Sooooo....still haven't caried out my plan to fulfil the last New Year's Resolution I made all the way back in January, and it's December on Monday. Hmm. Am I a chicken, or have I just not had the opportunity? I think it's a little bit of both. Wonderful.
In the meantime I've been using my spare time by acting in a farce called Off The Hook, which was terrific fun. On the first Monday I've had where I didn't have any rehearsals, I sat down to start watching movies again which I haven't done in ages! This time the film was called Jindabyne. Here's the review down below - as always, watch out for spoilers, and enjoy!
Four men living in Australia go for a fishing trip in the mountains near their home town of Jindabyne. When they discover a young girl's mutilated body floating in the river they are faced with a moral dilemma that continues to haunt and affect them long after they return home to their respective partners...
The first thing to say about this film is that it is slow. It's not that long, but it is slow. Nothing seems rushed at all in the telling and unfolding of the story. It feels rather like the river that the four men start fishing in, in that it trickles rather than races like the threatening rapids one of them (Gabriel Byrne) mentions lie beyond their camping spot.
The film starts with the murderer waiting for his victim, though we never actually see the disgusting act take place - just the dumping of her body by him. He continues to float around the film in brief interludes, sometimes threatening, others just observing, reflecting the way in which we first meet him. What surprised me most was that he escapes justice; the film ends back where we started.
Instead the real crime, apparently, is what happens when the body is discovered. For a brief moment I was caught up with the four guys, enjoying their success at catching the big fish they've always wanted to catch in this mountain river, pushing the dead body away from the scene. Yet she quickly returns, and with her brings a new feeling of uneasy guilt to the proceedings. The town must face up to what the boys were doing - enjoying themselves instead of calling the police instantly.
There are clumsy moments in the film from here on in. In my opinion the race card (the girl has Aboriginal roots) is dealt, in comparison to the rest of the film, too quickly and swept aside too easily from the question of why the men do what they do. Instead it focuses more on the after effects of these actions, in particular on the character of Claire played by Laura Linney, rather than a study of these four men. It is a shame that her character and Byrne's, her husband, are used so much; it reduces one of the four men into a rather two-dimensional surfer dude, and more or less silences the other two. Any other problems faced by the other respective partners, though introduced, rarely get any more screen time.
It is perhaps also a shame that, though two arguably very brilliant actors, Linney and Byrne were needed at all. Though Byrne's presence in Australia is explained by his Irish mother who also lives there, Linney's origins remain a mystery She is obviously American, but how did she end up in Austrailia? Would the film have benefited more from casting two Australian actors in these parts, or was this casting just to try and get international audiences? Perhaps.
On the whole this was a thoughtful film, though it could perhaps have been a little clearer in what it was actually trying to say. Maybe that was the point; you have to make up your own mind as to who is truly guilty and who is not.
7/10
Laters.
Thursday 27 November 2008
Tuesday 4 November 2008
Dazed And Confused
Recently I went through some tough times in my personal life. I mentioned in an earlier blog of my recently failed relationship - it actually only lasted a month. It's been nearly a month since the break up itself and what really annoys me is that most of the time I feel fine, yet I only need to see something or hear something and I'm instantly transported back to my friend's study where the deed took place. Not once do I return to any of the (few) good times we had together.
What worries me is that this is exactly what happened last time, and that relationship had been a lot more serious, lasting almost 2 1/2 years. There were different circumstances surrounding that break up of course, but it destroyed me completely. I was stuck in my University during my first year and, due to a mixture of my own stupidity and other factors, I had at that time few friends. I would have hoped that being here at home surrounded by my friends I would not go through a similar pattern. Sadly, annoyingly, this has not been quite the case.
However, these things help: Madonna and Guy Ritchie - split. The episode of Frasier I'm watching whilst writing this - Ros has just been dumped after confessing her love for bloke. Oh, and I have one more New Year's Resolution to fulfil. I have to. I need to. I'm completely insane to do it, but right now, at this very moment, I cannot see any other choice. I'll let you all know when it happens, as it ill probably the last blog I ever write. Ha!
Laters.
What worries me is that this is exactly what happened last time, and that relationship had been a lot more serious, lasting almost 2 1/2 years. There were different circumstances surrounding that break up of course, but it destroyed me completely. I was stuck in my University during my first year and, due to a mixture of my own stupidity and other factors, I had at that time few friends. I would have hoped that being here at home surrounded by my friends I would not go through a similar pattern. Sadly, annoyingly, this has not been quite the case.
However, these things help: Madonna and Guy Ritchie - split. The episode of Frasier I'm watching whilst writing this - Ros has just been dumped after confessing her love for bloke. Oh, and I have one more New Year's Resolution to fulfil. I have to. I need to. I'm completely insane to do it, but right now, at this very moment, I cannot see any other choice. I'll let you all know when it happens, as it ill probably the last blog I ever write. Ha!
Laters.
Wednesday 15 October 2008
SIA - "Soon We'll Be Found"
Over here in Blighty we have a really good music programme called Later...With Jools Holland, which is where they get as many bands/artists as possible into the studio and spend as little time as possible chatting to them - they just let them play live music which always sounds good. Occasionally you discover an artists you've never heard of before and really get to dig, or maybe just an individual song. This has happened twice for me this year. The first instance was with the SugaRush Beat Company (More about them in a future blog entry), but recently the artist SIA has come to my attention. The Australian singer was not on my radar until a week or so ago, and admittedly I had to get over the rather relaxed way she sings her songs. But there was one she performed which was one of the most beautiful I've heard in a long time. I'm not sure how it will fare in our hit parade over here, but I feel like I should share it with the millions who no doubt read this blog obsessively (Boom boom). So here it is - enjoy!
Laters!
Laters!
Tuesday 14 October 2008
Burton's Ephiphany
Below is the review for one of my most eagerly anticipated movies of this year, Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, based on the epic musical by American legend Stephen Sondheim.
Tim Burton has, despite his frequent insistence on his dislike for the genre, always been a director of musicals. You only need to look at the animated films of Corpse Bride or The Nightmare Before Christmas to see his unique take on show stopping numbers, and in his other films there are often moments of musical tomfoolery, such as in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory or Mars Attacks! The difference between these films and something like, say The Sound Of Music is pretty obvious. Burton is a dark, Gothic auteur whose own brand of black comedy and love of ghoulish storytelling is now legendary in its own right.
So Sweeney Todd was perfect for him. In fact there is no other living film director who comes to mind who would have been as perfect a director of the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's perhaps most celebrated musical (though its more of a light opera than anything else - not in its subject matter, but in the amount of dialogue and songs). The actual show just oozes Burton in its horror story qualities, and you have the chance to bring more gore to the proceedings being much more up close and personal than in the theatre. Yet Burton never goes OTT with this gore, unlike some very unfortunate film franchises that are circulating today. It is INTENTIONAL gore, and though it may shock you when you first experience it (it comes in rather late into the movie) you quickly get over the surprise and begin to enjoy it in a rather unnerving way.
There are other reasons for this other than Burton's handling. Depp and Bonham Carter are brilliant in their roles. Neither are strong singers, yet they perform their songs with such intensity it would be hard to believe they have not performed this on the stage themselves. Depp has added another memorable character to his vastly growing CV of kooks, and Bonham Carter's credibility has once again shot up above the Merchant Ivory costume dramas she was first discovered in. The supporting cast work very well too, though the love story between Todd's daughter and his sailor friend does suffer from the necessity of cutting for time.
It helps that the music is extraordinary too. Though Sondheim has not been as successful in the UK as he has been in the States, its incredibly difficult to grasp just why this show was not more popular over here. The songs segue beautifully into each other , always with a dark undertone lurking somewhere, even in the lighter pieces (and there are one or two). A new production will no doubt be planned in the near future - and if not, why not?
Burton has returned back to his roots after a few films that, though brilliant, were very family orientated. This is a film for grown ups, a fable for grown ups, and Burton does very well indeed with these fables.
8/10
Laters!
Tim Burton has, despite his frequent insistence on his dislike for the genre, always been a director of musicals. You only need to look at the animated films of Corpse Bride or The Nightmare Before Christmas to see his unique take on show stopping numbers, and in his other films there are often moments of musical tomfoolery, such as in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory or Mars Attacks! The difference between these films and something like, say The Sound Of Music is pretty obvious. Burton is a dark, Gothic auteur whose own brand of black comedy and love of ghoulish storytelling is now legendary in its own right.
So Sweeney Todd was perfect for him. In fact there is no other living film director who comes to mind who would have been as perfect a director of the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's perhaps most celebrated musical (though its more of a light opera than anything else - not in its subject matter, but in the amount of dialogue and songs). The actual show just oozes Burton in its horror story qualities, and you have the chance to bring more gore to the proceedings being much more up close and personal than in the theatre. Yet Burton never goes OTT with this gore, unlike some very unfortunate film franchises that are circulating today. It is INTENTIONAL gore, and though it may shock you when you first experience it (it comes in rather late into the movie) you quickly get over the surprise and begin to enjoy it in a rather unnerving way.
There are other reasons for this other than Burton's handling. Depp and Bonham Carter are brilliant in their roles. Neither are strong singers, yet they perform their songs with such intensity it would be hard to believe they have not performed this on the stage themselves. Depp has added another memorable character to his vastly growing CV of kooks, and Bonham Carter's credibility has once again shot up above the Merchant Ivory costume dramas she was first discovered in. The supporting cast work very well too, though the love story between Todd's daughter and his sailor friend does suffer from the necessity of cutting for time.
It helps that the music is extraordinary too. Though Sondheim has not been as successful in the UK as he has been in the States, its incredibly difficult to grasp just why this show was not more popular over here. The songs segue beautifully into each other , always with a dark undertone lurking somewhere, even in the lighter pieces (and there are one or two). A new production will no doubt be planned in the near future - and if not, why not?
Burton has returned back to his roots after a few films that, though brilliant, were very family orientated. This is a film for grown ups, a fable for grown ups, and Burton does very well indeed with these fables.
8/10
Laters!
Friday 10 October 2008
Fore!
So I thought I'd spend a little time telling you all about my new job working as a barman in my local golf club. I've been there for almost two weeks now, and, honestly? It ain't that bad!
Sure the shifts are long, and sure most of the time (as I'm restricted to working a lot of weekdays) the most people I serve is perhaps a dozen golfers, and sure I spend the majority of the time on my feet. But I think what I love about the job is that it is completely and utterly different it is to anything I've ever done before in my life.
When I left University with a 2:1 the option was there to stay on and do a Masters in English Studies anywhere I wanted. And the idea still appeals to me. But I never had a gap year before going to Winchester, so I've been in education since I was 5. And to be honest, I've had enough for now. Seriously, any more information/knowledge in this brain and it was liable to explode! So I wanted to do something for a while that was so far removed from English or education that I wouldn't need to worry about the danger of being on the news for having the first self-destructing cranium in history.
The people are lovely, too. My "trainer" is a professional dancer who is just finishing a show in Convent Garden, and although I didn't get to bed until 1:40 am on Sunday morning due to having to work a wedding reception on the Saturday evening, it was still great fun! See, I read that back and I seem somewhat insane, ha! But I honestly enjoyed it all, and still do. Plus, with my days off I can concentrate on my writing - at least, that's the idea. I haven't done any so far today, although I suppose this blog counts for something?
Laters.
Sure the shifts are long, and sure most of the time (as I'm restricted to working a lot of weekdays) the most people I serve is perhaps a dozen golfers, and sure I spend the majority of the time on my feet. But I think what I love about the job is that it is completely and utterly different it is to anything I've ever done before in my life.
When I left University with a 2:1 the option was there to stay on and do a Masters in English Studies anywhere I wanted. And the idea still appeals to me. But I never had a gap year before going to Winchester, so I've been in education since I was 5. And to be honest, I've had enough for now. Seriously, any more information/knowledge in this brain and it was liable to explode! So I wanted to do something for a while that was so far removed from English or education that I wouldn't need to worry about the danger of being on the news for having the first self-destructing cranium in history.
The people are lovely, too. My "trainer" is a professional dancer who is just finishing a show in Convent Garden, and although I didn't get to bed until 1:40 am on Sunday morning due to having to work a wedding reception on the Saturday evening, it was still great fun! See, I read that back and I seem somewhat insane, ha! But I honestly enjoyed it all, and still do. Plus, with my days off I can concentrate on my writing - at least, that's the idea. I haven't done any so far today, although I suppose this blog counts for something?
Laters.
Thursday 9 October 2008
The Whosit In The Whatsit With The Whatchamacallit
So, once again, the world is gripped by a news story that simple little me has no clue about. I seriously do not understand the financial crisis that's taking its toll on us; all of the jargon just muddles me completely; the credit crunch sounds like an unappetizing breakfast cereal.
I can't stand the fact that I don't understand what the hell's going on. I suppose its because I'm used to living in a world where things are explained to me in very simple steps. I've always said that we are living in an Age Of Information, where you can learn anything by simply clicking on a button, be it mouse or TV. But it seems that in this situation I've been left very much in the dark. And its not just me; practically all my friends are feeling exactly the same way.
I think the reason for this is because that, at the moment, none of this is actually affecting us. I guess if I was still living in Winchester, if I was still having to buy my own food, I would notice something wrong with the prices perhaps? But there is nothing in my life right this moment that is in danger of changing because of this credit crunch. At the moment, anyway. Who knows? I'll write an irritated blog of panic and anxiety when it does, so don't worry, you'll learn more about it as I learn more about it. Then again, maybe I won't, so then maybe you won't.
Basically, in this Age Of Information, don't come to this blog looking for this kind of information.
Laters.
I can't stand the fact that I don't understand what the hell's going on. I suppose its because I'm used to living in a world where things are explained to me in very simple steps. I've always said that we are living in an Age Of Information, where you can learn anything by simply clicking on a button, be it mouse or TV. But it seems that in this situation I've been left very much in the dark. And its not just me; practically all my friends are feeling exactly the same way.
I think the reason for this is because that, at the moment, none of this is actually affecting us. I guess if I was still living in Winchester, if I was still having to buy my own food, I would notice something wrong with the prices perhaps? But there is nothing in my life right this moment that is in danger of changing because of this credit crunch. At the moment, anyway. Who knows? I'll write an irritated blog of panic and anxiety when it does, so don't worry, you'll learn more about it as I learn more about it. Then again, maybe I won't, so then maybe you won't.
Basically, in this Age Of Information, don't come to this blog looking for this kind of information.
Laters.
Wednesday 8 October 2008
Song...James Song
As a self-confessed Bond Fanatic, it was only a matter of time before I commented on the latest addition to a compilation CD to end all compilation CDs - the latest James Bond theme, "Another Way To Die". There have been very mixed reactions to the first ever duet to tie in with a Bond film, and I must admit I too was very unsure of it to begin with. Alicia Keys and Jack White are, lets face it, a very odd combination in any situation.
But when you hear it again and again, when you're prepared for its perhaps rather unconventional tune, I must admit it doesn't sound all that bad. There are certainly elements of the classic Bond themes in the guitar licks, the brass section fast and furious. Yet I think there is also a rather unnerving sense of foreboding menace in the verses, perhaps no doubt to go with the fact that, let's face it, Bond is considerably darker then he has been since Licence To Kill in 1989. Casino Royale set a tone, and Daniel Craig created a new side to Bond's character. The very fact that the end of this film had such a downbeat feeling only builds my excitement and anticipation towards this new film.
Basically, though it will certainly get some getting used to, and though I don't think its anywhere near as good as the last effort, "You Know My Name", until we all see Quantum Of Solace, until we all bear witness to what happens in this film, its mood, and how it ends in particular, I don't think we will be able to fully appreciate this rather brave effort. It's something new and different, and that's exactly what the Bond franchise has become. Lets not deride that instantly.
