Insomnia

Insomnia is shit.

It ruins you. There's no feeling as frustrating as lying in bed, bone tired, wondering why sleep won't come. Then the sun rears it's head and you know the day in front of you is going to be a write off.

The vicious cycle part of it is nearly worse than the tiredness. Getting into bed, trying to stay positive, hoping for sleep but that niggling feeling at the back of your bed, that it's going to keep happening and after a while that niggling feeling is all you can think of. "Why can't I sleep?" "Why me?" "How is it that every other fucker is conked out and i'm here staring at the ceiling like a prick?"

7am. Time to get up. Ugh. I'm crippled. A shower will sort me.

9am. Today will be quiet, today will be quiet. *Walks into work,the place is a battlefield*

11am. Time for a cup of tea. Tea is warm piss but it will wake me up. God i'm wrecked.

3pm. Shattered.

6pm. Second wind. Jeez, I don't feel too bad now. Why is that?

10pm. Hmm, finally I'm feeling a bit sleepy, nice one, I'll hit the hay.

11.30pm. Every thing I've ever regretted comes flying back into my head. That mistake i made 17 years ago that I'd forgotten until right now, now seems like the worst thing ever. Oh deadly, my mind is racing.

2am. Where's my phone? Good jesus how is it 2am. If i go to sleep now i'll get 5 hours.

4am. Fuck.

7am. FUCK.

Insomnia is shit.

Giddy

This day next week i'll be in the cinema watching Apocalypse Now on the big screen for the first time ever. It's a movie i know back to front and inside out but i've never seen it large before.

I CANNOT WAIT. Plus it's the final cut so god only knows what will be added or snipped out.

Then the day after I get to see Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. I'm unfeasibly excited about that one.

Jeez I'm fair easily pleased aren't I.

Take pleasure in the little things lads. It's the best way.

:D

The Red Sea Diving Resort

One of the ickier and more outdated cinematic tropes still popping up in movies is that of the white saviour. The white guys who appear and save the day when the locals can't save themselves. Even when it's based on a true story it's something that feels cringeworthy in this day and age and my god does it feel cringeworthy during The Red Sea Diving Resort, the latest Netflix original that's out now.

In the late 70's a Jewish Ethiopian man named Kebede Bimro (Michael K. Williams) contacted the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, in an attempt to smuggle Ethiopian jews who had been targeted for ethnic cleansing out of Sudan and into Israel. Agent Ari Levinson (Chris Evans) was his contact and The Red Sea Diving Resort became the place were things would get done. The hotel resort on the coast of the Red Sea was to become their base of operations but vicious warlords and unwitting tourists soon put a kink in their well laid plans.

This wasn't a good film. It's a dull watch that not even Captain America himself could have salvaged. It shouldn't have been dull because it has the seeds of a compelling story. A modern(ish) day retelling of the old Moses story about a man leading the Jews out of Africa, across the water and back home. A film about a persecuted group within a persecuted whole. People who've suffered immensely, people with a real story to tell, people who come a distant second place to the group of handsome white folk who come to save them from themselves. And with that you just lose all interest. It's just another thriller. Blah. There could have been an interesting story here but now....snooze.

It's a film with a confused sense of self too. Like 2012's far superior thriller Argo, it takes a look at a troubled period of recent history and blends it with a little humour to make it easier to swallow. But here the humour in a group of assassins and spies trying to run a pretend hotel is mixed in with moments of atrocity that makes it all a very bitter pill. An 1980 set montage (scored by a song released in 1982, shoddy) lightens the atmosphere and then moments later you're watching a village full of innocents being massacred and it just makes for a horribly awkward watch. Does it want to be a light hearted romp? A damning indictment of sectarian hatred? A love letter to a simpler black and white time? A sneaky slice of pro Israeli propaganda slipped quietly into the world's biggest streaming service? It's all very messy. Spielberg's Munich did that latter with far more conviction 14 years ago.

