The British espionage TV series arrives on the big screen without the same mega-budget as something like Mission: Impossible, which wouldn't be an issue if the script weren't so simplistic. While it's lacking in the character and story complexity needed to make it something special, it at least has an enjoyably twisty plot that plays with some very current themes, and the cast is thoroughly watchable. It's just a shame that the film never manages to surprise us.
It opens as the global terrorist Qasim (Elyes Gabel) is sprung from custody while he's being transferred in East London from Britain's MI5 to America's CIA. Clearly there was a leak, so MI5 boss Harry (Peter Firth) goes rogue to sort out the mess and recapture Qasim. Meanwhile, British intelligence officials (including Jennifer Ehle and Tim McInnerny) recall ex-agent Will (Kit Harington), because he has a relationship with Harry. Working with another agent, June (Tuppence Middleton), Will secretly locates Harry and begins to work with him to defuse the situation, all while there's a significant threat of a major terrorist attack on London. Meanwhile, there are hints that all of this is meant to destabilise MI5 so the CIA can take over. Describing the plot makes it sound like it's operating on several levels, but director Bharat Nalluri keeps everything extremely straightforward. Wrinkles in the story feel oddly matter-of-fact, so the film's momentum never really fluctuates: it just continues on a steady pace forward, exactly like an extended episode of a television series. There are the usual chase scenes, international settings, explosions, ambushes and revelations, but it's more like a checklist of elements that need to be included than a proper trajectory for a story. And the characters never seem to have a life outside the events depicted on screen, which leaves them strangely uninvolving.
As he demonstrates on Game of Thrones, Harington holds the attention with his on-screen charisma. As a guy trying desperately to do the right thing, he's the one person we trust enough to root for. His interaction with the terrific Firth gives the film what weight it has, while the vague flirtation between Harington and Middleton never amounts to much. Still, the script does at least address the morality of the espionage business, as it boils down to true believers verses actual good guys. So even if it never deepens into something that feels momentous, at least it has a blandly polished look that and pace make it comfortably familiar.
Celebrate the Summer with Foodies Festival at Tatton Park 17,18,19th July and WIN VIP Tickets! COMPETITION NOW CLOSED Foodies Festival, the UK’s biggest celebration of food and drink, returns to Tatton Park this summer 17,18,19th July and you are invited to join in the 10th anniversary celebrations with a feast of celebrity and local chefs, new tasting theatres, artisan producers and more street food than you can shake a satay stick at!
Start your day with a masterclasses in the Aga Rangemaster Chefs Theatre and watch MasterChef winner Tim Anderson, David Mooney from The Blue Moon, ex-Corrie star and cheese specialist Sean Wilson, and award winning vegan blogger Little Miss Meat Free cook their favourite summer recipes for you to recreate at home for family and friends. MasterChef finalist Luke Owen, Food Glorious Food Winner Rahila Hussain and the Sweet Mandarin Twins Helen and Lisa Tse will also share their culinary secrets, inspiring you to experiment with new flavours and ingredients. Take a drinks masterclass with Charles Metcalfe and Neil Phillips who will guide you through this summer’s best bubblies and wines in the new Champagne, Wine and Craft Beer Theatre. Beer expert and writer Melissa Cole is also on-hand, sharing her tips on matching summer flavours with locally brewed craft beers. Oyster Shucking, Bee Keeping, Vegan Recipes and Sushi Rolling are just some of the masterclasses you can join in the new Tasting Theatre. You can also learn how to forage for herbs to make healthy herb cocktails and booze infused canapés! If you’re a chocolate addict then head to the Chocolate Theatre for an instant hit of coco in ‘How to Sniff Chocolate like a Rockstar’ masterclasses with Coeur de Xocolat. You can also take masterclasses in 3D cake modelling, Pastry Making and Sugar-Craft Skills with the North West’s best bakers and pâtissiers in the Cake & Bake Theatre. A complementing Chocolate, Cake and Bake Village sells bakes, jams, gadgets and baking essentials – a haven for home bakers. Hungry? Feast on delicious flavours and foods from around the world on the Street Food Avenue, which serves a huge selection of hot and cold dishes including Japanese, Thai, Brazilian, Argentinian, Mexican, French and African for you to tuck into in the Feasting Tenting.
