy cameras. They spot Matt on the cameras while Lizzie is still out. Through facial recognition and social media, the Hunters discover Matt's connection to Harry and Frank.
Lizzie calls Matt and arranges to meet the boys at a burger van they have frequented in the past. The Hunters track the call and send teams to intercept. As Matt drives the boys to the rendezvous, they start becoming paranoid. They see the Hunters everywhere, but they make it to the rendezvous. Just as it looks like Lizzie isn't showing, she appears and gives the boys money. With the Hunters closing in, Harry and Frank just escape in time. Their whereabouts are unknown.
Next we have Loren Hannon who I feel is this year's underdog. In the first episode, she left behind her itinerary which the Hunters found. She received a lot of slack for this online, but she is still fighting on. Nick Cummings and Alex Ayling were underdogs too and they went on to win. Anyway, this episode picks up on Loren in the Scottish Highlands. She sends a taunting postcard to the Hunters before hitchhiking her way south to the Lake District.
Here we learn more about her past. She has spent much of her life as her mum's caregiver and thus has lived a very sheltered existence. She is not prepared for hiking through the Lake District at all, but she makes a good fist of it.
Anyway, the Hunters suspect the postcard is a decoy and they don't fall for it. Instead, they use social media to advertise wanted posters for Loren. Meanwhile, the homesick Loren devises a plan to see her family. She uses a stranger's phone to call her best friend's boyfriend to broker a meeting between her and her sisters in Derby. From there, she hitch-hikes down to the Sandbach service station in Cheshire.
Then she begins asking literally anybody and everybody if they can drive her to Derby. After a lot of failing, she eventually succeeds. But then one of the people she's asked rats her out to the Hunters. The Hunters pull CCTV from the service station and spot Loren making a show of herself out front. But in the meantime she has made it to Derby.
She arrives at the rendezvous to find her sisters aren't there. Distraught and alone, Loren decides to leave. We see the pressure get to her as she breaks down. Loren is isolated and upset, but she remains on the run. Her whereabouts are unknown.
Finally, we have Royal Marine Commando, Matt Mason. Throughout the series, we have seen his cockiness come through. The Hunters think this will be his downfall. And maybe they're right, as Matt reveals his next audacious plan to taunt the Hunters.
Having long left Gloucester, he is now in Devon and plans to lure the Hunters to a beach called Saunton Sands. While they're looking for him, he will deflate the tyres on their card.
But the Hunters know he's going to try something clever and they stay alert. Also they have access to his internet search history and have figured out what route he is taking. They know he is in Devon. They believe he'll make use of his extensive Royal Marine Commando network.
They discover a marine called John Peel living in the area and suspect Matt will make contact with him. They then spot Matt on the local CCTV. Their suspicions prove true, as Matt asks for John's help. John's daughter phones up Matt's wife, Lyndsay, and asks her to come to Saunton Sands.
Knowing the Hunters won't be far behind, Matt lies in wait. But things go wrong when Lyndsay shows up, but the Hunters don't. Matt quickly realises they haven't taken the bait and aborts the plan. John drives him back to his house, but what neither of them know is that the Hunters know where John lives and are sending ground teams to intercept. Will Matt's overconfidence prove his fatal downfall? We'll have to wait until next week to find out.
Top tips for going on the run.
I would say don't make contact with your family - this could have been fatal for the Savages or Loren, but the rules state you need to make contact. While you might not do this in real life, this is a television programme and needs to be dramatic and entertaining for audiences.
1. Don't become overconfident. I feel like this will be Matt's downfall.
2. Be careful in trying to outsmart the Hunters. They're ready for traps.
3. Keep an eye out for CCTV. This gave away Loren's location.
Don't tell me your plan in the comments below. The Hunters are watching.
Saturday, 2 February 2019
The Best Years of our Lives review
Number 143 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Best Years of our Lives. It was the winner of the 1946 Best Picture Oscar.
Platoon Sergeant Al Stephenson (Fredric Marsh), Captain Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) and Petty Officer 2nd Class Homer Parrish (Harrold Russell) are three WW2 veterans who make fast friends upon their return to America. However, all three of them have trouble readjusting to their old lives.
The Best Days of our Lives won seven Oscars and it's easy to understand why. Its subject matter is as relevant now as it was then. Some soldiers returning from war find they don't have any support network. They struggle to integrate back into their old lives. Some become homeless. Others take their own lives.
