Category: Uncategorized

Distant Love (Part 51)

He now continues down a long ramp to the underground corridor that leads to the nearest lunar train station. He is more or less alone, except for some stragglers that he powers past.

The corridor is bright and white. Ten minutes pass, and he hears the bustling of a crowd in the distance. For a split second, he worries there will be no space for him. Fortunately, an echo has made it sound far busier than it is.

There is a group of six teenagers to his right. A mixture of girls and boys is laughing hysterically. He put them at around fifteen years of age.

To his left, a woman close to his age with short, jet black hair and tattoos on her arm.

I wonder if any of them are going to the fair.

He asks the AI on his wheelchair, Sarah, what time it is? He has time to spare.

Three minutes pass, and the lunar train arrives. Its doors automatically open, and he drives inside to the area reserved for wheelchairs. The wheelchair is then clamped in place by a robotic arm.

A smile broke out across his face as his excitement built.

There were numerous stops along the way. Each time, the crowd on the train grew.

Review of the film Priest (2011)

Don’t worry, readers, I haven’t gone all ultra-religious on you. Priest (2011) is the kind of movie you’d get if a graphic novel, a goth rave, and a spaghetti Western walked into a bar, got drunk, and decided to raise a CGI vampire baby together.

This could be a good film to show Muslims and people of other faiths. You know, to convert them to Christianity. Of course, we’d have to tell them the more boring reality at some stage. Like, no, you don’t get to kill vampires.

The vampires themselves are pretty odd. Not like ordinary vampires. They have no eyes, and walk on all fours. More like some crazy aliens.

The story has nothing to do with reality, of course. It’s way out there, and that’s bad coming from me.

From Wikipedia –

A centuries-long war between humans and vampires devastated the planet’s surface and led to a theocracy under “The Church”. Despite vampires’ vulnerability to sunlight and humans technological advancements, their strength and speed made them impossible to defeat until humanity sheltered in walled cities and trained elite warriors, the Priests, who turned the tide. After the war, most vampires were killed, while the remainder were placed in reservations. After the war, the Clergy abandons the surviving Priests, who struggle to integrate into city society. Outside the walled cities, some humans seek out a living, free from The Church’s totalitarian control.

One particular Priest (only referred to as Priest) is approached by Hicks, the sheriff of a free town, Augustine. Hicks informed Priest that a vampire group killed Priest’s brother Owen and his sister-in-law Shannon, and kidnapped his niece Lucy. Being in love with Lucy, Hicks asks for Priest’s help in rescuing her. Priest asks the Clergy to reinstate his authority, but leader Monsignor Orelas refuses, dismissing the vampire story. Priest leaves the city and Orelas sends three Priests and a Priestess to bring him back.

Paul Bettany stars as a warrior priest in what I would consider to be a good performance. Some of the action scenes are quite brilliant. There were times, though, when a bit too much CGI was used.

I give the film four stars out of five. A great way to spend a spare hour and a half.

Have you seen it? Let me know in the comments.

Distant Love (Part 50)

Derek methodically gets dressed and transfers into his electric wheelchair.

He looks out at the barren moonscape. If this were Earth, something would have changed over the years, perhaps even from day to day. But not here. Exactly the same as the first time he looked out. At times, he would wish for a micro-meteor to add a new rock or small crater to the scene. Today, it would not bother him as there would be plenty of new things to see.

The fair was in Zone A. It was one hundred and fifty kilometres away. A serious lunar trek made easy by lunar rail. He checks his watch and smiles – plenty of time.

Moving his joystick, the wheelchair powers out of his room. He looks down at the floor beneath him. As expected, it is largely deserted at this early hour. A strong smell of detergent lingers in the recycled air from the robotic cleaners whose shift had just ended.

Driving past his workplace, he chuckles at all the work he left for the new girl, Nathalia. He knew she wouldn’t be impressed when her shift started.

Next, he went down on the lift to the main communal area. Later, the place would be bustling with traders and people coming and going. He was happy to get ahead of it all.

Distant Love (Part 49)

The conversation shifts to Maeve’s many cousins and what they are up to. Hours pass over tea and biscuits.

The room grows dark. At first, the light is switched on, then the blinds are drawn, and the conversation turns to where they will sleep.

