Make no mistake, adapting video games for TV or movies is hard to do. With Fallout, the showrunner Jonathan Nolan has talked about how this show would not have been given the go-ahead without The Last Of Us being a success. But I’m glad it was, because Fallout is great. Having put many hours into playing the video game Fallout 4 I consider myself a fan of this world that gaming studio Bethesda have created. I’m a sucker for post-apocalyptic story settings in general.
(Side note: I tried to play Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 3 and just found them a little too dated in terms of gameplay. Some might say that doesn’t make me a true fan, but they’re wrong. Liking Fallout 4 still counts.)
My first impressions of this show were good. Like many fans, I breathed a sigh of relief. They got it. They understood the games. In particular, the tone… it’s sort of darkly comic. Dramatic at times and absurd at others. It can be a little hard to explain. Either way, like baby bear and the porridge, they got it just right. I also saw that tone mirrored, in particular, in the performance of Ella Purnell as Lucy, one of the vault dwellers.
She described her character as ‘Ned Flanders in the apocalypse‘, which perfectly suited the journey of Lucy as our way into the world; in that she starts naive and optimistic and wanting to see the good in people, but practically everyone and everything is trying to kill her (watch how the way she says okie dokie changes throughout this season. Be warned, spoilers).
The other co-lead, Walton Goggins as the Ghoul, was also superb, but for different reasons. In interviews he’s talked about watching Westerns, being inspired by Clint Eastwood, Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, Burt Reynolds, and the TV show Gunsmoke (1955-1975). You can clearly see these notes in his performance… which, by the way, I think will win him a bunch of TV awards come next awards season.
To round off my thoughts I guess I just wanted to make the point that this first season feels like a complete story. A lot of shows these days seem to just… end, in a rather abrupt way. Not cliffhangers, but more like a sudden ad break is about to kick in. It’s inelegant. Fallout, however, tells a complete story with a satisfying conclusion, but leaves enough threads hanging for a second season. It might seem obvious to praise them for that (in that this should be storytelling 101), but so many shows are not doing that these days. I feel it’s important to point out when someone does the basics well, because the basics are still hard to do.
I’ll give Fallout 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed it, and season 2 has been given the green light. I look forward to that.
Let’s be clear, all of the songs on Diamond City Radio (the station that plays during the video game, Fallout 4) are fantastic. And with the new Fallout TV show out now I thought I’d revisit some of my most listened to tracks. I’ve split them into favourites and honourable mentions.
My favourites…
Atom Bomb Baby (1957), by The Five Stars
I love how bouncy and positive this song is, with lyrics like ‘Atom bomb baby, sweet as a plum. Carries more wallop than uranium…’ and ‘She’s just the way I want her to be, a million times hotter than TNT’. It just gets me smiling.
Crawl Out Through The Fallout (1960), by Sheldon Allman
In 1960 Sheldon released Folk Songs For The 21st Century, a novelty album around sci-fi themes. The album also included the track, Radioactive Mama. Despite its slightly silly nature, Crawl Out Through The Fallout is still a great song.
Grandma Plays The Numbers (1949), by Wynonie Harris
Apparently ‘playing the numbers’, in this case, refers to illegal lottery run by gangsters in Harlem. Whether or not that’s true, I love the groove of this track, it feels down and dirty, like a good dive bar.
The End Of The World (1962), by Skeeter Davis
‘Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore? Don’t they know it’s the end of the world? Cause you don’t love me any more.’ These lyrics might sound sad, and in a way they are, but also beautiful. Perhaps Skeeter was the Amy Winehouse of her day, and this was her Back To Black.
Uranium Fever (1955), by Elton Britt
Elton was a country music singer best know for Western ballads and yodelling songs. Sometimes playing Fallout 4 could be quite scary, with ghouls and things chasing you. This song is quite upbeat and lively, and would ensure I’d be having a happy little time, despite death and radioactive monsters all around.
