So October's been something of an odd and strangely active/eventful month. Not in any serious way (the bad sense of the word 'eventful'), but it's just that I've had a great deal of places to go and things to do and people to meet up with. Odd how it sometimes seems to all get packed into one month.
I've been in (and am currently in) Newbury twice this month, once for four or so days at the second weekend and now for six days on this, the final week (and fifth weekend). I also took a quick trip up to Bath on the third weekend to see my brother's new BUST production of The Importance Of Being Ernest.
On the whole, that's one of the more satisfying shows I've seen him perform in as part of BUST, mainly because I know that he's such a huge fan of Wilde and the play in itself, so his passion for it shows through quite well. However, this is the first play I've seen of his where I'd say that he wasn't the best performance. Not to say that he didn't give a good show, but I think that Katie, one of his co-stars, who has been in plenty of good shows, stole the show out from under everyone's feet as Lady Bracknell. Good show all around, I say, I do love that play.
Tragically I missed seeing my parents the following weekend, owing to being in Plymouth, but they missed the play, so it all works out in my mind. Sort of. I was in Plymouth to see my friend Dave, whom I've known for 10 years now. It was his engagement party to his long-term girlfriend Sara. It was a quiet evening, but worth the trip and good to see them. Odd to think of Dave preparing to get married, but I suppose that the rest of the world isn't as phobic about these things as I am! Mind you, they implied that it'd probably be a while until it happens.
On the Music front, it's been a busy one as well. Anthony invited me to go and see Plan B with him, at the beginning of the month and it was a blast, which was a bit of surprise to me, since I was kinda thinking it'd just be chavs and tossers going to this show. It was, however, really good, a lot of passion up on the stage, which is what it's all about.
Plan B, however, was eclipsed by the other concert we went to this month, which was of course the GASLIGHT ANTHEM. Twice in one year, oh hells yeah! This time they came here, to Southampton and we got to meet and talk to the band after the show, in an absolutely freezing street with a bunch of fellow concert goers we didn't know after we started queueing at 4:30 that afternoon.
Well, that's about it...
METROPOLIS
(The longest cut)
Wow. Metropolis. I mean wow.
This film is the very reason that science fiction can truly exist, you know. Well, science fiction in film and television. It'll always have a place in novels and short stories, but this film... this film is *it*.
It's the story of a massive super-city, with the well-dressed and decedant elite on top and the grime-smudged workers below, toiling to built the New Tower of Babel and keep the Heart Machine of the city powered.
There's no story more classic than this, in fact you've probably seen Metropolis a dozen times without actually realising it, there is simply so much inspiration in it that legions of writers have set forth brimming with ideas from just watching this movie, of which I am one. It's not without it's detractors, however, H.G. Wells himself was not a fan, stating that it was a poor film and guilty of 'foolishness, cliche, platitude and muddlement about mechanical progress and progress in general'. Harsh words, considering who they were coming from.
But he's utterly, utterly wrong in that statement, I feel. This is a film about the darker side of society being redeemed by it's lighter virtues. The characters aren't so much three dimensional personalities, they're archetypes upon which three dimensional characters are built upon. Rotwang may be hammy and cheesy as a villian, but we wouldn't have the Mad Scientist without him, the Thin Man may be a charicature, but he's the original Sinister Henchman. It's a visually rich, highly detailed and immensely important film, in my humble opinion.
Since the discovery of an almost complete reel of the movie in an Argentian museum back in 2001, the film hasn't been this long since 1927, when Lang's original cut was screened a handful of times in Berlin (once to Joseph Goebbels, who frickin' LOVED IT). After that, the film was trounced, cut apart, mutilated and re-edited into various forms to suit the many propoganda needs that it found itself in. There are still scenes missing, but there's now so much that's been added back to it, it brought tears to my eyes to see it in almost all of it's glory.
It's 83 years old, it's 150-odd minutes long, it's completely silent and it's the source of so many cliches.
But sitting through it is a privilige, if only for the stunningly gorgeous cinematography and vast scope.
It's films like this that remind me why I like films. I was lucky enough to be stewarding for this movie at my place of work (The Newbury Corn Exchange) and I volunteered for this job without the slightest moment's hesitation. It's beauty as a piece of cinema has not diminished, nor has its message.
Next up: The Social Network
(A film actually from 2010!)
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Sunday, 10 October 2010
10/10/10
So today is 10/10/10 and I was up at 10:10:10 in order to mark this historic occasion. Then I promptly went back to bed and woke up a good hour later in order to stumble on down to the Corn Exchange and begin stewarding. The review of the film that I stewarded will be up after this one, and it's a cracker, so I won't spoil it by talking about it any further.
I've just spent an... interesting... weekend in Newbury. The town can be both awesome and disappointing at the same time. Some things never change and I'm glad about that, but some things really do need to and don't seem to.
Mostly, it's me that probably needs to change. I had an experiance back in newbury this time around that I won't go too much into but relates to my inability to have relationships with women and my own issues with them all.
Ech.
Someone more intelligent than me once said that you should never sleep with someone who has more issues than you do. Man, do I have *issues*, so I would dislike to meet the person that has more and actually fancies me. Then I realised that I already knew that person and it all goes downhill from there. I don't want to sound mean, nasty or bitchy, but I ain't going there.
It's for the best if I never even think about having a girlfriend ever again, since it would save a lot of time and bollocks, but it turns out that you can't quite control your hormones as well as you'd like to think you do.
Man, I sound whiny.
