Matty Long
Bio
Jack of all trades, master of watching movies. Also particularly fond of beer, pizza, watching football, country music, and travelling.
X: @eardstapa_
Achievements (1)
Stories (76/0)
My Top Ten Movies of 2022
Happy new year. To start the year off, I thought it would make sense to count down my favourite movies of 2022, which was a great year for film. Many of my favourites were streamed on Netflix, which was convenient but does make me sad about the future of cinema. Thankfully, however, at least one of these was a classic big screen masterpiece.
By Matty Long2 years ago in Geeks
The Best Bob Dylan Covers
I recently went to see the brilliant musical ‘Girl from the North Country.’ I love Bob Dylan’s music but the story itself is also excellent and I can’t recommend it enough. Another great aspect of the show is the way his songs are interpreted. And this is a common occurrence with Dylan’s work. There are so many songs you may not realise he wrote, because others made them their own. He is probably the greatest songwriter (and one of the greatest writers in general) of all time. But it’s fascinating to see how others interpret this genius. And with such a prolific writer, there are so many instances of this in music history. I would be here all day if I was counting down my favourite Dylan songs (I’m always discovering more), but when it comes to covers, I’ve cut it down to my top 5. There aren’t any versions from ‘Girl from the North Country’ mentioned, because if you’ve got this far, go see it!
By Matty Long2 years ago in Beat
They don’t make them like that any more
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past week, you will know that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has recently passed away. Outpourings of grief have followed all over the world and indeed the internet, for a woman who served her country dutifully for 70 years. There have also been many voices saying that now is the time to end the monarchy, and make Elizabeth the last. I don't think, unlike some, that it is an inappropriate time to make that argument. In fact I have a lot of sympathy for it (if you want to know my overall feelings on the royal family, read the article I wrote when Prince Philip died last year), but there has also been a lot of strong criticism of the Queen herself. Much of which is just disrespectful, and indeed based on lazy thinking, in my eyes. Not that I would deny that anyone has the right to those thoughts. But it's given me some thoughts of my own, which I intend to attempt to articulate here.
By Matty Long2 years ago in The Swamp
Scotland in the Summer
Last week I tried to suggest some travel advice for London on a budget give the cost of living crisis. This week I'm going to send a short message to all readers living in the UK that, during this unusually hot summer, there is a paradise right on our doorstep. Scotland! The country of rain and rain and rain is suddenly full of sun. Loads of Scottish fellas are running around looking confused and seeking shade, whilst their country turns into an absolute paradise.
By Matty Long2 years ago in Wander
London on a Budget
The cost of living crisis has hit everyone hard (what kind of world are we living in when McDonald's has put the price of cheeseburgers up by 20p?!), and many people now need to factor that into their travel plans. For me, that means I'm trying to go to all the places I want to visit in my own country of Britain. The most recent city break I had was to the capital London. And although travel costs were reduced for me, it is of course still a very expensive city. However, if you're careful, you can have a great time on a budget. I've tried to break some of this down. And even folks from abroad who have made it to the capital but are still concerned about costs may find some of this advice useful.
By Matty Long2 years ago in Wander
Hamilton: an all-round crowd pleaser and nothing more
I went to see Hamilton on the west end in London recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'd seen the recording on Disney plus which got me into it, and I was very familiar with the brilliant and musically-diverse soundtrack. But it's something you have to see live to truly appreciate how amazing and groundbreaking it is, not to mention that the performance of Hamilton himself (Scottish newcomer Reuben Joseph) was brilliant, far better than the not-so-brilliant-but-we'll-allow-it-cos-he-wrote it performance of Lin-Manuel Miranda.
By Matty Long2 years ago in Geeks
Jolly Jaunt to Edinburgh
We arrived in Edinburgh to be greeted largely by sun. In fact, it largely stayed this way while I was there. Apart from when it didn’t - 5/10 minute periods of the heavens opening when only a minute ago you were practically sunburnt. But hey, that’s the UK for you. I’m typing this on the train home right now and if I look to my right I see glorious sunshine, where as on my left it’s pouring.
By Matty Long2 years ago in Wander
‘The Lord of the Rings’ Best Scenes
I’ve recently re-read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ books but my love for them was born from the film trilogy. I still think they’re the greatest films ever made. The writing, acting, direction is just brilliant. No other movies come close to the level of epic that these do. I can’t believe I haven’t done a countdown of my favourite scenes before, so here goes:
By Matty Long2 years ago in Geeks
Mc the Life
Last month, after a total of eight years, I left my job at McDonald's to be a writer full time. Having never intended to have been there that long, I can confirm it did leave a bit of an M-shaped hole in my life. I might not miss much of it right now, but I think I will in time. Meanwhile, I'm going to try and put into words the life and times of my tenure there.
By Matty Long2 years ago in Journal
The Beasts Really Are Fantastic
I don’t often do reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. Partly because I just love going to the cinema and COVID put a stop to it for so long and now the cost of living crisis is doing the same. Thank goodness for Vodafone and their 2 for £7 vue vouchers allowing myself and my girlfriend to attend for peanuts. It wasn’t the perfect cinema experience, due to a friend (demoted now to associate) breaking all the basic laws of cinema etiquette. Arriving late, moving loudly, flashing torch everywhere, talking, eating loud food during quiet scenes, slurping drink and then getting up to go to the toilet AS WELL.
By Matty Long2 years ago in Geeks
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