I mean, come on - at least it's better than Lulu's "The Man With The Golden Gun"!
Laters.
But when you hear it again and again, when you're prepared for its perhaps rather unconventional tune, I must admit it doesn't sound all that bad. There are certainly elements of the classic Bond themes in the guitar licks, the brass section fast and furious. Yet I think there is also a rather unnerving sense of foreboding menace in the verses, perhaps no doubt to go with the fact that, let's face it, Bond is considerably darker then he has been since Licence To Kill in 1989. Casino Royale set a tone, and Daniel Craig created a new side to Bond's character. The very fact that the end of this film had such a downbeat feeling only builds my excitement and anticipation towards this new film.
Basically, though it will certainly get some getting used to, and though I don't think its anywhere near as good as the last effort, "You Know My Name", until we all see Quantum Of Solace, until we all bear witness to what happens in this film, its mood, and how it ends in particular, I don't think we will be able to fully appreciate this rather brave effort. It's something new and different, and that's exactly what the Bond franchise has become. Lets not deride that instantly.
I mean, come on - at least it's better than Lulu's "The Man With The Golden Gun"!
Laters.
Tuesday 7 October 2008
G'day! Can I Have A Job?
So recently my dear mother has developed something of an obsession with a certain famous film actor from Australia - Hugh Jackman. This has become so great that she has bought quite a lot of DVDs of his work, including a lot of the stuff he did for Australia and, lets face it, some very, very bad b-movies that he had to be in before he was "discovered".
It's interesting to me how long it takes for us to realise an actor or actresses' potential to be a star. I got nothing against Jackman, I think he's a very talented wallaby. But the first I heard of him was when he was in Oklahoma! over here in Blighty almost a decade ago, and then he turned up in Swordfish which is, at times, an okay film (and I don't say that because Halle Berry gets out her Ayres Rocks). Of course after that he went from strength to strength, including the X-Men trilogy, Kate & Leopold, and The Prestige which is in my view his bet performance.
But looking at all the work he did before breaking through to the big time makes you realise just how much work is needed for a actor to do before he gets noticed. I've met a few professional actors in my life, including one who turned into a drama teacher because it paid better money then he was getting as an actor. My experience with Ash Green Youth Theatre and knowing the irrepressible director of that has also giving me a realisation that, lets face it, the world of performing arts, in whatever field, is not the big-money, LA mansion world that many people dream of. For a hell of lot of people the reality is a long hard slog through life tyring to get a job.
Which brings me to A Chorus Line - didn't plan to get here when I started writing this, but my brain doesn't always act rationally at 8:37 in the morning. I watched the film of this legendary musical recently. Admittedly the film is very dated, but the urgency hidden underneath it, the motive of practically every character in it, is: "God, I hope I get it/I hope I get it...I need this job/Oh God, I need this show." That's what 9/10 professional actors go through every single day. Going into this profession is a brave, risky step - and I salute all of you who decide to take that step. After all, who knows? You might be the next Hugh Jackman, and then some middle-aged woman will obsessively buy all of your work, good and bad, on DVD!
Laters.
It's interesting to me how long it takes for us to realise an actor or actresses' potential to be a star. I got nothing against Jackman, I think he's a very talented wallaby. But the first I heard of him was when he was in Oklahoma! over here in Blighty almost a decade ago, and then he turned up in Swordfish which is, at times, an okay film (and I don't say that because Halle Berry gets out her Ayres Rocks). Of course after that he went from strength to strength, including the X-Men trilogy, Kate & Leopold, and The Prestige which is in my view his bet performance.
But looking at all the work he did before breaking through to the big time makes you realise just how much work is needed for a actor to do before he gets noticed. I've met a few professional actors in my life, including one who turned into a drama teacher because it paid better money then he was getting as an actor. My experience with Ash Green Youth Theatre and knowing the irrepressible director of that has also giving me a realisation that, lets face it, the world of performing arts, in whatever field, is not the big-money, LA mansion world that many people dream of. For a hell of lot of people the reality is a long hard slog through life tyring to get a job.
Which brings me to A Chorus Line - didn't plan to get here when I started writing this, but my brain doesn't always act rationally at 8:37 in the morning. I watched the film of this legendary musical recently. Admittedly the film is very dated, but the urgency hidden underneath it, the motive of practically every character in it, is: "God, I hope I get it/I hope I get it...I need this job/Oh God, I need this show." That's what 9/10 professional actors go through every single day. Going into this profession is a brave, risky step - and I salute all of you who decide to take that step. After all, who knows? You might be the next Hugh Jackman, and then some middle-aged woman will obsessively buy all of your work, good and bad, on DVD!
Laters.
Monday 6 October 2008
Back To Black
Well, hi there! Long time no blog, lol, despite my earlier insistence over two months ago, ha ha!
A lot has happened within that time period. I've been in and out of a relationship, I've got a brand new job working as a barman in my local golf club, I'm rehearsing for a play with my local amateur dramatics group that has a LOT of lines to learn. And, perhaps most interestingly of all, my writer's block concerning The Witch Sister has finally broken. The problem with this book is that, due to certain events which happen, the plot is very twisted in both structure and story lines. I think there are more characters in this book than in any of my last two.
Where Wild Things Grow, by the way, after yet another brief edit, will be sent to several agents by the end of this month. I just need to get my head round the cover letter that needs to go with everything else that has to be sent. It's typical, actually - my writers block breaks on one project then decides to settle nicely on a perhaps more immediate one. Ah well, c'est la vie.
Laters.
A lot has happened within that time period. I've been in and out of a relationship, I've got a brand new job working as a barman in my local golf club, I'm rehearsing for a play with my local amateur dramatics group that has a LOT of lines to learn. And, perhaps most interestingly of all, my writer's block concerning The Witch Sister has finally broken. The problem with this book is that, due to certain events which happen, the plot is very twisted in both structure and story lines. I think there are more characters in this book than in any of my last two.
Where Wild Things Grow, by the way, after yet another brief edit, will be sent to several agents by the end of this month. I just need to get my head round the cover letter that needs to go with everything else that has to be sent. It's typical, actually - my writers block breaks on one project then decides to settle nicely on a perhaps more immediate one. Ah well, c'est la vie.
Laters.
Tuesday 12 August 2008
Review: The Dark Knight
So obviously during my long absence from the blog I've watched quite a few films. I thought I'd better start catching up on my reviews, starting with probably my most eagerly anticpated film and the incredible box office smash that is The Dark Knight.
WARNING: This review could contain SPOILERS!
It is after the events of Batman Begins. An anarchic terrorist known only as the Joker (Heath Ledger) is creating havoc in the streets of Gotham City. The people are divided between how they should feel about the masked vigilante patrolling the streets(Christian Bale). And new district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt) is busy making promises that may not be easy to keep...
First off, wow. Simply wow. From the very first moment, this film catches your attention and holds it for as long as possible. It shocks you, it amuses you, it horrifies you, it thrills you. And it is truly the work of a genius. For that is what the film is full of, both in front and behind of the camera. Christopher Nolan, who just keeps rolling in hit after hit, does not disappoint.Woe betide him when he makes that slip-up that can only happen soon, because it will be a major slip-up when viewed alongside films of this calibre.
One thing The Dark Knight is not, however, is a fun film. It is not even a funny film, though there are one or two chuckles. Even if you have seen Batman Begins, you may still be surprised at how dark this film actually is. There is an air of gloom and bleakness to the whole event, much more so than its predecessor, which was perhaps darker than even Tim Burton's original visions (Batman, 1989,and the superior Batman Returns, 1992). But this picture takes darkness to a whole new level.This is partly due to the story and to the nature of its characters; Batman has always been the most psychological of all comic book characters, and the most realistic. Just as before, Nolan takes that realism and uses it to help the bleakness, the air of despair that hovers around the film.
There are of course other reasons besides the plot. Firstly, you cannot help but watch this film without remembering the death of Heath Ledger. This is not as morbid as you might think; it's just that he's SO GOOD in the role. Completely unrecognisable under the makeshift make up, with a brilliantly nasal voice and vicious laugh, he wipes the slate clean. Although Jack Nicholon's portrayal of the same character in Burton's original was good, this is a completely different take on the character - again, a more realistic feel to him. And you cannot help feeling how Ledger's death was such a waste of talent, especially after watching his performance here.
The other factor to mention briefly is the presence of Harvey Dent. Though brilliantly portrayed by Aaron Eckhardt, his performance is mared by the fact that we all know what is going to happen next: the acid related accident, the snapping of the already weak mind, the emergence of Two-Face. A much better and and more fulfilling take on the role than that of Tommy Lee Jones' fair attempt in Batman Forever (Schumacher, 1995), you leave the film wishing to have seen a lot more of him, but grateful for the chance to have witnessed him at all, and the make up is superb.
All the other performers in this are, of course magnificent; Bale is at his brooding best as the caped crusader, and the three wise men of Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine all reprise their previous roles without breaking a sweat. The re-casting of Rachel Dawes from Katie Holmes into Maggie Gyllenhall does upset the balance a little, not because of her performance but because, again, there is not enough time spent with her for us to warm to her being this character.
My other criticism - and it's a little criticism, mind - is that the film is a tad too long, and towards the end you've had at least one stage where you could have arguably ended the film altogether much earlier. For the most part, however, The Dark Knight does not disappoint. With a few surprises, and some loose ends both on and off the camera still to be tied up, you will literally be gagging for (hopefully) the next instalment. Brilliant.
9/10
Laters!
WARNING: This review could contain SPOILERS!
It is after the events of Batman Begins. An anarchic terrorist known only as the Joker (Heath Ledger) is creating havoc in the streets of Gotham City. The people are divided between how they should feel about the masked vigilante patrolling the streets(Christian Bale). And new district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt) is busy making promises that may not be easy to keep...
First off, wow. Simply wow. From the very first moment, this film catches your attention and holds it for as long as possible. It shocks you, it amuses you, it horrifies you, it thrills you. And it is truly the work of a genius. For that is what the film is full of, both in front and behind of the camera. Christopher Nolan, who just keeps rolling in hit after hit, does not disappoint.Woe betide him when he makes that slip-up that can only happen soon, because it will be a major slip-up when viewed alongside films of this calibre.
One thing The Dark Knight is not, however, is a fun film. It is not even a funny film, though there are one or two chuckles. Even if you have seen Batman Begins, you may still be surprised at how dark this film actually is. There is an air of gloom and bleakness to the whole event, much more so than its predecessor, which was perhaps darker than even Tim Burton's original visions (Batman, 1989,and the superior Batman Returns, 1992). But this picture takes darkness to a whole new level.This is partly due to the story and to the nature of its characters; Batman has always been the most psychological of all comic book characters, and the most realistic. Just as before, Nolan takes that realism and uses it to help the bleakness, the air of despair that hovers around the film.
There are of course other reasons besides the plot. Firstly, you cannot help but watch this film without remembering the death of Heath Ledger. This is not as morbid as you might think; it's just that he's SO GOOD in the role. Completely unrecognisable under the makeshift make up, with a brilliantly nasal voice and vicious laugh, he wipes the slate clean. Although Jack Nicholon's portrayal of the same character in Burton's original was good, this is a completely different take on the character - again, a more realistic feel to him. And you cannot help feeling how Ledger's death was such a waste of talent, especially after watching his performance here.
The other factor to mention briefly is the presence of Harvey Dent. Though brilliantly portrayed by Aaron Eckhardt, his performance is mared by the fact that we all know what is going to happen next: the acid related accident, the snapping of the already weak mind, the emergence of Two-Face. A much better and and more fulfilling take on the role than that of Tommy Lee Jones' fair attempt in Batman Forever (Schumacher, 1995), you leave the film wishing to have seen a lot more of him, but grateful for the chance to have witnessed him at all, and the make up is superb.
All the other performers in this are, of course magnificent; Bale is at his brooding best as the caped crusader, and the three wise men of Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine all reprise their previous roles without breaking a sweat. The re-casting of Rachel Dawes from Katie Holmes into Maggie Gyllenhall does upset the balance a little, not because of her performance but because, again, there is not enough time spent with her for us to warm to her being this character.
My other criticism - and it's a little criticism, mind - is that the film is a tad too long, and towards the end you've had at least one stage where you could have arguably ended the film altogether much earlier. For the most part, however, The Dark Knight does not disappoint. With a few surprises, and some loose ends both on and off the camera still to be tied up, you will literally be gagging for (hopefully) the next instalment. Brilliant.
9/10
Laters!
Saturday 9 August 2008
Back - and very sorry!
My goodness, that was a long gap wasn't it? Lets be honest, it's obvious that I'm not altogether good at keeping up to date with this blog, much as I enjoy rambling on it and I know that the few of you who read it and are kind enough to comment on it enjoy...er...reading and...commenting on it..ahem...
Anyhoo, just to keep you all up to date, really - I have finished my studies at Winchester and now am the proud owner of a 2:1 in English Studies, woo hoo! Now I just have to think of summit to do with it...erm...ah. Oh dear.
That is the slight problem with having an English degree - apparently the sky's the limit with what you can do. At the moment I can't exactly see the limit as I'm very unsure of where to look. I'm still (planning on) sending copies of manuscripts to various agents and publishers - whether anything good comes out of them remains to be seen.
I've moved back home for the present, which has been nice, but now needs to be included with a job too. Here's to the hunt!
Laters.
Anyhoo, just to keep you all up to date, really - I have finished my studies at Winchester and now am the proud owner of a 2:1 in English Studies, woo hoo! Now I just have to think of summit to do with it...erm...ah. Oh dear.
That is the slight problem with having an English degree - apparently the sky's the limit with what you can do. At the moment I can't exactly see the limit as I'm very unsure of where to look. I'm still (planning on) sending copies of manuscripts to various agents and publishers - whether anything good comes out of them remains to be seen.
I've moved back home for the present, which has been nice, but now needs to be included with a job too. Here's to the hunt!
Laters.
Sunday 25 May 2008
"If I Can't See You, You Can't See Me..."
If I had ignored my sins, the Lord would not have listened to me - Psalm 66:18 (GNB)
What was your fave childhood game? Everyone has got their own individual choice, but if there was ever a top 100 of children's games, you can bet that somewhere in the top ten would probably be Hide & Seek. The idea is so, so simple, which is why it's a perfect kids game: people hide somewhere during an allocated amount of time, and then someone has to find them. The last person to be found is the winner and automatically becomes the new "seeker". Hooray!
It's a really, really fun game. I often play it with my little cousins, who are, putting it bluntly, amazing hiders. One person I can't play it with, however, is God. It is pretty much impossible to play Hide & Seek with the Big Man Upstairs. Why? Well, first things first, you can't see God. You can see God working in people and places and things, but the actual presence of God? Nope, can't make him out.
Secondly, (and here's the biggest reason), no matter how well we try and hide ourselves, no matter which secret cupboards we crawl into, how many duvets we try and cover ourselves with, we cannot hide from God. He can still see us - he knows where we are, what we're doing, what we're thinking. If we ever did play Hide & Seek with God you can bet it would be the quickest game in history.
Sometimes we forget that God can do this. Most of the time it's when we're doing something that we know we shouldn't, because its not what he wants. I know I forget frequently that God can see me; when I do remember, its too late - the damage has been done. You get a really horrible guilty feeling inside of you. The only thing worse than this is when we then try and hide the things we've done wrong, as if they've never even happened. There is simply no point to this whatsoever. As this week's passage points out, it actually damages our relationship with God even more so than the things we do wrong!
