‘For Your Eyes Only’ – An ageing Bond set to a disco beat!

April 17, 2025April 18, 2025seancarslake Leave a comment

My latest James Bond review takes me back to 1981, and to revisit a film that I had not seen in years – around thirty years in fact. I will be honest, ‘For Your Eyes Only’ was a movie that I could never get into when I was younger, so it will be interesting to see if I still think it’s crap, or if it manages to rise dramatically up the ranks.

‘For Your Eyes Only’ followed on from 1979’s far-fetched ‘Moonraker’, and promised a return to a more classic, grounded Bond adventure. Instead of space shuttles and laser guns, we now have a plot involving lost military equipment, with Greek smugglers and the good old KGB thrown into the mix.

I think what initially put me off this film was the age of Roger Moore, who was really starting to wrinkle up. He was becoming less-believable as the suave secret agent – and what was more ridiculous were all the women half his age falling all over him. Moore was getting by purely on charisma and charm at this stage – as well as huge box office takings – and would actually go on to make two more Bond films after this.

If you compare the screenshots above – taken four years apart – one could argue that Moore was already showing his age in 1977’s ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. He was around fifty then, which meant that he was aged fifty-three during the filming of ‘For Your Eyes Only’.

My other criticism of this movie would be the musical score, which was arranged by the legendary Bill Conti. The disco beats are so out of place at times, and they even ‘funk up’ the Bond theme itself, which I think dates the film instantly. Conti’s score is very similar to some of his work in ‘Rocky III’ – particularly the training scenes – and it doesn’t work in a Bond movie.

However, the theme song by Sheena Easton is a different story altogether. This would have to be one of the best Bond tunes of all time, and so popular was Easton during the early 1980’s that she actually appears in the opening sequence – the only singer ever to do so.

‘For Your Eyes Only’ was directed by John Glen – in his feature film debut – and would be the first of five consecutive Bond movies where he was at the helm. The screenplay was written by Bond stalwarts Richard Maibaum and Michael G Wilson, with Albert R Broccoli producing.

The film starts with an opening sequence featuring some impressive helicopter stunt-work and the implied return of an old Bond villain, although his name is never mentioned. As great as this scene is, I still can’t get my head around the ‘delicatessen in stainless steel’ line. I can only assume it was intended to be a joke, for I have no idea what it means.

The locations in this film are superb, and the story moves between Spain, Cortina in Italy, and then onto the Greek Isles before the exciting finale at a mountain top monastery. Each setting features some incredible action sequences, with car chases, ski pursuits, underwater fights and insane rock-climbing all brilliantly brought to the big screen.

The cast supporting Roger Moore is solid. Carole Bouquet plays Melina Havelock, the love-interest who knows how to handle a crossbow. Topol and Julian Glover star as rival Greek smugglers Columbo and Kristatos respectively.

What gives this film added depth are the handful of secondary villains – or henchmen – who are quite ruthless and nasty, so a lot of credit must go to these actors, one of whom was Charles Dance in one of his earliest roles. In fact, the performances of Dance, John Wyman and Michael Gothard are simply superb, even though their characters have little to no dialogue.

This film would also serve as a changing-of-the-guard for the character of ‘M’, with Bernard Lee – who had been in the role since ‘Dr No’ – passing away in 1981. For this movie, the boss of MI6 was Chief-of-Staff Bill Tanner (James Villiers), and ‘M’ would be reintroduced in the following movie ‘Octopussy’, where he was played by Robert Brown.

Moving onto the structure of the movie itself, the pacing and plot of this feature are brilliantly executed, and the direction of Glen – as well as the editing – brings everything together neatly. It must be said that there is a ton of action in this film – with chases and fights coming at almost every turn. The stunts on show here are second-to-none, with no CGI back in those days, so what you are seeing is real – except for the green-screen action close-ups of Roger Moore.

Of particular note are the underwater scenes, for they were outstanding and pretty much had everything – from submarines, to shipwrecks, to submerged temples and man-eating sharks. There was some incredible cinematography here, even by today’s standards.

It wouldn’t be a Bond movie without a few laughs thrown in, or at least attempted-laughs as is the case here. I felt that the gags were a little off in this film – or perhaps they are just dated – from odd lines such as the delicatessen remark to overacted and goofy near-misses.

