Dating advices local woman news.

News - Inside Tokyo’s hostess clubs

jweiss123 — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:33:49 +0000

A woman working as a hostess in a Japanese bar has to concentrate on just one task, keeping the customer happy.

Happy customers stay longer. They drink more of the bars’ expensive drinks.

That means more commissions for the hostess and more profits for the bar.

There are thousands of hostess bars in Tokyo. Club Lounge Monina is one of the more respectable establishments.

Paid to entertain

The foreign women working there told me they were not prostitutes but entertainers - but they were not keen to give their real names for fear of what their friends and families back home might think of them.

‘Karen’, who is from the Philippines, said: “Our job is just to talk to people who come in to drink, to sing along with them on the karaoke machine, to make them laugh and to try to listen to them.”

Lucie Blackman was killed while working as a hostess

She works five nights a week from Monday to Friday at the club. She says she earns 2,500 yen (10) an hour.

But that is just the beginning. Hostess bars have complicated systems of rewards and bonuses.

“We get tips as well as the commissions for the drinks and if we invite customers to the bar we get money for that too,” said Karen.

Hostesses can also go on dinner dates with customers, known as dohan. They get their dinner paid for and then bring the customer to the club.

The night we were at Club Lounge Monina one of the customers was giving out gifts to a couple of the women he was sitting with.

The women who work there insisted they did not offer any sexual services to the customers.

Maybe some girls work as prostitutes, I don’t know what goes on in other places, but not here

‘Vivienne’

‘Vivienne’, who is from Brazil, said she was worried before she started but she said: “I was so tired of working in a convenience store. I thought to myself, I will give it a try. That was years ago. I’m still here, I think it is OK.

“Maybe some girls work as prostitutes, I don’t know what goes on in other places, but not here.”

The bar we visited is owned and run by Monina.

At 34, she is unusually young to be a hostess boss or mama-san.

“The best hostesses are good looking for sure, but then it also depends on how they attract customers. It’s not easy if you’re not smart,” she said.

Stricter controls

Currently most of the women she employs are from Asia.

“I used to have many girls, from Cameroon, Senegal, Europeans, Americans, every country but the become much stricter and also the economy’s not so good. Before it was easier to give higher wages, but now it’s not,” she said.

The authorities do seem to be tightening up the immigration rules. In the past many women worked in the entertainment districts illegally on tourist visas.

That is not so easy these days.

The immigration department says it has introduced more rigorous checks on young women arriving from certain countries where they suspect significant numbers of illegal workers are coming from.

Since 2005 new measures to combat human trafficking have also been introduced.

Responsibility

Monina said there was only so much a mama-san can do to ensure the safety of the girls who work for her.

“It’s really the girl’s responsibility. There are certain rules that you teach the girls, how to tell who is a good, who is a bad customer for instance, but you cannot control what they do out of hours. After the club closes it’s up to them to decide how far they want to go with the customer,” she said.

Hostess bars are part of the mainstream of Japanese culture. Business deals are done there and clients . Wives know they are part of life for “salarymen”.

After the club closes it’s up to them to decide how far they want to go with the customer

Monina

But when you sit there and watch the young women cuddling up to the older customers, or so drunk they can barely keep standing to finish their song on the karaoke machine, you wonder whether it really is that innocent.

Of course there are establishments far more sleazy than the one we visited.

As Japanese journalist Kentaro Katayama points out, if a salaryman is looking for sex a hostess club is not necessarily the best place to find it.

He said: “If you really want to have sex with somebody it’s much easier to go to a prostitute.

“Going to a hostess club would cost you more than meeting a prostitute in Tokyo. It is very expensive, and yet still people like to go.”

News - Dangers for women travelling solo

jweiss123 — Sun, 25 May 2008 07:54:27 +0000

Leaving British shores for a year of adventure in faraway lands has almost become a rite of passage for school-leavers and university graduates.

Whether it be teaching English in an African village, swinging from a bungee in New Zealand or backpacking across South America, the gap year industry is booming and is now worth an estimated global 5bn each year.

But, while young people are filled with a sense of adventure and eager for experience, some can also be naive of the dangers which sometimes lie in wait for them when they step off the plane.

Darker side

The case of British bar hostess Lucie Blackman shows the gap-year experience can have a darker side.

On Tuesday a Japanese businessman, Joji Obara, was cleared of raping her and causing her death but there is no doubt she was killed.

Last month the body of 22-year-old Lindsay Ann Hawker was found buried in sand in a bath in Japan, and last year student Katherine Horton was raped and killed by two fishermen on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand.

TIPS FOR SOLO WOMEN TRAVELLERS

Trust your instincts

Dress modestly

Be aware of local customs

Pack door locks/wedges and a personal alarm

Copy travel documents and give them to family

Know the way to your hotel

Take licensed taxis and sit in the back

Tell people where you are going

Don’t arrive in a place after dark

Think about how your behaviour may be read

Say a firm ‘No, thank you’ to unwanted male advances

Keep your drink in sight

Take out good travel insurance

Source: Objective Travel Safety/gapyear.com/Lucie Blackman Trust

But these stories made the headlines because they were so rare.

So, are young women prepared for the dangers of travelling alone?

Matt Searle, of the Lucie Blackman Trust, set up by Lucie’s father Tim to advise young people about safety, says they are often not aware enough.

“Years ago a gap year would have been out of the question for most people because it would have been too expensive,” he says.

“But now young girls leave university and have enough money to backpack around, say, Nepal - and will go and do it.

“But they often don’t realise that when you step off the shores of Britain, everything is different.”

Opportunities

Evelyn Hannon, editor of the Journeywoman newsletter and website which is accessed by 60,000 women worldwide, says women find travelling solo rewarding and therapeutic. But they must also prepare well, she says.

“Solo travel for women has become a rite of passage - at key moments in their life, such as at the end of high school or university.

Lucie Blackman’s body was found in a cave outside Tokyo in 2001

“But they have to realise how to stay safe. It isn’t like walking in their own neighbourhood.”

Georgie Aldous, one of the female trainers for Objective Travel Safety, which runs a safety course for gap year travellers, says young women seem to be more “savvy” than their male .

“But they find it much harder to stick to those instincts, especially if they are younger and with other young men,” she says.

The crucial things for young women to remember are to trust their gut feelings and to acknowledge cultural differences, she says.

“They must realise about their appearance and that what goes here doesn’t always go elsewhere.

“In Britain it is normal to have equal relationships between girls and boys - but in many countries it is very much still ‘Bruces and Sheilas’. If you chat a man up, you will run into problems of him trying to make a move and all that leads to,” she warns.

The cultural differences are more pronounced in countries where religion plays a large part in daily life, she says.

“This is purely because none of the parents in these countries would let their daughters go around unaided,” she adds.

“This is where a lot of problems stem from - this coupled with the perception of northern European women as having a bad name for themselves.”

