Wednesday 31 August 2011

Blooming Russia

My only goal of today was finish my History homework which was an absolute nightmare, took me 5 hours and I'm not all that happy with it but at least I got it done so I don't really mind. Louis tried making a mug cake today, much to my disapproval but he persevered anyway. After 10 minutes of cleaning a very chocolaty oven he was greeted to a dry and bland cake, with a bit of cream he ate it all down.

I felt it appropriate too watch Doctor Zhivargo after writing a lot about 1910's Russia, it is probably also my first epic, and I did enjoy it a fair bit. Admittedly I have almost forgotten what happened in the first 2 hours or so, after I had to get up from my very comfy chair to urn the disc over I sat down and really enjoyed the second half. Russia looked like a glorious winter wonderland, especially the house in the final act of the film, springtime looked just as good, on a similar level to Days of Heaven I would say and there was the occasional moment of very cool cinematography. Enjoyable, but a little to long, especially the opening, if your watching it for homework like me then feel free to skip the first 6-7 minutes unless you want to absorb yourself into the music and setting of the film.

Tuesday 30 August 2011

Damn you, Lego!

I was really looking forward to finishing my palace today, but there is one bit, just one essential bit missing. I can't work around it this time and I have had to put it all back in the bag... at least until tomorrow when I try again in vain possibly. Me and Louis decided that we would 'Dine like kings' at lunchtime today. Sliced ourselves off some beef and jacked it in a sandwich with some mustard for one fine eating, then we promptly got a moan at because the beef was meant to be for dinner... but we took the complaints... LIKE KINGS!

Me, Dan and Mark watched the Texas Chainsaw Massacre today, although I didn't really enjoy the film that much, I can see why it was an important film for the genre. I did enjoy the gritty and real nature of the film, it kinda reminded me of Fallout 3, stumbling into a house filled with corpses and mutilated bones just makes me sick to my stomach and the dinner scene at the end is just like a nightmare crescendo.


Monday 29 August 2011

Woo, Lego!

Another lazy day, finished my Spike Lee biography presentation and started anew on our new Minecraft server. I even started re-building my Chinese emporor's palace lego set which is taking forever since I lost most of the bits between 3 containers, slowly I persevere and it is getting to an impressive level, but again I am lacking any motivation to do anything at the moment, I'm missing one bit that is easy to replace but I just cannot be bothered to find it... maybe tomorrow.

Sunday 28 August 2011

Crummy Lunch

I woke up a bit late to day on account of how tired I was yesterday so I had a very late breakfast, I thought that I would keep it small so I could have a really awesome lunch later. When I got down at mid day Louis had taken a bite out of my cookie and stolen my packet of monster munch, at least I got some bacon... but no mustard. Now I have to make my bed and get sleeping ASAP, still very sleepy.

Saturday 27 August 2011

Again, I am back!

After reading Dan's last entry I really wished I had been at the gaming session but at the same time I had a really good time at camp. Paintballing was the highlight along with laser combat despite pulling muscles in both thighs and shooting my girlfriend in the face... twice. I basically spent the week eating Tesco value bacon while playing various card games but I did make one promise/challenge to myself: that I would shower every day, a condition I have only broken tonight after coming back home. many late nights were had, sleeping in a tent barely big enough for myself was very fun, especially when it started to rain hard so as expected I am very tired now and will go to a proper bed for a long sleep. It's good to be warmed by the glow of computer screen once again.

Friday 26 August 2011

The end of a journey...

From the gleaming gates of heaven, stood five handsome young men. Locks so fine that not even Samson could beat, a demeanour that sang graceful in a lullaby so sweet, not even bees top it.
And the Lord said, 'I bestow to you a quest, which is thee to take and to conquer in thy name for thy heart.'
One of the men stood forward and knelt before the Lord, 'Oh gracious and generous Lord, what is thy quest, which has been offered by Him in his entirety?'
'I ask of thou to endure four and twenty hours of gaming!' The gallant and prestigious young men widened their eyes in disbelief. The Lord, allowing for this pause to favour intended effect, spoke again. 'Without the taste of sleep.'
Silence followed, only the angelic music coming from within the promised realm could be heard.
'... Really?' The forth most man quickly looked back at his companions, who had begun waver.
 'But Lord,' A sharp eye pierced his confidence, 'No man has ever done such a feat. Only the secretive race of Nerds who dwell upon Earth ever go on these tasks to prove their adulthood.'
The Lord rose. 'Oh honoured follower, only those who explore the possibilities in all of life and embrace them as their own, or at least taste, will obtain true wisdom.'
And with such epic words, the five stood together once more. Controllers in hands and Thai Sweet Chilli Sensations in the other, they marched forth into the unknown...

