Category Archives: THE ARTS

SHOCKING, THOUGHT PROVOKING AND COMPULSIVE VIEWING! ‘STRANGEWAYS : BRITAIN’S TOUGHEST PRISON RIOT’ – A REVIEW

Posted on April 11, 2015 by SCARFMAN

As a young teenager from Manchester in the year 1990, I can just about remember the famous Strangeways Prison riot happening. By this I mean I have vague recollections of it appearing on the news. I can remember for example … Continue reading →

Posted in ANXIETY, BBC, documentary, EMOTION, ENTERTAINMENT, HEALTH, mens health, MENTAL HEALTH, POPULAR CULTURE, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, TRUE STORIES, TV, TV REVIEW, UK TV, Uncategorized | Tagged #STRANGEWAYSRIOTS, #TVREVIEW, 1979, 1990, 1990S, A REVIEW, ANARCHY, BARBARIC, BBC DOCUMENTARY, BBC TWO, BBC2, BORSTAL, BRENDAN O'FRIEL, BRITAIN, BRITISH FILM, BRITISH HISTORY, BRITISH TELEVISION, BRITISH TV, BRUTAL, brutality, BULLYING, CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT, CORPORAL PUNISHMENT, CRIME, CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, CURRENT AFFAIRS, CUSTODIAL SENTENCING, DAVID BELTON, DOCUMENTARY, ENGLAND, entertainment, film, HINDSIGHT, HISTORY, HUMANISED, INSTITUTIONAL RACISM, INTIMIDATION, JAIL, JOHN JUDD, JUSTICE, lack of rehabilitation, LAW AND ORDER, LEGAL SYSTEM, LESSONS, LIVING CONDITIONS, MANCHESTER, MANCHESTER HISTORY, MANCUNIANS, MR SANDS, NEWS, no rehabilitation, NORTH WEST, OUTRAGE, OVER POPULATED, PENAL SYSTEM, POOR CONDITIONS, PRINCIPLE, PRISIONERS, PRISON, PRISON OFFICERS, PRISON RIOTS, RACISM, RAY WINSTONE, REHABILITATION, REVIEW, RIOTS, ROUGH, ROY CLARKE, SANITARY, SCUM, SENTENCING, SHOCKING, SLOPING OUT, SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY, SOCIAL HISTORY, social justice system, STRANGEWAYS, STRANGEWAYS : BRITAIN'S TOUGHEST PRISON RIOT, STRANGEWAYS PRISON RIOTS, TELEVISION, TELEVISION REVIEW, THE GUARDIAN, TRUST, TV, TV CRITIC, tv review, UK, UK FILM, UK LEGAL SYSTEM, UK TV, VIOLENCE, WOOLF REPORT, YOUTHS | Leave a comment

INFORMATIVE, INSIGHTFUL AND INVOLVING…LOUIS THEROUX AT HIS BEST! ‘Louis Theroux : Transgender Kids’. A Review.

Posted on April 10, 2015 by SCARFMAN

When documentary film maker Louis Theroux educates, entertains and also emotively covers a certain subject, then I think you will pretty hard pressed to find a better documentary. This is what he indeed did last Sunday on BBC2 when he … Continue reading →

Posted in ANXIETY, BBC, DEPRESSION, EMOTION, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, grief, HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, POPULAR CULTURE, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, TRIBUTE, TRUE STORIES, TV, TV REVIEW, UK TV, Uncategorized | Tagged ANGUISH, anxiety, BBC, BBC2, BRITISH TELEVISION, BRITISH TV, CHILDREN, CONTROVERSIAL, debate, DOCUMENTARY, EMOTION, EMPATHY, entertainment, Family, GENDER DYSHORIA, Grief, Health, humour, IDENTITY, LOUIS THEROUX, LOUIS THEROUX TRANSGENDER, mental health, popular culture, PREJUDICE, SADNESS, SANS FRANCISCO, SELF, SEX CHANGE, SURGERY, SURGICAL INTERVENTION, TEENAGE, TELEVISION, TELEVISION REVIEW, THE ARTS, TRANSGENDER, TRANSSEXUALS, TV, tv review, UK TELEVISION, UK TV | Leave a comment

“DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS ; ONLY LIGHT CAN DO THAT!” ‘Louis Theroux – By Reason Of Insanity’ : Part One. A Review.