Sixty Minute Man (1951), by Billy Ward & The Dominoes
This R&B track is catchy. I like that it’s slow but has a real groove. The Dominoes were a Black vocal group put together to rival The Ink Spots (another on this list), and this song crossed boundaries between gospel and blues. It was also banned by many stations for its ‘unsubtle sexuality and rebelliousness’.
Honourable mentions…
It’s All Over But The Crying (1947), by The Ink Spots
I love how this is a song of two halves. The first is slow and melancholy and the second sort of picks up and feels more hopeful – it tells a story listen
Orange Colored Sky (1950), by Nat King Cole
‘I was walking along, minding my business. When out of an orange-colored sky. Flash, bam, alakazam…’ Talk about lyrics fitting nuclear bombs dropping listen
Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall (1957), by Ella Fitzgerald and The Ink Spots
This song soothes me. I imagine that’s because of Ella on the vocals. It sort of sits somewhere between an easy listening and an upbeat number listen
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (1957), by Big Maybelle
Big Maybelle’s growling vocal on this track is delicious. I’m half inclined to move this one up to my favourites. A superb bit of music listen
Crazy He Calls Me (1949), by Billie Holiday
This jazz track feels pure Billie, in that you’re being moved entirely by her delivery. The whole thing feels like a forgotten memory listen
Anything Goes (1934), by Cole Porter
This is the oldest track on this list. It was written for a 1934 musical and apparently its first verse influenced a speech Malcolm X gave in 1964 listen
Dear Hearts And Gentle People (1951), by Bob Crosby & The Bob Cats
This track is about a singer’s home town. This particular version sung by Bob Crosby has a real warmth to it listen
I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire (1941), by The Ink Spots
This low key song almost feels like a lullaby, it’s soothing and calming and fits Fallout perfectly, in terms of themes listen
Rocket 69 (1947), by Connie Allen and Todd Rhodes
This jazzy rocky blues track is quite simple when it comes to lyrics, but it’s got a really catchy melody listen
Uranium Rock (1960), by Warren Smith
I slightly prefer Uranium Fever but Uranium Rock is also worth your time. It has an urgency about it – good when you’ve got lots of mirelurks to shoot listen
I admit, I’m still yet to see Pearl (2022), from writer-director Ti West and starring Mia Goth. That’s the second part of his horror trilogy. The first being X (2022), also starring Mia, and this final one, MaXXXine (2024), completes the three. I’ve seen X and liked it a lot. This could largely be attributed to Mia’s performance, but also Jenna Ortega (another actor I expect will do a lot more horror going forward). X was set in 1979 and Pearl, its prequel, was set in 1918. In X a group of young people hire a barn from an elderly couple in rural Texas, with the aim to shoot an adult film — yet the old couple decide to go about killing them all instead (spoiler, Maxine is the only one to survive).
MaXXXine follows on from the events of X and is set in 1985. We follow the same character, Maxine, as she pursues her dreams of becoming a movie star — however she’s being stalked by a killer in Hollywood (she really does not have the best luck).
Out of the trilogy, this third entry has the most star-studded cast to date. As well as Mia we’ve got Michelle Monaghan, Elizabeth Debicki, Bobby Canavale, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon. And I have to admit, I’m a sucker for good ’80s-set stories. I don’t watch a lot of horror but there’s really just something about Mia on screen. She’s fascinating, and quite an unorthodox leading actor in terms of her looks and mannerisms. I really like her performances.
Also, this whole trailer looks really good, too, in a sort of noir-ish mystery, trying to catch some Hollywood killer. In some ways it reminds me a little of the Fear Street trilogy… three films which all came out in 2021: Part One:1994, Part Two: 1978 and Part Three: 1666. Slasher and supernatural horrors with interconnected events. It was quite an ambitious undertaking, to tell a story like this — but I really liked these films at the time. I’d say X is a little harder and edgier in terms of horror, but sits slightly in the same ballpark.
MaXXXine is out 9th August in UK cinemas, so we have a while to wait. In the meantime, go and watch Mia’s back catalogue, in particular Infinity Pool (2023), a Brandon Cronenberg film in which she stars opposite Alexander Skarsgard. After that we’ll likely see her in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, alongside Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Christoph Waltz. That should hit screens in 2025.
