For the last couple of weeks my blog has focussed on books - namely Tolkien's 'THE SILMARILLION' - and with 'THE CHILDREN OF HURIN' on its way to me, I will be returning to Middle Earth in the not so distant future. Okay. So what have I been doing instead of reading? I've been watching! Oh yes. Netflix's much anticipated STRANGER THINGS 4 was released on Friday. I wanted to savour it, draw the watching experience out, and I failed miserably. I couldn't stop watching. It was b

This week I finished reading the last two sections of the book that is - though these two parts are not directly part of the story of the jewels - The Silmarillion. Namely... Akallabêth Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age In Akallabêth we read about the creation of Númenór, a beautiful land created by the Valar (the Gods) in reward for the heroism of those great tribes of men in the War of Wrath. This is a line descended from Elros Tar-Minyatur, and in this naming we begi

I finished The Silmarillion. Not the whole book mind, just the Silmarillion part - which is about three quarters of the whole. I'm just reading about the Numenorians, and then have the Ring of Power bit to finish at the end (just a short piece), and, I'm sure, I'll write about those two too. But I have finished the Silmarillion. And after first picking it up 40 odd years ago, I was thirteen or fourteen and had been swept away by the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, I wasn't read

I have to say I'm right into getting theatrical and extended cuts for historical and fantasy films these days. The first one I invested in was 'The Kingdom of Heaven', and it was just so much the better. Troy was the same, some of the battle effects they cut were amazing - made me wince - and then of course the three Lord of the Rings films - I can't even entertain watching the cutdown cinema versions anymore. Far too much was lost. And so the other day I stumbled on the exte

I'm a huge fan of the Sopranos. Loved everything about it. The characters, their quirks, the dark humour, broken personalities, drama, violence, tenderness and never ever knowing what was going to happen next. So I was really looking forward to The Many Saints of Newark, a film that promised a young Tony in the making. Now, I'd heard some troubling, unsupportive reviews but I remained openminded, excited. Last night I watched it. And I am conflicted. Really! Conflicted. For m