Matthew Beckett Reviews

For this week's film review I am doing a slightly different film, the Gothic romance Crimson Peak released in 2015. Directer by Guillermo Del Toro and starring Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver. Before I go further I will say that there will be spoilers, so if you intend to watch the film and don't like spoilers wait to see the film first. In Buffalo, New York, 1887, a young Edith Cushing,is visited by her mother's black, disfigured ghost who warns her, "Beware of Crimson Peak." In 1901 Edith (Mia Wasikowski), now a budding author meets Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) from England seeking investors for their clay-mining invention, Mr. Cushing (Jim Beaver) is unimpressed and refuses. When Edith becomes romantically involved with Thomas both her father and childhood friend Dr Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam) disapprove. Mr Cushing hires a private investigator who uncovers unsa...

This weeks album review has been chosen by my wife and she has chosen second album by American singer songwriter Brett Young called Ticket To L.A. released at the end of 2018. Being a country singer it is unsurprising he isn't massively popular outside of the US where this album peaked at number 15 following his debut album hitting number 18, it also charted in Canada peaking at number 38 after his debut peaked at number 26. The album has spawned one top 40 hit in the song Catch, it has so far peaked at number 29. Now you will know by now that I am a massive fan of country music, it is probably my favourite genre of music, so it shouldn't be surprising that I love Brett Young. He has a really unique and emotive voice that combines with his slightly pop inspired style of country to provide an all round easily listening album of music. Although I like the first song I heard from Brett it didn't grab my attention the same way that his second song In Case You Didn't Know di...

This week I am doing a book review and it is the seventh and final book in the Throne Of Glass series called Kingdom Of Ash. First thing to say is that this will contain spoilers, so if you have not read the book and plan to I suggest reading it first. This book leads on from Empire Of Storms and Tower Of Dawn bringing the characters and events together to conclude the epic series in a mammoth 980 page book with so much going on. This book does not introduce any new characters but rather focuses on the changes some of the characters experience in the lead up to the final battle. This book is told from the point of view of the most characters yet, we have Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius, Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius, Dorian Havilliard, Manon Blackbeak, Chaol and Yrene Westfall, Elide Lochan, Lorcan Salvaterre, Aedion Ashryver, Lysandra and Nesryn Faliq like in previous books we also gain Fenrys Moonbeam and Evangaline's points of view, that makes thirteen. Kingdom Of Ash opens...

This week I have decided to review American singer songwriter Lady GaGa's sixth album Chromatica, released a few weeks ago. This album furthered GaGa's success worldwide, it went to number 1 in the UK becoming her fifth number 1 album and her eighth top 10. In the US it became her sixth number 1 album in a row and her eighth top 10. In Australia it became GaGa's fourth number 1 album and seventh top 10 album. Chromatica went top 10 in twenty six other countries, of them it went to number 1 in fourteen. The album has also spawned three hit singles so far, in the UK all three have gone top 20 with two going top 5 one of which hit number 1 (there was also another top 40 entry upon the albums release). In the US all three singles went top 40 with two going top 5 and one  hitting number 1, while in Australia all three went top 10 with one hitting number 1. I have been a fan of Lady GaGa since day one, as soon as I heard Just Dance I knew there was something different and special...

This week's film review is another animated family film (we've been watching a lot as a family lately), this time the spy comedy Spies In Disguise released earlier this year. Directed by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno, staring the voices of Will Smith and Tom Holland, alongside Rashida Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Reba McEntire, Rachel Brosnahan, Karen Gillan, DJ Khaled, and Masi Oka in supporting roles. Before I go further I will say that there will be spoilers, so if you intend to watch the film and don't like spoilers wait to see the film first. Lance Sterling (Will Smith) a cocky secret agent of H.T.U.V. (Honour, Trust, Unity and Valour) is sent to recover an attack drone from an arms dealer in Japan, he is ordered to stand down when the buyer, cybernetically enhanced terrorist Killian (Ben Mendelsohn), arrives but breaks in anyway. Sterling defeats the arms dealers gang and escapes with the briefcase containing the drone. Back at headquarters he confronts young scientist Walter B...

Album review time and this week I have chosen the fifth and most recent album by American jazz singer songwriter Gregory Porter called Nat "King" Cole & Me, which is what it sounds like an album of songs by or inspired by the legend himself Nat "King" Cole. This album furthered Gregory's success making him one of the most commercially successful jazz singers since the 1960's. This album peaked at number 3 in the UK giving him a third top 10 album, in Australia it peaked at number 5 making a third top 40 album. Nat "King" Cole & Me also went top 40 in five other countries making it a third in four of them. When I first heard Gregory on BBC Radio 2, my mothers favourite radio station, I instantly loved his voice and style being a fan ever since and collecting several of his albums. His voice is so smooth, soulful, emotive and energetic adapting to each song incredible, whether he wrote it or not, making his voice so unique and reminiscent of ...

For this weeks film review I have chosen a kids film, the animated adventure comedy Storks released in 2016. The film was directed by Nicholas Stoller and Doug Sweetland and stars the voices of   Andy Samberg, Katie Crown, Kelsey Grammer, Anton Starkman, Jennifer Aniston, Ty Burrell, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Stephen Kramer Glickman, and Danny Trejo. Before I go further I will say that there will be spoilers, so if you intend to watch the film and don't like spoilers wait to see the film first. After generations of delivering babies to families all over the world one stork named Jasper (Danny Trejo) wanted to keep a baby for himself, he accidentally destroys her address beacon and gets exiled while the girl is adopted by the storks and named Tulip. The storks CEO Hunter (Kelsey Grammer) turns the company into a package delivery company instead. Eighteen years later Hunter assigns top delivery stork Junior (Andy Samberg) to fire Tulip (Katie Crown) as she is a burden on...