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.