leyton.org

I’m a huge fan of Pixar, and all that they’ve achieved. I recall watched their early films (including the famous lamp and ball, and the tin soldier) when I was a student, and the magnificent progress that has been made in the short amount of time since then is magnificent. Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo have become firm favourites. Genuine classics.

I’d not been following what film to expect next, so I was in for a treat when I found the Wall-E trailer site. Absolutely wonderful, and immediately looks like it’ll appeal to a huge cross-section of people in the seemingly effortless Pixar way. I showed the trailer to Frances, and it certainly struck a chord with her.

via Gordon I’ve just read a lovely story about one girls encounter with the trailer, and it really adds to the Pixar story.

Wall-E is out on the 18th July in the UK. It’s stormed the box office in the US, as it’s received great reviews and hit a chord, so I’m quite pleased we don’t have a huge wait before it arrives here. I’ve not been to the cinema in ages, but I’m pretty certain we’ll be making sure we see Wall-E

All go at the moment, so only time for a brief update:

• Wedding plans are proceeding well. We’re being cautioned by friends to stay calm as the day approaches, and I think we are managing that quite well. Got quite excited picking up the rings, as well as getting to see the finished product for something we’ve arranged. More on that after the big day

• Jury service. I’ve received a “you are on the shortlist” letter last week. Inevitable really given all of Frances’ family have had similar, so it was only a matter of time before I got one. I’m in two minds. On the one hand I’m fascinated by the process, and obliged to ‘do my civic duty’, but on the other it will stomp all over my business. Being self-employed has some big draw backs at times. More on this later, no doubt.

• Anime: Last year I hired “Spirted Away“, and absolutely loved it (Frances wasn’t quite as struck). Whilst poking about HMV last week, I figured it’d be fun to watch some more, so have “Laputa, Castle in the Sky”, and “My neighbour Totoro“. This last one has intrigued me as it’s frequently on muted loop at Ichiban. The blurb reads “Conceived as a family film devoid of conflict and suffused with the carefree pleasures of the summertime”. How can you not like the sound of that? Can’t wait.

• Comments (1): My advert music post passed 800 comments recently. Quite scary, but fascinating to watch, and I’ve discovered some great music. With Sigur Ros’s new album due, maybe we’ll start to get some new background music for adverts and documentaries

• Music: R.E.M. released their new album “Accelerate” on Monday. I “pre-ordered” it from the iTunes Music Store (as I had a birthday voucher to use), but winded up having to cancel my pre-order and order it again. Doubt I’ll use that service again as “you may not be able to download it when it’s made available” strikes me as undermining what pre-ordering is about. Surely I should get it first? As to the music, whilst the album is good, it didn’t really jump out at me on first few listens on the train through to Edinburgh yesterday. To be honest, I quite like where REM has been going (in particular I liked ‘New adventures in HiFi’ when it came out, which isn’t viewed as one of their best by critics), so this “return to form” leaves me in a funny place.

• Comments (2): It seems a comment from a friend on an old (2006) post about the misery of our kitchen/downstairs update, has attracted the attention of the company he was referring to. I take great care in what I post, and what I allow through in the way of comments, so this thread is exercising me right now. Thoughts appreciated.

• Work. I’m in the midst of great change. A new contract with an existing client, and finishing up with an old long-term client for a number of reasons (not least that work is coming at me thick and fast right now, so I decided to go with the challenge rather than the easy option). Plus this new arrangement, whilst featuring less working from home, does give me a bit more time to work on some longer term projects and clients. All good.

• Comments (3). A new plugin. In the hope of showing that there’s stuff going on here even when I’m not posting, take a look at the (tidied up) sidebar for the most recent comments to my various posts.

• Aching muscles. Went for a ‘trail/route familiarisation’ run in Pollok park with the club on Monday night. Oscar, one of the group B coaches, led proceedings. I discovered more paths I didn’t know existed in the park, and had a great time running through muddy puddles (much to Frances’ disapproval when she saw my shoes). But trail running seems to use different muscles, so came back quite achy and muddy. But great fun. Can’t wait for the next couple of seasons in the park.

So, bar the Jury service, things aren’t too bad.