Posted on March 23, 2015 by SCARFMAN

Last night on BBC2 we saw the very welcome return to our screens of documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux. Filmed in Ohio in The United States, this was the first part of two programmes he has done on the subject of … Continue reading →

Posted in ANXIETY, BBC, EMOTION, HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, POPULAR CULTURE, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, TRUE STORIES, TV, TV REVIEW, UK TV, Uncategorized | Tagged ARTS, BBC2, BRITISH TELEVISION, BRITISH TV, CRIME, EMOTION, entertainment, LOUIS THEROUX, LOUIS THEROUX BY REASON OF INSANITY, mental health, MENTAL HEALTH DOC, MENTAL HEALTH DOCUMENTARY, popular culture, REINTEGRATION, TELEVISION, TELEVISION REVIEW, THE ARTS, TV, tv review, TV REVIEWS, UK YV | Leave a comment

‘ORDINARY LIES’ BUT NO ORDINARY DRAMA! ‘ORDINARY LIES’ EPISODE 1 REVIEW.

Posted on March 18, 2015 by SCARFMAN

Last night saw the start of a new six-part drama on BBC1 called Ordinary Lies. It is written by Danny Brocklehurst and centres around the goings on in a Car Showroom somewhere in the North-West of England. I am not sure … Continue reading →

Posted in ANXIETY, BBC, BBC COMEDY, BBC DRAMA, BBC ORIGINAL DRAMA, BBC1, COMEDY, death, DRAMA, POPULAR CULTURE, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, TV, TV REVIEW, UK TV, Uncategorized | Tagged BBC, BBC COMEDY, BBC DRAMA, BBC ORIGINAL DRAMA, BRITISH TELEVISION, CAR SALESMAN, CAR SHOWROOM, DANNY BROCKLEHURST, death, DECEPTION, DRAMA, EMOTION, entertainment, jason manford, JO JOYNER, LIES, MANCHESTER, MAX BEESLEY, MAX BEESLY, MICHELLE KEEGAN, NORTH WEST, NORTH WEST DRAMA, NORTHERN, NORTHERN DRAMA, ORDINARY LIES, ORDINARY LIES REVIEW, RED PRODUCTION COMPANY, SALLY LINDSAY, TELEVISION, TELEVISION REVIEW, THE ARTS, TV, TV DRAMA, tv review, UK TV, WARRINGTON | Leave a comment

AN UNSATISFYING DRAMA! ‘THE CASUAL VACANCY’ -EPISODE THREE REVIEW.

Posted on March 3, 2015 by SCARFMAN

After seeing the concluding part of this drama last night the verdict is now clear, I DEFINITELY PREFER THE BOOK OVER THE TV ADAPTATION! This third episode in many ways was a bit all over the place. Like episode two, … Continue reading →

Posted in A CASUAL VACANCY, BBC, BBC COMEDY, BBC DRAMA, BBC ORIGINAL DRAMA, BBC1, BOOK REVIEWS, BOOKS, DRAMA, ENTERTAINMENT, J.K.ROWLING, POPULAR CULTURE, RANT, READING, screenplay, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, THE CASUAL VACANCY, TV, TV REVIEW, UK TV, Uncategorized | Tagged #jkrowling, #THECASUALVACANCY, ACTING, adaptation, adapted books, ADAPTED SCREENPLAY, BBC, BBC DRAMA, BBC MINI-SERIES, BBC1, books, BRITISH TELEVISION, BRITISH TV, DRAMA, drug abuse, DRUG ADDICT, entertainment, fiction, fiction story, HBO, INNER CITY, ITV DRAMA, J.K.ROWLING, JK ROWLING, joe hurst, JULIA MACKENZIE, KEELEY HAWES, literature, MICHAEL GAMBON, modern Britain, nook review, novels, pagford, popular culture, reading, REVIEW, REVIEW OF THE CASUAL VACANCY, ROY KINNEAR, RUFUS JONES, SARAH PHELPS, SCREEN WRITING, SMALL SCREEN, social services, sreenplay, SUICIDE, TELEVISION, TELEVISION ADAPTATION OF THE CASUAL VACANCY, TELEVISION CRITIC, TELEVISION DRAMA, TELEVISION REVIEW, THE ARTS, THE CASUAL VACANCY, THE CASUAL VACANCY REVIEW, TV, TV CRITIC, tv review, writing | Leave a comment

I NOW PREFER THE BOOK! ‘THE CASUAL VACANCY’ -EPISODE TWO REVIEW.

