While 2016 is setting itself up to be an outstanding year for music, it is also refusing to allow us those dollops of joy without giving us a few swift kicks to the nads as well. From the death of David Bowie to the breaking up of brilliant bands like The Defiled music hasn’t been neglected by the curse of 2016. The latest high-profile casualty appears to be Nails.
The BFG (2016)
They’d be locking me up in a cage to be looked at with all the squiggling, you know, hippo dumplings, crocodown dillies and giggirafs, and then there would be a gigantus looksy giant hunt for all of the boys.
I don’t care if you are nine years old or 102 if you aren’t enchanted by watching Mark Rylance work his way through sentences like the one above then you are dead inside. If there were nothing else to The BFG than Rylance’s take on The BFG’s unique way with words – many of which are taken wholesale from the book – then it would probably have been enough. Thankfully, there is more than that.
SmackDown Live Review
After Raw’s rather successful reboot on Monday night, SmackDown followed suit with their first proper live show on a Tuesday. While I obviously want Raw to be great, I really want SmackDown to succeed. My wrestling education was birthed in the technical excellence of Paul Heyman’s SmackDown, and it has genuinely pained me to see the Blue Brand fall away over the years.
Battleground and Raw Review
It’s the New Era that is part of the New Era… if you know what I mean. Battleground is over, and we are heading into a whole new style of Raw. Before we get there, however, I am going to give a quick rundown of my thoughts on said show. Don’t worry if you’re a SmackDown person; I’ll be doing that tomorrow.
WWE Draft
For the second time in its history, WWE has gone draft crazy with last night’s SmackDown Live signalling the start of a New Era – although how that fits into the last one, I don’t know. Like most of these events, the actual show itself was a bit of a disappointment, with the awkward podium sections not hiding that most of the matches were throwaway at best. Even the main event was hardly a classic. However, it’s got us where we need to be and after Battleground we will have an all new WWE. So how does each roster look going into that new world? Continue reading “WWE Draft”
Ginger Wildheart w/ Ryan Hamilton and Massive Wagons in Glasgow and Aberdeen
There’s something special about a Ginger Wildheart tour and his most recent run around the country feels more special than most. Having had to cancel the Hey! Hello! tour twice, once because of Ginger going into the hospital due to his battles with depression and once because of Hollis leaving the band, it is a pleasure to see the great man on stage enjoying himself after a while away. Throw in the reunions that have happened with Danny McCormack at a couple of the shows and the whole thing has an even bigger party vibe than usual.
Continue reading “Ginger Wildheart w/ Ryan Hamilton and Massive Wagons in Glasgow and Aberdeen”
Cruiserweight Classic First Thoughts
Last night WWE aired the first episode of the Cruiserweight Classic, their tournament involving thirty-two of the best cruiserweights in the world. It’s entirely new territory for the company, and you only need to glance down the list of names to get excited. In this piece, I’m going to have a look at the first episode reviewing it in three separate areas: presentation, commentary and in-ring action.
Ghostbusters (2016)
To say that Ghostbusters has had pressure placed on its shoulders is a bit of an understatement. If it fails it sadly gives a particular sub-section of the internet all the more reason to spill their bile-filled views. While it would be harsh to blame Paul Feig for that if it were to happen, it is hard not to root for this most reviled of films.
The Final Deletion
For a young kid just discovering alternative music and trying to find a spot in the world The Hardy Boyz and Team Xtreme was a big part of my first foray into wrestling. It was Paul Heyman’s SmackDown that I watched every week, and it was that technical wrestling that fascinated me, but it was Jeff Hardy leaping off things that made sure I went from a fan to a fan for life. They were the epitome of cool in my mind and everything that a young fan wanted from their heroes.
Get In The Ring
We can all claim maturity, but it doesn’t matter how old you are, everyone loves a good fight. It’s why UFC is worth $4 billion, and Brock Lesnar is a motherfucking hero. It’s also why watching two bands bicker will also be entertaining. Whether it’s Guns ‘N’ Roses and Nirvana or Slipknot and Mushroomhead seeing two groups trade barbed comments through the media (or as is the case now, social media) is just fun.
