What I've been watching...

Keep thinking I've been and posted on here when I haven't. STUPID STUPID ME.

Here's some stuff I've watched lately.

The Stepford Wives (1975) left me somewhat underwhelmed, it's good for the first part of the film, but I couldn't help but drift off after a while, there's good moments in there but it's nothing special.

The Last Tycoon (1976) was the last film from legendery Communist Witchhunt sell-out Elia Kazan and the only film to feature Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson, the play ping-pong together no-less, recommend as the film is very interesting, cast also includes Robert Mitchum. Not the best work for anyone involded though.

Watched a fair bit of TV shows lately rather then films, here's some of the shows.

NewsRadio. Decided to re-watch the first two seasons (29 episodes) and got through them very quickly. This show is very, very funny mainly thanks to Phil Hartman (R.I.P.) and Stephen Root, this is the sort of sit-com that proves the laugh track sit-com doesn't deserve to die. Might have to starting rewatching the third series.

Punky Brewster. On the second series at the moment. I think Soleil Moon Frye gives one of the best child performances on a television comedy, she as very realistic movements and emotions that real kids have, good cast, the show is very watchable.

I've watched odd episodes of the original Twilight Zone and All in the Family, and gonna start a rotation thing with Three's Company, Happy Days, In Living Color and Columbo (also Punky and Family and any other show I feel like adding to the rotation)

I'm gonna do a life post later...

Superman is well...something

courtesy of www.superdickery.com

Superman not been a dick but rather something else, they say a picture says a thousand words, well yeah...

Bask in the Loveliness of...

Kristen Bell

WWE Raw in Sheffield

I'd be meaning to get online and do a post all week since coming from the WWE Raw house show in Sheffield last Thursday. It was a fantastic day went with Andy and Paul and his son George, all of us massive, massive wrestling geeks...cough...erm I'm mean fans.

We got to Sheffield about half 12 in the afternoon and went to get hand bands to go the signing of superstars Jeff Hardy and Candice Michelle, we decided to join the back of the line (which was small at this point) and do it in shifts so none of us got to bored from waiting in the line. The signing was arranged for 3 but didn't begin until half 3ish, both where very friendly especially Candice who was a delight. I got a Great American Bash 2007 and Summerslam 2000 (signed only by Jeff- thanks to Andy for taking this up because we was only allowed one item per person) DVDs to add to my signed DVDs collection.

We all made our way to the arena, stopping at the kiosk where George spents loads on wrestling memorabilia, I'm a cheapo who didn't buy anything, we went to KFC for tea before arriving at the venue earlish where there was only something of a small line, we got among the first people and practically walked in one they started letting people in.

The matches where as follows:

Tony Chimmel was ring announcer, last time I was there it was Lillian Garcia, don't mind Chimmel. Would love if it was the Fink.

CODY RHODES vs CARLITO was two second generation or is it third generation I forget, got a good reception because it was the first match, Carlito bad mouthed English apples which made us all mad for some reason (Boooooooooooooooo, how dare you bad mouth our apples). A solid match if a little slow for an opener.

SUPER CRAZY vs SNITZKY, Crazy came out to a good reception considering he's jobbed out for ages, Snitzky got almost zero reponse, love Crazy wanted him to win, knew he wouldn't. Snitzky won in an almost squash, continued to beat him down, which brought out Hacksaw Jim Duggan for some reason for a farily big reception, Snitzky ended up beating him down after a while as well.

TOMMY DREAMER vs ELIJAH BURKE, I'm a big Dreamer fan and Burke's got the potential. Pretty good match ended with a nice DDT from Dreamer. Crowd where not massively into this. Too many kids I think.

THE MIZ vs BALLS MAHONEY. The Extreme Expose came down with Miz and sat at ringside. Not massive on either of these guys. I think The Miz won. Kelly Kelly cheered for Balls during the match I remember.

WILLIAM REGAL AND HARRY SMITH vs CADE AND MURDOCH: Strong match good reception for Regal and a top reception for Smith when Regal said he was the British Bulldog's son. Crowd including me where very behind Regal, they got the win by disqualifcation. Best match so far.

There was a short interval.

CANDICE MICHELLE vs BETH PHOENIX. Candice Michelle is the new Trish Stratus, there I said it, she like Stratus started as a diva with little to no wrestling talent and kept about because of there looks but both worked hard to learn the ropes and Michelle as come a long way since her debut. Beth Phoenix, whose an impressive wrestler won. On a note, last monday, Candice Michelle was injured quite badly on a live Raw back in the U.S. she'll be out for two months, get well soon Candice.

