BOOK REVIEW: THE LOOMING TOWER. AL-QAEDA'S ROAD TO 9/11.

Lawrence Wright is a staff writer for The New York Times and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda's Road to 9/11". This excellent tome is a historical review of what lead to the awful loss of 3000 lives in the Twin Towers plane attacks in New York in September 2001 and the general view of radical Islamists around the world and their hatred of the West, particularly America. The title comes from a Quranic verse which was quoted in a speech bin Laden made during the attacks to his followers - "Wherever you are, death will find you, even in the looming tower."

Whilst the subject matter is going to be complicated because of the worldwide dispersal of the main players and the overall feel of the story will be sinister, Lawrence Wright does a fantastic job of keeping your interest in a series of events which I feel we should all at least attempt to understand. His research is excellent and he is able to give greatly detailed descriptions of both the Arabic fundamentalists and the American FBI and CIA characters. Very personal details are revealed which shed light on the deeply felt beliefs of both sides of the fight.
I never felt that he was stretching out the story - every detail is informative and relevant. Although essentially a series of increasingly violent events starting in Egypt with the Islamist intellectual Sayyid Qutb's book "Milestones" and leading to the bombing of the World Trade Center several years before the plane attacks, Mr Wright stays with the central characters which aids the understanding of what is going on over the world stage.

I would strongly recommend this book as the first port of call for anyone who is interested in knowing their place in the world currently. I cannot imagine a more authoritative work on the subject.


Sadly, even though we know more through reading books such as this, it seems that we that we know less. Such a shame.

Reviewed 25/OCTOBER/2010 by LordBeanpod@GMail.com

To see the other parts of this documentary click on "More Information" in the top right.

Paranormal Podcast review by Mark Woods.

Jim Harold is the host with the most ghost on the Paranormal Podcast.com!

I first listened to this podcast back in 2007, it now being October 2010, which goes some way to show that he's kept at least one listener happy!

Having been introduced to Fortean research by the magazine Fortean Times in the late 90s I was pleased to discover this broadcast. For those who don't know Charles Fort is the father of "forteana" or unexplained phenomena. He spent many years in the early 1900s researching scientific literature in the New York Public Library and the British Museum Library, marshalled his evidence and set forth his philosophy in The Book of the Damned, New Lands, Lo!, and Wild Talents.

Jim Harold interviews many interesting and varied guests on this show. Some examples include Dr Bob Curran, a personal favourite, who is genuinely knowledgeable about many strange subjects including vampire mythology around the world and tales of the undead. I have also heard Annie Wilder talk about Road Ghost stories and Tom Ogden talking about Hauntings in Hotels. Subjects range from UFOs (which I personally find a more dubious area of discussion), alien big cats such as panthers in the UK and advanced science used by the Nazis.

What I like about Jim's approach is that he has the necessary unbiased approach which is required for the listener to decide for them self. His production values are high with audio crisp and audible unlike a lot of more amateur podcasts.

If you liked the Twilight Zone (if you're as old as me!) and enjoy a little "strange" I would not hesitate to recommend Jim Harold's "Paranormal Podcast" at www.Paranormalpodcast.com" - it is after all free!

Recently Jim has teamed up with an American TV reporter by the name of Clayton Morris and produces a weekly video version of the podcast which is available on Youtube.com for free - again recommended but theses two obviously like UFO reports a lot and much of the content concerns that field.

9/10

Reviewed 21/OCT/2010 by LordBeanpod@GMail.com

PIG NONSENSE BY MARK WOODS.

PREVIEW.

MOON - Film review by Mark Woods.

In the cold vacuum of space Moon is a breath of fresh air! At last, what fans of intelligent science fiction have been waiting for. A film with a proper plot. Ideas. Atmosphere.

Duncan Jones, known to some as Zowie Bowie, to others as David Bowie's son, directs his first major motion picture. A modest budget of 5 million dollars enables him to bring us a tale with believable subjects and brooding menace.

Sam Bell is a miner working on the moon in the near future for the resource Helium-3 which now powers Earth. Quarries on the lunar surface provide the cargo which is periodically shuttled back to Sam's home planet during his contract. This is 3 years.

The film joins Sam as he is nearing the termination of this period. He is feeling lonely - unsurprising as his only companion is GERTY, Lunar Industry's maintenance computer. As with most symbiotic man-machine relationships in science fiction the computer comes across as thoroughly sympathetic and friendly but also slightly untrustworthy and a little too good to be true. His surroundings are the grubby rooms of his living quarters. His food comes in small, square packets which simply need heating. Convenience and boredom abound.

There is a communications glitch with the Earth-Moon service which has dragged on for much of Sam's shift. This means his conversations with his wife and child are recorded to disc and played back to him. Never mind - his shift is about to end. Right?

