boss_kitty

Book Repository 5

Just finished Jaka's Story which is phone-book 5 in the Cerebus series run.  The book is stunning in so many ways.  First It's a brave step to spend 2 years talking about an additional character ignoring the story's title character (this web page puts it nicely in that it's like 2 years of a Lois Lane back-story in a Superman comic and even 9 months where neither Supes or Clark appear at all).  OK this is a 300 issue comic we're talking about, but still, some cohones there.

The interaction between Pud Withers (ooo soo rude a name Mr Sim) and Jaka is very well written, the simmering sexual tension is well drawn in terms of text and pictures, and this carries over into other characters' story arcs (Rick and Oscar, Rick and Jaka, Cerebus and Jaka, maybe even Lord Julius and Jaka) and makes the book a pressure cooker read.

His critique of radical feminism through the rise of the Cirinists does reveal a misogynist world-view (for which he has become kinda infamous in comic book-dom), but at the moment it hasn't taken full wing (I sense it will soon though).  And the choice of Mrs Thatcher as a main "baddie" is very astute.  Particularly the thumb breaking scene.

The text and individual image pages (and there are a lot of them) work at times, and it's interesting to see a branching of visual styles (something Sim is never afraid of), but they do get a little bogged down.  That said the genesis of Pud's proposed sexual assault of Jaka, is beautifully and believably styled in the use of these panels.

I would point out that the comic undertones of previous Cerebus stories are completely abandoned here.  This is a serious story, one that is unflinchingly told, and beautifully contextualised.

It's an extraordinary ride so far, I think this may be the saddest book I've read, I do have a bit of a sense of doom about the looming thematic undercurrents that may come in.

Screen #109

Watched Shaun of the Dead in bed last night as I didn't feel like sleeping for a bit.

It's an excellent film that relies on the real relationship between Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, to make it work.  I really find them funny, although I realise they're an acquired taste (Naylor, you hate Pegg, right, and this film too??).

It's  a zombie romcom (quite a niche to carve for yourself), stuffed with cameos by their buddies and slebs too (spotted Matt Lucas last night for the first time).  Criticisms???  Well Kate Ashfield didn't really engage as female lead Liz, there is something matey chummy slebby self congratulatory about the cameos I suppose, but I find it impossible not to laugh at or like anything with Nick Frost in it (and I include "danger incoming attack" or whatever it was on channel 5).  It is a 15 rated film, but there is some industrial (though juvenile) swearing and a scene of evisceration (of Dylan Moran) that is quite shocking, so I'd really think long and hard before letting kids under that (or even some who are that) see it.

I enjoyed it anyway, like going back to being 15 and larking round with your slacker mates.

Book Repository 4

Just finished All Families are Psychotic by Douglas Coupland.  I'd been pretty impressed by the innovation and flat-out fun of his newest book (the first by him I'd read) jPOD.  So I gets this out of the library, likes.

It's nowhere near as varied in it's communication (that sounds rubbish but I know what I mean), but the humour is still evident and darkly amusing about the contemporary human condition.  I read it pretty rapidly (maybe not so obsessively as jPOD) and enjoyed it.

The main knock I'd put on it is it's hard to really care about the family concerned, even though they are likable and you want them to get through.  But hell it was good, made some interesting points (particularly the one about unremarkable days being a triumph of modern society) both societal and medical, and overall gets a recommendation.

I am becoming a bit of a Coupland fan.

Michael Stipe owns the film rights to the book.  I liked Stipe... until Monster... he's dead to me now.

Shanny!!!!!

This is more like it, hahahaha.  Shanahan rocked when he played man.

...just...wrong

I love my hockey, but this...hmmm.

Puttin' on the Foil Coach (Every Game)

Already done my nomeansno hymnal worship.  Also their spin-off sometime band (with ex-DOA guys and others) the Hanson Brothers are great as they combine ice hockey, the film Slap Shot (coming to this page soon), beer and the Ramones in their act.  Rhi and I sing along to this little ditty (in fact only this and the fall's Totally Wired get the full treatment from me and the daughter) they may be older than your uncle, but they rocketh.  Oh and they didn't do MmmmBop neither.

Here's the original (don't know who did it)

...and here they are doing Rink Rat live, check out the hockey smorgasboard on stage with them. Chaos!!!!

Screen #108

Watched Stormbreaker with Rhi and Vic on DVD.

It's a bit of a no-brainer really, somewhat reminiscent of those Children's Film Foundation films from when I was a kid, except with a pretty big budget.  Rhi loved it (she's a big fan of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider books, Horowitz adapted his first AR book for this film), and my dad and myself were entertained throughout (it is only about 1 hr 20 long).  It also had plenty of scope for family piss-taking, which we exploited TO THE MAX!!!!!

Bill Nighy, Stephen Fry and the black woman out of the awful Two Pints of Lager... give good tongue-in-cheek cameos, and Jimmy Carr gets a 5 minute 2 line role which wastes him (but not literally unfortunately).  What the hell is Mickey Rourke's career gonna look like by the time he's dead (which won't be long if looks are anything to go by)?  He's a very odd, and really creepy (the point I suppose) choice to be a kid's film villain.

Rubbish really, but entertaining candy floss rubbish.  Good for the kids in a James Bond Jr. kinda way.

Screen #107

Watched Legally Blonde with Rhi and Beth on DVD.  Boy I thought this was going to be it, a real chance to hate a film and lay into it with no worries.

How wrong I was.  OK it's not going to change your life or anything, but it is such a sweet movie.  Reese Witherspoon is really overwhelmingly cheering in the lead role and Luke Wilson provides solid support (and I can forgive him anything anyway as he's so great in so many films).

Light hearted feel-good movie, great fun, just the right length.  Bob's your Uncle, Fanny's your Aunt, can't say fairer than that.

Philharmonia Orchestra, De Montfort Hall - 10/11/06

Went to see the above orchestra during their series of concerts to celebrate their tenth year of residency at DMH.  Rhi had been invited as part of a school workshop they'd done with the Philharmonia on Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique which formed the second half of this show. The soloist Mikhail Pletnev was suffering with exhaustion so the first part of the bill was changed to include Sibelius' Finlandia Suite and Mozart's Symphony Number 35.  Have to admit to not being a huge piano fan, so wasn't too bothered at the change of order.

There were some signs that the first part was a changed schedule, but the sound of a full orchestra (for my £3 student entrance fee!) was an awesome experience anyway.

The second half version of Symphonie Fantastique (43 minutes!!! Doom-esque!!!) was astonishing.  The power (particularly of the last movement) really pinned you back to your seat.  It was like watching Sunn 0))) in full flow (but a bit more trebly).  Really excellent night out, and a packed house too, I've seldom heard such a loud 'n' long round of applause as at the end.  Superb.

Halloween Redux

2 more pictures from Hallowe'en!!!  I'm zombie-tastic!!!