To counter that:
BACK TO THE
--FUTURE--
Back to the Future. Back to the Mother-F*^&ing Future. The day I went to see this movie was the 25th Anniversary of its original release,which means that I was 1 year old when it came out. That makes me feel old, even though I'm only 26. Only. Try saying that to yourself in a class full of teenagers.
I've just spent an... interesting... weekend in Newbury. The town can be both awesome and disappointing at the same time. Some things never change and I'm glad about that, but some things really do need to and don't seem to.
Mostly, it's me that probably needs to change. I had an experiance back in newbury this time around that I won't go too much into but relates to my inability to have relationships with women and my own issues with them all.
Ech.
Someone more intelligent than me once said that you should never sleep with someone who has more issues than you do. Man, do I have *issues*, so I would dislike to meet the person that has more and actually fancies me. Then I realised that I already knew that person and it all goes downhill from there. I don't want to sound mean, nasty or bitchy, but I ain't going there.
It's for the best if I never even think about having a girlfriend ever again, since it would save a lot of time and bollocks, but it turns out that you can't quite control your hormones as well as you'd like to think you do.
Man, I sound whiny.
To counter that:
BACK TO THE
--FUTURE--
Back to the Future. Back to the Mother-F*^&ing Future. The day I went to see this movie was the 25th Anniversary of its original release,which means that I was 1 year old when it came out. That makes me feel old, even though I'm only 26. Only. Try saying that to yourself in a class full of teenagers.
Off point there, I'll admit. Now, Back to the Future is the story of Marty McFly, friends with a mad scientist for undisclosed reasons, who then goes back in time by 30 years (from 1985 to 1955) and manages to completely disrupt everything he's ever known or will know. Then he has to go fix it.
I'm sure you know the story of Back to the Future, if you don't then why the hell are you reading my blog? Get out! But for those of you who are well aware of why this film is so unbelievably brilliant, then let me tell you that seeing it on the big screen for the 25th Anniversary was one of the best experiences I've had in a very, very long time. Man, was this movie brilliant. The music is still great, the characters are still great, the effects still hold up. Man, I love this movie, it’s just so damn good!
The thing is, I didn't really appreciate it when I was younger, I just thought it was kinda cool, I didn't stop to actually consider just how well put together the whole thing is. I mean, every single plot point is talked about in the first 8 minutes of the film and it never deviates or throws any curveballs at you, the action is still tense after 25 years, the story is still astounding and not a single scene or line of dialogue is wasted, not a single word is unnecessary. Sheer Genius.
So yeah, this movie was still brilliant but you don’t need me to tell you that. Break open your DVD box and give it another watch, you know you want too.
Next up: The ONLY film that can top this.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Two Weeks In
If you are ever told to watch 'The Night Porter' for class or for work or just by a friend... don't. Save yourself the trouble and look up a film called 'Good' instead. The Night Porter is something that we've had to look at due to it's supposed sado-masochist themes and it's questioning nature of guilt and innocence. But it's just so damn BORING. I don't know how you could make a film about a Concentration Camp survivor and former Nazi SS Officer meeting after 12 years and hating each other dull... but they managed it. Lilina Cavani, that is, and her team. Gods, it was just so long... so slow...
Onto better things, I'm now two weeks into my third year at uni and as Mike has said, it'll be over soon enough. That means worrying about jobs and homes and all that crap, but I'm sure I'll get there soon enough. I should probably mention that I've run out of Stargate to watch by now, I can't make it last that long. I'm now contemplating whether or not I should buy season 5 of Lost, season 7 of The Shield or season 1 of House (since my previous copy of season 1 got vanished somewhere and I feel I should get 1 again before I get 6). I'm allowing myself to buy one season box-set per month at the end of each month.
I feel obligated to buy The Shield since I love it so and still don't own season 7, I know too that I should finish Lost and get 5 and 6... but it's Lost... it started so good and it got so poor... so what October's choice will be is yet to be seen. It might be none of those.
I'm gonna be in Newbury as of tomorrow (or this afternoon, really), for a couple of days. Going back to work for just a bit more than the weekend, then back in time for class, where myself, Coates and Ad will have to get the rest of the class up on The Night Porter. Joyous times.
Shoot me now, please.
In other news I've found it harder and harder to actually come up with stuff to write in my blogposts, I tend to leave them for days on end, just sitting there in front of me. This one's a bit different, am simply going at it with sleep-dep in my eyes, wondering if I'm gonna get my writing done for the day or if I'm gonna double it up tomorrow or whatever. Probably going to do that, I feel that I need some serious sleep. But then, that's nothing new with me, is it.
CYRUS.
Okay, so this wasn't the film I was really expecting. This is gonna be a very short review, because I still don't really know what to say about this movie. 'Offbeat' doesn't even begin to cover it, it's just so... peculiar.
I've never been a fan of Jonah Hill or John C. Rielly, but they were both fine. They both pale in comparison to Marisa Tomei, who carries the film with grace and beauty. The Duplass Brothers (writers and directors) sure know how to pick 'em.
This movie has heart, but you have to work at it to get at it, if you know what I mean. If you're not willing to actually think about it as an audiance member, you're not going to get anything out of it, which'd be quite easy to do.
The one thing that does quite suprise me about this movie is that it was Executive Produced by Ridley and Tony Scott. The Scott Brothers?! The frickin' SCOTT BROTHERS!?! That was unexpected, it didn't seem like their kind of film, to be honest.
Next time: Guess.
