YouTube and a few Answers ...

You Tube
Okay, rather than my addiction to YouTube slowing down this page I shall give you a few hints of brilliant things to watch. The following things should be entered into the search box ...

1) Will it Blend (blendtec) - This is a load of videos showing Tom Dickinson (Legendary man) blend many, many things including an ipod, glow sticks, magnets, titanium golf balls, a coke can and loads of toys. I tell you now, once you have seen the meaningless destruction of so many items you begin to think of the value and what else of value could blend so well ...

2) Tintin middlesborough (nickdonnelly) - obviously these are the tintin shorts that I cannot wait to see

3) Aniballs (alistairmills) - Possible the greatest cartoon ever (and try to post a comment on it)

4) CSI: Bangor (alrightmullet) - My younger brother making many many short films at his uni. he has too much time on his hands. Who would be sad enough to make short films while at Uni ...
Answers
Just quickly, yeah, i think 'Magnolia' (Anderson, 1999) is absolutely awesome. I saw it once at Uni and thought it was okay and then - after Jo sent me a copy of the Aimee Mann tracks 'Wise Up' and 'Save Me' - I bought and watched the film again and it just might be one of my top ten films ever. I think it does get better the more you watch the film.

James 'Whitey' Bulger
This man scares me alot. He might be reading this and that scares me. He is who Jack Nicholson bases his character on in 'The Departed' (Scorcese, 2006). This man rose up to become one of two major mob bosses in the South Boston area in (obviously) Boston. In 1995 he got wind of the FBI putting together a indictment against him (I think that is how you use the term - correct me if I am wrong people) and fled - never to be seen again.

He is wanted for numerous murders and other mob-related activity. It wouldn't be such a big deal except for the fact that (a) he is on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List - find it online (http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/bulger.htm), the reward for him is $1,000,000 - and (b) the last known confirmed sighting of him was in 2002 in ... LONDON. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2799299.stm)

If anyone does find him through this blog I think I should have a little bit of that $1m ... because ... y'know ... I kinda helped.

If you are reading this 'Whitey' (If I can call you that), I do respect you for what you've done -fleeing the FBI for 12 years and never being found (I don't really respect the numerous murders and mob-related activity) - but if you are on your deathbed, don't let it be in vain, post me an e-mail and, yknow, I'll tell the FBI, they give me $1m and then you die: baddabing, everyone wins.
No offence

Please don't kill me.

Why is the title of the film 'Magnolia'?

I watched the film only recently and wanted to find this out myself and, handily, on the message boards on IMDB I noticed the above question. It was answered by "swlf63" ...

"Just as there are many thematic layers to the film itself there are several layers to the title:

*Magnolia Blvd. is a street in the San Fernando Valley where the film takes place. Some of the characters in the film I believe drive down this street.

*Magnolia sounds similar to "Magonia", a term created by Charles Fort (who wrote about strange phenomena and is referenced in the film's closing credits) which is an alleged place in the sky where things are kept until they fall from it.

*There is a legend that the bark of the Magnolia tree can cure cancer.

*A magnolia is a type of flower, which is used as a symbol throughout the film. The concept of the blooming flower has been used as an analogy for the film's structure and flow.

*Magnolia is an 8 letter word with 2 "a's", being the 2nd and 8th letters. This is an odd coincidence which relates back to the numbers 82 featured frequently in the film as a reference to Exodus 8:2: "If you do not let them go, I will send a plague of frogs."

I am going to buy the soundtrack and anyone who has not seen the film must watch it now.

Another personal favourite ...

Many thanks to Al - I have laughed for days.

Oscars 2007

In Closing ...
Well, I was really worried that Jo was going to completely rip apart 'Apocalypto' - which, in all fairness - he could have. (I think Elisabeth would have agreed with him if he did also)

It really did have its flaws - hence the lack of nominations it had in the Oscars 2007.

Oh! And the 10 minute penis joke. brilliant flawless - right up there with the nakedness of Borat and the fatman ... interesting that the, what, 10 minute (possibly longer) naked fight didn't have you complaining ... does Jo like white Fat Men fighting naked but does not condone any other ethnic cultures crude sense of humour?

I detect racism in Jo's tone.

Oscars 2007
Now, I do have my views on who I think the winners should/shouldn't be but I will have to watch some of the films before hand - namely, 'Babel', 'Notes on a Scandal' and 'Little Miss Sunshine'. Now, 'The Queen' I do want to see, but I doubt I will be able to watch it before the Oscars. A real shame considering the critical acclaim it has recieved.