Posted on February 23, 2015 by SCARFMAN

After watching the first episode of The Casual Vacancy last week I did a blog about how I preferred this TV version to the J.K Rowling book it is based upon. I watched the second installment last night and have … Continue reading →

Posted in BBC, BBC DRAMA, BBC ORIGINAL DRAMA, BOOKS, death, DRAMA, EMOTION, grief, J.K.ROWLING, LITERATURE, POPULAR CULTURE, READING, screenplay, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, THE CASUAL VACANCY, TV, TV REVIEW, Uncategorized | Tagged 2015, adapted books, ADAPTED SCREENPLAY, ARTS, BARRY FAIRBROTHER, BASED ON A BOOK, BBC, BBC DRAMA, BBC MINI-SERIES, BBC ORIGINAL DRAMA, BRITISH ACTING, BRITISH TELEVISION, BRITISH TV, BRITISH TV TELEVISION, CLASS CONFLICT, COMEDY, entertainment, J.K.ROWLING, JULIA MACKENZIE, KEELEY HAWES, MICHAEL GAMBON, MILES MOLLISON, RICHARD GLOVER, ROY KINNEAR, RUFUS JONES, RURAL, SARAH PHELPS, screenplay, TEENAGE SEX, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, THE CASUAL VACANCY, THE GHOST OF BARRY FAIRBROTHER, TV | Leave a comment

MY FAVOURITE FILMS……..AND SOME DODGY ONES TOO!

Posted on February 4, 2015 by SCARFMAN

Over the years I have seen some incredible films so thought I would share some of them with you, so you can enjoy them too if you haven’t seen any of them. I will also include a few that I … Continue reading →

Posted in DRAMA, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, MELODRAMAS, MOVIE REVIEWS, POPULAR CULTURE, screenplay, THE ARTS, THRILLERS, TRUE STORIES, Uncategorized | Tagged A PERFECT WORLD, ACTING, ACTORS, ALBERT FINNEY, ALL, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, ANTHONY MINGHELLA, BAD FILMS, BJORK, BLAME IT ON THE BELLBOY, BRITISH CINEMA, BRITISH FILM, BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, BRUCE JONES, CASABLANCA, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, CINEMA, CLINT EASTWOOD, COP LAND, CRISSY ROCK, DANCER IN THE DARK, DANCES WITH WOLVES, DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, DANNY BOYLE, DAS LEBEN DER ANDEREN, DEAD MAN WALKING, DEMOLITION MAN, DUDLEY MOORE, EDUCATING RITA, entertainment, EUROPEAN CINEMA, favourite films, film, FILM CRITIC, FILM DIRECTORS, FILM REVIEW, film reviews, FILM SOUNDTRACKS, FOREIGN CINEMA, FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFE, FROU FROU, GARDEN STATE, GERMAN FILM, GLADIATOR, GOOD FILMS, GOODFELLAS, GREATEST FILMS OF ALL-TIME, HABLE CON ELLA, HEATH LEDGER, HUMPHREY BOGART, IMOGEN HEAP, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, ITALIAN CINEMA, JACKIE BROWN, JIM CAREY, JULIE WALTERS, KEN LOACH, KEVIN COSTNER, LA VITA E BELLA, LADYBIRD LADYBIRD, LIAM NEESON, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, MARLON BRANDO, MICHAEL CAINE, MORGAN FREEMAN, movie, MOVIE REVIEWS, MRS DOUBTFIRE, MY LEFT FOOT, ON THE WATERFRONT, OSCARS, OVERRATED FILMS, PEDRO ALMODOVAR, QUENTIN TARANTINO, QUIZ SHOW, RAINING STONES, RALPH FIENNES, REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, RIDLEY SCOTT, ROBERT DE NIRO, ROBERTO BENIGNI, ROBIN WILLIAMS, SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING, SCHINDLER'S LIST, SEAN PENN, SPANISH FILM, SYLVESTER STALLONE, TALK TO HER, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, THE FULL MONTY, THE LIVES OF OTHERS, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE TRUMAN SHOW, TIM ROBBINS, TITANTIC, TODO SOMBRE MI MADRE, TRAINSPOTTING, UNDERRATED FILMS, UNFORGIVEN, V FOR VENDETTA, WORLD CINEMA, ZACH BRAFF | Leave a comment

ITV1 WILL NOT BE SHOWING SEASON 3 OF ‘THE AMERICANS’ AND I AM SO ANNOYED ABOUT IT!