Observing etiquette

Tom Griffiths, founder of gapyear.com, believes being culturally aware is key.

“As a young woman, whether you agree or disagree with it, there are places where women play a subservient role in society and you have to be aware of the etiquette,” he says.

Joji Obara was found guilty of killing Australian Carita Ridgway

“For example, walking in front of the Taj Mahal in a bikini is not going to go down too well.”

In the age of the internet, there was “no excuse for not knowing these things”, he says.

But while women may be during the daytime, problems often occur at night, when defences are down.

The Lucie Blackman Trust says women cannot afford to let their guard relax with people they do not know - especially because of the dangers of date rape drugs.

Lucie is believed to have been drugged by her killer.

The reality is when you are backpacking, you will be with other people, you are rarely alone

Tom Griffiths

“If you are going to a bar, try to do it with a group of people that you trust,” Mr Searle says. “With regard to drinks - make sure you see the barman pour it, and don’t let go of it.

“Only let someone look after your drink if you trust them with your life - because that is essentially what you are doing.”

However, despite the perils, the vast majority of single travellers return from their adventures safely, and Mr Griffiths says solo women are often the toughest of them all.

He says: “They are the most confident travellers and other men and women backpackers tend to look out for them - and the reality is when you are backpacking, you will be with other people, you are rarely alone.”

How do yo think, is it true about ?

News - Webscape

jweiss123 — Sat, 24 May 2008 04:47:24 +0000

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Let us kick off with a site that is ideal for budding musicians.

SoundJunction is an extremely site dedicated to all things musical. If you want to find out about different styles of music from rock to jazz, or if you are thinking about taking up an instrument, it is all here.

There is a heavy bias towards education, which tends to mean each topic is discussed in exhaustive detail.

For example, navigate through the “How music works” section and you will find articles, photos and the history of specific musical instruments. There are even expert tips on how to play instruments, in some cases there are video clips demonstrating the instruments in use.

But if you really want to get your hands dirty, head back to the main menu and click on the “Composer” section, which contains a simple piece of music-editing software.

It is loaded with a selection of pre-recorded samples. These can be dragged and dropped onto a timeline, eventually building together to make a finished track.

While it might not be up to standards, it is free, and this simple application allows the novice to grasp the basics of digital composing.

A great site for anybody thinking about taking up an instrument or if you just want to know the difference between a violin and a viola.

Diseno-art

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Billing itself as an online of interesting vehicles, Diseno-art is a must-visit site for fans of all things vehicular. This site ignores average everyday vehicles and focuses on innovative and interesting machines.

The homepage features top notch news, which is regularly updated with photos and articles about the world’s most exotic vehicles. But the site really comes into its own when you stray away from the pictures of the latest super cars and start investigating the weirder vehicles stored in the archive.

Broken down into sections focusing on cars, boats and aircraft, a quick click on any of these groups reveals hundreds of pages detailing exotic vehicles, old and new.

The concept car and strange vehicle sections are of particular interest. Here you will find photos and stats about some of the weirdest modes of transport ever conceived. How about the land-walker exoskeleton, or the speed boat?

Scratch

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

If you would like to animate your own cartoons, write your own video games or even create interactive artworks, but cannot be bothered with all of that complicated coding business this next site could be for you.

Scratch is the brainchild of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) media lab. It is a set of tools designed to be used by people without computer programming skills - that is most of us then.

It makes use of a graphical interface which allows the user to build a sequence with building blocks. These are dragged, dropped then linked together, a little bit like multimedia Lego.

Images can be selected from an existing library or imported from your hard drive.

Once imported, a number of action blocks can be assigned to the image. These blocks are assigned commands like “move” or “play drum”, and the blocks can then simply be stacked together to create an animation.

Once your masterpiece is complete it can be uploaded to the Scratch site for other users to check out.

Scratch’s inspiration comes from Hip-Hop DJs, who take a bit of this and a bit of that to create something new.

While the site is primarily aimed at younger users, it is still a lot of fun for grown-ups with a creative streak.

Heavens Above

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Finally a site for anybody with their feet on the ground but their eyes fixed on the heavens. Astronomers have thousands of sites dedicated to stargazing, but this next site is for fans of man-made celestial objects.

Heavens Above is a community dedicated to watching satellites, the International Space Station and even the Space Shuttle.

A community of thousands of stargazers, they have built up a database of satellite orbits and their co-ordinates in the night sky.

To find out when a satellite or other object is orbiting and visible from where you are, click on the “Select location” option, simply choose your country, then choose your town or city.

From here the site will present you with a list of visible objects in space and where a telescope will need to be aligned to see them.

Click on the “International Space Station”, for instance, and the site reveals the time and date of its next visible orbit from your location.

Even if the weather obscures your view of space you can still check out the progress of an object of interest. Choose the orbit option on the satellite info page and the site offers a graphical representation of the object’s path through the night sky.

How do yo think, is it true about ?

News - Friday’s Working Lunch in bits

jweiss123 — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:00:44 +0000

Click below to watch the Working Lunch bits you want.

Programmes as far back as 2nd October 2006 are saved in our system.

To access these, please enter the date you require in the ‘Search Working Lunch’ box to the right of this page.

Use the format ‘day month’ - for instance ‘1st November’.

For recent programmes, please see our page.

Friday 13th July

We ask why banks have delayed online payments.
Internet Banking

Simon asks if giving up smoking might mean getting a smaller pension.
Up in Smoke

We find out if it is easy for a stranger to get hold of your details?
Identity Fraud

The price of everyday foods like bread, milk and meat are to rise.
Pricey Food

A chef for the company supplying most UK rice gives tips on how to cook it.
Perfect Rice

How to contact Working Lunch page.

News - Q&A: Home information packs

jweiss123 — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:21:11 +0000

Home Information Packs (Hips) are being introduced into England and Wales from 1 August for all properties with four-bedrooms or more.

The whole idea of the packs has been controversial from the outset.

Some warn that it will add an unnecessary layer of expense and bureaucracy to the house selling process - but others argue that it brings much-needed .

BBC News explains what the packs will mean for homeowners and the housing market.

I want to sell my house and was told that I will need a Home Information Pack. What are they?

The packs are to contain information that will be useful to any potential buyer.

Copies of title deeds, any recent planning permission or building consent given on the property, a local area search and an energy performance will all be in the pack.

Under the rules, everyone marketing a property with four or more bedrooms has to commission a Hip.

Ultimately, the government wants all homes put up for sale in England and Wales to have a Hip.

Scotland is set to get its own version of Hips in 2008.

PACKS WILL INCLUDE

Evidence of title

Copies of planning, listed building or building regulations consents

A local search

Guarantees for any work on the property

An energy performance certificate.

Energy performance certificates - what are they?

The idea of the certificate is that, at a glance, would-be buyers will be able to see the property’s energy efficiency - a bit like when they buy a fridge.

