HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

Bookazine Book Review

Movie Review

Mott's CD review

Sophon Cable TV Schedule

Bookazine Book Review: Thoughts from the Pattaya Orphanage

by Lang Reid

This hard cover book (ISBN 974-89027-7-3) is now in its fourth print run, having initially been published in 1993. The twin sisters featured on the cover of the book were two and a half years old then, and one cannot help but wonder where they are today.

Most people, particularly residents, are familiar with the work carried out by the Pattaya Orphanage, an enterprise under the guiding hand of Fr. Raymond Brennan CSSR, which has been operating for more than 20 years. It is the kind of establishment that, in some people, brings out the tender moments of caring for children, and as the back cover states, “To the readers of this book we hope to bring you some of those moments. It is a chance to embark on an incredible journey - a journey you will want to re-live many times.”

It is a photographic book, a collaboration between the photographer, Paul Knights, and the compiler, Patrick McGeown. For me, however, the book is not the inspirational quotations from such diverse sources as Helen Keller or Abraham Lincoln, but is the wonderfully expressive images of children from the camera of Paul Knights. Done in the black and white medium, Knights shows great mastery of the use of shade, and his photographs, of which I have chosen two to demonstrate this quality, are truly masterful.

The review copy was made available by Bookazine at the Royal Garden Plaza, next to Black Canyon and Boots, and carries an RRP of 390 baht. It is a classic of its genre, and the fact that it is still as awe inspiring today as it was nine years ago is testament to this. It is a moving book, one that will inspire and this was its original intent. We should all have one of these small books on our bookshelves, if nothing else just to remind us how fortunate we have been.

Movie Review: The Good Girl

By Poppy

This is a black comedy about an ordinary woman who works as a supermarket cashier Justine (Jennifer Aniston). She’s 30 years old, and feels that her life is on pause. When she comes home at night it’s to find her husband Phil (John C. Reilly) who works decorating houses, and his moronic friend Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson) smoking pot, drinking beer, both glued to the TV. Bubba may as well move in as he always seems to be there and the two friends are as thick as thieves.

Justine has been trying to get pregnant with no success and Bubba has blamed her for being barren.

The obvious soon happens: Justine, feeling despondent and unloved, notices a young man at work, Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal). They begin an affair, and it soon becomes serious enough for Justine to contemplate running away with Holden.

The story line is so typical of many lives, not only in America, that we could have fallen asleep in our seats but the acting is great. The role is very different for Jennifer Aniston, made popular by her role in the famous American sitcom “Friends.” She plays a very different character as the rather plain, bored Justine who seems to force herself through life. Zooey Deschanel, as Justine’s workmate is very funny.

The movie cleverly covers a diverse selection of issues on how people cope with their mundane lives by turning to religion, daydreaming, drinking and drugs. It’s cleverly done and worth seeing.

Directed by Miguel Arteta

Cast:

Jennifer Aniston ... Justine Last

Jake Gyllenhaal ... Holden Worther

John C. Reilly ... Phil Last

Tim Blake Nelson ... Bubba

Zooey Deschanel ... Cheryl

Mike White (I) ... Corny

Deborah Rush ... Gwen Jackson

John Carroll Lynch ... Jack Field

Rest of cast listed alphabetically

John Doe (I) ... Mr. Worther

Jean Rhodes (II) ... Old Woman (Make-over)

Mott’s CD review: 

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

by Mott the Dog

***** 5 Stars Rating

Just 6 months after recording their fantastic debut album Led Zeppelin went back into the studio to record their second album (unoriginally called Led Zeppelin II but then it’s the only thing that is remotely boring about this fine collection), which is incredible if you consider it’s quite normal for major bands to take up to 5 years between albums nowadays. But such was the creative spirit within the band that they actually surpassed the standards of their debut album.

Already international superstars “Led Zeppelin II” roared to number one all over the world. Most of the tracks are still staples of most album orientated radio stations and that’s 30 years after its release.

This is an album of Jimmy Page’s rock riffs so huge, John Paul Jones / John Bonham rhythms so heavy and deep, and vocal styling from Robert (Percy) Plant that the heavy metal genre this classic record helped to create has tried for decades to catch up, mostly never ever coming close to matching the majesty of the monster that was Led Zeppelin in full flow.

And is it any wonder as this period found the band at the peak of their hard rock creativity before they branched out into more experimental music on later albums? Never ones to let the grass grow under their feet this lot.

The album starts off with the trail blazing “Whole Lotta Love” (used as the theme tune for the English Pop singles show “Top Of The Pops” for years, which was pretty ironic as Led Zeppelin never released any singles, a firm policy set by man mountain manager Peter Grant), a woozy Rock ‘n’ Roll epic that was based on one simple sledge hammer riff, but giving plenty of scope for Robert Plant to show off his incredible vocal range in its trippy mid section. After “What Is And What Should Never Be”, which on any other album would be the stand out track, you get the musically brilliant but also hysterically funny “Lemon Song”. “Thank You” is a love song, which usually brings out plenty of derision but certainly not in this case. Then a trio of rockers in “Heartbreaker”, “Livin Lovin Maid” and “Ramble On”. The guitar solo in “Heartbreaker” literally tears the paint off walls. In “Moby Dick” John Bonham is allowed to show us why he was considered the best rock drummer ever, and one listen to this leaves you in no doubt that he was and is still sadly missed. The album finishes in fine style with “Bring It On Home” where Robert Plant adds another dimension with his harmonica playing. A fine way to close the album.

There must of been a wonderful moment at the conclusion of this recording session when the four members of the band, and probably the manager, sat down for the first time to listen to the playbacks and realized they had just laid down on tape, music that would change the face of Rock ‘n’ Roll forever.

Musicians

Jimmy Page - Guitar

John Paul Jones - Bass & Keyboards

John Bonham - Drums

Robert Plant - Vocals & Harmonica

Tracks Listing

1. Whole Lotta Love

2. What Is And What Should Never Be

3. The Lemon Song

4. Thank You

5. Heartbreaker

6. Livin Lovin Maid

7 Ramble On

8. Moby Dick

9. Bring It On Home