Advantages: Stunningly crafted work of literature
Disadvantages: Guaranteed to keep you up all night.

...Having enjoyed the film immensely, it surprised me that I had taken so long in actually getting round to read the book. But, read the book I did and I am thankful that I took the time. The Silence of the Lambs is outstanding fiction of the first degree, offering the reader a fantastically unparalleled view of a serial killer who is as dangerous with his mind as he is with his hands (or mouth, or any object he can get his hands on), a killer who is simply dangerous (with an obsession for large women), a rookie FBI cadet who is way out of her league and has skeletons in her closet, and an FBI head who is close to despair. Somewhere in this maelstrom of characters, there is a serial killer on the loose and it is up to Clarice Starling to help apprehend him, with the help of serial killer genius Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. It never... Read review

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Advantages: The best of both worlds, intrigue and combat
Disadvantages: This is not an action film. Some that expect this will be dissapointed.

...Rome is a lavish production on a scale arguably not seen since the days of pre-CGI. Tremendous effort has been made to ensure authenticity in period costume and architectural design all the way down to graffiti on the walls! The 12 hourly episodes that comprise the first series revolve around Julius Ceasar's crossing of the rubicon, defeat of Pompey and subsequent rise to absolute power. All these events happen within a maelstrom of ruthless political manoevering, not only within the senate but also between the women that sit in the shadows behind the overt powers. Although there is not a weak performance from any of the regular cast, Polly Walker in particular deserves mention for her portrayal of Atia of the Julii. Rome has an almost exclusively British cast, and what a cast it is too. Ciarán Hinds (Munich) as Caesar, James Purefoy... Read review

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Advantages: Almost flawless voacls and musicianship
Disadvantages: Grown-up music lovers only

...title track is absolute class, a cynical tale of a 'kept woman' who's given everything but love by her rich svengali husband in her 'ranch house on the hill'. The basslines here are sublime, and the refrain a dark, swirling maelstrom which echoes the woman's inner turmoil and loneliness. Other tracks are equally accomplished, exploring familiar Joni territory of the joy/sorrow of love, unfulfilled dreams, struggle, art and human complexity. Lyrics range from the heart-wrenchingly accurate to the day-to-day minutae of life to the perplexingly obscure. As a whole the tracks gel seamlessly, providing an album of technical near-perfection and lyrical truth.... Read review

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Advantages: well written, believable
Disadvantages: very graphically violent and sexual

...This book had a profound effect on myself and my housemates at the time of reading. Quite simply the book is about the spiralling decent of a (semi) normal guy into violent madness. Seen through the eyes of it's protagonist, we start the book learning about a somewhat repulsive individual (a 'master of the universe' for all you Tom Woolfe fans out there) - A man who makes a lot of money, and inhabits a maelstrom of fine living and fast women. He is one of the brokers of money and power spewed out by the Reagan administration of the U.S.A. in the 80's. This man although privileged is a total animal, treating everyone around him as sub-human - objects to be used and discarded. Nowhere is this clearer than in his use of, and attitude to prostitutes. Soon enough the mental strain and pressure in his life become too much, and he... Read review

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Advantages: Supreme Electro Thrash
Disadvantages: Too short

...on the edge of chaos, but Mr Reznor manages to keep the whole thing in check perfectly balancing noise and structure. What follows next is as equally bewildering the slow spacey Goth/Cowboy twang of Help me I am in hell , calming the battered senses. Again this leads one in a short beguiling calm before all of heaven and hell is let loose. The track which kicks off this descent into the sonic maelstrom is Happiness in Slavery , the closest Nine Inch Nails have come to delivered straight up hard beat dance floor action. A storming assault on the feet as well as the mind. The album is ended (or is it ?) by a return to electro thrash of Gave up, Trent's vocals so heavily distorted at the beginning it sounds like he is sinking into quicksand. You think it's all over but at the end (or on a separate 7" on Vinyl) there are two extra tracks, both... Read review

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Advantages: Wacky humour from talented wacky man
Disadvantages: Sadly, most of it has now gone!