The homeowner will also be presented with some tips on how the energy efficiency of their home can be improved.

Energy performance certificates kill two birds with one stone - providing information for homebuyers and ensuring the UK complies with an EU directive which comes into force in 2009.

However, the cost of having a property’s energy performance assessed has been estimated at anything from 100 to 150.

Thousands are in training to become energy performance assessors, as the jargon has it, to inspect properties new to the market and issue certificates.

But only about 2,000 have so far been accredited.

Why are the packs being introduced?

Hips have been in the offing for a decade.

The Labour government went into the 1997 general election promising to introduce Hips, with the express intention of reducing the number of property sales which fall through.

The idea is simple: the more information that is presented to the buyer upfront, the slimmer the chance of a nasty surprise scuppering the sale further down the line.

I remember that originally Hips were meant to contain a structural survey - has that plan been dropped?

Yes.

Last year the government announced that Hips would, for the time being, not have to include a structural survey.

Many thought that dropping the requirement to have a survey would mean that the whole Hip project would be shelved.

However, the government has pressed on with Hips.

How will I organise getting a pack?

Some estate agents will offer to act as go-between for pack providers.

, homeowners maybe able to approach pack providers direct.

I have read that these packs could cost up to 1,000 - is this true?

This is probably a bit of an overestimate - but you can probably expect to pay 400-700 for a Hip.

Potential buyers will not have to contribute to the cost of a Hip.

Will the packs make the buying and selling process easier?

However, they may want to get their own local authority searches done and mortgage companies will still insist on a proper valuation.

I am buying a property. How much store should I set on the information in the pack?

The information will be useful but it may soon be out of date. Your solicitor may well advise that you get your own searches done.

Your mortgage provider may also want fresh property searches.

In other words, they may well disregard Hips.

News - Diary of a house buyer

jweiss123 — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:33 +0000

Early in 2003, BBC News Online followed 35-year-old Londoner Adrian Plant in his quest for a dream home.

Adrian had returned to London after working in Barcelona for 15 years and had decided to lay down some roots and buy a home.

But he was stunned when he saw the level of house prices in the capital .

“It is incredible! For what I am facing paying for a two or three bedroom terraced house in London, I could buy a villa near Barcelona with a pool and an acre of land.”

Adrian was looking to buy a small railway cottage or mews style house in Wandsworth in south London.

But the going rate for such a property was between 400,000 and half a million pounds.

“I have some savings to call on but I will still need a hefty mortgage, I am not prepared to over-extend myself.”

‘Appalling’ service

As his search for a home got underway, Adrian quickly became disillusioned with the treatment he got from estate agents.

Experts say house hunters should start their mortgage search early

“I have been appalled at the level of service I have received - the local agent has a virtual monopoly on the area I am looking in.

“The sales people are pushy, increase your offer to suit them and then do not pass on the offer in a reasonable time to the seller.”

As Adrian’s house hunting gathered pace, his thoughts turned to securing a mortgage.

Getting the right deal was a key objective. He was looking for a mix of flexibility - with the potential to overpay - and a low rate.

Adrian’s tactic of sorting out his mortgage early won the approval of Simon Holdsworth from Towry Law mortgages.

“All too often house buyers start the search for a mortgage after they have had their offer accepted only to find that either they have been over optimistic as to what they can borrow or even that they can in fact afford more,” he said.

He taking advice early and sorting out the finance before starting to make offers.

Hopes raised…

After viewing more than dozen properties Adrian began to home in on his dream cottage.

Adrian’s top house hunting tips

Decide on a budget and stick to it

Do not set your heart on a place as there is good chance you will not get it

Sort out the mortgage at the start of the process

Have a thorough survey carried out do not just rely on the one the mortgage company does

Keep in touch with your solicitor and estate agent, do not let the buying process slide

But it was by no means a journey.

At one point he had his heart set on a property, and the signs seemed promising.

“I had put in an offer and according to the estate agent I was the highest bidder,” he said.

Adrian had one key advantage which should have swung the deal in his favour - he was not in a chain and did not have to sell before he could buy.

“I am ready to move within a few days, I thought that was a real negotiating advantage,” he said.

…and then dashed

However, this was before the Bank of England Monetary Policy surprise move to cut interest rates in February.

The rate cut was widely tipped to breathe new life into the London property market which has shown signs of weakening.

“The same day as the rate cut the seller decided my offer was not good enough, I upped it a little but I was determined not to be bounced into paying over the odds.”

In the end, after numerous calls, Adrian reluctantly gave up on the home, but perhaps this was for the best.

“The next day I saw a property which was much better all round. It was bright, modern and above all more tastefully decorated than the one I had been rejected for.”

Adrian put an offer in and waited.

More expense

His offer was accepted, meaning he then had to consider getting a survey of the house done.

I had no idea of the hassles I would face making sure that all the parties were on board to make the move possible

Adrian Plant

Some first-time buyers skimp on survey costs in order to scrape together enough money for a deposit.

“More than eight out of 10 homebuyers rely solely on the mortgage valuation survey,” Jeremy Leaf housing, spokesman for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), told BBC News Online

“However, often a mortgage valuation survey does not involve a close examination of key areas such as the roof space or drains.”

Mr Leaf recommended that Adrian arrange a full building’s survey - particularly as the property he was looking at dated from Victorian times.

“With properties this age it is best to be safe than sorry. A full survey could be carried out for just over 500.”

Frustration

When the offer on the cottage was accepted, Adrian aimed to move in within a month.

But his target proved over optimistic, and in the end it was three months before he finally got the keys in his hand.

So what went wrong?

“Little niggles at every turn, friends had warned me that it would take longer than I had anticipated but I had no idea of the hassles I would face making sure that all the parties were on board to make the move possible.”

Firstly, the structural survey on the Victorian property revealed that there was rising damp in some of the timbers.

Taking the approach that it was better to be safe than sorry, Adrian put the move on hold while he had the damp checked out.

Then the move nearly collapsed as Adrian’s solicitors were waiting for paperwork confirming that the double-glazed extension at the back of the property had full planning permission from the local council.

Home at last

“Having lived in Spain I have some experience of how they go about buying and selling homes, I think the English system is much more pernickety and almost designed to run into problems,” Adrian said.

“Primarily I have bought a home not an investment, if I get back what I paid for it in five years time then so be it, I would have had a great time.”

All in all, Adrian feels he was left wiser by his house move experience.

“I think I did things right - I got mortgage advice before starting to house hunt, I have kept up contact with all parties and I haven’t let the move slide. it has been a difficult process.”

Newsround - Potter book review

jweiss123 — Sun, 18 May 2008 15:40:36 +0000

The sixth instalment of the Harry Potter story is with us.

If you have students who are big Potter fans, they may like to review the book.

If they haven’t read anything lately they can use our potted Potter guide and still learn the of a review layout and content.