With over 200 producers in the Artisan Producers Market selling award winning wines and chesses, jams and sauces, bakes and confectionary, cured meats and more; you’ll be spoilt for choice for what to buy to take home and enjoy. Pick up taste bud tantalising outdoor cooking recipes from the grilling experts at the BBQ Arena and enter the daily King of the Grill challenge. For those brave, or foolish enough, there’s a Chill Eating Challenge record to break to lift the chilli-eating crown. Little foodies can explore their taste buds and learn basic skills with Picnic in the Park themed masterclasses in the Childrens Cookery Theatre, where Kiddy Cook will show them how to make finger sandwiches, jellies and chocolate bugs!
After a day of feasting and fun, relax with a spot on the grass and soak in the atmosphere with live music from the entertainment stage and a refreshing cocktail, glass of bubbly or a Pimm’s from the Giant Pimm’s Teapot and Captain Morgan Mojito Galleon. Tickets: Tickets are on sale now at www.foodiesfestival.com or by calling 0844 995 1111 but here's your chance to WIN tickets. We have 1 family VIP ticket and two ordinary family tickets for Foodies Festival 2012 at Tatton Park. To win, follow @jmyorks and retweet any of our #FoodiesVIP tweets, full terms and conditions here or email here with your name ad subject #FoodieVIP Competition closes 10 May 2015.
Sonic Soul Surfer Album by Seasick Steve It's difficult not to like an album that crackles into life with instruments that sound like a rattlesnake preparing to pounce. That is how Steven Wold, better known to the world as Seasick Steve, has chosen to introduce his seventh studio offering 'Sonic Soul Surfer'. For a septuagenarian with a predilection for homemade guitars, he's also pretty prolific. His debut was released a little over a decade ago, but this new record seems to present a more polished and more confident Seasick Steve. Wold has really hit his stride here and seems happy to let his band do some of the heavy lifting. If the Seasick Steve manifesto presented here is: "We'll do our best to rock your socks", then I'm pleased to say it's job done. 'Sonic Soul Surfer' does little to move Wold away from Blues Rock, but it feels accomplished because it seems to streamline his approach. The campfire intimacy and storytelling of earlier recordings is replaced with a desire to jam as a band. The material is no less gritty, but is infused with a newfound vigour that relies less on the gimmick of homemade instruments and more on the song writing itself. There's a retro feel as demonstrated by the album cover, but these songs aren't chained to the past, Wold presents them with the hunger of a musician half his age. Take opener 'Roy's Gang' as an example and you'll find lyrics that celebrate his success of recent years: "I wanna get on that stage. I wanna play you my very best show". This isn't a man looking to the past as his glory days, rather he's looking to the future, and that's what makes this material so appealing. Some of the familiar Seasick Steve hallmarks are present here; 'Dog Gonna Play' is one example. However, Wold galvanises his band around a traditional Blues riff, and ends up giving his younger contemporaries, like The Black Keys, a run for their money with the menace and swagger of the resulting track. Even the quirky use of the jaw harp on single 'Summertime Boy' doesn't feel like Wold is relying on little used instruments to make his work stand out. Instead, it's used to elevate the Blues jam to match the carefree sentiment of the lyrics. It's not all upbeat though, there's still the obligatory bone chilling slower and quieter moments, but they don't seem to cast long shadows over the other songs as had sometimes happened in the past. There's a real momentum as the album races from track to track, and much of that is provided by the inclusion of a full band on most of the material. It may seem rather contraire, then, when I tell you the stand-out moment is the quiet solo performance that closes the album. 'Heart Full Of Scars' really does pull on the heartstrings. Wold sings with a weariness that's hard to fake, and he removes his usual gruff delivery to leave a voice that's reminiscent of early Tom Waits. It works because it serves as a lullaby to what's come before, without the boisterous guitars of the earlier songs this epitaph wouldn't draw your attention in the same way. It's a tender send off to an album that's surprisingly well equipped to bring a smile to your face. 'Sonic Soul Surfer' is perhaps not the album that I would have expected Wold to make at this stage in his career, it's a pleasant and welcome surprise that he has. Whereas many artists would be looking to consolidate their reputation and rely on past success if they were in Seasick Steve's position, Wold instead chooses to boldly move forward with a confident and very enjoyable set of songs. He's proved there's plenty of life left in the old dog yet.