Onto better things, I'm now two weeks into my third year at uni and as Mike has said, it'll be over soon enough. That means worrying about jobs and homes and all that crap, but I'm sure I'll get there soon enough. I should probably mention that I've run out of Stargate to watch by now, I can't make it last that long. I'm now contemplating whether or not I should buy season 5 of Lost, season 7 of The Shield or season 1 of House (since my previous copy of season 1 got vanished somewhere and I feel I should get 1 again before I get 6). I'm allowing myself to buy one season box-set per month at the end of each month.
I feel obligated to buy The Shield since I love it so and still don't own season 7, I know too that I should finish Lost and get 5 and 6... but it's Lost... it started so good and it got so poor... so what October's choice will be is yet to be seen. It might be none of those.
I'm gonna be in Newbury as of tomorrow (or this afternoon, really), for a couple of days. Going back to work for just a bit more than the weekend, then back in time for class, where myself, Coates and Ad will have to get the rest of the class up on The Night Porter. Joyous times.
Shoot me now, please.
In other news I've found it harder and harder to actually come up with stuff to write in my blogposts, I tend to leave them for days on end, just sitting there in front of me. This one's a bit different, am simply going at it with sleep-dep in my eyes, wondering if I'm gonna get my writing done for the day or if I'm gonna double it up tomorrow or whatever. Probably going to do that, I feel that I need some serious sleep. But then, that's nothing new with me, is it.
CYRUS.
Okay, so this wasn't the film I was really expecting. This is gonna be a very short review, because I still don't really know what to say about this movie. 'Offbeat' doesn't even begin to cover it, it's just so... peculiar.
I've never been a fan of Jonah Hill or John C. Rielly, but they were both fine. They both pale in comparison to Marisa Tomei, who carries the film with grace and beauty. The Duplass Brothers (writers and directors) sure know how to pick 'em.
This movie has heart, but you have to work at it to get at it, if you know what I mean. If you're not willing to actually think about it as an audiance member, you're not going to get anything out of it, which'd be quite easy to do.
The one thing that does quite suprise me about this movie is that it was Executive Produced by Ridley and Tony Scott. The Scott Brothers?! The frickin' SCOTT BROTHERS!?! That was unexpected, it didn't seem like their kind of film, to be honest.
Next time: Guess.
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Proper Third Year
It has begun!
Yep, first week back at university, acting all responsible, worrying about final scripts, sniding at first years... ah yes... this is the life. Truth be told it's pretty much the same as the last two years, although this is an intense Mike year, much like the first year, whereas we barely saw him in the second. This year all our classes are Mike and Sara. Which is good. No Marc though, so bad. Can't have everything, I guess.
Still, what with the Anatomy of Disgust in one class and Charlie Chaplin in another, the main thing we have to worry about is our Final Script module, which is pretty much the culmination of our entire university experiance, as Mike keeps telling us. 120 pages of script will be handed in. As I've said, I've already completed my first draft of this during the holidays and am now starting on the second. Only just starting.
Things that 'Servant's of God' needs:
- At least one female character
- Less walking
- More fighting
- Possibly a shorter title
- More priestly-politics
At least, that's what it seems to be to me. I'll try and see how that goes, but it may or may not make a difference. It could still be slow and dry.
In other news my new regime is slacking badly, I've been all downcast and constantly tired because of it and I've been trying to convince myself to scale back on it. I think one of the problems I've had is that I tried to do a bit too much too fast, so I've scaled back my requirements for the next month by a little, see if I feel any better about it.
THE TOWN.
Now I'm always apprehensive whenever I see the name 'Affleck' on the poster for a movie that isn't directly preceeded by 'Casey'. As far as I'm concerned, Casey got all the acting talent in that family, but it does appear that his older brother does have a thing for being on the other side of the camera.
Now, I haven't seen Gone Baby Gone, but it's on my list and it's recieved brilliant reviews from all the people I know that have seen it. This film, The Town, is Ben's second outing as director and he chose to star in it as well, which isn't always a great choice, but seems to have worked out well enough here.
Basically, the story is of a group of dedicated Bank Robbers that commit one crime too many. They're the best at what they do in their little area of Boston, Charlestown, which is built up at the beginning of the movie to be a difficult area big on crime and character. The main problem of the film is right there, in that goal. The movie wants to put forwards that The Town itself is one of the characters in this story, but it doesn't quite pull it off. The town is left in the background, without any real attempt to connect with it. A few establishing shots, a few seconds lingering on people standing on street corners would have done the trick, but these were not included. Shame.
As for the story, it's split into two. There's the romance angle between Affleck's bank robber and Rebecca Hall's bank manager, who are involved from the start... then there's the violence angle for the entire group of Bank Robbers and their underworld connections and FBI rivals. Now, both of these stories are good stories, they're well done, not too complicated and they get across the emotions of the piece... but having one story is better than having two and this film didn't quite seamlessly fit the two together. This is two stories where it should be one. I don't blame them for trying, however, I honestly don't know which scenes or sequences I'd cut out if I were it's editor.
In terms of cast, Affleck and Hall are both fine, I don't think they stand out too much, but they do what they set out to do. The supporting cast are a different kettle of fish, they're pretty damn brilliant. Chris Cooper as Affleck's bitter father, John Hamm's obsessed FBI agent, even Blake Lively puts in a good show as the junkie Krista (shows hope for Green Lantern). However, the jewels in the crown are of course Pete Postlethwaite's 'The Florist' and Jeremy Renner's Jimmy. These two guys are why you go to see this film, no two ways about it.
So yeah, I did like this movie, but I don't think it quite achieved it's own goals, quite lived up to it's own expectations. It does mean that I'll be watching for Affleck's next film, to see if he's learned. Because if he has, he's looking to be an AWEsome director in the future. And that scares me.
