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Film critics

Last night I was divided at 9.00 pm between the Sky Arts series The Directors  and Mark  Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema. I decided to record the first and watch the latter. I admire Mark Kermode but find his personality too obtrusive. He was examining the genre of Super Heroes which does not hold [...]

March 20, 2020 // 0 Comments

Midway (1976)

We have all our own ways of self-amusement in these extraordinary times and mine is to work my way through my stack of unwatched DVDs. Midway tells the story of the June 1942 naval engagement between the US and Japanese Imperial fleets arguably the most important naval battle of World War Two. The [...]

March 19, 2020 // 0 Comments

The Splendid and the Vile/ Erik Larson

This an engaging and well-researched account by an American author and journalist of the Blitz. My initial reaction on reading the reviews was “Do I need this?” Over the last year I had read Andrew Roberts’ biography of Churchill, Appeasing Hitler, Nicholas Shakespeare’s Six Minutes [...]

March 17, 2020 // 0 Comments

The Directors/Sky Arts

This excellent series has continued with Peter Weir and John Schlesinger. The Rosen test of a great director is the legacy of at least 4 memorable films. I found Peter Weir’s breakthrough film Picnic on Hanging Rock slow paced. Gallipoli was more for Australians and New Zealanders. Witness is [...]

March 16, 2020 // 0 Comments

Leopoldstadt

Whilst a new play by 82 year old Tom Stoppard is a significant theatrical event, your correspondent cannot be numbered amongst his greatest fans. For me he is more of a wordsmith than a playwright and too clever by half. He has a talent for comic writing but I have always felt unfulfilled by his [...]

March 13, 2020 // 0 Comments

Joni got it right

Straying for a moment from my daily brief, today I am joining other Rust columnists who recently have been detailing their brushes – and frustrations – with the modern world and how it doesn’t really work in favour of those of us beyond the first flush of youth. In the year 2020, when [...]

March 12, 2020 // 0 Comments

The balance of life

Earlier this week (Monday 9th March) I alighted upon a piece by Clare Foges on page 21 of my copy of The Times commenting upon the latest developments in the coronavirus epidemic and the UK government’s official advice on self-isolation – “Remain in your home. Do not go to work, school or [...]

March 11, 2020 // 0 Comments

The business side of it

For musical Rusters – or even just those fascinated by the music industry, here’s an editorial that appears today upon the website of – THE [...]

March 11, 2020 // 0 Comments

The Information Officer/Mark Mills

The Information Officer is set in Malta during its sustained bombing by the Luftwaffe. Mark Mills (author) It’s a crime thriller though the historical and location detail are impressive.  My knowledge of Malta during the war is constrained to the Malta Story starring Alec Guinness and the fact [...]

March 10, 2020 // 0 Comments

Table talk

…. And now here’s a list to keep Ruster movie fans everywhere reflecting over their bacon and eggs this morning: Tim Robey and Robbie Collin – film critics for The Daily Telegraph – make their selection of the 100 best British movies of all time – see here, courtesy of [...]

March 10, 2020 // 0 Comments

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