Ok i think i was a bit high on life when i wrote the entry 'The wonders of twitter'.
It is actually really boring and pretty pointless so perhaps don't bother getting it.
A'lovely gallery was really something last night and the footage of Joy Division and The Birthday Party was so good. Loved it. So instead of getting twitter go and see the gallery because that would make better use of your time.
It's nice to be back home. I miss it :(. Back to the smoke tomorrow so relatively short stay but will be back in about a month.
I will probably do a proper review of the gallery when i have more time.
Ciao for now x
Friday 20 February 2009
Tuesday 17 February 2009
The wonders of twitter.
I have recently discovered the wonders of social networking website, Twitter.
Forging the gap between the ordinary person and the celebrity in a wonderously, nice if not slightly patronising with its massive font and bright colours, way.
Particular 'tweets' which should be noted are:
Boris Johnson - well worth taking the two mintutes it takes to sign up for an account just to read everyones favourite bafoon's quote of the day.
Russell Brand - beautifully poetic in the usual Brand style.
Stephen Fry - can get really annoying as he updates on average every 3 seconds. Ideal for nights spent alone with nothing much more to do...
Get twitter. Please. Everyone. Or you will be gutted and miss out on some comedy greats.
Just got an email from twitter and MTV is following me. Get on it.
Forging the gap between the ordinary person and the celebrity in a wonderously, nice if not slightly patronising with its massive font and bright colours, way.
Particular 'tweets' which should be noted are:
Boris Johnson - well worth taking the two mintutes it takes to sign up for an account just to read everyones favourite bafoon's quote of the day.
Russell Brand - beautifully poetic in the usual Brand style.
Stephen Fry - can get really annoying as he updates on average every 3 seconds. Ideal for nights spent alone with nothing much more to do...
Get twitter. Please. Everyone. Or you will be gutted and miss out on some comedy greats.
Just got an email from twitter and MTV is following me. Get on it.
Sunday 8 February 2009
Garden State
Garden State (2004) Zach Braff
Garden State is an obscure love story set over the period of only three days, meaning more to both Andrew (Zach Braff) and Sam (Natalie Portman) than anything else before in their whole entire, uneventful lives. Andrew “Large” Largeman, an aspiring actor living in LA, returns to his hometown of New Jersey for the funeral of his mother, later to have a confrontation with his father/shrink. When “Largeman” gets back to New Jersey his old, stoner friends think he is something of a Hollywood star even though his day job is working in a Thai restaurant. Only a day into his time back home, a visit to the doctors puts Andrew in touch with quirky girl Sam and their awkward relationship begins. As the film progresses, so does their friendship in a heart warming, i-wish-i-had-a-boyf-like-that way. Perhaps the beauty of this film is that it doesn’t really have a main plot, any structured beginning, middle or end, but overall is a remarkably well crafted piece. Braff’s directing should definitely be commended here. As should the outstanding soundtrack, boasting artists such as The Shins and Coldplay. The strength of individual characters makes this film so likeable in the way that each eccentric could be a member of your own friendship group. When trying to think of films which are similar in this genre, it is hard to think of one which matches up to this cult classic. Braff’s unique style of writing- dry and straight up- can only be compared to other shows such as Scrubs which match the unusually dry American humour. Anyone who hasn’t seen this film should definitely do so. The beautifully odd but simple script with soundtrack to match, teamed with an all star, but not over rated cast, makes Garden State a film which will be highly ranked forever in the indie film stakes.
Garden State is an obscure love story set over the period of only three days, meaning more to both Andrew (Zach Braff) and Sam (Natalie Portman) than anything else before in their whole entire, uneventful lives. Andrew “Large” Largeman, an aspiring actor living in LA, returns to his hometown of New Jersey for the funeral of his mother, later to have a confrontation with his father/shrink. When “Largeman” gets back to New Jersey his old, stoner friends think he is something of a Hollywood star even though his day job is working in a Thai restaurant. Only a day into his time back home, a visit to the doctors puts Andrew in touch with quirky girl Sam and their awkward relationship begins. As the film progresses, so does their friendship in a heart warming, i-wish-i-had-a-boyf-like-that way. Perhaps the beauty of this film is that it doesn’t really have a main plot, any structured beginning, middle or end, but overall is a remarkably well crafted piece. Braff’s directing should definitely be commended here. As should the outstanding soundtrack, boasting artists such as The Shins and Coldplay. The strength of individual characters makes this film so likeable in the way that each eccentric could be a member of your own friendship group. When trying to think of films which are similar in this genre, it is hard to think of one which matches up to this cult classic. Braff’s unique style of writing- dry and straight up- can only be compared to other shows such as Scrubs which match the unusually dry American humour. Anyone who hasn’t seen this film should definitely do so. The beautifully odd but simple script with soundtrack to match, teamed with an all star, but not over rated cast, makes Garden State a film which will be highly ranked forever in the indie film stakes.