I went along to see ‘300‘ recently. It’s a belter of a movie. A non-stop visual feast, with thoroughly enjoyable – and very violent – special affects. A wonderfully stylised feel to the movie, in very much the same way as Sin City. No coincidence, as both films are based on Frank Miller’s Graphic novels.

Sure, it’s not going to leave you debating the finer points of Spartan life, but there are plenty of times when just sitting back and enjoying a story for what it is is all you want to do. This is just such a movie, and left me with enjoyable flashbacks to my enthusiastically watching films as a child. After a busy few weeks, this film was the perfect way to start a short break.

Maybe when I get back, I’ll read-up on the real story!

Next week Hot Fuzz goes on nation-wide release. I’m really looking forward to it for a number of reasons. First, it’s by the same team behind “Shaun of the Dead”, one of the best British comedy films in years. If the trailer is anything to go by, Hot Fuzz is going to be just as funny.

But secondly and perhaps most excitingly, the film was filmed on location in my home town of Wells, Somerset. The crew took over the city last year during filming, which of course resulted in a lot of disruption – but also excitement – on the part of the local community. Plenty of letters in the Wells Journal resulted, but the overwhelming mood that I could sense from conversations with people, was that it’s going to be a great way of showing one of Britain’s most beautiful small cities.

The director, Edgar Wright even went to the same school – Wells Blue School – as I. A year younger than me, he was already making something of a name for himself making short films, roping in friends from his year. I seem to remember he even had something shown on one of the Saturday morning television shows in the 80’s.

It’s all great stuff. The boy’s done good, and absolutely marvellous that he thought to return to Wells, and show off what is a a beautiful bit of the country, as well as – from the trailers at least – produce a film that looks set to be every bit as good, and funny, as Shaun of the Dead. It’s out next week.

Why not watch the trailers!

We’ve just got back from seeing Pan’s Labyrinth (courtesy of Frances’ parents giving us cinema ticket vouchers for christmas, for which: Thanks!).

It was a memorable experience. An ‘adult fairy tale’, set in the Spanish civil war, told through the eyes of Ofelia. Moved from the city with her mother to stay with her step-father, a captain in the Franco army, she immerses herself in books and fantasy, and discovers a world of her own, and tasks to do in order to unlock the portal in the labyrinth. As the situation in the mill in which she is staying unravels as the guerillas and the army fight.

Delightfully dark, with disturbing creatures and scenes, it is at the same time a wonderful story of childhood dreams, and human courage in the face of adversity. As the captain closes in on collaborators in his midst, and the resistance fighters in the woods, Ofelia’s mother’s health deteriorates, the situation in the reality Ofelia seems desperate to escape is grim and horrific.

This is no saccharine fairy tale with a particularly happy ending. It is dark and brooding stuff, Gothic in atmosphere, and so much the better for it. The art direction is vivid and unique, and the cinematic direction wonderful (the pale colours and sumptuous shots really create a strong visual). The story is compelling, thought provoking, utterly immersive and innovative. Not least there some stunning performances from the cast – at all levels. I am certain we’ll be seeing more from the actors and actresses, Ivana Baquero in particular.

It is also, judging by the opening credits, received funding from The National Lottery and Film 4. For a subtitled, foreign language (Spanish) film that came as a bit of a surprise – We can actually back creative and imaginative, and hopefully successful, films, no matter their origin. Indeed, the sub-titles added an extra element to the whole experience.

Easily one of the best films I’ve seen in a while. Uplifting, in a way that only dark and gothic fairy tales set against a backdrop of the horror of war can be. Go see it.

We’ve just got back from a late screening of Casino Royale, which is a superb return to form of the Bond franchise. I can’t have been the only long-term Bond fan to have found the bravado, gadgets, explosions and chases getting far too much a characterisation of itself. Bond as a super-hero, with bad guys that should be in a video game, just got tiring, and the producers knew it.

So returning back to the first of the Bond books, and restarting the Bond character in his ‘pre-00′ days was a shrewd move that fits in with the times a bit more. Another franchise reboot was Batman Begins, and both take a darker and moodier look at the hero. Bond is certainly painted as a more human figure, with weaknesses as well as strengths. At last, we’ve also got bad guys who are ‘realistic’, aren’t seeking world-domination. It’s all a lot more played down, and with more personal and consequently more immediate, action sequences.

