The painful search for perfection

The recent passing of Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy has shone a bright light on the rather grim reality of the human drive to achieve absolute perfection. Though no conclusions have been formed on the Murphy death, and I would not like to speculate on this, it does have to be said that Murphy was a victim of this drive. A number of plastic surgery 'improvements' and what some would define as a food disorder (judging by recent pics that emerged shortly before her death), Murphy highlights the lengths that people are willing to go to, in order to reach their distorted goals.

'Tis the season to be greedy and miserable as sin.

What is it about this time of year that manages to turn most people into sneering, raging grinch's....People walk around supermarkets and shops with faces like slapped arses, ready to snap at anybody for anything, no matter how petty. Arguments over the last bag of parsnips, or the last trifle at the supermarket, are sure to be common place. What ever happened to festive spirit and goodwill to all men. If anything this season brings out the absolute worst in everyone.

Also this time of year manages to bring out everyone's greedy side. People stock up on the most ridiculous amount of food, that they would never manage to eat over the rest of the year, let alone the festive period. Trolleys stacked full of enough food to feed a starving third world country, and yet the same people will be back shopping on boxing day; (yes most shops are now open on boxing day, might as well just not bother closing for christmas day anymore), stocking up on even more food, you would think the apocalypse was coming, or that these people were never going to be able to buy food again,

So this year why not have a smile for your fellow man, and only stock up on things you actually need, enough of this senseless greediness. Enjoy your holiday season.

Nobody deserves it more

Ha Berlusconi...you utter twat.

Oh how the mighty fall

Tiger Wood's fall from grace has been alarmingly dramatic. Woods has now been dropped by a number of his biggest sponsors, as they shy away from his new tarnished image. The once squeaky clean golfer, a role model to many, will find it incredibly difficult to recover his image, which is seemingly damaged beyond repair. It just highlights how those in the public eye need to be very careful with their personal lives. Frankly, i do not give a fuck how many women Tiger has been screwing, or what he gets up to in his private life, but I do think whatever punishment he receives (in the form of dropped sponsors etc) is the correct price to pay for someone who put out such a clean image. If Woods had been a bad boy then things would have been different, but the fact that he projected himself as whiter than white; so to speak, means that he deserves everything coming his way.

Turning Vegan

I have been a vegetarian for over 6 years now, and for a while now I have been thinking about becoming a vegan. I still feel as though having a vegetarian diet; though infinitely better for the environment than a carnivorous one, is still harming the environment, and I do not want to contribute to the harming of animals in any way. So I am going to trial going vegan for a week, I will post my progress/failures here. I am a Vegan...starting now.

Just get a real one!

It has emerged this week, that the number one kids toy for this Christmas (a.k.a the stuff of parents nightmares, when rushing around last minute trying to get hold of one); the go-go hamster has a potential health risk. Our furry little friend has a potentially high amount of toxic chemicals, which can be linked to cancer. This again brings up the question for me...Why not get a real one? These toy hamsters are £9.99 a pop, plus the seemingly infinite range of toys and accessories you can purchase to go with it. My real hamster was free when I bought the cage (around £17), obviously you have the food/bedding/sawdust, but I imagine his longevity (despite him being just over 2) to be a lot longer than the go-go toy, which will probably fall the way of all the other christmas toy favourites, played with for a few weeks, then discarded as some new trend comes along. My real hamster does not pose any health risks to me, and he is not that high maintenance either. So parents/children why waste your money on the toy, when you can have the real thing which will give you a lot more joy in the long run, and will not pose any threat to your wellbeing...Well at least until it's time for him to pass into hamster heaven.

You sir are a grade A Cunt.

