Heard people or read reviews in the UK raving about Cilla? Well it is not 71-year-old Cilla Black, the well-known veteran UK singer and celebrity, that is drawing all the attention but rather a mini-series simply called Cilla. The docu-drama about Cilla Black's life and her music is attracting a bunch of new and younger fans following the success of the three-part TV series. Sheridan Smith plays Cilla and she is receiving widespread praise for her acting and singing talents. Smith is responsible for singing Cilla's songs in the mini-series and her voice could easily win chart success. Parts one and two have already aired on ITV in the UK and the final part of Cilla airs at 9pm Monday September 29, on ITV. Priscilla White, her real name, rose to fame in those heady Beatles, Liverpool and swinging London days of the sixties. She started out singing with various groups in Liverpool and she sang rock-and-roll or pop music. But when musical success arrived in 1964 it was in the shape of a Number One hit - Anyone Who Had a Heart - and it was a ballad. Cilla continued to work through the decades with her own TV show, guest appearances on chat shows and TV comedies such as Morecambe and Wise, then as the host of Blind Date and the lead in Surprise Surprise. Her long time husband, the late Bobby Willis, was with her from the early days. Like her, love her or loathe her I doubt you can watch Cilla and not enjoy the experience. For older viewers there is nostalgia, memories of the Liverpool scene and some great music. But younger viewers have been in awe of Cilla's illustrious past which included singing with the Beatles in the Cavern in that band's early days. Sheridan Smith morphs into Cilla easily. The hair, the voice and the personality trick the viewer into almost believing it is a young Cilla starring in a documentary. Put the two women side by side and the similarities may not be so strong. Such has been the success of Cilla, the original recording of Anyone Who Had a Heart looks set to re-enter the charts again as fans of the TV series download it. There are no spoilers in this review but if you want a taster check out the footage below which includes a taster of the Cilla mini-series and one of the original Cilla. Recommended 10/10 Note: If you think Sheridan Smith looks familar but cannot think why - she played Charmian Biggs in Mrs Biggs, the wife of the infamous train robber Ronnie. Mrs Biggs was another great success. August 2, 2015: RIP Cilla Sixties pop icon and veteran entertainer Cilla Black dies
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Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is not a new book; as it says on the cover of my paperback edition it won the 2007 Rollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction. It was however new to me when I read summer 2014. Purchased cheaply from the Animal Rescue charity shop on the Mahon Road, on the Balearic Island of Menorca, it proved to be a great buy. The cover is nothing to write home about but I had vaguely heard the title and was drawn in by this - 'A wonderful novel' Marina Lewycka, author of a short history of tractors in Ukrainian. Now that too sounds a strange novel but I read that in 2013. It was recommended to me and it was a truly entertaining, quirky read. So I paid my Euro and my copy of Salmon Fishing but did not start to read it until the flight home. It was a brief two-hour flight into Doncaster in the UK but by time we landed I was hooked. I am not sure what drew me in. The book resembles the Diaries of Adrian Mole in that it is made up of a series of letters. But it is nothing like the Mole diaries. There are records of interviews with various officials. The plot meanders along at the pace of a slow stroll but the book still has a big finish. Dr Alfred Jones is hired to become the consultant on a project to create a salmon fishing reserve in the Yemen. Initially he dismisses the idea as ludicrous but soon comes round to believing it is possible. He comes intertwined in UK politics as various government figures try to gain political advantage from the scheme. Jones has to figure out how to fly 10,000 salmon into the Yemen, a desert country, and persuade them to spawn. The book is thoroughly entertaining with some true laugh out loud moments. There is pathos too and a knockout punch finale. If you get the chance, and want to be entertained, read this book. It was made into a movie in 2011 and footage is added. It is categorised as a rom com but I would not describe the book that way. I may yet watch the film but all too often a book outweighs a movie. The characters and plot your imagination weaves almost always surpass anything a film crew can offer, even with 21st Century technology. The book for me was a 10/10 read. Author Paul Torday ISBN 978-0-7538-2178-7 When a new colleague was a huge fan of Elvis Presley, even all these years after his death, an endless stream of music and footage was on offer on loan. This guy must own every film and recording that Elvis ever made; that's how I came to sit down and watch Viva Las Vegas not so very long ago. I remember seeing this film at the cinema before I was a teenager so watching many years later was a little strange. I was never much of an Elvis fan when I was younger. As a teenager of the 1960s, I was just a little out of his fan base's age group. For me he was too clean cut. Well it shows you how wrong you can be. However with age I find that I can appreciate just how good his voice was and just how beautiful in appearance he was, at some stages of his life. Having seen Viva Las Vegas many years ago nothing much apart from the theme tune had stayed memorable; having said that I do not remember the theme tune music being quite as fast as it actually is. So, viewing this movie years later, what did I make of it? It will come as no surprise to read the movie was dated. However sometimes, 40 years on, the fashions have gone full circle and things do not seem quite so dated. In Viva Las Vegas, that was not the case and everything appeared old fashioned. I suppose at the time when it was filmed it was already a little out of date, apart from with die-hard Elvis fans, but it is one of his better movies. Here is what I liked;
"What'd I Say" "Appreciation" "The Lady Loves Me" "I Need Someone to Lean On" "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever" "My Rival" "If You Think I Don't Need You".