Ghost World
Ghost World (2001) Terry Zwigoff
Ghost World is a film which was born out of the comic strip of the same name. The protagonist in this film is a strange gothic/ punk type girl called Enid Coleslaw (Thora Birch) who at the beginning of the film only appears to have one friend, Rebecca (Scarlet Johansson). The film follows their strange friendship, with the addition of odd characters along the way. The overall look of the film can be compared to other films such as Napoleon Dynamite due to its use of awkward silence and eccentric characterisation. Enid and Rebecca have been best friends since school and plan to move in together. However, these plans fall through when a prank phone call to a guy out of lonely hearts column turns into an unlikely and slightly creepy friendship between himself, Seymour, and Enid. Rebecca, played by the not so glamorous Scarlet Johansson, gives a flat and cynical undertone to the film. The use of repetition, such as the man always sitting at the bus stop on the route which has been cancelled, holds the plot together and becomes important at the end of the film and to Enid ‘finding herself’, which she also does through her reliance on the character Seymour and the school art classes she takes. Ghost World is a film about growing up and growing apart, finding yourself through others and gaining responsibility after education. This film differs from the likes of Napoleon Dynamite in the way that it does not serve for easy viewing. The stalker -like element to Enid’s character makes some parts of the film uncomfortable to watch, as she seeks to control Seymour’s life starting with his relationship with genuine lonely heart, Dana. The film uses racism as a side plot and I’m not quite sure how this fits in apart from the way it provides another grasp on Seymour’s plain and lowly life by Enid – leading to him being fired from work. Overall the film is weird and wonderful, and will appeal to those interested in comic books and the independent film genre in general. Rather than the usual alternative musical soundtrack which is typical of independent films, Ghost World has a blues/jazz soundtrack which is unusual but ties in with the plot. Random characters such as the drunken guy who is always in the shop where Enid’s ‘crush’ Josh works, adds also to the strange tone which the film sets. Ghost World is left open at the end, which is again typical of the genre but it works well. The strong characterisation is the key to the success of this film, in a town where not a lot really seems to happen but eccentricity definitely does not go a miss.
Ghost World is a film which was born out of the comic strip of the same name. The protagonist in this film is a strange gothic/ punk type girl called Enid Coleslaw (Thora Birch) who at the beginning of the film only appears to have one friend, Rebecca (Scarlet Johansson). The film follows their strange friendship, with the addition of odd characters along the way. The overall look of the film can be compared to other films such as Napoleon Dynamite due to its use of awkward silence and eccentric characterisation. Enid and Rebecca have been best friends since school and plan to move in together. However, these plans fall through when a prank phone call to a guy out of lonely hearts column turns into an unlikely and slightly creepy friendship between himself, Seymour, and Enid. Rebecca, played by the not so glamorous Scarlet Johansson, gives a flat and cynical undertone to the film. The use of repetition, such as the man always sitting at the bus stop on the route which has been cancelled, holds the plot together and becomes important at the end of the film and to Enid ‘finding herself’, which she also does through her reliance on the character Seymour and the school art classes she takes. Ghost World is a film about growing up and growing apart, finding yourself through others and gaining responsibility after education. This film differs from the likes of Napoleon Dynamite in the way that it does not serve for easy viewing. The stalker -like element to Enid’s character makes some parts of the film uncomfortable to watch, as she seeks to control Seymour’s life starting with his relationship with genuine lonely heart, Dana. The film uses racism as a side plot and I’m not quite sure how this fits in apart from the way it provides another grasp on Seymour’s plain and lowly life by Enid – leading to him being fired from work. Overall the film is weird and wonderful, and will appeal to those interested in comic books and the independent film genre in general. Rather than the usual alternative musical soundtrack which is typical of independent films, Ghost World has a blues/jazz soundtrack which is unusual but ties in with the plot. Random characters such as the drunken guy who is always in the shop where Enid’s ‘crush’ Josh works, adds also to the strange tone which the film sets. Ghost World is left open at the end, which is again typical of the genre but it works well. The strong characterisation is the key to the success of this film, in a town where not a lot really seems to happen but eccentricity definitely does not go a miss.