Little more needs to be said really...Twat

Chris McCandless is my hero

Just finished reading the Into the Wild book, I really got into it, it is very different to the film, but just as enthralling. I truly envy what Chris McCandless achieved in his short time on this earth, and hope some day to emulate him, with my own journey. If I could see and experience just a small amount of the sheer joy and freedom he achieved in his life then I would be happy. Many call McCandless an idiot...a dreamer yes, an idealist certainly, but he was no idiot, he experienced and felt things that only few ever achieve in their entire lifetimes. McCandless shunned the constraints and restrictions of this suffocating society, for a simpler and beautiful experience that one can dream of. His ideals, and what he stood for, have really got into my thoughts lately, and though he may have only lived a short time on this earth, he without doubt achieved and saw more in this time than the 'normal' human being could ever dream of.

Banksy vs. Bristol

Went to the Banksy exhibit at the Bristol museum, expected it to be busy as we went on the penultimate day of the exhibit and it was also bank holiday weekend, but the queues were insane. We arrived around 8.20 am. and the queue was massive, we queued for over 4 hours but finally made it inside the exhibit, despite being freezing and starving it was well worth the queue. Typically after standing out in the cold for so long and longing to get inside, the bloody air conditioning was on full whack in the museum but alas. The exhibit was fantastic, the first floor, was a large colllection of Banksy's work, but what was really great about the exhibit is that around the rest of the museum there were pieces that had undergone a Banksy makeover, these were not pointed out to you, you had to spot them, which made the exhibit extremely interesting and entertaining. Banksy's collection is thought provoking, overtly political, challenging, though at the same time entertaining. I was extremely lucky to be able to get a chance to go to this exhibit, and it is one that has had a profound impact on me.

Vive le Mesrine

Mesrine: Killer Instinct is based around the life of notorious french gangster Jacques Mesrine. Ignoring the pretty naff title, I was eager to see what all the fuss was about.

Mesrine harks back to the bygone days of the truly great gangster film, and looks set to revitalize the now fading genre. Its beautifully and creatively edited, with inventive shots and camera angles which serve to take you inside the mind of Mesrine. One poignant moment is when Mesrine is tortured during a stay at the corrections unit in Quebec, the uncomfortable spinning pan back really fits with the at times rather difficult viewing.

Vincent Cassel darling of the french film industry, is sure to be in high demand after this role. His performance is magnetic, at times he seems to be channelling De Niro or Pacino, and it is hard to take your eyes off him.

The film is an incredibly visceral affair, it serves up an attack on the senses, and at times is incredibly brutal. Mesrine occupies a somewhat Robin-Hood type figure in French culture, though it is clear that he had his charms, the film tends to highlight his brutal behaviour, and this makes it hard to see why he is so revered in his native homeland.

Killer Instinct also fits in a number of lighter moments which serve to break up the sheer pace of the action. The plot is truly gripping, the characters engaging, and I for one cannot wait for the second part, due out next month.

Red's take backward step

Liverpool have not started the season auspiciously, and with two losses in only 3 games, signs do not bode well for the merseyside club. The reds lost only 2 games in the entirety of last season, yet still failed to claim the coveted premier league title. With 2 losses already this season, questions will be posed as to whether the title challenge is over already.

How did the red's go from such a positive team at the end of last season, to this stuttering team short on confidence at the beginning of this season. In my opinion the loss of Xabi Alonso, was a huge backward step for the club, there is no-one in the team, in-fact in the rest of the premier league who could pick a pass like Alonso, and slice a team open with one deft touch. The reds now have a gaping hole in the middle of the park, they are lacking the creativity and inventiveness that Alonso brought to the side. Sure Benitez has brought Aquilani to the club, and he will no doubt be a good signing, but he will not be fit until October, so until then the reds are left to plug the void left by Alonso with Lucas Leiva, who simply is not good enough.

One thing is for sure, if the reds are to resurrect their title bid, which is hanging in the balance after only 3 games, they must make some sort of big money signing before the end of the transfer window. After all, a squad which has a bench so bereft of quality, with the likes of Voronin, Dossena and Babel, are not going to challenge for the title.

