Shock Corridor

I just seen a film at the pictures, well a wee while ago there, and I rarely write about new stuff here because...because...well I'm too...y'know...too *Ahem* lazy, but I think I might have loved this film and I think I might have loved how it used technology and so that's maybe an important thing for me to think about. That said there is absolutely no need for me to subject you to those thoughts, but that has never stopped me before. Ohh and there might be * spoilers* but I don't think so, I've seen it though so I'm probably not the best judge. Anyway the film was  Gravity ( Alfonso Cuarón, 2013 ). Starring Sandra Bullock as Ryan Stone, and George Clooney in a supporting role as Matt Kowalski. The film is the first one where I can remember people actually pushing you to see it in 3D, not only people but film critics too (if you can stomach it you can watch Mark Kermode make a typically self-indulgent mess of telling us that it is good here ) and for what it&

Tom Cruise. The End. Not really, but…yes. For what it's worth my opinion of the man is that he's hugely overrated and annoying. Totally undeserving of his cinematic stature - yes that was a height joke, cheap and cruel but I'm sure he'll get over it (once you start with them it is really difficult to stop). Anyhee, the main reason I hate - and I do mean hate - Top Gun  (Tony Scott, 1986) is that it encapsulates everything wrong with the 80s and human nature. A mishmash of GO ME! hair gel, Reaganomics/Thatcherism and narcissism. It oozes the specific level of bile inducing self confidence required to wear day-glo spandex and leg warmers. A celebration of egotism, greed, self promotion, and aggressive career climbing - step on/use anyone. "Too aggressive. Yeah, I guess when I see something I go right after it." Maverick says that in an attempt to woo a lady … yeah, I'm not even going near the potentially problematic juxtaposition of aggression and se

Howdy. I've been thinking about doing this post for a while, but for one reason or another I shied away from it, I'm still not convinced that it isn't gruesomely self-indulgent - but it has got some film stuff in it. I'm sorry for the size of it (something I've had to say way too often in my life in various situations). Right if you're still here - I have Aspergers. I'm very low on the scale and some people oddly take great delight in telling me that I don't have it at all and some even get pissed off about it, no idea why that should be. This is by no means a "Hey every body feel sorry for me" post, or a "let me off for being a prick, I'm special" post because I'm not and nobody should. I am happy with Aspergers, or at least I'm happy knowing that I have Aspergers, as Paddy Considine said when he was diagnosed fairly recently,  'It's allowed me to make sense of so many things I didn't understand before - an

I'm going to try and arrange letters in such a way that you'll get an idea of why I think Brief Encounter  (David Lean, 1945) is one of the greatest films I've ever seen (to give this claim some frame of reference I draw your attention to the fact that I have seen in excess of 17 films). This kinda feeds from my last post in a way, as too long ago now I visited Cranforth station in Lancashire, the main setting of Brief Encounter , it wasn't planned and when the opportunity came up I was genuinely excited. When we got there, I squealed and ran around taking poorly composed photographs, and looking at memorabilia, and strongly fighting the urge to sit and watch the film that was about to begin on a small TV in the station, and drinking tea through a big soppy grin, and pretty much everyone else didn't care. It was there though that I realised just how much I really cared about this film and when I came back I gushed at folk and foisted poorly composed photos on th

Howdy. I went on a holiday. I went camping. I went camping round some of Scotland to places where films were filmed, or places that reminded me of certain films (just put that in there before it becomes obvious). The plan was to do a blog post for each day but that was when I thought I was just going to look at a disparate collection of films in different locations around the country. That changed. So what the hell was I thinking!? I don't know really, I did it because I love film and almost five years ago to the day I spent 10 days in Nairn watching films, and that was one of the greatest experiences of my life, so I think I thought I'd try and emulate that in some way. It was never going to be the same as the last time because that was in once place, with hundreds of others and there were beanbags lying about and readily available scones, but the idea was there to just enjoy films in a different way. That's where the first night came from and the choice of  The Fe

Howdy, first thing first - is that a terrible title? I think that might be a terrible title. I have to do this stuff unsupervised so things like that will happen. Anyhee, this post will have a wee look a 'strong' female roles by focusing on two recent-ish animations:   Brave (Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman ( co directed Steve Purcell ), 2012) and  Monsters vs Aliens ( Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon, 2009). The main reason for this is twofold I've loved Monsters vs Aliens  since the first time I saw it, in Norway no less, and I think it was woefully undervalued, in particular the lead character always who stood out for me. The other reason is the (over)praising, as I see it, of  Brave; it was garnished with awards , fawning reviews, and all sorts so it must be good, right? Well, it's not only good but it is politically challenging! It's shaking cages and rattling...some...some other cages - and knocking bins over or something...I dunno - it's progressive! Bu