"The Mimic" TV series Episode 4 review - no spoilers

Martin goes viral on You Tube with his Arnie/Obama/James Woods/Al Pacino floorshow. There's a nice dig at the inane comments you see on You Tube. Another Wogan bit with his imagined bizarre sexual exploits in this episode. I loved Neil's yellow Crocs and his 'art' displayed proudly on his kitchen wall. Will Jean and Neil get it on? Hope so.
Martin is forever passive, hiding behind his voices. Steven (Jacob Anderson), Martin's son, is the most mature, well-adjusted 18 year old in the U.K. A natural entrepreneur who plays golf. He drops a bombshell to Martin near the end of the episode. The get together at Neil's place was quite poignant and beautifully acted. This ep moved a lot faster than last week's instalment.

Supporting actors who add value to a movie

The Supporting Players Hall of Fame
Carol Kane
Stanley Tucci
Edward Everett Horton
Steve Buscemi
Celeste Holm
Tony Randall
Margaret Dumont
Hector Elizondo
Freddie Jones
May Robson
Leo G.Caroll
Daniel Stern
Gig Young
Jo Van Fleet
Billy De Wolfe
Eve Arden
Paul Lynde
Elsa Lanchester
Nigel Green
Joseph Wiseman
Paul Ford
Brian Dennehy
Martin Landau

"Top of the Lake" Episode 4 review - some spoilers

A town full of nasty secrets

The Twin Peaks of the antipodes, avoid the South Island lakes area, dear reader. Robin was gang-raped after a school dance when she was 15 and believes Tui might have met the same fate. The criminal pathologist believes there is a giant cover-up by the local police. Very nasty bit about a 13 year old girl walking in front of a speeding car and the reason she may have done it. This is getting murkier than the fog shrouded lake. How come the detective can afford such a million dollar pad when everybody else seems to be living in 1960's era accommodation? Yes, I know it is New Zealand.Where have all the NZ accents gone to? Everyone sounds Australian. Queenstown was even mentioned in this episode.

Elizabeth Moss shows that she can act her pants off - which she does in Al Parker's (David Wenham) bed. Wenham is underplaying his part, he is almost comatose at times. In contrast to Peter Mullan (Matt Mitcham) who goes ballistic with poor Anita for not putting his coffee cups back (handles out) then proceeds to give her a fun ride on the farm gate with his speeding SUV. This could be the next extreme sport for NZ after bungey jumping and zorbing.
Holly Hunter was absent in this ep, probably buying a winter quilt because it is going to get mighty chilly in those containers now summer is over.
Despite the glacially slow pacing at times, I am now hooked.

From the Video Vault of Forgotten Films: "The Wrecking Crew" 1968 A guilty pleasure movie

This is a time capsule movie for the late sixties. Released at the end of 1968, this was the final of the Matt Helm spy spoof series, although the end credits promise that Matt will return in "The Ravagers". Dino got bored and it shows. He looks like he is going through the motions. He was in his fifties and looks silly with Sharon Tate (nearly 30 years younger). Sharon had great comedic talent as well as stunning looks. A few months later the Manson tribe came along. But I don't want to dwell on this.
Sharon Tate plays a klutzy agent (similar to Stella Stevens role in the first movie in the franchise). "The Silencers" (1966) was the best, but that's not saying much. Phil Karlson directed both.

The plot involves a gold heist in Denmark (looking a lot like California and the backlot), but you don't need to worry about that. Basically Dean Martin cruises (sleepwalks?) through the movie on the trail of his glamorous costars (Tina Louis - Ginger from "Gilligan's Island", Nancy Kwan (playing the evil Yu Rang, best intentional joke in the movie) and the statuesque Elke Sommer (nearly falling out of her low cut white gown).
The villain, Nigel Green, is English, of course (a prerequisite for this sort of movie).
Remember when car scenes used back projection? Matt and his boss are jiggling up and down in the back seat of a Lincoln like they're in a bouncy castle. The crew must have got carried away, jiggling the mock up car on the springboard. Perhaps Dino or John Larch was rude to them on set.

The musical score is integral to the fun. Composer Hugo Montenegro wrote infectious themes ("I Dream of Jeannie", "The Partridge Family", the third Matt Helm movie "The Ambushers"). His score is very Sergio Mendez and Brazil 66. The opening title song "House of Seven Joys" written by pros Mack David and Frank DeVol is worth seeing the movie for (complementing Wayne Fitzgerald's very sixties/split screens opening titles). The whole of 1968 comes flooding back us babyboomers. The lyrics are a worry, though: "Ah so, very, very nice".
Titles flash across the screen to show this is a groovy movie: "DENMARK.....NOW!!!!"  "ANOTHER PART OF U.S. ...... NOW!!!"
Bruce Lee was used as the karate adviser and a very young Chuck Norris has a walk-on part in the House of 7 Joys scene (blink and you'll miss him).
The 'modern' technology is fun (the portable helicopter is a rip-off of Little Nelly in "You Only Live Twice"), the villains' communication system is all giant TV screens, camera placed seemingly everywhere, suitcase size backpacks with walkie-talkies to communicate with Count Orsini.
The set design is gaudy and kitsch (look for the fake grass that rolls back in the count's sumptuous mansion),
Matt photographs models dressed in outlandish costumes (looks like the same designer as the "Springtime for Hitler" number). It is hard to look lascivious in a turtle neck with a bit of a paunch.
This movie is a guilty pleasure delight.