Next time: CYRUS.
Yep, first week back at university, acting all responsible, worrying about final scripts, sniding at first years... ah yes... this is the life. Truth be told it's pretty much the same as the last two years, although this is an intense Mike year, much like the first year, whereas we barely saw him in the second. This year all our classes are Mike and Sara. Which is good. No Marc though, so bad. Can't have everything, I guess.
Still, what with the Anatomy of Disgust in one class and Charlie Chaplin in another, the main thing we have to worry about is our Final Script module, which is pretty much the culmination of our entire university experiance, as Mike keeps telling us. 120 pages of script will be handed in. As I've said, I've already completed my first draft of this during the holidays and am now starting on the second. Only just starting.
Things that 'Servant's of God' needs:
- At least one female character
- Less walking
- More fighting
- Possibly a shorter title
- More priestly-politics
At least, that's what it seems to be to me. I'll try and see how that goes, but it may or may not make a difference. It could still be slow and dry.
In other news my new regime is slacking badly, I've been all downcast and constantly tired because of it and I've been trying to convince myself to scale back on it. I think one of the problems I've had is that I tried to do a bit too much too fast, so I've scaled back my requirements for the next month by a little, see if I feel any better about it.
THE TOWN.
Now I'm always apprehensive whenever I see the name 'Affleck' on the poster for a movie that isn't directly preceeded by 'Casey'. As far as I'm concerned, Casey got all the acting talent in that family, but it does appear that his older brother does have a thing for being on the other side of the camera.
Now, I haven't seen Gone Baby Gone, but it's on my list and it's recieved brilliant reviews from all the people I know that have seen it. This film, The Town, is Ben's second outing as director and he chose to star in it as well, which isn't always a great choice, but seems to have worked out well enough here.
Basically, the story is of a group of dedicated Bank Robbers that commit one crime too many. They're the best at what they do in their little area of Boston, Charlestown, which is built up at the beginning of the movie to be a difficult area big on crime and character. The main problem of the film is right there, in that goal. The movie wants to put forwards that The Town itself is one of the characters in this story, but it doesn't quite pull it off. The town is left in the background, without any real attempt to connect with it. A few establishing shots, a few seconds lingering on people standing on street corners would have done the trick, but these were not included. Shame.
As for the story, it's split into two. There's the romance angle between Affleck's bank robber and Rebecca Hall's bank manager, who are involved from the start... then there's the violence angle for the entire group of Bank Robbers and their underworld connections and FBI rivals. Now, both of these stories are good stories, they're well done, not too complicated and they get across the emotions of the piece... but having one story is better than having two and this film didn't quite seamlessly fit the two together. This is two stories where it should be one. I don't blame them for trying, however, I honestly don't know which scenes or sequences I'd cut out if I were it's editor.
In terms of cast, Affleck and Hall are both fine, I don't think they stand out too much, but they do what they set out to do. The supporting cast are a different kettle of fish, they're pretty damn brilliant. Chris Cooper as Affleck's bitter father, John Hamm's obsessed FBI agent, even Blake Lively puts in a good show as the junkie Krista (shows hope for Green Lantern). However, the jewels in the crown are of course Pete Postlethwaite's 'The Florist' and Jeremy Renner's Jimmy. These two guys are why you go to see this film, no two ways about it.
So yeah, I did like this movie, but I don't think it quite achieved it's own goals, quite lived up to it's own expectations. It does mean that I'll be watching for Affleck's next film, to see if he's learned. Because if he has, he's looking to be an AWEsome director in the future. And that scares me.
Next time: CYRUS.
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Sleepless in Southampton
So I'm informed that one of the most important things to bear in mind when doing this whole exercise/eating healthily/new order stuff is routine. Routine is apparently the best thing to help reshape ourselves. I really wish I'd been told that when I started, as oppose to now, nearly four weeks on. That would have meant that I hadn't just wasted four weeks.
See, my problem is that for the past decade I've had bizarre and irregular sleeping times. I have no discernable sleeping pattern, I seem to sleep as and when is needed, I cannot train myself to go to sleep at a certain time (it always, 100% of the time backfires) and almost two or three times a week I regularly stay awake for 30 odd hours at a time.
This is, quite frankly, beyond my control. Ever since I was 16 I have been afflicted thus and I have no idea why, I'm just used to it by now. But apparently 'dieting' requires that I don't do this. Well... tough shit. I can't not do this.
As for the actual process of this exercise/eating healthily/new order yadda yadda... I think it's made me more miserable than I've been in years. Everyone gets depressed when dieting, but DAMN have I been down since this whole crap started.
So should I continue? Should I go on? I told myself that I'd try to do this for six months, but so far I've screwed up at 26 days. Is it worth it? Having had a lot of time to think about it (especially on my walking excursions), I can't actually think of a real reason with which to justify all this behaviour. The problem with thinking like that is that I'm essentially trying to will myself to fail, but I have no idea what I should do. Maybe with Uni starting again on monday my mood will pick up, maybe I'll get more into it having people around most of the time (since it's been lonesome throughout September).
But then more people means more parties, more junk food, more going out and having a good time, which is what I'm reliably informed is what university is all about (after all the work is done, of course) and God Damn It, it's my final year. Should I not be social for the sake of being a bit thinner? I should also mention that even though it's only been 26 days, I don't feel even the slightest bit different for all this effort. Gah, part of me really wants to carry on, part of me wants to pack it in and they're pretty stalemate at the moment. I suppose this is what most people feel when putting themselves through this.
Gah. More Gah.
