Avetar
I was told this movie was something like Pocahontas crossed with Smurfs with gigantism… …I would add that it looks like it was set in a world inspired by Roger Dean paintings.
I saw this movie at the Imax Cinema, the largest 3D screen in the UK. It was pretty impressive, and the effects were immersive rather than some earlier 3D movies where the effects are obvious and detract from the overall film. The story itself was quite cheesy, loaded as it was with eco, anti colonial messages and some quite cartoon like characters, however this too fitted with the overall feel.
I enjoyed the whole experience very much.
Before hand I went to the The Sacred Made Real exhibition at the National Gallery, where I saw some absolutely amazing paintings and sculptures, that were truely moving...
‘The Sacred Made Real’ presents a landmark reappraisal of religious art from the Spanish Golden Age with works created to shock the senses and stir the soul.
Paintings, including masterpieces by Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán, are displayed for the very first time alongside Spain’s remarkable polychrome wooden sculptures.
Inspiring devotion
The religious artists of 17th-century Spain pursued a quest for realism with uncompromising zeal and genius, creating works to inspire devotion among believers.
By displaying works side by side, this exhibition explores the intense dialogue between the arts of sculpture and painting, revealing that they were intricately linked and interdependent.
Hyperrealism
Sculptors often went to extraordinary lengths to achieve greater realism, introducing glass eyes and tears, as well as ivory teeth and human hair to their sculptures. The separate skill of polychroming, performed by specially trained painters, added to the effect with remarkable flesh tones.
‘The Sacred Made Real’ offers the opportunity to see an art form rarely seen outside Spain, featuring masters of polychrome sculpture, including Pedro de Mena, Juan Martínez Montañés and Gregorio Fernández. At the same time, it demonstrates that the painters of the Spanish Golden Age were able to achieve the same disconcerting realism on canvas.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
New wheels…
I got my new company car last week. I have upgraded from the little Vauxhall Astra to an equally little BMW 1 series. I didn’t want to pay extra for the metallic paint so was limited to the three base options, black, red and white – I thought the black was way too ‘common’, the red too ‘boy-racer’ so plumbed for the white, which Sue thinks is a bit too ‘Essex’.
Before the new car comes I was advised to clean out the crap from the shed and get it down to the dump in the old car. Not much fun and had to the spend ages cleaning the think for the hand-over.
The evening of the car delivery it started to snow, covering the village in several inches of fresh powered. In the morning the white car was lost under a pile of equally white snow. We decided to try and get out of the village and we almost made it without assistance until we hit a patch of ice at the last corner. Sue got out and started to push (I would have done it, honest, but she can’t drive). One moment she was visible in the rear view mirror… …then she wasn’t. We got help from a neighbour but Sue ended up with bruised knees and soggy trousers.
I have hardly driven it since as we have had freezing temperatures that have turned the snow into ice and fresh snow and sleet adding to the difficult conditions.
Before the new car comes I was advised to clean out the crap from the shed and get it down to the dump in the old car. Not much fun and had to the spend ages cleaning the think for the hand-over.
The evening of the car delivery it started to snow, covering the village in several inches of fresh powered. In the morning the white car was lost under a pile of equally white snow. We decided to try and get out of the village and we almost made it without assistance until we hit a patch of ice at the last corner. Sue got out and started to push (I would have done it, honest, but she can’t drive). One moment she was visible in the rear view mirror… …then she wasn’t. We got help from a neighbour but Sue ended up with bruised knees and soggy trousers.
I have hardly driven it since as we have had freezing temperatures that have turned the snow into ice and fresh snow and sleet adding to the difficult conditions.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Blow on the pie...
Just seen in an article in a newspaper in the UK is a report of a New Zealand police office giving a suspect thief an unusual piece of advice.