I wish I could tell you this whole thing was as epic as that, but in reality. We sat on our behinds watching (high resolution) pixels on the screen, working with only finger and thumb muscles, laughing at the odd internet meme or death on Minecraft. And I am so tired.

Good night.

Daniel

GAMING!

So, we're here! :D And we are playing games. :) I've recently got Deus Ex: Human Revolution and it has just been unlocked today! So excited!

It worse news... Got my results. Really did not do well. Slighty ironic my results spell BED...

Well, that is all I have to offer today.

Night!

Thursday 25 August 2011

24hr gaming soon - I'm already tired

Super-short blog entry tonight as I didn't realise how long Fahrenheit 9/11 was.

I had another interview at Waitrose today which went pretty well - I had a bit of a tour around the storage area and hopefully i'll soon find out whether I got the job or not. Tomorrow (if the weather permits it) we are planning to go to the beach for a while before I rush back to start a 24hr gaming/bacon day with Nick, Ben, Laurie and Daniel. I haven't played Empire Earth in large quantities so this should certainly be an experience. Considering it's pretty late now - I had better go to sleep and build up some energy for the torturous hours to follow. Dan should be back tomorrow to update you once more. Fahrenheit 9/11 was very interesting, but very long...

-Mark :D

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Julie Walters > Interviews

Hiya - Mark again. I had my group interview at Waitrose today which was very nerve-racking! It lasted quite a while and we had to pitch a roll of Sellotape - I couldn't think of much more than "every home needs one". They also showed us a really cheesy video tape (that's right - remember those?) which explained a bit more about the partnership. Having watched all of it - I thought "blimey, this place is lush". Then when it came to "no holidays allowed during Christmas and Easter", I became a little more reserved. However - they have invited me to yet another interview tomorrow afternoon and I am looking forward to it. Hopefully they'll reveal whether the process has paid off.

I watched 'Driving Lessons' yesterday and was eager to see Rupert Grint and Julie Walters in something other than Harry Potter. As always - Julie was amazing. Although it wasn't actually focused on driving lessons I thought that it was a fantastic film - well written and acted brilliantly.

I have totally run out of special features for you. If you want - have a look at Dan's SoundCloud page to stave off the boredom. There is some good work on there :D At the moment - Café Studios is enjoying a break after our last sketch. We have a few more ideas in the making and I plan on doing some scripting in the days before we go to Bournemouth. Hopefully we'll be back on track as soon as the school term begins.

Night!
-Mark :)

Menorca was amazing.

Full stop. It really was. And after this great holiday and finding out the villa we rented was for sale. We very nearly came away fully set on buying the place! We haven't totally decided yet though...

On other news, I am going paint balling tomorrow. If I can get up, Im not feeling that well... I think it is the airline food if I am honest.

I have a lot planned this week, although I have just forgotten what I am doing on Wednesday... Seriously, my memory has vanished recently. So, I have a lot planned this week.

See ya soon, Daniel.

Sunday 21 August 2011

Be articulate!

Hello again! Mark here. Dan is back from his holiday and will be filling you in tomorrow. I had the task of picking up my results on Thursday and haven't blogged about it yet. I was a little nervous but ended up with A's in Film and Media AS and a B in Maths A Level. However - a re-take of Mechanics should soon bump that up to an A. We don't have Ms McDowell as a teacher any more so before we left for the holidays - I baked a cake for our last lesson. Haven't done that since primary school - but it felt nice :D

Later that day I went to see 'The Inbetweeners Movie' which was HILARIOUS. I have seen every episode of the TV series and absolutely love the show. The movie was just like an extra-long episode. They handled it really well, the pace was perfect, it was just... NOM. Herbie seemed to enjoy it as well - his comment during the credits was very funny: "Well that was good... quite a lot of penis though". I watched 'Duel' a few days ago as well. As a learner driver - it was pretty terrifying to watch but had all the signs of greatness from Mr Spielberg. A fantastic film.