We cannot simply hide the things we do wrong; we cannot ignore our sins. What God wants us to do is admit that we've done them. It doesn't have to be a grand public revelation either, because that proves nothing. It can be a very simple, quiet acknowledgement that we have done something wrong. And what's amazing is that we don't need to be afraid of God because when we do this and say sorry and mean it he always, always, always forgives us. And then that horrible guilty feeling vanishes and we feel different and inspired to start afresh.
God knows we're not perfect; he expects us to get things wrong from time to time. What he wants us to do is to realise and accept it too. Because then we can start to have a better relationship with him, a father/child relationship that actually works. And that's a really good relationship to have.
Laters.
What was your fave childhood game? Everyone has got their own individual choice, but if there was ever a top 100 of children's games, you can bet that somewhere in the top ten would probably be Hide & Seek. The idea is so, so simple, which is why it's a perfect kids game: people hide somewhere during an allocated amount of time, and then someone has to find them. The last person to be found is the winner and automatically becomes the new "seeker". Hooray!
It's a really, really fun game. I often play it with my little cousins, who are, putting it bluntly, amazing hiders. One person I can't play it with, however, is God. It is pretty much impossible to play Hide & Seek with the Big Man Upstairs. Why? Well, first things first, you can't see God. You can see God working in people and places and things, but the actual presence of God? Nope, can't make him out.
Secondly, (and here's the biggest reason), no matter how well we try and hide ourselves, no matter which secret cupboards we crawl into, how many duvets we try and cover ourselves with, we cannot hide from God. He can still see us - he knows where we are, what we're doing, what we're thinking. If we ever did play Hide & Seek with God you can bet it would be the quickest game in history.
Sometimes we forget that God can do this. Most of the time it's when we're doing something that we know we shouldn't, because its not what he wants. I know I forget frequently that God can see me; when I do remember, its too late - the damage has been done. You get a really horrible guilty feeling inside of you. The only thing worse than this is when we then try and hide the things we've done wrong, as if they've never even happened. There is simply no point to this whatsoever. As this week's passage points out, it actually damages our relationship with God even more so than the things we do wrong!
We cannot simply hide the things we do wrong; we cannot ignore our sins. What God wants us to do is admit that we've done them. It doesn't have to be a grand public revelation either, because that proves nothing. It can be a very simple, quiet acknowledgement that we have done something wrong. And what's amazing is that we don't need to be afraid of God because when we do this and say sorry and mean it he always, always, always forgives us. And then that horrible guilty feeling vanishes and we feel different and inspired to start afresh.
God knows we're not perfect; he expects us to get things wrong from time to time. What he wants us to do is to realise and accept it too. Because then we can start to have a better relationship with him, a father/child relationship that actually works. And that's a really good relationship to have.
Laters.
Wednesday 21 May 2008
Singing Stars
Scarlett Johansson has an album out. But then you probably knew that already. Her album is a collection of covers of songs by Tom Waits. But then you probably knew that already. Apparently it's not that bad. But then you probably knew that already.
Why do you probably know all these things already? Simple answer: Scarlett Johansson. When one of the world's hottest young actresses starts to record an album, chances are that, unless you're a monk living in a remote cave and/or are completely detached from the rest of civilisation, you're gonna hear about it. It is big, big news these days when any actor or actress takes a chance on their vocal chords for something other than dialogue.
One question: why? Back in the golden age of Hollywood this kind of thing happened all the time. The big name stars were people like Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby. A couple of decades later you get people like (shudder) Barbra Streisand. Even Lee Marvin had a go. Was there really as much hype as there is now back then surrounding these guys?
Of course the main reason for this trend back in the glory days was that the king of genres was the musical. Soundtrack albums ruled the charts, as did stand alone songs by George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Kern, Rodgers & Hart, Rodgers & Hammerstein (same Rodgers, in case you were wondering - that boy got around!) and so forth. Nowadays movie musicals are rare; a once a year phenomenon. So when someone like Scarlett decides to break the stereotype and record an independent album, its going to be huge tabloid news, whether the the music is good or bad.
These days, however, there can be mixed results to these "experiments". Anyone heard anything sung by Lindsay Lohan lately? How about the latest one from Hilary Duff? I'm so confused as to what's happened to J-Lo right now I can't even remember what came first - the singing or the acting? Speaking of which, look at those who have recently gone from singing to acting: Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake...oh dear.
Seems the only way to gain credibility though this experiment these days is to go completely off the mainstream track. Scarlett is following in the footsteps of people such as Minnie Driver, whose latest album is country-based, or Juliette Lewis, who fronts an indie/punk band, The Licks. These all sound much more interesting than the bubble-gum/postmodern/Disney-fied pop; they sound different, unique, individual. It doesn't matter if you love the music or hate it: you gotta hand it to Scarlett, she knows what she's doing.
Laters.
Why do you probably know all these things already? Simple answer: Scarlett Johansson. When one of the world's hottest young actresses starts to record an album, chances are that, unless you're a monk living in a remote cave and/or are completely detached from the rest of civilisation, you're gonna hear about it. It is big, big news these days when any actor or actress takes a chance on their vocal chords for something other than dialogue.
One question: why? Back in the golden age of Hollywood this kind of thing happened all the time. The big name stars were people like Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby. A couple of decades later you get people like (shudder) Barbra Streisand. Even Lee Marvin had a go. Was there really as much hype as there is now back then surrounding these guys?
Of course the main reason for this trend back in the glory days was that the king of genres was the musical. Soundtrack albums ruled the charts, as did stand alone songs by George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Kern, Rodgers & Hart, Rodgers & Hammerstein (same Rodgers, in case you were wondering - that boy got around!) and so forth. Nowadays movie musicals are rare; a once a year phenomenon. So when someone like Scarlett decides to break the stereotype and record an independent album, its going to be huge tabloid news, whether the the music is good or bad.
These days, however, there can be mixed results to these "experiments". Anyone heard anything sung by Lindsay Lohan lately? How about the latest one from Hilary Duff? I'm so confused as to what's happened to J-Lo right now I can't even remember what came first - the singing or the acting? Speaking of which, look at those who have recently gone from singing to acting: Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake...oh dear.
Seems the only way to gain credibility though this experiment these days is to go completely off the mainstream track. Scarlett is following in the footsteps of people such as Minnie Driver, whose latest album is country-based, or Juliette Lewis, who fronts an indie/punk band, The Licks. These all sound much more interesting than the bubble-gum/postmodern/Disney-fied pop; they sound different, unique, individual. It doesn't matter if you love the music or hate it: you gotta hand it to Scarlett, she knows what she's doing.
Laters.
Tuesday 20 May 2008
"The Good Shepherd"
After a brief hiatus on film reviews, here's my latest one for Robert De Nero's The Good Shepherd. Enjoy!
When an actor with a reputation as huge as Robert De Nero steps behind the camera, you expect big things. After all this is an actor who has been constantly named as one of the greatest of his generation, second only to Al Pacino - if anyone should know how to make a powerful, hard-hitting movie, it should be De Nero.
For most of the duration of the film, The Good Shepherd does not disappoint. First of all, its subject matter - the genesis and development of the CiA - is actually pretty interesting. The film tries to pass itself off as a spy thriller, but its really more of a biography of one of the most famous security organisations in the world.
There are some excellent performances in this film too, but sadly they don't seem to belong to any of the headline actors. De Nero does a good job in a small cameo which you want to have more of, as you do John Turturro in his "personal assistant" role. On the British end Michael Gambon is great as usual, and John Sessions does an brilliant job as a Russian defector, and it was a bit of a surprise to see him in a film like this. Perhaps the biggest waste here is the fact that the legendary Joe Pesci's role is laughably minuscule, yet he still completely out acts Matt Damon.
Damon isn't bad in this film, but I have an unfortunate problem in watching him with his glasses on, because I instantly think of The Talented Mr Ripley. You also get pangs for Damon's other great spy character, Jason Bourne, but I think that's because of the mislabelling of the film as a thriller. Angelina Jolie is reduced to playing a very, very annoying character, and that annoyance factor seems to be passed on down the family line to their son, who REALLY got on my nerves for some reason.
Another problem with the film is the length of it. Sometimes a long film works and sometimes it doesn't. This was a sort of mix between the two. Most of the time you enjoy the film, yet there are occasions where you look at your watch and think "How much longer are we going to stay with this scene?" On the whole, if you know what you're letting yourself in for - subject matter, length, etc - then you should enjoy this film. Otherwise you may be very disappointed.
7/10
Laters.
When an actor with a reputation as huge as Robert De Nero steps behind the camera, you expect big things. After all this is an actor who has been constantly named as one of the greatest of his generation, second only to Al Pacino - if anyone should know how to make a powerful, hard-hitting movie, it should be De Nero.
For most of the duration of the film, The Good Shepherd does not disappoint. First of all, its subject matter - the genesis and development of the CiA - is actually pretty interesting. The film tries to pass itself off as a spy thriller, but its really more of a biography of one of the most famous security organisations in the world.
There are some excellent performances in this film too, but sadly they don't seem to belong to any of the headline actors. De Nero does a good job in a small cameo which you want to have more of, as you do John Turturro in his "personal assistant" role. On the British end Michael Gambon is great as usual, and John Sessions does an brilliant job as a Russian defector, and it was a bit of a surprise to see him in a film like this. Perhaps the biggest waste here is the fact that the legendary Joe Pesci's role is laughably minuscule, yet he still completely out acts Matt Damon.
Damon isn't bad in this film, but I have an unfortunate problem in watching him with his glasses on, because I instantly think of The Talented Mr Ripley. You also get pangs for Damon's other great spy character, Jason Bourne, but I think that's because of the mislabelling of the film as a thriller. Angelina Jolie is reduced to playing a very, very annoying character, and that annoyance factor seems to be passed on down the family line to their son, who REALLY got on my nerves for some reason.
Another problem with the film is the length of it. Sometimes a long film works and sometimes it doesn't. This was a sort of mix between the two. Most of the time you enjoy the film, yet there are occasions where you look at your watch and think "How much longer are we going to stay with this scene?" On the whole, if you know what you're letting yourself in for - subject matter, length, etc - then you should enjoy this film. Otherwise you may be very disappointed.
7/10
Laters.
Monday 19 May 2008
Grumblings
Last assignment handed in on Wednesday, weekend away with the CU a really enjoyable time. Last week of normal lectures at Winchester, three lectures left to go, then three exams, then nothing...
Yet in between all of this "excitement" we seem to have become surrogate parents in our house. Recently Smoker had the wonderful idea to purchase two bunny rabbits, seemingly because she has nothing better to do with her time now that she has unofficially dropped out. This Monday she went and promptly lost one of them, by letting them roam free in the garden...not exactly a good idea.
Thankfully the lost bunny, whom we had given up for dead, returned three days later, right as rain, completely un-traumatised by the experience. Then this weekend Smoker goes and loses her again. She came back the next day - apparently shes got a burrow somewhere in the garden.
I didn't exactly agree to having rabbits in the house. We're still owned by the University and technically, as far as I'm aware from similar experiences last year with Third Year's hamsters, not allowed pets. Yet Teacher, Other Bloke and I seem to now be doing most of the looking after of these animals. The other two don't mind that much, as they wanted rabbits anyway, but we had a major grumbling session last night about it. And we made a rather painful decision to call the RSPCA next time something like this happens again. It sounds rather harsh, I admit, and its the last thing that I want to do - hopefully its the extreme. But really they're not our rabbits. Why should we keep looking out for them?
Moan over.
Laters.
Yet in between all of this "excitement" we seem to have become surrogate parents in our house. Recently Smoker had the wonderful idea to purchase two bunny rabbits, seemingly because she has nothing better to do with her time now that she has unofficially dropped out. This Monday she went and promptly lost one of them, by letting them roam free in the garden...not exactly a good idea.
Thankfully the lost bunny, whom we had given up for dead, returned three days later, right as rain, completely un-traumatised by the experience. Then this weekend Smoker goes and loses her again. She came back the next day - apparently shes got a burrow somewhere in the garden.
I didn't exactly agree to having rabbits in the house. We're still owned by the University and technically, as far as I'm aware from similar experiences last year with Third Year's hamsters, not allowed pets. Yet Teacher, Other Bloke and I seem to now be doing most of the looking after of these animals. The other two don't mind that much, as they wanted rabbits anyway, but we had a major grumbling session last night about it. And we made a rather painful decision to call the RSPCA next time something like this happens again. It sounds rather harsh, I admit, and its the last thing that I want to do - hopefully its the extreme. But really they're not our rabbits. Why should we keep looking out for them?
Moan over.
Laters.
Sunday 11 May 2008
Pentecost Ponderings
So today is Pentecost, and, in a sense, the birthday of the church. Its the day when the Holy Spirit became a "tool" for everyone, not just a minority of gifted prophets. It's described in the book of Acts as "what looked like tongues of fire" (Acts 2:3), so I though that this week's passage was perhaps more than a bit appropriate.
You see, as 1 John says in one of my all-time favourite sentences, "God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all." (1 John 1:5) And the Holy Spirit is the fuel that burns that light for us; it revitalises and refreshes, it boosts and restores. It is a provider, just waiting for us to say the magic word: please. It won't force its way into your lives, because that's not the way of God. Instead, like faith itself, you need to invite it in and to have a little patience.
It's an immense feeling when you receive it. and a very personal, individual feeling too. It's different for each person. My experience has been the feeling of a thousand bees buzzing all over my hands, but not in an uncomfortable way. You can feel incredibly close to God when you receive the Spirit. You can feel alive, so much more alive than before.
What I find interesting is that the Psalm that this week's passage is taken from is entitled: "A Prayer of Trust in God", and it was written by David after he was captured by the Phillistines in Gath; a time of obvious strife and worry, yet he can confidently put his trust in God. Centuries later we find the great Evangelist Paul doing exactly the same as he writes some of his best letters from the discomfort of a prison cell. That's an immense challenge, but one you need to take up; for if you really want to receive the Holy Spirit, to feel it working in your everyday life, then like faith you have to drop your guard and put your trust in God. Don't worry, it's in very safe hands. Trust me.
Laters.
You see, as 1 John says in one of my all-time favourite sentences, "God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all." (1 John 1:5) And the Holy Spirit is the fuel that burns that light for us; it revitalises and refreshes, it boosts and restores. It is a provider, just waiting for us to say the magic word: please. It won't force its way into your lives, because that's not the way of God. Instead, like faith itself, you need to invite it in and to have a little patience.
It's an immense feeling when you receive it. and a very personal, individual feeling too. It's different for each person. My experience has been the feeling of a thousand bees buzzing all over my hands, but not in an uncomfortable way. You can feel incredibly close to God when you receive the Spirit. You can feel alive, so much more alive than before.
What I find interesting is that the Psalm that this week's passage is taken from is entitled: "A Prayer of Trust in God", and it was written by David after he was captured by the Phillistines in Gath; a time of obvious strife and worry, yet he can confidently put his trust in God. Centuries later we find the great Evangelist Paul doing exactly the same as he writes some of his best letters from the discomfort of a prison cell. That's an immense challenge, but one you need to take up; for if you really want to receive the Holy Spirit, to feel it working in your everyday life, then like faith you have to drop your guard and put your trust in God. Don't worry, it's in very safe hands. Trust me.
Laters.
Tuesday 6 May 2008
Back With A Vengance
Yes, after many moons - well, about a fortnight - I return to this blog victorious! I am now wiser and older...well, okay, perhaps just older, as I turned 21 yesterday, but still! The FYP: finished and handed in three days before the due date. This Bird Has Flown: a success and immensly fun to be a part of.
