Cashback (2006)

Watched this fabulously brilliant, original and funny film last night. It mixes the banally mundane with a touch of romance with an intriguing fantasy twist, capturing in detail the observations of the main character Ben, played uncompromisingly well by Sean Biggerstaff (probably best remembered as Oliver Wood from Harry Potter). Why can't more films be this honest and pleasurable?

Robin Hood....Episode Two

I have to admit that tonight's episode of Robin Hood wasn't too bad....well that was less difficult than I thought it would be to say. Apart from the glaringly obvious green gaming tables in Nottingham Castle and a few contemporary phrases chucked in willy nilly it was actually rather entertaining. And if you think about it so much could have gone wrong in this episode.

So the premise was rather similar to three/ four (if you count the original) well known Hollywood heist movies and Jonas Armstrong can in no way be compared to the sex god who is George Clooney, but things moved along quite nicely, there was a little tension and a couple of good 'cor blimey' moments, which has previous been difficult to capture in the series due to the continuing theme of Robin the action hero....with 'PC' action.

Also Dexter Fletcher, yes, him off Hotel Babylon (for the youngsters)/Press Gang (for the over the hill mob) was better than expected as the German Count....when he first opened his mouth I inwardly groaned thinking the accent was going to be cringe worthy camped up (aka not unlike 'allo 'allo)...but instead it was passed off very well, pleasing mainly because Keith Allen has the monopoly on camp in this series.

So, in all a vast improvement on last weeks antics...now if the art department would actually sit back and look and the completely contemporary wardrobe and tone it down a tad then this series would actually stand a chance.

Sony Bravia - Play Doh

Bless those people at Sony who so some of the best adverts on the telly....bouncey balls in San Francisco, Paint Fireworks in Glasgow and now Play-Doh Rabbits in NYC...Genius.

Robin Hood....Seriously What Are They Thinking?

Since I just wrote a whole dissertation on the subject I thought I give the new version of Robin Hood another go. During the repeated viewing of the first series for my studies I realised there were parts which were actually quit good. However this was not a strong episode and had some pretty farcical moments too boot.

I know that it's supposed to be contemporary and that it's been a while since the target audience had something to compare it to but even so I'm pretty sure that descriptive word such as 'skanky' and 'manky' were not part of the slang in medieval times. Also post-modern popular cultural referencing can be funny and clever when used in the right scenario but I don't think 'It's goodbye from me...and it's goodbye from him' when leaving Nottingham Castle is it.

So the themes of the thing were that Robin is captured while carrying out some derring-do to protect a mother and her two young children from the evil Sheriff...and by 'evil' I obviously mean camp as hell. The 'mother' actually turns out to be the sheriff's sister who had used prosthetics and a wig to disguise herself...now what is (once again) wrong with that statement....PROSTHETICS.....there is absolutely now way I can justify that one....yes I know Robin was always disguising himself in the tales but it was always things like straw stuffed down his jumper, mud on his face (which I might add is something else missing from this medieval Britain) and a hood....not synthetic substances several hundred years out of date...grrr.

Its a shame really as there was some interesting themes...I like the idea of a turncoat within the midst of the 'outlaw' gang and that there was some actual use of the forest in hiding and making escape from a robbery...as is tradition. Unfortunately is the production continues with over compensating with the contemporary referencing fans will probably turn off in droves and a season 3 won't see the light of day....and therefore the family drama on a Saturday night will be lost again until the far superior Doctor Who returns.

In terms of Robin Hood...If its a enjoyably delicious, dark, moody and funny show full of swashbuckling action that you're after, then buy the box sets of Robin of Sherwood and watch repeatedly.

Graduation Booking 101

I finally got round to organising my graduation stuff this week, well actually I've been trying to sort it all out for ages but various annoyances meant that I couldn't do it until this week. So, anyway I diligently went online and attempted the 'simple' process to book three tickets...besides me that is (I'm going to forget to go at this rate).....say 'yes' to the buffet and rent to gown, mortar board and colours for the 'big event'.