A good cast tries but they need better material than this. Chris Evans is Chris Evans, always reliable and Michael K.Williams gives a soulful performance far better than this film deserved but everyone else just blends into background noise. Haley Bennett, Alessandro Nivola and Greg Kinnear turn up but they have no impact, no substance. It's annoying when you see a fine cast like this wasted but it pales to the treatment the African cast get. They are portrayed as a trembling mass, a group of helpless children. You'll actually cringe when you see them huddled and terrified, waiting to be saved, lacking all agency. It's racial stereotyping at it's most offensive. It's tone deaf and embarrassing.

Don't bother with this. Only Chris Evans completists need apply. And they'll leave disappointed too.

A perfect pairing of sound & vision - Tom Cruise in The Color of Money

What do you get if you add Martin Scorsese, Tom Cruise and some Soho based Werewolves? You get magic. Absolute magic. The Color Of Money is far from the best work either of them have done but one moment in it works spectacularly.

Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) is a former pool hustler who's lost the taste for playing but who still loves the thrill of the short con. One night he sees Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise) on the make and he reminds him so much of his former self that it hurts. 

Isn't that just a brilliant moment. A director and star working together in sublime unison. Scorsese's roving steadicam and his masterful way with music. Warren Zevon's oddly unsettling Werewolves Of London blasting out. Cruise in full on 80's arrogant mode. The smile that made him famous, the Bruce Lee moves, the swagger. The fact that you want to dig the head off him while secretly wishing you were that cool. The action and the camera moving perfectly in time with the music. Vincent's impeccably timed quoting of the line "and his hair was perfect" while loving his own mane. That nearly one minute long continuous take of Cruise genuinely polishing off the last 5 balls in a game of nine ball. God only knows how many takes it took them to do that. The confidence needed to pull off a scene like this is immense and we lucky viewers get the pay off.

Pairings of sound & music don't get much better than this one.

Previous pairings

Rules Of Attraction

Jackass II

Game Of Thrones 

Apocalypse Now

Blade

Big
Miller's Crossing

The Blues Brothers

Straight Outta Compton

The Princess Bride

American Honey

Snake In The Eagle's Shadow

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

The Untouchables

Airplane!

Dazed And Confused  

Kickboxer                                  

Grosse Point Blank

Mean Streets

Watership Down

Casablanca

Zodiac

Jackie Brown
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Deliverance
The Omen
Copland
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The Mission

Before Sunset

Carlito's Way
A Knight's Tale
Platoon
Before Sunrise
Rushmore
An American Werewolf In London
Dazed And Confused
Boogie Nights
Raging Bull
Almost Famous
Once Upon A Time In The West
Goodfellas

Last Of The Mohicans

11 films worth your time this week

Veronica Guerin   Sat   3/8   RTE1 @ 21.25

A fearless journalist investigating the upper echelons of Dublin drug dealing finds herself & her family threatened when she gets too good at her job. Joel Schumacher's biopic is a gritty, frightening and well acted film. Cate Blanchett in the lead role does a mighty job, showing both Veronica's strong and scared sides, plus her Irish accent is a solid one. Gerald McSorley as John Gilligan is excellent too as evil personified.

Chronicle   Sun   4/8   Film4 @ 19.00

A very underrated superhero film from 2012. No wait.....come back, its a very different beast to the Marvel and DC films inundating the cinemas at the moment. 3 young chaps find themselves with otherworldly powers. Its mad fun at first but then.....? A fast moving, scary, funny, sad and quite exhilarating watch. Dane DeHaan & Michael B Jordan hit the spot as two of the leads.

Loving   Sun   4/8   RTE1 @ 21.30

A man and a woman living in Virginia in the 1960's aren't allowed to marry due to the colour of their skin. They go ahead and do it anyway. A heartbreaking look at the strength of love from director Jeff Nichols. It's upsetting stuff but it needs to be watched. Powerhouse work from Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton will keep you watching until the very end.

The Dressmaker   Sun   4/8   CH4 @ 23.00

A very different kind of revenge thriller here. The strange, upsetting, unique, surreal and funny tale of a woman returning to the small Australian town that spurned her and getting her own back. Kate Winslet is superb in the title role and pulls off an Oz accent that's pretty damn believable. Judy Davis as her mam is brilliant too and Liam Hemsworth and Hugo Weaving do well in support.