The one moment that I found genuinely funny is when Bibi – a teenage ice-skater with a crush on James Bond – sneaks into his hotel room and throws herself at him. Of course, nothing happens but Bond’s throwaway line about ‘buying her an ice cream’ is priceless!

At the other end of the scale, the Margaret Thatcher spoof is ridiculous, although it probably got a few laughs back in the day. Let’s just say this scene hasn’t aged well.

But despite the hit-and-miss humour, ‘For Your Eyes Only’ gets top marks for its explosive sequences, stunning locations, exceptional villains and brilliant direction and cinematography. However, the bizarre-at-times disco/funk score, combined with a lead actor that was too old for the role, does take a little shine off what is otherwise an excellent movie.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like Roger Moore as Bond. However, there is no denying that he was showing his age in this movie.

So, after watching ‘For Your Eyes Only’ again for the first time in more than thirty years, my opinion of this film has risen considerably. It is nowhere near my favourite Bond outing, but it no longer resides in the same sphere as ‘Die Another Day’ or ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ – or dare I say it – ‘No Time To Die’.

This movie had thrills and high-octane stunts aplenty, and was able to seamlessly move from one location to the next without skipping a beat. Roger Moore is a top leading man, although I stand by my comments about his age, and the supporting cast deliver great performances in this film. The underwater scenes are amazing, the bad guys will get under your skin, and if you love disco music then you will enjoy the soundtrack as well.

I don’t like disco so much, but ‘For Your Eyes Only’ gets a solid 7.5 out of 10 from me.

Screenshots courtesy of Eon Productions.

The new season of Black Mirror – a spoiler-free review.

April 14, 2025seancarslake Leave a comment

The seventh season of the highly-acclaimed science fiction/horror anthology dropped on Netflix last week, but is it better than the last release or does the show continue its slide into fluffier, more lightweight material?

As the season came out only a few days ago, I will make sure that there are no spoilers here. However, I can say that the creators have hedged their bets a little, and by giving us six episodes instead of four or five has ensured that there is something for everyone – not to mention tick the necessary boxes for a Netflix production.

I will explain this in a little more detail during my episode-by-episode breakdown.

The season kicks off with ‘Common People’ which is reminiscent of some of the earlier Black Mirror episodes – which is a good thing. The characters are well-written and the acting is on point, with solid performances from Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross and Chris O’Dowd.

Without giving anything away, the story revolves around a couple who are forced into a contract with a ‘pharmaceutical tech’ company called Rivermind. This episode packs an emotional punch and I would rate it 9/10.

The second installment in the series is titled ‘Bete Noire’ and almost immediately one can feel the pressure and intensity drop after the season’s strong opening.

This drama takes place in the R&D department of a confectionery company, where Maria – a respected team leader – becomes unnerved after the appointment of Verity; a former schoolmate with a questionable past.

It’s a psychological piece with the added Black Mirror trademark of technological terror, and in truth it’s not a bad effort – but falls short with the characters and their motives in my view. It is definitely weaker than the preceding episode on almost every level, but is quite watchable – and therefore I would rate it 5/10.

The third episode called ‘Hotel Reverie’ is an interesting one, with some cool concepts that question the modern issues of AI and deep-faking. However, I sense that this is the token ‘woke story’ that Netflix would have pushed for, and in my view was the least-enjoyable of the season. I don’t think I am being unreasonable in saying this was the weakest link in the series.

This episode is about a tech company called ReDream who are re-shooting an old British movie using their specialised AI programs. Again, I don’t want to spoil anything, but the issues of Hollywood gender-switching and race-swapping leading roles for remade films is obvious here. If this was supposed to be satirical, then I guess I may have missed the point by giving this a low score – but I didn’t feel that vibe. I also couldn’t help but sense this story was trying to emulate ‘San Junipero’ from season three – which was a great entry, unlike this one – so I give it a lower pass with 4/10.

After a two-episode sag, Black Mirror bounces back strongly with the fourth story – the disturbing digital nightmare that is ‘Plaything’.

Starring former Doctor Who Peter Capaldi as computer geek Cameron Walker, this story is focused on an early 1990’s video game featuring sentient digital lifeforms called Thronglets. I believe this episode is connected to ‘Bandersnatch’ – with the character of Colin Ritman, played by Will Poulter returning to the Black Mirror-verse. I promised no spoilers, so I won’t say any more.