“There’s a nice little bed for you, Derek, beside the front door. It could be quite tight with the wheelchair, though. And Maeve, you can sleep in the bed beside mine.”

She was right. There was no chance of turning the wheelchair into the room. Derek crawls out of the wheelchair and into the low-rise bed.

Exhausted now, he thinks of what a crazy day he’s had.

His eyelids close, and he drifts off.

*************************

Three weeks previously…

An alarm goes off in Derek’s room. He stretches and opens his eyes. For the first time in quite a while, he can’t help but feel enthusiastic about what lies ahead.

No work, no worries. He had been planning this trip for over a month. The Jupiter Fair.

Jupiter had always entranced Derek. A place where you could be free with just the right amount of human civilization. Aviris 6 was the stuff of legend. Get rich or die within 24 hours.

Distant Love (Part 48)

Derek feels a stiff breeze blow across his face. “Wow, it’s cold here. Is this not the planet where humans are meant to have evolved?”

Jessica looks back at him with a quizzical look. “Eh, not on this part of the planet. Come on, we’d better get the two of yous inside.”

Soon, she was pointing to a nearby white-finished bungalow. “Come on, this way.”

For a moment, Derek worries his wheelchair is too wide for the door, but fortunately, he has an inch on either side to spare.

Immediately, he feels the burst of warm air. It felt good.

Jessica led them to a small kitchen. “Now, what about a nice cup of tea for the two of you?”

Maeves face lit up. “Oh, yes, please. They are mad about their tea in these parts, Derek.”

Derek smirks. “I’ll have to give it a try, so!”

And lovely tea, it turns out to be.

“So, what’s next?” Jessica asks. Her tone is more serious.

Derek and Maeve look at each other, unsure what to say.

Maeve takes the lead. “Auntie, it was all somewhat rushed. We had to take our chances; there was no time to plan ahead.”

“It’s okay, love, you should be fine here for quite some time. They’d never expect you to come to this remote place. That’s for sure.”

Don’t watch “The death of Bunny Munro”

Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is a series currently being aired on Sky. It is not for the faint of heart and can be quite dark at times. Any comedy is pretty black.

It follows the life of Bunny, played by Matt Smith, and his unfortunate son (Bunny Junior). Bunny is a narcissistic womanizer who uses the people around him to his own end. His only redemption is his son, who idolises him at first but gradually sees him for who he is.

It starts with the suicide of Bunny’s wife leaving him as the sole caregiver for his son. This is not the story of someone embracing their responsibilities and rising to the plate. Bunny and his son go on the run to avoid social services. At the same time, a horned serial killer is on the loose.

Bunny shows himself to be a truly disgusting character as he slips deeper into the abyss.

At some point you realize this is a story about the son. The only message I got was that Social Services do a vital job.

You have to suspend your reasoning. There is no police alert about the missing child. They spend hours driving around but all roads lead to Brighton.

The ending is nonsensical and I wasn’t bothered by Bunny’s death at the end. He was too unlikeable.

I give the series two stars out of five. You’ll find something better to do with your time.

So have you watched it? Let me know what you think.

Distant Love (Part 47)

“I am indeed.”

The lady walks over and wraps him in a warm embrace. “Thanks so much for everything you’ve done for Maeve. I don’t know what we would have done without you!”

“There is no need to thank me. I would do anything for her.”

The lady takes a step back, looking into his eyes. He can see her wrinkled, weather-battered face now. Still, there is a beauty there, mixed with determination. “You can call me Jessica.”

She waves her hand for Derek and Maeve to follow her. Derek’s wheelchair bobbles up and down on the uneven, pebble-filled surface. It bothers him, not.

Jessica points at one of the few buildings. An unappealing, simple building that is somewhat derelict. “That was once the most northerly post office in the UK.”

Derek and Maeve look at each other in confusion.

“Oh lord,” Jessica says in exasperation, “doesn’t anyone teach you young people history anymore? The UK, or the United Kingdom, once had an empire so large that the sun never set. And now, it might as well have never existed. I guess that the northerly part is lost on you two, you being from space and all.”

Jessica continues muttering to herself as they start to make their way up a road.

Review of Death by Lightning on Netflix

Hi readers. I do hope you are all keeping well. I’ve been watching this gem over the last week.

