Oh go on then!
Anyone who’s been before will notice the whole new look (d’ya like?) – it’s not fully dynamic yet, but all of these pages are now generated from Perl templates, fully stuff across from the database.
Next step is to make it fully dynamic, so that the pages are created on the fly from the database.
Do have a look around, and check the list of websites that I use over to the left there…
Proper update to follow, just going to list the films I’ve recently caught, with reviews to follow!
And some games…
Disney have a wonderful way of playing with emotions, and here again they strike gold, making us care about the titular stars – both of whom are actually pretty unlikeable with very few redeeming features! It’s also a surprise to see Disney handling the sci-fi quite so well – the space-based opening sequence especially came as a surprise to me.
Disney doesn’t pull any punches when dealing with (Lilo’s) broken family, and the emotion is pretty raw at times… but this is a cartoon, and so of course the emotion is tempered with classic Disney humour and top notch animation, not to mention one or two surprises along the way. There are enough subplots are and adult nods (like Stich playing a B-movie monster rampaging through a model village – awesome!) to keep older watchers engaged, but the action is fast enough to keep younger children enthralled.
So, not just one for the kids, although if they get a hold of it, expect viewing after viewing after viewing…..
This film has a lovely premise – that of “hypertime”, whereby a person wearing a special watch can so accelerate the molecules in their body that time apparantly stands still. If you can suspend your disbelief for long enough to go with this (and some major liberties are taken with it – such as still being able to drive a car?!?), it’s actually quite a fun film. The filmmakers are clearly not taking things too seriously, but do (just) keep it from being too camp. The plot is entirely by the numbers, although that said there are touches of genius – mainly in the form of the lovely Francesca (Paula Garcés – who passes convincingly as a high school kid at 28!!) who, for example, after knocking out an antagonist by kicking his head with her foot, is asked: “karate?” – answer: “ballet”. Perfect for the kids – plenty of goofball laughs, a bit of family/relationship tension, some thrills and spills for younger members of the family, and the less cynical just might not be able to predict the ending 5 minutes into the film. As for adults – it wouldn’t be torture to sit through this with a young ‘un (especially as Francesca is really very cute – especially when she’s wandering around in just a towel AND I don’t feel bad about fancying her now I know she’s my age – bonus!), but otherwise I’m not sure there’s really enough to keep a more mature audience engaged.
After a very bizarre opening sequence, this film settles down to it’s main stage, which is a street in New York, and a guy in a phone booth. Shown in real-time, this follows a conversation between a smarmy PR guy (Stu – Colin Farrell) and the nutter on the phone that’s got a high power telescopic silenced rifle trained on him from an overlooking window. The basic premise is that the sniper feels he is doling out justice to those who deserve it (Stu is apparently his third target – the other two being dead), and only by “coming clean” can Stu avoid more deaths.
For most of this film, I was on the edge of my seat – the sound of the rifle being cocked set my heart racing every time it happened, and I went from despising Stu, to pitying him, to even sympathising with him. At times I was squirming in my seat with the demands that were made of him.
I was kept guessing at every turn (except the very end, which I found a little predictable) – and I thought the portrayal of the police’s role as excellent. Nicely added to the dramatic tension while also bringing in a “will they figure it out” aspect.
Not really a family movie, and a real breath-holder, but absolutely worth a rent.
I popped this film into the machine expecting a high tech war/conspiracy thriller/sci-fi – how wrong I was! Despite a very interesting premise and very clever ideas and truly stunning special effects, for me this was ultimately a story of human relationship and adventure – that fact most of it was set hundreds of miles underground was almost irrelevant.
Good solid acting all round – hats off the wonderfully odious Dr Zinksy – although one or two more familiar faces wouldn’t have gone amiss.
However the story is absolutely gripping – there’s a wonderful sense of the growing tension, and you do end up caring for the crew going down to the core….
It misses out on a fifth star because the ending is just a little too abrupt and neat, the script strays into the incredulous just too often, and it is a little lacking in star value. But definitely worth a rent for an evening’s solid drama and excitement.
Isn’t it strange how compelling other people’s lives are?
I feel like I could spend all day reading other peoples’ weblogs, when actually nearly all of it pretty innane nonsense (much like this one!). In one sense, I still reckon they’re not so different from columns in the press.
Should probably mention that baby boy arrived safely (Ben), and has duly turned our world upside down, especially in the sleep department. 3am was bedtime for Daddy this morning – cheers Ben!
October to January – not so good!
Anyway, Happy New Year – we’re just off to have a baby this afternoon, so probably no updates for ages (sorry!)
Well, a long time since the last update, but I least I have the excuse of having been away for a week!
We went to Centre Parcs, in Sherwood Forest, which was actually a really good holiday. The villa was very comfy, with excellent heating, plus an open fire! They more or less ban cars from the site (except on changeover days), which makes it quite pleasant to walk and cycle around, and certainly at the time of year that we were there it wasn’t too busy either.
Also just moved into my new office (vey exciting), although it is exceptionally noisy – all the undergraduates talking outside!!
Oh dear, back to business as usual as far as regular updating goes!!
Still, had a most surreal morning this morning. Arriva trains started a new timetable today, which included a loco-driven 4 carriage train – the type with the clunk-click doors (that you have to lean through the window to open). Nothing too odd about that – but they decided to launch this service with a brass band (!), and then give out fake leather Arriva credit card holders to all the passengers(!!).
It wasn’t an unpleasant experience, listening to a brass band (pom pom pom!) while waiting for the train, and it probably says something about the state of our railways that they burst into “congratulations” as it pulled into the station (2 minutes late, incidently). And in all fairness it was loads more comfy then the usual trains.
The best bit of the journey, however, was defintely the lovely young lady who sat next to me. As you know, the great British public don’t speak to one another, least of all on the trains, but a brass band and mock leather credit card holders where enough to break the ice, and we had a jolly chat for the whole journey. She seemed to be a real sweetheart, no more than about 23 or 24, and just happy with life. Oh yes, she was dead cute too. 🙂
In a former life I would already be planning to get the same train as her every morning, get her name, number, suggest getting a drink after work or something like that (none of which I would of actually done – far too scary – but I would have planned it <g>).
Anyway, if anyone wants a pseudo-leather credit card holder with “Arriva” written on it, do let me know….