There is a downloadable 'Oscar Nominees' sheet on the Oscars website and I think I will print it off to see what I will have to watch to get a clear indication on this years nominees. Currently, I have only seen 'the Departed' from the Best Picture nominees and - from all the nominations available - I have only seen the following films:

The Departed
United 93
Notes on a Scandal
Borat
(thats how far I get with the main awards - now we're into Special FX ... its appalling)
Pirates of the Carribbean: Dead Mans Chest
The Prestige
Apocalypto
Binta and the Great idea (Not really, that one was a joke ... I love the title though)

They were all pretty good films - in all fairness, they should be to get nominations.

If anybody reading this who is on Facebook, find the group 'FFF Sweepstake Oscars 2007' - a brilliant production company and annual event the world should take part in.

Bobby
I am in quite the predicament over this film because I really want to see it but because of Oscar Buzz and the lack of this film appearing in the nominations it has put me off. I have rented 'Kinsey' at the moment and, it seems that nobody has heard of it now - which doesn't say much about the credability of the film.

Rocky Balboa
I wanted to rewatch the Rocky films before watching Balboa and I didn't buy the boxset because, if 'Balboa' is the last in the legacy then I will purchse the beast boxset when it arrives and watch the whole thing over a month.

I was pretty sure that 'Balboa' simply introduced his son - to effectively continue the franchise. I am told this is completely incorrect! How mad is that? They should of at least hinted on his son! No doubt, Rocky VII will be the rise of his son... whon knows.

Empire
My god, I hate that magazine .... "Tarantino! Star Wars! Lord of the Rings! Blockbuster Spielberg-involved film! Top 2000 bad scenes in forgotten movies!" ... so lame.

Nevertheless, with that rant out of the way, I am intrieuged by this 'Divisive Movies' thing - but it merely reiterates the fact that the films are on this knife-edge.

As if Empire readers will truly appreciate Romance films? THE TARGET AUDIENCE IS MASCULINE - as stated by the above movies: violent and ... geeky.

Titanic - Romance/Disaster (apparently)
Moulin Rouge - Romance/Musical
Four Weddings and a Funeral - ROMANCE

I can imagine the apparently 'divisive' films will probably be 'films-that-the-narrow-minded-target-audience-don't-like'.... which is anything pre-1977 and doesn't include the word 'fuck'.

Brace yourselves...

Believe you me ... his opinion is being formed as you read this topic ...

His views will become known very soon ...

Behold: Jo Gudgeon

Coming Soon

Tom Cruise

Not that this day is coming soon or anything but I have just read this fact:
"In 2006, October 10 was declared Tom Cruise Day in Japan, making him the first Hollywood star to have a special day named in his honor. The Japan Memorial Day Association said that he was awarded with a special day because he has made more trips to Japan than any other Hollywood star."



To add to this, I have just watched Jerry Maguire (Sarah had not seen it before) and I am going to rip apart Jo's "favourite film" some time soon ...

(Although, I do like the film ... Awards aside, I shall state how I can see why some people wouldn't like it ...)

Jade Goody and Big Brother 2007
My views are this, as stated on the BBC 'Have Your Say' thing:
"When Jade attacked Shilpa I do not believe she was racially motivated. The way Jade used Shilpa's race and background as a use for insult IS racist. No-one would turn to a caucasian human and state race-related insults, whereas it was race-related insults that Goody decided to use. I think she is stupid enough to not clearly understand how offensive that is, but her ignorance should be highlighted so that other people will learn."

A Titanic mistake.

In the hope of changing the current film debate, I move on to bigger and better things that have arisen from the past few topics of conversation ...

Ridley Scott
I noticed that there seemed to be some harsh criticism behind Ridley Scott - a director who once was an artist - who, in my humble opinion, might be one of the best directors around.

He, as stated, is first and foremost an artist and that means he assumes the actors can act and the script writers can write - other than that he, as a director, aims to make a feast for the eyes in his films. 'Alien' being his standout piece is virtually a moving Giger film - a way to get into the depths of darkness that Giger depicts in his art. 'Gladiator' brought the Romans back into the movie trend - a genre that has been ignored for a while before hand (Cue 'Troy'...), then there is 'Black Hawk Down' that builds a 2hour plus film around one mission, that was intended to be so small. Personally, I can vividly remember the Bids Eye View of the streets as the twog groups 'homed' in on the crashed Helicopter. 'Kingdom of Heaven' was extensively cut for the version that I saw, but visually it captured a very specific time - even though the actual plots were weak and unstructured.

