The Surreal World of Pickle Shopping

Being back on calorie limiting lifestyle, I'm not the merriest of folk right now.  There are silver linings to every cloud though.

Whilst hunting around for low-calorie snacks I've nearly emptied my pickle jar.  So off it was to add some pickles to my online shopping basket.  A fridge is not complete without a jar of good quality pickled onions.  Good quality pickled onions, unfortunately, are getting harder and harder to find.  I like them large and I like them in spicy vinegar.  Not those pathetic soggy Silverskin imposters.  My current favourites are Sainsbury's in Hot & Spicy Vinegar.  Very tasty, with plenty of crunch.

As I wasn't shopping at Sainsbury's I was in uncharted waters.  I decided to have a browse and pick whatever looked tastiest.  First thing I came across was......

Is it April 1st I asked myself, no.  Could this be a leftover from April Fools' Day that hasn't been removed.  Oh no, they have their own website, http://www.pickleodeon.co.uk/  They were swiftly added to my basket!  Along with some Waitrose Spiced Pickled Onions and Balsamic Onions.  Now when these arrive I will update and review these preserved root vegetables.

Getting back to Barry.  I have always had the utmost respect for the man.  He is my favourite reviewer of films.  His autobiography was very entertaining and well, he comes across as an all 'round decent guy.  http://www.pickleodeon.co.uk/ claims that these onion are Hot & Spicy and Crunchy.  If these claims are true I will be on Cloud 9 (ramming my pickle fork into a jar).

He states that he never intended to sell these pickles but was convinced by a friend wowed by their quality.  Well just look at that jar above.  I have never seen a cooler jar.  The clapperboard on the label, referenced on the lid also.  Calling your website 'Pickleodeon'.  Doesn't it just give you a little grin?  I just hope I haven't hyped up these pickles too much for me to enjoy them at their fullest....  Those peppercorns peeping out of the bottom of the jar give me confidence though :-)

Reviewing a Reviewer - It's Only a Movie

Mark Kermode has lately been the only film critic whose reviews I have regularly been in contact with.  I'm usually behind in my newspaper reading and magazines I'm always behind.  His Friday afternoon show is listened to, via the podcast, every week unless I'm out of the country.

Even though I often disagree with his views on a film I can usually tell if a film is for me from what he has to say.  For a long time I would have said that he was one of my favourite reviewers.  As time has gone by though it has gone from a film review programme to a comedy double act with reviews thrown in.  When they are thrown in his co-host Mr Mayo often feels the need to interrupt the review with what is supposedly meant to be a funny comment.  Unfortunately these comments have become more frequent, less funny and much more irritating.  In the show Kermode has never been averse to telling us anecdotes of his life on the edge of film.  These stories are interesting but tend to be repeated until you can recite them along with him.

This is where my main problem with this book lies.  I've heard most of it before.  A lot of it on more than one occasion.  I like these stories but not enough to make the buying of the book a good investment.  There are parts of the book that were new to me, a fair amount to be fair.  The problem was it was mostly the filler that was fresh to me.  The highlights were old news.

The book is told in a fresh and interesting way.  His wit makes it a fun read.  If you're not a regular weekly listener to the 5Live show I'd recommend you give it a try.  Then comes the awful comparison, I have to admit I preferred Barry Norman's autobiography.  I'm probably biased but Norman will probably never be bested as a film critic in my eyes.  The only way Kermode can take his crown is to get a serious review show of his own.  I hope the BBC see sense and give him Film 2011.  I love his reviews on The Culture Show and think he makes a better critic than he does half of a double act.

3 out of 5 pawprints for me.  Probably would have taken 4 if I hadn't heard most of the stories before.