Maths/Stats Question

[E Michael White]

Now the word is 'tontine'- a financial instrument. (Don't you just love the sound of that, it's like music to the ears.) A group of investors who all put the same amount of money into an investment fund owned exclusively by them must wait - and hopefully watch the fund grow - until only one of them remains alive. That lucky old person then receives all the proceeds from the 'tontine' as the fund is cashed in when he becomes the last living member.

Impressed you know about tontines John but they were usually written as annuities not last survivor assurance and investors could buy unequal shares. They gave the US economy a boost at two important times in its history.

[John McKenna]

Tontines are, incidentally, illegal nowadays, for one very good reason: people were trying too hard to make sure they would be the beneficiaries of them.

Thanks to E. Michael, above, and Jack for pointing out the pros & cons of tontines (pronounced "tonteens").

In The Wrong Box the starting value of the tontine is £20,000, comprised of 20 x £1,000 investments made by parents and guardians of 20 children in mid-Victorian times.

And, yes, it all nearly ends badly when one of the last two surviving members of the tontine - the Finsbury bros. - attempts to kill off the other so that his adopted orphan son can inherit all the proceeds, which had grown considerably over time, of the tontine.

Unfortunately the innocent brother has 3 adopted orphans, and the two male ones (played by P. Cook & D. Moore) are determined that their murderous uncle will die first so they can inherit.

Fortunately the female adopted daughter (played by Nanette Newman) and the muderous uncle's medical student adopted son (played by Michael Caine) combine well to thwart all the dastardly plans and deeds - ensuring that both the Finsbury bros. are alive at the end of the film when love conquers all.

[NickFaulks]

I have stayed away from this thread since it stopped being about maths/stats - some time ago! However, I cannot refrain from commenting on The Wrong Box, which I regard as the definitive product of the British film industry. Even Michael Caine is good. It can properly be compared with The BIg Lebowski, which from me is the ultimate praise.

[John McKenna]

I almost totally agree, Nick, but...

Even Michael Caine is good.

I attended the same school as Michael, though he'd already departed by the time I got to Wilson's in Camberwell.

(Harry Golombek was another old boy, so the school had a bit of a chess tradition, which Neil Cooper has built on in recent times. I played in regular inter-house chess competitions and rarer matches with other schools. In addition I also played "inside right" for the 1st XI, and not a lot of people know that.)

As you can tell I am biased, but I do think Michael one of England's finest actors. His screen debut in Zulu, as Lieutenant Bromhead, and subsequent performances as Harry Palmer, in the films of Len Deighton's spy novels, made him into an icon.

Next you'll be telling me that you never rated Mick McManus - whose son Tony was a senior contemporary of mine at the school - as a wrestler, either?!

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/ ... ck-mcmanus

[Mick Norris]

Is Zootropolis any good?

Yes, it’s really good. One of my favourite films of the year so far and certainly one of the very best from the 'mainstream American' category.

Finally seen it this lunchtime, in a cinema empty other than my 11 years old daughter and I - we both thought it was great, though probably for different reasons (I don't think she got the film references) - whether it will inspire her to clean out her rabbit, we will see

[Jonathan Bryant]

"Tom time" must be over but where's our man at the movies, Jonathan? (Answer - playing chess at e2e4 Gatwick.)

John was right - I was at Gatwick.

Full report on Tom’s A Hologram for the King will follow later today when I get a bit more time. There’ll also be some movie advice on what to say to an attractive lady who asks, "Do you want to go upstairs?"

For now, this quote about making the wonderful Mustang which was referenced a few pages ago ...

"Shooting in Turkey was like a big chess game; You had to know how you were going to move your next pawn."

https://twitter.com/Everymancinema/stat ... 8413706240

[John McKenna]

Shooting in Turkey was like a big chess game; You had to know how you were going to move your next pawn.