I spent quite a long time out driving with Grandad today. I felt that apart from not checking my mirrors, going up the curb and taking my hand off the wheel - it went pretty well. I am getting used to driving now and really starting to enjoy it! We then had dinner and saw our cousin who suggested playing an alternate game of Articulate - it sort of crossed over into Charades and was really good fun. I then drove home in the dark and used my full beam for the first time. Boom.

Not many special features left for you all now... but i'm digging some stuff out. If you haven't seen them - here are some Crime Drama Titles that Chris and I made during Media GCSE. And if you've seen our new sketch 'Questions Questions' then have a look at this wallpaper and these ringtones.

Night night!
-Mark

And he's off again!

Right - Theo is straight back off again on Scout camp so you've got me again for a while (might even be throwing in a bit of Dan when he gets back). I haven't done much at all today so not much stuff to talk about. Since the website update i've run out of jobs to do... I really don't want to start on that pile of film studies homework.

Louis (Theo's brother and avid animator) is thinking of taking over my job at the bakery if I get the job at Waitrose. So he came to work today and did a fantastic job - I prepared him for the worst by pulling out a lot of grubby appliances. I'm a little worried that i've scared him off! However - I will soon be re-writing 'The Bible of the Bakery' with a list of jobs for him to do. I've also just realised that he doesn't have to cover next week - it's the week after that we go up to Bournemouth. Well it's 12:32 so I'll email him later on! Ah well, it actually felt pretty good writing my name as a reference on his application form.

So.. i've kinda run out of goodies for you - but if you haven't seen it already here is a pretty funny title card used in my media coursework. If you can name all the films referenced then i'll be very impressed... might even think of a prize. Sorry for the short entry - but i'm knackered.

See you tomorrow!
-Mark

Friday 19 August 2011

Crummy haircut

In preparation for my job interview today I decided it was necessary to tidy myself up a little bit, this included getting rid of so shaggy hair I had accumulated over the months. As usual Mum cut my hair but I gave her strict instructions to only give me the slightest of trims. Mum had other plans and now I look like a right nonse with some very short hair which sucks.

Before an interview I am usually very calm and collected, preparing to ad-lib my way through their series of questions, but then Mum had to go and really make me nervous by making me remember a lot of responses to perfect my question answering capabilities which meant I was absolutely bricking it when it came to the 10 minute wait before the interview. However it went really well, the guy seemed very polite and easy to get on with and the whole thing was rather colloquial as we spoke from things like banana guards and how shoddy Wilkinson's is. Fingers crossed, Lakeland seems like a great place to work.

Sadly again I will be away on Summer camp with the explorers, they have asked me to bring some fancy dress but I have no idea how that is going to go as I have no ideas for that at all. Until then, have a good week!

Thursday 18 August 2011

I'm Back!

Bloody hell it's cold in Britain, in Italy it was about 33-37 oC at all times, I come back to a freezing house and grey skies; and I wouldn't have it any other way. Holiday was very nice, took in some of the lovely views that Lake Como had to offer while staying in a cosy apartment with a balcony which looked over the entire of the lake and mountains. We roamed the nearby towns and the like, although all of which were pretty, once you have seen one Italian village, you've seen em' all, at least I got plenty of decent ice cream and a slap up pizza. I could probably think of more to say but the plane journey and drive was about a 9 hour trip due to traffic so I am quite tired. Little bit nervous about an upcoming job interview I have tomorrow but it should be fine!

It's good to be back, maybe I will upload some pictures from holiday tomorrow!

8.5/75? I bloody hope not!

The website update is finally done! Huzzah! Go to www.cafestudios.info to have a look at the new theme. Unfortunately after all my hard work with constant nagging from Dan and Theo - they are both on holiday and unable to see it. With this wonderful update comes our latest sketch: 'Questions, Questions'. Watch it below or go to the YouTube page for extra downloads such as ringtones and a wallpaper. Oh you lucky people :D


