Monthly Archives: October 2024

Film

Venom: The Last Dance film review

Leave a comment

I hadn’t listened to any other reviews before going to see the film so I couldn’t be influenced by them. However, I might have been influenced by one in this write up.

Tom Hardy is back in his Eddie Brock, Venom persona and although loose, it also feels forced at times. We start off where the last film left us and they had that moment, are we going to New York to visit Spider-man? That doesn’t materialise, they bring in another character from that franchise in Knull voiced by non-other than Andy Serkis however did they really use the character? Knull sends his minions out, some black Ops guys are running amuck and some scientists with rather flat acting.

So, Eddie and Venom turns out are a key to unlock Knull and are on the run from the authorities for murder. They end up in the Nevada desert rather quickly hunted by one of the minions and then bump into a family who are out searching for aliens.

I didn’t quite get this whole setup, a family searching for, are aliens are real. In a universe where an alien snapped everyone out of existence to be returned five years later. In a universe where there was a massive alien army that invaded New York during the Avengers film. I can’t fault Rhys Ifans acting here or that of the actors of his family. Them and Tom Hardy are the only ones that felt natural. The rest of the acting felt somewhat falsed.

I ask did marvel forgot that they already used Rhys Ifans as Dr Connors who turned himself into a Lizard. Who knows!

We then end up in to Las Vegas which seemed to be an excuse to get to the character Mrs Chen, who for some reason went to running a small convenient store to a high stakes roller being put up in the top room at the hotel! How did that happen?? And the dance? The last dance… Did they really put much thought into that?

Straight back into the desert and straight to Area51 where we have the epic battle. Interesting battle and then it’s all over.

It’s a watchable film, but overall just felt lacklustre at times.

2.5 out of 5.

Exploration

Mudlarking at Midday

Leave a comment

I got myself a ticket on the Eventbrite app to go Mudlarking on the Thames which is run through the Thames Explorer Trust. 

The day started off very cold, but got very nice rather quickly and a sunny day it was. I took the train down to Blackfriars and walked along to Millennium Bridge waiting there a bit, met a few people and we started off with a talk on history and what we can find and off we went.

Down diretly under the bridge we went onto the foreshore. I walked up and down the area to have an explore around and there was a hell of a lot of building debris around from different types of bricks to roof tiles. In amongst all that were loads of different types of shards of pots. A lot of animal bones scattered around, (at least I hope it was all animal!). Various different bits of glass, many washed to rounded edges from the tide. I had an interesting time. But the jig is, you can’t take anything home. 

I will have to apply for a permit myself. However this is what I found.

I rather liked the London gin bottle with London written on it. (I assumed it was suppose to be London considering it’s the city I found it in!) A few bits of pottery and the old bottle top which looks rather like one a codd-neck which would have had a marble in.

London gin bottle

Alas I had to leave it all on the shore to wash away. Guess I will have to get a permit for a year so I can take some finds home.

All in all, an interesting few hours on a nice sunny day.

Exploration

Silk Roads exhibit

Leave a comment

On now in the British Museum until the 23rd February is the Silk Roads exhibit which gives you an insight into the silk trades and way beyond. This is more about the connection, evolution and expansion of empires across this vast route.

All traders from all walks of life and what are they trading? Cloths, silks, pottery, precious gems, silver, gold and spices. In turn the wealth build trade settlements along the route and the route expands to already established settlements.

The exhibit takes you for a wonder from Japan, through China into middle Asia, all the way to Europe and Africa. There are some sad realities like the fact slaves were traded also, with incredibly well-preserved letters of slaves passing from one hand to another. This was partly due to the expansion of the Muslim empire into Africa and Europe which in turn pushed a dominant Buddhism out of Asia and Islam to take hold on the lands. This also transforms type of trades.

As you near the end of the exhibit you see some treasures from the Sutton Hoo collection. A burial in England where gems had come as far from Sri Lanka. And this was done thousands of years ago. 

This is definitely worth a visit.