RESIDENT EVIL:
AFTERLIFE.
I'd like to make one thing clear, I liked the first 3 Resident Evil films. They're a hell of a lot better than the games (in my humble opinion), they're stupid in an entertaining way, they're fun and they have Saint Milla in them. I wouldn't say in any way that they are good films, but I liked them, they're just goofy enough to be entertaining.
This one? This one was shit.
I shouldn't be all that suprised, it wasn't a great franchise to start off with and I can't blame them for messing up every now and again, but I was just hoping that the level of mildly entertaining cheese could have been maintained. Now I know they're going for a 5th movie but quite frankly I'm not sure I'd be bothered to go and see it after this.
It's kinda pretty and there's plent of zombies and zombie dogs and there's that huge 'gatekeeper' creature that might as well have just been Pyramid Head after a small costume change (and don't get me started on how he was trying to batter down the prison gate, it was POOR)... but all in all there simply wasn't the entertainment value of the others.
Why, you ask?
Frickin' Wesker.
Now, he's supposed to be the main villian of the piece, of the whole series, in fact... so why is it that they felt the need to make him SO villianous that he might as well have been twirling his thin moustache and stroking a white cat. This guy was so hammily portrayed, so shockingly written that he should have been wearing a shirt that read 'CLICHE' on the front. He personally dragged the film down a hundred notches, although the main Umbrella plot for this movie was shockingly dire as well. Umbrella has never been a plausible bad guy, in fact every film they seem to get more and more over the top ridiculous in how pantomime evil they can get, but this one takes the biscuit.
They're rescuing survivors of the zombie apocalypse... so they can do frickin' experiments on them?!!?! Come on, guys!! The world has ended in front of you and you're STILL trying to take what's sodding left?!?! Considering that 98% of surviving humans after the T-Virus outbreak must actually be Umbrella employees and they all seem to wear black face masks, why the hell should they even bother? Eh, it's all just lame plotting. In the past, Umbrella's panto evil was much smaller scale, in limited areas and such. Made more sense (although not all that much). The plot is rife with overly convenient devices and predictable dullness. It's just poor, we all know that by now.
One thing that depressed me that little extra was Chris Redfield. He starts in a jail cell. He knows how to get out of the prison they're in. He's played by Wentworth Miller (of Prison Break). I'm not sure to feel sorry for him for the insulting typecasting, or not too because he knew what he was getting into.
Anyway, I liked the series up until now, with the 2nd one probably being my favourite. This is a terrible film and I recommend avoiding it. Also, the 3D is rubbish. But then if you're a regular reader then you knew I was going to say that, didn't you. Shame on you, Milla, shame on you.
Next time: THE TOWN.
See, my problem is that for the past decade I've had bizarre and irregular sleeping times. I have no discernable sleeping pattern, I seem to sleep as and when is needed, I cannot train myself to go to sleep at a certain time (it always, 100% of the time backfires) and almost two or three times a week I regularly stay awake for 30 odd hours at a time.
This is, quite frankly, beyond my control. Ever since I was 16 I have been afflicted thus and I have no idea why, I'm just used to it by now. But apparently 'dieting' requires that I don't do this. Well... tough shit. I can't not do this.
As for the actual process of this exercise/eating healthily/new order yadda yadda... I think it's made me more miserable than I've been in years. Everyone gets depressed when dieting, but DAMN have I been down since this whole crap started.
So should I continue? Should I go on? I told myself that I'd try to do this for six months, but so far I've screwed up at 26 days. Is it worth it? Having had a lot of time to think about it (especially on my walking excursions), I can't actually think of a real reason with which to justify all this behaviour. The problem with thinking like that is that I'm essentially trying to will myself to fail, but I have no idea what I should do. Maybe with Uni starting again on monday my mood will pick up, maybe I'll get more into it having people around most of the time (since it's been lonesome throughout September).
But then more people means more parties, more junk food, more going out and having a good time, which is what I'm reliably informed is what university is all about (after all the work is done, of course) and God Damn It, it's my final year. Should I not be social for the sake of being a bit thinner? I should also mention that even though it's only been 26 days, I don't feel even the slightest bit different for all this effort. Gah, part of me really wants to carry on, part of me wants to pack it in and they're pretty stalemate at the moment. I suppose this is what most people feel when putting themselves through this.
Gah. More Gah.
RESIDENT EVIL:
AFTERLIFE.
I'd like to make one thing clear, I liked the first 3 Resident Evil films. They're a hell of a lot better than the games (in my humble opinion), they're stupid in an entertaining way, they're fun and they have Saint Milla in them. I wouldn't say in any way that they are good films, but I liked them, they're just goofy enough to be entertaining.
This one? This one was shit.
I shouldn't be all that suprised, it wasn't a great franchise to start off with and I can't blame them for messing up every now and again, but I was just hoping that the level of mildly entertaining cheese could have been maintained. Now I know they're going for a 5th movie but quite frankly I'm not sure I'd be bothered to go and see it after this.
It's kinda pretty and there's plent of zombies and zombie dogs and there's that huge 'gatekeeper' creature that might as well have just been Pyramid Head after a small costume change (and don't get me started on how he was trying to batter down the prison gate, it was POOR)... but all in all there simply wasn't the entertainment value of the others.
Why, you ask?
Frickin' Wesker.