This is a straightforward – albeit troubling – tale by Black Mirror standards, but is nonetheless a solid entry into the series. With great performances by Capaldi and Poulter, as well as from Lewis Gribben who plays the younger version of Walker, I would rate this story easily above the previous two episodes but not quite as high as the first one – 8/10.

‘Eulogy’ is the fifth episode of the season, and explores – through intrusive technology – the ideas of long-lost love and emotional redemption, something that this franchise has always done rather well.

We have another well-established actor here in the lead role, with Paul Giamatti playing Phillip – an elderly loner who suddenly comes face-to-face with painful memories of losing the love of his life decades earlier. I would argue that Giamatti’s performance is a master-class; up there with the best of his career and certainly award-worthy.

In brief – and without going into too much detail – this tale is about an old man who is encouraged to use a new technology that immerses him within his old photographs, naturally stimulating memories long thought lost. Through these revelations, the story unfolds before our eyes, and does so with plenty of emotion and gravitas – 9/10!

And for the sixth and final episode, the show-runners have provided a real treat: – a movie-length sequel to the season four classic ‘USS Callister’.

I won’t say much about this story, other than how much fun it was – and to insist that watching the original ‘USS Callister’ episode is essential before checking this out.

The cast from eight years ago return to reprise their roles, with Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti and Jimmi Simpson playing the main characters. To be honest, I don’t think this continuation of the story is as good as the original chapter, but it was an entertaining way to end this season of Black Mirror – and it gets an 8/10.

Rating the episodes in order of quality – according to me – would have ‘Eulogy’ on top with ‘Common People’ just behind it in second place. The nostalgia factor puts ‘USS Callister – Into Infinity’ as my third-best pick, with the solid ‘Plaything’ settling for fourth spot.

Then we have a little bit of daylight before fifth-placed ‘Bete Noire’ comes into play, followed by ‘Hotel Reverie’ crossing the finish line dead last. Again, the reason these two episodes are adrift of the pack is because I did not find them very engaging and were a bit of a struggle to watch, if I’m being honest.

On the whole, I think this is a better collection of stories than season six – where I rated the five episodes as two being good, one being average and two being sub-par. Here we have six episodes – two of which I considered to be excellent, two were very good and the remaining two received average scores. Therefore, I would give this season of Black Mirror an overall mark of 7.5/10.

I apologise for not giving specific examples when being critical of the plot or production of some episodes, but keeping this article spoiler-free was my main priority. There was simply no way I could explain any of my critiques without revealing important elements of the story and ruining the viewing experience for those yet to watch the show.

All seven seasons of Black Mirror are currently streaming on Netflix.

All screenshots courtesy of Netflix.

Wat Saket – Bangkok’s Golden Mount.

April 9, 2025April 10, 2025seancarslake Leave a comment

Wat Saket – or ‘The Golden Mount’ – is a little out-of-the-way from the regular tourist routes in Bangkok. There are no train stations nearby, so to get there it’s either a half-hour walk from the Grand Palace precinct, or a short tuk-tuk ride – whichever you prefer.

I was in Thailand back in January and made the decision to visit this place – doing so on foot via a conveniently-placed McDonald’s on the way – and it was certainly worth the effort.

There was a small entrance charge (for foreigners) of one-hundred Thai Baht, or around five dollars Australian. It’s no big deal as not only is the spectacle worth the price of entry, but the money is contributing to a good cause. I should also point out that most of the major temples around Bangkok sting tourists a similar admission fee.

The only way to the top is via a winding staircase that makes its way past misty waterfalls, and then onto a number of different landings. The first level features a large gong and an arrangement of bells, before the steps continue upward toward the temple itself.

Situated at the end of the steep uphill slog is the entrance and ground floor of the temple, featuring an assortment of statues, artwork and other religious symbols. There is plenty to look at here, but the real attraction is waiting for you beyond the next flight of stairs. Of course, I’m talking about the spectacular rooftop.

Wat Saket was built atop the only hill in Bangkok, and as a result the panoramic view of the city is impressive. There’s usually a bit of smog about, but the river, modern skyline and surrounding temples and palaces can all be seen clearly.

But amidst the constant chanting of the monks, golden statues and breathtaking views, I did observe a few quirky and unusual things about this place – see below for some examples.

These modern wonders stood inside the temple and were only a few feet away from some sacred shrines and ancient displays – quite the juxtaposition. To be honest, I think it’s a great fundraiser for the monks to sell ice-cold drinks, as many tourists would be thirsty after walking up to the summit in the heat and humidity. Open the fridge door, grab your icy beverage, and pay the old man in robes sitting at the counter. It’s a little unusual, but I’m all for it!