The first half of 'Hannibal' (Up until he leaves Florence) is absolutely brilliant and depicts the beauty and class, so effortlessly a part of Lector himself, of Italy itself. I cannot help but think the detraction in the second half is more a fault of the script writer rather than Scott. Ted Tally was not writing it, and if I recall the finish was completely different to Thomas Harris' finale.

If Ridley Scott has the right people to support him in his position, than he can create a masterpiece everytime.

Titanic
Just a quick start to this, in terms of Genre, I personally believe that 'Titanic' is first and foremost a Romance. The problem most people have with the film - especially quote-un-quote butch men - is that they don't like Romances and expect 'Titanic' to be something else. They might expect it to be a 'disaster' film (whatever that means) or a 1900 'Independenace Day' set on a boat - maybe even a cross between Camerons previous efforts: 'Titanic: True Terminate Aliens' - but alas it is none of these. It is a Romance, and only when people either say "aaaah, thats why I didn't like it: because I hate Romances" or they say "If I'd realised it was a Romance I would have liked it so much more" then people will realise the genius that is James Cameron. A director so in love with Titanic that he created a film for us all to see the true majesty of the ship.

Furthermore, I personally never thought Leonardo DiCaprio was that bad an actor - and because until 'Gangs of New York' I only had the basis for the view from one film, whereby he received a pin-up 'cute-boy' tag from the ladies, I was hardly going to go around saying "Yeah, the guy on the cover of Bliss is a great actor". Now he has continued to act to a high standard in, as I said, 'Gangs of New York' and 'The Departed', and I have had the chance to rewatch 'Romeo and Juliet' I can safely say that the man cast as 'Jack' was a fine choice. So, the main actor is in the clear.

Secondly, Kate Winslet was always a fox and her role in 'Titanic' cemented this fact. Her acting never seemed a problem and, although I haven't seen 'Hideous Kinky', I am aware there is a bath sequence with Winslet in - and that intreigues me furthermore. Her Oscar nomination for 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' was well deserved and this confirms her acting abilities. So, the lead Actress is in the clear also.

The range of supporting actors - from Kathy Bates ('Misery') through to Victor Garber ('Alias') - they all suit the roles perfectly. Jonathon Hyde ('The Mummy') could have been better and Paxton didn't give his best performance, but their roles were limited and didn't deter from the focus point of the film - akin to Jar Jar Binks in 'A Phantom Menace'.

The plot running straight through it - Jack and Rose - was told in a way that gave the entire event a context to view it in: The opportunity to see the beauty of the wreck, while also viewing the reality of viewing the new, shiny ship also added to the dynamic of the story. The build-up and celebration in Southampton as it left the dock, the class issues that are raised, the introduction of the Captain - who went down with the ship - and Murdoch and theString Quartet - the myth surrounding such characters, the fight for the final boats and the amazing spectacle of the ship sinking in the middle of the Atlantic - so much to watch.

Flawless.

(Ratner and Gibson have made very few films - they may suprise us yet ... )

How the topic can change so swiftly...

Brett Ratner
Just to rectify some details. I have only seen two Brett Ratner films - 'Rush Hour' and 'Red Dragon'. As far as 'Rush Hour' goes, its alright although not really my type of comedy. So that is not so much a directorial problem - more a personal preferance on comedy because the film was successful enough - thus funny enough across the board - to warrant two further sequels.

'Red Dragon' on the other hand is AWESOME! Ratner uses a script written by Ted Tally, the writer of 'Silence of the Lambs' script, and there is a huge influence of the stand-out director Jonathon Demme - director of 'Silence of the lambs'.

Yes, yes, It's all preference. I get that, but I would be interested to see how Brett Ratner - a director who is no Tarantino or Fincher - gets so much criticism from Mr Jo Gudgeon. Ratner has never claimed he is brilliant - unlike Shyamalan who, although I like him, I can see why he can rub people up the wrong way with his really arrogant attitude. Brett Ratner is a director who seemed to do a good job with 'Red Dragon' - he didn't try to 'make it his own' he simply studied 'Silence of the lambs' and tried to make it live up to that, which, I think it comes close.

I have friends who think that 'Red Dragon' is in fact the best one of the three.