Once Upon A Time In America   Mon   5/8   TG4 @ 21.30

Sergio Leone's film is an honest to god masterpiece while being a troubling and problematic watch at the same time. A complex tale of a man and his friends spanning 5 decades. This is a film that demands your attention and your time as it's nearly 4 hours long. Ya, its a slog but it's never ever boring. It's an experience. Robert De Niro is astounding in the lead role. He's utterly repellent but you can't look away from him.

The Eyes Of Laura Mars   Mon   5/8   The Horror Channel @ 22.50

A fashion photographer develops psychic abilities that allow her to see through the eyes of a serial killer as he does his dodgy deeds. A bizarre film but one filled with some real suspense and one that gives us a very authentic look at New York in the 70's. Faye Dunaway is great in the lead and Tommy Lee Jones gives good back up. Nice cast too with Brad Dourif and Raul Julia in tow.

The Legend Of The Drunken Master   Tues   6/8   Syfy @ 23.30

Wong Fei-hung is a Chinese chap torn between protecting his heritage through force and the disapproving gaze of his peace loving father. Jackie Chan has a whale of a time in this sequel to his 70's hit about a man who does his best fighting when he's mangled drunk. Just wait for the final fight scene, 20 minutes of film that will make you bust a gut laughing while dropping your jaw at the same time.

Key Largo   Wed   7/8   TCM @ 09.20

Crime drama par excellence time. A war veteran arrives in the Florida Keys to visit the family of a dead comrade and finds that all is not well in the hotel they run. John Huston's 1948 thriller is an absolute cracker of a watch. Tense as hell, action packed stuff that's full of the superstars of the era including Humphrey Bogart as the lead, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore and the always fantastic Edward G.Robinson.

In The Heart Of The Sea   Wed   7/8   RTE1 @ 21.35

In 1820 a whaling ship was attacked and destroyed by the animal it was hunting. The story inspired Moby Dick but that famous tale was only half of what happened. This was a fine film but christ it's tough going. The gory details and harsh existences of the times are never soft pedaled but some lethal showings from a cast that includes Brendan Gleeson, Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy will keep you watching.

Halal Daddy   Fri   9/8   RTE1 @ 21.35

Raghdan is trying to start a halal business in a Sligo town and social differences, his love life and his Da are among the things making life difficult for him. This one is great craic, funny in the way only an Irish film can be and full of charming little touches about cultural confusion. Nikesh Patel leads a lovely cast that includes Deirdre O'Kane (hilarious) , Colm Meany, Sarah Bolger and Mark O'Halloran.

A Most Violent Year   Fri   9/8   BBC2 @ 23.35

1981. The New York City murder rate is through the roof. Abel Morales is a business owner trying and failing to protect his fuel company from theft. This 2014 drama is a lot more low key than it's name suggests but it's a genuinely compelling watch that wears it's 70's cinema influences on it's sleeve with pride. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain both do stellar work here.

Pepe Serna. Another unsung hero of film & TV

Not Pacino, the other fella

Pepe Serna. Supporting actor par excellence. A face you'd recognise instantly but a name you'd never remember because he's one of those actors that only ever gets to do one thing, in his case, play some form of Latino criminal. It's a pity because on the rare occasions where he got to stretch himself he always showed promise but Hollywood and the movies and TV it produces has always needed background faces of colour and these are the roles that became his bread and butter. You have to hand it to him though, after 49 years in the business he's definitely doing something right.

He's been Reno Nevada in Buckaroo Banzai. He's been sliced up in a South Beach apartment by nasty Columbians. He got imprisoned during a Russian raid on a small Colorado town and helped out by Hannibal Smith and Howling Mad Murdock. Been defended by an OAP lawyer and played cop alongside Clint Eastwood. Crockett and Tubbs have gunned him down and Cagney and Lacey have locked him up. He's annoyed The Jerk and had his head kicked off by Chuck Norris. His face has popped up in 70's movies both cult and masterpiece and he's still popping up in mainstream releases today. The very definition of a "I know him!!" actor. 156 credits over almost half a century. Everything from western to horror to comedy to sci-fi. Not bad going at all Pepe. Check out his career here.

Buckaroo Banzai. 80's insanity. Track it down. It's worth the effort.

