There have been two main iterations of King Kong, 1933 the black and white classic and most recently with Jack Black which was ok, not great, but ok.

So this most recent offering has discovered a new island only recently found via satellite imagery and requiring mapping. Step up a crack squad from the US Army just on their way home from ‘Nam. Led by Samuel L Jackson’s the war aint over boy attitude and grand standing, these boys are whooping and hollering while we the viewer take early punts on the obvious early deaths.

With the dodgy Bill Randa and colleagues believing in the hollow earth theory (a jurrasic time buried within the earth) they take seismic missiles to ‘map’ the area. Along with them is crack British ex SAS and all round hero James Conrad (Loki) plus war photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson).

Together they set off with some random scientists also known as monster fodder, and battle the storm surrounding the elusive skull Island.

Most modern takes on classic movies have yet to convinve me they are worth the money and time spent by anybody involved – Get Carter, Italian Job, Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Balls up, all terrible. Plus do nothing but enhance the reputation of the original and ruin the rep of the modern take cast and crew.

Sp, this one starts well, Kong is introduced dramatically as soon as the gang arrive, swatting choppers out of the sky, treading on scientists and soldiers alike. However, this gives you a sense of ‘where can the movie go?’ apart from ‘lets go kill this thing’ as the group is split into two groups as they try to make their way towards the rendezvous three days later.

There are revelations, skull monsters, over acting, surprise residents and a rather wet conclusion. Tom Hiddleston as the heroic ex SAS dude is awful, a smug not very believable posh turnip and certainly confirmed he is no Bond. The rest were ok, Brie Larson was brilliant, believable and thankfully not a typical female role in this movie.

As a whole it struggles to present a full on classic, it has moments to be fair but it loses any sense of danger or surprise that it builds with some obvious cliches which do more damage to the classic movie than act as a homage to it.

Its in the cinemas still, its ok, if it was me I would wait for dvd as this isn’t a classic, more of a wet Sunday afternoon viewing.

What are your onions?

RPOS Guv X

Sat on a train to that London and I am surrounded by commuters who cant help but look at me as I sit there tapping, nodding, scribbling down notes whilst humming them.

To say that I was looking forward to this is an understatement as I had worn the fantastic debut Never To Be Tamed down to its its bare bones. 

Could this young dynamic real rock ‘n roll four piece really keep up the high standards previously set or indeed manage to go to the next level?

Its been over a week since I started listening to SLYDIGS’ forthcoming EP with opening track ‘How Animal are You’ the latest single release kicking things off. This rip snorter sets off at a pace with the crisp snare snapping away driving the boogie as Dean’s raucous voice screams at you. Classic cliche of Jaguar/Guitar sounds fresh and sends images of accompanying a 70’s aftershave commercial warms the cockles that these boys are bang on track.

Track 2, The Truth Will Be Found, is a grower, in Aerosmith territory and already a live staple – sliding its way through and tending the soul with a rusty edge. As you are sitting there with a post ‘Truth’cool glow you are instantly slapped with a mansize rooster of a tune telling the tale of dangerous ladies who run on gasoline, Give It Up Brother simple smooth effective harmonies and claptastic chorus will run and run live, added to Louis’ swirling six string I dare you to not be humming this ding dong of a song.

Many bands look to add a ballad of sorts a slowie, to show their range and mostly cock it up. Well SlyDigs may have found their ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ with this mix of piano and acoustic. The live reactions with ‘To Catch A Fading Light’ have shown it to already be on its way to being a fan favourite. Ladies, gents arms in the air – quite possibly pissed on the atmos and possibly a few beers will want to live in this moment, not through their phones. No doubt disciples will be murdering it at karaoke for years to come or waddling to it at weddings galore.

The last two tracks, Suburban Confinement and The Kids Feel Underrated, both different, both brilliant. Suburban tells a story of small town life, stuck in a rut and wanting to break out, almost a struggle to leave perhaps echoing their Warrington lives. It builds to a cracking crescendo, a booze fueled high with a pole stripping solo, matching the vocal angst, beaten along by Ben and Pete. Almost my favourite.

So, we are now complete, sold on their story, their love lives, their love warnings, their cigarette stained refusal to not accept whats expected. To get or see more, to make their own history. Following from the rock stable of life – Faces, Stones, Bolan, Zepplin, Beatles, Who, Weller, Gallaghers. This is capped off with the belting The Kids Are Underrated’ – starts slow, it builds, its melodic, hypnotic and live will be B.I.G. Chasing rainbows……..Police in plain clothes…….The devil’s henchman at my door. Its my absolute favourite, its on a classic play list all day long. If they aren’t already on the tricky trail to success with their non stop live commitments then this track will certainly help cement them when they get there.