It’s not perfect. The product placement is painful to behold. I mean, come on. Speaking out brand name watches was really just over the top. Seeing Richard Branson’s cameo in the Miami airport sequence (he’s going through security at the same time as Bond) was cringe-worthy. And I felt some of the plot jumps and character developments didn’t flow in quite the way they could have. You get the feeling they had to make a few more cuts than they would have liked.

But still, this is Bond, and we’re not expecting complex characters and especially tight scripting. We (well, I) want to be entertained and that we certainly were (except for the now notorious torture scene!) with gusto.

Excellent stuff, and a great evenings entertainment. Even Frances, not the biggest Bond fan, seemed to have enjoyed it more than she was expecting, and that’s saying something!

As there was not much we were in a mood for last night, we settled down to watch ‘V for Vendetta‘. Its deals with a terrorist (or freedom fighter; you choose who is battling a totalitarian regime in a near-future vision of the UK (well, England). Rumour has it the original launch of 5th November 2005 was considered too close to the 7th July: When you see the film (and I highly recommend it), you’ll see why this must have some bearing of truth: Tube explosions, terror plots, muslims under attack, controlling government. This is the subject matter of a relevant and challenging film, and is a return to form for the Wachowski brothers after the botched Matrix sequels.

It’s a film with a simple and compelling message: People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people. Taking basic ideas of a government with power, and an agenda, it cranks the dials up a few notches and moves the clock forward a few years, necessarily drawing on recent events in Iraq on the part of the US, and some of the new threats we’re being encouraged to worry about. Enter the solutions of ID cards, increased surveillance and detention without trial, and you’d be hard pressed to feel that this film wasn’t extremely relevant to modern day Britain.

Whilst I fear the publicity that surrounded this film misfired, I had heard of it on a few forums and discussion groups, and was looking forward for the right opportunity. It’s visually compelling, and Hugo Weaving (he of Elrond and the Matrix’s Agent Smith fame) is deliciously anonymous as the eponymous “V”. Natalie Portman shattered a few illusions in her role as the rescued Evey. “V”, taking the ‘idea’ of Guy Fawkes as a heroic freedom fighter (rrright), is attacking the Big Brother world that exists, and challenging people to stand up and be counted. The ‘terrorist or freedom fighter’ is interesting too, and one very applicable to the current situation in Iraq.

Anybody with an interest in current affairs, who wants to watch a challenging but entertaining and enjoyable film, rather than much of the dross and remakes served up by major studios these days, will – I’m certain – enjoy this film. Excellent all around from the very start to finish.

Such films really don’t come along very often, much less ones based in Britain, and so relevant to recent headlines.

I visited the cinema last night for the first time in about a year (I’m struggling to think of the last film I went to see, in fact), to see the new Martin Scorsese film, The Departed.

This is a superb film in so many ways. Not least the sound track, which is exceptionally good and I’m busily trying to research right now. Doesn’t seem to be out until early November. It’s a top notch cast, including excellent supporting roles from President Bart… er… Martin Sheen, and Mark Wahlberg. Even Leonardo DiCarprio, of whom I’ve not really been a ‘fan’ since “Romeo & Juliet” manages a great performance.

But it’s really Jack Nicholson who steals it. This is probably Oscar nomination stuff (which, if it happens, would be his thirteenth nomination). His portrayal of the criminal Frank Costello is brilliant in its intensity and humour.

I like to think about how to rate a film, and it’s a 9/10 for me. It missed out on a full 10/10 because I felt the ending was a bit of a ‘cop out’. I won’t spoil it for anyone yet to see it, but I felt it concluded rather unexceptionally. That’s not to detract from it for it was still enjoyable and left you with a few things to think about. But the film makes up for this slightly un-inventive conclusion with the ride itself. Nice plot turns, excellent acting, brilliant direction, a marvellous sound track, and a film to truly relish from start to finish.

Yes, it’s violent. But it’s a marvellous film that, I think, is every bit as good as other classic ‘gangster’ movies. Almost certainly a classic.