Now, he's supposed to be the main villian of the piece, of the whole series, in fact... so why is it that they felt the need to make him SO villianous that he might as well have been twirling his thin moustache and stroking a white cat. This guy was so hammily portrayed, so shockingly written that he should have been wearing a shirt that read 'CLICHE' on the front. He personally dragged the film down a hundred notches, although the main Umbrella plot for this movie was shockingly dire as well. Umbrella has never been a plausible bad guy, in fact every film they seem to get more and more over the top ridiculous in how pantomime evil they can get, but this one takes the biscuit.
They're rescuing survivors of the zombie apocalypse... so they can do frickin' experiments on them?!!?! Come on, guys!! The world has ended in front of you and you're STILL trying to take what's sodding left?!?! Considering that 98% of surviving humans after the T-Virus outbreak must actually be Umbrella employees and they all seem to wear black face masks, why the hell should they even bother? Eh, it's all just lame plotting. In the past, Umbrella's panto evil was much smaller scale, in limited areas and such. Made more sense (although not all that much). The plot is rife with overly convenient devices and predictable dullness. It's just poor, we all know that by now.
One thing that depressed me that little extra was Chris Redfield. He starts in a jail cell. He knows how to get out of the prison they're in. He's played by Wentworth Miller (of Prison Break). I'm not sure to feel sorry for him for the insulting typecasting, or not too because he knew what he was getting into.
Anyway, I liked the series up until now, with the 2nd one probably being my favourite. This is a terrible film and I recommend avoiding it. Also, the 3D is rubbish. But then if you're a regular reader then you knew I was going to say that, didn't you. Shame on you, Milla, shame on you.
Next time: THE TOWN.
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Weekly My Posterier
So I think I mentioned something about doing this thing weekly a while back. That can sod off! So here I am, at half four in the morning, sitting around and typing with a blocked nose and a mildly burning hatred for the rest of humanity. Not entirely sure why for this time, but it's there. It can't be denied.
Anyway, Uni's just around the corner, my brother has finally made his way back to Bath, not that it was any trouble having him with me. It was his 24th Ageing day on this sunday just gone, so I got him Season 1 of 24, because I'm annoying like that. There was much Guiness consumed on that day by people other than me, I tell you.
In other news... sod it, I don't know, the moon exploded? Actually that'd be kinda cool, might have to use that for a story somewhere down the line. Is there anything that we can mine on the moon? Like moon-ore or something? Now I'm just talking crap, but I feel like I should say something while I'm here. Even if it is crap.
Talking of crap, it was in fact Marsh that reminded me to post, in fact I think he reads this thing regularly. Which is shocking. And more shocking.
(and now for a short break)
And by short I mean several days. The time of writing is actually now the 19th, even though when this thing gets posted it'll be the 16th or something.
Not entirely sure why it's taken me this long to write a sodding blog entry, but have been very unmotivated of late. I think it's this New Order, as I said in my last post on the 1st. All this fruit and exercise and breakfast and all that crap... I don't know if it's actually working and at the same time I'm feeling a bit... well... crappy.
However, I swore I'd stick to it for six months, so come the 1st of March I am kicking back, ordering pizza and saying 'FUCK YOU' to the idea of exercise. Unless it's worked and I've lost some weight or feel better about myself or some crap like that, in which case I'll just have the one pizza, then get on with it all over again. Eugh, the thought itself is tiring.
Much like:
THE EXPENDABLES.
Seriously, Stallone? THIS is what you came up with? You had a crew of a dozen of the movie industry's most belov'd action stars, you had the backing to do virtually whatever you wanted and we get... THIS.
You may not have noted just how much scorn I poured into that last paragraph, but I assure you that it was a LOT. Man, did this movie suck. And I just don't mean 'it wasn't very good', this movie SUCKED.
There was too much story, for a start. Action meathead movies like this don't need much in the way of stories, in fact they tend to get in the way of all the fun, and this one had a particularly LAME story to start with, so we won't get into that. The main culprit for making this movie as terrible as it was, is Stallone himself, who proudly claimed the Director credit. Funny, watching the movie as I did, I'm not sure there was a Director present at any time. The shots are awful, the camera work is below sub-par and the pace and cutting of the (many) actions scenes is ridiculously poor. I mean, this guy is supposed to have been making action movies for decades, so WHY is this one so TERRIBLE!?!?
Getting roughly eight or so leading men in for the movie was a pretty poor idea as well, the whole thing feels smeared out and thin, what with the small irritating back stories for half of them, but nothing for the other half. What was Terry Crewes' story? Apart from having an awesome shotgun (which was incidently the star of this movie, that damned shotgun)? Why should we give a crap about that crazy South American Dictator (who might as well have 'Stereotype' printed on his face)? Dolph was probably the best character in the movie as a heroin addict... but we didn't see him doing any fucking heroin!! What was with Jet Li's 'I'm shorter than everyone else' bullshit?
Basically, I'm sure I could go on and on about all the tiny little things that pissed me off no end about this pitiful excuse for a movie, but the idea tires me. There are virtually no redeeming features to this film, not even Mickey Rourke, or the much over-hyped scene of Arnie, Stallone and Willis in the same room, it's all just DIRE. And more DIRE.
Avoid it, because it certainly doesn't desrve to exist. I think I may be a bit overly harsh on this movie, but it's justified to me in my own mind. Basically, I expected something more from these guys, something fun and enjoyable, if a bit dumb. All we got was dumb. This movie is pretty much a betrayal of 80's action junk movies and I can't believe they're making more.
No justice.
Next up: Resident Evil: Afterlife
Anyway, Uni's just around the corner, my brother has finally made his way back to Bath, not that it was any trouble having him with me. It was his 24th Ageing day on this sunday just gone, so I got him Season 1 of 24, because I'm annoying like that. There was much Guiness consumed on that day by people other than me, I tell you.