Now I can look forward to the glorious summer weather which has suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere here in Blighty. And how am I going to spend my summer? From this angle, in a dark room watching many, many movies. I don't think I've ever been quite so excited about a summer blockbuster season, with Indiana Jones 4 and The Dark Knight both appearing over the next few months! It's going to be an amazing time. And hopefully, hopefully, I'll be able to keep up with my blog a bit better than recently.
Laters.
Now I can look forward to the glorious summer weather which has suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere here in Blighty. And how am I going to spend my summer? From this angle, in a dark room watching many, many movies. I don't think I've ever been quite so excited about a summer blockbuster season, with Indiana Jones 4 and The Dark Knight both appearing over the next few months! It's going to be an amazing time. And hopefully, hopefully, I'll be able to keep up with my blog a bit better than recently.
Laters.
Saturday 19 April 2008
So, yeah...whoops
After all that exctement last Saturday on finally finding a label for Saturday, my work has taken its toll. Because of the FYP and essays that are still being finished as I write, I haven't had any time to take on my story writing challenge. Much hanging of head in shame. I hope to impress you all with both better writing and better time keeping skills next week!
Laters.
Laters.
Friday 18 April 2008
And The Work Just Keeps On Coming...
So this is officially the maddest fortnight in my entire educated life here at the University of Winchester in terms of the workload. The deadline for the Final Year Project is getting ever closer, and the deadline I set for myself for the Final Year Project is getting ever more closer!
What hasn't helped this week is the two essays I have somehow had to find time to write and hand in over this last week. But I'm not complaining too much, especially about the first one (finished and handed in on Wednesday). You see, one of the modules I'm currently studying is American Crime Fictions, which is not actually an English Studies module - it's American Studies. However, to cut a long story short, this essay was really more of a film studies essay than anything else.
Now for those who don't know - which may be all of you, I can't remember - when I started learning here at Winchester I started doing a fifty/fifty degree with a combination of English and Film Studies. Obviously, English was a subject I've had a lot of experience with, but Film Studies was, at the time, incredibly new and incredibly exciting to me. And, to a certain level, I wasn't disappointed. I got to watch some fantastic films, most of which I doubt I would have ever watched if it weren't for the course.
But the work was another matter. I found the essays, though interesting to research and write, tough going, and the marking incredibly strict, much stricter than English. Another thing that really got me annoyed was the level of competence in some of my lecturers. Not that they didn't know their subject - man, there are some smart people teaching here- but I do remember writing in my notepad during one lecture that it was taking three grown men ten minutes to work out how to use a DVD player. Erm, ok, maybe a Film Studies teacher should be up to date on the simple aspects of today's technology?
For those reasons I decided that Film Studies wasn't for me, and so dropped it in my second year to concentrate on English full time. And yet, it was really refreshing to go back to Film Studies this week in order to write this essay on crime films properly. I can't help wondering that, maybe, if I had a had a bit more experience with university work before staring the course, I might have done better on it? I guess I'll never find out. One thing's for certain, though: it never, ever killed my passion for film. I wonder what's on tonight?
Laters.
What hasn't helped this week is the two essays I have somehow had to find time to write and hand in over this last week. But I'm not complaining too much, especially about the first one (finished and handed in on Wednesday). You see, one of the modules I'm currently studying is American Crime Fictions, which is not actually an English Studies module - it's American Studies. However, to cut a long story short, this essay was really more of a film studies essay than anything else.
Now for those who don't know - which may be all of you, I can't remember - when I started learning here at Winchester I started doing a fifty/fifty degree with a combination of English and Film Studies. Obviously, English was a subject I've had a lot of experience with, but Film Studies was, at the time, incredibly new and incredibly exciting to me. And, to a certain level, I wasn't disappointed. I got to watch some fantastic films, most of which I doubt I would have ever watched if it weren't for the course.
But the work was another matter. I found the essays, though interesting to research and write, tough going, and the marking incredibly strict, much stricter than English. Another thing that really got me annoyed was the level of competence in some of my lecturers. Not that they didn't know their subject - man, there are some smart people teaching here- but I do remember writing in my notepad during one lecture that it was taking three grown men ten minutes to work out how to use a DVD player. Erm, ok, maybe a Film Studies teacher should be up to date on the simple aspects of today's technology?
For those reasons I decided that Film Studies wasn't for me, and so dropped it in my second year to concentrate on English full time. And yet, it was really refreshing to go back to Film Studies this week in order to write this essay on crime films properly. I can't help wondering that, maybe, if I had a had a bit more experience with university work before staring the course, I might have done better on it? I guess I'll never find out. One thing's for certain, though: it never, ever killed my passion for film. I wonder what's on tonight?
Laters.
Tuesday 15 April 2008
Decade Of Success
Recently I've been reading a very revealing book entitled Easy Riders, Raging Bulls by a guy named Peter Biskind. It's all about Hollywood in the 1970s and the big filmmakers who emerged in that decade - Spielberg, Lucas, Scorsese, Bogdanovich, and so on. If you're at all interested in the inner workings of Hollywood studios at this time I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is incredibly open and honest about the goings on that took place behind the scenes of some of the greatest movies ever made: copious drug abuse, lots of bed-hopping, much, much swearing.
Today on the IMDB's daily poll they list a large chunck of the 70s films of a selection of films that the famous critic Roger Ebert lists as the Greatest Movies ever. It's an incredible chunk if you think about it. Some of these films are the most timeless, exciting, re-watchable films. Annie Hall, Apocalypse Now, Chinatown, The Godfather, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, etc.
Which leads me to wonder - was the 70s the greatest film decade? It seems to me that the decades after haven't exactly thrown up as large an impressive list as the 70s did. Don't get me wrong, there were some great films made in the 80s, but for some reason I feel that most of them are incredibly dated, something you don't really notice in the 70s films. And, yeah, thanks to the technology boom of the 90s we've had some incredible blockbusters to rival films like Jaws or Alien, but they don't have the same atmosphere as these films still constantly do.
Maybe its just a time thing - not enough time has passed by to recognise the true merits of the 80s. Maybe we need to wait another decade. In a way it would be quite interesting to find out which of the films that have been made in this decade will be remembered as well as the movies Ebert lists. Only problem is I have to grow older to see it. Dang.
Laters.
Today on the IMDB's daily poll they list a large chunck of the 70s films of a selection of films that the famous critic Roger Ebert lists as the Greatest Movies ever. It's an incredible chunk if you think about it. Some of these films are the most timeless, exciting, re-watchable films. Annie Hall, Apocalypse Now, Chinatown, The Godfather, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, etc.
Which leads me to wonder - was the 70s the greatest film decade? It seems to me that the decades after haven't exactly thrown up as large an impressive list as the 70s did. Don't get me wrong, there were some great films made in the 80s, but for some reason I feel that most of them are incredibly dated, something you don't really notice in the 70s films. And, yeah, thanks to the technology boom of the 90s we've had some incredible blockbusters to rival films like Jaws or Alien, but they don't have the same atmosphere as these films still constantly do.
Maybe its just a time thing - not enough time has passed by to recognise the true merits of the 80s. Maybe we need to wait another decade. In a way it would be quite interesting to find out which of the films that have been made in this decade will be remembered as well as the movies Ebert lists. Only problem is I have to grow older to see it. Dang.
Laters.
Monday 14 April 2008
D'oh!
I found it slightly interesting when I first heard of the plans of the government in Venezuela to drop The Simpsons from their regular television schedules. The reason for this move was that they felt the programme was "inappropriate" for young viewers, and that it contained "messages that go against the whole education of boys, girls and adolescents".
Fair enough. After all, over here in Blighty The Simpsons (normally) doesn't start until 6pm which is the very start of the watershed, which is the period of time where the more adult themes can start to be presented or referred to in programmes a little more than during the daytime stuff. And sometimes an episode will contain a risque subject or two. One only has to remember Homer's sexual harassment accusation, or the rather racy episodes involving his and Marge's attempts to "snuggle".
And yet, what have the Venezuelans decided to put on in its place? Baywatch. Yes, the same Baywatch with Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra running around a beach with very little on, while David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff stands around spouting lines whilst secretly stealing them for lyrics for his next best selling album in Germany.
Am I missing something here? Yes, The Simpsons does have its faults but at the end of the day surely it's about family values? Homer, though an idiot, is a lovable idiot, and genuinely loves his wife and kids. Marge, though possibly stereotypical as the stay-at-home mother, does have a tendency to go out into the world and make a stand for her beliefs. Bart is a rebel, but anything he does that has serious repercussions are dealt with, and he occasionally feels sorrow (check the episode Bart the Mother) . Maggie's a baby - okay, so she occasionally attacks her father with a mallet, and okay she nearly murdered Mr Burns, but the former was a good laugh and the latter was an accident (we think)! And what the flippin' heck's wrong with Lisa? Grade A student all the way, smart, intelligent, funny - possibly the only truly sane one in the family.
Now look at Baywatch. Don't look too hard, mind, else you might get hypnotised by the slow running, the meaningful stares of the Hoff, the jiggling...the endless jiggling...
The point is, Baywatch, if you think about it, is ten times worse than The Simpsons. Not just in its content, either, but in its writing. The Simpsons has always been one of the best written shows in the history of television, give or take the odd slip-up and the boringly mandatory "clip shows" that the Fox network force upon them. Baywatch? Oh no, a cute guy/girl is drowning, we'd better send out two even cuter guys/girls to rescue them and then perform mouth-to-mouth throughout the rest of the episodes. Please, any show where Pamela and Carmen can pull off convincing acting has got to have something wrong with it.
There is, however, evidence to suggest the amount of state control that Venezuelan television currently must answer to. One of the only new shows that is being made at the moment is a chat show, presented by a man called Hugo Chavez. And he only just happens to be the President of Venezuela. Ah, the perks of the job, huh?
Laters.
Fair enough. After all, over here in Blighty The Simpsons (normally) doesn't start until 6pm which is the very start of the watershed, which is the period of time where the more adult themes can start to be presented or referred to in programmes a little more than during the daytime stuff. And sometimes an episode will contain a risque subject or two. One only has to remember Homer's sexual harassment accusation, or the rather racy episodes involving his and Marge's attempts to "snuggle".
And yet, what have the Venezuelans decided to put on in its place? Baywatch. Yes, the same Baywatch with Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra running around a beach with very little on, while David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff stands around spouting lines whilst secretly stealing them for lyrics for his next best selling album in Germany.
Am I missing something here? Yes, The Simpsons does have its faults but at the end of the day surely it's about family values? Homer, though an idiot, is a lovable idiot, and genuinely loves his wife and kids. Marge, though possibly stereotypical as the stay-at-home mother, does have a tendency to go out into the world and make a stand for her beliefs. Bart is a rebel, but anything he does that has serious repercussions are dealt with, and he occasionally feels sorrow (check the episode Bart the Mother) . Maggie's a baby - okay, so she occasionally attacks her father with a mallet, and okay she nearly murdered Mr Burns, but the former was a good laugh and the latter was an accident (we think)! And what the flippin' heck's wrong with Lisa? Grade A student all the way, smart, intelligent, funny - possibly the only truly sane one in the family.
Now look at Baywatch. Don't look too hard, mind, else you might get hypnotised by the slow running, the meaningful stares of the Hoff, the jiggling...the endless jiggling...
The point is, Baywatch, if you think about it, is ten times worse than The Simpsons. Not just in its content, either, but in its writing. The Simpsons has always been one of the best written shows in the history of television, give or take the odd slip-up and the boringly mandatory "clip shows" that the Fox network force upon them. Baywatch? Oh no, a cute guy/girl is drowning, we'd better send out two even cuter guys/girls to rescue them and then perform mouth-to-mouth throughout the rest of the episodes. Please, any show where Pamela and Carmen can pull off convincing acting has got to have something wrong with it.
There is, however, evidence to suggest the amount of state control that Venezuelan television currently must answer to. One of the only new shows that is being made at the moment is a chat show, presented by a man called Hugo Chavez. And he only just happens to be the President of Venezuela. Ah, the perks of the job, huh?
Laters.
Sunday 13 April 2008
Tough Challenges
Sometimes, we are faced with options that could change our lives forever. This isn't necessarily a religious path. It could be a new job, moving to a new home or country, deciding to get married etc. Sometimes the changes that occur from these choices that we make will be so tiny, so minute, that it will take a while for us to realise they've happened. But once in a while the changes are so obvious it's as if we've shed our skin and become a completely different person.
This is what happened with the twelve men who were chosen to follow Jesus as apostles. There were many disciples, but these twelve were special - God had something incredible lying in store for them. They were to become Jesus' closest friends, his confidants. They would play a significant part in both his death and the spreading of his message to the world. But it wouldn't be without cost. The Bible tells us on many an occasion that, when Jesus told them to follow him, they simply stood up and did it. No goodbyes, no worries about their homes or jobs or families. They got up and followed Jesus without any thought.
You can take this as you like. Were they being irresponsible? Were they brainwashed? I don't believe they were. I believe that Jesus was such a completely different person that they instantly knew in their hearts who he was. It would take a while for their heads to get round it - about three years in fact - but their hearts knew it from the moment they lay eyes on him.
The passage of the week comes from a section entitled "The Would-be Followers of Jesus", Luke 9: 57 -62, which can also be found in Matthew 8: 19-22, (though interestingly the week's passage isn't in the latter). A couple of people claim that they want to follow Jesus, but first one must say goodbye to his family and another needs to bury his recently deceased father. It's a seemingly reasonable request, surely? Strangely not to Jesus. "Let the dead bury their own dead," he tells the bereaved man, and gives our passage to the family man.
There is a danger that people may think Jesus was being cold, uncaring here. But what he's actually doing is setting us a huge challenge. If something or someone comes into our lives that has the potential to make us completely new, to make us better people than we already are, what would be the point of taking the opportunity to change if we just go back to our old lives? We have to take that change wherever we go immediately. In the case here its the work of God, who should always come first before family, friends, career, etc.
It's not an easy challenge, though to be honest it wouldn't be much of a challenge if it were easy. But if we keep the desire to change first and foremost in our minds, it will eventually filter through into our lives until we wake up one morning and look at ourselves in the mirror and find that we have changed - completely and for the better.
Laters.
This is what happened with the twelve men who were chosen to follow Jesus as apostles. There were many disciples, but these twelve were special - God had something incredible lying in store for them. They were to become Jesus' closest friends, his confidants. They would play a significant part in both his death and the spreading of his message to the world. But it wouldn't be without cost. The Bible tells us on many an occasion that, when Jesus told them to follow him, they simply stood up and did it. No goodbyes, no worries about their homes or jobs or families. They got up and followed Jesus without any thought.
You can take this as you like. Were they being irresponsible? Were they brainwashed? I don't believe they were. I believe that Jesus was such a completely different person that they instantly knew in their hearts who he was. It would take a while for their heads to get round it - about three years in fact - but their hearts knew it from the moment they lay eyes on him.
The passage of the week comes from a section entitled "The Would-be Followers of Jesus", Luke 9: 57 -62, which can also be found in Matthew 8: 19-22, (though interestingly the week's passage isn't in the latter). A couple of people claim that they want to follow Jesus, but first one must say goodbye to his family and another needs to bury his recently deceased father. It's a seemingly reasonable request, surely? Strangely not to Jesus. "Let the dead bury their own dead," he tells the bereaved man, and gives our passage to the family man.