After completing the update today and spending a while tweaking it - I managed to fit in two films. 'Tamara Drewe' was as expected. Humorous in some places but nothing special. I then moved onto my other arrival from Lovefilm. 'Fellini's 8 1/2' had a lot to live up to after 'La Dolce Vita'. I didn't enjoy it quite as much - I didn't understand a lot of parts. I'm sure that there is an underlying theme and it's all very clever - it all just went over my head. I didn't care - I love watching Marcello look over the top of his glasses. Some scenes such as the man floating away and being pulled back down to earth are a fantastic depiction of the filmmaking process. Perhaps one day i'll find myself in a similar mood to Guido. Maybe the film is particularly fitting considering it's results day tomorrow. I am expecting bad results in M1 but maybe not 8.5/75. Ah well, I was pleased with the other Maths modules and can always re-take. Hopefully i'll be alright. Dan has given me permission to collect and open his results too - i'm not sure whether or not to do it though :P

Night night,
-Mark :)

Tuesday 16 August 2011

500 days of updating

Hiya all - short entry tonight as i'm shattered after one of those 'i've done nothing today but am still really tired' days. I popped down to Leo Westby's house this morning to drop off some files from the Night of Rock at the Corn Exchange. Stay tuned to A Different Perspective as I also gave Jake a copy of their set. Upon driving back - Mum took me to a pretty dodgy turning on a really steep hill that I have previously tried to tackle. I'm proud to say that I changed down to first and held it like a pro. Now i'm thinking about it - I hope that she didn't leave that Werther's Original wrapper in the door... it's 11:31... do I go out and check? :P

I've been updating the site today which is taking ages... as soon as I get something right - I come back to it and decide that it looks wrong. iWeb is very frustrating as it doesn't like some of the widgets i'm trying to add. However, after finishing the new sketch today, I should be able to finalise the website tomorrow. In the mean time - take a look at the outtakes from the sketch (actual sketch being uploaded tonight) and a little montage on my vimeo channel.

I watched '500 Days of Summer' today as I was in a cheery mood and thought that it was a rom-com. It wasn't - but it was AMAZING. I totally loved the scene where Joseph Gordon-Levitt (maybe it's just a dream...inception...) walks to work after just getting together with the stunning-as-ever Zooey Deschanel. I still remember her from 'Elf' (not even going to link to that film) with her deadpan reactions. So good!

So tomorrow brings more website updating and I really want to wash my car for the first time. Bring on the pressure washer - I love those things. Looking forward to results coming out on Thursday and of course, The Inbetweeners Movie being released soon - I think it's tomorrow. Gunna be knee-deep.

-Mark

Monday 15 August 2011

Cold + Phone Interview = Second Interview!

I woke up this morning and my worst nightmare had been realised. The sore throat from yesterday had worsened and my nose was blocked up like Robin Hood roundabout on a school morning (HELL YES! First motoring joke since learning to drive - that felt so good!). So with half an hour to prepare for my Waitrose phone interview I had a look across their website whilst rapidly sniffing Vicks VapoRub. Then, with a no entry sign blu-tacked to my door I sat down and awaited the call. I fluffed a couple of questions but I think came across pretty well overall. The lady must have thought so as i've now got a group interview to attend next week. Should be good! Chris (working at the Thatcham store) assures me that a suit is proper attire for such a meeting.

I edited the last bit of the outtakes from our latest sketch today and will attempt to upload the footage tonight. In the mean time, if you haven't seen Dan splashing around in a ford then there you go. I also uploaded a Lake District Montage from a while ago to my lovely vimeo account.

This has been my first relaxed day in a while so I spent some time kitting out my car. After tales of Dan Saturley's glovebox catching light I readily purchased a fire extinguisher which now lives next to my spare tire. I also have a blank button on the dashboard so ordered some stickers to place over it. After giving one to Dan - his looks like this:

Right then - i'm off to bed. After finishing Bruce Campbell: If Chins Could Kill on the train last week, I am contemplating whether to re-read it. It's either that or sauntering back into the Harry Potter books - either way i'll be surrounded by Karvol...

Night night - stay tuned for some more videos tomorrow!
-Mark :D

Empire Big Scre-ALIENS!?

Evening! Just got back from a pretty hectic day at the O2 Arena - had a great time at the Empire Big Screen event. Sarah and Dan picked us up this morning and we headed off to Leavesden Studios. My cousin Sarah has recently been helping out with 'Birds and Animals' who provide the furry companions for the Harry Potter films. As we drove through to donate some pet supplies we were treated to the sight of a decrepit 'Privet Drive' - I found it quite sad to realise that such an awesome part of my childhood is over. But - its all soon to be moved into the Harry Potter Experience which opens in 2012. Screw the Olympics - the dark lord is in town!