This is a polished more mature sound but not completely, which perfectly catches their live energy and rock ‘n roll sound. Bridging the gap between the elder statesman and the new generation was exactly the attitude the epic Oasis brought us in abundance – SLYDIGS have picked up that baton with their own style, edge and hunger.

The Digs are touring May/June across Europe starting in Manchester – go see them so you can say you were there……….

Tickets http://www.slydigs.co.uk/live

How Animal are You?

Just for the hell of it and to wet your appetite turn it up – Stiff Upper Lip

What are your Onions baby?

RPOS GUV X

Technology is fucking brilliant, the phones, the tvs, the cars, the cgi, the medical break throughs  the smart homes, the smart cities, the internet.

Never before has the world been so connected – as soon as an album or a single released you can download it onto your device and play it, you can watch on multi[le screens tv or films all over your house, forget to put your heating on? Just ping it a message.

This is all great but how much do we really know about the information we share,  be it banking, emails, text messages, let alone the thousands of social media applications.Photos of ourselves, our food, our pets, our kids, our friends and loved ones.

Where is all this information being stored? Who is analyzing it? Who is using/selling it and what for and to who?

When we use our ‘Google Maps’ to find where we are going are you telling me that Google don’t now have a log of where we are, where we have been?

When I was a teenager some years or so ago, I couldn’t wait to gain my independence, be it catching a bus, driving  a car, boarding a plane away from home, friends, family. To explore and always have them in my heart as I stumbled and crawled back from the pub or gig. Seems I am not alone in this as it is our natural want to explore, make a mark for ourselves, discover new things.

Now we just look to our little bag of tricks, be it the phone, ipad, laptop, tv, smart box, Amazon aid thing, Hive thing . Where the fuck will it end? How long will it be until anyone at any time will be able to get any information about you, me, the banks, the military, the nuclear codes……….

As I said technology is very cool, but just be careful how much you think you are ‘saving’ be it time or money in the short term with the latest gadget or app.

Sooner or later we will not have to think for ourselves as the machines will do it for us.

Be very fucking careful, don’t believe the hype as you may well have the world at your fingertips but now the world has you at theirs.

What are your onions?

RPOS GUV X

 

 

Episode 10 of Series 4 came to conclusion on Sunday April 2nd 2017, the last ever Black Sails episode of the last ever series and I for one am absolutely gutted.

One of the absolute greats, up there with The Spranos, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Lost, 24.

The best tv series to not be shown on major channels here in the UK only available on Amazon Prime (unless you count the History channel which is a whole series behind) has finished and the millions of people who have missed out need to wake up and go watch.

I am no literary hero, as you can tell you bastards, but the writing, acting, sets are incredible, the locations perfect.

Having invested over four years into this series, witnessing the character development, wanting villains to die and heroes to win, then the very same villains win and the heroes bleed to death, it is truly remarkable that for once a series is actually ending.

No mid series fluff as the pay masters try to drag it out for more money, no taking the story into directions just so unbelievable or indeed unremarkable. Just good old fashioned swash bucking, whore shagging, rum drinking pirate-a-thon with a cracking story told so well.

I implore you to watch this and I dare you not to fucking love it.

I for one shall miss Captain Flint going batshit, Long John Silver waxing lyrical, Captain Vane being psyco, Eleanor being devious, Rackham being wise (!?!) Anne being just so beautifully violent. The list goes on and on, the characters and stella performances surely must put the show on the awards map.

I hope there is a follow on series about Long John Silver, as this is the prelude to the Treasure Island legend but it seems this may not be the case.

So, stop fucking about, get your cutlass ready, go get Amazon Prime or nick someones log in and watch this incredible series.

I congratulate Toby Stephens Tom Hopper Luke Arnold Toby Schmitz Hannah Law, the creators John Steinberg, Dan Shotz and Robert Levine. Fantastic series and high level acting/writing/production. Best thing since the first series of Lost for me.

Goodbye for now me hearties its been a fucking fantastic ride don’t be strangers and beware the black spot…………

Below are some trailers of the four series’ get into it and let the piracy commence!

series1

https://youtu.be/Pvxpv_fycl8

series 2

series 3

series 4

What are your onions?

 

RPOS GUV X