SANTINO MARELLA vs HARDCORE HOLLY. Santino is truly gold on the microphone, he was very funny and issued an open challenge to the back, out came Hardcore Holly to a good reception, went to get some beers cause I'm not a fan of either of these wrestling. Holly won in the end with an impressively brutal Alabama Slam.

MR. KENNEDY vs VAL VENIS. Kennedy got a good reception coming out, he is gold on the microphone and the crowd where eating out of his hands during his intro, Venis got a fairly good reception. Crowd seemed more behind Kennedy (who won).

JEFF HARDY AND TRIPLE H vs UMAGA AND RANDY ORTON. Orton and Umaga got sutiable heel heat, Jeff Hardy got a really strong ovation but Triple H's enterance blew the roof off of the building. Crowd where really into the match and there was some decent manoevers. Triple H ended the match with the Pedigree to send the fans home happy.

Overall, an enjoyable show to be at, had good company, lacking in star power compared to the last WWE show I attended alongside Triple H and Orton last time where Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Edge, Batista, Shawn Michaels and he who shouldn't be named (aka Chris Benoit) where there. Overall a fantastic day out.

Superman is Still a Dick

Had to post this one aswell. Can't put into words how wrong this is

Superman is a Dick

Want do recommend a site www.superdickery.com which is dedicated to exposing all the times Superman was a dick in the comic books and there is a lot of times. The above picture is one of my favourites.

South Park

South Park is one of the funniest shows on television at the minute. I think the last few seasons it's constantly been better then The Simpsons (will stay go down in history as the Big Kahuna though) and certainly better then Family Guy (a show I like just not love). The reason the thought of the Simpsons because two recent(ish) episodes of both shows have covered roughly the same ground THE WORLD OF WARCRAFT EPISODES

This previous Sunday so the premiere episode of "Marage Gamer"- a Simpsons episode where Marge becomes addicted to a internet game not too disimilair from World of Warcraft called Earthland Realms, she finds out Bart is the most feared and destructive player. In the 10th season South Park episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft" -In the game world comes under jeopardy when one player begins going around killing people, after losing to him in a mass battle, the players decide to increase their levels to the top level. What I like about is when the characters are sat at the computer they look anything other then heroic, spot ridden, going to the bathroom where they are set, I like it cause it reminds of the ex-husband of somebody I know, who became so obsessed it buggered up his real ife.

Both feature a game player going around commiting senseless acts, but there aren't too many similarities really deep down, South Park is the better spoof and does a better representation of online gaming.

THE 24 EPISODES

"24 Minutes" is an 18th season episode of the Simpsons, Bart and Lisa joins forces to stop the school bullies letting off a stink bomb at the school bake which actually features cameos from Kiefer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub. I thought was a really week episode, you take away the flash of it trying to look the style of 24 (which it does well) it's rarely that funny. However, the 11th Season South Park episode "The Snuke" is also a parody of 24. There is a new Arab kid in class, whilst trying to persucate him Cartman accidently stumbles on a unrelated plot to assassinate Hilary Clinton. It's actually quite a good parody of how dumb bigotry can be whilst The Simpsons I think makes the mistake of setting it all in Springfield Elementary.

Compare there take on the same spoof (not a criticism here) The Simpsons almost seem quaint by comparison, South Park as somebody being killed by Hilary Clinton's foofoo and the episode ending with the Queen blowing her own brains out.

Bask in the Loveliness of...

Amy Acker

Great Television Characters

#3 Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman) NewsRadio

NewsRadio was a wonderful ensemble sit-com (even Andy Dick was bearable) but the show still belonged to one man: Bill McNeal- the egocentric co-news anchor for radio station WNYX. Clearly suffering from a bad childhood with a lot of sad and painful memories what he would describe as "good times, good times", he usually had an unorthodox relationship with other people and he did occasionly show traces of kindness. Phil Hartman's death in 1998 meant the proceeding fifth season was the last because it just didn't have the same magic without Hartman, despite being replaced by Jon Lovitz. Bill McNeal I salute you.