...This is a total rewrite of one of my earliest ops, brought on mainly by the fact that the URL has changed, and that ‘Eyebrow Central’ was taken off by Geocities for reason its creator ‘Raybid’ Russ cannot really fathom! The new URL is http://www.rabid.oneuk.com/eyebrow.html So, here we will find what remains of this weird and wonderful website, so stop by, if you will, the maelstrom of mirth that is Eyebrow Central. This website is one of the most wackiest and inventive sites you are ever likely to come across. It is the brainchild of our very own Ciao member Raybid and it is filled with slapstick in the Monty Python vein and zaniness that the creators of Mad would be proud of. Viewers will witness a torrent of torturous tomfoolery, and wear a constant grin as they gorge on features such as 'The Eyebrow Parade... Read review

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Advantages: Intimate, Supportive, Relaxed, exciting.
Disadvantages: Can be isolated. No superclubs. Two non league football teams.

...I am firmly of the opinion that University life is at least as much social as educational. This especially applies to your first year where you are thrust into a teeming maelstrom of nervous youths and have to use your own personal qualities to keep your head above water. Basically you get out of University exactly what you put in and Lancaster is no different. Sure you could choose to keep your head down, go home every weekend to see your friends and in three years time stride out with a respectable degree from a high class institution. Alternatively you could use the structures already in place through the thriving college system and really widen your horizons through an independent, adventurous and above all enjoyable approach to the experience. Lancaster is a community where the opportunities are limitless. Represent your... Read review

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Advantages: Superb writing, great acting, wonderful characterisation, Victor Meldrew!
Disadvantages: None

...back garden to liberating the people of an old folk's home, and it is these bizarre occurrences and of course Meldrew's comic responses and ramblings that make this series one of the best. The six episodes from series 4 on this DVD are: The Pit And The Pendulum: Victor has gardening troubles, and blames them on his neighbour. Descent Into The Maelstrom: Despite suffering a breakdown, Margaret is desperate the get away from the moaning Victor. Hearts Of Darkness: Victor attempts to liberate the people of an old folk's home. Warm Champagne: While Margaret is seeing another man, Victor is unwittingly sleeping with another woman. The Trial: As he is on call for jury service, Victor gets frightfully bored. Secret Of The Seven Sorcerers: Victor's neighbour is wary about visiting the Meldrews' house. As well as the above episodes being... Read review

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Advantages: Unusual film as it deals with the Soviet Unions role in WW2. Well researched period uniforms and vehicles
Disadvantages: The necessity to include the love triangle to pull in audiences

...Zaitsev meets Danilov maintains a similar quality. It also shows the brutality with which Stalin and the political officers treated the raw troops that were being flung into the maelstrom called Stalingrad. Did I enjoy this film? The answer is a simple yes. Although there was the classic love triangle between Danilov, Zeitsev and Tania, a female sniper who is played by Rachel Weisz which I found totally uninspiring the story itself makes it a film worth watching. It is competently played out by all three but is merely something inserted to make the film more palatable to the majority of the audience. The resignation on the face of Harris’ character is a marvel of acting ability. Definitely one to watch.... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent Story, Great Production Design, Fiennes' Shiny Suit and ties
Disadvantages: Very very slightly too long

...with a conscience and a hangover’ bit has been redone countless times since Ridley Scott’s magnum opus. The support cast includes Tom Sizemore (nice hair,) and the increasingly popular Vincent D’Onofrio; (he was the psycho in The Cell, and the star turn of the first half of Full Metal Jacket,) and the excellent Angela Bassett (Tina Turner to most of you,) all of whom whirl around Fiennes to great effect in an escalating maelstrom of paranoia and murder. It is they, of course, who add depth to the politcial and social dimensions of the story. All in all, a nice twist on the old redemption tale, as the new millenium washes away the sins of the old. Plus, those PJ Harvey numbers really rock.... Read review

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