Wrong. Sam's routine, beginning with his Chesney Hawk's "I Am the One and Only" alarm call, is beginning to fall apart. He's feeling increasingly agitated..he seems to losing his grasp on reality. Is this because of the isolation? His physical health is deteriorating although he looks after himself. Most of his spare time seems to be spent on a treadmill. Perhaps it is just terminal boredom?

Without spoiling what is the intelligent twist to the plot and spoiling it, we watch Sam discover that he is neither alone nor safe in his industrial environment...

Very atmospheric, well photographed with a haunting soundtrack and a great performance from Sam Rockwell this film provides a classic sci-fi tale. Paranoia and tension build with good pace and the character is developed so that the viewer actually cares what happens to him. A rarity these days. Those who are as ancient as I am will be reminded of the claustrophobic atmosphere of Dark Star and Silent Running.

A clever plot idea is revealed towards the end. It's a long time coming but worth the wait. The waiting is bearable as the scenery is worth looking at.

I'll be looking out for Duncan's next film .I like his style.

7/10.

Review: Mark Woods, 2009 (LordBeanpod@GMail.com)

Film Review: BRONSON.

"Bronson" tells the story of the man who is allegedly Britain's most violent prisoner. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and starring the brilliant Tom Hardy in the lead role as Michael Peterson the film recounts the events that have led to this man serving more than 34 years behind bars.

Michael Peterson is bored. He's bored with his schooling. This leads to confrontation. Confrontation with his peers. Confrontation with his teachers. He is then bored with his job in a fish and chip shop. He's bored by his first marriage. "Irene and I got hitched. It was alright...we didn't have it bad for a couple from the chippy".

But Michael feels that he is cut out for greater things. He believes that he is destined for more than this.

So he saws the end from a shotgun and robs the Post Office.

Sentenced to 7 years his mother shouts to him in court that he'll be out in four.

34 years later he's still inside.

The story is told as a monologue from Tom Hardy to camera intially and then to an imaginary audience which Peterson imagines. He sees himself as a performer and describes his reasoning behind the decisions which have cost him his freedom. An original theft of £ 26.18 has cost him everything through a refusal to behave in any decent way. The character revels in the attention and notoriety that go with getting one up at every available opportunity. He has now spent time in over 120 prisons and been a guest at Broadmoor hospital.

He has spent only four months and nine days a free man in the time since his robbery.

The film is only loosely based on actual events. Having done a bit of reading since seeing the film I was disappointed to find that the most interesting scenes are actually fictitious. I understand the reason for their inclusion and they work to enhance the overall thrust of the film which is that Peterson is unhinged, extremely violent and doesn't care for freedom. He'd rather be a star no matter how small the scale. However, as with most viewers I'm sure, my basic knowledge of this guy is going to result in my being easily misled - which is a shame as I like to learn rather than to be lied to. The name "Bronson" is given to Peterson by his fight promoter after he rejects Michael's suggestion of "Charlton Heston" in the brief months that he is a free man. He needs a fighting name as he makes a name for himself in the world of bare-knuckle fighting. This is based on the fact that Peterson was a strong-man and fighter in his youth in Luton before he became a prisoner. These oversights don't stop the film being thoroughly excellent though. Let's not let the truth get in the way!

We follow Michael through the years of his incarceration...fight leads to fight...the extra years are added to his sentence. The violence here is carnal..brutish..but done with such style that it is actually a pleasure to watch providing that are of a certain mindset. I wasn't aware that the director is a huge Kubrick fan and this made perfect sense when I found out. The ultra-violence of Clockwork Orange is the perfect template for this picture. Slow motion fisticuffs set to a great soundtrack allow the viewer to glide dream-like through the film down a surreal and blood-warm river...

Attempts at restraint develop into heavy drugging in Broadmoor hospital. The viewer faces the choice of siding with Peterson in his blood-lust or feeling pity for a man who is throwing his existence away in the full knowledge that he is doing so. The direction and Tom Hardy's acting explore this dichotomy fully. It may surprise you to read that the story of a man who's entire life has been spent in prisons is full of great humour. Laugh out loud at times. Again...this has been achieved with artistic licence in part..but it is certainly entertaining. During one scene Bronson has taken the prison librarian hostage in his cell. He realises the guards will soon be entering the cell to restrain him and he begins to apply grease to his stripped body to prevent them grabbing him easily. He recruits his hostage to help him...."That's it..all over me back...and me legs...and me arse....on me cheeks..both cheeks...on my arse...NOT IN ME ARSE, YOU HOMO! Quicker, quicker, quicker QUICKER! F*** OFF! SIT DOWN! IN THE CORNER! DON'T MOVE, C***!"
Gallows humour but very well done.

This is an ambitious film that takes a very simple story and with great photography, acting and humour succeeds in entertaining if not informing.
Imagine "McVicar" or "A Sense of Freedom" with a laughter track....

Highly recommended. 9/10

Reviewed by Mark Woods, LordBeanpod@GMail.com, 2009.

Nicolas Winding Refn interview.

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