Rock and Chips - Five Gold Rings

Rock and Chips, Five Gold Rings is the second feature length episode in a fantastic trilogy that depicts the early life of Derick Trotter and all of his family and close friends.

It's just as brilliant as the first Rock and Chips DVD that I saw the other day.

It was like a trip down memory lane as we've all heard the stories that Delboy and Grandad spoke about in the Only Fools and Horses TV Series and now thanks to Rock and Chips we get to see them first hand!

In this episode Del is still selling records from the docks and has thousands in the garage that belongs to the flat they now live in and it's in this episode that we first hear Del being referred to as a trader and his long and winding 'career' has now begun...

Rodney has been born and **spoiler warning** it is confirmed that Freddy the Frog is definitely his father.

The mannerisms of all the characters fantastically mimic those of the older versions of themselves that we have seen in Only Fools and Horses so not only is the writing fantastic but the acting is too.

As with the first part of the Rock and Chips trilogy, this an absolute 'must see' DVD.

Rock and Chips - DVD Review

Rock and Chips is the feature length prequel to the hit TV series Only Fools and Horses and what a fantastic prequel it is!

If you enjoyed watching (and growing up with) Only Fools and Horses this is an absolute 'must see' DVD.

You get to put faces to names you have heard in the Only Fools and Horses shows but never got to see.  People from the Trotters past such as Freddy The Frog and Jelly Kelly!  All the usual characters are in this prequel so you get to see Delboy, Trigger, Boyce and the gang in their youth!

Even at a teen at school Delboy was selling hookey gear from records to nylon carpets that give of so much static there's a wonder they need electricity!

Fantastic writing, fantastic cast and all-in-all a fantastic program.

Grownups Series 3 - DVD Review

Oh my god, just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder I've just seen Grant in a dress pretending to be Kylie to cheer up the boy he blinded playing tiddlywinks who isn't actually blind (he's just pretending so he doesn't have to go to school) and Michelle in a gimp mask and full rubber outfit!

Grant doesn't stop with dressing up as Kylie, he even ends up dressing up as a Geography Teacher in a 'sexy' attempt to turn on his new girlfriend from his office.

They're still trying to have sex with each other (and anything else that moves) but the humour seems to be a lot better than Series 2 but it's still pretty strange.

Don't bother with Series 2 as that's just complete tosh in my opinion but this one isn't too bad.

Grownups Series 2 - DVD Review

Until I joined LoveFilm I hadn't realised there had been a second (and third) series of Grownups and as I enjoyed the first series I thought I'd give the second one a go..

To be honest, I wish I hadn't bothered as it was nowhere near as good as the first.  All that it seemed to be about was all the main characters having sex with each other and that was as deep as the plots got.  I'm not saying that the plots in the first series were exactly intellectual (they're not) but they were so much better than this series.

If you're a fan of the first series and were hoping they would make a second - please don't bother with the second series as it will ruin it for you.

The third series is on my LoveFilm list - despite the second series being pretty poor, I'm going to give it a go so I'll be leaving it on my list.

The Inbetweeners Movie - DVD Review

Just when you thought The Inbetweeners was over this fantastic and hilarious film comes along!  If you enjoyed the TV Series then you must watch this film.

Will, Simon, Jay and Neil head off on holiday together, not a camping trip like the last episode in the TV Series, this time they venture further afield to Malia where they do everything you'd expect on a lads holiday from staying in a crap hotel to attempting to attract the ladies by wearing Pussay Patrol T-Shirts!


Full of all sorts of politically-incorrect humour you are bound to find this film absolutely hilarious.


All-in-all this is a great British Movie and if you're looking for something to make you laugh then make sure you watch this film/DVD.

The Inbetweeners Movie [DVD]

Blue Streak - DVD Film Review

In this film Martin Lawrence plays the part of a criminal who gets caught in the act.  Just before he is brought to justice he stashes the diamond in the ventilation system of a building that is in the middle of being constructed.