Simple my arse...after trying for an hour to get past the first page I optioned for the phone number 'in case of problems'....got shafted passed at least three different people, all giving different answers to 'can I book over the phone?' and finally a nice lady.....who took a whole five minutes to take my money.

£114 later and I'm all booked, suited and ready to go....but now I'm thinking how un-prepared I am...I'm going to have to buy a new outfit since mother says that jeans and my favourite Goonies Tee won't cut it.....also there's the whole walking, possibly up some steps, across a stage, wearing said gown and mortar board, to collect my degree....without tripping and falling on my bum. And then there's posing for photos, those official 'school like' photos taken by a condescending prat who tells you to smile without smiling and has you in a complete unnatural sitting position....Urgh.....and the whole thing takes place in November....cold, wet, windy, squally November...yep, pure genius that'un.

The Non-sensical World of Tom Cruise

So, apparently Tom Cruise is building a bunker under his house in Colorado, to survive an attack from aliens at the cost of £5 Million....Hmmm.....is it possible we can 'Orson Wells' one now and get the silly little man to disappear for a while?

Drum Roll......

Well results are finally in and survey says: Second Class (First Division) aka Upper Second Class Honours degree aka high 2.1. Not quite the 1st I was planning on but after the year I've had I'll take it and run thank you very much. Oh and i did manged a 72% for my dissertation aka the thing which would not die...so I'm feelin' kinda warm and fuzzy inside about that one...I deserve a treat of some sort I think...something chocolate in flavour perhaps.

Then I guess it's back to the job hunting....I can hardly contain my enthusiasm...oh wait, yes I can.

Paddington Marmite

So apparently Paddington Bear is making a comeback to our screens and he's jacking in his trademark marmalade sandwiches for Marmite....well if we're updating an institution then may i suggest that he change the duffle coat and hat for a hoodie, get a bit of bling and toss the shabby looking suitcase for something a little more Yves Saint Lauret.

Stargate: Atlantis Season 4

Officially the new series of Stargate: Atlantis doesn't air until Sep 28th (and that's in the US) unofficially, and very hush, hush with a little bit of oops on the side, is the first two episodes which I have just finished watching.

Absolutely no spoilers from me but it certainly moves thing into the next direction of SGA that's both characters (old and new) and story, so a big thumbs up from me. What was a little weird was that the unofficial copies had no musical soundtrack (hence the unofficial) which was instantly noticeable and very much missed (even though I was kind of humming it in my head as it went along....I guess I may have seen one or two many episodes repeatedly). Still I will be watching them again as and when they air here in the UK....It will certainly be interesting to compare the before and after from my academic position.

Homer the Cow

Dad learned a valuable lesson today....never tickle the nose of a cow with a cold.....especially when your standing right in front of it.

Also meet Homer.....

.....who shortly after this photo was taken belched as only a Homer could.

Angmering Park

Another glorious day and too nice to spend indoors, say sat behind a desk or serving some schmuck double espresso lattes sprinkled with chocolate on the top....nope, far too nice for that. I was wandering through woods and countryside yet again. Angmering woods and park to be precise.

It was a nice enough walk, about 5 miles which took us halfway round the woods and back to the car. Unfortunately there was little wildlife to report. Plenty of squirrels, busy harvesting the conkers from the trees....they now may be a little peeved that their hard work was pinched by the cumbersome giants who noisily trudged through their domain. Also there were plenty of birds fliting about but too quickly for me to identify and generally there were pigeons, rooks and black birds....so nothing that unusual.....Oh and dad spotted a dead grass snake when we sat on a hay bale for lunch and then dared me to pick it up....after a little poking with a stick I declined.

After lunch we walked through a field and back into woods along a track which lead back to the car. A pleasant enough walk, very peaceful even with the A27 not too far in the distance.

