Under Jolly Roger - Running Wild

Advantages: Impeccable set and costume design.
Disadvantages: A lurid over-reliance on sex and gore.

...When Dorian Gray first arrives in London he is an innocent ripe for corruption. He is taken under the wing of decadent hedonist Lord Henry Wotton. Henry?s friend, the artist Basil Hallward paints a portrait of Dorian that captures him at the pinnacle of his youthful beauty. It is while gazing on the painting that Dorian trades his soul for eternal youth. As he descends into debauchery, the painting shows every mark of his corruption, while Dorian?s perfect beauty remains undiminished. As a result of his heinous acts, he flees the country, returning twenty-five years later, when he tries to seek redemption. There have been many screen adaptations of Oscar Wilde?s ?The Picture of Dorian Gray? over the years, but this isn?t likely to be one of the most memorable ones. This is because actor-turned-director Oliver Parker confuses sex... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful clear illustrations to help with identification
Disadvantages: Possibly now out of print

...There are, broadly two types of botantist. There?s the one that wants to identify the name of a plant, either to tick it off their list, or to know how many are still in existence and where they grow. The other type of botanist wants to know what a plant does. Wild Food is written from the latter standpoint. The wonderful photos that Roger Phillips uses in this book help to identify plants, fungi and seaweed quickly and safely so that we can get on with the business of ?doing?, i.e. eating or drinking them. The post-war generation of Europe has had little necessity and even little time to go gathering wild plants for food and medicine. In 1957 Prime Minister MacMillan said ?Most of our people have never had it so good?. How true this is with the development of largescale farming, imported food, improved packaging... Read review

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Advantages: The third cycle of Weller's career
Disadvantages: It's a far cry from The Jam and The Style Council...

...only a handful of months after the end of that sweet stuff they put on toast. Running in a new direction, and to Jam fans, a bitter pill to swallow, to Weller, the transition between the two had been purely natural. It is no wonder that the second transition from romantic, pop idol to hard spoken super stardom alone was just as free spirited. Accompanying himself with Steve White on drums and percussion, Marco Nelson on bass and allowing himself to take the lead on almost any other instrument left, Weller embarked on the deep, thought provoking music of his solo career. 'Wild Wood' was to be his second album of his official solitary journey into an unravelled direction. I guess I am not the only Jam/Style Council follower who was less than pleased at this lonesome news at the time of May 1991 when he released his first single under... Read review

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