Monthly Archives: January 2018

The Post – a review

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Grouse Beater

This film arrives in our cinemas at a pivotal moment in Scotland’s history. The press was established by its founders to serve the governed not the governors. Now they reverse that principle. In reprisal Scotland’s press is held to account like no … Continue reading →

Posted in Film review | 10 Comments

Car News: Bloody Cyclists

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Grouse Beater

A weekly guide to all that’s rotten about car ownership, plus some good bits The end of the combustion engine? I think we are in a second golden age of the automobile. But this time around we might not be … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Transportation | 39 Comments

Hostiles – a review

Posted on January 20, 2018 by Grouse Beater

We are in Mexico, it is 1892, and this is a tortured western, or more accurately, a western about tortured souls, not just one, as in John Ford’s The Searchers (1956), but almost every character, and maybe a wonky horse or … Continue reading →

Posted in Film review | Leave a comment

The Scottish Press

Posted on January 20, 2018 by Grouse Beater

Playground politics Scotland’s press is chronically unable to raise its intellectual capacity above click-bait politics. They are so bad, so blatantly clumsy at their job they classify whistle-blowers as conspiracy theorists to be ignored while warning us of Russian conspiracies … Continue reading →

Posted in Scottish Politics | 37 Comments

Three Billboards – a review

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Grouse Beater

  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, (a cumbersome title) is winning awards and nominations everywhere, so probably wise to review it now than later. Once the word gets around of how good the film is it’ll be difficult to get a seat. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Film review | 1 Comment

Coco – a review

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Grouse Beater

A new animation from Pixar is always an occasion to consider a night at the cinema rather than a repeat drama or a soap on the goggle box. Only two things make you hesitate – if aimed at kids will … Continue reading →

Posted in Film review | 1 Comment

Mortification Alley

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Grouse Beater

The quotations in this ghoul-filled journal are collected at random. In each bodily excretion readers will perceive the budding dictator, the sociopath, the liar, and the plain pig ignorant. The authors come from all walks of society, the wealthy who pride … Continue reading →

Posted in Scottish Politics | 11 Comments

All the Money – a review

Posted on January 7, 2018 by Grouse Beater

Let’s get Kevin Spacey out of the way first. He’s a superb actor and a great mimic, but when he appeared in a police station beaten and bruised from a late night stroll in a London park I knew it … Continue reading →

Posted in Film review | 5 Comments

Scotland’s Mafia

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Grouse Beater

The United Kingdom government has no God-given right to assume it will inherit every nation automatically at every general election. Scotland in Union be advised. Once you accept that maxim and hold rigidly to unionism right or wrong, you have no option … Continue reading →

Posted in Scottish Independence Referendum, Scottish Politics | 8 Comments