Oh, and we did happen upon a field with a herd of bloody great cows with bloody great horns. I trudged across brambles and stinging nettles to get a couple of up close and personal pics. I'm sure one was sizing me up and would had charged given the first opportunity, so I hi-tailed it out of the way before they got bored of chewing the grass.

All the good work calorie burning was promptly undone with the craving for a Double Decker on the way home....meh.

I Survived Clapham Woods circa 2007

Finally some decent weather....it's only taken all bloody summer. But September has arrived and with it a chance for me to get out and enjoy where I live.

Firstly on Friday dad and I took a wander around the top end of Pagham Harbour and then north across the fields hoping to end up at South Mundham...well that was the plan but we somehow ended up nearer Sidlesham to the west and had to double back to regain some sense of direction. This was with a map and a father who boasts about being a former member of the local boys club who regularly took part in night orienteering exercises over the downs....hmmmm, I'm saying nothing.

So eventually we made our way around the route ending up back at the harbour which is a fantastic place for any bird twitchers out there and for the lazy amongst us there is a hut with a list of all the birds seen at the entrance which is a pleasant gesture.

Friday night and I was off to Clogs' for a DVD night...she provided War of the Worlds and a bucket of KFC and I contributed party rings, marshmallow tea cakes (which are completely droolable), chocolate fingers and a choice selection from my own DVD library.

The verdict on War of the Worlds is could do better....press the stop button as the alien tripod is downed in Boston to alleviate any yelling at a complete implausible story conclusion....seriously Spielberg what were you thinking. Fortunately we finished the night with Heathers which more than makes up for the bad film preceding it.

Saturday, we swung by a local Co-op to pick up picnic food and then caught a bus to High Salvington where we picked up a footpath which leads to the infamous Clapham Woods. Why infamous? well over the years people and dogs who venture into said woods often disappear without a trace....the last being a vicar. This along with Satanic rituals, UFOs and apparitions of a giant bear being associated with the area one would have to wonder why anyone would venture withing several miles of the place. Well it's a well known fact that I have little sense and, to be honest, Chloe isn't much better so we trooped into the woods where 'birds don't sing'.

To be honest I don't think there's much to worry about. There was plenty of wildlife and a very peaceful pasture filled with sheep in which we spent several minutes lazing in the sunshine. We walked all the way through without incident to Clapham Village and the 12th Century church where a helpful old gent provided a little information about the place and in the graveyard I fussed over an adorable ginger cat.

We started back through the woods and diverted back towards town after Clogs' had partaken in the new sport of pheasant chasing....I think they won.

Ending up in Durrington we discovered a fair near our bus stop and wiled away an hour eating candy floss and, in Chloe's case, pooping her pants on an ultra fast wavy slide. (if you look carefully you can see a look of complete and utter terror which I gleefully caught on camera)

We trooped back to her house and attempted to watch Willow in the evening, but we were far too tired and after some girlie chat with her housemates we retired to bed around 11pm. The next day I woke with more aches and pains than I thought possible, which indicated that I am way out of practice.....damn the wet English summer.

Cadbury Advert

Just saw this brillant advert on the telly and thought I'd share....I don't really know why it's great, it just is.

Re-make? Step Away

I have just read that The Goonies, the ultimate childrens' adventure film, is to be re-made....into a cartoon series......What a load of tosh that'll be....this after I read that The Famous Five is also to be re-made with a middle-aged cast who reunite to solve a crime....er New Tricks anyone.

For heavens sake how many more classics have to be maimed before TPTB know to leave well alone.

In other news.....what's that noise? that would be the sound of shredding paperwork as I have finally handed in 'the' dissertation...hoorah! I had a Belgium Bun to celebrate, yay me.

Dissertation.....Argh!!!!.....It is the thing which will not die!!!

P.S. Happy Birthday Joshy Washy

Chocolate Rain

Not sure whether this has been around a while, but it's just a vid I bumped into surfing on YouTube...It's a little repetative and alot random...but, I kinda like it.

