Bumbling Boris's Brill Book

Advantages: Funny, engaging and witty - the book and Boris!
Disadvantages: First half a little slow and repetitive

...Boris Johnson is not the first MP to write a novel but his is certainly the first I have been tempted to read (sorry Miss Widdecombe but the idea of you writing romantic fiction is quite stomach churning). To tell the truth, ?Seventy Two Virgins? was an impulse purchase on an occasion when I darted into the Oxfam bookstore to shelter from the rain. Although I have read and greatly enjoyed some of his political writings, I was initially unsure about Boris the novelist but after only a few pages I was hooked by his effortless and engaging style. The story covers just a few hours on a day that the American President is in London to address Parliament. As usual on overseas visits, the President has brought with him his own team of security experts and nothing has been left to chance. As the President and his wife begin the journey from...

fizzytom 09.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Seventy-Two Virgins - Boris Johnson

FREE DVDs

Advantages: Free trial, large choice, post included,new realeases
Disadvantages: see review

...I like movies and I like freebies, so when you get offered both in one swoop you?re bound to accept! I used my two week free trial with this company and remained with them for a couple of monthsbefore moving on to try many other companies free trials (and winning a new DVD player on Tesco DVD rental site on their free trial offer). I then had an email from DVDs 365 asking me to go back, and offering me a free DVD if I did so. I had just left Tesco (with my new DVD player) so I chose to go back with them. ∆◊◊ THE SERVICE THEY OFFER ∆◊◊ Basically it?s like going to a video shop and hiring films on DVD, except you don?t pay for each film you chose ? rather a monthly fee for which you can watch as many movies as you can fit in, for us this is usually around 8 a month (2 a week usually weekends...

dabmim 15.11.2004 · Read review
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Review of dvds365.com

Karloff is Gruesome!

Advantages: Karloff is magnificent
Disadvantages: Not enough tension and mystery

...of regular co-stars, his girlfriend Tess Trueheart and his partner Detective Pat Patton, who always helped and hindered him in his crook catching enterprise. Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome, made in 1947, gives us a new Tracy, Morgan Conway (star of the last two films) is replaced as out titular hero by Ralph Byrd, the actor who also played him in the 12 part movie serials that were made before the films. It also benefits from having a high quality guest star as the villain of the piece? Boris Karloff. Karloff plays Gruesome, an escaped convict who has plans to continue his criminal enterprises. This time though he has a distinct advantage, he has met up with an old friend and been introduced to a scientist who has come up with a fantastical invention, a gas that has a very peculiar effect on those who inhale or absorb it? it freezes them...

Ailran 13.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (DVD)

Boris's burial

Advantages: "I came like the wind...."
Disadvantages: "....like water I go."

..."You can often judge a man by his funeral." (Stephen, my younger son) Up until a couple of months ago, I would have been in no doubt as to what to do if I wanted some ideas about non-religious funerals. I would have consulted my cousin Boris. Boris was not only a rich source of ideas about everything, but had direct experience in this field. At one stage during his multi-faceted progress through life (you couldn?t use so conventional a word as career), the devising and organising of ?alternative? ceremonies had been part of his stock in trade. I still remember vividly the offbeat, original and outstandingly enjoyable wedding he arranged for his brother Neville, although that must have been some thirty years ago. Had he known he was going to die...

torr 17.06.2009 (10.07.2009) · Read review
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Review of Non-religious funerals

A final Wong for Karloff

Advantages: One of the best Mr Wong mysteries
Disadvantages: Black and white and very dated, if that kind of thing bothers you.

...Mr Wong was called San Francisco?s ?famous Chinese sleuth?. He first appeared in a series of novels written in the mid to late 1930?s by Hugh Wiley and appeared in a magazine called Colliers. They were popular enough amongst the magazines readers that it wasn?t too long before the character was taken up by Monogram, who were looking for the own oriental detective to put onto the movie screens. They wanted someone to compete with Mr Moto and, especially, Charlie Chan two popular screen detectives at the time. In the usual way of the time period they didn?t look for an oriental detective for the part instead picking on Boris Karloff. He soon agreed, seeing the intelligent and suave Chinaman as a promising part. Mr. Wong never had any official capacity in his crime solving endeavours, not even as a Private Detective, but was often asked...