Here is what I disliked; The God-awful plot; if you have seen one Elvis film you have almost seen them all. The plot as usual has Elvis as a singing and dancing 'hero' of sorts. This time he is a race car driver, a theme which appears in more than one of his films. It is basically a boy gets girl plot which has Elvis coming up trumps. Most of his films were in a similar vein and he was not always happy making these films. So, do I recommend this film? Well, it depends on what you are looking for. If you love Elvis and have not seen this film then go for it. It is not one of his poorest efforts. However if you are not a fan of Elvis at all, there is nothing to attract, apart from Ann Margaret for the boys. For me, as I can appreciate Elvis a little more these days, I did enjoy it. After a hard day at work and a long walk home in grey and damp weather it hit the spot. I found myself singing and dancing along. The film is partially based around a luxury Vegas Hotel complete with swimming pool and bags of sunshine. As pure nonsense, it was an easy watch experience which took me back to my youth. The film is rated U and recorded in Mono. The DVD is 81 minutes long. There is a choice of subtitles in a few different languages; there is a choice of English or Italian for the spoken word, presumably as Cesare Danova, the co-star, is Italian. It is widescreen and in colour and co-stars: Cesare Danova, William Demarest and Nicky Blair. The DVD does not really have any extras. There is a scene selection option and there is a theatrical trailer. This is one of the originals and is interesting, although it only lasts five or ten minutes. The screenplay is written by Sally Benson. Directed George Sydney. An MGM film, made in 1964. You can pick up a new copy these days very cheaply. The good old BBC, British Broadcasting Company, has come a long way in England, since it's early, strait-laced viewing days, of the 1950's. There are now quite a few BBC channels, some of which are only available via a set top box, satellite dish, Freeview TV or cable. One of these channels is BBC Four. It is another available on Freeview and appeared a few years back and promised great things. In common with its sister channel BBC Three it only has programming from 7pm until 4am each day. The programmes shown after midnight are handy for people such as shift workers, in that, most mainstream channels only have those rubbish quizzes on after midnight, these days. So here is a brief sample of typical BBC Four listings, to give you an idea of what is on offer on BBC Four:-
When these programmes first aired none were repeats, which is something for any UK channel these days. However I find that the variety is good on the whole and at least there is only two programmes which are repeated in the same day's listings. BBC Four claims that it has an 'alternative and wonderful mixture of culture, arts, sciences, world cinema etc.' and, on the whole, I would agree with that. In many ways it seems to have taken over the role that BBC Two had in its early days. Sure, there is some dross at times but then that is true of all channels. BBC Four has seasons which concentrate on dance, or perhaps music, and generally these have something for a variety of viewers. The films tend to be more thoughtful ones, unusual and interesting. Yes, the sample above has the day’s film offering of 'The Thin Man', and so an old black and white film, but what a classic. Do not let the lack of colour put you off watching this film if you have not seen it before. Overall BBC Four is recommended if you enjoy something a little different. You will still have to select your choice carefully but this channel was a welcome addition to the BBC. It certainly fits in well with the traditional BBC 2 image in that it aims to be a little off-beat and different from mainstream viewing. Anything that provides an alternative cannot be all bad. If I have whetted your viewing appetite you will find BBC Four on:- BBC IPlayer also has recent showings available. Channel 9 on Freeview. Sky Digital channel 116. Telewest channel 107. NTL channel 127. As the good old Beeb tries to balance budgets BBC Three is going to the wall, which is a shame. Support BBC Four to ensure it continues on air and does not go the same way. |