Near the base of the hill is a rather morbid depiction of vultures eating dead bodies. The birds are pecking away at victims of the many Cholera outbreaks that Bangkok suffered throughout the nineteenth century. Apparently, thousands of people were cremated at Wat Saket during these times, but it was impossible to keep up with demand, so corpses would begin to pile up everywhere. Of course, this is where the vultures enter the story – as seen in the display.

Next to the gruesome vulture statues is a small white pagoda, and within is something known as ‘Buddha’s footprint’. I had never seen anything like this before, and it was fascinating to learn that it is of great spiritual significance.

I was intrigued by this sign outside the temple, for although the instructions are clear, a lot of people ended up taking off their shoes. Could it be that the colour should have been green instead of red? I think this is what tricked most folks.

Wat Saket is a great place to visit when in Bangkok, especially as a ‘side mission’ away from the hectic crowds around the popular tourist hot spots. I did take some video footage while I was there and uploaded it to YouTube. It didn’t get anywhere near as many views as some of my other Thailand clips, but I’ll put the link below anyway.

Tomb Raider II – Venice remastered.

April 6, 2025seancarslake Leave a comment

True fans of the original Tomb Raider games on PS1 would have already played through the remastered versions that came out last year, so I admit that this report is considerably behind the times.

However, I like to take things slowly when playing and often pause the action to capture screenshots of the new and improved game, and then create a side-by-side comparison with the original title from twenty-five years ago.

All excuses aside, here are my best captures from Venice; arguably the most iconic location featured across the entire Tomb Raider series. I have chosen shots where the differences between the new and old versions are at their most obvious.

Within each screenshot, the 2024 remastered version is featured above, while the original 1997 game is shown below.

Outside the entrance to Bartoli’s Hideout.

Exploring a mansion. (Note the difference in lighting.)

An outside courtyard, complete with lemon trees.

The tricky chandelier puzzle room.

Climbable bookshelf and escape window. See how the lighting issues in the newer version of the game persist?

The domed roof of the opera house.

Interior shot of the opera house. Note the addition of a chandelier in the updated game.

I love the wooden paneling, and the ornamental light is a nice touch.

And finally, the seaplane in which Lara escapes on. The artwork on the side of the aircraft (possibly inspired by Jane Fonda as Barbarella) is improved out-of-sight in the remastered version.

Following on from the comparison shots, below is a collection of single snaps from the Venice chapters of Tomb Raider II; pictures that I feel capture the essence of the game and highlight the excellent work that went into upgrading the graphics.

This is a great shot, and the late afternoon sky looks amazing.

Jumping from chandelier to chandelier in Marco Bartoli’s hideout.

The opera house – with maze-like balconies and villains aplenty.

Taking a speedboat ride through the canals.

And last but not least, a snapshot of some swinging crates. How or why they are able to sway perpetually and with such force is never explained. It may defy science, but it looks good!

Overall, the Venice levels in Tomb Raider II were enjoyable to play, and featured a mixture of breathtaking yet bizarre locations. The bad guys were tough – as were their attack dogs – and for a while there I had to survive on half a health bar and no medipacks. But as the levels progressed there were plenty of pickups available and I managed to pass the test without too many difficulties.

I’m still working my way through the game, but am struggling a bit with the catacombs level in Tibet. I have taken a ton of screenshots though, so I might share my thoughts on the underwater chapters or the initial Tibetan stages at a later date.

Artwork and screenshots courtesy of Core Design and Aspyr.

Coles self-serve checkouts – A coin collector’s dream.

April 1, 2025April 2, 2025seancarslake Leave a comment

There are all sorts of coins – both circulated and non-circulated – being spat out of the self-serve cash registers at Coles these days.

I’ve collected quite a number over the past six months, and there has been a sharp increase over the last week or two – which has prompted me to write this report. I keep finding one-dollar coins belonging to collections, forty-year-old coins shining in near-mint condition, and foreign coins being passed off as Australian currency.

Whenever I find a collectible coin from the auto-checkouts, I place it inside a plastic zip bag before sorting it into an album. The above photo shows around four to five months worth.

I photographed some of the more interesting coins that have come into my possession through these self-serve registers, and they are presented below.