Great Years in Film: 1973

This is a new entry that might become a regular entry dealing with a year of films that are particularly love. These are not top ten so there is no fixed order. The 70s is probably my favourite decade of any- Scorsese, Coppola, Spielberg, Altman where all making great work. Even actors such as De Niro, Pacino, Nicholson and Beatty where making excellent work. Anyway on with the list...

Badlands

It's a shame Terence Malick as only ever made 3 movies since his debut. The film is based upon the the real life murder spree of Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend Caril Anne Fugate. The film casts Martin Sheen (in the Starkweather role as Kit) and Sissy Spacek (in the Fugate role as Holly- the film is narrated from her perpestivce). The film is a terrific piece of work. The film was clearly an influence on Quentin Tarantino in his scripts for Natural Born Killers and True Romance (the music is very similar to Carl Orff's terrific score as well as the narrator being female).

Enter the Dragon

Not really a brilliant film, some of the scenes are hokey and laughable but this would have been the film to make Bruce Lee a star if he hadn't died at the age of 33 weeks before the films American premier. Once as to wonder what Bruce Lee's subsequent career would have been liked: He'd have likely completed Game of Death (and we wouldn't have THAT 1978 movie) and would likely have had a Jackie Chan length career (hopefully without teaming up with Chris Tucker). Lee though was clearly something special obviously an excellent martial artists (who would dispute that) but he had a special charisma and that's why stands out. Watch for some cool fighting scenes and a great performance from Jim Kelly. It is kind of a Kung Fu James Bond.

Don't Look Now

This is perhaps one of the most disturbing movies I have ever seen. I don't think any other horror movie as so brilliantly dealt with grief. Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie are a married couple who after the death of their daughter who drowns in a tragic accident at their home they take a working vacation in Venice. The riverbanks of Venice help give me the film an eerie surroinding. Nicholas Roeg's best work.

Mean Streets

I love Scorsese's work from the early years to the later years, he is truly a master of cinema who deserves to go down down in history. The film clearly shows the makings of a wonderful talent at work and features a blistering wonderful performance from Robert De Niro in their first film together. A truly superb piece of cinema.

The Exorcist

It was banned in Britain in Britain about 1981 (arond the Video Nasties era) until 1998. Everybody knows the plot and many of the scenes perhaps without even seeing the movie. I think the movie gets people than a lot more horror cause it's linked to apparently real case. Linda Blair was never better as the possessed Regan and ended up in low grade b-movies by the end of the 70s it's a shame because her performance is something special in this movie.

Serpico

Al Pacino made Serpico in between making the first two Godfather movies. I like the movie cause Frank Serpico refuses to partake in police corruption making him one of the good guys but there is something in his style and demeanor that those qualities you wouldn't associate with him.

American Graffiti

George Lucas is obviously known as the man behind Star Wars -champion of our childhood memories/raper of our childhood memories- but this his second feature (after THX-1138) is an extremely likeable nostalgia trip. With great performances by the young cast (you can't always say that about the Lucas directed Star Wars films), wonderful period music and the use of Wolfman Jack's disc jockey. It was clearly the catalyst for Happy Days (the Love and Happy Days episode from Love, American Style -the pilot of Happy Days- predates this) due to the success of this movie. The Wicker Man

I love, love, love the Wicker Man. Love it so much that even the idea of the Nicolas Cage remake fills me with horror. There's something so unique about this movie it's hard to describe it as a horror film, I think it gets tied down to the horror genre because of the ending and casting Hammer stalwats Christopher Lee and Ingrid Pitt, this film is so much more then a horror: a psychological thriller, a musical- oh yes the music, composed by Paul Giovanni with a solid hint of pre-Christian pagan European culture and it varies between tradionatal songs and Giovanni originals, solid songs like Tinker of Rye, Landload's Daughter and Sumer is Icumen In. The performances are excellent- Edward Woodward, never completely gets the recognisition he deserves, Christopher Lee is of course the legend and Britt Ekland elegantly beatufiul. The ending is also brilliant. LOVE THIS FILM.

Live and Let Die

Roger Moore plays James Bond for the first time and deals with voodoo. I seem to be one of the few people who actually like Roger Moore as James Bond, sure he's no Sean Connery but Moore is still good in the role. I absolutely love the beginning of this film- a man is watching a full prossesion of some sort with sombre music, the man asks somebody "whose funeral is this?" the reply "Yours!" the man is killed and put in the casket which was empty and everybody goes into a happy dance. A top James Bond film that's a bit underappreciated.