The Fast & Furious Train Keeps Chugging Along With Eighth Movie
If you thought the Fast & Furious franchise was on its way out, you clearly are not familiar with the dynamics of Hollywood franchises. As the F&F, Spider-Man, Star Wars and numerous other series have proved, you don't just enjoy success, you ride its coattails until they're so warn and ragged that the money stream starts to thin out.
Yes, there will be a Fast & Furious 8 (or some variation upon that name). Vin Diesel announced on Thursday that there will be an eight installment of the muscle car franchise released on April 14, 2017.
"We're going to make the best movie you've ever seen," the actor said at Universal's CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas on Thursday, according to the New York Daily News. Getting back o the earlier point about success and its money-lined coattails, Furious 7 debuted earlier this month. Since then, it has reached and passed the $1 billion worldwide gross benchmark. But it's been an emotional journey for the cast and production team.
"The last time I was on this stage I was with my brother Pablo," Diesel said. "It's hard for me to even watch that clip and then come out here without being emotional. But most importantly, I mean it from the bottom of my heart, that you guys, you help us make this special." So hold on to your underwear, people, the ride isn't over yet.
Entry to the competition is restricted to one entry per person per channel (facebook or email) although any tweet from @jmyorks with the hashtag #FoodieVIP may be retweeted and all such retweets will count.
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The Polyphonic Spree will be celebrating their 15th anniversary with an eight day tour of the UK in September 2015, where they will be performing material from their debut album - 'The Beginning Stages of the Polyphonic Spree' - in full plus a few extra surprises. The Polyphonic Spree hit the UK this September
With their latest high profile show having been the last Dallas NYE party, a free concert at the American Airlines Center, the Texas alternative orchestra will arrive at London's Electric Ballroom on September 3rd, before wrapping up their brief excursion in Sheffield at the O2 Academy 2. They'll be celebrating the signing of their very first album release, which was taken on by Dallas' Good Records in 2002 after the band was formed by frontman Tim DeLaughter in 2000 from the ashes of his ill-fated previous band Tripping Daisy.
Members of The Polyphonic Spree currently stand at twenty plus and they have released a further four albums since their debut. Their last album, 'Yes, It's True', was launched in 2013 following the previous year's Christmas collection 'HolidayDream: Sounds of the Holidays Vol. One'.
