I read this question recently. Oh god, what a question…this is like asking Sir David Attenborough ‘what species of life on earth do you find the most interesting – other than the human kind?’

This is like asking a child…which sweet do you prefer?

This is like asking Steven Spielberg, Lord Richard Attenborough or Cecil B DeMille – ‘What film is your favourite?’

It all comes down to personal choice you see. Hamlet. The one character in his all his plays that Shakespeare left us to forever dwell on; asked us to dwell on! Hamlet has been brought to life by so many actors in so many different ways.

Sir John Gielgud – infinitely sensitive and vulnerable

Lawrence Olivier – ballsy; masculine – he brought Hamlet to the big screen in all his blonde-ness and with such bravado.

Richard Burton – stagey, brave – maybe too attractive for his time, but pure entertainment

Mel Gibson - not too stagey, not too ‘matinee idol’ – very much a Hamlet for the new millenium. Understated. Kind of sexy in a way. Does it matter how Hamlet is portrayed these days? How does Hamlet best reach the population…via TV, film or the stage?

You know what? Maybe the quintessential Hamlet has not yet been revealed. Why is this? Because I think it is due to Shakespeare’s words themselves; no actor has yet caught the spirit of Hamlet yet for me. He’s still out there waiting in the wings. Still waiting to be resurrected after nearly 500 years. 

Copyright © 2007-2012 Cultured Views. All rights reserved.

Urrggh! I have just seen a ‘taster’ for a new reality TV show on MTV1 in the UK. I’ll keep this short because I don’t usually waste my time on such nonsence but I feel I had to express a few thoughts about this particular one.

Kerry Katona…what can you say about her? Actually this is a young woman who has a sharp mind – when it is in focus that is – and she’s not a  ‘dumb dora’ either. But she certainly is having her fair share of trouble with the UK media these days; the critisicm, the tell all’s from her friends and family members; her well reported problems with drugs and what-not. And she spends a lot of time appearing on TV shows often incoherently claiming she and her husband are misunderstood.

Frankly, even if we did understand what would it do for the rest of society? She is appearing in a show that mirrors very much what happens in many homes across the UK…drunken arguments in front of small children, swearing (alot of it), immature behaviour from adults who should know better. Except this is supposed to be a celebrity couple putting their private lives on the TV in order for us all to understand them better!

Frankly, I’d rather not. I think Kerry’s made a big mistake here.

Not a wise decision Kerry!

Read more about this at Unreality TV.

Copyright © 2007-2012 Cultured Views. All rights reserved.