Author Archives: R.J. Southworth

About R.J. Southworth

Hi there. I've been blogging since January 2014, and I like to talk about all sorts of things: book reviews, film reviews, writing, science, history, or sometimes just sharing miscellaneous thoughts. Thanks for visiting my blog, and I hope you find something that interests you!

Film review – Top Gun: Maverick

The original Top Gun holds a special place in my heart; it’s the first film that I can remember truly falling in love with. Whenever my dad upgraded the sound system on our TV, this is the film he would … Continue reading

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Film review – Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

The Fantastic Beasts film series has not exactly been a success, at least as far as critical reception goes. The first film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, was merely mediocre; the second, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, … Continue reading

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Film review: The Batman

With continuity in the DC Extended Universe having become so messy that it’s difficult to keep track, Matt Reeves’s new film The Batman keeps things refreshingly simple by steering clear of any connections to the DCEU and – for now, … Continue reading

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Looking Back on 2021

2021 has felt like a fairly conservative year, which I suppose is only to be expected. With the Covid-19 pandemic still very much ongoing, there was a certain cautiousness about getting out and doing things even when restrictions were lifted. … Continue reading

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Doctor Who: Flux – Series 13 – Final Thoughts

Doctor Who: Flux isn’t bad. Indeed, at its strongest, it probably represents the best of the Chibnall era. Yet there’s still something dissatisfying about it. By the final episode, I was rather troubled by the fact that I wasn’t too … Continue reading

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November: Two Different Endurance Challenges

The end of November saw a couple of achievements to reflect upon. First, I completed my thirteenth National Novel Writing Month – here are some thoughts on how this one went: I’d done a lot of prep work beforehand, yet … Continue reading

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Doctor Who – Series 13, Episode 1: “The Halloween Apocalypse”

Excellent cold open to kick things off, complete with references to Nitro-9 and the Doctor previously being Scottish. I’m liking Dan Lewis so far, though given how positively he’s framed with sharing his passion for Liverpool and helping out at … Continue reading

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Back to the Cinema

There have been plenty of advantages to lockdown measures being relaxed this year, and one of them is that cinemas are open again for the release of new films. Sadly, Top Gun: Maverick has been pushed back again to next … Continue reading

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NaNoWriMo 2021: Year Thirteen!

Most of my writing efforts this year have been focussed on editing, and while I haven’t managed to keep it up every single day, I’ve definitely done a lot more across the year than I have previously. But now it’s … Continue reading

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My 600th Post: My Running This Year

As well as being a good year for reading and writing, 2021 has turned to be a positive year for running too. After completing a virtual half-marathon last year, I felt as if I lost my running mojo to a … Continue reading

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