J'adore Chapter

We went to Chapter Arts in Canton last night for a film + food combo. We started with the food, the cafe still being temporarily housed in what looks like a school hall, until the refurb. is finished next month, but nevertheless it was a nice atmosphere, busy, and the staff were friendly.

As a vegetarian, the Chapter menu sends me to heaven, it is delightful to go somewhere, where the majority of the menu is veggie and vegan, and I felt spoilt for choice.

My brother decided on the gnocchi, which was lovely, and had some deliciously flavoursome olives in the sauce, this came with some ciabatta drizzled with oil. I opted for the chickpea and broccoli tagine with lemon and pomegranate cous-cous, which was simply delicious. We also had some pitta and homemade hummus, on the side, which was very nice, the hummus was not too garlicky, which I liked.

We did not have to wait ages for our food, but long enough that you know the meals are freshly prepared. I thought for the quality of food and the portion sizes, which were on the large side, that the prices of between £ 5-7 for a main was reasonable.

We finished the evening with a viewing of Coco before Chanel, the cinema was packed out, which is really good to see. I enjoyed the film though thought it could have been a little grittier, though Tatou was splendid as always.

All in all, a fab evening at Chapter, and I will definitely be returning soon.

The world's greatest

Brilliant video setting a series of Sarah Palin's finest gaffes (to be honest, it must of been difficult to narrow it down) against the music of R-Kelly. Just at the time when the right is getting so out of control with regards to its questioning of Obama's healthcare reform and motives behind this, it is just what was needed, to remind us how ridiculous the republican right really are...So this one is for you, Sarah Palin, may you continue to brighten up our day with your complete stupidity.

The problem with bread

I have recently discovered that not all bread or bread products are veggie...i cannot understand why so much additives and artificial crap has to be added to food. I have always eaten sainsburys rolls and bagels, but will have to reconsider this now, due to the fact that their labelling is truly appalling. Sainsburys, i find, is one of the better supermarkets with regard to labelling their food products, but there seems to be a problem with them labelling their bread and bread products, i for one, will not be eating them again, unless they are properly labelled as such.

Spotify

Bit behind the times, but i have just registered with spotify, and its frickin' awesome!

This is one smart snake...

Found this on the beeb yesterday...I now love this snake for befriending the hammy...I cannot believe zoo's use hamsters as food though, its so cruel :(

Time for tennis' forgotten man to come in from the cold

Men's final day at Wimbledon has dawned, drawing to an end a glorious fortnight of top-class tennis and for once sunshine. Today sees former world number one, US Open champ and 2-time finalist at Wimbledon Andy Roddick take on 5-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer.

Federer is aiming to break Pete Sampras' all time grand slam record by winning the final today, but in his way stands the forgotten man of the tennis world.

While Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray have been battling it out for all the recent major titles, Roddick stands as an outsider, a one time grand slam champion, but one whose name was no longer mentioned in the band of favourites for majors.

Roddick has vastly improved his game since his last appearances in the Wimbledon finals, but the game has also moved on, and he has struggled to find his place in the new elite order of mens tennis.

Linking up with Larry Stefanki seems to have paid off for the American, he's dropped a stone in weight and looks fitter than ever before. His tactics against Murray in the semi-final were spot on. Roddick has never looked better at the net than he did in Fridays encounter, he will have to play that well again though to have a chance today.

Federer has seemingly sailed through the tournament with little trouble, clearly on a high after his recent Roland Garros victory, and buoyed by the fact that defending champion Rafael Nadal could not defend his title due to a knee injury.

Federer has dominated the head-to-head over Roddick, though their recent encounters have been close and Roddick will have to draw strength from this.

Though all the headlines may have been written by Murray over this fortnight, Roddick has quietly crept through the draw seemingly unnoticed or ignored as a viable title contender, but here he stands today, the one man in the way of Federer creating history.

The forgotten man of the tennis world has come in from the wilderness, now its time for one last effort-and it will make no mistake about it, have to be a mammoth one-to cement his place right back at the top of the tennis elite.

Is the all Williams final inevitable?

