Wednesday, May 23, 2007
I'm back.
On Saturday I went to see "Magicians".
"Magicians" has had mixed reviews in the UK. It's from the same producer/writing team as "Peep Show" (Andrew O'Connor, Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain), and if you like "Peep Show", which I certainly do, I don't see why you shouldn't enjoy "Magicians" a great deal. I did. I thought that it was mostly really funny, with Mitchell and Webb playing variations on their familiar "Peep Show" persona's.
It's very British. Set in dreary and mundane locations and all about the plight of losers and misguided dreamers. I cannot see "Magicians" even getting a release overseas, but it will go down a storm when it inevitably gets shown on television, it's natural home.
So, best bits?
Jessica Stevenson's mental audition to the strains of Electric Six's "Gay Bar". (What a brilliant single that was.) Steve Edge's selfish and egotistical magician and his winner of a chat up line. His opening line to the Jersey crowd is a classic. Peter Capaldi's arrogant and sexist compere. The stooge demonstrating his "trip". Robert Webb's mentalist act. David Mitchell's heartfelt tribute to the woman he loves... and it's immediate retraction.
Cracking stuff. Give it a go.
On Monday I went to see "Black Snake Moan".
How's this for a precis of a movie?
Ageing blues man Samuel L. Jackson endeavours to cure sexpot Christina Ricci of her nymphomania, by chaining her to his radiator.
There was no way that I could miss that film, and I didn't.
"Black Snake Moan" is actually really good. Although it is true to say that there are a fair bit of Ms. Ricci's assets on show, "Black Snake Moan" is more than just a latter day exploitation movie. It is a lot less salacious and a lot more thoughtful than you might imagine. Some interesting points made about childhood sexual abuse leading the sexual dysfunction in later life, and the way that the surface image of a person is not necessarily the true image.
Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson both act their socks off, but I doubt that either of them will be nominated for anything for "Black Snake Moan". Shame. Good performance as well by Justin Timberlake as Christina Ricci's absent boyfriend. The only man who can keep her under control, but also a man with issues of his own.
Interesting film.
Last night my Brother and I went to see The Who.
The 6th time for me (3 times before at the NEC, 1 time at Earls Court and now the 2nd time at the NIA). They were really good and were better than the last time I saw them, I think in 2004. For two guys in their early sixties (backed by Pino Palladino (50) on bass, Simon Townsend (50?) - Pete's brother - on second guitar, Rabbit Bundrick (59) on keyboards and the amazing Zak Starkey (42) on drums) they have fantastic energy. Microphones were swung, guitars were power chorded. Pete Townsend was in good humour, which is not always the case. Truly excellent. Really big, clear screens at the back and to the side of the stage, as well. It didn't matter where you sat, you would have seen everything.
It was a long show and they played lots of old favourites (you don't want another list, do you?) plus some songs from the recent album "Endless Wire" (which I don't have). Amazingly enough, the new album sounds just like classic Who. A guy at work offered to burn me a copy, so I will have to take him up on it.
Finally... I have caught up. I should really get back into the habit of posting on the day, or the day, after things have happened.
It's back to work tomorrow. The week has gone so quickly. So far I have managed to avoid it, but tomorrow I start working on the new product. It's scary. I know fuck all about the new product.
Only another two days and then it is three days off, courtesy of another bank holiday.
Lorraine is well. We drift...
On Saturday I went to see "Magicians".
"Magicians" has had mixed reviews in the UK. It's from the same producer/writing team as "Peep Show" (Andrew O'Connor, Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain), and if you like "Peep Show", which I certainly do, I don't see why you shouldn't enjoy "Magicians" a great deal. I did. I thought that it was mostly really funny, with Mitchell and Webb playing variations on their familiar "Peep Show" persona's.
It's very British. Set in dreary and mundane locations and all about the plight of losers and misguided dreamers. I cannot see "Magicians" even getting a release overseas, but it will go down a storm when it inevitably gets shown on television, it's natural home.
So, best bits?
Jessica Stevenson's mental audition to the strains of Electric Six's "Gay Bar". (What a brilliant single that was.) Steve Edge's selfish and egotistical magician and his winner of a chat up line. His opening line to the Jersey crowd is a classic. Peter Capaldi's arrogant and sexist compere. The stooge demonstrating his "trip". Robert Webb's mentalist act. David Mitchell's heartfelt tribute to the woman he loves... and it's immediate retraction.
Cracking stuff. Give it a go.
On Monday I went to see "Black Snake Moan".
How's this for a precis of a movie?
Ageing blues man Samuel L. Jackson endeavours to cure sexpot Christina Ricci of her nymphomania, by chaining her to his radiator.
There was no way that I could miss that film, and I didn't.
"Black Snake Moan" is actually really good. Although it is true to say that there are a fair bit of Ms. Ricci's assets on show, "Black Snake Moan" is more than just a latter day exploitation movie. It is a lot less salacious and a lot more thoughtful than you might imagine. Some interesting points made about childhood sexual abuse leading the sexual dysfunction in later life, and the way that the surface image of a person is not necessarily the true image.
Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson both act their socks off, but I doubt that either of them will be nominated for anything for "Black Snake Moan". Shame. Good performance as well by Justin Timberlake as Christina Ricci's absent boyfriend. The only man who can keep her under control, but also a man with issues of his own.
Interesting film.
Last night my Brother and I went to see The Who.
The 6th time for me (3 times before at the NEC, 1 time at Earls Court and now the 2nd time at the NIA). They were really good and were better than the last time I saw them, I think in 2004. For two guys in their early sixties (backed by Pino Palladino (50) on bass, Simon Townsend (50?) - Pete's brother - on second guitar, Rabbit Bundrick (59) on keyboards and the amazing Zak Starkey (42) on drums) they have fantastic energy. Microphones were swung, guitars were power chorded. Pete Townsend was in good humour, which is not always the case. Truly excellent. Really big, clear screens at the back and to the side of the stage, as well. It didn't matter where you sat, you would have seen everything.
It was a long show and they played lots of old favourites (you don't want another list, do you?) plus some songs from the recent album "Endless Wire" (which I don't have). Amazingly enough, the new album sounds just like classic Who. A guy at work offered to burn me a copy, so I will have to take him up on it.
Finally... I have caught up. I should really get back into the habit of posting on the day, or the day, after things have happened.
It's back to work tomorrow. The week has gone so quickly. So far I have managed to avoid it, but tomorrow I start working on the new product. It's scary. I know fuck all about the new product.
Only another two days and then it is three days off, courtesy of another bank holiday.
Lorraine is well. We drift...
# posted by Pynchon @ 8:54 pm 
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Did you say Christina Ricci tied to a radiator with her waps out?
*shuffles off to add this to his DVD rental queue*
*shuffles off to add this to his DVD rental queue*
She does give them some air, a couple of times. Sadly Christina is quite thin these days, so they do not approach the gloriousness that they reached at about the time she made "Buffalo 66" or "The Opposite Of Sex".
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