-Privet Drive standing tall-

At the O2 we saw some more of the animals from HP, attended an interview with Noel Clarke (woop!), saw LOADS of costumes and memorabilia, played an amazing game of Laserquest (I lost with a pathetic 5% accuracy) and went to an exclusive screening of 'Cowboys and Aliens'. Although extremely high concept - I found this film reasonably enjoyable for what it was. Well made, slick and Freddie Wong related. That's right Fordy - Daniel Craig is your Wookiee bitch now...

-Noel Clarke scoring 8/10 in his movie mastermind quiz-

Here is another treat for you - click here to see my Resident Evil 4 Nightmare when we went up to Bournemouth last year. Basically Jamie and the gang film my reactions as I play through the game. I apologise in advance for any profanities and inappropriate behaviour on my part - the game began to take it's toll! You don't have to watch all of it though - edited down from playing every night for a week means it's pretty long!

Blimey it's late now - coming home in the car and clumsily writing this entry on my phone so yesterday's comment about spelling has probably gone out the window! Anyway - another early morning tomorrow as I have a phone interview for a job at Waitrose in the morning and I have to pre-prepare some notes in case I freeze up.

Keep on enjoying the summer!
-Mark :D

Saturday 13 August 2011

The week that I learnt to speak


Hello! It's Mark back again for a bit - hopefully improving this blog's spelling until Theo gets back. I have just finished my weeks work experience at 'The Mill' and it was certainly very interesting. The first day was a bit of a scare - I found the train system a little confusing and then managed to get lost on my way to the office. I had to phone up the company and ask a policeman for directions - all very embarrassing. I then spent most of the day looking down into the washing up bowl and occasionally running a coffee up to one of the suites. However - as the week progressed, I started talking to the other runners there and getting to do a few more exciting jobs. They were all really nice people and it was good fun working with them - i'm hoping to go back during another holiday. Jack summed it up for me as I was just about to leave: "Sorry it was pretty f*cking manic but that's the life of a runner". As I walked through the underground with The Evening Standard under my arm, a weeks worth of invaluable experience under my belt and two free t-shirts in my bag - I tossed a coin to a cheery busker and thought to myself "this is the life for me".

Just a quick present for you all - click here to see Theo and I shooting BB's at a snowman. Hopefully i'll have uploaded some more goodies by tomorrow.

I just watched 'Battle: Los Angeles' and found it a bit of a disappointment - the only reason I watched it in the first place was to please the rest of the family! The acting was pretty diabolical and the plot was predictable. This was a world away from 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' which I found fresh and incredibly amusing.

Right - i'm off to bed as it's an early morning tomorrow. I'm heading off to the Empire Big Screen event but stopping off at the Warner Brothers Lot to see what is left of Privet Drive - exciting stuff!

-Mark :D

Friday 12 August 2011

Last one from me!

So! This is the last cover post from me as I am flying away to Menorca for a week! Don't cry, I'll bring you back a memento. Plus Mark is taking over for the rest of the days till the 19th when Theo gets back. In that time, on the 17th, is results day! I have no idea of what I am going to get, it is one of those things that you rely on fate to give you your future.

I don't have much to say but I do have a confession to make. From countless times playing on my guitar and my sister turning on the television, the programs are too childish and boring to pay attention to. But now, every week day from 4:30 on CITV, 'Almost Naked Animals' has become a new favourite. Don't ask me why, but I think its hilarious.

And after that bombshell, I leave you to the rantings of Mark Stopher, who will give you his undivded attention every evening. I don't know what he has in store but I am certain that it will be about his day.

So long. Daniel.

Thursday 11 August 2011

Today is Thursday, right?

As the summer holidays go on, I really am losing track of time. I just managed to remember that I had Martial Arts today! Dear me. I've just finished watching what seems to be the penultimate episode of the Torchwood epic going on at the moment. Good thing is, it always seems like its going to be the second to last and then it isn't! Which is good as long as there is enough plot in the story. I do love a bit of Torchwood and everything but these recent episodes haven't lived up to standard, so hopefully it is going to be huge at the end.

For the film bit, I watched the trailer to 'Tintin' and 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'. Both of which I am really excited for! I suggest you watch them yourself on IMBD for the full effect... I won't spoil it.

To be frank, I haven't actually done much today. Neither does Theo usually but that doesn't stop him writing a couple of paragraphs about it. I'll come up with something new for tomorrows blog (my punishment for forgetting yesterdays).