It's women's semi-final day at wimbledon today and the question on everyone's lips is what are the chances of anything other than an all Williams final for the second year running.

Well to be honest they seem pretty slim. Serena has looked at her absolute peak during this tournament, she has improved round on round, and has hitting the ball and moving around the court better than ever. Across the net from her today is serial underachiever and always the bridesmaid Elena Dementieva, twice a grand slam runner up in 2004 at the French and US Open. Dementieva has quietly and efficently crept through the draw, but the surprising fact is, is that she has yet to face a seeded player in the whole tournament. With Dementieva's record for faltering on the big occassion, combined with lack of matches against quality opposition it is difficult to see anything other than a serena victory.

In the second of the two semi-finals, two-time defending champion and queen of Wimbledon with 5 titles to her name, Venus Williams takes on world number 1 Dinara Safina. Venus has had a consistent yet unspectacular year, yet here on the grass she looks more at home than ever. Slight concerns have been raised over a knee injury she has been carrying, so her opponent Dinara Safina will have to test that to the full today. Venus like Serena has been hitting the ball better than ever, and has sailed through the draw, unlike her opponent. Dinara Safina has struggled to her first ever Wimbledon semi-final, looking down and out in the tournament more than once. She has a point to prove after dissapointing showings in the last two grand slam finals, and questions raised over whether a player should really hold the number one ranking if they have never won a grandslam. Again here, it is difficult to see anything other than a W next to the name of a Williams.

Let's hope for the sake of the women's game that we get two quality semi-finals, and if the inevitable Williams final does happen come Saturday, we are in for some cracker. With both sisters playing better than ever, it would be incredibly hard to split them, which signals a mouth-watering final showdown.