Last night I watched the Beetlejuice teaser, a sequel to a film that follows on from the 1988 original, over three decades later. This one is called Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) and I assume there will be a third, to make up a trilogy. No prizes for guessing what the name of that one will be. To be honest, though, this is probably making me sound quite cynical and I am not. At least, not entirely.
With this teaser I have to say, I honestly don’t know how I feel. I’m quite conflicted. On the one hand I was (and still am) a big fan of the original, and think that it should have just remained a stand-alone movie. But on the other hand it’s potentially an exciting prospect to have many of the cast return: Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, Catherine O’Hara at Delia Deetz, and of course, Michael Keaton as Beetlegeuse. A crucial factor, though, is that Tim Burton is back to direct, which is welcome news. Then we have the most intriguing addition to the cast, weirdo ‘It girl’ of the moment, Jenna Ortega, playing Lydia’s daughter Astrid Deetz. (Side note: there are a couple of other juicy additions to the cast I stumbled upon, but if you haven’t heard about them, don’t go looking them up – just the fact they are involved and that I saw their names, feels like a slight spoiler.)
Despite all this, though, there’s a voice at the back of my head that says this film really did not need a sequel, particularly one decades later. But then that’s Hollywood. There’s no stopping them mining the ’80s and ’90s to feed that nostalgic hunger millennials have for yesteryear, aka their misspent youth.
Still, though, I have to hope this particular film will be good. It’s better to lean towards hope rather than hate. Especially when it’s all too easy on the internet these days, to pile on and criticise something, just because it has the audacity to try to exist. That said, I’m still slightly salty at the fact that they remade Road House. But that’s a rant for another time.
Who remembers Black Sails? It was a TV show that ran for four seasons from 2014-2017, and it was superb. Whilst the first season was very good, seasons two, three and four were genuinely fantastic TV. And overall, it was a glorious show… one that was about pirates, masculinity, love, freedom, friendship, power, and what you’d be willing to sacrifice for your beliefs and values.
Recently I decided to rewatch the whole thing to see if it held up, and I’m happy to report the show was just as fantastic a second time round. Although, for this watch, I think I came to appreciate some of the more subtle scene work at play — small reactions to something one character said to another… a word, a glance. Particularly when you know a moment will have repercussions later in the story. And on this viewing I think I enjoyed some of the supporting actors a little more. I mean, it almost goes without saying that Toby Stevens as Captain Flint largely carries the show, particularly in season one. But this time round I allowed myself room to savour the performances of Toby Schmitz as Captain Jack Rackham, Clara Paget as Anne Bonny, and Luke Roberts as Woodes Rogers.
Characters (and performances of actors) that grew on me as the show progressed include Hannah New as Eleanor Guthrie, Jessica Parker Kennedy as Max, Tom Hopper as Billy Bones, and Zach McGowan as Captain Charles Vane. And perhaps part of the slow burn of their appeal was watching the actors find their feet in the first season, and also maybe the show’s writers settling into what made their characters so compelling.
By season two things really stepped up, from performances to story, to the thrilling action of the sea battles and ship warfare. This acceleration of story also arguably allowed Luke Arnold as Long John Silver to shine, particularly in seasons three and four as his character became increasingly more influential.
His relationship with Toby Stevens’ Flint develops into the most interesting part of the final two seasons. Ultimately, if you somehow let this show pass you by at the time I urge you to seek it out. It’s such a well put together show and story. The first season is solid, but season two really steps things up and doesn’t let up until the end.
It also has one of the best intro songs you’ll hear in television, courtesy of legendary composer Bear McCreary. If that music doesn’t get your heart pumping and you wanting to take off for a life of piracy on the high seas, then I don’t know what’s wrong with you.
Time for another trailer breakdown for shows I am excited to see. It’s a little harder to list shows, now that I no longer subscribe to Disney+, BBC or Now TV (for HBO/Max content), so ones from those studios are out. That said, I still have Paramount+, Prime, Apple and Netflix though, so hopefully I can list a few things from that lot. There is A LOT coming out this year.