Nevertheless, looking at Ratners directing credits on IMDB (a whopping 16!), very few of them are that successful. X-Men 3, I have heard, is not great - but everyone cocks up at one point and it hardly warrants a lifetime of disgust from avid film fans - such as Mr Jo Gudgeon.

Is it possible that I can get an informed, fair and just review from Mr Jo Gudgeon stating why Ratner is such a bad director? Has Gudgeon seen enough of Ratners films to put together a whole-hearted opinion on the subject? I can admit that I have seen very, very few on the whole of Ratners film - and music videos - to really claim whether he is any good or bad. I am really waiting to watch X-Men 3 before placing any kind of offensive or insulting judgement on the man.

I doubt that the film is as bad as 'Cube' though.

I await peoples responses (that goes for everyone!)

P.S. The single point I was making about Mel Gibson was: How can you say he is a bad director when you have only seen one film? Could it just be a fluke bad film? Or a film that simple 'wasn't-your-thing'?

Smokin' Aces and Jo ... again

Smokin' Aces
It's really good and I'll write more about it when I get the chance.

Jo Again
Interestingly enough, Jo had a fair-enough comment in response to my Open Letter. Problem is, he followed it up with another comment and this is in response to that ...
First off, I shall quote Jo;
"I went on IMDB to check where else my dislike for Gibson comes from. I have seen six of his movies and not a single one of them contains a performance that I feel justifies his reputation. And the seventh is Passion."
Right, I also went on IMDB and had a gander because I was sure that Gibson hasn't directed that many films - let alone seven. Turns out he has only directed five projects:
1) The Man without a Face
2) Braveheart
3) The Passion of the Christ
4) Three episodes of 'Complete Savages'
5) Apocalypto
I think I did watch 'The Man without a Face' but I cannot remember much from it so I shall say nothing. 'Braveheart' and 'Passion' I own and have watched a few times - and think they are worthy of reputation. 'Apocalypto' I have recently watched. Funnily enough I did not get the chance to watch any episodes - let alone Gibsons - of 'Complete Savages'.
I have a funny feeling that the 'Gibson' films you have watched are only the ones he has acted in (and 'Passion' being the 'seventh' film of his you watched - Gibson didn't act in that so ... ). Mel Gibsons reputation as an actor is not huge - he has never won an Oscar for acting roles - although he did earn two awards from the AFI (The Australian equivalent to the Oscars) for his acting roles in 'Tim' and 'Gallipolli'. He also earned critical praise when acting in 'Hamlet' in 1990 - but alas, no Bafta of Oscar. I have not seen 'Tim' or 'Gallipolli' so I would not know whether his acting was brilliant in them. Suffice to say, I make no judgement.
Personally, I think Mel Gibson is a high class DIRECTOR, for which this is reflected in Braveheart 'for which he won two Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director'. I thought 'Passion' was well directed and, considering the limited and bias source, it attempted to show the story as 'real' as possible - all whip lashings and thorny crowns included. Again, 'Apocalypto' is yet to earn awards, if it will earn any at all as it has some very strange plot points (As pointed out by Elisabeth, there is absolutely no need for the birth of child at the end. Very shit) and a wealth of inaccurate historic references. But visually and cinematically it is as epic and impressive as the deserts of 'Lawrence of Arabia'.

Now, here comes the twisted knife Jo - You have only seen Passion. You may have seen 'The Man without a Face', but if it was as long ago as when I saw it, then I reckon it would be difficult to really form an informed judgement. And 'Complete Savages'? I doubt it.

For one, the whole "I have to confess that I have never been a fan of his work probably because I have seen very few of his films" - you have seen ONE film that was higly criticised across the board, a film that earned no nominations and had a bias box office opening. It might be better to say that you are not a fan of 'Passion' rather than grouping all his directed pieces into one box without viewing them.

You stated yourself that 'I did catch some of Braveheart the other day and it did look motivationally interesting' and this is the film that earned him his initial reputation - and it is that epic scale that he has become famous for directing.

I advise you to watch 'Braveheart' and 'Apocalypto' because they really are worth the watch at least, but the chance of you doubling back on yourself and stating 'Wow, Gibson is a great director' are slim to none because your (un)informed opinion on why you shouldn't/wouldn't watch 'Apocalypto' says alot about how you form a judgement before watching a film.