Ailran 03.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Doomed To Die (DVD)

Surprising Picture Quality - Panasonic DVD-S54

Advantages: Incredible picture quality when compared to my old non-upscaling player with a scart lead
Disadvantages: Sometimes disc drive can be really noisy when DVD's initially load.

...At first I wasn't convinced by up-scaling DVD player technology but was persuaded after reading an article in "What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision" magazine. Unable to afford a Blu-Ray player my sister and I bought the Panasonic DVD-S54 to match our parents brand new Panasonic TX-32LZD80 LCD television as their Christmas 2008 present. Admittedly it was a slightly selfish purchase as we both live at home and wanted to watch DVDs on the big new TV ourselves! We bought the player from the electrical retailer Comet for about £100 just before Christmas so there were no discounts applied. On Christmas day when opened we found a relatively small box tightly packed with the player in polystyrene packaging. All the components such as cables, remote and manuals were well presented in their own protective plastic bags, to keep them protected. The player...

bobbacon985 12.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Panasonic DVD-S54

Interesting, very innovative album

Advantages: Upbeat feeling, replayability, originality, experimentation
Disadvantages: Some songs really are throwaway

...Boris are a Japanese drone/doom metal band formed in 1992. They've released at least 12 full length albums. THIS album however is very different from the other material that they have released. I suppose spiritually it could be compared to Earth's release "Pentastar: In the style of demons" which isn't quite the same but also is another more 'rock' oriented album from a drone doom act. For those who are unfamiliar with this type of music, I will explain what it commonly entails: Very down tuned, slow guitar riffs, minimalistic vocals, ambient synthesizers, and very little percussion. On the other hand, this album (for the most part) tends towards more experimental and upbeat styles, with thrash and stoner rock being apparent. Vocals are clean and somewhat high pitched, though not overdone. Strangely though, the first track is very...

ShadowCreator 29.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Pink - Boris

Look out for lots of Kissy,Kissy,Kissy!

Advantages: great story
Disadvantages: none

...Calm Down Boris is a children`s book by the author Sam Lloyd who has written other books like You`re not so scary Sid and Wendy the wide-mouthed frog, my son recieved this book as a christmas present. About the book The book is a hardback book which is ideal for the little ones as they can turn the pages without tearing them. There is a puppet which runs through the book it will fit an adults hand just pop your hand in the puppet and dont forget to put on your monster voice! The puppet is made out of a soft furry orange material , my son always says that Boris`s fur is very ticklish! On the front cover you will see a lovely picture of Boris who is very furry, large and has very long nails! The Story Boris is going to the park and right at the start of the story the reader is encouraged to interact...

lazytowner 03.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Calm Down Boris - Sam Lloyd

And on the third day....

Advantages: the cover is right it will haunt you
Disadvantages: none

...This is another book I recently read, in this case Messiah came as part of a twin pack with Boris Starling's most recent publication Visibility, having previously read Vodka I kept putting off the reading of these books since I hadnt been overly impressed by that one. Messiah as the title suggests involves a religious element but this is very much a background to the criminal investigation led by Red Metcalfe. Red and his team are investigating a pair of brutal murders, the victims both killed in different ways with their tongues cut out and a single silver spoon in their mouths in its place. The reasons behind this are unknown and the investigation flounders for months until the murderer strikes again. But this killer is moving in and out of the victims homes with apparent ease and leaving no clues behind. Running through...

scuba_angel 26.09.2007 · Read review
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Review of Messiah - Boris Starling

Wrestling with a Monster.

Advantages: It's a Detective Story
Disadvantages: It's not a page turner

...The Concise English Dictionary?s definition of Leviathan is a large monstrous Sea Creature. It certainly seemed like that when wrestling with this book by Boris Akunin. I finished Leviathan several weeks ago and have only just decided to review it, as I felt I had spent more than enough time on it already. I hate giving up on a book but I was very close to doing so on this one. I must however declare in advance that I am not an avid fan of detective fiction Leviathan is a detective story set on a giant liner in 1878. The usual closed environment with all the suspects together in the first class compartment of the ship. This is no doubt always happening to detectives but it seemed too contrived for my taste. The Plot Lord Littleby an English eccentric is murdered together with nine members of his staff in his house in Paris...

silver40 29.12.2004 · Read review
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Review of Leviathan - Boris Akunin