Author: Ian France
-
Wasteman
Film: Wasteman Year: 2026 Director: Cal McMau Rating: 100% Review: The sheer claustrophobia of this film is enough to propel it to high acclaim. This prison thriller / drama pits the viewer against the modern prison underbelly — drugs, beatings, betrayals. The protagonist is due for early parole, but is drawn into a spiral of…
-
Prisoners’ Escape: Answer
So, have the prisoners escaped? I like to think they did. But how did they maximise their chances? If you haven’t seen it, read the original puzzle here; and get a hint here, if you need it. Here’s what the prisoners should have decided: when the first prisoner goes in, they should open their number…
-
Healthiest Breakfast Stack
Something I’ve not eaten for some time is a fry-up. This is because for a few years now, I’ve been trying to make my diet a little healthier. Obviously I don’t always succeed, because I’m only human, but this was a little win. For a time, I made a healthier version of the dish, but…
-
GOAT
Film: GOAT Year: 2026 Director: Tyree Dillihay Rating: 85% Review: The wannabe becomes underdog plot has been done many times over. When the other elements of this film are added, you definitely feel you’ve seen it all before. But… it is a fun film, with great characters, exciting settings, and good-quality set pieces. The animation…
-
Prisoners’ Escape – Hint
A couple of weeks ago, I set you a puzzle based on prisoners escaping their captivity. Read it here if you haven’t seen it. If you’ve given it some thought and are struggling with it, here’s a hint for you. Clearly they’re not going to just open lockers at random. Think about, as a prisoner…
-
Wuthering Heights
Film: Wuthering Heights Year: 2026 Director: Emerald Fennell Rating: 100% Review: Blimey! What a film! Moody, funny, warm, cold, sweet, bitter, stark, lush — it’s a movie full of contradictions: but how well are they done!? The casting is superb, the locations are perfect, the cinematography is second-to-none, the acting is excellent. All that’s without…
-
Prisoners’ Escape
Here’s an interesting puzzle for you. One hundred prisoners are kept in a prison (obviously!). One day the prison warder comes by and tells them that they have a chance to escape. The downside is, that if they fail to escape, they will all be executed. In order to facilitate this escape, they are given…
-
Values, Vision & Mission Statement
Several years back, I was asked by a school to run a day’s training session on company values. I spent several weeks preparing, and ended up splitting the day into 3 sections: values, vision, mission statement. There was some surprise at this, as several of the staff felt they were the same thing, and this…
-
Parallel Lines
Album: Parallel Lines Artist: Blondie Year: 1978 Genre: New wave Run Time: 39m Rating: 80.91% Review: Good quality new wave from Deborah Harry and friends. There’s a bit of filler in the middle of the album, but with no less than 6 hits, 4 of them really well remembered, this is an LP which can…
-
Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Goodness Bowl
As detailed here, my diet (along with my fiancée’s) has changed recently. This was one of the first dishes we tried following the change, and we loved it so much, we keep coming back to it. The basic idea came from a book on ‘bowl food’. Here, I’ve simplified it considerably, whist keeping the delicious,…
Centred 