Arcane, season 2
It’s just a first look teaser, but I imagine many, like myself, are pretty excited about this show returning. It was so beautifully realised, in terms of its world building, and the characters and story were compelling. Hopefully this season is good.
Season 2 is out in November, on Netflix.
Palm Royale
In the last couple of years Apple have built a reputation for creating shows that look expensive, but also are well put together. Quality over quantity, one might argue. Palm Royale tells the story of Maxine (Kristin Wiig) who tries to muscle her way into Miami’s high society. The cast is enormous (Allison Janney and Laura Dern would be my ones to watch out for, in this), and the trailer looks fun. It gives me The Birdcage (1996) vibes, for those of you that remember that film.
Palm Royale is out on 20 March, on Apple TV+.
A Gentleman In Moscow
Ewan McGregor on the small screen, hopefully in something better than the tepid affair that was Obi-Wan for Disney. This story, however, sounds quite intriguing, and is based on a best-selling novel. McGregor plays Count Rostov, a man spared execution after the Russian Revolution, and ordered to stay within the confines of a hotel, which he does for years. His smaller world leads to a much larger one, of emotional discovery.
A Gentleman In Moscow is out on 29 March, on Paramount+.
Sugar
This show starring Colin Farrell is apparently ‘a contemporary take on the private detective story’, according to Apple. Farrell plays Detective Sugar, tasked with finding the missing daughter of a Hollywood producer. Again, like most Apple shows, this ones looks slick and well put together. The trailer looks good.
Sugar is out 5 April, on Apple TV+.
The Boys, season 4
I’m not sure there is much point in saying much about this show. If you’re just trying to dip into it as a newbie, in season 4, then prepare for some pain, and blood, and guts. Otherwise, you’re a big fan (as are most of us) and just want to see what happens with Homelander and Billy Butcher and the rest of them. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is probably the most interesting addition to the cast of this season. Adding another Supernatural alumni, after Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy last season.
Season 4 is out in June, on Prime.
Manhunt
This miniseries is based on the book Manhunt: The 12-day Chase For Lincoln’s Killer, and tells the tale of the search for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Playing Booth, is Northern Irish actor Anthony Boyle, who I most recently saw in Masters Of The Air. He stood out, in that show, I thought.
It’s worth remembering posters. Each one is a piece of art, and some of those from past decades really were quite inventive. Anyway, here’s a few I’ve picked out from various time periods and genres, and in various styles.
Videodrome (1983)
The yellow type on black, the woman’s stern expression, the hand busting out of the TV with a gun… it’s so weird and cool. But with most Cronenberg movies, I suppose it does leave me feeling a little afraid.
Brazil (1985)
I guess it’s no surprise that this poster is weird. It’s a Terry Gilliam film, and a dystopian dark comedy, at that. The endless wall of filing cabinets is an interesting image. This poster is the UK theatrical release, designed by award-winning illustrator, Bill Garland.
The Velvet Vampire (1971)
I admit, I’ve not seen this film, but I hear good things. Ok… that’s a lie. I hear average things. This film isn’t meant to be particularly great but I do like this poster. The tagline ‘She’s waiting to love you… to death’ tickles me.
Blazing Saddles (1974)
I guess it should come as no surprise that this Mel Brooks film is a comedy. The pink on yellow really stands out. I doubt many other Western movies employed anything like this sort of bold use of colour and design.
Coffy (1973)
I rarely use the adjective ‘eye-popping’ but in this case it’s appropriate, as this was my reaction seeing this poster. In some cases, maybe all you need (with design) is to have Pam Grier looking like a bad ass. Notice the red of her outfit matches the film’s title type, and the purple action shots framed behind are a nice touch.
A View To A Kill (1985)
And speaking of ‘sometimes all you need is X’ person looking like a bad ass to promote your movie: enter, Grace Jones. I get that, in 2024, times have moved on, and you couldn’t do this poster (or anything like it) these days. But it’s worth including here, I think.