There is a danger that people may think Jesus was being cold, uncaring here. But what he's actually doing is setting us a huge challenge. If something or someone comes into our lives that has the potential to make us completely new, to make us better people than we already are, what would be the point of taking the opportunity to change if we just go back to our old lives? We have to take that change wherever we go immediately. In the case here its the work of God, who should always come first before family, friends, career, etc.
It's not an easy challenge, though to be honest it wouldn't be much of a challenge if it were easy. But if we keep the desire to change first and foremost in our minds, it will eventually filter through into our lives until we wake up one morning and look at ourselves in the mirror and find that we have changed - completely and for the better.
Laters.
Saturday 12 April 2008
Why Didn't I Think Of That First?
Ah, Saturday. Saturday's are usually pretty lied back for me. Apart from shopping in the morning (because I need food to live) I generally don't have that much on. Sunday's are usually quite busy with church going and friend meeting, and obviously the weekday seems to get busier and busier every week. So Saturday has been my little rest bite. Until now.
You see one of the readers of this blog and sometime commentator on it, Crystal, set me a challenge the other day. She is a somewhat more successful writer than I am, as you will see if you click the link in this paragraph to her own blog. Recently she wrote an interesting and funny piece on television addiction, a subject that I must ashamedly admit to having a fair share of experience of.
But the other day she set me a challenge which set the creative parts of my brain ticking again, blowing away the mental cobwebs that have formed there surprisingly quickly. She gave me a sentence to kick me off and told me to write a page to follow from it. Now, I haven't been able to find the time as yet to make a proper start on it due to my continuing FYP work, although I have formed a few rough ideas in my mind.
Maybe I'm taking it all much too seriously, but writing is (mostly) incredibly important to me. I don't think I care completely that I may never be a published author, as long as I can keep writing, and keep using it as an escape from reality, that's all that should matter to me. So thanks to Crystal I now have a label for the Saturday edition of my blog. It shall be known as Story Saturday. If you're at all curious or interested, then come to this site next Saturday and see what I've got in store for you.
Laters.
You see one of the readers of this blog and sometime commentator on it, Crystal, set me a challenge the other day. She is a somewhat more successful writer than I am, as you will see if you click the link in this paragraph to her own blog. Recently she wrote an interesting and funny piece on television addiction, a subject that I must ashamedly admit to having a fair share of experience of.
But the other day she set me a challenge which set the creative parts of my brain ticking again, blowing away the mental cobwebs that have formed there surprisingly quickly. She gave me a sentence to kick me off and told me to write a page to follow from it. Now, I haven't been able to find the time as yet to make a proper start on it due to my continuing FYP work, although I have formed a few rough ideas in my mind.
Maybe I'm taking it all much too seriously, but writing is (mostly) incredibly important to me. I don't think I care completely that I may never be a published author, as long as I can keep writing, and keep using it as an escape from reality, that's all that should matter to me. So thanks to Crystal I now have a label for the Saturday edition of my blog. It shall be known as Story Saturday. If you're at all curious or interested, then come to this site next Saturday and see what I've got in store for you.
Laters.
Friday 11 April 2008
Guess Who's Back...Back Again?
So this week I returned to Winchester for the remainder of my last semester studying English within these hallowed halls...or something like that. The term actually starts up again next Monday, but I needed a week back here to get my head together around my FYP and the other wonderful essays I have to write for my lovely subject. Plus I had run out of food. And I need food to live.
Not to sound too melodramatic, but I am getting sick and tired of English. Not writing - that's a different matter. Last term for instance, as a break from essays, I used the opportunity given to me by the director of a production the my local young theatre group are doing to write a scene for their new play, called This Bird Has Flown. Basically, it's all inspired by the songs that John Lennon wrote whilst he was in The Beatles. My scene was set in this asylum where some of his weirder creations - the Walrus, the Egg Man, Mean Mr Mustard, etc - are "residing". It's all a coma-induced dream of our hero, of course, but it was great fun to go totally mad with it. As a reward, I've been given both the cameo roles of the Walrus and John Lennon - both times I get shot, the former with a tranquiliser dart, the latter re-enacting Lennon's murder. I bruised my knees a lot falling on the hard wood stage. Ah, the things I do for my art.
The FYP is, as it so often has been, coming along slowly but surely. I'm writing this blog entry whilst sitting in the university library at the moment, as I intend to make the most of the fact that there's only two other people in here besides me...make that three, someone else has just walked in. But still, what freedom! Don't get me wrong, I love people. I do - people are great. But there's something about a nearly empty library (make that four and counting) that just screams of perfection. Ask my mother - she's a school librarian, she'll agree with me!
It's the same at my house. We're not really all together at the moment, though this will probably change over the weekend. But still it's nice to sometimes be the only one in the house. It gives you time to relax and unwind. Don't get me wrong, as soon as term starts, I'll be back to doing all the work I love to do with my CU, with other people, making sure I have time for my housemates. But sometimes it's just good to be alone. Yeah, there's a danger that the loneliness could kill you eventually, but I'm more than an expert now at this to know my limits. It's great that I can say that, isn't it? makes me sound like a regular party animal.
Laters.
Not to sound too melodramatic, but I am getting sick and tired of English. Not writing - that's a different matter. Last term for instance, as a break from essays, I used the opportunity given to me by the director of a production the my local young theatre group are doing to write a scene for their new play, called This Bird Has Flown. Basically, it's all inspired by the songs that John Lennon wrote whilst he was in The Beatles. My scene was set in this asylum where some of his weirder creations - the Walrus, the Egg Man, Mean Mr Mustard, etc - are "residing". It's all a coma-induced dream of our hero, of course, but it was great fun to go totally mad with it. As a reward, I've been given both the cameo roles of the Walrus and John Lennon - both times I get shot, the former with a tranquiliser dart, the latter re-enacting Lennon's murder. I bruised my knees a lot falling on the hard wood stage. Ah, the things I do for my art.
The FYP is, as it so often has been, coming along slowly but surely. I'm writing this blog entry whilst sitting in the university library at the moment, as I intend to make the most of the fact that there's only two other people in here besides me...make that three, someone else has just walked in. But still, what freedom! Don't get me wrong, I love people. I do - people are great. But there's something about a nearly empty library (make that four and counting) that just screams of perfection. Ask my mother - she's a school librarian, she'll agree with me!
It's the same at my house. We're not really all together at the moment, though this will probably change over the weekend. But still it's nice to sometimes be the only one in the house. It gives you time to relax and unwind. Don't get me wrong, as soon as term starts, I'll be back to doing all the work I love to do with my CU, with other people, making sure I have time for my housemates. But sometimes it's just good to be alone. Yeah, there's a danger that the loneliness could kill you eventually, but I'm more than an expert now at this to know my limits. It's great that I can say that, isn't it? makes me sound like a regular party animal.
Laters.
Thursday 10 April 2008
Trouble Ahead
Three things have come to my attention fairly recently which no doubt spell an uneasy future for the next couple of years. Two of these things most of you will be aware of. The third...eh...not so much.
The first of these is obviously the growing crisis in Zimbabwe, which, lets be honest, has been "growing" for a fair few decades now. I always knew that Mugabe would never go without a fight, and though he may have lost the elections, he can always pretend to have been asleep over that week and woken up none the wiser to the results, meaning I don't care, I'm still in power and I've got these nice men in uniforms and holding a variety of deadly arsenal to back me up. It's going to end in horrible bloodshed - sorry to be morbid, but I believe this could be the turning point where simple protesting goes too far. The opposition will try for a peaceful solution, but they're not going to get it. It's a sad, pathetic example of how power so easily corrupts, and how equally as easy it is to use violence to get what we want. Could we condone the bloodshed if it meant the end of Mugabe? Of course we could, but it would throw up a large number of interesting, though perhaps nervous, debates on morals and beliefs.
The second trouble maker in our ranks is the Beijing Olympics. Now that Gordon Brown has put his clunking iron fist down on the table and said he will not be attending the opening ceremony, others will follow. Brown insists he will attend the closing ceremony and it has nothing to do with the continuing saga of protests against the situation in Tibet which has made the Torch Relay such a shambles. Yeah, right. Someone tried to grab it off ex-Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq here in Blighty on Sunday - Konnie Huq! That I'm not impressed with. Couldn't they have tried to grab it off of someone more important, someone to do with sport? How about Sir Steve Redgrave or Dame Kelly Holmes or Little Theo Walcott? (He's not that Little, I just wanted to give him a title...The-o, The-o!) Will we get this in 2012 in London, with Commonwealth countries protesting against their "imprisonment"? Will Canadians or Australians be trying to grab the torch off of a wheel chaired Sir Steve, a walker-assisted Dame Kelly, or Lord Walcott? Actually, that might be fairly amusing.
The third and last thing that spells trouble, and the lightest of the three, is the decision by Roger Wright, the new head of the BBC Proms Season, to have a Doctor Who Concert in this year's season. On my signal, unleash hell. Purists will no doubt argue that the Proms have gone too far, bowing to the demands of popular culture in an attempt to be with it and street like with the kids, innit. Personally? Yay! Doctor Who Music! Bring it on!
Laters.
The first of these is obviously the growing crisis in Zimbabwe, which, lets be honest, has been "growing" for a fair few decades now. I always knew that Mugabe would never go without a fight, and though he may have lost the elections, he can always pretend to have been asleep over that week and woken up none the wiser to the results, meaning I don't care, I'm still in power and I've got these nice men in uniforms and holding a variety of deadly arsenal to back me up. It's going to end in horrible bloodshed - sorry to be morbid, but I believe this could be the turning point where simple protesting goes too far. The opposition will try for a peaceful solution, but they're not going to get it. It's a sad, pathetic example of how power so easily corrupts, and how equally as easy it is to use violence to get what we want. Could we condone the bloodshed if it meant the end of Mugabe? Of course we could, but it would throw up a large number of interesting, though perhaps nervous, debates on morals and beliefs.
The second trouble maker in our ranks is the Beijing Olympics. Now that Gordon Brown has put his clunking iron fist down on the table and said he will not be attending the opening ceremony, others will follow. Brown insists he will attend the closing ceremony and it has nothing to do with the continuing saga of protests against the situation in Tibet which has made the Torch Relay such a shambles. Yeah, right. Someone tried to grab it off ex-Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq here in Blighty on Sunday - Konnie Huq! That I'm not impressed with. Couldn't they have tried to grab it off of someone more important, someone to do with sport? How about Sir Steve Redgrave or Dame Kelly Holmes or Little Theo Walcott? (He's not that Little, I just wanted to give him a title...The-o, The-o!) Will we get this in 2012 in London, with Commonwealth countries protesting against their "imprisonment"? Will Canadians or Australians be trying to grab the torch off of a wheel chaired Sir Steve, a walker-assisted Dame Kelly, or Lord Walcott? Actually, that might be fairly amusing.
The third and last thing that spells trouble, and the lightest of the three, is the decision by Roger Wright, the new head of the BBC Proms Season, to have a Doctor Who Concert in this year's season. On my signal, unleash hell. Purists will no doubt argue that the Proms have gone too far, bowing to the demands of popular culture in an attempt to be with it and street like with the kids, innit. Personally? Yay! Doctor Who Music! Bring it on!
Laters.
Wednesday 9 April 2008
Is There Hope Yet For You, Britters?
Okay, so first off, apologies to any readers out there - and I mean any readers out there, if there are any apart from my mother - as I haven't written anything on my blog for quite some time now. I went home for the Easter holidays and subsequently took a holiday from my "Trials". But I'm back in Winchester now and, as you can see, ready to start writing again.
In the middle of all the work I had to do I found solace having various music channels on in the background whilst I wrote my FYP. This does mean that I have no announcements as to what song's coming up next, but then I treated it as a nice surprise.
There have been a few songs that have got me tapping my foot recently, but a surprising one was the latest from a certain Miss Spears. Now I am not the biggest fan of the more recent stuff that Britney's done, and would probably be the first one to say that she needs to get some help, seriously needs some therapy or counselling or something.
But her latest single, "Break The Ice", could, I feel, show a little spark of positivity. Although not nearly as good a pop record as "Baby One More Time" or "Toxic", one feels that, had it a better backing track it could actually rival those two songs which we instantly relate with her now. The video is an interesting one to watch too, done in a manga/anime style, no sign of our real life Britney anywhere. But maybe that's a good thing. See for yourself.
In the middle of all the work I had to do I found solace having various music channels on in the background whilst I wrote my FYP. This does mean that I have no announcements as to what song's coming up next, but then I treated it as a nice surprise.
There have been a few songs that have got me tapping my foot recently, but a surprising one was the latest from a certain Miss Spears. Now I am not the biggest fan of the more recent stuff that Britney's done, and would probably be the first one to say that she needs to get some help, seriously needs some therapy or counselling or something.
But her latest single, "Break The Ice", could, I feel, show a little spark of positivity. Although not nearly as good a pop record as "Baby One More Time" or "Toxic", one feels that, had it a better backing track it could actually rival those two songs which we instantly relate with her now. The video is an interesting one to watch too, done in a manga/anime style, no sign of our real life Britney anywhere. But maybe that's a good thing. See for yourself.
Wednesday 12 March 2008
Two Men & A Guitar
So last night we had an Acoustic Cafe at the Chapel and sooooo many people came to it - so wonderful and brilliant. When people left, more people came in. There was just enough cake and drinks for everyone, and so many people performed too. Including myself, with my guitar playing mate Ed. We did "Falling Slowly" from Once, which I've wanted to do for ages, and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", which is an absolute classic, and I'll have fisticuffs with anyone who disagrees with me!
But last night was really about us as a Christian Union giving other people the chance to 1) see that we're normal people too and 2) just to chill and relax in this tiring last week before the holidays. I don't think there was anyone who wasn't smiling as they left at nearly 11pm!
And so, once again, we've defied expectations and done God's work magnificently. And that got me thinking. I don't know how many people read this blog, or if you've been slightly turned off by my more religious writings recently. But when you have a spare moment, please, watch this video and I hope you'll understand why I'm just so darn excited!
But last night was really about us as a Christian Union giving other people the chance to 1) see that we're normal people too and 2) just to chill and relax in this tiring last week before the holidays. I don't think there was anyone who wasn't smiling as they left at nearly 11pm!
And so, once again, we've defied expectations and done God's work magnificently. And that got me thinking. I don't know how many people read this blog, or if you've been slightly turned off by my more religious writings recently. But when you have a spare moment, please, watch this video and I hope you'll understand why I'm just so darn excited!
Monday 10 March 2008
Rain, Rain, Go Away, You Won't Stop Me Trying To Pray...
So we decide this week, the last before the Easter holidays, to have a Prayer Table/Cafe for the rest of the campus outside our chapel. Then boom - biggest storm for a while hits practically the whole country. Okay, I'm being a bit over-the-top but from the way it was reported by the media it sure felt like the whole of the country.
Anyway, we at Winchester weren't left out. Right as we started to set up the heavens opened, which I suppose is kind of ironic. But did that stop us? Nope. In fact, I would argue that more people stopped inside the chapel to have a hot mug of something, a chat and occasionally a prayer then they would have done had it not been raining and it been glorious sunshine.
To misquote slightly, God works in flipping mysterious ways. We are never going to understand them here on earth. We prayed and prayed and prayed for sunshine, for no rain to fall - didn't happen. Doesn't discourage us, though - far from it. We managed to proclaim his word by offering shelter, warmth, sunshine on a rainy day...okay, that one was a little corny, but you get the idea.
So why the Monday Moan status? Well, muggins here decided to stand outside with his friend's brolly to invite people in, only for a mighty gust of wind to blow it first inside out then snap it off its handle all together. Should have seen that coming, so I guess this is more a moan at myself than anything else. Silly boy.
Laters.
