Saturday, 16 April 2011
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Monday, 7 March 2011
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Daniel Martin Moore-In the Cool of day
You can read what I thought of folk singer songwriter Daniel Martin Moore's latest offering in the cool of day here
Friday, 31 December 2010
My top 20 films of 2010 minus a few!
I set out to compile a list of the top 20 films I had seen this year and have miserably failed at this challenge. I am not sure whether during the five months I was travelling I missed any films of critical acclaim (I suspect not, as I was away during blockbuster season) or that 2010 was just not a very good year for cinema. Do not get me wrong there have been some fantastic movies, just not that many of them. The list had to be cut from 20 because I found only 10 films actually worth a mention, so here they are:
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Quirky, at times silly offering from Edgar Wright. Micheal Cera again proves his worth. Being a geek has never been so cool.
9.Buried. Who would have thought the concept of Ryan Reynolds being buried underground for 90 minutes could have been quite so enthralling? As uncomfortable and claustrophobic as it is engrossing. Nice to see something a bit different out there.
8.Shutter Island. I managed to see this film 4 times this year including twice on South American night buses, including once in Spanish. Scorsese's homage to Hitchcock, as thrilling as it gets.
7.Inception. To be fair I slept through large chunks of this film due to ridiculous jet-lag, however from the bits I did see it looked fantastic and so it is here on merit and mostly due to the fact that Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Cillian Murphy could be in just about anything and I would love it.
6.The Town. Reaffirms Ben Afflecks status as a quality director. Good old fashioned thriller. Strong performances from Affleck and Jeremy Renner.
5.Toy Story 3. Completes the perfect trilogy. Each film has been better than the last, and the third is a triumph. Pixar prove once again that in the animation stakes nobody can touch them.
4.Winters Bone. The bleak tone and mood of this film reflect the characters struggle for survival amidst poverty and violent surroundings. As authentic a portrayal of this somewhat alien world as you will find.
3. A Prophet. So much more than your standard prison melodrama. Gritty and violent. One of the best prison thrillers ever made.
2.Kick Ass. I expected just another comic book blockbuster, but what Kick Ass gave us was so much more. Easily the funniest and equally most ridiculous film of the year. It is completely wrong at times but it works. Hit girl undoubtedly the hero of 2010!
1. The Social Network. At first I thought how ridiculous, a movie about facebook, but Fincher has pulled it off. Relevant, sharp and fast paced. Eisenberg is perfect as Zuckerberg.
So thats it, as far as quality goes, I found it extremely difficult to seperate the top 6, any of them could have taken the number 1 spot on my list. They epitomise what is so great about cinema, and although I could not find 20 films for the list, I'll take 10 great films over 20 average ones any day!
2011 is looking really exciting in terms of cinema. The next few weeks sees the release of 127 hours, Black Swan, True Grit and The Kings Speech amongst many others. I for one am truly excited to see what cinema throws at us in the next year.
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Quirky, at times silly offering from Edgar Wright. Micheal Cera again proves his worth. Being a geek has never been so cool.
9.Buried. Who would have thought the concept of Ryan Reynolds being buried underground for 90 minutes could have been quite so enthralling? As uncomfortable and claustrophobic as it is engrossing. Nice to see something a bit different out there.
8.Shutter Island. I managed to see this film 4 times this year including twice on South American night buses, including once in Spanish. Scorsese's homage to Hitchcock, as thrilling as it gets.
6.The Town. Reaffirms Ben Afflecks status as a quality director. Good old fashioned thriller. Strong performances from Affleck and Jeremy Renner.
4.Winters Bone. The bleak tone and mood of this film reflect the characters struggle for survival amidst poverty and violent surroundings. As authentic a portrayal of this somewhat alien world as you will find.
3. A Prophet. So much more than your standard prison melodrama. Gritty and violent. One of the best prison thrillers ever made.
2.Kick Ass. I expected just another comic book blockbuster, but what Kick Ass gave us was so much more. Easily the funniest and equally most ridiculous film of the year. It is completely wrong at times but it works. Hit girl undoubtedly the hero of 2010!1. The Social Network. At first I thought how ridiculous, a movie about facebook, but Fincher has pulled it off. Relevant, sharp and fast paced. Eisenberg is perfect as Zuckerberg.
So thats it, as far as quality goes, I found it extremely difficult to seperate the top 6, any of them could have taken the number 1 spot on my list. They epitomise what is so great about cinema, and although I could not find 20 films for the list, I'll take 10 great films over 20 average ones any day!
2011 is looking really exciting in terms of cinema. The next few weeks sees the release of 127 hours, Black Swan, True Grit and The Kings Speech amongst many others. I for one am truly excited to see what cinema throws at us in the next year.