When the suspect said he was 'going up the raod to get me a pie', the office replied 'at three o'clock in the morning, that pie has been in the warming drawer for probably 12 hours, it'll be thermonuclear. You must always blow on the pie. Always blow on the pie, safer communities together, OK'
This exchange was filmed some years ago for a tv program but now it is an internet sensation and has appear on morning tv in NZ.
When the suspect said he was 'going up the raod to get me a pie', the office replied 'at three o'clock in the morning, that pie has been in the warming drawer for probably 12 hours, it'll be thermonuclear. You must always blow on the pie. Always blow on the pie, safer communities together, OK'
This exchange was filmed some years ago for a tv program but now it is an internet sensation and has appear on morning tv in NZ.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Up In Smoke…
We had a whole bunch of friends around for Bonfire Night where we entertained with a supper and visited the local fireworks display. It was a lovely clear night and we were suitably amazed by the impressive display, issuing appropriate ‘ooh!’ and ‘ahh!’s as necessary.
Halloween…
Made a Jack-O-Lantern
For the first time ever I carved a pumpkin (home grown) for Halloween (though we don’t celebrate it – usually hiding behind closed curtains until the kids have gone to bed.
It looked pretty good and we displayed during our Bonfire Night Party
For the first time ever I carved a pumpkin (home grown) for Halloween (though we don’t celebrate it – usually hiding behind closed curtains until the kids have gone to bed.
It looked pretty good and we displayed during our Bonfire Night Party
More of wot I have heard…
Amazing Radio – the making of music
Amazing Tunes
I friend of mine who is into music and works part time as a Local Radio DJ, pointed me towards this new radio station and website. It seems to be unique in that it only plays unsigned artists and relies on sales generated from downloads to fund it. The concept is great and the music is pretty good too – of course you are unlikely to have heard any of it before.
'Amazing Radio is the world’s first radio station run by you… Taking the best from amazingtunes.com and presenting them on your DAB radio in the UK or online via our streaming service.
Spanning genres with ease, Amazing Radio plays great music from unsigned artists and best of all you get to decide what makes it on air and what doesn’t. amazingtunes.com allows you to buy, rate, playlist, tag and comment on your favourite tunes allowing us to understand what you want to hear on air.
So tune in to Amazing Radio and listen to music you’re about to love.'
Amazing Tunes
I friend of mine who is into music and works part time as a Local Radio DJ, pointed me towards this new radio station and website. It seems to be unique in that it only plays unsigned artists and relies on sales generated from downloads to fund it. The concept is great and the music is pretty good too – of course you are unlikely to have heard any of it before.
'Amazing Radio is the world’s first radio station run by you… Taking the best from amazingtunes.com and presenting them on your DAB radio in the UK or online via our streaming service.
Spanning genres with ease, Amazing Radio plays great music from unsigned artists and best of all you get to decide what makes it on air and what doesn’t. amazingtunes.com allows you to buy, rate, playlist, tag and comment on your favourite tunes allowing us to understand what you want to hear on air.
So tune in to Amazing Radio and listen to music you’re about to love.'
More of wot I have seen…
The Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club at the Wycombe Swan
http://www.buenavistasocialclub.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buena_Vista_Social_Club
http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Home
The band is a part of a larger collective of musicians who play in the Cuban style. Some are quite venerable and have been around for ever, while a few are younger. All are energetic and extremely accomplished artist and were given opportunities to showcase their skills throughout the concert.
Unless you are particularly into this type of music I would suggest that their self titled album is a good one to get.
http://www.buenavistasocialclub.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buena_Vista_Social_Club
http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Home
The band is a part of a larger collective of musicians who play in the Cuban style. Some are quite venerable and have been around for ever, while a few are younger. All are energetic and extremely accomplished artist and were given opportunities to showcase their skills throughout the concert.
Unless you are particularly into this type of music I would suggest that their self titled album is a good one to get.
More of wot I have read…
Nation by Terry Pratchett
This book was a pleasant departure from the Discworld series, and it addressed several different themes that are modern in concept even though the setting is historical. The author’s humour and style was familiar to those who have read his other books, but there were some more thoughtful elements apparent in this story.
