Cloud had a bit of moment of joy reading friend Nick's post about the Black Country accent... (Nick has since done a follow up post on the topic).
It's worth directing you to them: enjoy!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Brief Film Review: Little Miss Sunshine
After a year of badgering by various fans of Little Miss Sunshine, we finally got around to watching it. I needed something life affirming, something funny but moving. I got it in bucketloads.
What a completely charming piece of work... I know it wasn't to everyone's taste (Emma: that's you!) but for me and Cloud it was a perfect film for a Monday night in late October.
What a completely charming piece of work... I know it wasn't to everyone's taste (Emma: that's you!) but for me and Cloud it was a perfect film for a Monday night in late October.
Brief comedy review: Sean Hughes, Nottingham Playhouse - Saturday 20 October 2007
Sean Hughes current tour seems to be having a rather erratic impact.
All I can say is that I did laugh a lot, but he did tread dangerously close to some unfunny territory, the audience was VERY hard labour indeed for a comic, and I was really glad I wasn't sat closer to the front.
All I can say is that I did laugh a lot, but he did tread dangerously close to some unfunny territory, the audience was VERY hard labour indeed for a comic, and I was really glad I wasn't sat closer to the front.
Brief update: health
Currently I am:
- exhausted
- have coldsores
- have back pain
- find lunchbreaks are a novelty
- starting work closer to my usual time/finishing nearly on-time, but all this now means is that I'm actually getting further behind in my workload
Friday, October 19, 2007
More Doctor Who fan phrasebook material: Keith Topping has been busy again
Courtesy (of course) of the good people of Behind the Sofa*, comes this gem from Keith Topping. You remember last time? More of the brilliantly hilarious same people...
And this one especially for MediumRob...
*Yes, I have no doubt that the Behind the Sofa design team have deliberately chosen the backdrop as the most anti-current Who fan-base pic imaginable...
They're still the bee's knees of funniness though...
"And now on BBC one, more time-travelling adventures with Doctor Who. Record the whole series."
The schedulers will be arsing about with the start time over the course of the next month or so.
"Right now on BBC THREE, it's more of the Doctor..."
We've finally worn a hole in our tapes of "Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please".
Russell, just leave and cancel the new series NOW!
Yes, I spent the last sixteen years bitching and moaning, protesting outside the BBC and threatening to chain myself to their railings, writing angry letters to Points of View, plotting ways to firebomb Michael Grade's house and get away with it, smashing my TV set with a hammer on the front page of the tabloids, releasing unlistenable protest records and begging on my knees for someone to please, please, please, pretty please bring back Doctor Who, only to suddenly change my mind as soon as the show becomes popular again with people who are aren't me.
RTD can't write for toffee.
Uh-huh, I really did just suggest that one of the most respected writer/producers that British television has produced in two decades can't write because I - wretched done-nothing berk that I am - didn't like an example of his work.
RTD needs to quit!!!
I don't like his episodes. Even though a lot of people do. But I think I'm special and important, so I think the show should be written to my exact specifications.
And this one especially for MediumRob...
Murray Gold's music is too loud/intrusive/generally awful.
Ah, I remember Deadly Dudley Simpson with such fondness.
*Yes, I have no doubt that the Behind the Sofa design team have deliberately chosen the backdrop as the most anti-current Who fan-base pic imaginable...
They're still the bee's knees of funniness though...
OK Computer play
OK Computer - a Radio Four Friday play.
By Joel Horwood, Chris Perkins, Al Smith and Chris Thorpe.
A celebration of Radiohead's seminal 1997 album OK Computer which draws on themes from each of its 12 tracks.
A man wakes up in a hospital in Berlin. He has no memory of who he is, or where he comes from. Once the details of his life are recovered, he is repatriated to Britain and into his former life. But he is haunted by the suspicion that this is not his real life at all.
Paul ...... Tom Brooke
Sarah ...... Liz White
Helen ...... Federay Holmes
Owen ...... Pieter Lawman
Boss ...... Chris Thorpe
Producer Lu Kemp.
Cloud reckons its quite good...
By Joel Horwood, Chris Perkins, Al Smith and Chris Thorpe.
A celebration of Radiohead's seminal 1997 album OK Computer which draws on themes from each of its 12 tracks.
A man wakes up in a hospital in Berlin. He has no memory of who he is, or where he comes from. Once the details of his life are recovered, he is repatriated to Britain and into his former life. But he is haunted by the suspicion that this is not his real life at all.
Paul ...... Tom Brooke
Sarah ...... Liz White
Helen ...... Federay Holmes
Owen ...... Pieter Lawman
Boss ...... Chris Thorpe
Producer Lu Kemp.
Cloud reckons its quite good...
Gig review: The Decemberists at Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton 5 October 2007
Sorry for the lateness of this.
Setlist: approximate
Crane Wife 3
The Island: Come and See; The Landlord's Daughter; You'll Not Feel the Drowning
The Gymnast, High Above the Ground
Yankee Bayonet
[Impromptu version of 'You are my Sunshine' and a folk song (sorry, unclear what it was) for reasons to be explained]
Crane Wife 1
As I Rise
Shankhill Butchers
O Valencia!