Monday, 13 September 2010
Monday, 12 April 2010
100 Places to remember before they disappear
This article is really sad, talking about 100 amazing places across the globe that there is a good chance most people will never be able to see due to climate change. These places just remind you how many amazing and exciting opportunities are out there and it's just sad that they may not be around forever.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Monday, 15 March 2010
Death Cab For Cutie- We have the facts and we are voting yes
New Review published here: Death Cab- We have the facts...
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Palm Oil
It is the hidden ingredient found in masses of everyday food and household products, but what exactly is palm oil and why is their currently such a fuss about it.
Well it is the cheapest form of oil, which is clearly why it is so popular among huge corporations. It is found in Asia, and is responsible for widespread environmental destruction.
The damage it is causing to the environment can no longer be ignored. Watch last weeks Panorama to discover the grim truth about the palm oil industry.
Well it is the cheapest form of oil, which is clearly why it is so popular among huge corporations. It is found in Asia, and is responsible for widespread environmental destruction.
The damage it is causing to the environment can no longer be ignored. Watch last weeks Panorama to discover the grim truth about the palm oil industry.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
It's Miller-Time
Bode Miller stands a reformed man. The former bad boy of the US Ski Team, looks set to be the main man of the Winter Olympics after taking 3 medals in Vancouver with the slalom still up for grabs.
Miller had promised so much for so long. In the Turin Winter Olympics 2006, he was hotly tipped to sweep the Alpine board but dissappointingly came away empty handed. His antics off-piste caused a bit of a scandal and he subsequently fell out with the US ski team.
However, the Miller that skis before us today is a different man, calmer, more focused than ever and more dedicated to the sport. He has finally fulfilled his potential and has taken his first ever Olympic gold in the super combined, along with a silver and a bronze in the super g and downhill. He adds these to his silvers from Salt Lake City in 2002, world championship medals in 2003, 2006 and numerous world cup titles including, most important of all, the coveted overall title in 2008.
Miller has now achieved everything possible in the sport. He stands as the most decorated American alpine skiier of all time, and one of the greatest all-round skiiers to ever grace the piste; one of the few to win Olympic medals in 4 disciplines.
Bode has taken a long road and its been a hard road, but you cannot say he has not done it his way. Who knows where he will go from here. Even Bode probably does not know at this time whether he will continue on the piste. If he does decide to hang up his ski boots, it will be a huge blow to the alpine world. As one of the most entertaining skiiers of all time, he will be sorely missed on the circuit.
Miller had promised so much for so long. In the Turin Winter Olympics 2006, he was hotly tipped to sweep the Alpine board but dissappointingly came away empty handed. His antics off-piste caused a bit of a scandal and he subsequently fell out with the US ski team.
However, the Miller that skis before us today is a different man, calmer, more focused than ever and more dedicated to the sport. He has finally fulfilled his potential and has taken his first ever Olympic gold in the super combined, along with a silver and a bronze in the super g and downhill. He adds these to his silvers from Salt Lake City in 2002, world championship medals in 2003, 2006 and numerous world cup titles including, most important of all, the coveted overall title in 2008.
Miller has now achieved everything possible in the sport. He stands as the most decorated American alpine skiier of all time, and one of the greatest all-round skiiers to ever grace the piste; one of the few to win Olympic medals in 4 disciplines.
Bode has taken a long road and its been a hard road, but you cannot say he has not done it his way. Who knows where he will go from here. Even Bode probably does not know at this time whether he will continue on the piste. If he does decide to hang up his ski boots, it will be a huge blow to the alpine world. As one of the most entertaining skiiers of all time, he will be sorely missed on the circuit.
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Death of Cinema?
Today it emerged that the Odeon Cinema chain will not be showing Tim Burton's newest release Alice in Wonderland in its cinemas.
The dispute is based around the fact that Disney (Wonderland's distribution company) want to reduce the films run in cinemas from the standard 17 weeks to a shorter 12 week window, in order for the DVD to be released sooner.
Disney say this process will help to cut down piracy, by bringing the film to customers more quickly. This decision has ramifications not just for this film, but the entire film industry and the cinema as a viable format.
Newer technologies like DVD have already posed threats to cinema as a medium. Despite the uptake of new technology and increase of piracy, the year 2009 was still the most successful year for the big screen. Clearly it still has its attractions.
It is clear that even though other formats are available, people are still willing to go out and pay for the big screen experience. Alice in Wonderland is a 3D film, and clearly the best way to view this film is on the big screen, you simply cannot get the same experience by watching it at home. So the question has to be raised as to why Disney want this particular film to have a shorter window, as it has a huge pull to the big screen. Shortening its window, means less people will get to have this experience, especially in smaller cinemas.