Learning aims

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

Describe the plot and of a novel
Comment on the highlights and weak points of a novel
Evaluate a novel
Understand the layout of a book review

Icebreaker

QUIZ: HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

For quiz, click here

Enter

Quiz

Students can test their knowledge of the Half-Blood Prince with this quiz.

You can print off and distribute copies or students can take the quiz online.

There are loads more Harry Potter quizzes in the dropdown on the right-hand side of this page.

Warm up

POTTER BOOK 6 GETS RAVE REVIEWS

For the story, click here

For the worksheet, click here

Review round-up

Read out this story to the class.

The story and the following questions are available as a printable worksheet.

Ask students:

1. Reviewers have called the book “well crafted”, “one of the best” a “real triumph” and the “darkest and most unsettling yet.” What do you think each of these mean?

2. Some reviewers say there are too many sub-plots. What is a sub-plot? Answer: Part of the action that is separate from the main plot. Sometimes it mirrors the main action of the play. Can students think of any main and sub-plot parallels in the books they have read?

3. Many children have branded the Half-Blood Prince the best Potter instalment so far. Do you agree? Why/why not?

Main activity

BOOK REVIEW TEMPLATE

Click here for the template

For potted Potter guide, click here

Write a review

Students write a review of the Half-Blood Prince or the last book they read using this printable template, referring to the tips at the bottom.

If they have not picked up a book for a while, they can use extracts from this potted guide to the first five Harry Potter books to complete the template.

These tips are printed on the bottom of the template:

Published Skim the first few pages to find the date the book was published.

Pages You don’t have to count them! Just look at the number on the final page.

The story/plot This is WHAT happens. To help you think about the main events, first draw a time line with the beginning scene of the book at the top of a piece of paper and the final scene at the bottom.

E.g. Write Harry starts at Hogwarts at the top and Harry defeats Voldemort at the bottom.

Now add a few events in the middle of the time line - ones which link the beginning and final scenes.

You can also write a sentence about WHERE and WHEN the story takes place. E.g. At Hogwarts school of wizardry in the present day.

The characters Or WHO is in the book. To help you describe the characters, first jot down these details:

Name of character
Role
Adjective to describe them

For example:

Harry Potter
Schoolboy wizard
Brave

This is where you describe your favourite part of the book. Is there a piece of action, description or characters’ speech you really enjoy?

Any weak bits? Were there any chapters where you found yourself wishing for some action to liven up the plot? Any unrealistic characters? Any descriptions or chapters that you felt were poor?

Unputdownable? Did you grab the book whenever you had a spare moment? Did you read it rather than playing computer games or watching TV? Or did you read the first chapter before letting it gather dust on your bookshelf?

Turn this into a drama lesson

TV review programme

In groups of six, students use the reviews they have compiled to act out a TV review programme.

One student plays the host
One student plays the part of author JK Rowling
Two students play reviewers - one a nice Nicki Chapman type (from TV’s Pop Idol), the other a mean Simon Cowell type
Two students play audience members

TV review outline:

The host introduces JK Rowling.

JK Rowling reads out a passage from the Half-Blood Prince - a bit like she did in Edinburgh at 00.01am on Saturday 16 July.

For the full interview with JK Rowling after the book launch, click here

Reviewer 1 gives a brief outline of the story and gives their opinion.

JK Rowling has the chance to reply.

Reviewer 2 describes the main characters and gives their opinion on them.

JK Rowling has the chance to reply

Audience member 1 describes a highlight from the book and asks the reviewers for their favourite extracts.

Reviewers reply.

Audience member 2 describes a weak bit and asks the reviewers for their least favourite extracts.

Reviewers reply.

Host sums up the programme by saying whether the book is unputdownable or not, giving reasons for their judgement.

Extension activity

NEWSROUND REVIEWS

Click here for Newsround’s review pages

Students add their own comments about books reviewed by the Newsround team by clicking on the right hand box.

Students use the template to write a review for an imaginary novel which combines the characters and plot from two different books or films.

E.g. Luke Skywalker tracks down a Victorian teenage boy on the run from a London poorhouse.

Plenary

Recap on the definition of plot, sub plot and character.

Students read out their reviews to the class.

Ask students: What information would you like to see in a book review (other than the headings in the Newsround review template)?

Teachers’ background

POTTER SPECIAL

For our special section, click here

Check out the resources in Newsround’s Harry Potter special section which include:

Quizzes
Comments
Message boards
Interviews
Features
Picture galleries
Games
Votes
Guides
Children’s reports

For hundreds for news-based lessons, click on Teachers on the left-hand side.

News - Review: King Arthur

jweiss123 — Sat, 17 May 2008 14:01:24 +0000

Shot in Ireland with a predominantly British cast, it strikingly sets the story of Arthur and his knights against a backdrop of post-Roman decay and Saxon incursion.

Some historians might have a field day with the film-makers’ decision to move the action back to the 5th Century AD.

But the shift does achieve what director Antoine Fuqua intended: to remove the Celtic mysticism and re-imagine one of England’s greatest heroes.

In Fuqua’s version, Arthur is Lucius Artorius, a half-Roman centurion struggling to keep order in one of the furthest outposts of the Holy Empire.

Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table want nothing more than to return to their ancient homeland in Eastern Europe.

But before they are granted their liberty they must fulfil one last task: to locate a Roman family whose villa is under threat from invaders and escort them to safety.

The rescue mission takes them over Hadrian’s Wall and into an icy wilderness ruled by the Woads, a tribe of forest-dwelling savages ruled by mysterious shaman Merlin.

Authentic

Clive Owen plays the title role of the king

In a summer season dominated by cartoon ogres and comic-book superheroes, King Arthur is a tougher sell than most.

Its grittily authentic battle scenes are certainly impressive, but no more so than those seen in Troy or the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

And while British actor Clive Owen makes a commanding hero, the near-total lack of humour or emotion in his performance makes him hard to root for.

One suspects American audiences will feel similarly discomfited by Ray Winstone’s Bors, a bear-like, swaggering knight who behaves like an early football hooligan.

Only Keira Knightley beguiles as Guinevere, a Woad princess who proves as adept with a bow as her male counterparts.

Elsewhere the playing borders on the camp, with Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard practically chewing the scenery as a marauding Viking.

“Burn every village! Kill everybody!” he growls from beneath a beard that wouldn’t look out of place on a ZZ Top guitarist.

Puny

But the real problem is how pedestrian and puny this story feels when transplanted to a literal setting.

Ioan Gruffudd (left) plays the loyal Lancelot

Why should we care about Arthur? What difference will it make if he lives or croaks? And where exactly does Camelot fit into the equation?

These and other questions remain unanswered, shunted to one side lest they get in the way of the clanging swords, whizzing arrows and fiery catapults.

One spectacular, computer-enhanced sequence finds Arthur and friends using a frozen lake to outwit a vastly superior force.