At Gatwick at the end of your 5th round game , when you offered the draw, you must have known there were no "shots" left worth making -

[Event "e2e4 Gatwick (U-2050)"]<br> [Site "?"]<br> [Date "2016.05.29"]<br> [Round "5"]<br> [White "JB"]<br> [Black "JJM"]<br> [Result "1/2-1/2"]<br> [SetUp "1"]<br> [FEN "2k5/1p1n4/pKp1p1p1/2Pp1p2/1P1P1P2/4P1P1/1P2B3/8 w - - 0 37"]<br> [PlyCount "1"]<br> <br> 37. Ka5 { (=) } 1/2-1/2

[Jonathan Bryant]

Late, but better late than never, here are my thoughts on A Hologram for the King.

I liked it.

I wouldn’t go so far to say that it’s good and it’s certainly nowhere near a must see, but it passed the time very amiably and it was a good night out. I liked it much more than the critics, it seems.

It has the same problems that Tom Hanks normally have - Tom Must Win so there’s less dramatic tension than there might otherwise be. The film is very largely about Hanks’ confusion as he arrives in Saudi Arabia trying to get by in an unfamiliar culture whilst the world he knows - economically and socially - collapses. Yet it’s a Tom Hanks film so you know it’s going to be alright in the end one way or the other. In fact, so sure is Tom that we all know this that he actually announced in interviews publicising the film that they changed the ending from the book to give the film a more positive finale.

But nevertheless it was an enjoyable couple of hours.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Right, a quick post-Tom film update while I’ve got a spare moment >>>

The Daughter
Small town Australians having a thoroughly miserable time. Does include the following dialogue


WOMAN (coquettishly): Shall we go upstairs?

MAN: To play chess?


Love and Friendship
Getting all kinds of rave reviews but I’m not sure why. It’s OK - better than that, even - but it’s very far from a Must See. I much preferred Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

No chess.


Money Monster
Mediocre Hollywood fare. To get much out of this one you have to care whether George Clooney gets shot in the head or not - and personally I don’t very much. Passes an evening well enough but no more than that.

No chess.



Alice Through The Looking Glass
Surprised to find I really rather enjoyed this - and not just because of the recurring chess theme. Reviews have been sniffy and there have been many stories about poor ticket sales. Still, I liked it a lot.

[John McKenna]

When I get to go see A Hologram for the King I will bear in mind that somewhere in the multiverse an alternative ending is possible.

One day Tom may get his comeuppance - until then everyone's a winner.

Anyone see the Australian black comedy The Dressmaker?

(I thought it was a kind of remake of Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter with scissors instead of guns.)

[Jonathan Bryant]

Anyone see the Australian black comedy The Dressmaker?

I loved it. Story flops about a bit in the second half but it was just so enjoyable I didn’t care that much. Twin Peaks in 1950s Australia? What’s not to like.

And Kate Winslet can do no wrong in my eyes.

[John McKenna]

Anyone see the Australian black comedy The Dressmaker?

I loved it. Story flops about a bit in the second half but it was just so enjoyable I didn’t care that much. Twin Peaks in 1950s Australia? What’s not to like.

And Kate Winslet can do no wrong in my eyes.

I agree- a box office draw - and there's even a warning in it to those who would take a leap into the dark after thinking about it for only secs.

[Jonathan Bryant]

A bit pushed for time last week and next week so I’ll cut to the chase:-


Learning to Drive - Great
Race - Terrible
Studio Ghibli: Only Yesterday - Great
The Nice Guys - Trash
Warcraft: The Beginning - Not Great, but not anywhere near as putrid as you might have expected
Where to Invade Next - Disappointing
Mother’s Day - Truly Dreadful
Studio Ghibi: When Marnie was There - Great


Not a single mention of chess between them.

[Jonathan Bryant]

The Conjuring 2 - a reference to a character being a "pawn" but otherwise no chess.

Not really enough horror for a horror film either - it’s got a couple of jumps, but also a ludicrous ’true’ story - *cough* bull**it *cough* - and the feeling that you’ve seen it all before.

The most fun part of watching was ticking off all the anachronisms for a story set in late 1970s Enfield. The Goodies being on daytime TV for example There being daytime TV at all, for that matter. My favourite was the TARDIS-like 1930s semi-detached house which had a basement as big as an Olympic-size swimming pool.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Independence Day: Resurgence

Tediously stupid. A cynical rehashing of tired narratives constructed purely to enrich the careers of those who made it happen. Will appeal to xenophobes and simpletons.

No chess.