The Lair of The Dark Knight

Apparently this film isn't out over here until Wednesday, but I guess that someone didn't inform Vue Cinemas as I was able to book a ticket and watch a screening this morning.

I've been a fan of Hergé's series of comic books The Adventures of Tintin, having read many of the comics in their 90s printings and having watched The Adventures of Tintin, produced by Ellipse and Nelvana, every week when I was growing up.
As soon as I saw the trailer for this film on YouTube I got seriously excited. Not only was it being remade by Spielberg and Jackson but Stephen Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish were writing it.

Deciding to go to the cinema to see it was a pretty last minute decision. I saw a picture on Twitter from the premiere of the film of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Daniel Craig and Jamie Bell, which reminded me that the film was due out. I immediately looked up times and bought a ticket to see it today. I wouldn't usually do this as I've fallen out of favour with the movie going experience due to the rudeness of other patrons, plus not being able to smoke, but I knew I had to see this.

I don't regret it either. This film is a fantastic and faithful adaptation of the first three Tintin books. The mocap CG was beautifully done, leading me to double-take a few times because of the incredible amount of detail used. Hergé's art style was kept in the character designs, which I loved, and the effects were never over the top. The actors were fantastic in their respective roles and the writing brought all three books togtether quite well in it's 107 minute run time.
There were also numerous nods and homages to the comics and previous works on Tintin, which made me smile.

I would really reccomend this if you've a liking of Tintin at all. Spielberg and Jackson seem to have an amazing chemistry that reminds me of when Spielberg was working with Lucas on the first three Indiana Jones films, and it really shows in how beautiful this film is.

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In other news I decided to pick up a copy of Metal Hammer, a monthly Heavy Metal music magazine, on Saturday whilst on my way to work. I hadn't really looked at the cover until I got on the train and then saw what was inside it... a 10" record of Machine Head's song Locust (YouTube).



This massively surprised me. I was not expecting to have a record as a cover freebie with a magazine. Unfortunately I didn't have a record player to play it on, but a quick trip to Cash Generator sorted that problem. I picked up one that has a USB connection for audio transfer to a computer for £15!



I've yet to hook it up to a proper amp (will probably use my Fisher CA-224), but it sounds pretty awesome through the headphone socket on the front of the player. I look forward to hearing how it sounds through some nice speakers!

OK, so I might actually watch The Red Riding Trilogy on C4 this week.

It's a three part film series based on Dave Pierces quadrilogy of novels about the Yorkshire Ripper. The first film is on Thursday at 9pm on channel 4.

Inspired by twitchdawoof, I'm gonna post a song here that's really a guilty pleasure for me.

Don't You Forget About Me, by Simple Minds



What can I say? This song strikes a chord with me.

Unfortunately it's not because of the song itself but because it reminds me of "The Breakfast Club" written by the amazing John Hughes; the only person I can think of who has written more than one awesome film that's about nothing in particular, just about a day in the life of a few individuals.

Other films of this nature by John Hughes include:
Sixteen Candles
Pretty in Pink
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Some Kind of Wonderful

Other "nothing" films also include:
Ghost World
Juno

Inspired by yakeo's recent LJ post, we're watching Aliens. :D

"How do I get out of this chicken-shit outfit?"

Firstly I apologise if this post comes off a little... odd.

Those of you who know me well will know that I have a dislike for most modern day television programming, designed to brainwash us and lower our IQ's; Big Brother, for example, is obviously designed to make us feel more comfortable with CCTV cameras as the number of them steadily increases.

Recently I sat down to watch the 1976 satire Network whilst over at V's (cavebearranting and r4nger5) place. This film strikes home at what I (and V) have been saying about mainstream television.

There are some wonderful scenes in this film where the main character Howard Beale (a news anchor) finally loses all of his composure on the air and delivers his wonderful "mad as hell" speech.

"We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone!'
Well, I'm not gonna leave you alone! I want you to get MAD! I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot - I don't want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you've got to get mad!

The above quote strikes a chord in me as I do know quite a few people who are begging to be left alone with their toaster, TV, etc. Even 30 years later the message is still fresh.

I'd love to say more about this, but I really can't without spoiling some of best moments. It's films like these that really make me feel good inside, like it's not just a small group of us who see what's happening.

On a slightly related note I need to start watching more David Cronenberg movies; I've only seen Videodrome, The Fly, and eXistenZ.

...you pukes will sleep with your rifles I'll be going to the cinema with avon_deer and greyscar to see Death Proof.

Now all I have to do after this is see Planet Terror when it gets released next year. :D

I've been listening to the unabridged audio of Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein.

Wow. What a difference to the film of the same name. Part of me wants to do Paul Verhoeven a discourtesy for missing the major aspect of the book with his film adaptation.

Now, I'm not saying that Starship Troopers is a bad film, it's just that it in no way compares to the book. In fact they are almost two seperate stories that are coincidental in certain aspects (characters, the bugs).

I still need to listen to the rest of Starship Troopers (about 50% done).

My fellow LJ folk.

If you liked Shaun of the Dead then you are going to LOVE Hot Fuzz.

It's on general release here in the UK and limited release in the US from the 20th April.

You must see this film. :D

What a Monday. Busy as usual when I first got in and now it's raining. At least we need the rain to help cool things down. I'm still pretty tired from Blogathon, but I'm sure I'll be OK in a couple of days.

The script for the FCTV short is almost finished. Once it has premiered at FC I will stick it onto YouTube for the rest of the world to see.

The second short, codenamed "Paw", will go online during FC. There will be a follow up short which will go online a month later.

Only a few people know about these shorts and that's how it will stay. I'm not giving anything away until they are on YouTube.

I'm happy to start going back into media, I've always had an interest in it and it's really the only creative outlet I have. I just hope I'm better at direction and production than I am at everything else. Being a "Jack of All Trades" is nice but I'd like to specialise in at least one creative field.

Yesterday I was in Sainsburys to get some juice (yum!) and came across a copy of Donnie Darko on DVD, so before bed I sat down and watched it. What an awesome film! :D

I'm too tired to write anything coherent right now; I blame you, Internets.


More later when I'm a little less "meh". :)