Till tomorrow!

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Just milling along...

Hey guys! Mark here - haven't posted on this blog in quite a while :D I've been pretty busy this last week working on the long awaited website update so you can all look forward to that. Our new sketch is edited and should be up on YouTube as soon as my internet connection allows it. In the meantime - here are the outtakes from our coursework reel if you wanna take a look. Chris has been filming some of the BTEC Dance work at Trinity if you fancy watching that as well.

This week i've been commuting up to London for some work experience at visual effects company 'The Mill' which is full of amazing people. I have spilled 3 drinks so far - i'm hoping that I improve my waiting skills as the week progresses. I was a little worried about travelling up there the first time - especially considering these riots going on. Luckily i've managed to avoid any unpleasantness so far but the kitchen is full of talk about journeying home.

So - Theo is back on the 19th before going away on some Scout thing so Dan and I will entertain you until then. Hopefully i'll be a little bit less hopeless with updating the website and actually watching some films to talk about on here. The last thing I watched was... umm... 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' which was excellent! That scene with the little boot brought a tear to my eye - soon wiped away by the hilarious Bob Hoskins in a gruff character reminiscent of 'The Long Good Friday'. I should be going up to the Empire Big Screen event on Sunday - so will have lots to talk about then. I spent the last week up in Blackpool visiting family and had a sweet experience at the Lytham Proms - more about that in my next entry.

-Night night and over to you Dan :D

Woopsie!

Sorry guys, this post was supposed to be yesterdays post but I have only just worked out the username!
At about 4 o'clock yesterday, I deposited my spoils from my trip to Derbyshire last week. Up there I worked a two day shift at the Bakewell show, which a fantastic experience, plus you get paid £35 a day. Its not bad at all.
Plus, my grandmother has given me £200 to start driving! So, given the time and the will power, I will be learning to drive very soon!

Since this is Theo's blog, I think its only appropriate I talk about films.
So, yesterday night, I watched Blade again. A classic badass vampire movie. It is a lot of fun plus IMBD gave it 7.0/10, which is pretty good. The plot is quite original although it is the classic 'one man, who has deep emotional troubles, can save the world from this one major bad guy, who the protagonist is linked with in some way.' The apocalypse in this film is brought on by the resurrection of an ancient blood god, which its birth will turn everyone into vampires. PLOTHOLE! If the world is completely turned into the vampiric race, then who are they going to feed on?! See, either the bad guys know they are going to lose or they are just plain stupid. I believe it's the former, because nobody can win against Wesley Snipes.

Untill Wednesday! - Daniel

Sunday 7 August 2011

Packing for Italy

Tomorrow I will be leaving for Lake Como in Italy, I'm trying to pack light at the moment but I can't help but feel that I am missing a vital film or game. Nevertheless, me and Louis are rather excited about going away, I want to eat various new foods and visit restaurants, Louis wants to go to the supermarket...

As of the next few days, unfortunately I will not have a chance to do a blog as there will be no Internet in Italy whatsoever, with the possible exception of Internet cafes but that is indeed very slim. Mark and Dan will be alternating in blog activities for the first time in a long time. Here's to a good 10 days and enjoy the rest of your summer from me!

Saturday 6 August 2011

Good time with the Gamecube

Since the unfortunate accident with my Wii I have been restricted to my gamecube library, and I gotta say, I missed those games. When Dan came round we played a bit of Timesplitters 2, successfully showing the 'Return to Planet X' level who's boss. Soul Calibur 2 was also very cool, Dan was a bit rubbish but we still had plenty of fun laughing at the characters over the top yet awesome battle moves. Louis and I have also finished scripting the next Edmund and Darrel episode! We have recorded some of Dan's lines also but the animation itself may be slightly post-poned due to Louis losing his tablet pen on holiday (we think), a week later and we still haven't found it and he's starting to give up hope, I remain optimistic as ever though as I am sure it will turn up in the near future.