These two are from the ‘Aussie Big Things’ collection from 2023 – and feature The Big Banana at Coffs Harbour and The Giant Murray Cod at Swan Hill ($1 coins).

Two AFL coins from 2024 featuring both men’s and women’s competitions; specifically the medals awarded for Player of the Season ($1 coins).

‘A-Z of Australian Things’ collection. These coins are from different series – with the ‘W for Weet-Bix’ from 2019 and ‘O for Opal’ being released in 2022 ($1 coins).

I come across a lot of these dinosaur coins, but I am yet to find the missing one to complete the set. The series of four was released in 2022 ($1 coins).

This one-dollar coin is also part of a set – I think of four – that was released in 2023.

It also pays to check your silver lower-denominations as well, as this is a 2018 uncirculated twenty-cent coin commemorating the ANZAC one-hundred year anniversary.

All of the above coins were not put into circulation, and could only be purchased from either the Royal Australian Mint, the post office or a coin dealer. However, they are legal tender and can be used for shopping; and evidently this is what’s happening.

For those observant enough to see no monetary value on some of these designs, I can inform you that the amount of ‘one dollar’ appears on their reverse sides. Therefore these are coins, and not ’rounds’.

Now onto some more common – but still collectible – items that I have found.

This is a one dollar coin that was released into circulation back in 2019. It was part of a set of three with different mint marks – ‘A’, ‘U’, and ‘S’ – and was created as a competition or challenge to collect each coin and win prizes from the mint.

This is from the 2001 Centenary of Federation collection. I am finding a lot of these in really good condition, and they are worth keeping an eye out for, as there are different coins – nine altogether – for every state and territory.

This is a New Zealand fifty-cent coin, and is the same size as our ten cent piece. I suppose if anyone wants to trick the self-serve machine into thinking this is an Aussie coin, then fair enough – however its true value would be around forty-five cents.

Here is another foreign coin being used as ten Australian cents, with this one originating from the UAE, as you can clearly see from the markings. I suppose it makes sense that people are using overseas coins, as more often than not they would be worth less than the local currency (unless you’re a Kiwi handing over forty-five cents instead of ten).

In summary, if you are a coin enthusiast it does pay to check the change you are given – especially with what these auto-machines have been dispensing lately.

Therefore, I suspect that there are a lot of hidden treasures inside these checkout machines – at both Coles and Woolworths. With only two or three cash checkouts in each supermarket, the odds of finding a collectible coin are reasonable, but you better be quick before they go 100% cashless!

‘Empire of the Dark’ is pure B-Grade genius!

March 28, 2025March 29, 2025seancarslake Leave a comment

An out-of-shape middle-aged leading man takes on sword-wielding Satanic priests, demons, gun-toting villains and more in this 1991 horror/action thriller!

Written, directed by and starring Steve Barkett (who sadly passed away in 2023), this feature has all the hallmarks of a vanity project – re Neil Breen or John De Hart – but turns out to be a pretty solid flick. One simply needs to see beyond the flaws of this ambitious low-budget film to be able to enjoy the spectacle that it truly is.

Barkett stars as Richard Flynn, who while working as a cop, enters through a portal into Hell to rescue his ex-girlfriend’s baby son before he is sacrificed by devil worshippers. The film then skips twenty years to when Flynn is now a private eye, and is forced to battle the evil acolytes of Satan once again!

Barkett clearly considers himself to be an action man, and his screenplay and direction suggests as much, as he is constantly killing bad guys and romancing women way out of his league. However, he delivers a lot of tongue-in-cheek comments and one-liners, hinting that he is aware of his physical shortcomings, and decides to run with it anyway. What this does is bring a lot of charm and character to the film, and you end up really liking the guy and cheering him on.

The soundtrack to this movie – from composer John Morgan – is quite good, from the opening theme to the catchy incidental music featured throughout the film. I have watched bigger – and supposedly better – productions whose musical scores were nowhere near as memorable as this effort.

The special effects were decent in places, especially the modelling of the hellish caves and wooden bridges and platforms within the underground labyrinth. However, the stop-start animation that brought the main demon to life was a bit ‘how ya going’, as we say in Australia. Perhaps ‘questionable’ might be a more widely-recognised term, but you can appreciate what the film-makers were trying to do.

