Pynchon

I didn't get back last night. I was busy chilling, eating food, sympathising with Lorraine on her awful day, dozing off, watching "Bonkers" (oooh, that Lisa Tarbuck!) and "Rescue Me" (oooh, that Dennis Leary!) and then taking to my bed to enjoy a coma like sleep.

As much as getting up really early (6am) on my days off affords me the opportunity to get loads of things done, I don't think that I will be doing it tomorrow (Saturday). I probably need to acclimatise myself for the all night stint of the Oscars on Sunday night/Monday morning. It's an interesting Oscars this year because, with a couple of exceptions, I have no idea who is going to win the major awards. I will post predictions guesses, but not yet. Lorraine and I normally have a competition where we choose the winners and the person with the least correct pays for a meal for the two of us. Lorraine is mighty pissed off at paying for a meal at this time every year. Ha! Ha! Ha! Maybe I should let her win? A nice boyfriend would do that.

Talking of movies, yesterday I saw "For Your Consideration".



I thought "For Your Consideration" was OK. Amusing enough and a perfectly acceptable way to fill a couple of hours on a wet Thursday morning. It shares the same core cast as Christopher Guest's last two films "Best In Show" and "A Mighty Wind", but is definitely not as good as either of those. This time Christopher Guest did not shoot the film as a mockumentary, which was strange because the material would have suited that approach very well. Maybe "For Your Consideration" would have worked better if he had? I don't know.

I did love Catherine O'Hara as a nice, middle aged actress who lets the thought of an Oscar nomination completely go to her head and, it has to be said, Parker Posey's one woman show is utterly bonkers. Also, Eugene Levy can make me laugh just by walking onscreen and I want hair just like Christopher Guest.

Today I saw the new Jim Carrey film "The Number 23" .



I'm torn on this one. Exactly 50-50. I did enjoy it, and the first half is great and full of ideas and atmosphere, but then "The Number 23" gets dafter and dafter, sillier and sillier, and more and more overwrought as it progresses. It's definitely a stew of a film. (That might not be too bad if you like a good stew.) A mix of mathematics, paranoid conspiracy, supernatural, murder mystery and private dick/femme fatale fantasies. I thought it had passing echoes of films like "Angel Heart" (which I think is a little masterpiece) and "Conspiracy Theory" (which I don't).

I do like Jim Carrey, but I don't know if he was the right actor for the lead in this film. Lorraine really hates Jim Carrey's gurning, rubber faced, loon roles (her words). Hell, I don't mind the "Ace Ventura" films or "Liar, Liar" or "Me, Myself And Irene" or "Bruce Almighty" et al, they are what they are. But at his best ("Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind" , "Man On The Moon" and "The Truman Show") he can be brilliant.

Jim Carrey fan letter over.

Other news.

Two thirds of The Jam are touring. I have got tickets for the Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton show and I am very happy at the thought of seeing them perform, with or without Paul Weller. There has been some dismissive talk about a Weller-less Jam playing live and I have heard words bandied about like "travesty" and "disgrace" and "shame".

Frankly, I couldn't give a monkeys.

One of the best bands I have ever seen live were a Jam tribute band called All Mod Cons. I saw them years ago. Absolutely magnificent. Brilliant. Full of energy and bite and power, and those songs... Anyway, you get the drift. Simply put, I will be seeing one of the greatest rhythm sections to come out of the British New Wave playing the songs that made them famous, and even with a different front man, that is something to look forward to.

Rant over.

Anyway, I have Moroccan curry to cook. And remember...

"Going Underground (Underground)"
"Let the brass bands play and feet start to pound..."

Labels: Movies, Music