Readers Reject Olivia Wilde's Orgy Comments
Julie from the West Midlands strongly disagreed with director-star Olivia Wilde's suggestion that 'everyone's thought about an orgy of some kind,' made in promotion of her new film The Invite. Julie wrote: 'Romance and orgy don't belong in the same sentence… yuk!'
However, Julian Self from Wolverton welcomed a more relaxed attitude, recalling a French acquaintance who complained that the worst part of orgies in England was 'all the queuing.'
Debate Over 'Best' Film Lists
Colin from London supported chief film critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh's call to interrogate lists of 'best' films. He argued that compilers should justify each choice, offering examples from his own list: Sunrise (1927) for its country versus city divide; Ulzana's Raid (1972) for its authentic depiction of Apache culture; Ashes And Diamonds (1958) for its formal brilliance; Le Samourai (1967) as a gangster genre endpoint; and Far From Heaven (2002) for reworking Douglas Sirk's All That Heaven Allows (1955) for a changed culture.
Rent Controls Criticized as Housing Supply Falls Short
P Royan from London responded to Generation Rent's call for rent controls, arguing that property prices, not rents, are the problem. He noted that landlords in the south-east earn only about four per cent yield before tax, and squeezing that would prompt sell-offs. 'There is no point in having cheap, regulated rents if there is nowhere to rent,' he wrote, urging more housing construction regardless of whether it is council or private.
Junior ISAs Proposed for Education Funding
Miles Thomas from London disagreed with Rosie Murray-West's view that targeting financial ads at the old is wasteful. He advocated promoting Junior ISAs (Jisas) and Junior Self-Invested Personal Pensions (Jsipps) as tax-efficient ways to transfer wealth to the young. He called for rule changes to allow withdrawals for post-secondary education, especially trade skills and qualifications to address UK skills gaps, exam fees for home-schoolers, and training for neurodiverse children not covered by Education, Health and Care Plans.