Anyway, we at Winchester weren't left out. Right as we started to set up the heavens opened, which I suppose is kind of ironic. But did that stop us? Nope. In fact, I would argue that more people stopped inside the chapel to have a hot mug of something, a chat and occasionally a prayer then they would have done had it not been raining and it been glorious sunshine.
To misquote slightly, God works in flipping mysterious ways. We are never going to understand them here on earth. We prayed and prayed and prayed for sunshine, for no rain to fall - didn't happen. Doesn't discourage us, though - far from it. We managed to proclaim his word by offering shelter, warmth, sunshine on a rainy day...okay, that one was a little corny, but you get the idea.
So why the Monday Moan status? Well, muggins here decided to stand outside with his friend's brolly to invite people in, only for a mighty gust of wind to blow it first inside out then snap it off its handle all together. Should have seen that coming, so I guess this is more a moan at myself than anything else. Silly boy.
Laters.
Saturday 1 March 2008
Pinch, Punch, And Is That A Cuckoo I Hear?
In a perfect world, this day - the 1st of March - would be the first day of Spring. But, thanks probably to good ol' global warming, it's probably been Spring over here in Blighty since half way through February.
Anyway, as homage to the first day of Spring - whenever it is - we feel compelled in my house to do some spring cleaning. Well, okay, we don't exactly feel compelled, it's more like we have to. And when I say "we" I mean myself and Other Bloke, as Smoker and Second Year have gone home for the weekend. Cheers, girls.
My realm has been that of the kitchen, lounge and hallway/stairs. I also have to spruce my own bedroom up a bit, as we have the dreaded housing inspections this week. Fun, fun, fun! Speaking of fun, time to wipe down the oven.
Laters.
Anyway, as homage to the first day of Spring - whenever it is - we feel compelled in my house to do some spring cleaning. Well, okay, we don't exactly feel compelled, it's more like we have to. And when I say "we" I mean myself and Other Bloke, as Smoker and Second Year have gone home for the weekend. Cheers, girls.
My realm has been that of the kitchen, lounge and hallway/stairs. I also have to spruce my own bedroom up a bit, as we have the dreaded housing inspections this week. Fun, fun, fun! Speaking of fun, time to wipe down the oven.
Laters.
Thursday 28 February 2008
Satisfying Snack
Just a brief note on something I'm slowly becoming addicted to - hot chocolate and digestive biscuits. Seriously, after a morning's lectures nothing earthy seems to get me back up to Work Mode energy wise then a couple (or four) digestive biscuits and a large mug of steaming hot chocolate. And it's a pretty cheap snack too - that packet of biscuits was 24p, it's a large packet and they're very decent biscuits. The hot chocolate is a little more pricey but still comes in at just over a pound for a large pot of the stuff, which makes it taste even nicer!
Laters.
Laters.
Tuesday 26 February 2008
Oscars 2008 & "Notes On A Scandal"
As has been mentioned by many people, there weren't that many surprises at this year's Oscars for me. It seems that any film Daniel Day-Lewis is in means he's always going to win Best Actor (I know that's not true but that's how it feels). I had a suspicious feeling that Marion Cotillard would win after her triumph at BAFTA earlier this year, and it once again falls into the Oscar rule that anyone who plays a real-life person is more likely to win these days. Tilda Swinton was a bit of a surprise, I must admit - I really felt that Cate Blantchett would win for her role in I'm Not There.
All the awards for No Country For Old Men were worthy but predictable. One big surprise for me was that Ratatouille won Best Animated Feature when it was up against arguably the more academy friendly Persepolis. I was also disappointed with the rules and regulations that meant The Diving Bell And The Butterfly could not be nominated for Best Foreign Film, which I'm sure it would have won easily if it had been.
Have already raved about "Falling Slowly" winning Best Original Song...but I'll rave about it again - yay! In fact, this year's Oscars was a nice, spaced out event where each of the big hitters won at least one Oscar. All I can say is thank goodness Norbit didn't win for Best Make Up, unless it was make up to hide Eddie Murphy's embarrassment.
All the awards for No Country For Old Men were worthy but predictable. One big surprise for me was that Ratatouille won Best Animated Feature when it was up against arguably the more academy friendly Persepolis. I was also disappointed with the rules and regulations that meant The Diving Bell And The Butterfly could not be nominated for Best Foreign Film, which I'm sure it would have won easily if it had been.
Have already raved about "Falling Slowly" winning Best Original Song...but I'll rave about it again - yay! In fact, this year's Oscars was a nice, spaced out event where each of the big hitters won at least one Oscar. All I can say is thank goodness Norbit didn't win for Best Make Up, unless it was make up to hide Eddie Murphy's embarrassment.
*****
[Also today I thought I'd treat you all with my review of Notes On A Scandal which I watched a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy!]
Throughout history, the power of the diary has been displayed in numerous ways. Without the surviving memoirs of Anne Frank we would not have such a heartbreaking piece of evidence of, not only entrapment and Nazi Europe, but also the growth and maturity of a young girl into a young woman. Recently Alistair Campbell, the former PR man of Tony Blair, former Prime Minister, caused a slight scandal by publishing his own diaries from the Blair period.
In Notes On A Scandal the power of the diary is paramount to the story and characters. Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) writes daily of her disgust at the society around her, of the school where she works and its students, of her blossoming friendship with new art teacher Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett). But as the film progresses Barbara's diary becomes much more than a journal of mere observation. It becomes a detailed dossier of a rather sinister yet simple plot of blackmail, when Barbara catches Sheba in a very compromising position with a student, Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson), which threatens both her job and her marriage to older husband Richard (Bill Nighy).
This film is more or less a showcase for two powerful performances by two very fine actresses. This is probably the most satisfying character I have seen Dench play since the first time she appeared as 'M', 007's boss in GoldenEye. At first resembling nothing more than a bitter, lonely old crone, Barbara slowly unravels into a cold-hearted, creepy, manipulative woman intent on gaining companionship and more whatever the cost. Blanchett goes from bohemian to lust addict, tired of just being a wife and mother, yet terrified of losing everything she has. Towards the end of the film, however, there is a scene of complete emotional breakdown where, unfortunately, she seems to go into rather unbelievable OTT mode.
The rest of the cast don't really stand a chance when you have two such commanding leads. Nighy, always likable, is good in his role, yet it feels rather one-sided. There doesn't seem to be a reason as to why Sheba wants to have an affair, for Nighy's character seems to be the perfect husband and father figure, and a potential deja vu history that is brought out later on in the film is brushed aside to concentrate more on the relationship between Barbara and Sheba. Andrew Simpson is quite impressive, but again there do not seem to be many reasons why Sheba would want to risk everything for this character.
The power of the diary, and I feel the film's final message, is what also brings Barbara down. The book on which the film is based is perhaps more powerful than this better-than-average adaptation simply because it IS the diary that she is writing in. The endless debate of books vs films rages on, of course, but this film will be a worthy addition to either side's argument.
7/10
Laters.
Monday 25 February 2008
How Refreshing
Nothing to moan about today, because, as I predicted and gleefully discovered this morning, "Falling Slowly" from Once won the Oscar for Best Original Song. That's just got me on a 24 hour feel-good buzz!
Laters.
Laters.
Friday 22 February 2008
Nice Day, Nice Song
Today my folks and little sister came to visit me here in Winchester, and we were really blessed with just dry weather, never mind sunny, so we were able to spend most of the day outside. Save for a little problem with my mum's meat pie not having been cooked properly in the restaurant we ate at, it was a really nice day.
But throughout it my mind was constantly doing that slightly annoying thing of playing a song over and over again. So, now that they're on their way back home, I went onto YouTube and looked for "Falling Slowly" from the film Once.
The reason this hauntingly, beautiful song captured my imagination today is because I learnt this morning that it was up for an Oscar nomination. Having looked at the list of the other songs nominated, three of which are from Enchanted and co-written by the Disney powerhouse that is Alan Menkin, my feelings are that we can only be hopeful. I really feel, though, that there would be something wrong with the hearts of all the Academy voters if they didn't give the golden man to this gorgeous song.
We shall have to wait until Sunday night, I guess, though I suppose it will be the perfect thing to write about in my Monday Moan if it didn't win.
Laters.
But throughout it my mind was constantly doing that slightly annoying thing of playing a song over and over again. So, now that they're on their way back home, I went onto YouTube and looked for "Falling Slowly" from the film Once.
The reason this hauntingly, beautiful song captured my imagination today is because I learnt this morning that it was up for an Oscar nomination. Having looked at the list of the other songs nominated, three of which are from Enchanted and co-written by the Disney powerhouse that is Alan Menkin, my feelings are that we can only be hopeful. I really feel, though, that there would be something wrong with the hearts of all the Academy voters if they didn't give the golden man to this gorgeous song.
We shall have to wait until Sunday night, I guess, though I suppose it will be the perfect thing to write about in my Monday Moan if it didn't win.
Laters.
Thursday 21 February 2008
Smile, please, Madge!
After my little moan on Monday about Lindsay Lohan, this little article in today's Times amused me greatly:
"A pensioner who found what he thought was a photograph of Marilyn Monroe posing nude as a hitchhiker – and was told by an expert on the star that it seemed authentic – has learnt that it was an image of the pop singer Madonna."
So Madonna posed for nude photos, pretending to be a hitchiker? Oooookay, the problems of this little nugget of information are too vast to go into properly now.
Why is it these days that to become really famous - and I mean, really famous - there has to be some sort of scandal surrounding an artist? Then the focus isn't on their work any more, but on them. I think that must have been the problem with Marilyn, the studios were too focussed on her, not on her abiltiies as an actress. I guess this problem has been around for a very long time, though possibly interesting to see it had the opposite effect at the time for Fatty Arbuckle.
But look at Amy Winehouse. She has unfortunately become a classic example. She's a brilliant artist, very gifted songwriter, unique and original in a music world largely dominated these days by computors. Yet she didn't get to be really famous until her drug habit came to the front pages. Nothing to do with her music. Same with Britney; though, honestly, her music has pretty much gone down hill. It would also explain why Cheryl Cole is probably the most famous member of Girls Aloud, with the trials and tribulations of being married to Ashley.
The death knell of this, the absolute bottom, would be if people remember Sir Paul McCartney more for the messy divorce he's currently going through, and not for his years and years of brilliant, brilliant music. Then, I say, we're all doomed.
Laters.
"A pensioner who found what he thought was a photograph of Marilyn Monroe posing nude as a hitchhiker – and was told by an expert on the star that it seemed authentic – has learnt that it was an image of the pop singer Madonna."
So Madonna posed for nude photos, pretending to be a hitchiker? Oooookay, the problems of this little nugget of information are too vast to go into properly now.
Why is it these days that to become really famous - and I mean, really famous - there has to be some sort of scandal surrounding an artist? Then the focus isn't on their work any more, but on them. I think that must have been the problem with Marilyn, the studios were too focussed on her, not on her abiltiies as an actress. I guess this problem has been around for a very long time, though possibly interesting to see it had the opposite effect at the time for Fatty Arbuckle.
But look at Amy Winehouse. She has unfortunately become a classic example. She's a brilliant artist, very gifted songwriter, unique and original in a music world largely dominated these days by computors. Yet she didn't get to be really famous until her drug habit came to the front pages. Nothing to do with her music. Same with Britney; though, honestly, her music has pretty much gone down hill. It would also explain why Cheryl Cole is probably the most famous member of Girls Aloud, with the trials and tribulations of being married to Ashley.
The death knell of this, the absolute bottom, would be if people remember Sir Paul McCartney more for the messy divorce he's currently going through, and not for his years and years of brilliant, brilliant music. Then, I say, we're all doomed.
Laters.
Wednesday 20 February 2008
I Am Ready, I Am Ready For A Fall
The latest tune to really get me dancing and singing absent mindedly is by a group named Hot Chip. Ready For The Floor is perhaps a little difficult to place in any particular music genre. It starts off as quite techno dance like, but then there's a lot of pop in it. Finally there's perhaps a little bit of Radiohead-esque madness to the lyrics and cut-and-paste elements of the backing track.
Music these days seems to be very much about cut-and-paste. The new number one over here in Blighty is by a wonderful new artist called Duffy. Mercy has that kind of feel to it, where all the artist has done is taken 21st century lyrics, opinions and moods and stuck them on top of music from the early 60s.
Is this a good thing? I'm not really too sure at the mo, but I think it was all kick started by that Winehouse girl. To be honest, anything's better than Basshunter, which was number one for sooooo many weeks - well it seemed a long time, anyway. And at least these artists are doing something original with the lyrics, unlike certain Irish boy bands who just do cover after cover after cover after cover after...
Laters.
Music these days seems to be very much about cut-and-paste. The new number one over here in Blighty is by a wonderful new artist called Duffy. Mercy has that kind of feel to it, where all the artist has done is taken 21st century lyrics, opinions and moods and stuck them on top of music from the early 60s.
Is this a good thing? I'm not really too sure at the mo, but I think it was all kick started by that Winehouse girl. To be honest, anything's better than Basshunter, which was number one for sooooo many weeks - well it seemed a long time, anyway. And at least these artists are doing something original with the lyrics, unlike certain Irish boy bands who just do cover after cover after cover after cover after...
Laters.
Tuesday 19 February 2008
A Mistake, Surely?
Okay, so decided to buy the Total Film 100 Greatest Film Characters Of All Time special, only available in WH Smiths, which is always the case for these things - why, I dunno - and eagerly flipped forward to the number one spot. It has to be Bond, I thought to myself. Or maybe it's Indiana Jones. Or maybe, just maybe, it's someone like Atticus Finch, played by Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mocking Bird (1962). But no. Number one, the greatest film character of all times, as voted for by the readers of Total Film - a group of which I am a member so no funny ideas please - the top dog in the list was...
Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates Of The Carribean trilogy.
Ooooooookay.
One question springs to mind, really, erm, WHY? Look, unlike famous film critic Mark Kermode (what, you've never heard of him?) I like Captain Jack. Johnny Depp is one of the greatest, most versatile actors in the world today and the character is a very funny, at times quite mysterious, but always mischevous work of fiction. But the number one film character of all time? Surely not!
As a Bond fan (and the Bond Fanatic on the IMDB) of course I'm rooting for Bond, but there are so many, many other better film characters in the cellulouid world that deserve that top spot. What about Finch and his continuing struggle for justice for all? What about Batman? What about Hannibal Lecter, Veto Corleone, Oskar Schindler, Rick Blaine? What about Mia Wallace, Nurse Ratched, Princess Leia? What about nearly every role played by Daniel Day-Lewis? Or okay, go for Depp, but what about Edward Scissorhands or Ed Wood or Donnie Brasco?
I guess my pleas are in vain, though, especially since the bloody things been printed already. Roll on next year, I say, roll on the next list. Captain Jack's all very well and good but unless he's not looking for some rum he's just not Hollywood Walk of Stars if you know what I mean.
Laters.
Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates Of The Carribean trilogy.
Ooooooookay.
One question springs to mind, really, erm, WHY? Look, unlike famous film critic Mark Kermode (what, you've never heard of him?) I like Captain Jack. Johnny Depp is one of the greatest, most versatile actors in the world today and the character is a very funny, at times quite mysterious, but always mischevous work of fiction. But the number one film character of all time? Surely not!
As a Bond fan (and the Bond Fanatic on the IMDB) of course I'm rooting for Bond, but there are so many, many other better film characters in the cellulouid world that deserve that top spot. What about Finch and his continuing struggle for justice for all? What about Batman? What about Hannibal Lecter, Veto Corleone, Oskar Schindler, Rick Blaine? What about Mia Wallace, Nurse Ratched, Princess Leia? What about nearly every role played by Daniel Day-Lewis? Or okay, go for Depp, but what about Edward Scissorhands or Ed Wood or Donnie Brasco?
