After we had tea at Uber Lounge (fine pizzas and they do a nice 2 for 1 menu too), Jo and I headed for the cinema to see Dig! a documentary about the bands The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. However on reaching the cinema we discovered it was sold out. Having had a couple of Desperados with dinner I would have been happy to head back to the pub.
Jo had other ideas and we went to see a New Zealand film called In My Father’s Den. Although neither of us was holding out much hope for it, having built ourselves up for some rockumentary, we both thought it was brilliant.
It features Matthew MacFadyen of TV’s Spooks returning to his family home for the first time in 17 years following the death of his father. There he meets Celia, a young girl who may or may not be his daughter. Slowly paced it really pulls you in from the off and although I guessed the big twist about midway through I was excited when I did, (as I kept wanting to nudge Jo to tell her) rather than moaning about it being predictable. The cast were excellent, I wasn’t expecting much from MacFadyen, but he was excellent and I’ll be happy to watch whatever he does next. Emily Barclay who played Celia was brilliant too.
New Zealand always looks great on film and the look is helped by the Cinematographer being Stuart Dryburgh who was also the Cinematographer on The Piano.
It’s well worth going to see.
Dig! comes out officially tomorrow, so I’m sure we’ll get to see that next week anyway.
Thursday, 30 June 2005
Wednesday, 29 June 2005
A Touch of the Goons?
We've made the news. Yes, Sabotage is kicking off on Radio Scotland this Saturday. You may wonder what the description of the show is all about. So did we. I know Stuart is now an avid 'Pish reader. Any suggestions as to where it came from?
Anyway, it's on Radio Scotland on Saturday. We'll probably miss it cos we're recording audio sketches for the new Glue show this Saturday, but why don't you listen in and post what you thought about it here on Monday?
Anyway, it's on Radio Scotland on Saturday. We'll probably miss it cos we're recording audio sketches for the new Glue show this Saturday, but why don't you listen in and post what you thought about it here on Monday?
Tuesday, 28 June 2005
I Don't Wanna Hear It...
A mealy mouthed apology has been issued by Nike about the whole Minor Threat fiasco.
It cuts no ice with me. My problem here is that the shills issuing the apology seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that they are people, like us.
"We just love to skateboard, man."
Well yeah, maybe once. But you sold yourself and your passion for boarding to a big corporation who hurt kids. So you're nothing. Get that through your thick skulls.
As a light hearted postscript, here's a few other album covers ruined by marketing.
It cuts no ice with me. My problem here is that the shills issuing the apology seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that they are people, like us.
"We just love to skateboard, man."
Well yeah, maybe once. But you sold yourself and your passion for boarding to a big corporation who hurt kids. So you're nothing. Get that through your thick skulls.
As a light hearted postscript, here's a few other album covers ruined by marketing.
Monday, 27 June 2005
Is it all About the Monkey Bars?
I’ve lapsed into a blogging lull, though you have had Fizz’s anti-Nike rant to keep you entertained for a few days.
I was going to write a bit about killing at Blackfriars last Saturday night, about going to see Uter support Wolf Eyes the following Sunday, about Jennifer’s play or about Jo and I finishing second in Air Organic’s pub quiz later that same evening. I was going to write about how the new Glue show is coming along, about losing an actor on the eve of rehearsals, about rehearsals being a never ending round of changed venues and late arrivals, about how we’re re-learning the old show and how the new material is going down. I was going to write about Batman Begins and how it’s one of the best films this year, about the new Seinfeld box set DVD even morosely about the death of Countdown’s Richard Whiteley or how the voices of Tigger and Piglet have died within days of one another.
However I think I’ll simply content myself with this, a review of Jerry Seinfeld live in Washington. Nice to read some of his latest routine, but can people attempt to review Seinfeld without referring back to episodes of the TV series?
I do have some photographs of stuff that I’ll post when I get round to it.
I was going to write a bit about killing at Blackfriars last Saturday night, about going to see Uter support Wolf Eyes the following Sunday, about Jennifer’s play or about Jo and I finishing second in Air Organic’s pub quiz later that same evening. I was going to write about how the new Glue show is coming along, about losing an actor on the eve of rehearsals, about rehearsals being a never ending round of changed venues and late arrivals, about how we’re re-learning the old show and how the new material is going down. I was going to write about Batman Begins and how it’s one of the best films this year, about the new Seinfeld box set DVD even morosely about the death of Countdown’s Richard Whiteley or how the voices of Tigger and Piglet have died within days of one another.
However I think I’ll simply content myself with this, a review of Jerry Seinfeld live in Washington. Nice to read some of his latest routine, but can people attempt to review Seinfeld without referring back to episodes of the TV series?
I do have some photographs of stuff that I’ll post when I get round to it.
Friday, 24 June 2005
Guilty, Of Being Nike
Stop reading if you’ve just eaten.