P.S. Play the drinking game while watching:
Dino ogling females, using a sexist pun = 1 sip
Dino mentioning booze = 1 sip
Dino looking bored = 2 sips

Why is this post so popular in Poland? Spammers? Or connoisseurs of crap movies?

"Bates Motel" Episode 3 "What's Wrong with Norman?" review

Norman's half-bro Dylan (Max Thieriot) is more mellow in this episode. Must be all the drugs he and his gun toting buddies are guarding in the fog strewn forest. He brushes off Norman's apology for trying to kill him ("No sweat"). He tells Norman that he "should get out more" and not call Mrs Bates "Mother" all time.
 Dylan enters the family kitchen with the line, "Good morning, Mr and Mrs Bates". Perhaps he should have called Norman, "Master Bates"?
Okay, in high school that joke was hilarious. I'll get back to my crappy review.

Norman has a meltdown at school, prefers to watch 1930's movies in his spare time and still has two teenage girls clamouring for him.
Norman discovers a doozy of a secret in the sheriff's basement while looking for the incriminating bloody belt. The last 10 minutes of the episode moved like the clappers. I am officially hooked.
Still waiting for more info on Norman's dead dad's "garage accident".

"The Following" TV series Episode 11 "Whips and Regret" review

The cult gets even creepier...

Lots to enjoy in this week's episode. Lots of scenes filmed in dark rooms, tunnels, or at night. The S+M club/Internet hub linked to Vince, the militia mental case; more division in the ranks at Joe's Chateau Psycho; right hand man Roderick getting very tetchy; Molly (Ryan's ex-) bringing Joe old sex tapes and then installing herself back with Ryan.
Debra (Annie Parisse), looking a dead ringer for Angie Harmon from "Rizzoli and Isles", is becoming one of my favourite characters. I liked how she tried to bond with Ryan, admitting she was a bit of a cold fish (probably after her cult family experiences). Nothing much for Emma (Valorie Curry) to in this episode, except look caring, which we know she is not.

The unleashed zombie/cult members in the dark was a particularly creepy scene. Most interesting was the bit about Joe's followers being "anxious to get started" on the big project.  I was getting a bit restless after ep 8, but I can see now how Kevin Williamson is able to stretch this out to 15 episodes.

"Top of the Lake" TV series Episode 3 review

More drawn out drama from Jane Campion.  At least the episode was only 48 minutes.
Poor Robin Griffin (Elizabeth Moss), looking like Scully from "The X-Files" in some shots, has a dying mum and a stagnant relationship with her guy back in Australia. So things look up at the local pub, after a bit of impromptu oral sex in the ladies loos.
Robin must have been thinking about her fling with Johnno Mitchum because she does a crap search of Mitchum Manor (missing the drug factory on the lower level).
Holly Hunter (G. J.) is having fun with her intense prophet/nutbag role. She seems to be channelling Stan's sister Shelley from "South Park".
Old farts trippin' out in the wilderness nearly turned my stomach, concluding with drug lord papa Mitchum's self-flagellation by his mum's grave.
Hope Episode 4 gets somewhere.

Cooking for one, random tips from a hopeless cook

• Broken up dry biscuits/crackers improves the taste and texture of all these dishes: soup (as cheap croutons), green salad, noodles, left over microwaved vegies
• Tomato sauce/barbecue sauce can tart up any stew, a cup of orange juice is also good instead of just water
• Satay for the lazy: fresh bread (toast, if stale), spread crunchy peanut butter,  a big dob of sweet chilli sauce and a dessertspoon of natural yoghurt. Eat as a sandwich. Watch the drips or eat alone.
• Use hand held blender with cut bananas, milk, yoghurt, a sprinkling of raw oats, makes a quick and balanced breakfast (it's a banana lassi, but you could use whatever fruit is looking a bit tired around the place)
• Broccoli stalks - too healthy to chuck. Dice them, put them in soup or stews. Julienne cut with a stir fry. 
• Last and most importantly.....use wine when cooking (have a glass on hand while in the kitchen, don't waste it in the food!).

This will be my only cooking post, as my wife is the cook. My kitchen jobs are cleaning dishes, emptying the compost bin and keeping the wine cold. Good deal.