Watch the live video of The Polyphonic Spree's track 'Soldier Girl' Not only will the band be performing 'The Beginning Stages of...' in full, but they'll also be throwing in a few of their best tracks from other releases too, which should provide even more nostalgia for the hordes of British fans that will no doubt flock to their shows in the Autumn. Also performing in Brighton, Oxford, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, tickets for the tour will be available to buy tomorrow (April 17th 2015). Tour dates: 03 September - London, Electric Ballroom 04 September - Brighton, Concorde 2 05 September - Oxford, O2 Academy 07 September - Bristol, Motion 09 September - Manchester, Club Academy 10 September - Edinburgh, Liquid Room 11 September - Glasgow, Oran Mor 16 September - Sheffield, O2 Academy 2
After this convincing though not overwhelming win, Josh is headed for a summer 2016 Elland Road world title showdown with Lee Selby. Selby was in the Arena on Saturday night and was quoted as saying he would love to silence the crowd, good luck with that Lee. At near capacity - just consider that fact for a moment, there is no other boxer around at the moment who could pull these sort of crowds in – the arena was bouncing, literally. A canny soundtrack built up the atmosphere as the support for local lad Josh almost literally spilled out. Certainly the beer did but it was all good natured and very focused on helping to deliver the win and international belt for Josh. 11,000 people belting out Leeds songs, Joshs name, Sweet Caroline…the noise was as loud and raucous as you can get. At Elland Road it will be 40,000+, what a night that will be, I’m buzzing already. From the opening notes of LUFC anthem Marching On Together it was the loudest I have heard, former Leeds legend and movie hardman Vinnie Jones carrying his domestic belt aloft followed Warrington to the ring though a total melee, the football anthem now having given way to the Kaiser chiefs beery classic I Predict A Riot Watch: my video of the crowd and Sweet Caroline
There has been criticism from some that Josh’s crowd is just football fans. That’s meant presumably as some kind of slur. I, like Josh and many people in the crowd am a passionate Leeds United fan. The two sports aren’t mutually exclusive, I like and watch Rugby League, Cricket, this weekend it seems Golf too and I like my boxing. I am fiercely patriotic and even more so when it comes to Yorkshire and its fine sports men and women.
Lee Selby fights Evgeny Gradovich next month for the world title in London and if he wins has said he will offer Josh a tilt. But there is at least one more fight in Warrington before he gets to that big day and it’s true that this wasn’t his finest performance. The point decision against Dennis Tubieron was convincing though Selby was unlikely to be fazed by what he saw in the ring. Josh admitted as much in post fight conference, he had to learn to finish fighter off. To my eyes there were several points where he landed several successive blows and Tubieron was reeling, the killer bows never arrived. Warrington never looked troubled and admitted he got bored.
Eddie Hearns spoke after the fight about how Josh needs a good quality fighter next time, a name, somebody who people know and someone who will put Josh through the mill, a real test of his power, something we know Selby has. That said a tough 12 rounds will serve Warrington well as he heads back into the gym after plenty of fish and chips and a trip to Scarborough, where after this pay day he concedes he may be able to afford a b&b rather that then tent he used to take. Watch the press conference, Radio Leeds asking the questions On the undercard, mention due to Huddersfield s Tyrone Nurse who took his record to 31-2 with a sold victory over previously undefeated Liam Taylor. This fight was intended as a British title fight with Chris Jenkins however a serious bout of food poisoning put paid to that. We last saw Nurse on Warrington’s last undercard, losing disappointingly to Chris Ryan. The 2015 Nurse seems tougher and more mobile and damaged Taylor several time, ultimately going the distance. Nurse is expected to get his domestic title shot this summer.
A nod also to Pontefract’s Maxi Hughes who despite some good local support failed to add the super featherweight title against Leeds fighter Martin Ward. The Leeds accreditation raising some eyebrows though as last time we looked he was from Essex. Wherever he was actually hails, he was too strong for Maxi who was pulled out in the fifth round.
Once again a fantastic night boxing and there can be few better venues in which to host it, the delight was clear on Hearns face after the event, even revelling in the fact that a beach ball temporarily halted Warringtons fight in the 5th as it landed in the ring. Not something you have seen before…ahem but not something to be repeated.
The next big fight night on the Matchroom Boxing calendar is the Rule Britannia event at Londons O2, Kevin Mitchell and Lee Selby will fight for World titles on May 30, with Anthony Joshua MBE taking on Kevin Johnson on a massive night for British boxing.
Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £200 with VIP packages at £400
Tickets are on sale to Matchroom Fight Pass NOW! Join Fight Pass (just £29.95 per year)
The general sale begins at 9am on Tuesday March 31 with tickets priced £40- £200 available from www.theO2.co.uk and on 0844 856 0202.
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