In other news... sod it, I don't know, the moon exploded? Actually that'd be kinda cool, might have to use that for a story somewhere down the line. Is there anything that we can mine on the moon? Like moon-ore or something? Now I'm just talking crap, but I feel like I should say something while I'm here. Even if it is crap.
Talking of crap, it was in fact Marsh that reminded me to post, in fact I think he reads this thing regularly. Which is shocking. And more shocking.
(and now for a short break)
And by short I mean several days. The time of writing is actually now the 19th, even though when this thing gets posted it'll be the 16th or something.
Not entirely sure why it's taken me this long to write a sodding blog entry, but have been very unmotivated of late. I think it's this New Order, as I said in my last post on the 1st. All this fruit and exercise and breakfast and all that crap... I don't know if it's actually working and at the same time I'm feeling a bit... well... crappy.
However, I swore I'd stick to it for six months, so come the 1st of March I am kicking back, ordering pizza and saying 'FUCK YOU' to the idea of exercise. Unless it's worked and I've lost some weight or feel better about myself or some crap like that, in which case I'll just have the one pizza, then get on with it all over again. Eugh, the thought itself is tiring.
Much like:
THE EXPENDABLES.
Seriously, Stallone? THIS is what you came up with? You had a crew of a dozen of the movie industry's most belov'd action stars, you had the backing to do virtually whatever you wanted and we get... THIS.
You may not have noted just how much scorn I poured into that last paragraph, but I assure you that it was a LOT. Man, did this movie suck. And I just don't mean 'it wasn't very good', this movie SUCKED.
There was too much story, for a start. Action meathead movies like this don't need much in the way of stories, in fact they tend to get in the way of all the fun, and this one had a particularly LAME story to start with, so we won't get into that. The main culprit for making this movie as terrible as it was, is Stallone himself, who proudly claimed the Director credit. Funny, watching the movie as I did, I'm not sure there was a Director present at any time. The shots are awful, the camera work is below sub-par and the pace and cutting of the (many) actions scenes is ridiculously poor. I mean, this guy is supposed to have been making action movies for decades, so WHY is this one so TERRIBLE!?!?
Getting roughly eight or so leading men in for the movie was a pretty poor idea as well, the whole thing feels smeared out and thin, what with the small irritating back stories for half of them, but nothing for the other half. What was Terry Crewes' story? Apart from having an awesome shotgun (which was incidently the star of this movie, that damned shotgun)? Why should we give a crap about that crazy South American Dictator (who might as well have 'Stereotype' printed on his face)? Dolph was probably the best character in the movie as a heroin addict... but we didn't see him doing any fucking heroin!! What was with Jet Li's 'I'm shorter than everyone else' bullshit?
Basically, I'm sure I could go on and on about all the tiny little things that pissed me off no end about this pitiful excuse for a movie, but the idea tires me. There are virtually no redeeming features to this film, not even Mickey Rourke, or the much over-hyped scene of Arnie, Stallone and Willis in the same room, it's all just DIRE. And more DIRE.
Avoid it, because it certainly doesn't desrve to exist. I think I may be a bit overly harsh on this movie, but it's justified to me in my own mind. Basically, I expected something more from these guys, something fun and enjoyable, if a bit dumb. All we got was dumb. This movie is pretty much a betrayal of 80's action junk movies and I can't believe they're making more.
No justice.
Next up: Resident Evil: Afterlife
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
New Order
Two pointful words, really, they don't mean much but I think we'd all like them too when we say them. I'm in reference to how today, September 1st, I'm going to try and drastically shake up my life. Well, no I'm not really, I'm gonna shift it around a little. Basically, as of today, I'm attempting to do things differently when it comes to my layabout lifestyle.
I, for the first time in years, ate breakfast today. I'm told that it's important, so I did. Cereal, yoghurt, fruit. I have bought in 'healthy' food, far healthier than my normal fare. I have already done this thing known as 'excercise' (walked about three miles, attempting to go quickly) and I'm gonna cut down on what I eat for my dinner (normally my only meal of the day).
New Order is also the name of Season 8 Episodes 1 and 2 of Stargate SG1 (not that you needed to know that, but I just thought I'd say it anyway).
So, the plan (for September at least):
- Healty breakfast everyday (cereal, yoghurt, fruit).
- A few mile walk every three days (will increase).
- Bowl of cereal just before bed.
- 1 Chapter of my new book per day (I don't read enough).
- New writing projects.
At least, that's the plan. I guess we'll see how long it lasts. I'm not weighing myself or anything, I'm just doing this to fit some of my tshirts better.
So...
SCOTT PILGRIM
-----VS.-----
--THE WORLD--
This was a pretty highly anticipated movie, I know that for Coates this replaced Kick-Ass as THE movie coming out. Based on a highly acclaimed group of graphic novels and boasting a mind-blowing array of effects, big soundtrack and top director Edgar Wright, this should be a sure hit.
Problem was, I don't think it is.
Don't get me wrong, it's a very enjoyable film, there's a great deal of quirkyness, random oddness, well crafted humour and interesting characters, so it isn't a waste of anyone's time... but there was somthing about it that still didn't quite click with me, beyond my obvious peeve.
That peeve is of course Michael Cera.
Now, I'm not entirely sure how it is Michael Cera still gets work since Jesse Eisenberg is the same age group, the same catchment audiance bracket, the same build even, yet a great deal more talented with a voice that sounds like it's actually broken. Now, it's not that I really have anything against Cera it's just... he bugs me. He's in offbeat comedies that often aren't that funny (this movie probably being one of them) and he has that very particular look to him that's just so... wanna punch him... in the face... with a hammer...