‘Finding himself alone on a desert island when everything and everyone he knows and loved has been washed away in a huge storm, Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He's also completely alone - or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird and gives him a stick which can make fire. Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She's certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship's parrot. ‘
Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks
This was an entertaining book and I felt it was quite familiar – I may have read it before, or perhaps he has written about the same characters in another story. I like the character development and the background setting.
‘The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks or military action.
The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings she did not know him as well as she thought.
The drone known as Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew both of these people. It had once saved the woman's life by massacring her attackers in a particularly bloody manner. It believed the man to be a burnt-out case. But not even its machine intelligence could see the horrors in his past.’
This book was a pleasant departure from the Discworld series, and it addressed several different themes that are modern in concept even though the setting is historical. The author’s humour and style was familiar to those who have read his other books, but there were some more thoughtful elements apparent in this story.
‘Finding himself alone on a desert island when everything and everyone he knows and loved has been washed away in a huge storm, Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He's also completely alone - or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird and gives him a stick which can make fire. Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She's certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship's parrot. ‘
Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks
This was an entertaining book and I felt it was quite familiar – I may have read it before, or perhaps he has written about the same characters in another story. I like the character development and the background setting.
‘The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks or military action.
The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings she did not know him as well as she thought.
The drone known as Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew both of these people. It had once saved the woman's life by massacring her attackers in a particularly bloody manner. It believed the man to be a burnt-out case. But not even its machine intelligence could see the horrors in his past.’
More of wot I have seen…
More than a day in the air gives you plenty of time to watch movies, unfortunately there don’t always have a great selection to choose from. Here are some of those I saw.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
A bit of modern boys-own macho fun with all the elements covered – robots, shiny cars, sexy girls, explosions, more robots.
‘With the help of the Autobots, Sam and Mikaela must uncover the secret history of the Transformers presence on earth as they prepare for the return of an ancient Decepticon’.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
I haven’t seen the original, but this seemed to be quite well conceived and was certainly well executed. The story was gripping and the main characters were very well played.
‘A New York subway dispatcher has his day thrown into chaos when a subway train is hijacked by a criminal mastermind who intends to kill passengers unless he receives a large ransom.’
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
More madcap adventures with those lovable prehistoric characters.
‘When Sid the Sloth gets into trouble after creating a makeshift family from hijacked dinosaur eggs, the rest of the Ice Age gang attempts to rescue him from a mysterious underground world.’
The Hangover
A fascinatingly disturbing movie with a potential cautionary tale about the dangers of alcohol and drugs that all seems to be ignored with the unsatisfying ending.
‘Doug and his friends head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. However, the next morning his friends soon realise Doug is missing and that they have no recollection of the previous evening.’
Safari
A mad French comedy that relies on slapstick humour and very little plot.
‘When a tour organiser loses at poker to a feared mob, he is blackmailed into allowing an extra tourist to join his upcoming safari, and must ensure the safe delivery of a locked briefcase.’
EX
A soppy chick flick with a very saccharine aftertaste to it.
‘EX looks at a series of intertwined episodes that revolve around matters arising from the end of a love affair.’
Fermat's Room
This French film I liked very much for its outrageous concept and intellectual conceits.
‘Four mathematicians invited to solve a great enigma at an abandoned house discover they are in a shrinking room that will crush them to death if they do not discover what connects them.’
On a return journey from one side of the world to another there was plenty of opportunity for watching films and there were quite a few more that we saw that we have ignored either intentionally or by accident.
In addition to this we went out as a family and saw a new release at the cinema.
Surrogates
We saw this in NZ on the day it was released and being a Sci-Fi nut I enjoyed it very much. Sue was quite disturbed by the initial appearance of Bruce Willis’s surrogate. The world is well realised and the supporting websites are fun to trawl through.