As far as action goes, ‘Empire of the Dark’ delivers the goods. There is an endless supply of hooded evil disciples trying to kill our hero, who fights them all off with either a gun or a sword, while less-than-gracefully executing moves that are awkward and sluggish yet somehow appear on screen as poetry in slow-motion. It’s comedy through and through, and Steve Barkett is right on point here; really hamming things up and breaking the fourth wall on at least one occasion.

‘Empire of the Dark’ has a 4.8 rating out of 10 at IMDB, and I think this is just about right. This is not a great movie, especially with the poor acting and ridiculous plot, but nor is it a complete dud. This film is watchable and quite entertaining, and as mentioned earlier it has a certain charm – or affability – that gets it across the line.

It’s a solid 3 out of 5 from me. Yes, it’s a ‘bad’ movie but it’s one you can laugh along with. I also think it’s a shame we didn’t see Steve Barkett in more mainstream movies over the years.

There was an episode of ‘So Bad It’s Good’ on YouTube a few years back, where they reviewed this movie and seemingly enjoyed it as well. It’s worth watching, so I’ve added the link below.

But if you are feeling a little more adventurous, the entire film is also available on YouTube. I’m not sure if the link will work due to age restrictions, but it is provided below – courtesy of Jacohsc Films YouTube Channel.

Screenshots courtesy of the Nautilus Film Company.

The Blind Date Ball

March 24, 2025seancarslake 2 Comments

My latest offering should be available on Kindle Unlimited in June.

This will be my ninth book – tenth if you count ‘Lockdown Driver Wanted’ – and is the first direct sequel that I have written, as it follows on from the events of ‘Nine Mile Beach’.

The story revolves around two young men – who have been friends since childhood – and the vastly different turns their lives take after becoming involved in a match-making social event.

Of course, there is a lot more to it than that, but I can’t give too much away. What I can say is that the title was almost going to be ‘The Blind Date Ball: A Misogynist’s Tale’ – so that might suggest something about one of the main characters in the book. I’m still 50/50 on whether or not I should still use that additional line.

Currently I am in the final stages of editing, having completed the previous draft back in October last year, and in all honesty it’s looking pretty good at this stage.

I’m old and slow, but I finished ‘Tomb Raider Remastered’.

March 14, 2025March 14, 2025seancarslake Leave a comment

The reflexes were not what they once were, and my hand-eye coordination has seen better days, but none of these issues prevented me from conquering this game.

I don’t have a lot of spare time on my hands, so it took me a few months – and countless short gaming sessions – to get the job done. In fact, so slow was I that the next trilogy (Tomb Raider 4-6) was released at around the same time I wrapped up this game.

But despite dragging things out, reliving ‘Tomb Raider’ was an enjoyable experience, except for the last three levels – but I will go into more detail about that later. I find this interesting as I don’t recall feeling this way during my initial playthroughs back in the late 90’s, but this time around just getting through those final areas was a real slog.

It’s probably just age catching up with me.

A quick recap: The game starts off in Peru with a level called ‘The Caves’, which allows the player to get used to the controls without too many dangerous foes to deal with – except for bats and the odd wolf pack.

Following that, things get a little harder – with a battle against a T-Rex and a few rogue raptors being the highlight.

The Peru adventure concludes with Lara taking a piece of the mystical Scion at the end of the ‘Tomb of Qualopec’ level.

My overall thoughts are that the first four chapters looked good, and were fun to play without being too much of a challenge.

The Greece levels – starting with ‘St Francis’ Folly’ – is when the game’s difficulty goes up a notch. Lions, crocodiles and gorillas are dangerous enemies and attack in large numbers, while you have to constantly pull off death-defying climbing and jumping stunts.

Adding to the difficulty are the constant surprise attacks from rival explorer Pierre DuPont. This guy is a real jerk and pops up at the worst possible times, inflicting huge amounts of damage with his guns before running away once Lara gets the upper hand.

The French pest appears across multiple levels until finally meeting his Waterloo at the end of the ‘Tomb of Tihocan’ level – right next to a pot plant, in my case.

As incredible as the Greece levels were, I think ‘Tomb Raider’ hits a peak once it reaches Egypt. There’s something far more alluring about exploring ancient Pyramids and seeing Sphinxes and hieroglyphics recreated so brilliantly in the remastered game.

However, whilst Egypt was a joy – the following levels were somewhat of a disappointment.

The lead-in to the finale starts off with ‘Natla’s Mines’; a stage that is both an eyesore and difficult, with a lot of jumping and climbing – not to mention searching and backtracking – with the only enemies being various henchmen popping up to shoot at Lara.