The Tracey Fragments
The Tracey Fragments (2007) Bruce McDonald
The Tracey Fragments, starring Ellen Page (Hard Candy and Juno) as its protagonist, Tracey Berkowitz, starts off as a film about high school worries and teenage angst. It then progresses into something a lot darker than that. The film explores the fine line between the well and the insane and matches opposites to create an extreme version of teenage life gone badly. Contrasting the rural suburban town in which Tracey lives at the start of the film, with the underbelly of the city and its dodgy inhabitants, soon to become her new home as she roughs it on the streets, the film manages to create two very different worlds. Tracey’s character at the start of the film is a 15 year old girl who has trouble fitting in at school and doesn’t get on well with her parents. This is a character which many teenage viewers can relate to and sympathise with. However, after the death of her younger brother, who disappears whilst in her care, she turns from confused, hormonal teen into a schizophrenic, borderline personality sufferer on the edge. Ellen Page’s youthful appearance paints a haunting and disturbing picture of a young girl on a downward spiral to depression. A love/ infatuation with a boy at school, who Tracey sleeps with, adds a strange and surreal element to the film. Billy Zero (Slim Twig) provides a fantasy world, with his rock star looks and front man swagger, again juxtaposed with the reality in which Tracey is living. The dream - like scenes are very well contrasted with the shots of the dark, drab buses and the badly lit underpasses in the city. The addition of the ‘shrink’, a strange looking she - male type character, always filmed in a white room has very clinical connotations, typical of films about ‘mental illnesses’. The way in which the film is edited illustrates that it has been adapted from a play. The cutting and pasting of scenes, which rapidly flick between one another, make The Tracey Fragments a very ‘artsy’ piece. A soundtrack boasting artists such as Broken Social Scene, Peaches, Foals, The FemBots and Patti Smith is also a perfect example of an indie film doing it right. This film is not for the easily depressed as it proves for uncomfortable viewing at times. Ellen Page plays a blinder as always with her witty but slightly insane take on the role. As far as independent films go, this is definitely something special.
The Tracey Fragments, starring Ellen Page (Hard Candy and Juno) as its protagonist, Tracey Berkowitz, starts off as a film about high school worries and teenage angst. It then progresses into something a lot darker than that. The film explores the fine line between the well and the insane and matches opposites to create an extreme version of teenage life gone badly. Contrasting the rural suburban town in which Tracey lives at the start of the film, with the underbelly of the city and its dodgy inhabitants, soon to become her new home as she roughs it on the streets, the film manages to create two very different worlds. Tracey’s character at the start of the film is a 15 year old girl who has trouble fitting in at school and doesn’t get on well with her parents. This is a character which many teenage viewers can relate to and sympathise with. However, after the death of her younger brother, who disappears whilst in her care, she turns from confused, hormonal teen into a schizophrenic, borderline personality sufferer on the edge. Ellen Page’s youthful appearance paints a haunting and disturbing picture of a young girl on a downward spiral to depression. A love/ infatuation with a boy at school, who Tracey sleeps with, adds a strange and surreal element to the film. Billy Zero (Slim Twig) provides a fantasy world, with his rock star looks and front man swagger, again juxtaposed with the reality in which Tracey is living. The dream - like scenes are very well contrasted with the shots of the dark, drab buses and the badly lit underpasses in the city. The addition of the ‘shrink’, a strange looking she - male type character, always filmed in a white room has very clinical connotations, typical of films about ‘mental illnesses’. The way in which the film is edited illustrates that it has been adapted from a play. The cutting and pasting of scenes, which rapidly flick between one another, make The Tracey Fragments a very ‘artsy’ piece. A soundtrack boasting artists such as Broken Social Scene, Peaches, Foals, The FemBots and Patti Smith is also a perfect example of an indie film doing it right. This film is not for the easily depressed as it proves for uncomfortable viewing at times. Ellen Page plays a blinder as always with her witty but slightly insane take on the role. As far as independent films go, this is definitely something special.
Snow Day aka The Gaza Strip
Since when did snowballing become an actual warzone?
When London was hit by 'adverse' weather and our educational institutions were closed everyone went a little bit mental. If the North had endured such weather i am almost sure no one would have so much as batted an eyelid. But because this happened to occur in London, everyone went, as i said, pretty wierd.
The students of Don Gratton House donned their warmest clothes and went across the road to the Tower Hamlets estate, or what can only be described as the scariest estate in the East End, to enjoy the powder like fun. It was only when some Asian lads stopped their car in the middle of the street and began to retaliate with their own icy missiles that things got a little bit heated so to speak. After a short period of playful fun, one of these youths described the snowball fight as being like the Gaza Strip.
Now i'm not sure about this but how a playful snow ball fight between straight thinking individuals turned into what they perceived as the Gaza Strip confuses me. Perhaps that small scenario is what is wrong with this world ey? Come on guys, stop the war and lets make snow angels instead :)
When London was hit by 'adverse' weather and our educational institutions were closed everyone went a little bit mental. If the North had endured such weather i am almost sure no one would have so much as batted an eyelid. But because this happened to occur in London, everyone went, as i said, pretty wierd.
The students of Don Gratton House donned their warmest clothes and went across the road to the Tower Hamlets estate, or what can only be described as the scariest estate in the East End, to enjoy the powder like fun. It was only when some Asian lads stopped their car in the middle of the street and began to retaliate with their own icy missiles that things got a little bit heated so to speak. After a short period of playful fun, one of these youths described the snowball fight as being like the Gaza Strip.
Now i'm not sure about this but how a playful snow ball fight between straight thinking individuals turned into what they perceived as the Gaza Strip confuses me. Perhaps that small scenario is what is wrong with this world ey? Come on guys, stop the war and lets make snow angels instead :)
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