Pictures Don't Do It Justice

So yes, we've had a holiday. A couple of days in the Peak District followed by a couple of days in the Lake District. Gorgeous weather in the former, not so gorgeous in the latter, but stunning views both times. We really are fortunate to live in such a beautiful count...

KITES (2010)

MyRating: YDirector: Anurag BasuCast: Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Nicholas Brown, Kabir Bedi, Kangana Ranaut, Yuri Suri, Anand Tiwari, Steven Michael GuezadaThis is the third Bollywood movie I watched this year, after My Name is Khan (2010) and 3 Idiots (2009). I was excited to see Kites because of many reasons. First, I loved the other two movies a lot, which have great stories and great casts...

Normal Service Will Be Resumed Shortly

In the meantime, behaves yourselves... or I'll set the Hell-Sheep on you a...

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME (2010)

MyRating: YYYY1/2Director: Mike NewellCast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Steve Toussaint, Toby Kebbell, Richard Coyle, Ronald Pickup, Gísli Örn GarðarssonMPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and actionWalt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer produced this great epic action adventure tale adapted from one of the most popular games in the history, Prince...

VALENTINE'S DAY (2010)

MyRating: YYYDirector: Garry MarshallCast: Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Carter Jenkins, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, Taylor Swift MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some sexual material and brief partial...

Thoughtballoons - Iron Man

Thoughtballoons is a new online collaborative comic-writing group that I'm proud to count myself a member of. Inspired by Comictwart, a site in which a group of artists choose a weekly character and offer up their own individual interpretations, head thoughtballooner Ryan K Lindsay came up with the idea of giving budding writers the same chance. Of course, there's a slight difference between asking...

INVICTUS (2009)

MyRating: YYYY1/2Director: Clint EastwoodCast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Adjoa Andoh, Tony Kgoroge, Julian Lewis Jones, Patrick Mofokeng, Matt Stern, Marguerite Wheatley MPAA: Rated PG-13 for brief strong languageUS Gross: US$ 37.5 MillionWorldwide Gross: US$ 122.2 MillionMorgan Freeman and Matt Damon were magnificent in this inspiring and beautiful movie about the true story of Nelson Mandela in...

THE WOLFMAN (2010)

MyRating: YYY1/2Director: Joe JohnstonCast: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo WeavingMPAA: Rated R for bloody horror violence and goreUS Gross: US$ 62.0 MillionWorldwide Gross: US$ 139.2 MillionI watched this movie with a very low expectation and an assumption in my head that it will be bad. I almost never read any reviews before I watch a movie, because I just don't like any (even...

Volcano Songs

A few weeks back, when the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull started spewing ash clouds over Europe and disrupting everybody's flights in the process, Reluctant Blogger suggested I put together a Top Ten Volcano songs in tribute. I toyed with the idea, but feared I'd missed the boat. Good old Eyjafjallajökull though, I knew it wouldn't let me down. Topical blogging ahoy! (Well, as topical as Sunset...

SHREK FOREVER AFTER (2010)

MyRating: YYY1/2Director: Mike MitchellVoice: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Walt Dohrn, Julie Andrews, John CleeseMPAA: Rated PG for mild action, some rude humor and brief languageWhy Hollywood (DreamWorks as the studio) kept making Shrek movies? The answer is simple. Because the first three movies have made a lot of money, with a total worldwide gross of US$ 2,203 Million...

The Imaginary Gig

Thursday night, I went to an imaginary gig. Justin Currie is an artist I've been looking forward to seeing live (and solo) for a good few years now. I'd see him with his former band (the criminally underrated) Del Amitri back in the days of wonder, but missed the tour for his first excellent solo album, so was eager to catch him touring its sequel. We got the tickets well in advance and I was all set to go.But I didn't. I couldn't. Because of my...

From Rags To Rockstars

From Rags To Rockstars features the continued adventures of roadie Jim Soundman who we first met in the comic Road Crew. But where that book was a series of light-hearted gags and misadventures, this time writer/artist Tommie Kelly is broadening his range, getting personal, going metaphysical, and delivering some damned fine character work - as well as the laughs.It begins with an opening sequence...

KICK-ASS (2010)

MyRating: YYYDirector: Matthew VaughnCast: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mark Strong, Nicolas CageMPAA: Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some drug use - some involving childrenDave Lizewski (Johnson) is a typical geek at school, who is unpopular, especially among girls. He has only two best friends, who share...

30 Songs - Day 6

Day 06 - A Song That Reminds You Of SomewhereThe first time I flew the nest I was in my early 20s. I'd just come out of an ill-advised and emotionally scarring relationship and I thought what I needed most to sort my life out was a place of my own. Unfortunately, the only place I could afford was a shitty one-down two-up hovel perched precariously over the motorway with pleasant factory views, neighbours who liked to party (and park right outside...

Important Artifacts And Personal Property From The Collection Of Lenore Doolan And Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion And Jewellery

Leanne Shapton's book, the full title of which I've written once and will not do so again, has a wonderful concept. It's a catalogue of lots for an auction held on Saturday the 14th of February, 2009 (there's a clue) at a New York auction house. Each of the items on sale, few of which would have any real value at auction, represents a different stage in the relationship between two people, 26 year-old...

TV Meme

Stolen from Samurai Frog as usual... Pick five of your favourite shows, in no particular order, before you read the questions below, then answer them!1. Moonlighting 2. NYPD Blue3. Lost 4. The X-Files5. The West Wing(And yes, I chose at least two of these shows just to piss off Kelvin. Well no, I didn't really, but I'm sure it will anyway.)01. Who's your favorite character in 2?Andy Sipowicz, obviously.02....