John le Carré, master spy novelist, died on 12 December at the age of 89. Like James Bond creator Ian Fleming, le Carré himself worked in intelligence, but his novels were the polar opposite of Bond, portraying espionage as bleak, often tedious, and above all morally ambiguous. Le Carré was a pen name, since he … Continue reading “The Spy Who Turned Novelist”
Originally, Artemis Fowl was the first of eight fantasy novels by Irish author Eoin Colfer. It was adapted for the cinema by Kenneth Branagh and finally released on Disney+ after being delayed by lockdown. It features first-time actors as well as experienced and even very experienced actors like Judi Dench who plays the part of … Continue reading “Artemis Fowl: Teen Bond Villain”
The Johnny English films are a great way to get pupils to think about the clichés of the James-Bond-type spy film. English, created and played by Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) is the perfect parody of 007. The third film in the series, Johnny English Strikes Back, is no exception. As the leaders of the G12 are … Continue reading “Teaching With Trailers: Johnny English”