But it is the movie itself that is on thin ice, struggling to maintain our interest in iconic characters that have been cruelly stripped of their mythology and magic.

King Arthur opened in the US on Wednesday, with its UK release following on 30 July.

Your reviews:.

It was a dismal mess, with one great scene - the battle on the ice - that belongs in a better film. All Bruckheimer, Fuqua and Franzoni have done is remove the complex and fascinating mix of romantic, pagan and Christian mythology from Arthur and replaced it with ersatz and second-rate Hollywood formula mythology. It’s also ripped off “The Seven Samurai”, “Braveheart”, “Gladiator”, and “The Lord of the Rings”. The “knights” are and don’t look remotely like they’re from the Eastern country of Sarnatia. Ray Winstone’s Bors is comic relief for the yahoos in the back row. Keira Knightley plays Guinevere/Boudicea by way of Sloane Square - pretty but dubious. And then it adds the old Hollywood clich that in a battlefield of thousands the significant characters all manage to find each other to butt heads. As for the much vaunted “grunginess”, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” did it better.
Gary Pollard, Hong Kong

Ranks in terms of historical accuracy alongside Disney’s ‘Sword in the Stone’ - but at least the latter is enjoyable!
Gary, Darwen, Lancs, UK

What an absolutely dire film! Lovely idea, moving away from the Monmouth/Mallory version of the Arthurian legend - but everything goes badly downhill after that! The script was an incoherent mish-mash of ideas (a bit of Howard Reid, a bit of Stephen Lawhead, a lot of borrowing from recent historical epic movies), and was clearly written by someone who had no feel at all for the subject matter. The dialogue was appalling and the acting (especially Clive Owen’s) wooden. There was hardly any character development (and what little there was centred on Ray Winstone’s Bors character - and the less said about that the better!). Some elements (eg the Roman family way above Hadrian’s wall and, worse still, their bizarre torture chamber) were simply ludicrous. I’m still debating whether this or First Knight is the poorer film and would agree with an earlier review which advises buying Excalibur on DVD instead (or even - God love us and save us - checking out the TV series “Roar”)!
Ann, Lancs, UK

I thought the film was amazing! This was a fascinating, refreshing and entertaining take on a story we all know and love. Why are people going on about the “original”?! The beauty of the story of Arthur is that there is no original, it has evolved over time so that the “original” (if it ever existed) is masked by legend. My friends and I found this a welcome change from a load of pretty boys prancing around in tights! For once, a believable and engaging storyline are combined with a very talented cast of (mostly British) actors. It left me feeling proud of and inspired by my heritage, and I will be seeing it again. No film is perfect, but attacking Arthur for the few errors that it makes is as childish as counting how many actors are wearing watches in Gladiator…
Becky Parker, Ipswich, UK

I went to see the film with my son, and we both enjoyed it. As an adventure movie, it was fun. I thought some of the inaccuracies were funny or silly (Early Saxons with crossbows, Romans living in the Highlands) but hey, what can be expected? Anyone who goes to a Hollywood movie expecting to see history accurately rendered is unbelievably naive—it’s a movie! Those who want more reliable information should read Ashe or Morris, or watch the History Channel!
Geoff Rothwell, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

This film is another perfect example of why you shouldn’t give too much ear to the ‘film critics’. The movie was very entertaining and I was never bored. Perhaps because the critics had trashed it I went not expecting much. I love Spiderman 2 but I must say I was bored during a few moments. King Arthur kept me intrigued full tilt. Yes wished there was time for more development in the relationship between Lancelot Arthur and Guinevere…..but then I am sure the critics would have argued that the movie then would have been too long. I love period pieces and this one I will definitely add to my DVD collection. Finally an action movie that didn’t give you the blood and gore. Yeah I’d say give Clive Owen a shot as James Bond after Bronson retires….but he definitely got to loosen up.

Peace
Shane Hoilett, Washington DC USA

I suggest we lighten up….a summer movie, sufficiently entertaining, some interesting special effects, half-decent acting, Bors, as the dark-age boot boy, very amusing, and the Saxon king appropriately evil…all in all, worth eight bucks…
Martin, Brookline, Ma

This is sincerely a film to be enjoyed through the lens of Hollywood’s famed historical . It is an exciting film on certain levels but then its premise (even if it is the ad man’s slogan) of being the “truth behind the legend” is utterly laughable. Sadly, people across the globe too often believe what Hollywood churns out. I am tired of telling people the truth about William Wallace, for example, tired of muttering under my breath when people talk of Pearl Harbour! Enjoy this film with the awareness that it is fiction.
Peter Hughes, Llangefni, Wales

If I hadn’t been watching with friends, I think I would have walked out of the cinema. This was truly appalling, with no redeeming features. I felt frustrated and angry at what a dismal interpretation of one of Britain’s greatest myths has been put forward to audiences. The script is so poor it makes fine actors like Clive Owen look incredibly wooden. The plot is simply laughable, with so many of the basic premises resting on absolute nonsense. The battle scenes are disappointing, particularly harmed by the absolute stupidity of Stellan Skarsgaard’s battle commander. And really, we know that Arthur is good and the Saxon is bad - do we really have to make it even cleared by having the 5th century Roman nobleman (Arthur) a believer in human rights, freedom and equality for all, and the Saxon warlord a racial purist and fascist?

I love this myth, this legend. This movie doesn’t deserve to be connected to it in any way. Go and rent Excalibur.
Robin, London

I saw the film last night; I will never get those two hours of my life back. I feel cheated. This film is terrible, please don’t see it. King Arthur is a lame duck version of Gladiator, it tries to be epic and moving but you never engage with the characters and you really don’t care what happens to them. The battles are boring, the CGI is awful and the acting is some of the worst I’ve ever seen. Avoid at all costs!
Nu, London

It is an unforgivable distortion of the legendary or mythical Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Like many thousands of American youth of my generation the “real” King Arthur, along with Lancelot, Galahad, Gawain, etc., were our great heroes. And still are!
John Forbes, Sarasota, Florida, USA

This film was terrible. Utter dross. The acting was wooden, storyline shallow and unrealistic. What a lame effort, the original 70’s/80’s version of Excalibur was much better!
Mark, Newcastle, England

I can’t remember the last time I walked out in the middle of a film but I couldn’t sit through ’til the end of “King Arthur.” Oh the production and settings were handsome enough and the battle scene on the frozen lake was a stunning bit of film making BUT the screen play was dreadful, the actors mere one-dimensional cut-outs (one can hardly blame them though, given the wooden dialogue they were given), and I didn’t really care whether they lived or died. And the premise…that’s another thing. I found it hard to warm up to the idea that Arthur and his knights were raised in yurts on the steppes of some someplace now Russia. Oh well.
David Sloan, Emmaus, PA, USA