From Wikipedia :

The series depicts the election and presidency of James A. Garfield, the 20th United States President, including his anti-corruption and pro-civil rights stances, as well as how his path crossed with Charles J. Guiteau, a deluded admirer, who ended up shooting him, leading to Garfield’s death.

It states at the start that Garfield and Guiteau had been lost to history. And well, I’d never heard of them.

Visually, the series shines. It really takes you back to the 1880s. I loved the scenes of old New York, although I still had the feeling they were CGI. There’s something about the time period of the late nineteenth/early twentieth century for storytelling.

From the very first episode, the show establishes a distinct identity, depicting an accidental President.

We are also introduced to the troubled Guiteau. Gradually, he is overcome with delusions.

Michael Shannon gives a satisfactory performance, though it can be wooden at times. I think what I like best was the show’s depictions of the time.

The historical record is, in a way, a hindrance, as the show comes to an end just as it was getting going.

For that reason, it gets 3.5 stars out of five.

Distant Love (Part 46)

A few moments pass, and it comes into view. White dots surrounded by green jutting out of the ocean.

“Is this it?”

“It sure is.” Her voice is full of excitement.

More interesting than the moon, I suppose.

The ship comes to a halt, and Derek feels the vibration of the landing thrusters firing. A few seconds later, a thud as it hit the ground.

Derek shakes. The reality of landing on an alien world hits him.

“You okay, Derek? My Auntie is waiting for us. Everything is going to be fine.”

She places her hand on his shoulder, and he turns the wheelchair.

They go to the rear of the ship, and the hatch opens. A silver-haired, plump woman is waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp.

Maeve rushes forward and wraps her arms around the older woman.

Derek drives down the ramp before coming to an abrupt halt. The smell of the sea, the beautiful cloudy sky, the feel of the wind on his face, it’s so different.

Maeve looks back at him and frowns. “You okay, Derek?”

He looks over at her and smiles. “Oh, yes. I’ve never experienced anything like this. To hear the waves and the wind. I knew it would be different, but this is incredible.”

The grey-haired woman then spoke. “You must be Derek.”

Review of Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season Three

I remember when I first watched an episode of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror drama of the Zombie kind, I was entranced. Still, little did I think I would be watching one of many spin-offs fifteen years later. I guess that the joy of watching people getting eaten alive was also missing from other people’s lives.

The third season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon proves that this spinoff isn’t just surviving — it’s thriving. After two strong installments set against the haunting backdrop of post-apocalyptic France, Season 3 expands the world once again with confidence, style, and surprising emotional depth.

Norman Reedus delivers one of his most nuanced performances yet as Daryl. He’s still the gruff, resourceful loner we’ve always known, but this season gives him space to show real growth — vulnerability, reflection, and a renewed sense of purpose. Watching him evolve from a weary wanderer into a reluctant leader and mentor feels deeply satisfying, especially for fans who’ve followed him since the early days of The Walking Dead.

It’s humorous to think now that when he first appeared, I was sure he could not be trusted and would come to a quick end. I’m sure there is a lesson in there somewhere.

One of the biggest highlights is the long-awaited reunion with Melissa McBride’s Carol Peletier. Their chemistry is nothing short of electric — equal parts tenderness, tension, and mutual respect. Every scene between them is a reminder of why their bond remains one of the emotional cores of the entire Walking Dead universe. Together, they bring a warmth and familiarity that beautifully contrasts with the harshness of the world around them.

Visually, Season 3 is stunning. The European landscapes — this time making powerful use of Spain’s dramatic scenery — give the show a unique texture and sense of scale. The cinematography is gorgeous, balancing moody atmosphere with bursts of kinetic action. It’s clear that AMC has invested heavily in production quality, and it pays off: this season looks and feels more cinematic than ever.

The writing, too, feels sharper and more purposeful. Themes of faith, survival, and belonging run through every episode, but they’re handled with restraint and maturity. The show doesn’t rely solely on zombie horror — it explores what it truly means to rebuild and to believe in something again after the end of the world.

Nothing’s perfect, though. Some of the landscapes just didn’t look apocalyptic enough. It looked too ordered. The show needs one of its main characters, whether in a spin-off or not, to die an agonizing death. I need to feel some dread.

Season 3 gets five stars out of five from me. It’s currently available on Sky Max.