Stuff that’s caught my eye….
3D
It’ll take over the world. First our cinemas, then our TV’s. Dont waste money on ‘Final Destination 3-D’ (see what they did). Wait for James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’, for a true introduction on synergising new technology with high quality film making.
So it’s Monday morning, the weekend cobwebs are still there - you do a couple of hours work to aleviate the anxiety and convince yourself your achieving something in the new week.
But, STILL, that Monday morning feeling wont go. SO…start the week with a bleary, coffee soaked film review from the younger of the Kirk brothers. He may be a life-long fan of Asian Horror films, a recent fan of French horror films and think Hayao Miyazaki is a living genius. But he selects some bizarre viewing choices.
Jake: How was your weekend mate?
Simon: Not bad, yours?.
Jake: Okay. Seen any good films lately?.
Simon: Well, I watched “Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus’ last night.
Believe it or not it’s not Japenese.
Jake: Dare I ask?
Simon: It’s about a shark (the ‘mega shark) and an Octopus (the ‘giant octopus’)
who fight (the ‘vs’). A lot.
Jake: No, I know the film. I meant is it any good?.
Simon: Er……No…
With an impending visit from inch perfect Borat impersonator, Gavin Smyth, this weekend it can only mean one thing. A trip to the flicks sans our visit to ‘Cultural Learnings….’. Check the archives for a review of that and watch this space for a review of this. If he can stand all the homual stuff.
1950 - 2009.
Epitomy of the 80’s cinema zeitgtist.
Granted, 3D will be the next biggest cinematic technology to culturally embed itself for years to come (after digital and CGI before it).
But news that James Camerson will 3d-ify ‘Titanic’ might just make me mentally ill.
I’ve just finished the latest Irvine Welsh book ‘Reheated Cabage’, a collection of short stories written when he was still a relative unknown but re-published as an anthology in 2009 (more on that in a sec). It reminded me what a great film Trainspotting is. One question remains…Why doesn’t more of his work make it to the big, or for that matter small, screen?. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen Trainspotting or you just dont like seeing films more than once I wholeheartedly recommend a re-visit.
Did you know…?
Irvine Welsh was a well known writer on the counter-culture circuit, his short stories began appearing in the early ’90’s in underground (often drug related) magazines. Success beckoned after his work appeared in ‘Rebel Inc’ and ‘New Writing Scotland’
‘Trainspotting’ was an instant cult hit in Scotland when it was published in 1993.
Ewen Bremner (’Spud’ in the film version) played Renton in the stage adaption. The play was a huge hit in Scotland and toured the UK.
‘Porno’ was published in 2002 and is a sequel to ‘Trainspotting’. It picks up the stories of the main characters several years after the events of the first book.
A prequel is due out this year titled ‘Skagboys’
Kevin McKidd (Tommy in the film) was supposed to appear on the now iconic film poster - he was on holiday when the photography was done.
Robert Carlisle has been rumoured for several years to be interested in playing the lead in a film about Paul Ferris, a notorious Glasgow hardman and enforcer.
Although considered to be one of the best writers of contemporary fiction (”a poet for the chemical generation”) Welsh is often accused of misogny in his novels.
Irvine Welsh wrote his University thesis on equal rights for women.
For anyone who has never read any of his stuff, I’d highly recommend it. Despite reading it for the first time several years ago - ‘Glue’, is easily still, for me, the best book I’ve ever read. By a mile.
Turn that into a film ya’ bas’.
Looks like it’s on. “He’s right heeeere Ray”
…back soon with updates.
Cant let this month go by without posting a few recommendations, it’s been a cinema friendly month for me and it’s only the end of the first week of September. If you’ve got the time and inclination make these a must…
Rocknrolla
Guy Ritchie gets back to winning ways (and a huge opening weekends gross in the UK). Toby Kebell finally realises the early promise of “Dead Mans Shoes” and cements his big screen status. Gerard Butler aint bad either.
Pineapple Express
Judd Aptow is one of cinemas best directors of the last two years - ‘The Forty year old virgin’, ‘Superbad’ and ‘Knocked Up’ (Which I only saw recently and will review soon) are surely destined for ‘classic’ status in years to come. This one may just make him the John Hughes / Woody Allen of our generation.
And if you haven’t seen it yet….
The Dark knight
It’s still showing and it’s a must.
Okay, so on my blog I don’t tend to talk about my “daily doings” - I leave that to La, DJ Downes et al…who invariably have interesting stuff to say. Me?, I keep it to the films only…scan up and read the title. I suspect that in Amsterdam, La’ (and a few others - though boyzee is worse than me) will tick me off for my lack of regular updates on the site(and Downes can ONLY JUST criticise me). SO, after yet another long absence here’s my latest.
Sharon and I recently had what we can only describe as the holiday of a lifetime, we hired a rather comfortable RV (pic below) and spent two and a bit weeks driving across British Columbia, Canada. For anyone who hasn’t been there it’s a truly awesome place (Vancouver is the greatest city on earth, with a strong film/TV industry). The whole trip can only be described as being like a holiday on the set of Twin Peaks/the X-files/Last of the Mohicans. However, the ‘film based’ highlight of the holiday?…
…Driving down the very same road that Sly Stallone walks along in the opening scenes of ‘First Blood’. The film was shot in the town of ‘Hope’ a small, largely uninteresting town in the South of B.C. The producers set it as the place to shoot some of the medium/long panoramics seen in the film. They turned up with enough American product to dress the place up and avoid any reference to Canada, thus making the ’set’ look entirely like a true American town. They failed. Watch the film again and in the opening shots you’ll see the sign that says “Welcome to Hope” - which they forgot to change. Yep, we drove past that and more besides. I have officially ‘driven’ in Stallones footsteps.