Other than him? Great cast, very happy with them. Brandon Routh actually looks like he's trying to make up for his God awful Superman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is still good, Chris Evans proving that he's a decent bet for his upcoming Captain America role, it's all good. But there's a great deal of stuff, characters, events, gags, hell everything, to cram into this movie so it all feels quite schizophrenic or overly fast paced. All in all, there's something about it that doesn't quite fit right and I don't want to blame any particular part of it.
See, I didn't get on with it.
Pretty much all the video game refernces and jibes are aimed at games from the late 80's/early 90's (of which I am a generational member), but all the humour was designed to appeal to people younger than us (...'Oh man, I said lesbians'). That's to say it can be pretty dumb sometimes.
And the happy-clappy ending where everyone comes to terms with themselves and they unite to fight the bad guy, well... a little too stereotypical I thought. Guess I was expecting something else, but that's a minor complaint. Perhaps it was a little too much closure-tastic for my tastes.
So, I feel I haven't really said much about this movie, least of all whether I got on with it or not. Thing is that I did and I didn't. It was a bit of a confusing one with good moments and bad, with a great mix of potential and wasted potential. I would recommend it, but I feel that it appeals to people who are 18-22 and that's about it, which is something of a limitation I don't think movies should have to put up with. There's a great deal of depth to this movie, but at the same time... basically, Scott is a fundamentally unlikeable character trying to become likeable. He's a dweeb, he's a nerd, he's a tosser, he's just no fun. Yet we kinda grow to like him and if we don't... well... film doesn't really rely on that, no matter how much his name is in the title. Basically, this movie isn't about Scott Pilgrim, which is for the best, because he's rubbish. This film right here is about Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Just... because.
Let's face it, she's hot.
Next time: The Expendables.
I, for the first time in years, ate breakfast today. I'm told that it's important, so I did. Cereal, yoghurt, fruit. I have bought in 'healthy' food, far healthier than my normal fare. I have already done this thing known as 'excercise' (walked about three miles, attempting to go quickly) and I'm gonna cut down on what I eat for my dinner (normally my only meal of the day).
New Order is also the name of Season 8 Episodes 1 and 2 of Stargate SG1 (not that you needed to know that, but I just thought I'd say it anyway).
So, the plan (for September at least):
- Healty breakfast everyday (cereal, yoghurt, fruit).
- A few mile walk every three days (will increase).
- Bowl of cereal just before bed.
- 1 Chapter of my new book per day (I don't read enough).
- New writing projects.
At least, that's the plan. I guess we'll see how long it lasts. I'm not weighing myself or anything, I'm just doing this to fit some of my tshirts better.
So...
SCOTT PILGRIM
-----VS.-----
--THE WORLD--
This was a pretty highly anticipated movie, I know that for Coates this replaced Kick-Ass as THE movie coming out. Based on a highly acclaimed group of graphic novels and boasting a mind-blowing array of effects, big soundtrack and top director Edgar Wright, this should be a sure hit.
Problem was, I don't think it is.
Don't get me wrong, it's a very enjoyable film, there's a great deal of quirkyness, random oddness, well crafted humour and interesting characters, so it isn't a waste of anyone's time... but there was somthing about it that still didn't quite click with me, beyond my obvious peeve.
That peeve is of course Michael Cera.
Now, I'm not entirely sure how it is Michael Cera still gets work since Jesse Eisenberg is the same age group, the same catchment audiance bracket, the same build even, yet a great deal more talented with a voice that sounds like it's actually broken. Now, it's not that I really have anything against Cera it's just... he bugs me. He's in offbeat comedies that often aren't that funny (this movie probably being one of them) and he has that very particular look to him that's just so... wanna punch him... in the face... with a hammer...
Other than him? Great cast, very happy with them. Brandon Routh actually looks like he's trying to make up for his God awful Superman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is still good, Chris Evans proving that he's a decent bet for his upcoming Captain America role, it's all good. But there's a great deal of stuff, characters, events, gags, hell everything, to cram into this movie so it all feels quite schizophrenic or overly fast paced. All in all, there's something about it that doesn't quite fit right and I don't want to blame any particular part of it.
See, I didn't get on with it.
Pretty much all the video game refernces and jibes are aimed at games from the late 80's/early 90's (of which I am a generational member), but all the humour was designed to appeal to people younger than us (...'Oh man, I said lesbians'). That's to say it can be pretty dumb sometimes.
And the happy-clappy ending where everyone comes to terms with themselves and they unite to fight the bad guy, well... a little too stereotypical I thought. Guess I was expecting something else, but that's a minor complaint. Perhaps it was a little too much closure-tastic for my tastes.
So, I feel I haven't really said much about this movie, least of all whether I got on with it or not. Thing is that I did and I didn't. It was a bit of a confusing one with good moments and bad, with a great mix of potential and wasted potential. I would recommend it, but I feel that it appeals to people who are 18-22 and that's about it, which is something of a limitation I don't think movies should have to put up with. There's a great deal of depth to this movie, but at the same time... basically, Scott is a fundamentally unlikeable character trying to become likeable. He's a dweeb, he's a nerd, he's a tosser, he's just no fun. Yet we kinda grow to like him and if we don't... well... film doesn't really rely on that, no matter how much his name is in the title. Basically, this movie isn't about Scott Pilgrim, which is for the best, because he's rubbish. This film right here is about Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Just... because.
Let's face it, she's hot.
Next time: The Expendables.
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