OK, this isn’t a gadget per se, but it has proved to be really rather funky, and solved a dilemma I’ve had over the last few years quite nicely.

The problem I have is I find that video rental shops are altogether rather depressing places, that they rarely have the films I want to watch in (presuming they have them at all). I also find that £10 – £20 just too much to spend on a film I’m only likely to watch the once. I’m also very rarely bothered or interested with the extras many DVD’s come with. Sure, there are films I will buy (Lord of the Rings, for example), and consume every bit of the extras, but that’s the exception rather than the rule.

Also I’m finding that there aren’t really that many films I want to see at the cinema. As much as I enjoy the cinema experience, all too often there’s something going on that conspires to ruin it. Either too many adverts, too many children, bad sound, or uncomfortable seats, or just too damned expensive. I’d much rather sit at home, with the decent TV, positioning, sound and proximity to beer (ie. in a glass next to me – Why is it so hard to get a beer in a cinema?) where possible, presuming I can wait long enough for it to get on DVD.

So here’s where Screenselect is quite funky. I select the videos I want to watch, I wait, I get a DVD in the post. I then play it via my EyeHome device (we don’t have a DVD player attached to the TV, so I stream it off of my computer via the devolo ethernet over mains kit). I then post the DVD back, and await the next movie. It works like a charm. My only complaint is really that I don’t get the DVD’s I want, when I want them. But that’s supply and demand for you: I suppose there are lots of people after the latest titles. That said the three priorities they offer isn’t really enough (I’ve had a couple from my lowest priority group I wasn’t expecting) when there’s absolutely no indication of the demand for particular titles, which would help juggle things slightly.

So the £9.99 per month (with a month free) seems more than value for money given we’ve been able to watch plenty of good films that we’d missed at the cinema, including Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sideways, Wallace and Gromit, Spiderman 2, Battlestar Galactica Mini Series, Batman Begins, Serenity and many more. There are competitors to Screenselect, but I found their models too restrictive in how many movies you could rent, or too expensive for what they were. Screenselects “as many as you like, with 1 DVD at a time” seemed the ideal middle ground. Their catalogue hasn’t failed me yet: Watching Channel 4’s “Top blah movies of all time” recently had a few I’d not seen and liked the look of, so a quick trip to their website meant I could quickly add them to my selection before I forgot.

I’m not sure how long I’ll keep up a regular subscription – there’s been (in my opinion) a shortage of good films this year which means there will probably come a time when I’m not feeling I’m getting good value out of it. In the meantime, however, I’m very much looking forward to getting through a lot more of the films we’ve missed over the last year or two, and I highly recommend it if you find you’re in the same situation as me with regards cinemas and the local DVD rental shops.

Oh, and if you like screenselect, and fancy giving it a try, drop me an e-mail (or post a comment below) and I’ll put you in the refer-a-friend programme that’s open to me. This gets me a couple of months free subscription, and you a month free (as you’d get if you went to their website by yourself), so we all benefit

I’ll confess that one of my guilty pleasures when reading a newspaper are bad film reviews. I suspect that film reviewers enjoy writing them almost as much as finding the glowing verbiage for a good review of a small budget film they’ve ‘discovered’, and want to impress on the world. The vernacular and imagery is a special craft, that really should be relished, and The Guardian’s review of Basic Instinct 2 falls very much into this delightful (to me, anyway) camp.

You certainly feel that they want cutting revenge for having perhaps wasted a few hours of their day watching rubbish. So without further ado, I’ll give you my favourite quotes:

…as sexy as a pair of old Y-fronts.

and, my favourite:

he gets very frowny and shouty and looks as cross as two sticks, like Gordon Brown, though not as sexy.

… doubly good because, of course, David Morrissey played Gordon Brown in “The Deal”, that excellent political drama/comedy/factual/thing about the supposed deal between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair at the forever infamous Granita restaurant, in Islington.

I’ll admit old Y-fronts and Gordon Brown are not exactly nice images to take away with you this morning, but come on, you’ve got to enjoy it really. It certainly brightened up the otherwise grey, drizzly and cloudy Glasgow morning for me.