Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th August, 2024.

18th August, 2024.

It’s officially official: it’s Sunday … !

Which means … ?

Jude’s done another video.

I have to admit, he puts a lot of effort into these!

~≈&≈~

I’ve been binge watching The Big Bang Theory, just recently: as it’s on Channel Four’s catchup service.

I’d never seen it on the original broadcast.

And … ?

It’s a delight!

I’ve got one question.

What’s Penny’s surname???????????

We never find out!

~≈🪙≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th August 2023.

18th August, 2023.

Right … I’ve officially woken up … with an earworm!

From the Star Trek Strange New Worlds episode, “Subspace Rhapsody”: a weird mashup of Jess Bush’s “I’m Ready”, and Rebecca Romijn’s “Connect to Your Truth”.

Why?

Well, I don’t know!

The only way I can deal with it … ?

Is to play something else* … !

~≈Á≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18-8-2019: Roman Polanski

18th August, 2019.

It’s official: I’m still knackered.

No, really.

I’m not going to complain too much: I am, after all, back at work.

But, lord … 

My legs feel like heavily abused bits of lead piping, right now … !

~≈§≈~

Just as a quick thought?

I’ve bee listening to the bits of Sunday morning programming on Radio Four.

And, on Sunday?

They’ve run a piece on how a Church of England vicar — the Rev Sam Norton — was due to stand as a Brexit Party candidate in whatever elections come next.

I really don’t like the Brexit Party, so you know.

And I’m sure the padre’s well meaning: and glad to hear he plans to stand down should he be elected.

But … ?

Just as a basic principle, I don’t like the idea of religion being mixed with politics.

A vicar, standing for election?

Is not someone I’d be voting for.

~≈§≈~

The Ghost: How to Have Fun With Estuary Accents …

*SPOILERS*

You know, I wouldn’t’ve thought I could get THAT busy, since Tuesday.

Nonetheless … ?

Nonetheless, I seem to have managed to keep busy.

Busy enough to NOT write about the film I rented, Tuesday night.

Which I have to say, is slightly remiss of, when it’s such a solid little thriller … 

~≈Â≈~

At ANY rate … ?

The film I caught, Tuesday, was the 2010 thriller, The Ghost: also known — outside the UK — as The Ghost Writer.

Loosely based on the Robert Harris novel of the same name,  and directed by Roman Polanski, The Ghost sees Ewan McGregor as an unnamed ghost writer, winning the contract to ghost the memoirs of deposed Prime Minister, Adam Lang: loosely modelled on Tony Blair*, and played by Pierce Brosnan.

And discovering — when reaching the very posh, but very isolated, mansion where Lang is staying — that he’s the second ghost writer to be assigned to the memoirs.

The first … has mysteriously died, either as a murder victim or suicide, falling off a ferry from Lang’s island retreat.

What makes things possibly worse … ?   Are the various war crime accusations being thrown at Lang: ones that are hitting uncomfortably near the mark, and making the Ghost’s subject VERY hard to work with.

~≈Â≈~

At ANY rate … ?

You probably wondering if I enjoyed The Ghost … ?

Yes, I did, actually.

I don’t know if it’s the best political thriller, going.   But it’s made with the craftsmanship that Polanski’s known for.

What’s more … ?   It’s based on a Harris novel that was and is, possibly his best piece of work to date: one that no doubt could’ve landed him in seriously deep water, had the Blairs chosen to sue.

Given it claims their fictional counterparts were agents of the US government.

Personally … ?

I’d not expect anything other than a good thriller from The Ghost.

But you will get a thoroughly entertaining — and plausible — one, at that.

The Ghost   ★★★☆

*        It’s very tempting to write the words ‘well known liar and war criminal, Tony Blair’, there: but I’ll forbear.   A body can get into trouble, coming out with libels†, like that.

†        The other spelling of the word ‘libel’ can be found here.

The Ninth Gate: Into the Outdoors with Bell, Book and Candles

You know, I’ve got to admit, I meant to get started on this post, a little earlier.

But, bless ’em, I had to go shopping, today.

And fill in a quick email to send off to the Brentwood Gazette.

And, what’s more, I had old friends — and regular Old Peculiar commentors — Sue and Andy, over, earlier.

Along with a rather big bag of Sue’s really rather distracting home-made peanut-butter cookies … !

All that, and BBC 3’s showing V for Vendetta, which has to be something of a favourite movie ; !

‹‹‹~›››

Actually, to be accurate, I wanted to get started on his, last night.

But my word, I weren’t half tired … !

‹‹‹‡›››

Right, now where was I … ?

Oh, yeah, I meant to tell you about the film that I, movie Night Adrian, and Squeaky managed to catch.

Tha 1999, Roman Polanski directed, Johnny Depp film, The Ninth Gate.

It sees Depp as unscrupulous rare book dealer, Dean Corso, hired by rich bibliophile Boris Balkan, played by Frank Langella.

Balkan has a problem, and one that he feels only Corso can help him with. Balkan has one of the last three surviving copies of The Book of The Nine Gates of The Kingdom of Shadows and he needs Corso to authenticate his copy.

There’s twists.

Isn’t there always … ?

For starters, the book is one thats rumoured to have been co-authored by Lucifer, himself.

And, as the film progresses, Corso discovers that each copy appears to be both genuine.

And identical in all respects.

Bar one.

Or maybe I should say three.

Each has a series of nine engravings.

But each of the three copies of the book has three engravings that have minor, but noticeable differences to the parallel versions in the other two copies.

And it’s a different three engravings* in each copy.

Obviously, Corso doesn’t realise this, until he get’s to examine each of them.

The trouble, of course, is that, in tracking down the book, he seems to be asking for trouble.

‹‹‹‡›››

Now, here comes the crunch. Is this a film worth watching … ?

I think it is.

I know that the mildly controversial Roman Polanski doesn’t produce work that’s going to be to everyones taste.

But I do know that 2 out of the three of us watching The Ninth Gate last night were glued to it°.

And that’s got to be worth mentioning …

* The one screen grab I did, was an attempt to show this. Let’s call each copy of the book, A, B and C. Now number the engravings, from 1 to 9. Engravings A1, A2 and A3 are different to the versions in B and C, Engravings B4, B5 and B6 are different to the parallel versions in in A and C, and Engravings C7, C8 and C9 are … you get the point … !

º With the third being glued whenever Johnny Depp got his shirt off. Can’t think why …