I have to say that it is one of the worst attempts at a movie I have ever encountered. The historical inaccuracies are unbelievable. The Romans had left Britain by 410, 42 years before the story begins! The Saxons were most probably brought to Britain by the Romans as warriors - so, in others words, our band of heroes are the actual Saxons!! The Saxons in the film appear to be Vikings who don’t turn up for another few centuries! The fight on the ice seems to take place in the Himalayas. I’m sure there are others I just can’t remember… Anyway, allowing for all of that (and that’s a lot to allow for), the movie could still have been saved. The reworking of the legend is a different but welcoming change, but my god, the script is pitiful, the concepts anachronistic (although that didn’t do Braveheart any harm) but most of all…most of all, the direction is turgid, lethargic and so bereft of any concept of style or imagination that the mind shudders as to how Fuqua will ever find work again. He seems to have simply tried to emulate scene after scene from Braveheart and Gladiator and fallen short. The choreography of the fight scenes is just boring. If Fuqua was going for realism instead of the highly orchestrated combat that we increasingly see then he should ask Gibson for some tips.
Embarrassing.
Tim Smith, Newport, South Wales

I thought Clive Owen was wonderful in the movie. He came across as a brooding, conflicted Roman commander who cares about people when no-one else did. In many scenes, he was reacting to the events happening and he was thinking about what course of action to take. I thought he portrayed that inner conflict well. Anything else would have been overacting. I think the people who didn’t like him did not like the one of the main concepts of the movie which is that Arthur changes from a Roman commander to the defender of Britain and that he is conflicted while he does it. I loved the movie!
Marti, Alexandria, Virginia

I would have appreciated the movie more if I hadn’t been distracted by the fact that Antoine Fuqua simply ripped the plot right out of his other movie, “Tears of the Sun.”
Stella, Toronto, Canada

My husband and I enjoyed this movie even with its glaring mistakes and the stilted acting of Clive Owen! I originally come from the Hadrian’s Wall area of North East England and so I found it amusing rather than annoying about the idea that a Roman family would have been living north of the wall, and apparently not just a few miles north but in the Highlands of Scotland (as there are no large snowy mountains anywhere near Hadrian’s Wall)! Having said that, I was glad that some attempt at being more historically correct as to the time period and that Arthur and his knights would have been rough, rather boorish men, but very loyal to each other rather than the pretty boy look we saw in Troy! I thought Ioan Gruffudd was very good as Lancelot and Kiera Knightly did a fine job as Guinivere. Overall not bad and quite entertaining.
Andrea, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Well, thank the Pagan gods, the knights stole the show. Their easy-going banter with each other made for some very engaging viewing time and it served to make their loyalty very palpable. Sadly, the stilted opening scene told me not to expect too much from the rest of the film.
To my mind, Ioan Gruffudd saved the film. He gave us a brilliant Lancelot showing a side to Gruffudd I hadn’t expected. I loved him as Horatio Hornblower but this was definitely not Horatio in knight’s armour. His Lancelot was a genuinely passionate and intelligent man; easy to believe he could love Guinevere as Arthur could not. So to lose the legend entirely, to not have had some exchange between Guinevere and Lance - not a tryst but something just a little more than him spying her at her bath, would have been very welcome. Nevertheless, that brooding look as he watched her, had all the promise of passion that every scene with Clive Owen unfortunately lacked.
Helen Walter, Markham, Canada

I enjoyed the movie for its entertainment aspect. It was, furthermore, nice to see an ‘Arthur’ extracted from the mythos that surrounds him in conventional imagination. But the proem lost me in that it referred to the early mediaeval period as the ‘Dark Ages.’ Dare I mention the rather premature use of stirrups–at least concealed by movie magic in “Troy”–which were developed in the middle ages? The advancements brought about in architecture, art, thought, writing, poetry, weaponry all contribute to this period’s total lack of “darkness.” I also had a problem with Guinevere’s nice, smooth legs. Where, exactly, were the northern British convenience stores that sold razors? These inaccuracies, and others, kept popping into my mind while I viewed this movie that claims, from its outset, to be ‘truth.’ I also noticed that there was a rather total lack of blood and gore–a divergence from other recent films whose plots are set in this period. I do not necessarily consider this matter a terribly important issue. But many of the battle scenes appeared a wee bit hokey where beheadings may or may not have occurred. Overall, I probably enjoyed the movie. I will probably own the DVD, as I enjoy most films set in historical periods. And I would certainly suggest that people see it–if only to get a glimpse at an ex-mythos alter-Arthur.
Tyson, Atlanta, GA, USA

A very entertaining movie with a totally different slant on the legend. I was particularly impressed with the concept of ancient mercenaries setting down roots in a foreign country and joining forces with traditional enemies in order to defeat a more threatening foe.
Wayne Parfitt, Houston USA

I liked the movie - it was not at all what I was prepared for but it worked. I compared it to Braveheart but not as bloody. Absolutely adore Clive Owen, what a hunk! his brooding Christian Arthur was very effective in that barbarous time. I hope to see him again and again in the movies!
Jeanne, Hutchinson, MN USA

Drive the movie critics into the sea with the Saxons and go see the movie. No magic in this film? Watch a charismatic and talented cast turn an indigestible and incomprehensible screenplay into plausible dialog and great entertainment. How’s that for magic!

Arthur has an attractive modern edge and devastating green eyes. Anyone brave enough to do battle with the lines they gave him to say, and who still lives to tell the tale deserves to be King. The subterranean Oedipal fireworks between the Saxon leader and his son give these potentially cartoon villains a genuine scary feel.

The visual sampling from other movies may have been a little too greedy, but this film also makes its original contributions to the visual archive. The editing gaffs seem in line with some prevailing non sequitur imperative. How could Arthur have been in full armour one second and in leather-tights-and-tunic mufti the next? No matter. He looked great either way.

The film has its flaws, but if charismatic actors, fine performances, and beautiful photography are your thing, don’t miss it.
Sonja, Port Angeles, Washington

Its such a shame they didn’t spend more of the 90 or 100 million dollars they had in their budget for a decent storyline and script. The beginning and end are truly awful. Real ham-fisted stuff. I’m sure it’ll go down quite well in the US but i think the UK audiences will hate it.
Mark James, London , UK

I was speechless. Well, that isn’t completely true. During the movie, I found myself nearly in tears laughing. This was atrocious. Historically, it was upsetting. What in the hell was the director thinking? There is nothing historical about it. It reeks of Hollywood exploitation; a blatant abuse of the narrow-minded ‘good versus evil’ tale, adapted to a period of history that was complex, vivid, and fascinating.