I reckon the latest edition of 'Heat' probably didn't give 'Apocalypto' the greatest of reviews though - although it may have stated that there are topless guys and girls running around throughout the film - woo hoo! Five Stars. As legitimate as 'Empire'. (Game, set, match)

Just quickly ...

First off, if you haven't checked this board for ages and suddenly see this new post - I have written daily for the past three days and the following brief note is in relation to one of the first posts I done this year - 2007.

The 'giving up drinking' for a year has already ended. In all fairness, I didn't take it too seriously and it was a small thing I was considering in order to detox my system in a teeny-weeny way. The other night we (the flat) all ended up down the pub and it was then I realised that drinking itself was not such a problem, just the horrible horrible hangover the following dayafter a big night. The quiet drink down the pub is the thing I missed - and that was what I wanted to do. I shal stop getting wasted for a bit at least though - maximum drinking of 3 pints. So far my maximum is 2, so hopefully I won't screw this goal up. (On a sidenote, if I do begin to become an alcoholic, I would apreciate people telling me.)

This next sentance was going to be a short explanation about how Guinness is, in fact, good for you ... turns out (much to my horror) that it is not.

And I quote: "Contrary to popular belief, Guinness is not a good source of iron, containing only 0.3 mg per pint. Given that the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) of iron is between 11 mg and 18 mg, the amount contained in a pint of Guinness is trivial. In comparison, a bowl of Weetabix contains 4.2mg of iron, meaning that a person would have to drink 14 pints of Guinness to get the same amount of iron contained in one bowl of Weetabix."

I understand that to mean that getting wasted on Guinness does have its advantages ... but apparently NOT for friends like Richard and Rachel because ...

"Guinness is not suitable for vegans and most vegetarians due to the use of a fish-based fining agent called isinglass."

It is a sad day for the entire world.

Oh yeah, and I now wear glasses.

An Open Letter to Jo

Dear Jo

I knew this shit would resurface. First off, I am not a Mel Gibson freak although I was baptized Roman Catholic I have alot of differences with the religion itself also. But, this is an open letter to you Jo about your battering and problems with Gibbers. I think his films are of a high class and he deserved an Oscar for 'Braveheart' - although I personally think that both follow-up films from Braveheart were alot better. I stated that "because of Gibson's anti-semetic views - if indeed they are true?" may deter you from watching the film. I specifically used the word 'view' because it is something that he has strongly denied - and so may - or may no be - true.

Mel Gibson did confess he made Anti-Semetic comments and apologised for those comments because he does not agree with the comments, and his apology was accepted by the Jewish Community. The Rehab he had to attend was because of his drink problems - not because of his Anti-Semetic statements. If you were brought up by a fucked up Father like his - with all the books his Father has written he knows a fair bit of Jew-bashing info - you may state some drunken crap when blasted out of your skull.

Although, on his fathers views, Mel Gibson states that his father views do not amount to Holocaust Denial. Hutton Gibson, according to Wikipedia states "He questions aspects of the Jewish Holocaust, especially the commonly accepted statistic that between five million to seven million Jews were killed, arguing that it would have been impossible for the Nazis to have disposed of so many bodies. He further claims that most of the Holocaust was "fiction," that the thousands of Jews who disappeared from Poland during World War II "got up and left", and that census statistics prove there were more Jews in Europe after World War II than before (a claim that is disputed by historians)."

Personally, I think Hutton Gibson is a loon because he also believes "the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were not carried out by Islamist terrorists aboard the planes, but rather by an unknown party using a "remote control,"." and, furthermore, that "every Pope elected since Pope John XXIII have been illegitimate anti-popes".

Its funny, because Hutton thinks that Jews want to take over the world and have a 'one world religion', which is really, I imagine, what most people - including Traditionalist Catholics such as Hutton - with a conservative, religious stand think.

In conclusion, I think Mel Gibson has had a fucked-up family background and with his Christian belief that stresses "Honour thy Father and Mother", Gibson has a tough cross to bear. This difficult strain to his life will, inevitably, affect his attitude when drunk and his reputation in due course but it is important to remain neutral and respect his films for what they are - and not use money-spinning material on his Father and his personal honest mistakes to be a part of the artistic judgement.

I personally wanted to find out what the big deal was and what specifically was the problems and I think this sums up a fair bit.

From, Simon

New Year and New Plans ...