I guess my pleas are in vain, though, especially since the bloody things been printed already. Roll on next year, I say, roll on the next list. Captain Jack's all very well and good but unless he's not looking for some rum he's just not Hollywood Walk of Stars if you know what I mean.
Laters.
Monday 18 February 2008
Put Them Away, Lindsay
To start off today, I want to quote the always excellent Peter Griffin:
"You know what really grinds my gears? This Lindsay Lohan. Lindsay Lohan with all those little outfits, jumping around there on stage, half-naked with your little outfits. Ya know? You're a... You're out there jumping around and I'm just sitting here with my beer. So, what am I supposed to do? What you want? You know, are we gonna go out? Is that what you're trying to - why why are you leaping around there, throwing those things all up in my, over there in my face? What do you want, Lindsay? Tell me what you want? Well, I'll tell you what you want, you want nothing. You want nothing. All right? Because we all know that no woman anywhere wants to have sex with anyone, and to titillate us with any thoughts otherwise is - is just bogus. "
Okay, so I'm not going to comment on all of what Peter has just said, but the gist of it is fairly accurate in my opinion. Basically, Lindsay Lohan annoys me. Out of all the attention-seeking, media-hungry, headline-invading "Hollywood Princesses" that there are (and there's a few of them!), Lohan annoys me the most.
Part of this annoyance must be due to the fact that I didn't find her annoying two or three years ago. This is because she was making what I think is known in the Industry as GOOD movies - Freaky Friday (2003), Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen and Mean Girls (2004). Out of these three the best is Mean Girls - a savvy, intelligent high-school movie, something you don't see that often these days. And Lohan was very good in it; she wasn't brilliant, but she was very good.
So where has it all gone wrong, Lindsay, and why oh why oh why has it gone wrong? Her last film role was in I Know Who Killed Me (2007), a feature I don't think was even given the honour of a cinema release over here in Blighty, and which has earned her three Razzie nominations: two for worst actress and one for worst couple (apparently it's about twins or something, I don't know, I don't care).
And now, what's this I see? She has stripped nude to pose for New York Magazine - that's right, New York Magazine, not FHM or Maxim lads mags. It's all in tribute to Marilyn Monroe. Let me ask what might seem a stupid qustion, Lindsay: if you're posing for a tribute photoshoot of Marily Monroe, why are you doing it with no keks on? And honestly, can you really compete with the blonde bombshell to end all blonde bombshells? All About Eve (1950), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Misfits (1961) etc. Why not choose an image from one of these iconic films instead of just using Monroe as a flimsy excuse to get your bongo drums out?
Disturbingly, I suspect there can be comparisons drawn between Lindsay and Marilyn however. Thing is, Monroe's obvious talent, which is plain for all to see in The Misfits, was wasted by a 50's studio who were intent on using her blatantly obvious sex appeal to sell movie tickets to a lot of blokes. She kept being typecast in the same old roles - no argument that she was great in them, but she was typecast in them. Now look at Lindsay - her career started the same way, as happens with all teen stars. But now I feel Lindsay herself is using her own party girl lifestyle to get the work she wants to do, which is just as an excuse to stay a step ahead in the media circus from the other "Hollywood Princesses" like Britney and Paris.
There may, however, be one saving grace for Lindsay in my books. Down on my list of rental DVDs is Robert Altman's last picture, A Prairie Home Companion (2006), which Lindsay has a small role in. If she is good in this - and I'm not willing to accept anything other than Very Good - then I'll give her another chance. Until then, put some clothes on and go to acting school!
Laters.
"You know what really grinds my gears? This Lindsay Lohan. Lindsay Lohan with all those little outfits, jumping around there on stage, half-naked with your little outfits. Ya know? You're a... You're out there jumping around and I'm just sitting here with my beer. So, what am I supposed to do? What you want? You know, are we gonna go out? Is that what you're trying to - why why are you leaping around there, throwing those things all up in my, over there in my face? What do you want, Lindsay? Tell me what you want? Well, I'll tell you what you want, you want nothing. You want nothing. All right? Because we all know that no woman anywhere wants to have sex with anyone, and to titillate us with any thoughts otherwise is - is just bogus. "
Okay, so I'm not going to comment on all of what Peter has just said, but the gist of it is fairly accurate in my opinion. Basically, Lindsay Lohan annoys me. Out of all the attention-seeking, media-hungry, headline-invading "Hollywood Princesses" that there are (and there's a few of them!), Lohan annoys me the most.
Part of this annoyance must be due to the fact that I didn't find her annoying two or three years ago. This is because she was making what I think is known in the Industry as GOOD movies - Freaky Friday (2003), Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen and Mean Girls (2004). Out of these three the best is Mean Girls - a savvy, intelligent high-school movie, something you don't see that often these days. And Lohan was very good in it; she wasn't brilliant, but she was very good.
So where has it all gone wrong, Lindsay, and why oh why oh why has it gone wrong? Her last film role was in I Know Who Killed Me (2007), a feature I don't think was even given the honour of a cinema release over here in Blighty, and which has earned her three Razzie nominations: two for worst actress and one for worst couple (apparently it's about twins or something, I don't know, I don't care).
And now, what's this I see? She has stripped nude to pose for New York Magazine - that's right, New York Magazine, not FHM or Maxim lads mags. It's all in tribute to Marilyn Monroe. Let me ask what might seem a stupid qustion, Lindsay: if you're posing for a tribute photoshoot of Marily Monroe, why are you doing it with no keks on? And honestly, can you really compete with the blonde bombshell to end all blonde bombshells? All About Eve (1950), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Misfits (1961) etc. Why not choose an image from one of these iconic films instead of just using Monroe as a flimsy excuse to get your bongo drums out?
Disturbingly, I suspect there can be comparisons drawn between Lindsay and Marilyn however. Thing is, Monroe's obvious talent, which is plain for all to see in The Misfits, was wasted by a 50's studio who were intent on using her blatantly obvious sex appeal to sell movie tickets to a lot of blokes. She kept being typecast in the same old roles - no argument that she was great in them, but she was typecast in them. Now look at Lindsay - her career started the same way, as happens with all teen stars. But now I feel Lindsay herself is using her own party girl lifestyle to get the work she wants to do, which is just as an excuse to stay a step ahead in the media circus from the other "Hollywood Princesses" like Britney and Paris.
There may, however, be one saving grace for Lindsay in my books. Down on my list of rental DVDs is Robert Altman's last picture, A Prairie Home Companion (2006), which Lindsay has a small role in. If she is good in this - and I'm not willing to accept anything other than Very Good - then I'll give her another chance. Until then, put some clothes on and go to acting school!
Laters.
Thursday 14 February 2008
Several Musings
Okay, so writing the hundreth blog entry got me a little excited and I had to lie down for about two days, but I'm up and about now, and so much has happened over the last couple of days that I want to quickly mention.
Firstly, was very sorry to hear of the death of Roy Scheider. I wasn't a big viewer of his work, but the films I have seen that he was in - Jaws and All that Jazz - will definitly stand the test of time. Jaws is an obvious choice, I suppose, but All That Jazz is probably one of my top ten films. It's a dark, seedy look at showbuisness and its trappings, and is an absolute must for any musical fans, or anyone who doesn't like musicals as a matter of fact. Scheider sings in this, too, and is quite good. He should have won an Oscar for this - he was nominated, but he lost to Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs Kramer, which I suppose is fairly typical of the Oscars in general.
Secondly, was surprised to hear that Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne are hosting this years BRIT Awards next Wedensday. Surely they're mumbling is going to be a little off putting to any international viewers?
Thirdly, am very excited about this, the new trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (I know - huh?) is now online. Here's a link for it, seeing as how I'm such a nice blogger.
Okay, is that all? I think so. To sum it up then - Bye Bye Scheider, Subtitles Please For Next Wedensday, and (all together now) Dum-Da-Dum-Dum, Dum-Da-Dum, Dum-Da-Dum-Dum, Dum-Da-Dum-Dum-Dum...
Laters.
Firstly, was very sorry to hear of the death of Roy Scheider. I wasn't a big viewer of his work, but the films I have seen that he was in - Jaws and All that Jazz - will definitly stand the test of time. Jaws is an obvious choice, I suppose, but All That Jazz is probably one of my top ten films. It's a dark, seedy look at showbuisness and its trappings, and is an absolute must for any musical fans, or anyone who doesn't like musicals as a matter of fact. Scheider sings in this, too, and is quite good. He should have won an Oscar for this - he was nominated, but he lost to Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs Kramer, which I suppose is fairly typical of the Oscars in general.
Secondly, was surprised to hear that Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne are hosting this years BRIT Awards next Wedensday. Surely they're mumbling is going to be a little off putting to any international viewers?
Thirdly, am very excited about this, the new trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (I know - huh?) is now online. Here's a link for it, seeing as how I'm such a nice blogger.
Okay, is that all? I think so. To sum it up then - Bye Bye Scheider, Subtitles Please For Next Wedensday, and (all together now) Dum-Da-Dum-Dum, Dum-Da-Dum, Dum-Da-Dum-Dum, Dum-Da-Dum-Dum-Dum...
Laters.
Monday 11 February 2008
A Tiny, Meaningless Celebration
Just thought that I had to write something, because that way I could proudly say that I have now written 100 Blog Entries. Woo hoo!
Seriously, is this anything to be proud of? Those of you who are "avid readers" will know that I mainly use this blog as a form of stress relief when I'm aggravated about something. Is it really that interesting to read someone's rant? It doesn't seem it when I read back what I've written, especially seeing as how, on these damn library keyboards, I type so fast that I occasionally miss out a letter in a word, and so have to go all the way through it to make sure I've spealt it all right, and even then, when its published, I still find the odd wrong word, which annoys me even more. Whats up with that?
Still, it is kind of fun to have a little piece of the World Wide Web that is MINE, ALL MINE, and they can't take that away from me. Unless I ever write somthing that goes against the contract you have to sign (or click your mouse in the box to tick it in this case) to be able to write anything.
Not that I exactly know what it is I can't write, because, honestly, who actually reads that rubbish? Don't we all just read the first sentence and think Yeah, yeah before automatically ticking the box without reading it all. I'm not saying I do that with every single contract I have to sign - that would be both wrong and stupid. But here there desn't seem much point in wasting time reading when I could be ranting.
All I can do is guess at what I can't write about - I can't write fundamentalist, religious rubbish, I suppose, or anything that could be classed as terrorism or indecent. Though in the latter's case, I call to the witness stand Belle De Jour and her late blog, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl. I rest my case.
Ah, well. Here's to the next hundred blogs!
Laters.
Seriously, is this anything to be proud of? Those of you who are "avid readers" will know that I mainly use this blog as a form of stress relief when I'm aggravated about something. Is it really that interesting to read someone's rant? It doesn't seem it when I read back what I've written, especially seeing as how, on these damn library keyboards, I type so fast that I occasionally miss out a letter in a word, and so have to go all the way through it to make sure I've spealt it all right, and even then, when its published, I still find the odd wrong word, which annoys me even more. Whats up with that?
Still, it is kind of fun to have a little piece of the World Wide Web that is MINE, ALL MINE, and they can't take that away from me. Unless I ever write somthing that goes against the contract you have to sign (or click your mouse in the box to tick it in this case) to be able to write anything.
Not that I exactly know what it is I can't write, because, honestly, who actually reads that rubbish? Don't we all just read the first sentence and think Yeah, yeah before automatically ticking the box without reading it all. I'm not saying I do that with every single contract I have to sign - that would be both wrong and stupid. But here there desn't seem much point in wasting time reading when I could be ranting.
All I can do is guess at what I can't write about - I can't write fundamentalist, religious rubbish, I suppose, or anything that could be classed as terrorism or indecent. Though in the latter's case, I call to the witness stand Belle De Jour and her late blog, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl. I rest my case.
Ah, well. Here's to the next hundred blogs!
Laters.
Friday 1 February 2008
This Week I Have Been Mostly...
- Writing my dissertation - I had to hand in about 2500 words of the bloody thing by the end of this week. Thankfully, I now have a clear idea of what to write, and was able, after a lot of brain stretching, to hand in what I've written so far to my FYP tutor on Wedensday. Then collapsed.
- Rehearsing for Alpha Launch - yes, once again the Alpha Course has started here at the University of Winchester, and to celebrate we once again had an open mike night. What amazes me, and I know it shouldn't but it always does, is how much talent there is within these campus walls. I sang a couple of songs, but there were some amazing performances from others, including what can only be described as some "politically interesting" songs. Though I won't be taking part physically in the course this term, having done four of them already, I am going to get my hands dirty and help with the washing up. Fun, fun, fun!
- Reading books - have had to order a lot of books for this term, most of which are detective novels, which are aways good fun to read, though how much fun they'll be after doing modules on both English and American Crime Fiction respectively, we'll have to wait and see.
Laters.
Thursday 31 January 2008
News Worthy?
Ah, Derek Conway, Derek Conway, Derek Conway - what have you got yourself into?
Seriously, what have you got yourself into, 'cos I've got no bloody idea. Donated money to your son, or something, I get that, and I get that whatever you did was very naughty, but I just don't get why or what exactly it was that made you the laughing stock of the Conservative party.
Talking with a friend yesterday lunchtime we somehow strayed into the land of politics briefly. Having looked after a group of Year 11 schoolchildren visiting the University the previous day, she told me that a couple of them figured the voting age should go down to 16. This idea, though nice to hear, is completely ridiculous.
That's not to say that 16 year olds have no interest in politics. There are plenty of young groups of budding politicians out there, I'm fully aware of that. The problem is, especially in our country at the moment, politics seems to revolve around the economy. I think its got more to do with Gordon "Iron Man/Mr Bean" Brown and his previous job, which is understandable considering he was in the position of chancellor for ten years. But all this buisness with Northern Rock and Conway and Loans and what not - I can see that it's important, usually because it takes up half the bloody time on a news show anyway. But I just don't understand why they are important. And if I don't understand, chances are a lot of 16 year olds will have no clue, so how are they going to determine who to vote for?
Me thinks that there are possibly more important news stories out there. Take this one for example: A gang of Swedish criminals in Stockholm were seconds away from completing a digital bank robbery when the plug was pulled on them - literally. An elert employee pulled out the cable when he saw his computor making the transaction.
Now that's both news worthy and hilarious. Why can't politics be more like that?
Laters.
Seriously, what have you got yourself into, 'cos I've got no bloody idea. Donated money to your son, or something, I get that, and I get that whatever you did was very naughty, but I just don't get why or what exactly it was that made you the laughing stock of the Conservative party.
Talking with a friend yesterday lunchtime we somehow strayed into the land of politics briefly. Having looked after a group of Year 11 schoolchildren visiting the University the previous day, she told me that a couple of them figured the voting age should go down to 16. This idea, though nice to hear, is completely ridiculous.
That's not to say that 16 year olds have no interest in politics. There are plenty of young groups of budding politicians out there, I'm fully aware of that. The problem is, especially in our country at the moment, politics seems to revolve around the economy. I think its got more to do with Gordon "Iron Man/Mr Bean" Brown and his previous job, which is understandable considering he was in the position of chancellor for ten years. But all this buisness with Northern Rock and Conway and Loans and what not - I can see that it's important, usually because it takes up half the bloody time on a news show anyway. But I just don't understand why they are important. And if I don't understand, chances are a lot of 16 year olds will have no clue, so how are they going to determine who to vote for?