Greatest hits

Scarface - Angel Fernandez. Buddy of Tony Montana and recipient of a close encounter with a chainsaw in a scene that made the film notorious back in the early 80's.

Red Dawn - Mr Aardvark. One of the many unfortunates of Calumet, Colorado. His words are the ones that turn a group of footballers into a well oiled guerilla machine.

American Me - Mundo. One of the founding members of the Mexican Mafia. A vicious little individual. Very handy with a shiv,

Downsizing - Señor Cárdenas. An interesting little face in a very intriguing little film.

Previous Heroes

Udo Kier
Fairuza Balk
Ernie Hudson
Lin Shaye
James Remar
Cloris Leachman
James Hong
David Strathairn
Frankie Faison
Conchata Ferrell
Dick Miller
Veronica Cartwright
Edie McClurg
Barry Shabaka Henley           
Raymond Cruz                        
Reg E.Cathey                          
Elizabeth McGovern               
John Amos                              
Bruce Greenwood                  
Mary McDonnell                     
Gerald McSorley                       
John Rothman                        
Margo Martindale                   
Kurtwood Smith                     
Paula Malcolmson                 
Luis Guzman                          
David Morse                           
Linda Hunt                              
Keith David                             
Zeljko Ivanek
Fiona Shaw
Xander Berkeley
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
C.C.H Pounder
William Forsythe
Beth Grant
Sven-Ole Thorsen
Regina King
Ric Young
Mark Rolston
Illeana Douglas
Jeanette Goldstein
Al Leong
Allan Graf
Bill Nunn
Thomas Rosales Jr

Hobbs & Shaw

Does stupidity in a film irk you? Do you roll your eyes when a stunt defies the laws of physics or when an action scene contains something which could not ever happen? Do baldie fellas bother you because you prefer your men with a full head of hair? If the answer to any of these 3 questions is yes then I advise, strongly, that you avoid the new Fast & Furious spin off; Hobbs & Shaw. If not and you are just looking for a dose of bombastic fun then come on in. H&S will fulfill your every need.

There's a virus. It's man made and it's of the organ melting variety. Brooklyn Lore (Idris Elba) wants it and the only person with a sample of it is an M16 agent called Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby). Brooklyn is a man ran by cybernetic implants and she's in grave danger. Luckily for her, her brother is none other than Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), super spy and double hard bastard. DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is after the virus too and him and his old frenemy Deckard have to work together to get it. Explosions ensue.

Pardon the pun but this film rocked. It's a gloriously silly & ridiculously ott spin off to a franchise that started some bit normally before plummetting off a cliff around the time of it's fifth installment. Based on what happens here the next F&F film has to take place in space but there's nothing left on earth for it to destroy. It's fun, it's hilarious in parts and the action rarely lets up which is good because honestly, if you were too think about what you're watching any bit deeply the whole thing would fall apart. But who cares who you have Dwayne Johnson leading a haka against a group of gun toting mercs and Jason Statham Oldboying his way through an army of Russian security guards who definitely aren't getting paid enough for this shit.

It's not a film to take seriously at all. If you do you'll run the risk your eyes rolling out of their sockets within minutes. But if you can just let yourself go with the madness you'll have a ball. This is the Fast & Furious by way of the MCU. All pretense of realism is gone out the window. Brooklyn is basically a supervillain and Luke Hobbs is Captain Samoa. One can survive an industrial chimney collapsing on his head and the other is stronger than a military helicopter. It's a 12 year old boy's dream movie. And this 40 year old fella had a whale of a time during it.

The F&F series was always ahead of the pack in regards to race and gender. Of the 4 leads in this only one is a white man. How rare is that? This spin off continues that grand tradition with the introduction of Hattie Shaw, a damsel who is definitely not in distress. She's a fine addition and her presence helps cut through the, at times, annoyingly macho atmosphere especially the many many scenes of sniping and banter when Deckard and Hobbs and the animosity between them boils over. These start off funny but honestly there's only so many cock jokes you can take before they get boring. There's so many that they start to feel redundant and this leads to a slightly baggy midsection that could have been tightened up ever so slightly. One plane set moment definitely felt unnecessary and seemingly only existed to set up a character for a future movie. I won't say who he is but he'll make a lot of people groan when he pops up.