Okay, first off the recent news:

Apocalypto
I watched Apocalypto at the cinema and I really liked it - the obvious comparison with the pride and possible slow-destruction that we may be inflicting on our own society is an interesting idea. visually it is amazing, although I am told they do take liberties with various types of art that are separated by hundreds of years shown in the same place. I think it has to be seen as a 'inspired by true events' type of story to set up an allegory on our own civilisation. I won't go into too much depth though because I can imagine people not watching it because of Gibson's anti-semetic views - if indeed they are true? or the extreme-graphical violence depicted. If you're brave, I think as long as you can sit through the destruction of the little village in the first 20 minutes, you should be okay for the rest of the film. Although I think I am going to change my MSN name to Jaguar Paw - Rudy Youngbloods performance is brilliant!

Rear Window
I had never seen this film and only watched it recently through my 'rental' list. What a great film!! James Stewart is so cocky and Grace Kelly is, indeed, quite beautiful. I think I am going to go through a Hitchcock period - maybe get Vertigo, North by Northwest ... etc etc next. Peter Bogdonavich explained on the documentary his style and technique and how he uses it throughout his own career.

U2
Okay, I do-o-o-o go on a fair bit about U2, but I have been reading the 'U2 by U2' book and I am in awe. Bono explains how alot of people want to take away your dreams when they have given up on theirs. I think that is true - as I head towards my own dream - I can only really agree if I reach it. Larry Mullen Jnr explains how he had the 'Jnr' part added to his name because when they released 'Boy' (The first U2 album) the tax forms were coming through to his house and his Dad would have to explain to the tax office how it wasn't HIS tax, but his Sons. Adam Clayton is a bad ass - he was told it wasn't worth him sticking school out because he was obviously going to fail. He used to set up a coffee canister in his lessons. Edge, on the other hand, nearly left the band - with Bono -after releasing 'Boy' because crazy Christians who Bono, Larry and Edge were praying with were telling them that being in a rock-band and being a christian is not really possible. Crazy fucking Christians may be the worst group of people in the world - they could easily have deprived the world from the best rock band ever. Madness.

Secondly, go to the U2 website and check out both videos to 'Window in the skies' - someone has mixed footage from loads of great musicians - Kurt Cobain, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Bob Marley, etc - to make it look like 6they are singing the song - which i great in itself. The second video just has a really cool 'slide-player' showing loads of pictures from the ol' days when U2 were starting out.

The Future
So, yeah, Pete and Rebeccas wedding coming up, putting together some short-films hopefully, learn Italian, go T-total for a few months and get a job teaching in London. Thats the future. If anyone can help me out with these goals, throw me a 'line'.

It'd be nice to write a script and rewatch Rocky I to V, finish reading John Dickie's 'Cosa Nostra' book and Julian Spaldings 'The Art of Seeing/The Wonder of Art'.

Telford Times Part 2

The Sopranos
You will all be happ to know that we are now up to Episode 4, Series 5. Both Pete and I have not seen any more episodes so we are unsure what will happen but, because of what is written on the back of the Series 6 box, we do know that Tony and Carmella get back together at the end of the Season.

Seems that Uncle 'Junior' is getting very ill indeed. Dominic Chianese is a brilliant actor and you really feel for ol' Corotto (sic?) Soprano. Poor dude. Tony is hitting on the psychiatrist although she knows that he can't face rejection because he has always got what he wants. Chris and Paulie are friends again but Tony's cousin ... Tony B (Steve Buscemi) is back in time and wants to go straight and massage peoples backs. Tony Soprano thinks thats not cool and chaos ensues.

I shall update as I go. Currently Pete and I are upset that we know Tony and Carmella get back together. The back of boxes should be as tact as possible for fans. (To be fair, Pete didnt read the back of the box, he just happened to catch an episode and saw that they were back together - as I did read the back of the bx I know what is going to happen in other plot lines ... goddamn)

Out n' About
Last night I was at Pizza Hut with Rachel, Richard, Tom W, Amy, Lewis and Sean. Twas a good night and didn't cost much because we have a friend who works there. Brilliant stuff.

Pete didn't want to go because he is skint. I tried, but he said he is saving up specifically for Christmas Eve and New Year to go mental with his money.

Presents
Loads of presents (of thers) arrived and I have to wrap them all up. Sadly, todays bulk were delivered at 8am and no-one opened the door for the dude (Ma'n'Pa must be at work) and I now have to go down to the Post Office to pick it up before 1.30pm.

Pete didn't think 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' was funnyalthough I think it is brilliant.

Telford Times

Yeah, just quick - although I will update this post with what is happening:

Last night Pete and I were up until 2am watching Sopranos.