Wimbledon 2009

Made the yearly pilgramage to Wimbledon on the first monday this year. Got tickets in the ballot for the 5th year running, pretty lucky really. This was the first time i have been in the first week, overall impression was good, there is so much going on in the first week. Left Cardiff on the national express that smelt rather strongly of pee at 6.30 and got into earls court in good time, a slight setback caused by getting on the wrong train but we managed to get into southfields just before 10.30, there was a huge buzz walking down wimbledon park road, and we were eager to get into the grounds. Headed over to the practice courts first where we watched Feliciano Lopez and Janko Tipsarevic hit for a bit, and spotted Fernando Gonzalez. I was dissapointed after Nadal had pulled out, to discover that most of my favourite players were playing on the tuesday, however this was soon set aside as i discovered that Amelie Mauresmo would be at the signing tent later in the day. So we decided to head over to court 3 which was jam packed to watch James Blake and Andreas Seppi, we stood on court 3 for the first set, which was very tight and competitive, Seppi took it 7-5, and we then headed over to some of the other outside courts. We watched a little bit of Zheng on court 7 and Kohlschreiber v Serra on court 4. Then we headed over to see one of my favourit players Guillermo Garcia Lopez on court 10, he played Calleri, who seemed more interested in his wife and little girl sitting courtside than the match, Guillermo was excellent, and deserved the win. We watched a tiny bit of Mirza v Groenfeld, and then decided to head back over to the practice courts. Watched Juan-Martin Del Potro practice and then got his autograph, he's actually a really nice guy and signed loads of autographs. He comes across as a bit of a muppet when i have seen him on tv before, but hes a genuinally nice bloke. Canas was also practicing, he was less willing to sign autographs. We were then very lucky with a stream of top players who came out, Robby Ginepri finished his practice, and as one of my favourite players i was delighted to get his autograph. Tommy Haas who is a top guy then followed, though he preceeded to sign over my ginepri autograph!! Tomas Berdych, Lleyton Hewitt and Juan-Carlos Ferrero and Nicolas Lapentti soon followed, and as one of my all time faves i was really pleased to get Ferrero's autograph. We then got in the queue for the signing tent which after we joined got pretty massive. Then spotted Patty Schnyder, but as i was in the queue could not get her autograph :( Meeting Amelie was awesome, i nearly tripped over the carpet which was of great amusement to both me and her, i then congratulated her on the Paris Indoors tournament which she seemed pleased about, and had a brief chat about her playing doubles with Sveta, she was lovely as always, and i got a great pic with her, which I will probably never remove from my facebook profile pictures. I don't know how much longer Ame is going to play on for, but the tour will be a poorer place when she does decide to call it quits. We then caught a little bit of Zvonareva practicing, and headed over to watch some of Mardy Fish's match, he was really excellent, playing great. By this point Federer (Who i actually cannot stand) had finished on centre court, so we headed over there to watch Serena. Met Patrick McEnroe on the upper levels of centre court, he had just finished commenting, i got his autograph, he was a lovely guy. The centre court roof looks amazing, really incredible. We then watched Serena who was really excellent, although credit to Neuza Silva who made the second set a really tight one. We stayed on centre to watch Novak Djokovic versus Julien Benneteau, the first set was a real tight one, high quality, not that the people who were asleep behind me knew anything about it. Benneteau took the set on a tiebreak, and we decided to have a walk around the outside courts. We watched a fair bit of Andreev v Korolev which was a really good match. We then headed over to watch some of Tommy Robredo, he dropped the set we watched, but got an early break in the 4th, and there was a nice little Vamos and fist pump to go with it. Watched a teeny bit of Canas and then headed to get some food, we decided that we had better eat in wimbledon as we didnt have time to head down to the village before our bus. So we grabbed some pizza, the mushroom medley was very nice, and of course we had some strawberries as well, no cream though, not a fan! We ate our pizza watching Marin Cilic on court 7, he was looking very good. We then watched a bit of Tommy Haas on court 3, and a bit of Frank Dancevic who sadly no longer has his 'fro and a bit of Sam Querrey who is a really nice guy. Then we discovered that Patty Schnyders match which was tba had been put on court 12 so we raced over there, and caught the first set, Patty was not playing particularly well and seemed not in the best of moods, we had to leave after the first set, but i wasn't too hopeful about her chances of turning the match around. We caught the tube back to Victoria where sadly Krispy Kream was closed!! *Gutted* We then caught the bus back to cardiff, we had some delays as the m4 was closed between some junctions so it did take a while to get back. All in all it was a fantastic day, i hate leaving Wimbledon as i always want to stay and go for the next day and the next. Its a special place, i don't know if i will be going next year as i might not be in the country, but i will definitely be back at some point, and i for one cannot wait.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy- "Beware'

‘Beware’ is the 8th solo release from Will Oldham’s alter-ego, Bonnie “Prince” Billy. It is perhaps his most ambitious record to date, yet is also a move towards the mainstream.

‘Beware’ is an extremely dense and layered piece of work, fueled by a mixture of alt-country, folk and Americana. It is filled with songs that refuse to fit into set categories, as they shift from a mood of light to dark, strangely evoking both joy and deep agonizing despair.

This album sees Oldham implement a wide range of instrumentation, with opener ‘Beware Your Only Friend’ setting the stage, with its use of sweeping fiddles and female choir. Mostly the wide range of instrumentation on ‘Beware’ complements Oldham’s vocal, though at times the large array of additional vocals tend to swamp Oldham, and he becomes slightly lost amongst them.

Considering the title of the album and the titles of some of the songs you would expect ‘Beware’ to sound very melancholic. As expected, Oldham serves up beautiful lyrics, but they are wrapped in sweeping country melodies and gaudy instrumentation, which is incredibly jarring.

One of the most poignant tracks on the album ‘There Is Something I Have To Say’ takes a more stripped down sound and pares it with Oldham’s lyrics, to leave a hauntingly beautiful song. In complete contrast is next track ‘I Am Goodbye’ which comes along with its jolly country. This is one of the main problems with ‘Beware’, the really good songs lose poignance because what comes either side of them is so cheesy and over the top.

