"American Horror Story 1984" Season 9 What a campy hoot!

Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy have nailed the mid-80's, starting with the gloriously cheesy opening titles.
If you grew up in the 80's, you'll appreciate the references. The first episode certainly put the camp in summer camp.
Camp Redwood is definitely modelled after Camp Crystal Lake in the "Friday the 13th" slasher movies. The cast is made up predominantly of unknowns - Emma Roberts is the only actor (so far) from previous AHS seasons. Trevor Kirchner as the camp director with the porn-tash and over-stuffed lycra shorts was a comic highlight, along with Tara Karsian as world-weary Chef Bertie.
Let's hope the producers can keep the standard up in coming episodes.

Update: Things go bat-shit crazy by the second half of Episode 4. After a bonkers switcheroo involving Margaret and Mr Jingles, the new plot twist is demonic possession. More boxes have been ticked.

The weirdest place in Vietnam - Bana Hills French Village

Fifty minutes by car from Danang, Vietnam is the SunWorld's Bana Hills theme park and French Village (containing five Mercure hotels). The park is reached by an amazing cable car system.
As the mountain is 1487 metres above sea level, the weather can vary drastically. It can be 10-15 degrees Celsius cooler in French Village. When the mountain top is covered in mist, the mock-French buildings look more convincing and definitely atmospheric.
Daytrippers swarm into the park by 9 a.m.. The main attractions being the eye-popping "Golden Bridge", the four level indoor amusement park and the Instagrammable French Village.

In 2020 another large hotel (MGallery) and a castle complex will be opened.

Tip: Cable car ride/entrance to park costs 728,000 VND (about US$32), but if you stay overnight the admission is only 450,000 VND (about US$20).

The entrance at the top of the cable car station, looking suspiciously like Universal Studios theme park entrance

The fog-shrouded French Village from Hotel De Nice

A mini-Notre Dame

Fantasy Park (inspired by the writings of Jules Verne)

Hotel pool

The crowds disappear by nightfall.

Hotel de Lyon

The Golden Bridge - go early morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds

Temples and pagoda on the mountain summit

St Denis mock-cathedral

One of the longest cable car rides in the world

MGallery Legacy Yen Tu - an amazing hotel that noone knows about

Although it's been open for a year, hardly anyone knows about it.
The Accor-managed hotel is less than 3 hours' drive from Hanoi, slightly closer to Halong Bay. Located at the foot of the sacred Yen Tu mountain.
Designed by Bill Bensley (who seems to be the go-to guy if you want an iconic hotel/resort), modelled on a 13th century Vietnamese palace, this hotel is part resort, part work of art, part theatrical set piece. Everything is larger than life. The colours are bold - yellows, reds and purples. Elegant stone work, massive timber beams, vivid murals, over-sized pottery and marble pieces make this hotel a destination in itself. Just visiting the toilet or shower is an experience.
On the weekend, as Yen Tu Mountain is a sacred Buddhist site, crowds of Vietnamese make the pilgrimage. I am assuming once the Spa wing of the hotel is completed in 2020, the place will have more guests.

The pool area, but where is everyone?

Yen Tu Mountain from the hotel grounds

Walkway linking the foyer, bar, restaurant and ballroom

Soaring ceilings in the lounge bar

A corridor in one of the guest room wings

Junior Suites feature an open air brass bath, the huge timber sliding doors are operated by a decorative pulley system 

Resembling a Moscow subway station, this is another hotel corridor

No television, just admire the room (internet is fast though)

Perhaps the most elegant wheelchair access ramp?

Toilet overlooks a brick lightwell

Restaurant urinals

The first cable car station is a 15 minute walk or a complimentary e-trolley ride from the hotel.

The world's best Ibis Hotel? Ibis Saigon Airport

This hotel ticks all the boxes.
Free shuttle from/to the airport (or you can walk it if you travel light and don't mind tackling the traffic), funky decor, delicious and comprehensive buffet breakfast in the bistro, rooftop bar, pool and recreation rooms, quiet rooms and cheap tariff.

Lobby with shuttle bus outside

Killer Vietnamese breakfast or eggs to order

Rooftop lap pool with runway views

Some rooms have kitchenettes - hotplates and microwave

"Quicksand"/"Storst av allt" (Netflix), perfect binge material - no spoilers

With only six episodes (each around 45 minutes), this Swedish mini-series is an easy binge-watch.
There is a lot to like: glamorous south of France locations (Episode 1), lifestyles of the Stockholm's upper class, tense courtroom scenes, socio-economic tensions, untangling the puzzle of the high school shooting (you don't discover the truth until the final minues of the series).
Being based on the best selling novel means you get to say bye to the ritzy suburb of Djursholm at the end of the series - no needless Season 2 (like "Big Little Lies").

"Pose" Season 2, Episode 6, "Love's in need of love today" Musical references

"Pose" Season 2 certainly maintains the standard. Ryan Murphy has proved himself the master for staging television musical numbers. Episode 5's funeral home climax ("What would Candy do?") left Baz Luhrmann in the shade.

You don't have to be in the LBGT community to enjoy this show. It helps if you were an adult in the 80's to appreciate the references.
This episode certainly ticked lots of boxes. Nods to gay icons Judy Garland and Madonna, plus another, Patti Lupone, sings the Sondheim "Follies" classic "I'm still here".
From classic torch songs "The man that got away" (Harold Arlen/Ira Gershwin) to Stevie Wonder's "Love's in need of love today" to close the episode.
Not one, but two Sondheims: "Sooner or Later" (Madonna's "Dick Tracy" torch song).
All packed into under 50 minutes.


NB. Lupone's Frederica Norman is a thinly disguised NYC "Queen of Mean" Leona Helmsley.

Five great things about the mini-series "Lambs of God"

• It's only four short episodes. Many mini-series wear out their welcome with 8 or 10 episodes.

• Esse Davis (so glamorous as 1920's detective Phryne Fisher) is almost unrecognisable playing Sister Iphigenia. Love the contact lenses.

• Sister Carla's "Moses in the bullrushes" word play.

• 85 year old Donald McAlpine's glorious cinematography.

• The east coast of Tasmania locations (Tasman Island, Cape Pillar) used to stand in for the isolated English island.

Five great things about Epix's "Pennyworth"

• Jack Bannon, looking like a young Dirk Bogarde crossed with Michael Caine's "Alfie"

• Paloma Faith - stealing every scene, channelling ITV's "Vera"

• London art direction: 1700's/1940/swinging 60's -  WW2 barrage balloons, airships overhead, gibbets and criminals in stocks arranged around Trafalgar Square, Soho neons ("The Rubber Strumpet"). Like "Gotham", loads of steam and smoke billowing across the landscape.

• Lord Harwood's (Jason Flemyng) entrance alighting from his Rolls Royce (Licenced plates "1964"), striding across the mall in flowing supervillain robes.

• Co-Producer Bruce Heller's snappy dialogue and weird walk-ons. Who was the waiter dressed as a forest creature in the gentleman's club at the start of  Episode 3?