Then there is the ‘Atlantis’ level, that goes from looking like a hellish nightmare, to something resembling the inside of a stomach. The enemies are annoying as well, as they are fireball-shooting Atlantean beings that hatch from giant eggs – not good!

Then there is the infamous fleshy doppelganger, as well as the long-armed mutant torso Lara has to fight at the start of the final level – ‘The Great Pyramid’.

By this time the game had become frustrating and I was irritated by the off-putting surroundings and constant acrobatics needed in order to progress through.

However, as you can see in the above screenshots, I defeated the final boss (Natla) and scaled the seismic-shaking pyramid to make it to the very end. It was a struggle at times, with my age (fifty-something) being an issue with some of the trickier elements and tougher fights, so I shall keep that in mind when sharing my final thoughts and giving an overall score.

Despite the last three levels being less-than-inspiring, I still rate this game very highly. It was a ground-breaking release on PlayStation back in 1996, and a lot of that magic still rubs off on the 2024 PS5 version.

I cannot fault the work involved in improving the graphics and the overall aesthetics, but unfortunately I did have one minor gripe; and it was a problem that popped up constantly throughout the game.

It has been commonly reported that the remastered version of ‘Tomb Raider’ does have some lighting issues, and this was definitely a hangup for me as well. It was hard to find keys or other pickups, and sometimes it was so gloomy that even boulders of red-hot lava could not be seen until they were right on top of you.

If you check out the split screenshot above, it is clear that the boulder trap is near-impossible to detect in the new version (top), whereas in the original game (bottom) you can spot the danger from a country mile away. See what I mean?

Anyway, besides this, I have nothing but praise for the game and would give it a solid eight out of ten – with some of the Greece and Egypt levels receiving perfect scores.

On a final note, I was looking forward to playing the ‘Unfinished Business’ bonus levels, and even made it past the first stage – ‘Atlantean Stronghold’.

Now, very rarely will you hear about an Aussie quitting, but I simply couldn’t take any more of Atlantis. This level was everything I despised – the mutants, the eggs, the lava, the fleshy corridors – but this time around it was on steroids!

So, I shall now move on to ‘Tomb Raider II’ – and will try and pick up my pace and defeat it as quickly as possible.

Is this the greatest YouTube channel ever?

March 3, 2025seancarslake Leave a comment

Drain Cleaning Australia – yes, that’s right! As crazy as it sounds, this channel features some of the most addictive content I have ever come across, and all brought to you by a plumber based in Perth, Western Australia.

The premise is quite simple; the host gets called out to unblock drains, pipes, and grease traps – and then films everything while offering an entertaining and uniquely Australian commentary. I don’t know why this works, but it does – and very well indeed!

The plumber himself is a bit of a mystery man, as we never see his face nor learn the name of the business he owns. I could be wrong about this, but I have watched dozens of his videos and this appears to be the case. I think this dynamic works well for the channel.

What we do know is that his name is Bruce, and that he operates in Perth where he offers plumbing services to both the city and surrounding areas. We also learn very quickly indeed that Bruce is quite a character – a real entertainer to be sure!

How this man can film to such a high standard while battling difficult jobs is an achievement in itself, especially when you consider that most of his videos are created via his mobile phone – with additional footage provided by a drain camera.

Not only are the videos well-edited and presented, but the channel also provides a soundtrack of sorts – with 1980’s synth-electronic music pumping out whenever the action reaches a crescendo. The main beat sounds a little like Daft Punk, whilst another track regularly featured on the channel has a real Pet Shop Boys vibe about it.

These videos are highly informative and educational, as Bruce takes the time to explain the nature of how complex networks of pipes work and the direction in which the water is supposed to flow. Before long you will be talking about gullies and inspection points, and after that you will start noticing these places wherever you go – paying attention to things that were always there, and now knowing their purpose having watched this channel.

I can also assure you that after absorbing some of Bruce’s grease trap content, you will gain considerable knowledge about how these contraptions work.

The host also provides a great rundown of the equipment that he uses, and you quickly learn how and why – and under which circumstances he deploys them. In fact, after watching a couple of videos you might be able to start anticipating which tools Bruce is about to use – depending on what type of job he is facing.

For the most part, the weapon-of-choice is a high pressure jet hose – with a famous nozzle attached to the end that is known as ‘The German’.