And recently we saw at Dorking
2012
This is a bonkers movie so full of CGI effects that I guess it could have been made in a film lot just about anywhere. The effects are so wild that they lose all credibility and in doing so lose any impact too. Even so there is a certain satisfaction in watching wholesale destruction (primarily of America) knowing it is all fake – and as it takes a while to destroy the earth it is probably a large tub of pop-corn sort of movie.
And at Guildford
Men Who Stare at Goats
This was a mad and not all that well thought out story that suffered from a lack of direction. Even the all star cast could not lift the film above the mundane. The title refers to several experiments that the US and Soviet military were supposed to have been working on (though I understood these were back in the cold war days) to try and determine if it could be possible to use extrasensory powers to tactical advantage.
Rather than just explore the historical farce that surrounded these experiments in a historical context, the film makers tried to update it and make a political point – I think they missed the target.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
A bit of modern boys-own macho fun with all the elements covered – robots, shiny cars, sexy girls, explosions, more robots.
‘With the help of the Autobots, Sam and Mikaela must uncover the secret history of the Transformers presence on earth as they prepare for the return of an ancient Decepticon’.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
I haven’t seen the original, but this seemed to be quite well conceived and was certainly well executed. The story was gripping and the main characters were very well played.
‘A New York subway dispatcher has his day thrown into chaos when a subway train is hijacked by a criminal mastermind who intends to kill passengers unless he receives a large ransom.’
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
More madcap adventures with those lovable prehistoric characters.
‘When Sid the Sloth gets into trouble after creating a makeshift family from hijacked dinosaur eggs, the rest of the Ice Age gang attempts to rescue him from a mysterious underground world.’
The Hangover
A fascinatingly disturbing movie with a potential cautionary tale about the dangers of alcohol and drugs that all seems to be ignored with the unsatisfying ending.
‘Doug and his friends head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. However, the next morning his friends soon realise Doug is missing and that they have no recollection of the previous evening.’
Safari
A mad French comedy that relies on slapstick humour and very little plot.
‘When a tour organiser loses at poker to a feared mob, he is blackmailed into allowing an extra tourist to join his upcoming safari, and must ensure the safe delivery of a locked briefcase.’
EX
A soppy chick flick with a very saccharine aftertaste to it.
‘EX looks at a series of intertwined episodes that revolve around matters arising from the end of a love affair.’
Fermat's Room
This French film I liked very much for its outrageous concept and intellectual conceits.
‘Four mathematicians invited to solve a great enigma at an abandoned house discover they are in a shrinking room that will crush them to death if they do not discover what connects them.’
On a return journey from one side of the world to another there was plenty of opportunity for watching films and there were quite a few more that we saw that we have ignored either intentionally or by accident.
In addition to this we went out as a family and saw a new release at the cinema.
Surrogates
We saw this in NZ on the day it was released and being a Sci-Fi nut I enjoyed it very much. Sue was quite disturbed by the initial appearance of Bruce Willis’s surrogate. The world is well realised and the supporting websites are fun to trawl through.
And recently we saw at Dorking
2012
This is a bonkers movie so full of CGI effects that I guess it could have been made in a film lot just about anywhere. The effects are so wild that they lose all credibility and in doing so lose any impact too. Even so there is a certain satisfaction in watching wholesale destruction (primarily of America) knowing it is all fake – and as it takes a while to destroy the earth it is probably a large tub of pop-corn sort of movie.
And at Guildford
Men Who Stare at Goats
This was a mad and not all that well thought out story that suffered from a lack of direction. Even the all star cast could not lift the film above the mundane. The title refers to several experiments that the US and Soviet military were supposed to have been working on (though I understood these were back in the cold war days) to try and determine if it could be possible to use extrasensory powers to tactical advantage.
Rather than just explore the historical farce that surrounded these experiments in a historical context, the film makers tried to update it and make a political point – I think they missed the target.
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