“ABOUT FUCKING TIME, RYAN!” is one man’s welcome to our host this evening. As the heckler’s seat is in the heavens, he sounds more like God. Ryan, ignoring the call, waves nervously, sits idly at his piano, flicks through a red songbook, and blows his nose onto his sleeve… If we can pause for a moment and skip back to 2005; we can again go ‘oooh’ at the fact that Mr Adams released three great albums that year; Cold Roses [...]

From when Peter Jackson’s name was synonymous with gore and splatter, rather than say, Orcs and Oscars; his films have always included a sprinkling of the geek an inherent wonder of what can be achieved with special effects (Bad Taste, Braindead, The Frighteners) and, in contrast, a maturity and natural ability to mould human drama (Heavenly Creatures). This contrast puts Mr Jackson a Middle-Earth beyond his peers, and is why this reviewer considers The Lord of the Rings to be [...]