The Virgin & The Gypsy (1970)
I’m not even sure this could be called a film poster, could it? It feels more like a piece of art, or a painting or something, at least to me. I suppose it does come from a D. H. Lawrence novella, so perhaps that’s why it feels more like art.
Crawl out through the fallout, baby When they drop that bomb Crawl out through the fallout With the greatest of aplomb When your white count’s getting higher Hurry, don’t delay I’ll hold you close and kiss those Radiation burns away
For anyone that’s played Fallout 4 and listened to Diamond City Radio whilst running around shooting mirelurks (mutated radioactive crabs) the above song lyrics will be most familiar. The reason I’m dropping them is because the full trailer for the Fallout TV show was recently released.
And by the looks of it, they’ve nailed the tone of this series of games, and perhaps the look and feel too.
As ever, with any video game adaptation, there will be those who will never be satisfied. But I have high hopes.
The show has good leads (Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell) and experienced producers (Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, the showrunners of Westworld) overseeing things, plus lots of sweet Amazon budget behind it. All episodes will be out in April, and I can’t wait.
Until then, sit back and listen to Sheldon Allman’s 1960 track, and kiss those sweet radiation burns away.
From time to time I do these posts, offering up a few thoughts on some of the latest trailers that have caught my eye. Since the SAG-AFTRA strike films have been piling up, with trailers dropping thick and fast.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
This Planet Of The Apes trilogy began over a decade ago, with Rise (2011) then Dawn (2014) and finally War (2017). In some ways they’re underrated as a sci-fi trilogy. Kingdom takes place nearly 300 years after the events of War, and stars Freya Allan (Ciri from The Witcher) as Nova, a feral woman who teams up with a young ape called Noa – who looks like he’ll serve as our heroic ape for this film, taking on the Caesar role from the aforementioned trilogy.
Release date: 24 May in UK cinemas
Damsel
The first two Enola Holmes movies were unexpected and delightful, perhaps helping to show audiences that there was more to Millie Bobby Brown than Eleven in Stranger Things. Which is good, given she was 12 years old in the first season of that show and she’s now 19. Damsel adds another string to her bow, and seems to be akin to the film Ready Or Not (2019) but with added fantasy… in that Brown’s damsel agrees to marry a prince, only to find she’s part of some ancient sacrifice. Sounds a fun fairytale. Can’t wait to see it.
Release date: 8 March, Netflix
Monkey Man
Dev Patel stars in this, and it’s his directorial debut, and it’s an original screenplay which he wrote. Basically he’s decided, what the hell, I’m going to do everything myself. And fair play to him. One user on this trailer commented saying ‘this looks like the Indian John Wick’, and I have to somewhat agree. I hope he smashes the performance and direction out the park.
Release date: 5 April in UK cinemas
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Go see this for Henry Cavill’s majestic handlebar moustache and stay for Alan Ritchson’s massive arms. Yes, he’s even more hench here than when he played Reacher, looking like a stacked Hawkeye. Cavill is having a whale of a time in this role, perhaps cutting loose after his whole Witcher experience turned sour. Either way, this film looks a ton of fun. Guy Ritchie is clearly in his bag.
Release date: April in the US, no word on the UK release date yet
I didn’t see that many films last year, I watched more in the way of TV shows. Or if I did see films they were older ones from the ’90s, or just ones that didn’t come out last year. As a result this list is going to be pretty light. But let’s try.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3
Credit: Marvel Studios
I was a huge MCU fan a few years back. One of those people that was with them from the start, right up to the completion of the Infinity War saga. But like many, I lost my love Marvel films in recent years. That said, Guardians 3 really did feel like the end of an era, and perhaps a final goodbye to a number of characters we’ve loved for almost a decade (Guardians of the Galaxy came out in 2014). Moreover, this final film had an air of melancholy hanging over it, and was more heartbreaking than the last two (mostly due to Rocket’s backstory), but still felt like it sat nicely in the trilogy, making James Gunn’s Guardians possibly the best set of three films in the MCU.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Credit: Paramount Pictures and eOne
I admit, I didn’t have high expectations going into this one, although I’d heard good things and the early buzz was promising. I have to say, though, it was a lot of fun. Chris Pine (the best Chris) looked like he was having a grand old time playing a bard, the de facto leader of this ragtag group of adventurers. And the film felt it captured the spirit of D&D in a way I haven’t seen too often in live action. There’s a reasonable chance that we may get a sequel too. Pine wants to come back, so let’s hope.
