Wales, Suckerpunch and a Brand New Concept

Hello, hello, hello.

I haven't posted in a little while but I have a very reasonable excuse which is the first part of my title. Hooray, a link to my title!

Yes, I've been to Wales. To Bangor more specifically.

Alice and I left on Monday afternoon at 1pm an embarked on a 7 hour journey to what is the backside of nowhere but is, without the mist, a pretty beautiful place. What with the mountains, beaches and whatnot...

We were greeted at Bangor station, the second to last stop on the line in Wales, by a strong smell of wee. It didn't set the tone for Bangor...luckily.

It was nice to see a part of the UK that I had never seen before all be it a 7 hour stuffy train journey away.

SUCKERPUNCH

During our stay we went to a Cineworld and watched chick-flick trying not to be a chick-flick Suckerpunch. I have some choice words about it. Very choice.

The beginning was clever. Not the camera angles or the acting. I'm going to spoil it I'm afraid.

The opening sequence reveals the background to the whole story. The song used is a cover of Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This by the Eurythmics. Then the main character is admitted to a hospital at the end of the sequence called...wait for it...Lennox House. Get it? DO YOU?! Excellent.

If you don't because you're...slow...then Annie Lennox wrote Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This. Hooray!

Anyway, despite this here is what I thought of this " original film.

Basically it's Moulin Rouge meets Lord of The Rings, Inception, Shutter Island and for a brief period, Call of Duty: World at War's Nazi Zombies...Unfortunately it ruins all of these things.

Despite enough female flesh on show to make any 15 year old stain his boxers it is an ugly film.

The concept is pretty much Inception with a level within a level, or an imagination within an imagination. Partly set it a mental home...Shutter Island. Partly set in a naughty dance club...Moulin Rouge. Cut scenes set in a castle with dragons and ugly manbeats...LOTR's. Another cut scene set in trenches battling the reincarnated Nazi Army...CoD:WaW...

So yeah, it was almost trying too hard. It could easily be a better film if you removed the half naked women (never thought I'd say that) and replaced them with clothed, badass women or even men (in a non-sexist way.) On the surface it's a decent film. The special effects are incredible and there are guns and explosions...so that's always grand. But it almost seems as if it's just using ideas already done, and very well. It's uniqueness is short lived.

So there you have it. I HAVE SPOKEN!!!

As you may well know I am attempting to conquer the top 250 films on IMDB. Film4 is doing an epic film season with the likes of The Godfather and Fight Club which will help me drop the numbers down.

However, I have decided that rather than bore people with what I do, or do not do daily I would dedicate this blog to finishing the top 250. It is much more appealing than when I went to the toilet and what happened when I got there...no one wants to hear that sh*t...get it? Yes, of course you do.

So this will be my final "what I've done" post. The background will change and so will the title...so get ready...

Daylight Savings - Saving You From Sleeping

Oh yes, that's right. We've lost an hour of precious sleepytime. Yes, sleepytime. Of course it's something that happens twice a year. They go back in the Autumn to deprive us from sunlight, to forward in the spring to provide us with extra bright evenings.

Not that I'm complaining about the extra bright evenings...

Or the fact it's nearly summer...

Or that I've finished for Easter...

Or that I'm even complaining at all I just couldn't think of anything remotely interesting to make as the title of this post...

I need to get better at this.

Anyway being relevant for just a moment.

I'd never really taken any huge notice of the clock changes. The only impact it has ever had on me is manually changing the clocks that are either too lazy to do it themselves digitally or are stuck in the past analogs. However this time I think, for the first time ever when it's come to clock time changing malarky I've been up until the clock time changing happens.

If you follow.

In simpler, less rambling terms, I was up until 3am playing awesome games, some involved drink, some didn't. When I say awesome games I don't mean CoD or anything on the Wii...

I mean things like Wink Murder, Murder in the Dark and of course everyone's favourite drinking game, Ring of Fire.

Anyway back to the actual point... I was completely thrown by the time change. Technically I was in bed by 4am rather than 3am because of the change. Not that it's late, especially for a student, but pile the time change on top of rum, vodka and several beers and you get an unpleasant wake up.