The Chimbly Sweep
The Perfect Crime #2
Sons & Daughters
Clementine
Reviews can also be found here and here.
[Apologies for the awful shaky camera work here - my pixels are poorly]
Anyway, this was a rather odd gig. As those who were hoping to see later gigs on the tour will now know and will be grinding their teeth at, post-this gig, the tour was cancelled. You see, lead singer Colin got a bad case of the Wolverhampton curry tummy (or so it seems) and really was on struggling form for the Wolves gig. Consequently, they've subsequently pulled the tour. Methinks that they won't be back in Wolves for a while.
That's a shame since against the odds he and the band turned in a fine performance, in a gloriously intimate venue, albeit one that seemed to miss certain expectations of the audience. Many wanted material from Picareque (me: I would have died and gone to heaven if they had played something from Picaresqueties, especially either Bandit Queen or their wonderful cover of the Joanna Newsom track Bridges and Balloons with its invocation of Cair Paravel). But what they did was grand: and we did get some older tracks from Castaways and Cutouts and from Her Majesty, The Decemberists which alongside the dominant material from The Crane Wife were beautifully played and conveyed to the crowd. I still choked up at O Valencia! ("and your frame went limp in my arms") and Jenny Conlee did some seriously prog-rock gesturing as she played the keyboards with gusto.
Overall, not the grand experience we might have hoped for, but a definite confirmation of their wonderful music. Sorry EineKleineRob, especially after I think it was us who introduced you to them.
Setlist: approximate
Crane Wife 3
The Island: Come and See; The Landlord's Daughter; You'll Not Feel the Drowning
The Gymnast, High Above the Ground
Yankee Bayonet
[Impromptu version of 'You are my Sunshine' and a folk song (sorry, unclear what it was) for reasons to be explained]
Crane Wife 1
As I Rise
Shankhill Butchers
O Valencia!
The Chimbly Sweep
The Perfect Crime #2
Sons & Daughters
Clementine
Reviews can also be found here and here.
[Apologies for the awful shaky camera work here - my pixels are poorly]
Anyway, this was a rather odd gig. As those who were hoping to see later gigs on the tour will now know and will be grinding their teeth at, post-this gig, the tour was cancelled. You see, lead singer Colin got a bad case of the Wolverhampton curry tummy (or so it seems) and really was on struggling form for the Wolves gig. Consequently, they've subsequently pulled the tour. Methinks that they won't be back in Wolves for a while.
That's a shame since against the odds he and the band turned in a fine performance, in a gloriously intimate venue, albeit one that seemed to miss certain expectations of the audience. Many wanted material from Picareque (me: I would have died and gone to heaven if they had played something from Picaresqueties, especially either Bandit Queen or their wonderful cover of the Joanna Newsom track Bridges and Balloons with its invocation of Cair Paravel). But what they did was grand: and we did get some older tracks from Castaways and Cutouts and from Her Majesty, The Decemberists which alongside the dominant material from The Crane Wife were beautifully played and conveyed to the crowd. I still choked up at O Valencia! ("and your frame went limp in my arms") and Jenny Conlee did some seriously prog-rock gesturing as she played the keyboards with gusto.
Overall, not the grand experience we might have hoped for, but a definite confirmation of their wonderful music. Sorry EineKleineRob, especially after I think it was us who introduced you to them.
If you ever get to Friday and need a lift...
...just check out the lovely E at Joe's place. She really is an unbeatable provider of smiles and delight in the world.
Somehow the world always feels better after looking at E pics...
Somehow the world always feels better after looking at E pics...
A reminder that good things come to those who wait...
Billy recently praised the lovely Marie's book, "Gods Behaving Badly" which, if you haven't already read it should be on your 'to buy and read' list!
[PS the link on Marie is to her new open blog rather than Struggling Author which is members only].
[PS the link on Marie is to her new open blog rather than Struggling Author which is members only].
PS Sorry MediumRob
I think you got the short end of my long absence from blogging as you have just been inflicted with multiple comments from me! Trust me Medium readers, he does have other commenters!!
What would your child say if...
... they were given some of these books on Xmas day to 'encourage them to grow up rich'...?
Hat tip to John for this disturbing gem...
Hat tip to John for this disturbing gem...
Sapphire and Steel - follow this up!
Anna asked a very reasonable question and got the best sort of answer(s) possible.
Yes: Sapphire and Steel IS worth watching
It's on my to-buy list!
Yes: Sapphire and Steel IS worth watching
It's on my to-buy list!
Dressing David Tennant
Not, actually of course (because you know that's not the way round I'd want to do things), but I have to say that when I first followed Anna's link to this, my initial thought was 'why does it have non-removable boxer shorts?'
I am, without doubt, lost, irredeemably lost...
I am, without doubt, lost, irredeemably lost...
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Things I know today that I didn't know yesterday
I missed Matt_C's birthday. Forshame.