They are small quibbles really when you are watching a movie that's this much fun. Also it's a film that despite all it's headbutts and gunshots and general kerfuffles continues that lovely F&F tradition of being all about family. Whoever thought they'd see The Stath in a touching moment? Not me. Thankfully there's no Vin Diesel around this time to make it all cloying and cheesy, instead here we just get a couple of heartfelt hugs and real smiles and siblings literally bonding by blood. Oh and Helen Mirren. In jail. What more could you ask for?

Formative viewing experiences - A western with my granny

Like a lot of Irish people my first introduction to Westerns was through a grandparent. In my case my Nana. We used to watch Bonanza, Rawhide, The Virginian and The High Chaparral religiously, usually after mass on a Sunday (see what I did there). They were great fun. Ben Cartwright and Big John Cannon taking care of business. Good guys, as pure as the driven snow. They faced problems that were solved in under an hour, usually with a hefty right hook. And when people needed to get shot they fell down dead, bloodlessly, after one bullet. It was all good clean innocent fun.

Then one night as a treat I was let stay up to watch a proper grown up Western. My parents were away. I was staying with me granny. My brother was upstairs conked out and I was up way past my bedtime. I knew me ma wouldn't like what I was about to watch. I was sworn to secrecy. Little did I know this was to be the start of my love for the Wild West.

I was giddy as hell. We broke out the Turkish Delight bars. The film started. The music was amazing. A tune I'd heard whistled in the playground in school but never knew where it came from. Now i did. The multi-coloured credits shot across the screen along with names of foreign actors i'd never recognise. Sound and vision were exotic as hell and matched each other perfectly. There were good guys who did bad things. Bad guys who showed mercy. Men jumping through hotel windows after gunning down bounty hunters. The man who shot that poor fella through his pillow. The man who saved another from being hanged by shooting a bullet through the rope tied around his neck. My jaw dropped. This was amazing. "That fella with the gun is Clint Eastwood" my granny said. "He's Rowdy from Rawhide."

30+ years later i remember one moment vividly. Tuco with a noose around his neck once again. Trying to balance on a gravestone knowing he'll hang if he falls. Blondie on a hill in the distance showing him mercy one last time by shooting him down. Even at a young age I knew i was seeing something special. Something I'd never seen before. And to be quite honest I've rarely seen anything like it since.

Big props to my Nana for letting me stay up that night. Now I'm going to remember her while watching this again.

Cinema withdrawals

2 weeks. 2 whole weeks. That last time i went 2 weeks without going to the cinema is.....well its that long ago that it's lost in the mists of time.

Yup, i know it's a first world problem and a pathetic one at that but everyone has that one hobby they love and this one is mine. I know I'm a sad bastard and I love it. This part of the summer always rots me because the big blockbusters are out and nothing new is released because what is the point? They'll make no money being in the shadow of the CGI behemoths so why bother. Us sun avoiding oddballs are the only ones that suffer!

I think i'm getting withdrawal symptoms. I'm missing those roasting leather chairs that have you boiled before the trailers even finish. I'm longing for the sound of my tackies sticking to the floors between the rows of seats. I've forgotten the glory of a freezing cold blue slushie. That buzz when the lights finally go down and the IFCO cert appears on screen is a distant memory. Jesus i'm even getting nostalgic for those godawful Entertainment.ie ads about forthcoming movies. When you find yourself missing that shite you know it's been way too long.

Hobbs & Shaw is out on Thursday and I can't wait. It's going to be hilarious and the place will be mobbed, something that usually kills me but this is one that's going to be brilliant with a crowd. The prospect has me grinning like a loon. Hook it in my veins!

The little bastard

I avoided it all summer.

I've been careful.

I've been fastidious.

I've washed my hands religiously.

I've avoided the places it hangs out.

I've used hand sanitiser.

The obsessiveness wasn't enough.

It's found me.

The little bastard has found me.

The common cold.

You viral fucker.