‘Beware’ is an intriguing piece of work, but the problem is that it is not bleak enough, and it lacks an edge. The overall themes of separation and longing dressed up in such gaudy country arrangement just don’t work.

It is ultimately the most stripped down songs on the album, like “I Won’t Ask Again’ which work best. They are still layered but in a way that drives the songs along, rather than assaulting your ears with over arrangement.

‘Beware’ is an ambitious piece of work, but one which doesn’t live up to Oldham’s previous high standards, i’d recommend sticking to his back catalogue.

6/10.

Earth Hour

Blacked out for Earth Hour last night...good to see quite a lot of people getting involved in this.

Pure Reason Revolution- 'Amor Vincit Omnia'

‘Amor Vincit Omnia’- Love Conquers All- is the second release from the hugely talented Pure Reason Revolution. Fans of their first album ‘The Dark Third’ may struggle to recognise the band, as the sound is vastly different from their prog-rock debut.

‘Amor Vincit Omnia’ is light on guitar and extremely heavy on electronic sound. It contains hypnotic melodies and harmonies in abundance. The album is beautifully crafted, every song is layered and meticulously put together, with elements and themes repeated throughout, resulting in an extremely cohesive work.

The change in direction is clear from the outset with the electro-pop opener ‘Les Malheurs’, it’s nothing original, but is a solid track and the album really picks up after this. ‘Apogee/Requiem for the Lovers’ is one of the highlights, showcasing the bands talent for creating haunting melodies; it ends with a beautiful a cappella section. Though the guitar is absent for large chunks of the album, the best tracks like ‘Deus ex Machina’ mix the older guitar riffs with the newer experimental sound. The low point of the album is ‘Disconnect’, which really stands out from the darker moodier work that goes before and after it. ‘The Gloaming’, is an epic track, clocking in at over 9 minutes, it’s beautifully layered and unites the bands prog-past with their experimental present. ‘AVO’ ends the album on a triumphant high, it starts with a beautiful piano hook, and builds to the band repeatedly chanting Amor Vincit Omnia, its haunting, and stays with you for a long time after you’ve heard it.

This album is not ‘The Dark Third’, this is Pure Reason Revolution evolving and growing, sure they may shed some fans with their change in direction, but they are equally likely to gain more with this new sound. It’s a beautifully put together album and one that benefits from listening from beginning to end.
.

Pimp My Mower

It emerged today that Leicestershire council have fitted their lawnmowers with sat nav which helps their gardeners find where the grass is too long...Im sorry but have they lost the ability to actually go and check themselves...ridiculous, waste of money.

Can the Coen Brothers Do No Wrong?

Coens have made a short advertisement about the myth of clean coal...brilliant.

Spirit of Fight Club Alive

With this prank it appears there are still some people out there (thankfully) who are willing to make a stand against corporate capitalism, greed and corruption.

Thank Digg for this one

Browsing Digg, i stumbled across this.

This is not Rodney Stranger...obviously!

Clearly you fucktard! Its a furry little hamster, who couldn't look less menacing if he tried.

Fuck you Penguin

Reading the Guardian yesterday which led me to this wonderful blog Fuck you Penguin.

Its absolutely hilarious, and i urge everyone to check it out.

Greed grips hold of the Premier League

So Man City managed to persuade Robinho to join them in the summer...big deal, they lie near the drop zone in the Premier League after an awful run of form. So what does one do in this situation? Why not just throw a bit more cash around?! This week has seen them try to sign one of the best players in the footballing world, Kaka from AC Milan. Yesterday Kaka suggested that he never wanted to leave Milan, but according to todays press the deal is still on.

So what managed to change Kaka's mind? It couldnt be the £500,000 a-week-wages that are being talked about could it? Surely its all down to Man Citys ambition as a club?... hmm yeah right.

If Kaka does sign for Man City it will be a travesty for our great league. Though we want all the best players in the world playing in the Premiership, i'd rather not have a player playing in the league purely for the money aspect, rather than actually wanting to play purely for love of the game.

