Never Let Me Go

I was torn over whether I wanted to see this film. On the one hand it features Keira Knightley (ugh). On the other, Carey Mulligan, who has yet to annoy me. On the third, Andrew Garfield, the Man Who Will Be Spider. And on the fourth hand, it's adapted from a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro who wrote Remains Of The Day, one of the most emotionally affecting films I've ever seen. Actually, that's three hands...

THE 83RD ACADEMY AWARDS RESULTS

AND HERE ARE THE WINNERS :1) BEST PICTURE- 127 HOURS- BLACK SWAN- THE FIGHTER- INCEPTION- THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT- THE KING'S SPEECH- THE SOCIAL NETWORK- TOY STORY 3- TRUE GRIT- WINTER'S BONE2) BEST DIRECTOR- DARREN ARONOFSKY (BLACK SWAN)- ETHAN & JOEL COEN (TRUE GRIT)- DAVID FINCHER (THE SOCIAL NETWORK)- TOM HOOPER (THE KING'S SPEECH)- DAVID O. RUSSELL (THE FIGHTER)3) BEST ACTOR- JAVIER BARDEM...

There's Always Someone Cooler Than You

So on Saturday night me and Dave spent £25 each on a pair of tickets to see Craig talk to his girlfriend, live at the Sheffield Academy. Craig's a particularly talented young performance artist, able to hold a pint of beer in each hand while telling hilarious stories about all the amazing things that have happened to him on Facebook (Yes... On. Facebook.) On Saturday though, Craig found himself having to compete with a fucking musician - Ben Folds,...

Friday Flash - Chartsengrafs - Rol Hirst

This week has been hectic. Finished off the proofreading on my novel, but had very little time to write anything new (except for a one page Powerman & Iron Fist script for Thoughtballoons). The blog has suffered - I haven't managed a new post since Tuesday's Top Ten Songs About The 80s. Sorry if you missed me. But at least I haven't left you with a #fridayflash story... here's one from the golden...

Top Ten Songs About The 80s

So we jived through the 50s...We couldn't remember the 60s... We were born in the 70s (well, I was, anyway)...Which brings us to the most maligned decade of the latter half of the 20th Century. Quite unfairly, if you ask me. The 80s were ace. They gave us Jet Set Willy, The A-Team, Back To The Future, The Queen Is Dead, Frank Miller's Daredevil, Rubix Cube, Born In The USA and Tunnel Of Love, Moonlighting,...

True Grit

Well, what do you say?It's a Coen Brothers film with Jeff Bridges. So a film by my favourite writer/directors, starring my favourite actor, who were together responsible for my all time favourite movie.And it does exactly what it says on the poster. It's many years since I saw the John Wayne version, and the only thing I remember is "Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!" (which is present and correct)....

127 HOURS (2010)

MyRating: YYYY 1/2Director: Danny BoyleCast: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Clémence Poésy MPAA: Rated R for language and some disturbing violent content/bloody imagesA remarkable true story about a mountain climber Aron Ralston, who has to face a near death experience in one of his hiking adventure in April 2003, based on his autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Place (published in 2004)....

THE KING'S SPEECH (2010)

MyRating: YYYYYDirector: Tom HooperCast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall, Derek JacobiMPAA: Rated R for some languageA fascinating British historical biopic drama about Prince Albert/King George VI (Colin Firth), the father of Queen Elizabeth II, who suffers from a lifelong stammer that makes him difficult to engage in any public speaking....

Friday Flash - Yolanda (Part 2)

Read Part 1 here...Last week's #fridayflash story came with not only a 'To Be Continued...' but also a challenge to its readers - could they guess where it was going? It was an experiment to see if the seeds I'd laid in preparation for the twist were subtle or obvious... and when Steve G. saw through my cunning plan, I was forced to think a little smarter. Which, I think, leads to a better conclusion....

Small Press Round Up

I haven't written any small press comic reviews for a while, so here's a quick recap of some of the books I've read recently...Tony McGee's Outcastes is revving up towards its three-part climax, yet with all the drama, revelations and plot twists contained in issue #9, I really have no idea where this book will go next. All hell just broke loose - quite literally. (Don't you just hate people who overuse...

Top Ten Songs About The 70s

So following my trawl through the 50s and 60s, we finally reach the decade that gave us Showaddywaddy, The Love Boat, Pong, Margaret Thatcher, bell-bottoms, the three day week and... me. As already established, this isn't my Top Ten Songs From The 70s (hence no Born To Run at #1), just songs about that dismal decade... 10. Josh Rouse - 1972Let's begin in the year of my birth with this wistful ditty...

This Blog Is Not For Sale

A couple of interesting emails have plopped into my inbox lately. I guess this blog has been going long enough, gets enough daily hits, and ranks high enough in Google Analytics (or whatever) that it has a certain perceived value. I never understand how you value a website - how Facebook or Twitter can be sold for billions for example. I know it's got something to do with the evil industry, but as...

THE FIGHTER (2010)

MyRating: YYYYYDirector: David O. RussellCast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mickey O'KeefeMPAA: Rated R for language throughout, drug content, some violence and sexualityA heartwarming biographical boxing drama about an Irish-American boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his unlikely journey to win the world light welterweight champion title. Coming from a big...

The Red Coffin

A new addition to the rolecall of historical detectives is Inspector Pekkala, Stalin's number one investigator in pre-WWII Soviet Union. A former servant of the Tsar, Pekkala was the former leader's top man, given go-anywhere, do-anything, no-questions-asked privileges under the alias "The Emerald Eye" until the Tsar fell and Pekkala was exiled to Siberia. Years later, Stalin has "invited" him back...

Friday Flash - Yolanda (Part 1?)

YolandaEver eavesdrop on a conversation that makes you so angry, you have to do something about it?Here’s my advice: keep out of it. Look at what happened to me…It starts in a coffee shop, one evening after work. Ten hours on my feet, with just a 20 minute break for lunch and nonstop earache from Victoria all afternoon, I’m ready to drop. But I don’t just want to go back to my lonely flat and slump...

The Race Is On

Something is getting on my nerves lately.Well, something new. All the old things are still getting on my nerves too, but this is one I haven't noticed before - or that I'm noticing with far more frequency.I've always been a fast walker. If ever I go for a walk with Louise, she always asks me to slow down. It's not like I'm in a hurry to get anywhere, I just have a naturally fast pace. I don't like...

Top Ten Songs About The 60s

So we move on from the 50s... to the decade you can't remember if you were there. I wasn't, so I guess I remember it better than most. Certainly better than many of the artists below...10. Kenickie - 60s BitchHaving previously included this in both my Top Ten Number 6 Songs and my Top Ten Bitch Songs, I'm running out of excuses to play it. Unless I decide to do a Top Ten 0s songs. Ordnance Survey?9....