Tom and I are hooked on Xbox 360's 'Gears of War'. You can saw people do death really well, and it is great to 'sniper' people down. Town just comes charging so its a good combo.

If 'The Balls Films' mean anything to you ...

Enter discussion about the future of 'The Balls' films!

The DVD will also be available to buy soon from Bleak Horizon supplies (ask me about that if you want a copy... I have no idea how much it will cost, but its not free!)

http://tripleftheballs.proboards77.com/index.cgi

Casino Royale

Casino Royale

I thought Daniel Craig was a brilliant choice for the role of James Bond - if anything, he will take James Bond down a different alleyway. His roles in Road to Perdition, Layer Cake, Munich and Endruing Love showed me the amount of skill he has to offer - not to mention, as a blond man myself, its nice to think that we blonde folk can be used to play 'sexy' characters.

Nevertheless, I hotly anticipated this next offering. The time had come to stop the crazy hollywood-version, mindless-explosions, post-Speed type of films Brosnan offered us. Don't get me wron, it was brilliant while it lasted (Even now, I think Renard ("a bullet, lodged in his brain - he feel nothing", "He push himself, harder and longer than any normal person") was an awesome bad guy, Zao wasn't great - but he looked cool, especially Halle Berry, not to mention Jonathon Pryce and Michelle Yeah pre-Crouching Tiger - the one I've missed out, Goldeneye, would stand comfortably against Goldfinger, Spy Who Loved Me and You Only Live Twice as best Bond film ... ever), so it was simply time to change.

I don't want to give too much away for the few who haven't seen it (and you call yourself 007 fans. Pish), but I firmly believe that the three reasons they have made this film is as follows:

1) It was a chance to make the one Ian Fleming book they had not yet turned into an official MGM James Bond film, but not only that ...
2) It was an ideal opportunity to introduce a new James Bond, using the 'first ever story' to actually reimagine the role.
3) Not to mention, the filmmakers want to make James Bond films go further than cliche action films. What makes The Bourne films good, is that there is the interesting depth to them - by starting the franchise again, they have the opportunity to revisist old characters - characters they can create now, rather than going back to the Connery days. Not to mention, they want to give James Bond 'depth' - alongside thi same point, it is worth pointing out that alot of people thought Brosnans 'torture' intro on 'Die Another Day' was a bad move - "James Bond doesn't get tortured". Yet, Casino Royale reimagines James Bond in a world where, not only can he be tortured - but lives of his loved ones hang in the balance and James Bond himself may actually need a resucitation machine to stay alive: has he ever used one of those before?

Fact is, this James Bond film is brilliant as an action movie, but the finale: Once we realise that James Bond, for the final five minutes, is te James Bond we know and love - we want more. So, you think 'I have sat through some two hours of 'not-exactly-James Bond-yet' action, and you are just begging to see Daniel Craig as the bad ass James bond himself.

In closing, if I watch a really good film - I feel like I cannot wait to watch it again. With 'Casino Royale' I felt more excited about the next film, rather than watching Casino Royale again: But, saying that, since watching the film i have wanted to watch it again now just for the new 007 actions sequences: the jumping dude, the fight inside the truck-front, the M-James bond banter, so... in time it may become alot better. Who knows. Another watch is in order! Woo hoo!

Must ... stop... spending ... money...

Pete and Rebecca
Rebecca has just had her 20 week scan and all is good - they are havin a kid! Congratulations guys, I cannot wait. I am so glad its a [just in case somebody doesnt know the sex] and if it was a [the other sex] then it wouldn't be as much fun. Subtle aye. Again! Congratulations! I can't wait to visit America in y'ol Kentucky and meet the boy/girl [delete as appropriate]

Right, Saw 3 then ...
I finished watching it thinking awesome, but of the three people I was with I was the only one who thought that so the entire journey back was spent discussing what was wrong with it ... changing my view. Personally, lets be honest, the franchise itself is not a 'classic' (Well, maybe in the horror, post-Scream/Seven-era, how-gory-can-you-get-a-movie way...) and I have always thought that my passion for the franchise is a guilty pleasure in itself ... so, yeah, I liked it. I won't give away anything but put it this way: If you want to see the characters and plots from first resurfaced in some way then you will be happy)... The opening sequence was so-o-o grim, but so great to see good ol' Donnie back. New Kids on the Block will be proud.