Theater of Blood

I love this film: From Vincent Price's wonderfully over the top performance. Price's Edward Lionheart takes revenge on a circle of critics who badmouth his Shakespearian work and kills them off one by one in realition to the deaths of Shakespeare work. The film is wonderful black humour, you can't wait to see what the next death would be from somebody getting fed their own poodles to an unfortunate "accident" at an hairdressers. There is also room for a duel right in the middle of the film which doesn't oddly seem out of place. Classic British cinema.

Bask in the Loveliness of...

Emily Blunt

Only watched one movie the last couple of days

I've only had time to watch one movie the last couple of days and that is... The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

A decent if a little toothless adaptation of the Lauren Weisberger novel, it's one of those films that feels like it doesn't go for the gullet when you think it should. Thankfully the performances are good -Anne Hathaway continues to impress enough, Meryl Streep of course is always good and she seems to relish the role, but the two standout performances of the cast are Stanley Tucci and Brit Emily Blunt whose performances are both excellent. All in all, a good film, better then Ugly Betty (which covers somewhat the same ground, and I don't mind Ugly Betty) with a couple of genuine laugh out loud moments, I'll still recommend it.

Bask in the Loveliness of...

Scrubs DoubleSarah Chalke Judy Reyes

Bask in the Loveliness of...

Elizabeth Banks

Bask in the Loveliness (Done today in case I don't have time tomorrow)

Amy Adams

Scenes That Rock

Cabaret (1972)

A lot of people who know me (you know in real life) probably have no idea that Cabaret is my favourite musical of all time. Some people would probably assume Rock n Roll High School -because of my love for the Ramones and P.J Soles (and Paul Bartel when you come to think of it)- and I do love that film, some people would wrongly assume The Rocky Horror Picture Show and some people would also wrongly assume My Fair Lady because of my love for Audrey Hepburn (I think that film is massively overrated). I think Cabaret is my favourite musical because of the overbearing presence that the Nazi regime will becoming into full power very soon which will greatly effect some of the characters of the film: The Jewish and the gay/bi-sexual. Actually most of the musical numbers are restricted to the stage of the Kit Kat Club, some great songs like Two Ladies and Money, both feature the character Emcee (played absolutely wonderfully by Joel Grey- the father of Dirty Dancing's Ugly Duckling Jennifer Grey). As much as I think the Emcee is wonderful he doesn't appear at all in my favourite scene.

The scene I rather to as the "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" scene for obvious reasons. Brian (Michael York) and Maximilian (Helmut Griem) appear to be in an outside cafe of some sort (damn my memory) when a blonde male voice begins to sign angelacily. The camera eventually pans down to reveal a Nazi flag (Swastika).

What makes the scene powerful in my eyes is one by one almost everybody in the cafe (minus the main characters) standing up and joining in the song. By the end only Brian and Maximilian as well as an elderly gentlemen are those who remain seated. It's a very good representation of how the party's beliefs struck a chord with the German citizen.

A wonderful scene from a wonderful movie.

What I've been watching

The Departed (2006) is the latest film from the masterful Martin Scorsese. Of course it's a wonderful piece of cinema, what else would you expect from him?. It is probably his best film for quite some time (that's not discounting his most recent films I'm just saying how much I loved this). The cast are all great but extra word should go out to "mad" Jack Nicholson as the crime boss Frank Costello and Mark Wahlberg (with films like this and I Heart Huckabees) he's more than made up for Planet of the Apes). Highly recommended. Rent (2006) is a limp musical based on the original Broadway production. I don't know something just didn't click for me- the music was bad it sounded like musak-, the performances where pretty good though in places such as Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel. I'd never seen the original production so maybe I'm missing something. Give it a miss P.S. any film that features BOTH Rosario Dawson and Sarah Silverman and I'm saying give it a miss, they must be something wrong. Dead and Breakfast (2004) surprised not that it was anything special, in that it surprised me that it was a lot better then I thought it would be. There's enough blood to satisfy the blood lust crowds and actually as some funny little moments. The cast features David Carradine, Erik Palladino (formerly Dr. Dave on ER), Bianca Lawson (formerly Kendra on Buffy. I also remember her from Saved by the Bell: The New Class), Jeremy Sisto (Spoiler: He seems to die in every horror film I see him), Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show) and Oz Perkins (son of Anthony 'Psycho' Perkins). Not groundbreaking or life changing but recommended.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977) is "classic" grindhouse horror - not a piece of art but a piece of enjoyable cinema- Wes Craven as directed some good and some duds in his career and this thankfully falls in the good category, if anybody as seen the remake and not seen this- it pretty much follows the same pattern, including the dogs called Beauty and the Beast and the order of the family's demise. Watch it for Michael Berryman. Watch it for a funny 70s moustache. Watch it to be on edge. Recommended.