The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan
Despite this film receiving glowing praise across the board I am yet to really see it make an appearance in the ‘top films of the year’ lists, in any publications. Which is a shame, because it deserves a place. There have been many adaptations of Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 novel, and I’ve liked a lot of them. The ’70s ones with Oliver Reed and Michael Yorke still hold up well, and the ’90s one with Keifer Sutherland and Rebecca de Mornay was a lot of fun. The 2011 steampunk version with Mads Mikkelsen does different things, and is worth a watch. And now we have this two-part French adaptation with a French cast, which may be the best yet. Considering we have Eva Green and Louis Garrel (reuniting them from The Dreamers in 2003, perhaps?), Vincent Cassel, and Romain Duris, you’d hope it would be good, and it doesn’t disappoint. The direction from Martin Bourboulon is superb, in both the quieter moments and the action sequences. The second part, Milady, is out now, and on my list.
John Wick: Chapter 4
This seems to be another fantastic film that has dropped off of a lot of best of the year lists, which is a huge oversight. I’d argue this may be the best John Wick out of the four we’ve had. The set design, music, fight choreography and general action sequences, are the best in the series. It also perhaps feels the funniest, too. If you don’t believe me, watch this nightclub scene where John faces off against Scott Adkins’ wonderfully named, Killa.
Barbie
Credit: Warner Bros
What can I say here? This film was probably the most written and talked about one last year. It had a huge cultural impact. Hats off to writer-director Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie for what they managed to achieve with this story, and the character of Barbie. A nod of appreciation should also go to musician, Billie Eilish. Her What Was I Made For? song not only elevated the emotional climax of the film, but helped Barbie and its themes live on in the cultural consciousness, and continue to resonate.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Credit: Sony Pictures
I am somewhat torn on this film. Yes, it’s amazing, and yes the animation went up another level from the first one (something many people, including myself, thought would be impossible), but I have reservations. The story didn’t connect with me in the same way the first one did. And Across The Spider-Verse was incredibly long (2hr 20m). This is something that annoyed me even more when I realised this wasn’t even a complete story, but just the first half. Beyond The Spider-Verse is the final part, potentially coming sometime this year, although who knows. So whilst I loved a lot about this film, the run time did mean I found it a bit of a slog to get through, I’m sad to say.
Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Credit: Paramount Pictures
Speaking of the first part of a two-part film that’s too long, here’s another one (2hr 36m). Fallout, for me, remains the high point of this series. And let’s face it, Tom Cruise ain’t getting any younger. One of the key selling points of this franchise is he does the stunts himself. Something that blows your mind when you realise he jumped off a cliff on a motorbike, then opened a parachute. And then did it a whole bunch more times to get the right take. To be honest, if he dies making these films it’s probably the way he would have wanted to go. For Dead Reckoning Part One Hayley Atwell joins the cast, and was a nice addition to the team, but other newcomer, Pom Klementieff, was underused. I’m interested to see Part Two of this story, but I don’t relish the increasingly lengthy run time that it’s no doubt going to have.
Honourable mention….
Cocaine Bear
This shouldn’t really make it onto my best films of the year list, at all, but it was vaguely fun. And the concept was inspired. Not least because it was somewhat based on real life events. This film had its moments, but didn’t push the concept of a bear high on drugs as hard as it could have. Either from a horror point of view or a comedy one, or a comedic horror one, come to think of it.
Ones on my ‘to watch’ list
Sadly, this list is pretty huge. I didn’t really find the time to see that many films last year. Here’s a few I plan to see, sometime:
Pearl Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret How To Have Sex Oppenheimer Killers Of The Flower Moon Past Lives Tar Anatomy Of A Fall Infinity Pool Bottoms Saltburn Godzilla Minus One
Mikey's Medicine 