Friday 5 August 2011

Ah... public transport

Had to make a journey to Beenham without the aid of parents to drive me there, so I was braved with the task of taking the bus. The stop was quite difficult to locate and when I finally found it I was a little worried, it was in the drive-in point of the local hospital and almost thought that only emergencies would come here or something like that, fortunately there was a mildly comprehensive timetable to put my mind at ease. The next issue was the bus fare, I scouted round the house looking for any odds and sods cash, mostly in the form of small silvers ie: 10p's and 20p's, I had scooped together £3 and thought that would be ample, good thing I went back for an additional quid; the fare cost £3.80. 52 minutes later I arrived at my destination to a home-made lunch of bree roles! They were a great reward for the long journey there.

Louis came back home today (Hooray!) I gave him our ritual greeting ("Hey homo") and made him a cuppa; good times have been restored.

Thursday 4 August 2011

Russian Roulette!

I feel like I am trying to mask my wave of un-productiveness with film watching, just doing whatever I can to procrastinate a little more. As a result I watched The Deer Hunter, a bit long but by the end you feel emotionally drained and sympathetic towards anyone who fought in the Vietnam war as it chose to focus on the effects on the individuals at home, this was a very different direction and for the most part it succeeds very well. I Watched Before Sunset as well which lived up to the originals greatness, Personally I prefer Sunrise, possibly because I haven't reached a point in my life where I can truly connect with the values of the now more mature characters, it was still very enjoyable and a must see for anyone who felt a tingly feeling during the first film.

Wednesday 3 August 2011

'Good times, noodle salad'

Today was again unremarkable, just faffin' around doing very little. I thought about spending a good hour with the chickens, after taking one look at all the poo I thought about the well being of my dressing gown and quickly dispelled the idea instead settling for a compromise of throwing them some feed and calling it a day.

As Good as it Gets was a fun comedy with some interesting characters, Jack Nicholson has the best character but he is the only one that isn't explored in the best detail, he's just a creepy old guy with some great pessimistic lines; whats not to love! The Fighter was also pretty damn good, I would put it a bit below Rocky in terms of boxing films thanks to the great acting, the story was a little bit predictable but it had it's 'feel good' factor so that's positive.

Tuesday 2 August 2011

Welcome to the Caribbean

I've pinched my brother's table fan today to keep me cool in these suddenly warm days and now my eyeballs are starting to dry out. I have no ambition to do much today, I really want to replay GTA 4 but my graphics card is so bad it can barely process it and I wanna do it justice if I'm going to re-do it.

After watching the first hour of Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, I finally found it fitting to watch the rest. Overall it was fun an ok but some of the gags were a little bit too kiddy, those fell a bit flat but visually it was great and the plot was certainly decent. The skeletons were defiantly a highlight and an original concept, they were very cool and a little bit creepy, also giving some lee-way as for violence without blood for the younger viewers. Not quite enough to inspire me to watch more in the series though, I know they only go downhill form here and I prefer Indy for adventure films.

I also got a chance to see The Tree of Life at the local cinema. It would be easiest to compare it to 2001: a Space Odyssey as it is more of an experience than a film and can't really be seen twice. The visuals were AMAZING, every shot was beautifully constructed and the picture was so crisp that a whisper would damage it...and whispers are one of the things that really harms the movie. Only a few bits of speech are actually audible and the plot is extremely promising for the first hour or so, eventually I and the other audience members lost all sense of time and the film felt like a lifetime had passed... a very VERY slow one. The acting and cinematography are great but the rest of the film just isn't that interesting because it goes on for far too long without anything remotely entertaining happening. It's a shame too, initially I thought it would be an unforgettable movie, I left without such cherished memories.

Monday 1 August 2011

Cream coffee

Oh God, whoever the hell thought that putting cream in your cuppa Joe was a good idea clearly deserves the terrible flavor it provides. Louis and co have gone back to Bournemouth this week so I have the whole house to myself... and I have never been so bored!

To combat boredom I have been watching films, I got through Mulholland Drive today. Just when you think the movie is all making sense a character has to say 'It's all and illusion' and the plot goes into the blender on max. Not that there's too much wrong with that as it gives the audience a chance to interpret the film as they like, if your smart enough, which I am clearly not but I did get the general gist of it I hope. I also watched 500 Days of Summer which was just what I needed, a fun and easy comedy with a lot of character. Very enjoyable, starring 2 of my favorite actor(esses), Gordon Levitt who is just cool and Zooey Deschanel who has the most amazing eyes. It goes beyond the typical rom-com however as it is ultimately about acceptance and personal development which is very cool and makes the characters more interesting, if you are forced to watch a rom-com over the summer, give this one a go.