March 10, 2016 10:00 am by greendragon - The Haywood Society’s touring exhibition, ‘J.R.R. Tolkien – Soldier recruitment and Myth Maker’ launches at the Museum of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, UK, March 7th to April 24th. This fascinating exhibition focuses on Tolkien’s time in Staffordshire during the First World War. It will include ‘Original artwork, of domestic scenes and landscapes, which has not returned to Staffordshire since it left with Tolkien in 1918 … [as well as] photographs specially loaned by The Tolkien Estate and Bodleian Library.’ The website ‘The Great War Staffordshire’ tells us: ‘During the Great War Second Lieutenant J. R. R. Tolkien of the Lancashire Fusiliers was stationed in Staffordshire, first at Whittington Heath, near Lichfield, next at a musketry camp at Newcastle-under-Lyme, then at Rugeley and Brocton Camps on Cannock Chase. After his marriage in March 1916 Tolkien’s wife came to live in Great Haywood so that she could be close to him.
Tolkien regularly visited Edith in the village until he was posted to France in June 1916. Tolkien returned to Great Haywood in early December 1916 to recover from his traumatic experiences at the Somme. He lived with Edith in a cottage there until late February 1917 and during this time created his first mythological stories, in part inspired by Staffordshire landscapes and experiences. After a brief posting to East Yorkshire, Tolkien returned to Staffordshire in 1918 and lived in a cottage at Gipsy Green, Teddesley Park, near Penkridge, where other important work was undertaken.’ Find out more about the exhibition here. Be sure to let us know if you’re able to go along – we’d love to hear more about the exhibition! Posted in Events, Exhibits, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Other Tolkien books, The Hobbit, Tolkien, Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Family on March 10, 2016 byA Cure for Wellness Directed by: Gore Verbinski Cast: Dane DeHaan, Mia Goth, Jason Isaacs, Celia Imrie
Lockhart (DeHaan) is an arrogant young executive sent to a wellness centre in the Swiss Alps to retrieve his CEO, but something isn’t right with the place. Verbinski’s psychological chiller is overly long, and takes a final turn for the ridiculous, but along the way it explores childhood trauma and has some startling, nightmarish imagery. Directed by: Steven Cantor Cast: Jade Hale-Christofi, Sergei Polunin A portrait of extraordinary dancer Sergei Polunin, the Royal Ballet’s youngest ever principal who walked away from dance age just 25. Directed by: Denzel Washington Cast: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson Troy ( Washington) is a proud, tight-fisted, ageing working stiff in 50s Pittsburgh, full of bitterness that God, poverty and segregation ruined his youthful dreams of sporting success. Beautifully shot family drama, superbly acted (especially by Washington and Davis), but it suffers a bit from heavy self-importance and a long running time.
Directed by: Sam Taylor-Johnson Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan No surprises here: Anastasia (Johnson) gets sweet-talked back into the red room by Christian (Dornan). Foley seems to be under orders to skip the actual sex, as the real money shots are of Christian’s wardrobe. Johnson manages to be likeable and human, but otherwise it’s high on production values and short on story. 2017China / US103 min Directed by: Zhang Yimou Cast: Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe Two tough, rascally fighting men (Damon and Pascal, who was Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones) travel to China, get captured, are beguiled by a warrior princess (Jing) and besieged by beasties. Director Zhang is going for full-on blockbuster: plot and character are less important than spectacular action, Damon is likeable, and it's all spiffing hooey. Directed by: Mel Gibson Cast: Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Vince Vaughn Desmond Doss (Garfield) is a Seventh Day Adventist who enrols in the US Army in WWII and then refuses even to pick up a rifle, let alone shoot one.
Doss’s real-life bravery and Garfield’s awkward-everyman persona make this rise above Gibson’s rather clichéd reverence, and the battle sequences are superbly realised. John Wick: Chapter 2 Directed by: Chad Stahelski Cast: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Ruby Rose John Wick (Reeves) is back, dealing with the global assassins’ network and handing out ass-kickings to all that stand in his way. The original was lean and focused but this stretches over two hours, and the guy was tired of this life prior to part one; maybe it’s time to give him a break. Directed by: Damien Chazelle Cast: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, J.K. Simmons In Los Angeles, aspiring actress Mia (Stone) falls for jazz musician Sebastian (Gosling). Audaciously inventive homage to classic movie musicals, technically wonderful and joyously emotional, with Gosling as a goofy idealistic charmer and Stone showing the versatility, vulnerability and talent of a young Shirley MacLaine. The Lego Batman Movie
Directed by: Chris McKay Cast: Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes Batman (Arnett) is such a self-absorbed loner that even the Joker (Galifianakis) is peeved that Bats won’t recognise him as his greatest enemy, so the villain constructs a dastardly plot that incorporates every villain he can find, including the Daleks. Packed with gags and inventiveness, it’s tremendous fun. read reviewmore info & trailer Directed by: Garth Davis Written by: Saroo Brierley, Luke Davies Cast: Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Wenham, Nicole Kidman The true story of Saroo Brierley, who aged five is separated from his mother and family in India, declared lost and adopted by an Australian couple, only to track his family down years later using Google Earth. Hugely emotional, remarkably assured debut from Davis, with fine performances. Directed by: James Mangold Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border.
But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces. more info & trailer Directed by: Peter Berg Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, JK Simmons Tommy Saunders (Wahlberg) is a Boston cop who’s standing at the Boston marathon finishing line when bombs start going off. A visceral and respectful take on the incident, never shying from the horror of the attack but placing the emphasis firmly on humanity, hope and bravery. Directed by: Garth Jennings Written by: Garth Jennings Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Tori Kelly, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Scarlett Johansson Koala impresario Buster Moon (McConaughey) decides to save his ailing theatre with a singing competition. Most of the humour comes from cute critters singing occasionally inappropriate songs; the plot is spread far too thin and there no real surprises, but it ticks the usual boxes.