I’m sure the owner won’t mind me giving his videos a plug, and I should mention that all the photos I have used were taken directly from his channel – Drain Cleaning Australia.

Look, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so if you are a little weak-stomached when it comes to built up grease and gunk – not to mention sewage – then perhaps you should give this channel a miss. But for those who have a curious streak and enjoy delving into subjects and situations foreign to them, then Drain Cleaning Australia could be for you.

Also consider that water usage is a big part of our everyday lives; we just don’t think about it a lot until something goes wrong – and when it does, plumbers become modern-day heroes. With that in mind, the host of this channel is incredibly highly-skilled at his job, and always gets the business done – leaving his viewers completely satisfied after every video.

Drain Cleaning Australia – 248,000 subscribers can’t be wrong, so check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/@DrainCleaningAUSTRALIA

All screenshots used are courtesy of Drain Cleaning Australia YouTube Channel.

‘The Living Daylights’ – An underrated Bond film.

February 25, 2025February 26, 2025seancarslake Leave a comment

Following Roger Moore’s final appearance as James Bond in 1985’s ‘A View To A Kill’, the search was on to find the next actor to play agent 007. After an extensive auditioning process, Eon Productions decided on Pierce Brosnan, but he was unable to take the role due to a contractual situation with the television show ‘Remington Steele’ and NBC.

With the producers back to square one, they turned to Timothy Dalton; an actor who had been on their radar since the 1970’s. Eventually they would get their man, and a new incarnation of James Bond was ready to grace our screens.

The promotional material for ‘The Living Daylights’ suggested that the Bond franchise was heading into darker territory, moving away from the lighter tones of the Roger Moore era. I particularly like the phrase “The most dangerous Bond. Ever.” and Dalton’s expression on the poster was certainly encouraging for Bond fans hoping for a more serious turn.

‘The Living Daylights’ starts off with an explosive chase scene in Gibraltar, confirming Dalton’s standing as a great action man and proving that he was up to the task. It was an impressive sequence that set the plot of the movie up nicely, whilst keeping a fast pace and delivering plenty of thrills.

The film’s story revolves around the defection of KGB superior Giorgi Koskov, who makes contact with British Intelligence and personally requests James Bond to oversee his extraction from Bratislava to London.

It all sounds like a lifetime ago, when the Iron Curtain and Eastern Bloc countries were still around (in that form), but this part of the movie is quite entertaining – as well as nostalgic – and the method used to help Koskov escape to the West is most ingenious.

Of course, things never go so easily in the world of espionage, and before the British have a chance to find out everything Koskov knows, he is snatched back by a KGB agent posing as a milkman – and armed with explosive milk bottles!

At this point we are thirty-five minutes in, and so far so good. However, from here onward the pace of the film does slow a little, but the steely performance of Dalton and well-executed action scenes are more than enough to propel things along.

From Czechoslovakia to Vienna and then onto Afghanistan (and also Tangier) for the third and final act, the movie progresses neatly within an ideal running time of just over two hours.

Timothy Dalton is supported by a decent cast in this film with Dutch actor Jeroen Krabbe as Koskov, John Rhys-Davies as General Pushkin, Joe Don Baker as arms dealer Brad Whittaker and Maryam D’Abo as Kara Milovy.

The movie’s soundtrack is also impressive, and would be the final Bond film for composer John Barry. The main theme by Norwegian band a-ha has a great eighties beat, and there are two songs performed by The Pretenders – one of which is the haunting and moody ‘If There Was A Man’, that is played during the end credits.

‘The Living Daylights’ opened to reasonable reviews in June 1987, and did very well at the box office – earning $190 million from a $40 million budget – and easily eclipsing the takings from the previous Bond film ‘A View to a Kill’ released two years earlier.

I always found this to be a gritty and mature entry into the Bond series, but the seriousness of Dalton’s performance did take a little adjusting to – especially after more than a decade of Roger Moore’s humour and tongue-in-cheek antics.

My only criticism of the film is that the plot does become a little complex and the main villains come across as lightweight, even comical at times. That being said, the plans of these bad guys are a lot more grounded and realistic compared to previous Bond foes who usually wanted to take over the entire world.

This is one of my favourite Bond films, and I have grown to appreciate it even more over the years. I think what has helped raise this movie’s wider appeal – as well as cast Dalton’s portrayal of Bond in a new light – would be the success of Daniel Craig and his similar approach to the role in recent years.