Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Relight your fire
DERRY AND RICHARD GET HOPE FROM JOANNE.. Producer Adam Booth’s latest numbers all add up to hits
‘‘ It’s pitched somewhere between unofficial spin off and barefaced rip-off
DRAGON RIDER Cert ★★★
PG
On Sky Cinema and Now TV now
Two years have passed since Dreamworks mercilessly slayed its hit How To Train Your Dragon series. And if the final instalment left your little ones wanting more, this dubbed German animation could breathe a puff of life into an old obsession.
Pitched somewhere between unofficial spin-off and bare-faced rip-off, it pairs teenage thief Ben (voiced by Freddie Highmore) with a misfiring adolescent dragon called Firedrake (Thomas Brodie-sangster). They bump into one another as Ben makes his escape after attempting to steal some jewellery at the premiere of a film called How To Tame Your Dragon, a scene which I imagine has been played a fair few times in the offices of Dreamworks’ legal department.
At first, Ben is shocked to see a dragon in the flesh. According to the movie’s prologue, the misunderstood creatures have been in hiding for centuries after falling foul of the warlike humans.
But then Ben overhears Firedrake chatting to his sidekick Sorrell (Felicity Jones), a ‘brownie’ (a pixie, not a girl cub scout) with a deep distrust of humankind.
When they mention their quest to find a mythical dragon paradise filled with silver, Ben claims to be the fabled dragon rider who can guide them to its gates.
The characters are loosely based on the work of German writer Cornelia Funke but the Dreamworks’ films cast a longer shadow.
The animation is bright and breezy, the plot moves at a decent clip and Patrick Stewart is good value voicing a dragon-munching monster.
But the characters are less finely drawn. It was the touching relationship between the boy and his scaly pal that made the Dreamworks’ films take flight.
Dragon Rider aims a lot lower.
Joanna Lumley unveiling a mural in Derry as part of a travel series made for odd viewing on Tuesday evening – and that’s before you consider the subject of the mural, whom she was with, couldn’t fully appreciate it.
I’ve not sold Home Sweet Home: Travels in My Own Land particularly well – but it’s certainly worth a watch on the ITV Hub. Joanna sells Derry beautifully and the drone footage of the Maiden
City is breathtaking. But it’s Richard Moore – a legend of the city and someone Joanna is keen to point out is an old friend – who steals the show.
Richard has inspired so many people, both via his charity Children in Crossfire and the story of how he not only forgave – but befriended the soldier who blinded him with a rubber bullet in 1972.
Joanna surprised Richard (above) by bringing him to see a mural of which he knew nothing about – and of course describing it for him exquisitely – made for wonderful TV. The mural is a great addition to the city – depicting a meeting between The Dalai Lama and Richard (aka the Derrry Lama!) a few years
I’ve avoided the C-word the last few weeks – especially because it’s exhausting talking about it, but mostly because there’s been nothing to say. We’re currently in a bewildering loop of tainted optimism and confusion – the news and game-plan is entirely different depending on what day of the week it is. If this was a marathon, we’d be stuck at around 20 miles – sort of close to the finish line – but not near enough to relax. That’s when you feel the frustration of having worked so hard, for so long, yet still having a bit to go. In short – we’re all running on empty – the second wind having been and gone.
I don’t mean to come across downbeat – just honest. While this is arguably a nadir – even the most relentless pessimistic voice can’t deny we’re on – or at least approaching – the home straight.
So far in 2021, more than ever I’ve found myself looking to music, movies and books. Like many of you, I went through phases of bullying myself towards projects (DIY, re-learning the piano, mild gardening, cooking elaborate curries) – almost all of which have long been abandoned. Now I just want to indulge in the creativity of others.
Happily, I’ve not been stuck for great new music to talk about every week in the Daily Mirror. And trust me – I had assumed I’d be scraping the barrel long ago.