Jo, Al and Beth...
Friday night Jo and Al were up and we spent the evening chatting and having fun, it was memorable. To top it off we watched saw 3 together in the evening (the half 11 showing).
Saturday, Beth came up - and it was fantastic to see them and venture, briefly, round the pubs and dodgy clubs of Reading. I got incredibly drunk and vaguely remember dancing, alone, on the stage and hugging random friends frm my Art & Design class (Lex) and and certain events that will be brought up in the future. It was the first time I had been to 'After Dark' and to be handed a can of guinness at the bar wasn't that cool. OOOh, I remember being felt up by a big guy before we went in and he was humming and as soon as he found out I didnt have a bag of cocaine shuved up my arse we both laughed like you would if you had been abused... wait a sec ... was I abused? I was really gutted because when we got back to the flat everyone was hanging out in the kitchen and I simply passed out pretty much so missed the banter that normally finishes the night. Seriously ... I wish I was there. Next time, i have to stop drinking when I get to a certain point because I keep finding myself missing out on things.
Sunday, I ventured to Oxford with the clan and that was really cool. Oxford is a beautfiul place and I advise people to go there for weekends away - as I shall. Fact is, I was a boring sod while I was there because I ate the starchiest, saltiest crisps before catching the train and felt rough the entire time. - I swear, Beth, I shall visit and be a bit livelier next time.
On a sidenote, it was only on the train back did I recieve Rhys' text asking if we were all together - so it was too late.
Nevertheless, it was a brilliant weekend.
Al - can you email the one picture you took and I shall put it online if I can!

Blogs
Okay, something on my mind ... what are peoples views on blogs. I really am stuck, i mean, I personally like keeping a record of things and by putting the record online i can discuss stuff which is on my mind with my friends. I know through discussion with friends that the Entertainment reviews are not going down a storm (I've heard 'really boring' being used), and thats cool because if i am not thinking about the reader then why bother having a reader? Please, people who have read the blog so far and are happy telling me their opinions please tell me now your opinion! Reviews? if they are boring, why? As I am not an actual critic is the views kinda void? I'm not really fussed to be fair, it was just something that I thought would be fun and I don't want to be writing it in vain. So, post a comment saying your views because I really want to know! As Jigsaw says: Let the games begin.

The plans for the weekend!

To begin ...

This weekend Jo and Alistair are staying from Friday to Sunday so that will be alot of fun! I have not seen Alistair in over a year and, since then, he has travelled all around Canada, a little bit of American I think, a little bit around Europe - Belgium and Germany if I recall - and, for a short period, he even grew a beard. I have seen the picture and he looks like a40 year old man. That means wise, not old. Jo, I saw in Telford last and we had a barrel of fun while he was staying with Rachel and Richard. Jo tells me that Beth may be coming up on Saturday, depending on her workload - so that is quite exciting. I also spoke briefly to Rhys Jones and Richard recently and attempted to coax them in coming and:

For Richard: Its only a family, just bail on it! They'll understand! Or ... argue with Rachel and storm off in a huff and although she will spend the night in tears wondering where you are, the following day when you get back just say you needed to 'clear your head' and that you 'acted like a fool', blah blah blh. In a years time it will be water under the bridge. Ho ho ho

For Rhys: Its just your parents! You haven't seen the clan for a-a-a-ages! Like I said, just come up after work! I'll buy you a toothbrush and three pints if you 'suprise' us. I live in hope.

Anyway, last night I got very drunk (Its half term and today everyone has the day off) on wine and guinness. Needless to say that I nearly died this morning. Eeueueegh. I didn't get sick though - so that must be a good thing. But I shant be getting drunk until Saturday night now!

Friday night though - SAW 3! Fuck, I cannot wait ... it will be awesome!

Online Exhibit #1

Exhibition at Rowleys

All my paintings are oil on canvas and were all completed while I was at University, between 2003 and 2005. In most cases the pieces are final pieces so they reflected a constant growth in observation and self-portraiture.

First Proud, 2003

This piece is at the exhibition and it is the first one you see when you walk into the gallery. Richard said it was his favourite - so it is strange because it was painted in the 1st year at University!

Left View, Centre Piece and Right View, 2005 (Triptych)

These three were in my Graduate exhibition, while the centre piece was actually put up at the Telford and Wrekin Open Exhibition 2006.

I won't load too many pictures up yet, so i shall try to - every now and then - show a work of mine with a little discussion or explanation beneath it.