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The Inevitable V3 Rewrite
Software rarely finds its feet until version three. Version one is an idealistic guess. Version two is a survival patch. Version three is the rewrite where you finally delete the noise and build what is actually needed. Real stability comes from subtraction, a lesson every architect learns the hard way.
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About Time (2013)
Richard Curtis strikes gold once again with his time traveling romantic comedy. In the same vein as Love Actually / Noting Hill / Four Weddings, About Time stands shoulder to shoulder with Curtis’s other outings. This one however does not star Hugh Grant, though, the lead, Domhnall Gleeson (son of Brendan) does his best Hugh Grant impression throughout, so his spirit is still there. The time traveling aspect isn’t ironically the central…
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In the Loop (2009)
How do you describe Malcolm Tucker to the world? How do you describe a fowl mouth, intimidating, shouty Scottish government spin doctor in a way that properly articulates the side splitting humor? In the Loop, is a movie derived from the very popular BBC TV series, The Thick of It, from Armando Iannucci (he who is behind the HBO series VEEP). Peter Capaldi (yes, Doctor Who) is Malcolm Tucker, who finds…
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A Few Good Men (1992)
Aaron Sorkin proves his wordsmith skill with this excellent US Navy court room drama, starting a very height weight cast, including Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon and of course the one and only Jack Nicholson. The premise of the movie is whether or not a ‘code red’, an unofficial disciplinary action, was authorized by the highest ranked officer on the base, in this case Nicholson playing Col. Jessup. …
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Trainwreck (2015)
I will confess to not running towards this movie with any great speed. I had seen the trailers and it wasn’t turning me towards it. But I was recommended to watch it by a friend, so threw it on, with very low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. The lead Amy Schumer is a name I was unfamiliar with and I definitely didn’t know she was a stand up comedian. The movie…
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Music and Lyrics (2007)
Full confession, I am a big Hugh Grant fan. Ever since he bumbled onto our screens in Four Weddings (I know he had roles before that hit), he has been a natural lead in the romantic comedy genre. Here we have him playing opposite Drew Barrymore. The story is a clever setup .. Grant is playing an aging 1980s popstar who has had his best days behind him, making a living…
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Spectre (2015)
Bond, James Bond is on his 24th outing after scoring extremely well with his previous Skyfall escapades. With Daniel Craig back with Sam Mendes can this duo strike gold twice? The anticipation for this Bond was fever pitch, especially when the trailer dropped with a wonderful Christoph Waltz as our Bond baddie, Blofeld, and of course a brand spanking, custom designed Aston Martin, the DB10. Throw in a great theme sung by…
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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
I was really looking forward to this Guy Ritchie remake of the 1960′s TV series of the same name. I caught this movie in preview back when it was released before I was to depart on a plane to Scotland the next morning. I then went back to it, watching it with others, to see if my first impression was right or wrong. The Cold War setting, we have an…
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Office Space (1999)
This 16 year old gem was not an immediate hit when it first came out. Mike Judge (Beavis and Butthead fame) wrote and directed this story about a young mans disillusionment with corporate life. Let us cut to the chase – if you have never worked in an office cube, with all the inter-office politics then this movie will simply fly over your head. Let me save you some…
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Spooks: The Greater Good (2015)
Spooks was a very successful BBC drama series that ran for a number of years and was the jumping off ground for one or two big movie stars – BBC dramas have a good habit of that (see Idris Elba in Luther). Though while the BBC make world beating dramas, they rarely make the leap into the silver screen. In fact, I am struggling to recall they have ever…
the leg-end that is, Alan Williamson.
For over 20 years, I’ve shared my thoughts whenever the muse strikes. It’s unpredictable, honest, unedited, and occasionally witty. I’m living the best years of my life, working harder than ever, and enjoying every second.
Alan Williamson 