10 films worth watching on TV this week

Midnight Special   Sat   27/7   BBC2 @ 23.00

Alton is a different kind of boy and when his father sneaks him away from those who want to exploit him the U.S. government decides to get involved. Jeff Nichol's low-key sci-fi drama roadtrip movie is an interesting watch. It's not fully successful but it will keep you watching to the end. The cast though is magnificent with Michael Shannon, Adam Driver, Kirsten Dunst & Joel Edgerton all good in their parts.

Kubo and The Two Strings   Sun   28/7   RTE2 @ 11.45

Kubo is living a happy life in his village when a horror from the past sends him off on mission to follow in his father's footsteps. This 2016 animation is a little stunner that was sadly overlooked on it's initial release but if you give it a chance you'll love it. It's full to the brim with imagination, action and flat out beauty. Good voice acting from Ireland's own Art Parkinson and Charlize Theron adds to the joy.

The Third Man   Sun   28/7   BBC2 @ 12.40

Holly has arrived in Vienna to visit his friend Harry Lime but is soon dismayed to find out his friend is dead. Or is he? This 1949 classic still holds up brilliantly 70 years later with it's fantastically quotable dialogue, immense cinematography, memorable moments and an atmosphere that positively drips off the screen. Watch it. It's deadly. Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli  and Orson Welles are all on fire.

Money Monster   Sun   28/7   RTE1 @ 21.30

America comes to a standstill when the host and producer of a successful financial news show are taken hostage by a angry investor and the whole saga plays out live on air. Jodie Foster directs this thrilling and topical look at the unspoken after effects of financial crashes. Julia Roberts and George Clooney do well but Jack O'Connell steals the show as a man at the edge of his tether.

The Big Sleep   Mon   29/7   TCM @ 13.30

Private eye Philip Marlowe has been hired to deal with the youngest daughter of a rich family and he asks the help of the eldest daughter to do so. Things get complex. Do you like hard boiled dialogue, blistering chemistry and very intriguing plotlines? If so this is the film for you. A classic that truly lives up to the name. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are brilliant as the leads.

Searching For Bobby Fischer   Mon   29/7   TG4 @ 21.30

Josh tries his hand at chess and his parents realise they have a potential prodigy on their hands. But Josh is a youngster who's not that interested in the success they have in mind. Chess ain't exactly known for it's excitement but this intelligent and humane drama will never bore you. Quite the opposite in fact. There's a fine cast too to keep you hooked. Ben Kingsley, Joan Allen & Laurence Fishburne all do well.

The Shallows   Tues   30/7   Film4 @ 21.00

While surfing by herself in a deserted Mexican cove, Nancy is attacked by a great white shark. Trapped on a tiny rocky outcrop she must use her wits to survive the encounter. Very entertaining stuff, scary, nerve wracking and of course spectacularly silly but Blake Lively as Nancy really sells the fear and eventually the inner strength needed to take on mother nature at her fiercest.

Big Night   Wed   31/7   TG4 @ 23.25

An ailing Italian restaurant run by two brothers gambles its entire future on one big blow out of a night to try and save the business. A lovely little film about passions, sticking to your guns and making your dreams come true that will entertain you and ensure you raid the fridge as soon as it's over. Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub are on fire as the brothers and the chemistry between them is amazing.

The Diary Of A Teenage Girl   Fri   2/8   CH4 @ 01.00

In 1970's San Francisco a teenage girl called Minnie embarks on a voyage of discovery that could very well damage her relationship with her family forever. A superb coming of age film that may offend some with it's frank scenes but it's a rewarding and complex watch. Bel Powell as Minnie is marvellous and gets fine support from Kristin Wiig and a very sleazy Alexander Skarsgård.

The Butcher Boy   Fri   2/8   RTE2 @ 21.45

Francie Brady is a strange sort of boy. And strange boys aren't tolerated in 1960's Monaghan. Eamonn Owens is amazing in the lead role. It's a tour de force performance and amazingly it was his first film. A film that's by turns hilarious, grim as hell, black as night and just utterly compelling. Super supporting cast too full of well known faces. A film not everyone will like but really worth sticking with.