Me thinks that there are possibly more important news stories out there. Take this one for example: A gang of Swedish criminals in Stockholm were seconds away from completing a digital bank robbery when the plug was pulled on them - literally. An elert employee pulled out the cable when he saw his computor making the transaction.
Now that's both news worthy and hilarious. Why can't politics be more like that?
Laters.
Tuesday 29 January 2008
Bye, Marj
Yesterday afternoon I put on my best suit and went to a funeral. Not just because I felt like it, but because this was the time to say goodbye to a woman who I'd only met twice in my life. Marj was one half of the couple who were my "host family" for this year, which are a group of volunteers at my church here in Winchester who every so often invite students round to their house for a meal. When these meals included pheasant, you knew you were in for a treat with Marj.
I've been to a few funerals already , and they are obviously not meant to be enjoyable experiences. And yet, yesterday's service was possibly the loveliest funeral I had been to in a while. The church was packed, the music was gorgeous, and the mood was so much more optimistic than you would perhaps expect. It was so much more a Thanksgiving than a Funeral.
I'm wondering if the church has anything to do with it. I mean, Christ Church, though Church of England, is very different to any other C of E church I've been to, which is definitely part of its appeal. There is always an optimistic mood in the building's atmosphere, and this influences every event and service held there. And in the case of a funeral I feel that this really helps. It helped yesterday at least - it was the perfect way to say goodbye, for Marj was just like Christ Church, heck, she was Christ Church. I found myself agreeing with practically everything that was said about her yesterday, and I'd only met her twice!
Laters, Marj.
I've been to a few funerals already , and they are obviously not meant to be enjoyable experiences. And yet, yesterday's service was possibly the loveliest funeral I had been to in a while. The church was packed, the music was gorgeous, and the mood was so much more optimistic than you would perhaps expect. It was so much more a Thanksgiving than a Funeral.
I'm wondering if the church has anything to do with it. I mean, Christ Church, though Church of England, is very different to any other C of E church I've been to, which is definitely part of its appeal. There is always an optimistic mood in the building's atmosphere, and this influences every event and service held there. And in the case of a funeral I feel that this really helps. It helped yesterday at least - it was the perfect way to say goodbye, for Marj was just like Christ Church, heck, she was Christ Church. I found myself agreeing with practically everything that was said about her yesterday, and I'd only met her twice!
Laters, Marj.
Friday 25 January 2008
It's A Tough Job, But Someone's Gotta Do It...
In preparation for one of my final modules of English here at the University of Winchester, I have to watch as much of the television series Sex & The City as possible. This has provoked much humor amongst my friends, but the joke's on them! I spent about two and a half hours on both Tuesday and Wednesday doing nothing but watching television. okay, so it's Sex & the City. Okay, so it's rather trashy and paints a lot of blokes in a bad picture. Okay, so, as Peter Griffin once observed, Sarah Jessica Parker looks like a foot. I don't care!
In the afternoons, though, I'm mainly concentrating on my dissertation, which has reached its final transformation as being bout the novel Saturday by Ian McEwan. The premise is that this novel is a postmodern novel, but, if you look at the definitions of postmodernism, is it also a post 9/11 novel? See what i did there? All that research on 9/11 won't go to waste. Well, not much of it anyway.
Have also re-tweaked the second Green Ash manuscript, Shine On Me. I can't quite believe that I'm still tweaking them. I guess I just want them to be absolutely perfect, but I doubt I'll ever be pleased completely with my work, especially if my University essays are anything to go by.
Laters.
In the afternoons, though, I'm mainly concentrating on my dissertation, which has reached its final transformation as being bout the novel Saturday by Ian McEwan. The premise is that this novel is a postmodern novel, but, if you look at the definitions of postmodernism, is it also a post 9/11 novel? See what i did there? All that research on 9/11 won't go to waste. Well, not much of it anyway.
Have also re-tweaked the second Green Ash manuscript, Shine On Me. I can't quite believe that I'm still tweaking them. I guess I just want them to be absolutely perfect, but I doubt I'll ever be pleased completely with my work, especially if my University essays are anything to go by.
Laters.
Wednesday 23 January 2008
Heath Ledger & Hot Fuzz
Was completely taken aback by the death yesterday of Heath Ledger, as I'm sure everyone was. I had not seen a lot of his work, but I was very much looking forward to his role as the Joker in the Batman Begins sequel, The Dark Knight; he looked amazing in the trailer, completely unrecognisable and creepy. His death is a real tragedy, for I'm sure he would have been one of the great actors of our time.
In other film news, I saw Hot Fuzz the other day. Here's my review. [This comment may contain spoilers]
Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright score another hit with this intelligent, funny and at times pretty thrilling follow up to their smash hit zom-rom-com Shaun Of The Dead, which I also loved. What was brilliant about that film was that it hit ticked every box it advertised: there was plenty of comedy, plenty of romance (be it between Shaun and girlfriend or Shaun and best mate), and plenty of zombies.
Not sure how you could class this film - maybe an action-thriller-comedy-spoof-ensemble piece. Or not. But there was again plenty of every one of these.
Great writing, great casting, great stunts and great special effects - basically the film is great. It sets a Lethal Weapon-style movie in a small English town that just so happens to be full of A-list British actors like Jim Broadbent, Edward Woodwood and a brilliant Timothy Dalton. The boys have obviously gone up in the world budget wise after Shaun - in the first scene alone we have Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan and Bill Nighy! The twists in the plot are slightly unexpected and very entertaining, and Pegg and Nick Frost once again make a great double act. My only criticism I have is that there were too many endings, kind of suffering from Return Of The King syndrome there, but I guess that was needed to fully round up the spoof elements to the film.
On the whole this is a genuinely funny film to watch with your mates (though not your Gran). Oh, and there's a couple of really good gory moments in it too. Well, what did you expect? These boys made a zombie movie!
8/10
Here's to Heath.
Laters.
In other film news, I saw Hot Fuzz the other day. Here's my review. [This comment may contain spoilers]
Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright score another hit with this intelligent, funny and at times pretty thrilling follow up to their smash hit zom-rom-com Shaun Of The Dead, which I also loved. What was brilliant about that film was that it hit ticked every box it advertised: there was plenty of comedy, plenty of romance (be it between Shaun and girlfriend or Shaun and best mate), and plenty of zombies.
Not sure how you could class this film - maybe an action-thriller-comedy-spoof-ensemble piece. Or not. But there was again plenty of every one of these.
Great writing, great casting, great stunts and great special effects - basically the film is great. It sets a Lethal Weapon-style movie in a small English town that just so happens to be full of A-list British actors like Jim Broadbent, Edward Woodwood and a brilliant Timothy Dalton. The boys have obviously gone up in the world budget wise after Shaun - in the first scene alone we have Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan and Bill Nighy! The twists in the plot are slightly unexpected and very entertaining, and Pegg and Nick Frost once again make a great double act. My only criticism I have is that there were too many endings, kind of suffering from Return Of The King syndrome there, but I guess that was needed to fully round up the spoof elements to the film.
On the whole this is a genuinely funny film to watch with your mates (though not your Gran). Oh, and there's a couple of really good gory moments in it too. Well, what did you expect? These boys made a zombie movie!
8/10
Here's to Heath.
Laters.
Tuesday 15 January 2008
Must See Movie
[Last week I had the good fortune to be sent The Fountain on DVD. Reviewed down below! (May contain spoilers)]
I like to think of myself as a fairly universal film viewer, in that I watch both mainstream and art house films. Personally I don't really like the fact that there is such a thing as art house cinema – films are for everyone, and we should all be given the chance to watch them, whatever their subject matter, country of origin, etc. Thank goodness, then, for DVDs, or else I know I probably would have had to wait a very long time before seeing The Fountain.
This film totally staggered me. I knew I was in for a wild ride in a technological sense, and I wasn't proved wrong. The visual effects, particularly those set in the "future/inner self" segments of the film are awesome to watch and beautiful. But this film has a hell of a lot of emotion in it too, and I wasn't expecting to be taken on a wild ride inwards.
I guess it's kind of difficult to work out the exact synopsis – Aronofsky gives the plot just enough ambiguity for everyone to have their own opinion on what exactly is going on. It all revolves around the characters of Tommy and Izzie, played respectively by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. Izzie is sick, dying of a brain tumour, and Tommy has made it his mission to find a cure for it and save her life. Izzie, meanwhile, spends her time writing a manuscript for a novel about a Spanish conquistador who is sent on a seemingly impossible expedition by his love, the Queen of Spain – again, both of these characters played by Jackman and Weisz.
This film is a real tour de force for both these actors, and Weisz is fast becoming one of my top five favourite actresses who make films watchable simply because they are in them. Thankfully, this doesn't have to be the case with The Fountain. Jackman is probably the stand out performance here, however, his character (or characters) going through a wide range of emotions and journeys whose endings, though perhaps are sometimes predictable, are not tedious in their predictability.
Several images repeat themselves through the film; for example a ring, skin, and, perhaps most important of all, a tree. Not just any tree, mark you, but the Tree of Life, the perhaps less famous one from the book of genesis in the Bible, the one whose slightly overshadowed by the big bad Tree of Knowledge. If anything, this film made me actually see for the first time what several of the sentences mean in this segment of the biblical text, words that I and I'm sure a lot of others would have simply blanked over.
I urge you to see this film. I know it won't be everybody's cup of tea – after all, that's why it's not mainstream. It's intellectual, has a confusing plot line, only has two major stars in it, and it's director's last film was Requiem For A Dream, another flick which divided film goers and critics alike. But it's also about grief, about love and hope and of acceptance. This would be a great therapy film for those going through a terminal illness, or for those who have recently lost someone in that way. It is a beautiful, beautiful film, and the first chance that you get, please, watch it.
9/10
Laters.
I like to think of myself as a fairly universal film viewer, in that I watch both mainstream and art house films. Personally I don't really like the fact that there is such a thing as art house cinema – films are for everyone, and we should all be given the chance to watch them, whatever their subject matter, country of origin, etc. Thank goodness, then, for DVDs, or else I know I probably would have had to wait a very long time before seeing The Fountain.
This film totally staggered me. I knew I was in for a wild ride in a technological sense, and I wasn't proved wrong. The visual effects, particularly those set in the "future/inner self" segments of the film are awesome to watch and beautiful. But this film has a hell of a lot of emotion in it too, and I wasn't expecting to be taken on a wild ride inwards.
I guess it's kind of difficult to work out the exact synopsis – Aronofsky gives the plot just enough ambiguity for everyone to have their own opinion on what exactly is going on. It all revolves around the characters of Tommy and Izzie, played respectively by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. Izzie is sick, dying of a brain tumour, and Tommy has made it his mission to find a cure for it and save her life. Izzie, meanwhile, spends her time writing a manuscript for a novel about a Spanish conquistador who is sent on a seemingly impossible expedition by his love, the Queen of Spain – again, both of these characters played by Jackman and Weisz.
This film is a real tour de force for both these actors, and Weisz is fast becoming one of my top five favourite actresses who make films watchable simply because they are in them. Thankfully, this doesn't have to be the case with The Fountain. Jackman is probably the stand out performance here, however, his character (or characters) going through a wide range of emotions and journeys whose endings, though perhaps are sometimes predictable, are not tedious in their predictability.
Several images repeat themselves through the film; for example a ring, skin, and, perhaps most important of all, a tree. Not just any tree, mark you, but the Tree of Life, the perhaps less famous one from the book of genesis in the Bible, the one whose slightly overshadowed by the big bad Tree of Knowledge. If anything, this film made me actually see for the first time what several of the sentences mean in this segment of the biblical text, words that I and I'm sure a lot of others would have simply blanked over.
I urge you to see this film. I know it won't be everybody's cup of tea – after all, that's why it's not mainstream. It's intellectual, has a confusing plot line, only has two major stars in it, and it's director's last film was Requiem For A Dream, another flick which divided film goers and critics alike. But it's also about grief, about love and hope and of acceptance. This would be a great therapy film for those going through a terminal illness, or for those who have recently lost someone in that way. It is a beautiful, beautiful film, and the first chance that you get, please, watch it.
9/10
Laters.
Thursday 10 January 2008
And The Score Is Currently 1-1...
Why all the fuss over the American Pre-Election Elections? As soon as Barack Obama won in Iowa, the press over here in Blighty was all, "Oh no, poor Hillary Clinton, she's lost, it's looking bad for her, etc".
Erm, hello? It was just one friggin' state! That doesn't mean a thing in politics, and my point is proven by the fact that Clinton then whooped Obama's ass in New Hampshire. Okay, so maybe 3% more votes isn't exactly "whooping ass", but still there's no need for all the fuss just yet!
It's an interesting contest, don't get me wrong - much more interesting than the Republican Pre-Election Elections. Sorry, but I don't think much of the world cares for the Republicans at the moment, seeing as how they're unlikely to win after good ol' Dubbya's eight years. No, the next President will be a Democrat, and I'm betting on Clinton too.
Now I like Obama, I think it's amazing what he has achieved in his career and life, and good for him for winning in Iowa. But America seems only just ready for a female president, let alone a black president. Maybe it's just me being cynical, and I will be incredibly happy if Obama does win, because it will prove me wrong. It's just that I don't think he will. If anything it's his track record that will be the problem for Obama - at least, I hope that's what the problem will be for some voters, and not his skin colour. The fact is that Hillary Clinton has years more experience than he has - after all, she's already lived in the White House for eight years. Obama has only been on the senate for three.
Maybe his youth will win people over, like JFK before him. Maybe some people won't want another Clinton in the hot seat - after all, we've already had another Bush. There could be a danger of American politics really turning into a family affair - an unreliable source tells me that Nancy Reagan is all set for the 2012 Presidential Race. It's all starting to feel like The Godfather - who's next in line to the Sicilian throne? One's thing for sure, I'm keeping a close eye on this one. May the best candidate win - as long as it's not Rudy Giuliani, because after his continual, shameful plugging of "what he did for New York after 9/11", well, sorry, but that puts you down in my opinion poll.
Laters.
Erm, hello? It was just one friggin' state! That doesn't mean a thing in politics, and my point is proven by the fact that Clinton then whooped Obama's ass in New Hampshire. Okay, so maybe 3% more votes isn't exactly "whooping ass", but still there's no need for all the fuss just yet!
It's an interesting contest, don't get me wrong - much more interesting than the Republican Pre-Election Elections. Sorry, but I don't think much of the world cares for the Republicans at the moment, seeing as how they're unlikely to win after good ol' Dubbya's eight years. No, the next President will be a Democrat, and I'm betting on Clinton too.
Now I like Obama, I think it's amazing what he has achieved in his career and life, and good for him for winning in Iowa. But America seems only just ready for a female president, let alone a black president. Maybe it's just me being cynical, and I will be incredibly happy if Obama does win, because it will prove me wrong. It's just that I don't think he will. If anything it's his track record that will be the problem for Obama - at least, I hope that's what the problem will be for some voters, and not his skin colour. The fact is that Hillary Clinton has years more experience than he has - after all, she's already lived in the White House for eight years. Obama has only been on the senate for three.
Maybe his youth will win people over, like JFK before him. Maybe some people won't want another Clinton in the hot seat - after all, we've already had another Bush. There could be a danger of American politics really turning into a family affair - an unreliable source tells me that Nancy Reagan is all set for the 2012 Presidential Race. It's all starting to feel like The Godfather - who's next in line to the Sicilian throne? One's thing for sure, I'm keeping a close eye on this one. May the best candidate win - as long as it's not Rudy Giuliani, because after his continual, shameful plugging of "what he did for New York after 9/11", well, sorry, but that puts you down in my opinion poll.
Laters.
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