Two years later when he is released from prison, he returns to the scene of the crime to find the building is complete and is now a Police Department.

He then takes on the role of a cop using false ID some bloke in a cafe has made for him.  Lawrence ends up meeting a few of his 'colleagues' as he is partnered up with a rookie cop to tackle crime.

When he can, he gets inside the ventilation system and finally finds where he stashed the gem only to find it has gone.

Will he find the gem and if he does will he get away with it?  There's only one way to find out!

It's not the greatest of films I have ever seen but it's worth a watch if it happens to be on TV or someone you know has it on DVD.

 

Northamptonshire Ghosts - DVD Review

Richard Felix has been on a Ghost Tour of the UK and in 2005 he found himself in Northamptonshire.  If you're a fan of Most Haunted and are expecting this DVD to be like that then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed.

Unlike the TV show, this DVD will not show you any ghost hunting - what it does show you however are some of the most haunted parts of Northamptonshire, from Fotheringhay Castle (where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded) to The Hind Hotel (where Oliver Cromwell stayed for a few days before he went to battle).

So if you're looking for some haunted places to visit in Northamptonshire then this DVD will be right up your street!

If you're not looking for haunted places to visit or you're not interested in the paranormal at all then this DVD will also be up your street for the simple reason that the places that are haunted are great places to visit as they have a bit of interesting history behind them so the DVD can act as a tour guide!

I'm having difficulty in rating this DVD as I'd like to give it 3 stars but I think I'm going to have to give it just 2 stars for two reasons; firstly because the recording quality isn't particularly brilliant, it's only in 4:3 ration and at time the camera angle is wonky. Secondly I was hoping it would show a lot more places to visit than it did.

So 2 stars it has to be I'm afraid, don't let that put you off, if you want some ideas of places to visit in Northamptonshire then this will show you some of them.

Cor Blimey! - DVD Review

If you're a fan of the Carry On films, Barbara Windsor or the great man himself (Sid James) then you're bound to want to see this DVD.

It's a drama based on the lives of Sid James and Barabara Windsor through the Carry On years.

Sid James had his own dressing room in the forum of a caravan that came complete with its own toilet, shower and bedroom, it may not sound much but his fellow cast members dressing rooms were nowhere near as glamorous.

The Carry On films were made incredibly cheaply, especially by today's standards and the actors didn't exactly earn a fortune from them but it's certainly what made quite a few of them famous and they must have been great fun to do!

Discover England - Northamptonshire DVD Review

If you're looking for a trip down memory lane or have just moved to the area then the Discover England - Northamptonshire DVD could be just what you're looking for!

The DVD itself is a little bit dated having been filmed a few years back now and the sound quality isn't as good as it could/should be.

The DVD mainly focuses on Northampton but having said that, quite a few other places are mentioned, just not in quite as much detail.

There is plenty of heritage and history to explore and enjoy in Northamptonshire and although this DVD wont show you them all, it's certainly a good starting block.

Love Film - Damaged DVD Sent

My second DVD package from LoveFilm arrived today and one particular DVD that I was looking forward to watching was in it so when I sat down to eat my dinner I put the DVD in my played all ready to enjoy it and it wouldn't play.

On ejecting the DVD I had a look to see if there was any dirt or scratches on the disc and I could immediately see it was cracked.

Just like the previous time I had an issue, I went on to the LoveFilm website, reported the issue and within a few minutes it was all sorted out and the title will be added back on to my rentals list and they will dispatch another DVD as soon as possible.

As I've said before, problems happen all the time and it's how a company deals with that problem that sets it aside from its rivals and once again the customer service I've received from LoveFilm has been excellent.

I just seem to have been unlucky in the fact that I've only had two packages from LoveFilm so far and there has been a problem with each of them - fingers crossed the next one will be OK!