Posted on January 24, 2015 by SCARFMAN

During the cold dark winter months of November and December of last year, one of the few things that kept me going was looking forward to the return of ‘The Americans’ on ITV1 in early 2015. I was relieved to … Continue reading →

Posted in DRAMA, ITV1, POPULAR CULTURE, TELEVISION, THE AMERICANS, THE ARTS, TV, TV REVIEW, Uncategorized | Tagged ARTS, BRITISH TV TELEVISION, DRAMA, entertainment, FX, itv, ITV DRAMA, KERI RUSSELL, MATTHEW RHYS, NOAH EMMERICH, rant, SPY, TELEVISION, THE AMERICANS, THE ARTS, THRILLER, TV, US TV | 5 Comments

JOHNNY VEGAS IS MY NEW FAVOURITE COMEDY ACTOR!

Posted on January 21, 2015 by SCARFMAN

I’ve got to be honest, years ago I used to find St.Helens famous comedian Johnny Vegas very UNfunny. I can remember watching him on ‘Shooting Stars’ numerous times and he just really used to irritate the life out of me. … Continue reading →

Posted in BBC, BBC COMEDY, BBC1, COMEDY, ITV1, JOHNNY VEGAS, POPULAR CULTURE, SIT-COMS, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, TV, TV REVIEW, Uncategorized | Tagged ACTING, BBC COMEDY, BENIDORM, COMEDY, COMEDY ACTING, DAVID JASON, entertainment, humour, itv, ITV COMEDY, JOHNNY VEGAS, RONNIE BARKER, SITCOM, STILL OPEN ALL HOURS, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, TV, tv review, UK COMEDY, UK SITCOMS | Leave a comment

A DEPRESSED STEVE MCDONALD SHOULD BE PRAISED, NOT SCORNED AT!

Posted on January 18, 2015 by SCARFMAN

“I don’t agree about the Steve storyline. Bad idea to make a funny character depressing. Boring when soaps get all worthy…” The idea of this blog originally came from me receiving the above reply, a week or two ago on … Continue reading →

Posted in DEPRESSION, DRAMA, ITV1, mens health, MENTAL HEALTH, OCD, POPULAR CULTURE, SOAP OPERA, STEVE MCDONALD, TELEVISION, THE ARTS, TRUE STORIES, TV, TV REVIEW, UK TV, Uncategorized | Tagged anxiety, COMEDY, CORONATION STREET, coronation street review, CORRIE, DEPRESSION, embarrassment, itv, MENS HEALTH, mental health, mental health public awareness, mental illness, OCD, SOAP OPERA, social stigma, steve McDonald, stigma, tv review | Leave a comment

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Category Archives: THE ARTS

INFORMATIVE, INSIGHTFUL AND INVOLVING…LOUIS THEROUX AT HIS BEST! ‘Louis Theroux : Transgender Kids’. A Review.

“DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS ; ONLY LIGHT CAN DO THAT!” ‘Louis Theroux – By Reason Of Insanity’ : Part One. A Review.

‘ORDINARY LIES’ BUT NO ORDINARY DRAMA! ‘ORDINARY LIES’ EPISODE 1 REVIEW.

I NOW PREFER THE BOOK! ‘THE CASUAL VACANCY’ -EPISODE TWO REVIEW.

MY FAVOURITE FILMS……..AND SOME DODGY ONES TOO!

ITV1 WILL NOT BE SHOWING SEASON 3 OF ‘THE AMERICANS’ AND I AM SO ANNOYED ABOUT IT!

JOHNNY VEGAS IS MY NEW FAVOURITE COMEDY ACTOR!

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