Tom Hanks Night: Splash (1984)

Director: Ron Howard Writers: Brian Grazer (story), Bruce Jay Friedman (screen story) Stars: Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah

So I’ve decided to inaugurate Friday and Saturday nights as Tom Hanks Night and watch and/or re-watch one of his films. To start of this Friday I watched Splash (1984), one of my favourite films starring Tom Hanks that I watched back when I was a kid. I haven’t seen it since so was eager to see how much I could remember and how different I felt watching it for the first and second time. Also having a soft spot for blondes this film is the perfect mix of a cast starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah is like a dream come true. I mean who doesn’t honestly want to meet a mermaid like Madison?

What are your thoughts?

Tom Hanks’ Uncommon Type coming to a bookstore near you

 

SO I was enthralled to hear that Tom Hanks was coming to London to sign his new book Uncommon Type: Some Stories (416p, William Heinemann, £16.99) on 2 November 2017 at the event at Waterstones. Uncommon Type is a collection of seventeen wonderful short stories and I can’t wait to get hold of a copy. Note to self: best decision ever was to move to London. No-one important ever comes to Denmark. He’s also appearing at Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival, in collaboration with Penguin Live in Tom Hanks in conversation: Uncommon Type on 1 November 2017, though tickets have long sold out. I’m sad I did not manage to get one. I’ve already ordered a signed copy online from Waterstones, but to get a chance to meet Tom Hanks in person for another signed copy, well is not one that I intend to miss. And what’s more he collects typewriters.

What I’ve recently watched: 127 Hours (2010)

Director: Danny Boyle, Writers: Danny Boyle (screenplay), Simon Beaufoy (screenplay); Stars: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara | Based on Aron Rolston’s book: Between a Rock and a Hard Place (2004)

I’ve got a soft spot for adventure / biography type films like Cast Away, All is Lost, Life of Pi, and The Grey.

127 Hours was an another entertaining watch and I highly recommend it. James Franco is surprisingly good in his role despite my misgivings from his Spider-man years.

Without ruining it with any spoilers, there is something I always carry with me wherever I go. Can you guess what it is?

What I’ve recently watched: Contact (1997)

Director: Robert Zemeckis, Writers: Carl Sagan (novel), Carl Sagan (story), and others; Stars: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey and Tom Skerritt.

This is one of my favourite films. I remember as a kid being captivated by the opening sequence with the zooming out from planet Earth. I remember reading the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan back in the nineties before the film premiered. Contact is directed by Robert Zemeckis, who has directed some of my favourite movies:  The Polar Express (2004), Cast Away (2000), Forrest Gump (1994) all staring Tom Hanks, and Back to the Future (1985).

So if you’ve never seen the movie, go now and buy/borrow it to see it.