The Social Network DVD Review

Wow! So much better than I had been led to believe.  Mind you the people I'd been listening to about this film were people who haven't actually seen it yet!

With a lot of films there's a bit of a build up before it gets going, not this one as it gets going straight away so make sure you're settled down with everything you need (popcorn and a drink etc) before pressing play.

The first thing I noticed was that the actor playing Mark Zuckerberg speaks faster than a speeding bullet and as the film starts off in some sort of club you really need to be paying attention!

I was hooked from the start and ended up watching the whole DVD without having a 'comfort break'.  The film depicts the journey Mark Zuckerberg goes on to creating one of the most popular websites of all time.

He kind of reminds me of Sheldon from The Big Band Theory, clearly very academic but not very socially aware, which is ironic really considering what www.facebook.com is all about!

You don't need to be a geek or a nerd to enjoy this film so if you haven't seen it yet then go and rent it now!

LoveFilm Replacement Disc Arrived

My next DVD rental arrived today which is basically the replacement for the incorrect disc sent the other day.

The disc I should have received the other day was Karl Pilkingtons, An Idiot Abroad Disc 1 (which is back on my rental list) and the disc I received today was Karl Pilkingtons, An Idiot Abroad Disc 2!

I just hope that I don't need to have seen the first disc to work out what's going on!

LoveFilm - Wrong Disc Sent Out

When I got home today I pleased to see a package from LoveFilm containing two DVDs.  Unfortunately one of the DVDs was not what I was expecting or had on my rental list.

I went straight on-line and did a quick search on Google.  The first link I clicked on took me to an FAQ page on LoveFilm's website.  It basically told me to sign in and click a link to report a disc had been sent out in error.  So that's what I did.

There was a message on screen telling me that whatever I do, I must not send the wrong disc back without authorisation from Customer Services so I was a bit disappointed as I assumed that I would have to wait for an email and have to jump through hoops to get it sorted out.

How wrong I was!

My LoveFilm DVDs Have Been Posted

I had an email from LoveFilm earlier on today telling me that my first two DVDs have been posted out to me:

I've never seen an Idiot Abroad before, I have seen The Office and Extras (and enjoyed them both) but I have also seen Life's Too Short which in my opinion was complete and utter tripe, so I cant wait to see what this DVD is like!

The Social Network had mixed reviews when it came out in the Cinema so I didn't bother seeing it, but as it's available from LoveFilm I think it's worth renting to see what it's like.

LoveFilm Letter Finally Arrived

After what seems like an absolute age, my LoveFilm 6 Month subscription letter has finally arrived!

I've already been on to the website, filled in all my details, entered the subscription code and started to choose some DVDs that I'd like to rent.

There is a free iPhone app (that I've already downloaded) that you can use to log in to your account and add/remove rental choices as well as change their priority.

So How Does LoveFilm Work Then?

The way it works is simple, you create a list of DVDs or BluRays that you would like to rent.  When you click on a title that you want to rent you have to give it a priority, either High, Medium or Low.

Then what you do is wait for the LoveFilm magic to happen.  Their computer system

LoveFilm 6 Month Subscription

The other day I came across a special offer on Amazon for a 6 Month Subscription to LoveFilm for around £35 which is an absolute bargain!

The subscription should be with me by the middle of the week so by the time I've created my LoveFilm account and selected items I want to rent I should be watching a couple of new DVDs by the weekend (hopefully).

LoveFilm have a reputation when it comes to their special offers.  If you are so much as 1 second late in cancelling then you have to pay full price for another month before they end the subscription.

The Internet is littered with tales of disgruntled customers, some fall foul of the notice period you need to give them to cancel and some mention shoddy salespeople not telling them the full story when they stop them in shopping centres.

They're now owned by Amazon so I would like to think that they have cleaned their act up now.  Needless to say when the paperwork arrives in the post I will be reading the terms and conditions very, very carefully and making a note of any important dates on my calendar.