Here’s a cracking example of a major corporation trying to appropriate a genuine cultural artefact in order to “move more product”.
Nike, who most of us know are heavily involved in the exploitation and oppression of sweat shop labourers and child labourers, have used the cover art and logo of the band Minor Threat to advertise some crappy skateboarding event (I did have a link to the flyer here, but it has been removed amid all the controversy). In doing so they have failed to seek permission from the band, the bands record label Discord, the photographer who created the original image and the designer of the original logo.
This is know in the trade as “Guerrilla Marketing”, wherein large companies attempt to appeal to “counter-culture demographics” (i.e rich kids who like skateboarding and Hip Hop and get plenty of pocket money from Mommy) by appropriating counter-culture images, values and publicity tactics (for example flyering).
I’m sure whoever came up with that idea and the idea for this particular outrage is patting him or herself on the back and counting the cash. How must it feel to be part of manufacturing corporate cool? Pretty good I suppose, until the long dark nights when you wake with a start; vague, haunting dreams of what you could have done and could have been clinging threadbare to the remnants of your bar-coded brain.
I know you feel something inside when you fuck up, when you hurt someone or when you make a dumb mistake that costs you. I wonder what you feel when your last shred of dignity, your last vestiges of value as a human being disappear? I wonder how it feels to sell yourself to child oppressors like Nike for a bit of money.
Meanwhile, the irony of kids in this hemisphere being duped into thinking it’s “cool” to buy Nike trainers made by exhausted, destitute children from the other hemisphere becomes just another example of the sad, absurd and evil world we live in.
If you buy or wear Nike or any major fashion brand you align yourself with exploiters and oppressors. You hate third world kids, or might as well. It’s that simple.
Apathy is just not good enough anymore. The enemy is fully mobilised, as I’m sure Jesus, Jello Biafra and the Ghost of Joe Strummer will tell you in their next run of Adidas advertisements.
Here’s a cracking example of a major corporation trying to appropriate a genuine cultural artefact in order to “move more product”.
Nike, who most of us know are heavily involved in the exploitation and oppression of sweat shop labourers and child labourers, have used the cover art and logo of the band Minor Threat to advertise some crappy skateboarding event (I did have a link to the flyer here, but it has been removed amid all the controversy). In doing so they have failed to seek permission from the band, the bands record label Discord, the photographer who created the original image and the designer of the original logo.
This is know in the trade as “Guerrilla Marketing”, wherein large companies attempt to appeal to “counter-culture demographics” (i.e rich kids who like skateboarding and Hip Hop and get plenty of pocket money from Mommy) by appropriating counter-culture images, values and publicity tactics (for example flyering).
I’m sure whoever came up with that idea and the idea for this particular outrage is patting him or herself on the back and counting the cash. How must it feel to be part of manufacturing corporate cool? Pretty good I suppose, until the long dark nights when you wake with a start; vague, haunting dreams of what you could have done and could have been clinging threadbare to the remnants of your bar-coded brain.
I know you feel something inside when you fuck up, when you hurt someone or when you make a dumb mistake that costs you. I wonder what you feel when your last shred of dignity, your last vestiges of value as a human being disappear? I wonder how it feels to sell yourself to child oppressors like Nike for a bit of money.
Meanwhile, the irony of kids in this hemisphere being duped into thinking it’s “cool” to buy Nike trainers made by exhausted, destitute children from the other hemisphere becomes just another example of the sad, absurd and evil world we live in.
If you buy or wear Nike or any major fashion brand you align yourself with exploiters and oppressors. You hate third world kids, or might as well. It’s that simple.
Apathy is just not good enough anymore. The enemy is fully mobilised, as I’m sure Jesus, Jello Biafra and the Ghost of Joe Strummer will tell you in their next run of Adidas advertisements.
Wednesday, 22 June 2005
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Finding Deep Throat
No posts for a few days, but I thought that this was worth mentioning. It's been discovered that Mark Felt, now unmasked as Deep Throat actually led two FBI inquiries into finding Deep Throat. This is an article on how he threw them off the scent.
Friday, 10 June 2005
Happy Birthday Fizz
It’s Fizzy’s birthday again. He’s 36 this time. See last year’s post cos I’d only be repeating myself otherwise.
Though I have found out some things I didn't know last year. Fizz shares his birthday with two of his heroes. Robert Maxwell and Ronnie James Dio.
Though I have found out some things I didn't know last year. Fizz shares his birthday with two of his heroes. Robert Maxwell and Ronnie James Dio.
Chappelle in Meetings
Dave Chappelle has met with his Comedy Central bosses, although there’s no news of what was discussed.
And here's Mike Epps, who is set to play Richard Pryor in a movie, on Chappelle and his disgust that he's not a crackhead.
And here's Mike Epps, who is set to play Richard Pryor in a movie, on Chappelle and his disgust that he's not a crackhead.