I would salute Fuqua for giving history a square kick in the behind, but sadly, it’s just one blow in a long history of abuse.
Lion, New York, NY, United States

Worth the price of admission to watch elegant, commanding Clive Owen front and centre. Keira Knightley’s fierce delivery was an invigorating surprise. A humanizing script that developed their softer sides could have catapulted the movie to the epic heights it was aiming for. A few mile-high signposts would have helped the average American (Hadrian’s Wall. That’s in China isn’t it?). Stunning visuals. Great, campy Cedric. “Finally, a man worth killing.” Love it..
Suzanne, Berkeley, CA USA

I thoroughly enjoyed Arthur but did have a preconceived thought process because of First Knight and would have enjoyed it more if the romantic and mystical aspects had been maintain better.
Pamela Crowell,

I loved it! I went to see it twice already. I love the different take on the Arthurian legend. What knight really went around in shining armour? Obviously one that didn’t fight! Give me a knight with a few nicks in his breastplate! I enjoyed seeing the friendship between Artorius and Lancelot. Many movies make Lance to be a back stabbing idiot and Guinevere to be some simple minded female. I liked the dark age touch and the bit of background we get in the beginning of the movie. I had never heard about the Sarmatian knights so this twist was refreshing. It seemed like the film-makers concentrated more on portraying human emotions, friendship and stuff that we go through for real instead of trying to recreate epic scenes and compete with films already released. I wouldn’t mind reading a book on this take. )
Brandy, Richmond, VA USA

The movie mixes historical authenticity with some errors. It was almost correctly set in the right timeline. It was about 30-40 years too early. If there was an Arthur he was a Briton fighting around the turn of the C6th. The arrival of the Saxon army was very well done. However the Roman army itself had left the province about 50 years before this movie was set. The knights’ rough attitudes and behaviour is believable. I thoroughly enjoyed it, except for the history gaffs inc. a Roman family living north of Hadrian’s Wall. If you like real history see the movie. It’s a fascinating look at that period. I thought it was very believably acted by Clive Owen. my husband & I got our money’s worth.
Sue Kelly, Metairie USA

I went to see this movie for two reasons - 1. to see Clive Owen, and 2. because I love the Arthurian legend. Yes, this film is quite a departure from films on this topic that have been made in the past, but the way I look at it - this new film is just one piece of the overall puzzle. I like the new take on the legend. I knew going in that this one would be very different, so I was prepared. The men in this film - Clive Owen, in particular are stunningly handsome and very masculine in my opinion. They all put in incredible performances, and I was very pleased to see real emotion from all involved, not some Hollywood version of feelings and reactions to events. I was sucked into the story, and felt a deep connection to all that was being played out before me. As for Keira Knightley’s performance, she had me rooting for her and thinking “Woman Power!” as she shot arrows and fought like a warrior. I plan on seeing the film again this summer, just to savour again the feeling of being transported to Roman Britain.
Jannie, Coppell,TX

I thoroughly enjoyed King Arthur. I watched it without trying to fit it into any previous movies or books on the Arthurian legend. I liked the characters, including Arthur, Bors, Lancelot and Guinivere. I enjoyed the villains and the battles. I took my grandchildren to see it and they liked it, too. The young boys liked the fights, the pre-teen girl liked Guinivere and the knights. I liked it more than Gladiator which seemed mean-spirited and harsh. I compare it more to First Knight — a fun heroes and villains tale.
April, Berkeley, USA

You’ve got to like an even half-baked realization of a story wherein myth meets history and no true “original” exists. Sure, it failed in some glaring ways to live up to all the potential tellings that are available to us at this rather late date. But Holy Grail and Love Triangle stuff intertwined much later with the legends that were established and . Even if it’s just a stab, the movie holds together a least a little bit better than some other efforts I’ve seen. I was somewhat pleasantly surprised after all the negative response. And there was a little social commentary as well. . .
Andy Ferguson, Santa Cruz, CA

I cannot believe some of the comments that I’ve been reading! As an English teacher and professor of 14 years, I was thrilled with it. Finally a movie set in the correct century.
We are so used to Mallory’s ultra romanticized Medieval edition of “knights in shining armour” that we have forgotten that he was a Romanized Briton. I am looking forward to the day when I can show this to my students.
Yes, all movies have their blunders and weak spots, but I loved the dialogue and characterization of the knights — especially Bors and the lone wolf Tristan — was that Mongol armour he wore? Cool! They probably would have been rough and coarse, not urbane and dancing a volta at a banquet. Most movies of Arthur are almost too sanitized. I mean a knight with a clean face and hands perfectly clean shaven? Yeah, right. Yes, I enjoy the fantasy of the legend as much as anyone, but it was nice to see the courage to be different. Bravo Fuqua and Bruckheimer! Truth is not always “pretty” — well, as close to the truth as we can get about Arturios.
I felt the brotherhood and solidarity of the knights was the film’s strength. In today’s moral climate of vacillating values, it was nice to see honour and integrity as almost palpable characters.
Jessie, Chesterfield, Virginia (USA)

Was really looking forward to seeing this film. Unfortunately it’s probably the worst film I’ve seen in years. Only good thing about it was the scenery, oh and the trailers!
matt docherty, Houston, Texas

Why do people always feel the need to criticize Hollywood for entertaining us? This was a good film - certainly more historically-accurate then other films on King Arthur and without the lame coloured tights - and one that I, my friends and the audience I saw with enjoyed. Movies are for fun, for relaxing with friends and for taking you out of your stressful life for a while and ENTERTAINING you. “King Arthur” does just that and I’d recommend it to everyone.
Kris, Chicago, IL

I totally disagree with previous comments that the battle sequences are not entertaining and that the acting was stilted. I paid for my seat, like all the real movie fans have to, and left the cinema entertained. The people in the theatre with me seemed to enjoy every minute, as I did. They laughed loudly, boo-ed, and grimaced in all the right places too. The kid next to me hid his eyes in the love sequence, so I was watching him and don’t know what I/he missed I was laughing so much! The smoke in certain sequences was part of the battle strategy used to defeat overwhelming numbers of the invaders, so I do not understand the ‘negative impact’ comment about its use. I liked the story in this movie, wasn’t bothered that the dialogue has been brought up to date. I’m more annoyed by certain Romans having Italian accents, and others not, than the use of contemporary verbage. Clive Owen can too act his way out of a paper bag - and he is very attractive to the females in the audience.
Anne , Dallas, TX

I actually liked the film. The part I don’t get (after reading all of the other comments) is why does everyone expect the story to follow the original legend word for word? I watched Troy - that wasn’t even close to the original story, except for the horse.
Some things get cut to suit the 30-second attention span that most people have these days. Personally - I liked Bors (I do think it is possible that his character would have acted that way - he is a guy even in 5th century AD (what do guys like to talk about most in this world?) AND he doesn’t want to get married (even with children - surprise!!)).
Yes - most of the acting by Owen is a little stilted - he didn’t show all of the emotion that he should have had in his scenes, but over all the movie was good. Plus is made me laugh, even if it was unintentional. I would see it again.
Garrie, Fort Walton Beach, FL

My wife and I were both amused and disappointed by the whole spectacle. We certainly expected more from the cast and would agree that the movie did not work as a whole. We are still trying to figure out how the gates of the wall fort opened to admit the Saxons and then closed again without any human intervention when it took a pair of huge horses to open them earlier…

I think the idea of setting Arthur in a different part of the country and a different time is an interesting device, but I would rather see a director make a version of Bernard Cornwell’s Arthur trilogy - a more realistic version of events I expect.