THE TV SHELF

What I'm watching at the moment in rotation to each other:

Ali G in the da USA (I believe titled Da Ali G Show in America)

French and Saunders at the Movies

The Addams Family Volume One

Party of Five Season One

My So Called Life: Complete Series

How I Met Your Mother Season One

Bask in the loveliness of...

Sarah Paulson

Whatup?

Didn't have as much time to myself to watch as many films as I'd hoped this weekend and have only had time to watch two. The two are pretty different movies.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006) is Will Ferrell's first foray into more serious material (a lá Jim Carrey in the Truman Show) and is surronded by a wonderful cast including the lovely Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Arrested Development's Buster Tony Hale. The film reminded me a little of Charlie Kaufman's work in the most flatering sense, writer Zach Helm is certainly one to watch for the future, the high concept plot sees Ferrell as an IRS investigator who starts hearing a woman's voice narrate is life, one days he hears her say that is death is imminent. It's a wonderfuly kookie movie that I strongly recommend.

Con Air (1997) is a different type of movie = pure popcorn. The movie is dumb from start to finish and more then once defies logic and common sense, it's never meant to be high art but it's utterly enjoyable with enough exciting and (intenionally) funny moments. A good cast to boot including Ving Rhames, M.C. Gainey and Dave Chappelle in supporting roles, Steve Buscemi is the best though, when I was a youngling this film played a small part in me becoming a fan of him.

The Departed, The Devil Wears Prada, Rent and The Black Dahlia should be among those watched this week.

Bask in the Loveliness of... DOUBLE BILL

Lucy Davis

Jenna Fischer

Bask in the loveliness of... THE RETURN

Double Helping!

Amy Poehler

Maya Rudolph

Back Again

Haven't been around much, been very, very busy, hope to get back to updating it regularly again now, calender is less full the rest of this month.

Anyways it was my Birthday yesterday (by that I actually mean Thursday, it's early morning Saturday I guess when I write this), I turned the grand old age of 25- a quarter of a century, 5 years to 30, had a typical Birthday day in which I didn't really celebrate it. On with some recent DVD watches of the last couple of days.

Revisited the 1932 movie Freaks a couple of days ago, If I'm honest I've always had something of a fasination with abnormal people, that's why I'm such a big fan of the movie The Elephant Man and this. The "Freaks" where not actual actors but real genuine circus performers and it shows, some would say Dracula was Tod Browning's best film but this is much better. It's admittedly a little on the outdates side but at least there is a strong sense of unity (family) in the "Freaks" even if the finale goes off into horror terrority, weird ending aswell (which I will not spoil for you here).

Birthday viewing was Superman Returns- which marks the second year running I've watched a comic book movie on my birthday (It was X-Men: The Last Stand last year), It took a little while to pick up it's momementum but when it did it was extremely solid, Brandon Routh abely steps into Christopher Reeve's costume (who you can't help but compare to), Kevin Spacey is a strong Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman is still the king Luthor to me though) and I always like seeing Parker Posey in any movie. Only casting misstep is Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, just seems too young to me for how I envisioned Lois.

Hot Fuzz, reteamed Spaced/Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in a satire of big Hollywood action movies (I hesitate to use the word spoof as it's been tarnished with Scary Movie, Date Movie, Epic Movie and so on...) with a London cop transfered to a small English village. A top notch cast including the leads, Paddy Considine, Olivia Colman and probably a showstealing turn from Timothy Dalton. I actually think this is a better movie then Shaun of the Dead, which I think is a tad overrated.

Idiocracy, stuck in release limbo for a while is the first film from Mike Judge since the cult favourite Office Space, whilst not scaling the heights of that or Beavis and Butthead or King of the Hill, it's still an enjoyable enough movie with a couple of funny moments. I do think the premise had a lot of potential and it's not explored enough (the film comes in at around 80 minutes). Maya Rudolph looks beatufiul in this movie. Worth a watch but don't except a cinema classic.