Journal
I read the first two Eragon books recently, the third and final is currently being written. My timing seems to have been quite good because as I was reading the second book, I found out that there was a film being made… and then there are the inevitable video games. Now on the company I work at are running ads for Eragon on our website. It’s everywhere!
The youth of Christopher Paolini, the author, and the success it has achieved are astounding. Christopher was 15 when he graduated from school and started the first book, and 18 when he started the second. The book was self published by his parents, and is now being turned into a movie (released next week) and video games for pretty much every game format.
The first of the series, Eragon, has been criticised as being a little formulaic and derivative but I …
September 7, 2006 | Movies
The Transporter 2
Shorter than the first movie, the Transporter 2 has is a very simple movie, and seems to have been made simply to look good. The bad guys all seemed a bit old but Jason Statham was suitably cool looking in the fights. Certainly one of the better martial artists in movies… at least of ones who aren’t Asian. Highly enjoyable and, unlike a lot of films, could have quite easily been 15 - 20 longer.
Underworld Evolution
Not a patch on the original and it appears to know it, since there is a good ten minutes of footage from the first film that’s reused. The story just didn’t sit right with me - should have been straight to dvd… in fact was it even released at the cinema?
Lucky Number Slevin
My favorite of the month. A thriller …
I have been rather late jumping on the Firefly and Serenity band wagon. I first saw Serenity a while ago and wasn’t overly impressed. I wasn’t disappointed by any means, but I just didn’t “get it”. I’m guessing the reason was that I hadn’t seen any of the tv shows.
I have now.
Firefly
Recently I bought the Firefly tv series and watched all 14 episodes in the space of 3 days. It rocks. Just in case you missed that… FIREFLY ROCKS HARD.
The show is just wonderful. The stories are brilliantly written, the cast amusing and likeable. There are very obvious Joss Wedon influences (he is the creator & director after all) but at the same time it’s unlike any show you have ever seen, ever.
The series finishing where it did, with so many plot elements open, is not a very good …
August 4, 2006 | Movies
About a Boy
A mildly amusing comedy with Hugh Grant, Rachel Weisz, and a few people I have never heard of. It was a lot better than I expected, Hugh Grant plays the same character he always plays and makes a fool of himself more than once. It had a few amusing bits, the best involving feeding the ducks (I didn’t know it was that dangerous!).
A History of Violence
Violent? Yes. Glorified violence? Hell no. The film tells the story of a peaceful family man who becomes a small town hero when he saves the staff of his diner from a couple of criminals. Like most Cronenburg films the violence is brutal and shocking and is in no way done for the fun of it. Viggo Mortensen is …
July 4, 2006 | Movies
Chocolat
A rather nice little story about a lady who makes everyone happy, apart from herself, with the healing power of chocolate. I was pleasantly surprised by this film and would recommend it to anyone who wants something nice and peaceful to watch on a Sunday afternoon - naturally chocolate must be involved (my favourite is white chocolate)
Tristan and Isolde
I had read a little about the story of Tristan and Isolde in another book recently and it sounded intriguing. Adapted from an opera composed by Richard Wagner in 1856-9, Tristan and Isolde is the tale of two star crossed lovers. Unfortunately it was basically Romeo and Juliet (admittedly it came before but is, at least in my mind, less well known), hence something I was not very interested in.
The Big White
Robin Williams. …
June 9, 2006 | Movies
It’s a bit late now but a couple of weekends ago my girlfriend and I went to see a new Brit flick, Confetti, at the cinema.
Like Spinal Tap and, more recently, The Office - Confetti (FWIW Tim, Martin Freeman, from the Office is one of the leads) is a mocumentary (Mock Documentary).
The film follows three couples as they attempt to win a magazine competition for the most unusual wedding. The movie starts as the couple are being picked, and follows them through the preparation onto the wedding itself. The best wedding gets to win a house worth lot’s of money.
Some of you, Brits especially, will at least recognise members of the cast, even if you don’t know their names. The best known (in my mind) being the previously mentioned Martin Freeman, and Jimmy Carr. However the stars of the show are the wedding planners
Apparently …
Binary Moon
Bubble Blitz
Rocket Boards
Gun Wing
Bubble Bomb