Its a sad day, when players choose what team or league to play in because of the amounts of silly cash being thrown about. The league is now dictated by greed, and selfishness, and its sickening to see.

I hope Kaka does the right thing and stays at Milan, not because i don't want to see him play in England, i would love one day to see him play here, however it has to be for the right reasons, and any player who now signs for Man City is not signing for the right reasons.

A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity to be Free.

Ive been listening to a lot of Elliott Smith lately, his songs are beautiful, and touching. His lyrics are so sharp, haunting, truthful and poignant. If you have not heard anything by Smith before then check some of his work out, prepare to be blown away, this music will change your life, the way you think and how you act. Though his life was cut tragically short, he has left a wonderful body of work, that one can never tire of.

Punk actually might be dead.

What ever happened to good old punk bands raising hell, causing general anarchy, and criticising those in power of our society...ill tell you what happened they are now hawking insurance and butter on our television screens. John Lydon's terrible butter advert was one thing, hard to believe that the once all-round hell-raiser and anarchist had sold out to advertise butter, but this has been topped by none other than Iggy Pop. I was casually watching tv the other day, minding my own business, when Mr. Pop tries to hawk me Swift Cover Insurance, the advert is truly horrible, and I could not believe my eyes to see the King of Punk selling out. Not only does this advert not make sense...considering Iggy is American and so wouldn't qualify for their insurance anyway, but its a truly sad day, to see icons and legends of Punk resort to this. The Punk genre truly might be defined as dead, when two of its biggest icons are now seemingly content to be the face of huge commercial corporations.

You have to make a stand

As the conflict in Gaza rumbles on, many have questioned why the huge protests worldwide for a conflict that does not involve our own country, im sorry but i just find these questions to be completely disrespectful of human life, and of global peace. You have to make a stand, when something is going on, like the conflict in Gaza, when many people will die, and suffer, then you have to stand up for what is right. This conflict is not right, and I applaud people who have protested throughout the world, for making their voices heard. The war and the killings have to stop. I will never understand the need for wars, the only people who suffer are the innocents. Im not saying Israel, or Palenstine are right, or taking sides, im just saying that this senseless fighting has to end, before we face another huminatarian crisis.

Vive la Revolution

The Cuban revolution started just over 50 years ago, i was not even born so i cannot express how i felt at the time. But ive studied Cuba in the one-sided manner of British school history lessons...i.e america is great, nothing it does is wrong, communism is evil...blah blah blah! Lately ive looked into the revolution a lot deeper, and though Cuba still has many problems, it does have a wonderful education system and a good medical system aswell. Looking back at the start of the revolution, it is hard not to fall in love with the ideals of those bearded fellows who brought the revolution to Cuba. Of course Che Guevara still remains the symbol and the icon of revolution many years on, for those throughout the world who want to embrace revolution. His were romantic ideas formed from years of travelling through South America as a young doctor, seeing evil, and the rich get richer, and poor get poorer. The appeal of communism is alluring, and Che lived and died a true revolutionary, trying to spread the ideas to Bolivia before the rest of Latin America. I have true respect for what Che tried to achieve during his lifetime, and find him a truly inspirational figure. Though Cuba is still a place stricken by poverty and destitution, the ideas of the revolution remain strongly alive.

No Years Resolutions

Another year on the Calender flips by, and once again its the time where everyone makes promises which they subsequently fail to keep....I will be healthier....I will go to the gym....I will give up smoking. Year on year, people stick to this ritual of making promises just because its the beginning of a new year...new year...new start...etcetera etcetera...I have never really made resolutions, but if i have, ive never kept them. I just simply fail to see the point in it all, why be forced into making a resolution, just because its a new year. If you want to give up smoking, to go to the gym, whatever, do it when you want to, not just because the calender dictates its time for a fresh start. So this year i shall make no resolutions....in the words of Paul Dano in Little Miss Sunshine "Do what you love...Fuck the Rest."