Save your money until this movie goes to the discount cinemas - it is worth $2 to see Kiera Knightley in her Britney Spears warrior costume…
Rick Barnes, Collierville, TN, USA

This film did not work. I am not sure if the problem was in the direction, screenplay or the editing but the whole thing seemed pointless and lacklustre. It looked as if when they got the dailies back on the first day they saw there was a problem but contracts had been signed and there was no going back.
In an attempt to redeem Arthur from the bargain bin they threw money at extras and smoke hoping the spectacle might awe audiences. However the camera work and direction was so poor that the film cannot even pass in terms of spectacle.
Every clich in the book was taken out and dusted off in an attempt to force audiences to engage but all ultimately failed.
There are only two battle scenes and both lack any emotional intensity, partly due to awful cinematography, partly due to you wondering how fast you can get out of the cinema. There are two romance scenes. In both Keira Knightly attempts open-mouthed emotion and in return receives a peck on the lips. Clive Owen as the principled leader cannot even convince his horse to stand to attention. It brays and neighs and spins in circles as he sucks the life out of another emotionless scene. Keira Knightly tries her best and if her efforts had received any form of reciprocation might have salvaged some scenes but because of her intensity and Owen’s lack of intensity her doughy eyes start to look a bit overdone. The next time the King Arthur story is told let’s hope it is told by somebody who understands the story. How can we have a Merlin and have no voodoo? How can we have a Guinevere and have no passion? How can we have a King Arthur and have no timeless loyalty? Waste of time and money. Our recommendation…. Buy Excalibur on DVD.
Ken & Ann, New York, New York

The whole reason I wanted to see it was that Ioan Gruffudd plays Lancelot. I hope this will expose him to a wider American audience meaning I’ll get to see him in more than made-for-TV miniseries (not that I’m complaining. Horatio Hornblower is second only to Band of Brothers in the race for greatest miniseries of all time)and 102 Dalmatians (ugh). As Lancelot I thought he was great. I also thought Keira Knightly made a decent showing. Clive Owen though, for some reason he came across more… swarthy. Arthur isn’t supposed to be swarthy, myth or no myth. Overall though I have to say I enjoyed the movie. A few missteps along the way are quickly swallowed by the action sequences. I have to say though if I wasn’t a huge King Arthur fan I would have felt cheated, they didn’t really cover the characters much, without the Lancelot-Guinevere-Arthur love triangle (a welcome subtraction) all that’s left are the men who made up the knights and their interaction with each other ! and their liege.
Suzanne, Huntsville, AL

I went to the world premiere of this movie in New York. After getting out of it half of the people who sat through it swore that they would have demanded their money back had it not been for the fact that they were at a world premiere. the acting was horrible (especially that of the emotionless Arthur played by Owen and the out of era incredibly annoying Viking played by Skarsgard) and one could not help but cringe from the bad dialogue and worse acting. To top it off, the final battle scene is bloodless, lacking in tension, and easily eclipsed by battle scenes in Gladiator, Braveheart, and Troy.
Michael , New York, NY

Why do film-makers always feel that they have to rip off a perfectly good legend or part of history and mess it all up just for the sake of entertainment? I enjoy historical fiction just as much as the next person but I personally feel that the original story would have made a just as good, if not better, movie.
Beka, San Diego, CA

News - Devon sailor set for global race

jweiss123 — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:59:59 +0000

th yachtsman Conrad Humphreys begins his attempt to circumnavigate the globe on Sunday in the fifth Vendee Globe race.

The race has made household names of other British sailors who have had dramatic successes and failures.

Twenty s leave Les Sables D’Olonne, in France, on a 26,000-mile course expected to take three months.

Two other Britons are taking part; Mike Golding from Southampton and Alex Thomson from Gosport near Portsmouth.

The Vendee Globe is 10 times the challenge of anything I have done to date

Conrad Humphreys

The biennial race, which is in its fifth edition, will see them pass the southern tips of Africa, Australia and South.

Four years ago, Ellen came second in the same race, making the 24-year-old from the Isle of Wight the fastest woman and youngest person to circumnavigate the globe.

And in the 1996 race, the world watched as Tony Bullimore was rescued after spending a day adrift in his upturned hull.

“Biggest race”

Humphreys, 31, is racing in Hellomoto.

He previously navigated for fellow competitor Mike Golding and qualified for this year’s race after completing the Transat Plymouth to Boston race.

Humphreys described this as the “biggest race” of his life so far.

He said: “The Vendee Globe is 10 times the challenge of anything I have done to date, despite the fact that I have already raced round the world twice in both directions.

“I will be following in the footsteps of some pretty legendary including Pete Goss and Ellen MacArthur.

“No Englishman has ever won this race, in fact less than a dozen have ever finished it.”

News - Centenarian takes computer course

jweiss123 — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:50:42 +0000

At the age of 100 most people would think about winding down rather than - but not Sidney Platt.

Mr Platt has embarked on his latest information technology course - at Havering College, east London - so he can better manage his finances.

A former fencer and tennis player, he piloted a plane when he was 92.

He attributes his longevity to regular exercise and to eating a bowl of porridge every morning. Mr Platt has a daughter of 65 and a son of 72.

Tips and shortcuts

Mr Platt said: “I started using computers on the old Amstrad system so I’ve seen some really big changes over the decades.

“I have learnt lots of little tips and shortcuts on the computer that most people don’t know.

“I enjoy going to the centre because I always get a lovely smile from the ladies there and I can impress them with new computer tips.”

Mr Platt, who turned 100 in March, has been studying computer courses at the college’s Romford campus for five years.

He has a Level 1 , covering , word and databases and is working towards a Level 2 certificate involving more advanced skills.

Porridge is the secret to a long life. I have it in the morning and it’s the best start to the day

Sidney Platt

Mr Platt speaks German, French and Italian and plays the piano.

He said: “There is always something new to learn and I have found learning new computer skills has kept me up-to-date with all the new technology.”

Of his long life, he added: “The key is lots of exercise and I have had plenty of it in my life.

“I used to play tennis and fence and I even piloted a plane at the age of 92.

“Porridge is also the secret to a long life. I have it in the morning and it’s the best start to the day.”

IT centre manager Monica Irvine said: “He is one of the trail blazers of the centre.

“We would call him an advanced computer user. He’s an amazing character and a real to others.”

Mr Platt said: “I didn’t think it was anything special to reach 100 years old - lots of people are reaching 100 .

“But I’m told even if that’s true, there aren’t many 100-year-old IT students.”