Thursday, 9 June 2005
"There's a Lot of Junk up There"
Here's an interesting article about why the Solar System and the Moon in particular is littered with space rubbish.
Wednesday, 8 June 2005
"Act Now if You Don't Want to Turn Into Kansas"
Here's Morgan Spurlock on why he hasn't set foot inside a McDonald's since Super Size Me and why Britain is turning into Kansas.
I know at this point, Nicola, you're turning your nose up, but wait until you get to the part when he says that getting rid of fizzy drinks is the smartest thing you can do.
I know at this point, Nicola, you're turning your nose up, but wait until you get to the part when he says that getting rid of fizzy drinks is the smartest thing you can do.
Bada Bing
If you love those wacky gangsters, then The Mafia Boss game will keep you amused for hours. My tip would be make sure you build a strong defence, several thousands guys are needed for you to be in the running for total dominance.
Fizzy's First
Have a look at Fizz's first review for Diskant. It can't get much better for him than this.
Tuesday, 7 June 2005
Apocalypse
I saw The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse last night. I’m a big fan of them, but the film wasn’t as good as it could have been. If you don’t know the basic plot, the characters from Royston Vasey come to life when they discover that the LoG are about to kill them off.
It’s like 3 ideas in one film, they never seem able to settle on what way to go, as a plot set in 1690 also takes up a large chunk of screen time. There are certainly a few laughs, and although they did avoid the trap of other TV shows into movies (which they cheekily reference) it just wasn’t as good as it should have been. It seems more like a companion piece to the TV series when it should have been a stand alone movie. Still I’m sure they’ll be back with another soon.
It’s like 3 ideas in one film, they never seem able to settle on what way to go, as a plot set in 1690 also takes up a large chunk of screen time. There are certainly a few laughs, and although they did avoid the trap of other TV shows into movies (which they cheekily reference) it just wasn’t as good as it should have been. It seems more like a companion piece to the TV series when it should have been a stand alone movie. Still I’m sure they’ll be back with another soon.
Just a Good Ole Boy
Do you love the Dukes of Hazzard? Do you like sitting on your fat ass all day? Then this could just have been the job for you.
It’s the Treble…
With the football season drawing to a close all over Europe, I suppose it’s time to break my self imposed blog exile to crow about how I’ve won all three fantasy leagues I entered this year, much to the chagrin of several readers and at least one writer of this very blog.
With the Herald League at work, the greatest satisfaction came from whipping the ass of the call centre supervisor, who had been bumming about his great team for months while he was on top. He’s less willing to discuss his football expertise now.
As for the Iomartership, misnamed really as Tom and I failed to persuade any of our colleagues to enter, It could be reasonably argued that I bought the title Chelsea style, spending up big on extra transfers after a bad start. This is only partially true as a great many of those extra transfers occurred after a text related cock up on the part of the league administrators, who then refused to refund my money. Having said that, I probably wouldn’t have won had I not had the luxury of the extra transfers in the last few months.
So that leaves the Champions League, an oddly subdued affair considering the prize, wherein a 4 goal salvo early in the competition by horse faced pick Ruud Van Nistelrooy got me off to an early flyer which no-one ever overhauled, despite my failure to tip even one correct result in the latter stages.
So, added to my European Championships double last summer, that makes it five fantasy league titles in a row for me, the most brilliantist fantasy league guy around.
How does it feel to be the no respect, no cash, no prospects no hope version of Jose Mourinho? As you might imagine. Meh.
With the Herald League at work, the greatest satisfaction came from whipping the ass of the call centre supervisor, who had been bumming about his great team for months while he was on top. He’s less willing to discuss his football expertise now.
As for the Iomartership, misnamed really as Tom and I failed to persuade any of our colleagues to enter, It could be reasonably argued that I bought the title Chelsea style, spending up big on extra transfers after a bad start. This is only partially true as a great many of those extra transfers occurred after a text related cock up on the part of the league administrators, who then refused to refund my money. Having said that, I probably wouldn’t have won had I not had the luxury of the extra transfers in the last few months.
So that leaves the Champions League, an oddly subdued affair considering the prize, wherein a 4 goal salvo early in the competition by horse faced pick Ruud Van Nistelrooy got me off to an early flyer which no-one ever overhauled, despite my failure to tip even one correct result in the latter stages.
So, added to my European Championships double last summer, that makes it five fantasy league titles in a row for me, the most brilliantist fantasy league guy around.
How does it feel to be the no respect, no cash, no prospects no hope version of Jose Mourinho? As you might imagine. Meh.
Monday, 6 June 2005
He Still Ain't Dead Yet, Mother******
Here is a feature on Richard Pryor and his wife Jennifer. It doesn't make for easy reading.
I bought his autobiography and the new DVD Live and Smokin' recently, though I haven't picked up either since I purchased them.
I bought his autobiography and the new DVD Live and Smokin' recently, though I haven't picked up either since I purchased them.
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