Stuff and Things

At the time of it's release, what is now known as 'the heist movie' was just starting to find it's cinematic feet. After relative successes like 'Ocean's Eleven' and 'The Italian Job' in the 60s, Sam Peckinpah's 'The Getaway' (1972) became something of a box office hit, thus opening the door for more of the like. Because as we all know, when Hollywood finds something that works, they'll rinse the living arse out of it until it don't work no more.  Which brings us to this film. Starring the unmatched Robert Shaw and Walter Matthau, this entry into the genre was showered with critical praise upon it's release, most notably for it's originality, performances and, in particular, its score (which is magnificent). The story unfolds as such: four armed men hijack, of all things, a New York City subway train in the middle of a typical busy day, holding it for ransom of a million dollars and threatening to kill all passengers aboar...

As music biopics go, there are very few that truly live up to the hype. 2005's 'Walk The Line' is probably the best and most compelling of the bunch. The reason, you could argue, is because of the nature of Johnny Cash's life and the depth of his music. Although, in most cases, this doesn't really help because many of these efforts are documenting people with equally interesting upbringings and falling far short. Is it because a fictional re-telling never lives up to real life? Or is it simply a question of film-making prowess? Who knows.  Regardless, the latest entry into this genre is a film about perennial basket-case, Robbie Williams, and it's about as bad as it gets.  I once received a wonderful piece of life-advice from a source that shall remain unnamed. That piece of advice was simply "Do not try to be interesting . Focus instead on being interested ." To my admittedly feeble mind, this is a masterful concept to consider, and certainly one that...

Sam Fender, also known as the Geordie Springsteen, has been blazing a trail since his 2019 debut 'Hypersonic Missiles'. Despite looks that could land him on Love Island, Fender is a unique beast. His music is what should be a very unfashionable brand of whole-hearted Americana, but instead of talking about the lost wheat fields of Kansas, the subject matter very much focuses on working class life in the UK, particularly his own upbringing living largely below the poverty line in the outskirts of Newcastle.  After the massive critical and commercial success of his last album, the brilliant 'Seventeen Going Under' (2021), Fender is back with 'People Watching'. The entire album was produced by Adam Granduciel of War on Drugs fame and it appears to be a match made in heaven as, with this album, we see the 31 year old Sam take the leap into a fully realised artist and potential superstardom.  The album begins with the titular track and first single and it is immediat...