Rediscovering the music of Belfast producer Amerik has been a source of comfort in the last few weeks. We know Adam (that being his real name) as a go-to bass player and creative force for the likes of Blue Americans, In Case of Fire and Rams Pocket Radio. Over the last couple of years, however, he’s been drip feeding his own music. None of which sounds anything like the aforementioned acts.
Each of the five tracks released over the last two and a bit years (conveniently named ‘One’, ‘Two’, ‘Three’, ‘Four’ and... ’Five’) is designed for headphones and reflection – mostly piano, subtle orchestration and low key production, each beautifully crafted and quietly magnificent.
It’s been building towards a debut EP Bouquet, the first track from which you can stream today. ‘Olive’ is a hugely ambitious, adventurous piece of music – imagine Snow Patrol or Coldplay at their epic best – but somehow relocated to that iconic soundtrack from the 2011 movie Drive. And that praise is before you consider guest vocals from Gareth Dunlop (circled) – generally regarded as one of the finest singers in the country. ‘I’ll weather the storm and the days to come’ he sings, appropriately enough.
It sets the tone beautifully for the rest of the EP – released in April and featuring a selection of notable vocal contributions.
“In a strange way, the lockdown was a great chance for me to get my EP finished. Being able to create music virtually with the artists including Gareth Dunlop, Travi The Native and Little Rivers, allowed me to focus on my own before sending ideas and mixes that we could collaborate on,” Adam explained.
“It was really effective for me for the way I work to slowly work on sounds or melodies, rather than being in the same room as an artist and worried that I don’t have enough ideas.”
Happily, Adam is all too aware of how so many of us forced ourselves to be ultra productive in 2020 – when perhaps just getting through each day was an achievement in itself.
“During 2020, there were definitely moments where you felt that because you now seemingly have all this free time, you should be bringing out theree albums, a book of poetry and maybe a short movie, whilst learning to juggle knives. In those moments, it’s best to just put the phone down and focus on what you’re doing. Whether your output is a drawing, a sketch, a loop or just an iphone voice note, that’s enough. Get out of the comparison game and just create for the joy of it.”
I appreciate the sentiment, of course – but would add – if you don’t find the little spark to create – you can still find solace in the creativity of others. In that spirit, lets be grateful for people like Amerik and the music they create. Because when the soundtrack is good, escapism is that little bit easier.
‘‘ It was really effective for me for the way I work to slowly work on sounds or melodies, rather than being in the same room as an artist and worried that I don’t have enough ideas.
A TREMENDOUS money-spinner for Ado Mcguinness and Dooley Thoroughbreds, Saltonstall should book his ticket to Saudi Arabia by landing tonight’s Hollywoodbets Horse Racing Race in Dundalk.
Mcguinness is sending Harry’s Bar for the $1.5 million Saudi Arabia Airlines Dirt Sprint (six furlongs) next week.
And, if things go well tonight, Saltonstall will also be on the plane to Riyadh, for a $1 million conditions event while another Mcguinness inmate, Bowerman, will be heading for Doha for a Group 2 event over a mile (on February 19).
A battle-hardened six-year-old, Saltonstall is bidding for a four-timer here having scored at Limerick (in October), Naas (the listed Glencairn Stakes, in November) and in a one-mile conditions event here in November.
To be ridden tonight by 7lb claimer Cian Macredmond, Saltonstall has never won over tonight’s trip – an extended mile and a quarter.
Having won back-to-back renewals of the Colm Quinn BMW Mile at Galway over an extended mile up the Ballybrit hill, he has every chance of seeing it out on this surface.
Rated 111, Saltonstall looks a cut above his four rivals and is expected to outpoint the Jim Bolger-trained Bold Approach.
The Eddie Lynam-trained Major Power, a course and distance winner last February, returned after a 10-month break to run a cracker against the progressive Whatharm recently and has excellent prospects in the featured Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap.
The Fozzy Stack-trained 82-rated Blue Cabochon will be expected to shed her maiden tag in the opening five-furlong event.
And Joseph O’brien has double prospects with Melliferous and Devil’s Outlaw in the other maiden action.