Thankfully things never become that dark here, but all three characters struggle to reintegrate. Before the war, Al Stephenson was a middle-manager in a bank and a family man. But when he arrives home, his life has moved on without him. His children have a grown-up and he has lost his relationship to him. In his work, he does his best to help other veterans even when that's not in the bank's best interests. To help deal with his alienation, he begins drinking. And on more than one occasion, he drinks too much and greatly embarrasses himself and his family. Unfortunately, he is just one example of the many veterans who turn to drink when they cannot cope with reality.
Next we have Fred Derry who is the most mentally disturbed of the three. Although it isn't said explicitly, it is implied that he has PTSD. He talks in his sleep, thinking he is still in battle. Before the war, he was a soda jerk in a drug store. He also married a woman called Marie, a month before he shipped out. But upon his return, he struggles in finding a new job. He is forced to return to his role as a low-paid soda jerk. Marie makes it clear she isn't happy with this and constantly berates him. The marriage turns into a loveless one and Marie leaves Fred for another veteran. Again, this is all too familiar for veterans who have been changed by war.
Lastly, we have Homer Parrish. While in the navy, his boat caught fire and sunk. While Homer survived, he lost both his arms below the elbow. And so, he has prosthetic hooks instead. The actor Harold Russell actually lost his hands in the army while teaching demolition work. And Parrish's story is the saddest of the three. Because of his disability, he finds that everyone is treating him differently, when all he wants is to be treated the same. Yet children are scared of him and Home is afraid his old girlfriend and family will reject him. Although they are understanding, he finds he is more comfortable with his old friends. It is only when Fred Derry tells him not to let his girlfriend go is Homer able to fully accept himself for who he is.
I did enjoy this film. It holds as much relevance as it did and through history, as it did in WW2. Veterans coming home from Korea experienced this, so did veterans in Vietnam and in the Gulf War and even in the recent war in Afghanistan. And all three characters were very likeable especially the sweet Homer Parrish, so it was nice to see him succeed. This isn't always the case for veterans, so it was nice to see these three characters live happily ever after.
Platoon Sergeant Al Stephenson (Fredric Marsh), Captain Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) and Petty Officer 2nd Class Homer Parrish (Harrold Russell) are three WW2 veterans who make fast friends upon their return to America. However, all three of them have trouble readjusting to their old lives.
The Best Days of our Lives won seven Oscars and it's easy to understand why. Its subject matter is as relevant now as it was then. Some soldiers returning from war find they don't have any support network. They struggle to integrate back into their old lives. Some become homeless. Others take their own lives.
Thankfully things never become that dark here, but all three characters struggle to reintegrate. Before the war, Al Stephenson was a middle-manager in a bank and a family man. But when he arrives home, his life has moved on without him. His children have a grown-up and he has lost his relationship to him. In his work, he does his best to help other veterans even when that's not in the bank's best interests. To help deal with his alienation, he begins drinking. And on more than one occasion, he drinks too much and greatly embarrasses himself and his family. Unfortunately, he is just one example of the many veterans who turn to drink when they cannot cope with reality.
Next we have Fred Derry who is the most mentally disturbed of the three. Although it isn't said explicitly, it is implied that he has PTSD. He talks in his sleep, thinking he is still in battle. Before the war, he was a soda jerk in a drug store. He also married a woman called Marie, a month before he shipped out. But upon his return, he struggles in finding a new job. He is forced to return to his role as a low-paid soda jerk. Marie makes it clear she isn't happy with this and constantly berates him. The marriage turns into a loveless one and Marie leaves Fred for another veteran. Again, this is all too familiar for veterans who have been changed by war.
Lastly, we have Homer Parrish. While in the navy, his boat caught fire and sunk. While Homer survived, he lost both his arms below the elbow. And so, he has prosthetic hooks instead. The actor Harold Russell actually lost his hands in the army while teaching demolition work. And Parrish's story is the saddest of the three. Because of his disability, he finds that everyone is treating him differently, when all he wants is to be treated the same. Yet children are scared of him and Home is afraid his old girlfriend and family will reject him. Although they are understanding, he finds he is more comfortable with his old friends. It is only when Fred Derry tells him not to let his girlfriend go is Homer able to fully accept himself for who he is.
I did enjoy this film. It holds as much relevance as it did and through history, as it did in WW2. Veterans coming home from Korea experienced this, so did veterans in Vietnam and in the Gulf War and even in the recent war in Afghanistan. And all three characters were very likeable especially the sweet Homer Parrish, so it was nice to see him succeed. This isn't always the case for veterans, so it was nice to see these three characters live happily ever after.
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