Luckily, a healthy dose of basketball in the sun cured the hangover headache and I was back to my normal, typing nonsense self.

I tried to do two things relevant to this blog in the past few days.

The first was post that video of my assignment. I need to reformat it which will be done in time for the next post. Promise!

Secondly, I attempted to watch one of the top 250 so that I could post something slightly more interesting than words about clocks... However, the DVD of Amelie was from New Zealand so didn't work on my Xbox...then the super secret hack version didn't have subtitles and unfortunately I'm not fluent in French...

So, hopefully there will be a review of a film, not necessarily Amelie, in the next post too.

The Departed

This is the movie with the most uses of the word "fuck" and its derivatives (237) to win the Best Picture Oscar.

The Departed, released in 2006, follows two men on opposite sides of the law both of them undercover. One working within the Irish Mafia on behalf of the Massachusetts State Police (Di Caprio), the other working for the State Troopers but as an insider for the Irish Mafia (Damon). Violence and bloodshed begins to boil over as both men are dispatched to discover the identity of one another. The leader of the Mafia, Jack Nicholson, is on the hunt to discover the rat amongst his men, whereas Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and his Staff Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg), controlling Di Caprio as an undercover agent, seek to snuff out the "rat" within the force.

The plot itself is unbelievably clever. Incredibly intelligent. I can't say too much as to why without giving away the whole story. Nevertheless, Matt Damon and Leonardo Di Caprio are brilliant, as is Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg and suprisingly...Alec Baldwin.
The film is directed by Martin Scorsese, which in all honesty says it all.

The music throughout is equally as awesome. Not to judge a book by its cover or a film by its opening music but Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones pretty much sold it. Then songs such as Comfortably Numb and Shipping Up To Boston contribute to a pretty decent soundtrack.

Overall I thought it was amazing. Like, epicly amazing. I seriously recommend seeing it if you haven't done already. If you have, watch it again! To be honest I'm not sure why it took me to be taking on the top 250 to actually watch it.

Number 58. Done.

195 films to go.

As an aside, for those who always see the funny side to things...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUIV7J55B6w

It has relevance...

AND FINALLY...

I'm not at home...hence the standard font, none "cool" looking "And Finally..."

I'm so sorry.

Well not really.

Anyway, I've finished the synopsis I mentioned in a previous post and will attempt to squeeze it in my next update as well as that video montage of me...not that I'm self obsessed and absorbed in nothing but me, me, me...

On that worryingly personal note...

Ciao.

What I've Missed and What I've Seen.

For such a philosophical title this post has nothing to do with philosophy.

Also the title suggests a broad re-telling of my entire life history...luckily that's not what it is either.

No, in fact the first bit relates to the films I did not put in the previous post from the Top 250 IMDB films that I have seen. I added them as comments beneath the post but thought I'd add them here for those people who haven't seen or can't remember what they've seen...

Number 22: Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981)

Number 31: Toy Story 3 (2010)

Number 41: Taxi Driver (1976)

Number 60: Aliens (1986)

Number 179: How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Number 184: Ratatouille (2007)

That makes my total of films I've already seen on the list 53, which means I have 197 to watch!

Make that 196!

Patton (1970)

"Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country. Men, all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big league ball player, the toughest boxer. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. Because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.

Now, an Army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap. The bilious bastards who wrote that stuff about individuality for the Saturday Evening Post don’t know anything more about real battle than they do about fornicating.

We have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit and the best men in the world. You know, by God I actually pity those poor bastards we’re going up against. By God, I do. We’re not just going to shoot the bastards, we’re going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We’re going to murder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel.

Now, some of you boys, I know, are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out under fire. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you will all do your duty. The Nazis are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood. Shoot them in the belly. When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do.

Now there’s another thing I want you to remember. I don’t want to get any messages saying that we are holding our position. We’re not holding anything. Let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly and we’re not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy. We're going to hold onto him by the nose and we're going to kick him in the ass. We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we're gonna go through him like crap through a goose.

There’s one thing that you men will be able to say when you get back home. And you may thank God for it. Thirty years from now when you’re sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what did you do in the great World War II, you won’t have to say, "Well, I shoveled shit in Louisiana."