The Odeon chain owns two-thirds of all the screens in the UK so this dispute is going to be damaging for this film, as less people will be able to see it. Ultimately, more people will be turning away from the big screen and towards other mediums, which is a crying shame, because films like this need to be shown on the big screen.
There is nothing like seeing a film for the first time in the cinema, and this dispute poses questions over the viability and the future of the cinema industry.
The dispute is based around the fact that Disney (Wonderland's distribution company) want to reduce the films run in cinemas from the standard 17 weeks to a shorter 12 week window, in order for the DVD to be released sooner.
Disney say this process will help to cut down piracy, by bringing the film to customers more quickly. This decision has ramifications not just for this film, but the entire film industry and the cinema as a viable format.
Newer technologies like DVD have already posed threats to cinema as a medium. Despite the uptake of new technology and increase of piracy, the year 2009 was still the most successful year for the big screen. Clearly it still has its attractions.
It is clear that even though other formats are available, people are still willing to go out and pay for the big screen experience. Alice in Wonderland is a 3D film, and clearly the best way to view this film is on the big screen, you simply cannot get the same experience by watching it at home. So the question has to be raised as to why Disney want this particular film to have a shorter window, as it has a huge pull to the big screen. Shortening its window, means less people will get to have this experience, especially in smaller cinemas.
The Odeon chain owns two-thirds of all the screens in the UK so this dispute is going to be damaging for this film, as less people will be able to see it. Ultimately, more people will be turning away from the big screen and towards other mediums, which is a crying shame, because films like this need to be shown on the big screen.
There is nothing like seeing a film for the first time in the cinema, and this dispute poses questions over the viability and the future of the cinema industry.
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Lent
I had pancakes yesterday, as well as many other sweet delights for the final time before lent. Pancakes with chocolate and banana yum, as well as your standard sugar and lemon.
I have decided to give becoming a vegan another go. Last time did not go badly, but I just struggled with hidden ingredients and eating out. This time I am ready to go fully vegan for the whole of lent, no ifs, buts, or maybes.
I am also giving up all cereal/bread/crisps/biscuits/cake/chocolate (regardless of whether they are vegan), in a quest to stop eating unhealthily.
The health kick has started, I need to be in great shape before my trip to South America at the end of April, and I am also running the Sport Relief 6 miles at the end of March. So I have little over a month to get in some serious training. Wish me luck.
I have decided to give becoming a vegan another go. Last time did not go badly, but I just struggled with hidden ingredients and eating out. This time I am ready to go fully vegan for the whole of lent, no ifs, buts, or maybes.
I am also giving up all cereal/bread/crisps/biscuits/cake/chocolate (regardless of whether they are vegan), in a quest to stop eating unhealthily.
The health kick has started, I need to be in great shape before my trip to South America at the end of April, and I am also running the Sport Relief 6 miles at the end of March. So I have little over a month to get in some serious training. Wish me luck.
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Tragic Death casts a dark shadow over the games
The Winter Olympics are all set to kick off in Vancouver tonight, but the opening ceremony has been overshadowed by the tragic death of Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili.
The 21-year-old Luge competitor passed away after losing control of his sled during a training run. Doubts had already been cast over the safety of the luge track, many athletes had struggled during training runs, and it seems that an accident was inevitable.
Even if they change the track, and improve its safety, it would be terribly disrepectful to Kumaritashivili, his family and the Georgian team, to hold the men's luge event.
Clearly any sport in which you throw yourself head first down an ice track at 150kph with little to hold onto but a small sheet of metal is always going to be dangerous, but the signs point to the fact that this tragic accident could have been prevented. The track was deemed far too fast by experts, so why did it get the go-ahead.
The games have already struggled to hit the ground running, with protests from all sides, injuries to games top stars like American Skiier Lindsay Vonn. This tragedy is likely to take all the headlines, and the Vancouver games will struggle to recover from such a terrible beginning.
The 21-year-old Luge competitor passed away after losing control of his sled during a training run. Doubts had already been cast over the safety of the luge track, many athletes had struggled during training runs, and it seems that an accident was inevitable.
Even if they change the track, and improve its safety, it would be terribly disrepectful to Kumaritashivili, his family and the Georgian team, to hold the men's luge event.
Clearly any sport in which you throw yourself head first down an ice track at 150kph with little to hold onto but a small sheet of metal is always going to be dangerous, but the signs point to the fact that this tragic accident could have been prevented. The track was deemed far too fast by experts, so why did it get the go-ahead.
The games have already struggled to hit the ground running, with protests from all sides, injuries to games top stars like American Skiier Lindsay Vonn. This tragedy is likely to take all the headlines, and the Vancouver games will struggle to recover from such a terrible beginning.
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