Update to My Big List of 'To Do' Stuff

The list will probably balloon to Biblical proportions as I intend to keep adding, due to my addled brains' immensely imaginative (no matter how improbable) process . Who knows, hopefully I will be able to cross some off eventually too.

16. Visit a Cadbury chocolate factory (singing the Oompa Loompa song.....optional)

17. Walk the South Downs way

18. Learn a language...Japanese or Italian

19. Take part in an Archaeological dig

20. Scuba dive a shipwreck in the Caribbean (and find a hoard of golden treasure)

21. See Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in London

22. Write a bloody good pub quiz

23. Take part in a scavenger hunt

24. Eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, everyday

25. Learn life saving skills

26. Experience weightlessness

27. Sing either 'Believe it or Not' or 'Maybe Tomorrow' at a Karaoke (theme tunes to The Greatest American Hero & The Littlest Hobo for the uneducated....and Josh)

28. Take singing lessons (preferably before No. 27)

29. Learn to tap dance, line dance, urban dance and body pop (also preferably before No 27 if I'm going to perform it might as well be memorable)

30. Swim with wild dolphins (again)

31. Write up my travel diaries with pictures

32. Learn to play piano or trumpet

To Be Continued......

P.S I had a dream and decided that the 'list' will now be referred to as my 'Jim'll List', adding and (hopefully) carrying out a Jim'll/Jim'll's/Jim'lls'/the odd Jim/ a 'J' day (will have to work on the terminology) as often as possible.

My To Do LIst

So, there I was watching an all time classic episode of Doctor Who, Doomsday....Daleks & Cybermen the ultimate 'ever-so-slightly' scary ensemble and a top episode which leaves me with a lump in my throat by the end, top musical score, top writing, top ending....but I digress....

So,like I said, there I was watching Doctor Who and I got to thinking...time and space travel...how cool would that be, that's something I'd like to do if and when it's possible...I mean where would you want to go and what would you want to do if you could do absolutely anything?

Then I figured, before I become the ultimate time traveller, there is still quite a bit I'd like to do/see round here first. So I thought I start making a list...so, in no particular order, a sample.

1. Go Tornado chasing

2. Climb a tree on a regular basis

3. Write a fantasy/sci fi book

4. Write a fantasy/sci fi script.

5. Milk a Cow

6. Live in Australia

7. Stand up on a surf board.

8. Take an adventure holiday and do all the activities at least once no matter how scary

9. Work in Film/TV as a researcher

10. Take part in a conservation project somewhere in the world, ie other than the UK

11. Ride a horse

12. Take up rock climbing

13. Watch sunrise from the top of Kingley Vale

14. Live on a desert Island and build a working Swiss Family Robinson style tree house

15. Read a book a week

To Be Continued.....

Arctic Expedition: Top Gear Style

Just been watching Top Gear: Polar Special during which team 'Oafish Buffoons' (now there's a term which I should use more often) attempt to travel across the Arctic in a big red 4x4 using sat nav...yes driving to the North Pole...only Clarkson and May would come up with that.

In competition with Richard 'The Hamster' Hammond, taking the traditional dog sled approach, the idea is to see who gets there first and, more to the point, who doesn't get eaten by Polar bears/fall through the ice/ turn into a presenter Popsicle etc, etc

Mightily hearty entertainment is most certainly was....you've got tough cars, utterly amazing scenery, endurance and the kind of trials and tribulations which could only present themselves via the Bean esque Top Gear Team, such as the most tedious game of eye spy ever....eye spy with my little eye something beginning with 'S'.....Snow.....and when fixing a crevasse bridge in below freezing conditions it's probably not the best idea to put a metal nut between your lips for safe keeping Mr Clarkson.

Ruth and Jeeves - 4 week old kittens

Yup I know I'm getting cute kitty'd out, but i don't care...maybe if the rents would get another one I wouldn't have to fill up my blog with other peoples' adaorable balls of fluff