Films you should have seen in 2008

I have put together a list of my favourite films of 2008, if you haven't seen these films yet, then i urge you to go out and buy them now or whenever they come out on dvd if not out yet. Here we go then:

20. Son of Rambow - Wonderfully sweet and touching film, about two friends who form a bond over the Rambo films and decide to make their own sequel.

19. Funny Games- Two friends intrude upon a young familys holiday home and terrorise the family. Dark satire which plays around with the conventions of the Hollywood thriller genre.

18. Diary of the Dead- Romero on top form. A group of students filming a horror movie, try to escape when the dead really start to rise, documentary style footage give it a gritty edge.

17. Charlie Wilson's War- Not a great film, simply made the list at number 17 because of Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance. He is truly outstanding as CIA agent Gust. Cannot take your eyes off him for a second.

16. Lars and the Real Girl- Completely different take on romance, but affecting all the same. Shy guy Lars, introduces his new girlfriend Bianca ( A plastic doll) to his brother and sister-in-law. Gosling is truly brilliant here.

15.Gone baby, Gone- Four year old girl dissapears, and detectives Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) are called in by the childs aunt and uncle. Beautifully crafted, haunting thriller with a highly thought provoking ending.

14. Wanted- After the success of Daywatch and Nightwatch, Bekmambetov again shows his prowess in the action/thriller genre. Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is brought out of his dull, boring life by super-assassin Fox (Angelina Jolie) who opens up his world.

13. The Savages- Anything with Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in, is going to be a hit with me, and this is no exception. Brother and sister Wendy and Jon Savage are forced into the difficult situation of how to care for their ailing father, when he never cared for them. Extremley dark comedy, but endearing all the same.

12. [.Rec]- Spanish horror. When a tv crew are following firemen, things take a turn for the worst, as they become trapped in a building with no way out. Again employs the hand-held camera to terrifying effect.

11. Burn After Reading- Second offering of 2008 from the brothers Coen, and kept up the high standard of No Country for Old Men. Very dark comedy, great performances, an all round treat.

10. Juno- The breakout indie hit of the summer. Great soundtrack, great cast, great performances. Heartwarming and endearing.

9. Wall-E- Pixar's best movie, even surpasses both Toy Storys. The animation is perfect, who would have thought a movie about a metallic box with long periods of silence could be such a success. But it works beautifully, the first half an hour is wonderful.

8. The Orphanage- Powerful, and terrifying psychological horror. A movie that will stay with you a long time after the credits have rolled.

7. The Mist- Often overlooked film, that had the best ending of any film in 2008, bar none.

6. In the Valley of Elah- Human look at the Iraq conflict. After his son goes missing, Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) sets off to find his boy. Hugely powerful and moving perfomance from TLJ.

5. Changeling- Beautifully crafted story of revealing L.A.P.D corruption. Jolie has never been better.

4. The Dark Knight- Eagerly anticipated follow up to Batman Begins did not dissapoint. Heath Ledger's performance is truly outstanding, terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

3.No Country for Old Men- Saw the Coen's return to form after a couple of bleak offerings. Dark thriller, has there ever been a scarier villian than Javier Bardems, Anton Sugar

2. Waltz with Bashir- Gritty animation, about a mans journey to recollect his memories of the Israel, Palestine conflict. Powerful and affecting despite the fact that it is animated. Haunting, and truly memorable.

1. There Will Be Blood- Cinema at its finest. Beautifully crafted, cinematography is wonderful. Daniel Day Lewis at his brilliant best.


There were a few films missed off this list, which I have not got to see yet, and I think would have troubled the list, if I had.

4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days
Things we lost in the fire
The diving bell and the butterfly
Man on Wire
My Winnipeg
Gomorrah
The Baader Meinhoff Complex
Hunger
Persepolis

Overall 2008 has been a pretty fine year for Cinema, and 2009 looks set to be even better, i will be blogging on my most anticipated films of 2009 soon.