I missed Paul Evans putting Stapleford on the blogging map via his Normblog profile.
I learned that there really are some very strange people in the world.
I learned that film makers can subvert distribution difficulties made worse by bigots.
I also discovered that after way too long away from MediumRob's wonderful blog that he has a new 'quick comments' facility that wasn't there on my last visit (which will age how long it has been since I last formally visited). There will be precisely ZERO prizes for anyone who guesses which of the quick comments on offer made me laugh aloud....
I missed Paul Evans putting Stapleford on the blogging map via his Normblog profile.
I learned that there really are some very strange people in the world.
I learned that film makers can subvert distribution difficulties made worse by bigots.
I also discovered that after way too long away from MediumRob's wonderful blog that he has a new 'quick comments' facility that wasn't there on my last visit (which will age how long it has been since I last formally visited). There will be precisely ZERO prizes for anyone who guesses which of the quick comments on offer made me laugh aloud....
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Film Review: 3:10 to Yuma
Of course, the likelihood is that by now this year's remake of 3:10 to Yuma has long since departed the few cinemas where it had its brief run.
That's a real shame because in truth it's actually rather a good film, with much to commend and lots that I enjoyed.
Sure, it stars Russell Crowe and I know for some of you that may not be an incentive. However, it certainly WAS an incentive for Lisette [and, ahem, for me: hey, what can I say? Crowe with an added layer of floppy hair (even if not quite 'The Quick and the Dead' excess) pushes my buttons somewhat...]
So, yes, Crowe; but also Bale. Now come on, that HAS to be a good call. Bale is at least interesting in what he does, and can turn in a beautifully nuanced performance easily even in below par movies (which this wasn't I must add). In recent years, we have had The Machinist, which is at the very least a fascinating film.
Crowe, Bale: what else do we have?
Well, there's the basis of a very fine movie with it picking up a good starting point. I know the original film, and though this is different, it has the right echoes of such a classic Western period (even if the original isn't quite the classic some have tried to claim it to be). The different ages of the protaganists between the films - they 'feel' much older in the 1950s version - adds a different dynamic to the narrative.
It's worth noting that despite a somewhat low-key response to the remake, reviews have been largely very positive: check out the Rotten Tomotoes site for a good overview. Many films do not get such a keen response across so many reviewers.
For me, there were several factors that raised the level of pleasure I could take from this film:
Ultimately, this was a thoroughly emotional and gripping story with fine performances and a grand pace. It probably won't win any/many awards but for an overall feel, it probably deserves some.
If you've missed it, consider it a good rental/purchase on DVD. I'll certainly be watching it again, especially as I missed out taking Cloud to see it.
That's a real shame because in truth it's actually rather a good film, with much to commend and lots that I enjoyed.
Sure, it stars Russell Crowe and I know for some of you that may not be an incentive. However, it certainly WAS an incentive for Lisette [and, ahem, for me: hey, what can I say? Crowe with an added layer of floppy hair (even if not quite 'The Quick and the Dead' excess) pushes my buttons somewhat...]
So, yes, Crowe; but also Bale. Now come on, that HAS to be a good call. Bale is at least interesting in what he does, and can turn in a beautifully nuanced performance easily even in below par movies (which this wasn't I must add). In recent years, we have had The Machinist, which is at the very least a fascinating film.
Crowe, Bale: what else do we have?
Well, there's the basis of a very fine movie with it picking up a good starting point. I know the original film, and though this is different, it has the right echoes of such a classic Western period (even if the original isn't quite the classic some have tried to claim it to be). The different ages of the protaganists between the films - they 'feel' much older in the 1950s version - adds a different dynamic to the narrative.
It's worth noting that despite a somewhat low-key response to the remake, reviews have been largely very positive: check out the Rotten Tomotoes site for a good overview. Many films do not get such a keen response across so many reviewers.
For me, there were several factors that raised the level of pleasure I could take from this film:
- the cast - not just the fabulous leads, who each turn in neat performances showing off their best skills (wounded, conflicted heroism for Bale; seductive arrogant violence-beneath-the-surface for Crowe), but also the supporting cast, including a lovely turn from Alan Tudyk (well appreciated as Wash in Serenity/Firefly), an almost unrecognisable Peter Fonda, and an appropraitely terrifying turn from Ben Foster.
- the cinematography and setting - used to full effect, locations and cinematography come together well here under the control of Phedon Papmicheal (an unlikely figure for such good work given much on his resume). Then again, can you go wrong with such landscape?
- the music - the score is lovely. Plenty of shades of pilfering the historical repetoire of Morricone's scores for Leone, but that can't be a bad thing. There are some truly uplifting and heart-racing sequences in the film, made even more powerful by the music.
Ultimately, this was a thoroughly emotional and gripping story with fine performances and a grand pace. It probably won't win any/many awards but for an overall feel, it probably deserves some.
If you've missed it, consider it a good rental/purchase on DVD. I'll certainly be watching it again, especially as I missed out taking Cloud to see it.
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