Just time for a quick plug – just moved my eutony domains to 123reg.co.uk, a very cheap and excellent company, it would seem! (see ad at far bottom left)

Happy New Year

Top film; brainless (but loveable) fun, classic rogue-turned-good tale. Acting was superb, as you’d expect from Mel and Helen Hunt, and as long as you didn’t think too closely about that plot you’re fine.
It’s also the first film I’ve seen in Dolby Digital 5.1. The set-up isn’t tuned properly (moving house in about 10 days – not worth setting up properly), but it was still great. This film was very understated in it’s use of the effect, which made it so much the better when they did go full-on (gotta love those rain storms – plus the big voices-in-the-head scenes are just great).
Oh yes, and the extras are reasonable. Nothing too special (some interviews, the original trailers, plus a making off documentary which I half watched.) There’s also a director’s commentary, which I didn’t have time to listen to, but in other films I’ve seen this is a great addition.

Pleasingly faithful to the book, and seemingly heavily inspired by the film (the sets look like the film, as do the avatars, and the voices & music also sound like the film). Anyway, it’s a thid-person perspective 3D game (like Tomb Raider, although a less impressive graphics engine) where you explore Hogwarts, learning spells solving puzzles, attending classes and so on. They also have some great sub-games – like Quidditch and a mine-cart type game from Gringotts.
It’s extremely easy (I’d finished over 80% of the game in about 6 hours), and with infinite continues when you die (itself no mean feat – the game goes out of it’s way to give you more energy!). The controls are dead-simple, although some co-ordination is required with some of the spells – I guess it’s really aimed at Potterphiles, ie pre-teens.
All this said, I really enjoyed it, and I’m sure any 10 year old would love it, even if it hasn’t got the long-lasting appeal of, say, Sypro. Worth hiring.. might be worth buying if it comes out in a budget range.

I was a bit disappointed with Unbreakable – after all the hype about ‘this year’s Six Sense’ I was expecting a similarly engaging and suprising film. The film itself is fine, I guess. Bruce Willis continues to impress me as a versitle and talented actor, and as usual Samuel L. Jackson is the man. Also a familar face by way of Robin Wright (Princess Buttercup – of the Princess bridge – and also in Forrest Gump) who I didn’t place until I looked on imdb just now. Just as Laurence Fishbourne will always be Morpheus, so Robin Wright will always be Princess Buttercup). ANYWAY, the point is the alleged twist is pants – not because you can see it coming, but you don’t actually care! Nothing wrong with the acting, but the script drastically fails to engage and build up the tension. The DVD itself is also naff – the only extras are the subtitles and other languages.

First of all the DVD is fantastic – hours and hours of material. Everything you could possibly want to know about Apollo 11 and the moon landing – flight plans NASA’s archive footage.. the whole bamboozle. Plus the now standard commentaries (I didn’t have the DVD long enough to check these out), cast and crew biogs, and a few interviews for good measure.
The film itself is great. It’s a sweet and gentle movie, about a bunch of radio astronomers who become part of the NASA team maintaining contact with Apollo 11. Sam Neill gives a superb performance, although my favorite sub-plot was between Janine (Eliza Szonert – from Neighbours apparantly) and Glenn (Tom Long). I really enjoyed it, and would consider buying the DVD for the historical/educational value alone.

Another week gone by. I must give another quick plug to it’s your turn a really good online board-gaming environment. I tend to make one or two chess moves a day in games I’m playing with friends, and it’s a nice way to play chess and stay in touch! You’ll find a link on the left, but if you can’t be bothered to go that far, click here instead.

Caught a couple of DVDs this weekend – Unbreakable and This Dish. I was a bit disappointed with Unbreakable – after all the hype about ‘this year’s Six Sense’ I was expecting a similarly engaging and suprising film. The film itself is fine, I guess. Bruce Willis continues to impress me as a versitle and talented actor, and as usual Samuel L. Jackson is the man. Also a familar face by way of Robin Wright (Princess Buttercup – of the Princess bridge – and also in Forrest Gump) who I didn’t place until I looked on imdb just now. Just as Laurence Fishbourne will always be Morpheus, so Robin Wright will always be Princess Buttercup). ANYWAY, the point is the alleged twist is pants – not because you can see it coming, but you don’t actually care! Nothing wrong with the acting, but the script drastically fails to engage and build up the tension. The DVD itself is also naff – the only extras are the subtitles and other languages.

The Dish is a different story altogether. First of all the DVD is fantastic – hours and hours of material. Everything you could possibly want to know about Apollo 11 and the moon landing – flight plans NASA’s archive footage.. the whole bamboozle. Plus the now standard commentaries (I didn’t have the DVD long enough to check these out), cast and crew biogs, and a few interviews for good measure.
The film itself is great. It’s a sweet and gentle movie, about a bunch of radio astronomers who become part of the NASA team maintaining contact with Apollo 11. Sam Neill gives a superb performance, although my favorite sub-plot was between Janine (Eliza Szonert – from Neighbours apparantly) and Glenn (Tom Long). I really enjoyed it, and would consider buying the DVD for the historical/educational value alone.

Finally – played a PSOne game – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Pleasingly faithful to the book, and seemingly heavily inspired by the film (the sets look like the film, as do the avatars, and the voices & music also sound like the film). Anyway, it’s a thid-person perspective 3D game (like Tomb Raider, although a less impressive graphics engine) where you explore Hogwarts, learning spells solving puzzles, attending classes and so on. They also have some great sub-games – like Quidditch and a mine-cart type game from Gringotts.
It’s extremely easy (I’d finished over 80% of the game in about 6 hours), and with infinite continues when you die (itself no mean feat – the game goes out of it’s way to give you more energy!). The controls are dead-simple, although some co-ordination is required with some of the spells – I guess it’s really aimed at Potterphiles, ie pre-teens.
All this said, I really enjoyed it, and I’m sure any 10 year old would love it, even if it hasn’t got the long-lasting appeal of, say, Sypro. Worth hiring.. might be worth buying if it comes out in a budget range.

Go see. This weekend.

I saw it last Saturday (paid preview at Harrogate Odeon), and really enjoyed it. I’m a huge fan of the books, and was deeply impressed by the translation to screen – with the sole exception of Richard Harris as Dumbledore, who was very disappointing.
Of course, loads of the book was missed out, but pretty much everything essential was there (except for the life-debt thing between Snape and James Potter?!?!?), and the special effects where just as they should be in a film – ie seemless and un-noticeable.

Go see.

Harry Potter – Go see. This weekend.

I saw it last Saturday (paid preview at Harrogate Odeon), and really enjoyed it. I’m a huge fan of the books, and was deeply impressed by the translation to screen – with the sole exception of Richard Harris as Dumbledore, who was very disappointing.
Of course, loads of the book was missed out, but pretty much everything essential was there (except for the life-debt thing between Snape and James Potter?!?!?), and the special effects where just as they should be in a film – ie seemless and un-noticeable.

Go see.

Went to the ballet last night – saw Nutcracker by the Moscow ballet at the Leeds Grand. Really enjoyed it, actually.. the perfomance was technically very competant (in as much as I know anything about ballet), and very enjoyable to watch the dances to the familiar tunes (gotta love Tchaikovsky), the costumes were fantastic, as were the sets.
Must say that the plot passed me by a bit (no programme – not paying 4 quid – and I wasn’t familiar with the story), but nutcrackerballet.net has a good synopsis, together with the well-known musical pieces from it.
All in all a great night out.