Alright now, you sons-of-bitches, you know how I feel. Oh, and I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle – anytime, anywhere.

That’s all."

The opening speech from "Patton" a film that tells the tale of George S. Patton, the famous American Tank Commander of World War II. The film follows Patton's dominance in North Africa and progresses through his invasions of Italy and Germany until the eventual fall of The Third Reich.

For those who know The Simpsons well, as in 1990's well, then you will be able to relate Patton to the episode in which Bart gathers an army to throw water balloons at Nelson... I made the connection immediately because I'm cool like that.

Overall, I thought the film was excellent. It's fairly long, verging on three hours, but it's well worth seeing Patton's commanding presence as a military leader in conjunction with his uniquely developing character and of course watching tanks getting blown and the Nazi's losing comes as an added bonus.

I am currently in the process of making a short montage of photographs for an assignment on Self Identity.

Yeah I know, I don't see the benefit either.

Anyway, once it's finished I might pluck up the courage, man up and grow a pair and post it on here for you to have a look at me as a baby and glimpse into the life of the person who writes this drivvle.

Additionally and finally, I am also in the process of writing a synopsis for a screenwriting idea. Once I finish it and before it gets ripped to shreds by my lecturer I will definitely post it on here. Any feedback, without swear words and abuse at how badly it is written, is greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

A New Challenge

I have decided that it's high time I challenged myself to complete something that wasn't prestige mode on Call of Duty...

Exactly.

So I have decided that I will watch the top 250 films on www.imdb.com which is the International Movie Database if you live under a rock or in a small box without an internet connection.

I will watch all 250, in no specific order, on the list in an attempt to culture myself and also it's something fun to watch before sleepytime.

Then, I will tell you about it! Isn't that amazingly interesting to you?!

Here is the list:

http://www.imdb.com/chart/top

And for your enjoyment I will tick off the films I have already seen:

• Number 1 on the list: Shawshank Redemption (1994)
• Number 8: Inception (2010)
• Number 10: The Dark Knight (2008)
• Number 18: City of God (2002)
• Number 23: The Matrix (1999)
• Number 35: Dr Strangelove and How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
• Number 36: Apocalypse Now (1979)
• Number 43: Saving Private Ryan (1993) My all time favourite film!
• Number 45: Alien (1975)
• Number 48: Wall:E (2008)
• Number 59: To Kill a Mockingbird (1959) Read the book beforehand...for once...
• Number 72: Back to the Future (1985)
• Number 73: The Prestige (2006)
• Number 74: Monthy Python and The Holy Grail (1975)
• Number 76: Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
• Number 91: Inglorious Basterds (2009)
• Number 94: Metropolis (1927)
• Number 95: UP (2009)
• Number 96: Gladiator (2000)
• Number 97: Gran Torino (2008)
• Number 109: Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989)
• Number 110: Die Hard (1988)
• Number 111: The Great Escape (1963)
• Number 115: Jaws (1975)
• Number 117: Bladerunner (1982)
• Number 120: No Country For Old Men (2007)
• Number 125: Wizard of Oz (1939)
• Number 138: The Lion King (1994)
• Number 142: District 9 (2009)
• Number 144: Platoon (1986)
• Number 145: Toy Story (1995)
• Number 150: Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969)
• Number 153: Trainspotting (1996)
• Number 157: Avatar (2009)
• Number 158: Groundhog Day (1993)
• Number 165: Life of Brian (1979)
• Number 166: Finding Nemo (2003)
• Number 168: The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
• Number 192: Good Will Hunting (1997)
• Number 199: The Incredibles (2004)
• Number 202: In Bruges (2008)
• Number 213: Children of Men (2006)
• Number 215: Rocky (1976)
• Number 223: The Truman Show (1993)
• Number 234: Pirates of The Carribean: The Curse of The Black Pearl (2003)
• Number 244: Monsters Inc (2001)
• Number 248: Beauty and The Beast (1991)

Total: 47

To go: 203

So every now and then a post will have a cheeky film summary and what I thought of it and you can choose to agree, disagree or even comment what you thought of the film. That'd be swell.

