Mike S

This looks wonderful even to someone who is not, by any stretch, an RPG sort. The charming appearance and music really attract but it is the farting woman's ambition and the pic of the Wicker Man in that PC gamer review that have totally sold it to me along with, of course, one of our own having worked on it. Looks like some perfect Christmas holidays gaming...

It is definitely expensive but don't forget there are 20 films, a decent little book, and a couple of CDs. Yes, you'll need a multi Region blu ray player for the two discs of UK films but, even if you are unable to play those, there are more than enough wild, weird, and wonderful films in the package (many of which have been very hard to come by until this amazingly curated box set) to help justify the outlay. I'd say it is essential for anyone with even a passing interest in the genre.

Last years box set from Severin, All The Haunts Be Ours, which includes that brilliant documentary, should be considered an essential folk horror buy.

You can buy or rent it from Apple so, presumably, from most other similar sources.

Anyone who comes away from that thinking it a 'comedy' that is 'great fun' needs to have a word with themselves.

Things We Lost In The Fire and Secret Name are astonishingly good records by anyone's standards and my favourites of their discography.

I really wanted this to be great but it ended up being quite a disappointment. As others have said, the casting of the Addams Family members. especially Ortega, is perfect but that makes it an even greater shame that they were given so little to work with. A pretty slight detective story that would have made an excellent ninety minute film has been stretched out interminably, even by Netflix standards. The last two or three episodes were a real chore to finish and, in hindsight, probably not worth the time. Maybe the show would have worked a little better had each episode featured a self contained sub plot/adventure/mystery for Wednesday and her schoolmates to get embroiled in as the bigger story played out over the top but, instead, we have seemingly endless scenes of Wednesday questioning people, them dismissing her, repeated over and over. So many that her initially excellent, and very in character, straight face, acting with eyes only, approach started to become more than a bit boring and a little irritating. Instead of all the dull exposition we needed a lot more humour and there was a lot of potential for that with interactions between Nevermore and the townsfolk.

Soft and Quiet (2022) - Apple TV rental Probably best to approach this one with as little plot awareness as possible but also with the knowledge that this film quickly goes to a dark place and then accelerates rapidly into some uncomfortable social horror. Beth de Araújo's debut is a hugely impressive, one shot real time, technical achievement with an outstanding cast working in a most unique manner. It is also one of the most uncomfortable, brutal, and sickening films I have experienced in a very long time. Unlike the hugely overrated 1917 the one shot is much more than a gimmick as it totally embeds the viewer into the middle of some grim and highly unsettling scenes with an intimacy that is astonishingly intense. As I said, probably best to go in not knowing too much but I will say that the relatively early reveal of where the story is going is quite something and, from that point on, it is unrelenting. It's too harsh a film to want to watch again anytime soon and there are a few minor issues but as debuts go this is as great and promising as Jordan Peele's 'Get Out'. 4/5

I did the free month's trial via a current gen ATV 4k when the service launched and there was no 4k content then and that was enough justification for me to cancel. That and the near total lack of anything I wanted to watch bar Frasier. Pretty dire all round but the lack of a full fat service in the UK is more than a little insulting.

Yesterday I was told that soft carrots can be fixed by leaving them in water overnight as they soften due to dehydration. The same may apply to broccoli. Most veg seems freezable but peas are the the absolute champions. Chillis are definitely fine after freezing - there is zero impact on flavour plus I'm sure that chopping them whilst frozen reduces the transmission of stingy bits to the fingers (and then the eyes). I also recall reading a few years ago that the nutritional value of some vegetable is actually improved by freezing although I can't recall which particular ones.

Excellent! I shall try that in the next week or so. Thanks!

Absolutely heartbreaking news. I knew she was very Ill but it is still such a shock and has properly upset me. RIP Mimi.

Is this the one with a lentil base that I remember seeing you posting the recipe of and which I made a mental note to try (I'm trying to eat much less meat)? If so, I can't recall where you posted it? but would love to have a go at making it.

This is not on Disney! I was very much looking forward to watching this but shall have to wait.

I assumed everyone was sailing away to find a copy of this. Great to hear it's on Disney as I'm keen to see it so that's tonight's entertainment sorted. It is really helpful to show the format/streaming source/whatever for films.