Veronica Mars S04 - What a comeback

"A long time ago, we used to be friends." So went the first line of the theme tune of Veronica Mars. It was the truth. I loved that show.  When it was cancelled in 2007 it was both a pain and to be quite honest a relief. A pain because we were saying goodbye to brilliant characters we'd grown to love over 3 years and a relief because the 3rd series was a shadow of it's former self. The show finished on a semi cliffhanger, one we assumed we'd never see resolved. It was annoying but what could you do?

12 years later Veronica Mars season 4, episode 8 is over. I want more now. I need more. If it doesn't come back for a new series I'm going to get quare grouchy. It was an almost perfect return to Neptune, California and a lovely chance to revisit some old buddies. Kristin Bell as Veronica, Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars and Jason Dohring as Logan Echolls all slot back into their roles with ease.

Veronica is in her 30's now and a fully fledged private eye and she's still working with her father Keith in Mars Investigations. Her and Logan are a permanent thing and the strife of the past seems to have been forgotten. Keith is suffering from the after effects of a car crash (that happened during the not very good Veronica Mars film of 2014) and it's taking a toll on him physically and psychologically. Veronica's buddy Wallace is now a teacher and Eli Navarro is eeking out a living and trying & failing to stay on the straight and narrow.

As always Neptune is a city divided. The haves and the have nots. A city made up of movie stars and tech billionaires on one side and normal blue collar folk on the other. The summer influx of spring breakers has the place on edge. Rich privileged idiots who treat the place like a litter box and it's inhabitants like slaves. One place where they gather and party is the Sea Spray motel by the beach and a fatal incident there springs Veronica into action and into contact with some faces from her past.

This rocked. It's both a love letter to fans who stayed devoted and a substantial return to form in its own right. It feels organic. It feels like we never left. The complexities of female friendships and father daughter relations are to the forefront as always. The sunbleached Californian noir feel is back. So is the long form storytelling of Season 1 and 2. Everything is tied into the main story, everything happens for a reason and all subplots tie in. I watched all 8 hrs of this with the goofiest grin plastered across my mush. One by one the characters we all rooted for over a decade again appear and each one felt like a little hug. Tina Majorino who played Mac couldn't return for work reasons sadly but her aside all your faves show up, some very briefly mind but each one adds to the mix. It's a big ol' blast of nostalgia but crucially it isn't just nostalgia.

These aren't characters in a rose tinted stasis. Big things happen to them that will affect them all in the future. Some things you'll see coming from a mile away and others that will take you totally by surprise. It's good though. Life swings at you hard sometimes and this show is brave enough to acknowledge that. You laugh during this, you'll probably cry, you'll definitely chew on your knuckles because the stakes are bigger. People die. Violently. Decapitations! Who expected to see that in Veronica Mars? Away from the constraints of Network TV this show is darker, more profane, grittier, more mature, more sexual (fan fic writers will cream themselves during a couple of scenes) but it's done in a way that doesn't feel excessive and it's all the better for it.

Only being 8 episodes long meant some corners had to be cut. We don't get to spend enough time with the ones we want to. Dick Casablancas is basically a cameo role and Wallace & Eli don't get half enough to do but at the end of the day that show is all about Veronica and her Da Keith. The chemistry between them is still fantastic, all loving and caring and just perfect. Their relationship was always the core of the show and thankfully it gets as much time as always. They're people you want to spend time with and when they suffer so do you. Keith's storyline takes a nicely topical turn in this and it's a turn that helps drag this show into the present. Into *shudder* Donald Trump's America. An America where only the 1% do well. Other moments that try to "2019ise" the show don't work as well but they're mostly dialogue based and easily forgotten after a cringe or two. At it's heart though it's still the hard boiled drama it was when it started 15 years ago and it's such a pleasure to have it back.

Not everything is wrapped up by the end and instead of getting annoyed by that I'm choosing to believe that it's because we'll be getting a 5th season. We deserve a 5th season. We want to know what will happen our characters after the events depicted here. We want to know what will happen the intriguing new characters we've been introduced to. The ex Chino inmate/bagman Clyde Pickett (JK Simmons), Alonzo Lozano (Clifton Collins Jr, excellent) the cartel hitman who falls for the charms of Southern California and Matty Ross (Izabela Vidovic), a teenager who might just have what it takes to be the next member of Mars Investigations.

We just want more Veronica Mars. Because it's excellent TV.