Here is a cool blog that is part of an American magazine (bear with me...) called Mental Floss. I haven't looked at the magazine in detail but it seems pretty decent with some awesome facts and daily quizzes online.

I stumbled upon a section that really intrigued me as I seem to have an unhealthy fascination with abandoned things...and their connection to history...not setting them on fire.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/category/strange-geographies

So check it out if you fancy looking at some strange abandoned places!

Unstoppable, United and Unbeatable

Hooray for the use of alliteration and the letter "U"!

Sesame Street eat your heart out.

First of all we'll start with United.

WARNING! This is football related...

As a Manchester United fan living outside of Manchester...like 90% of Man Utd fans...I was delighted when they defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the FA Cup Quarter Final. I was even more delighted to see that we'd get the pleasure of beating Manchester City in the Semi Final.

Optimistic!

Moving swiftly on before I lose all interest in what I'm writing...

Unbeatable!

Hopefully something on a more national scale of interest, England winning the rugby today 22-16 against our neighbours from the north, Scotland. (In case no one knew what north is.) Winning us the oldest trophy in competitive sport history (apparently), The Calcutta Cup.

This puts us firmly in first with one game to go against the Irish. A win guarantees us the Grand Slam...obviously.

So, Come On England!

Unstoppable!

Granted this is pretty much the same as Unbeatable but, it is the actual title of a movie, called, strangely enough, Unstoppable. Not sure why I had to explain that...

Anyway, the film came out sometime in 2010, can't really remember when but I've only just seen it.

It was amazing. So intense. Like, so intense.

I won't give too much away to those who haven't seen it yet either but it doesn't need much to persuade you to watch it...

Denzel Washington...

Runaway train...

That. Is. All.

My biggest most enormous thoughts go out to all those of every nationality in Japan.

I sincerely hope those that are lost are found, those in danger are saved and those who have passed have a peaceful afterlife.

On that melancholy note I bid you farewell...

Wow what a gay end sentence.

The Instrumental Hunt and Repeatedly Racing Around an Airport

I've been so slack this week.

For starters I have had 3 recurring dentist appointments in my bed that have prevented me from attending my seminars...

Rather than spending the time I have "accidentally" acquired usefully, the majority of it has been spent sitting around trolling Facebook and playing on the Xbox, as per usual.

Except today the standard monotony of the Xbox filling hour after hour was relieved by the two Ollie's (Oli's if you prefer the different variation in spelling as one of them does. Wow knowing two people with the same name but spelled differently is confusing.) After speeding along the highways, running over old ladies and shooting the cops the standard behaviour in Grand Theft Auto became dull. So, what better way to have premium banter and unimaginable virtual laughs than racing box trucks, baggage carts and those weird rectangular plane moving thingies around an airport? With all rhetorical questions aside, we did with great results. Most of them involving someone driving into the sea, someone rolling their vehicle upside down or me coming from behind to win...not that I'm bragging...

This is a Ripley. The airplane moving thingy.

Anyway, for those of you who have no idea what is going on, what I'm talking about and who I am actually am I shall move on.

The Instrumental Hunt!

Yes that's right, bold slightly bigger letters.

For the entirety of my Thursday I searched the far corners of the internet looking for one album that I remember listening to on a canal boat holiday in 2004...

I had eventually given up until I decided to ask my sister whether she could remember the title...she could. The memory power of...something with epic memory power!

And here it is!

Now it isn't overwhelmingly incredible, it won't have an enormous amount of "choonage"on it and the majority of the songs I doubt anyone will truly recognise. Nevertheless I fudging adore it.

Here's what possibly is my favourite song from the album...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdVVq2mDbjc

So there you have it. This is all I have done since Wednesday...

After a slump in form The Last Minute Wonders are back to their winning ways.

We recorded a 4-2 victory over rivals and probably closest friends (no idea how that works) in the league, The Honey Badgers.

This gives us a much needed 3 points to widen the gap between us and the bottom two.

Something was different about the way we played today. The spirits were high, the passing was exquisite...alot like this cat...

Look how upper class he is.

Anyway I forget what I was blabbering on about so I'll stop now.

Cheers!