Sandra Says Blog

  Laurel and Hardy by Sandra and Roy Hudson This world famous comedy duo who gave us many years of laughter between 1921 to 1951 still lives on today through various memorabilia , conventions /appreciation societies , Tents , and museum s . Stan Laurel was born in Ulve r ston Cumbria England in 1890. The house where he was born in Argyle street has a plaque displayed on the front saying that he was born there , and the house opposite is named “Laurel View” . This Is easy to find as part of a Stan Laurel trail around the town of Ulverston starting at the Laurel and Hardy museum and produced by www. visitulverston.com. Oliver Hardy was born in Harlem Georgia USA in 1892 , w here there is a Laurel and Hardy museum on N Louisville street. If you are in the area on 1 st October 2016, you will be able to take part in the annual Oliver Hardy Festival where you will can celebrate his life and legacy. Some places you can visit from their life in the film industry : Y o...

Confessions of a Shopaholic The start of this film is brave, in that it shows that little girls just would love nice things and how it can affect them when they grow into womanhood. This is a good start to explain how Becky Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) became the shopaholic she is. I am in no way saying that everyone with a less than sparkly childhood turns out like Becky or implying that all life consists of is material things. The story line works for the nature of this film, based on the book with the same title by Sophie Kinsella. This is an original idea and sadly, not even extreme as ‘Fact can be stranger than fiction’ . There are also many reasons not just the one portrayed in this film, as to why people become shopaholics. Like I think I have implied, this film has much more depth than what you see on the screen. This film high-lights all the temptation out there in magazines and shop window displays. Also sadly, how easy it is to get credit. In this film Becky just needs to b...

Wigan and George Orwell’s book ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ Wigan pier – does it exist? That is a good question and George Orwell in his book ‘Road to Wigan Pier’ explains how you may answer this question. It seems from this book that you can make your own mind up and it I think it depends on how you look at life. The book explains life in Wigan how it was a Coal industry town, most of the resident men working down the mines. Even though these hard working men were walking to work going down the mines , then making their way to the seams of coal that could be anything up to 3 miles away from the pit shaft, working an 8 hour shift , and then making the same route back, these men still li ved in poverty. Having no baths and only hav ing a strip wash in the evening, o nly to go back to the mine again the next day and carry out the same job the next day and the next . Despite that, t hese to me seem like proud working men. Although they are earning a wage of £2 a week they still...

  It takes a little while but I now know who has the secret. I see that there is a hole in the script. He hasn’t met him or if he has why wasn’t it shown? The script is all bitty with holes throughout. The storyline is a good one for a ‘Thriller’ but it could have one, have more depth and two, be bulked out more. That is the perfect gift. I love it. Although good, it is still flimsy in places. I hate that I feel that there is going to be another horrible, awful and shocking tragedy. I hope not. At last she believes. The suspense does ramp up. I just hope it continues. It does and would it be better if he was in disguise, a cap or glasses at least? Oh no! This film is good but it could have been so much better, the script lets it down. The acting is well done. If I think what happened happened then there should be a safeguard to the phone lines being cut or an override system somewhere somehow. Oh no! Yes, inconvenient but the ‘Restraining order’ idea is a clever and brilliant one. ...

  Enchanted This film came out in 2007 and is a Snow White type adaptation. We see in animation set in Adalasia the evil queen (Susan Sarandon) trying to stop Prince Edward (James Marsden) finding a wife. This is a good solid start to the film as it sets up the rest of the story. The Prince, however meets Giselle and as in a usual Fairy Tale, they fall in what they deem to be love and plan to marry the next day. The Evil Q ueen , however has other ideas, and this is where the film changes pace to your usual Fairy Tale. Gi selle is sent to the real world, New York , where she meets cynical lawyer, Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey) , his daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey) and Robert’s girlfriend, Nancy ( Idina Menzel ) who he has been dating for 5 years . I think this a good place, as it is recognisable and like throwing someone in at the deep end, if like Giselle you come from a completely different dimension. It also has certain elements to the city so Giselle seems to f...

Where Eagles Dare The film is well named as where the characters are going has not only ‘Eagle’ in the name, but it is also deemed only ‘Eagles’ can access it easily. This is a rescue mission; the person they are saving is very important. The terrain seen from the view point of the pilot in the plane, you can see that only an ‘Eagle’ or bird could easily navigate it. Already the action or mystery is starting, one of the group sadly, didn’t make the parachute jump. The mystery of this film continues, the American Schaffer (Clint Eastwood) is there ‘Because he is an American’. The rescue team have arrived in the village, it is surprising and clever the amount of deception that is needed to get the job done, even the planning and the papers are in place. It turns out the Germans haven’t got who they think they have, so an even more of a mystery as to this mission. It is clever how, one, using a staff shortage they get a ‘Secretary’ on the inside of the castle and, two, handing...

  Monty Python Life of Brian This film starts off with two boys born on the same day, one is Jesus (played in the film by Kenneth Colley) and the other is Brian Cohan (Graham Chapman). We all know the story of Jesus but this is about Brian’s life at the same time. People thought when it came out it was a controversial film, making a mockery of Jesus, but to reinforce the point that it isn’t and to help the Monty Python case, I have since found out and researched that Anne Frank the war time Jewish diarist and the ‘I have a Dream’ speech maker, Martin Luther King was born in the same year 1929, proving that 2 people can be born close together and lead very different lives. No one would say these 2 people I have referred to were one of the same person. As in the film 2 different people, as is also proven in the first fifteen minutes of this film and in the title of it. We see however, all the elements that were around at the time Jesus lived, and it would be safe to say, t...

  Wicked – west end show London Apollo Victoria Adapted from Gregory Maguire’s book of the same name The Wednesday matinee 27 th July 2016 starring Emma Hatton as Elphaba and Mark Curry as the Wizard Turning fantasy into reality since the o pening night, 27 th September 2006 at the Apollo Victoria When you think of a stage show you may consider that you have a stage , live actors and an audience, no green screen back drops and nowhere to hide, but this show shows how you can successfully turn a fantasy fiction land and characters into a live action stage show. With well-placed lights, theatrical smoke and hidden stage mechanics. The songs are bold and require a strong voice and the lead Emma also needs a head for heights especially during the song ‘Defying Gravity’, Emma’s acting and singing throughout was exceptional. as was the rest of the cast. The costumes and makeup were in keeping the original design but with their own added flair to create the dazzling ...