I have two holiday related blogs all written up, but I've misplaced the wire to upload photos so I guess those will have to wait. Barcelona was without a doubt one of the funniest weeks ever.
I managed to get a few films in and read a book or two on my trips (*gasp* he can read?! *gasp*) so here are a few titbits on 'em. Oh, and I'm watching a few new series, too (new to me, old in TV land) so here we go:
I didn't bring a book on my first trip, I didn't see the point. As the train journeys (consisting of 4 and 6 hour trips) went by I decided to nab one of my friend's books and have a gander. "WHY?" comes to mind.
"Why the **** did I ask her for a book!" he said.
"Because you were bored" she said.
"I know."
"Ehm..." she said.
"It was rhetorical" he said.
It was overcast. Mark picked up the book. "What is this?" he said. As he flicked through the pages he looked at Claire. She looked back.
"WTF is with these short sentences" he said to Claire.
"I know," she said. "And why does she keep writing 'said' after every feckin sentence'" she said.
Mark looked angry. Like a fox. An angry fox. He started to get pissed off. Pissed off by the book with short sentences. The book with short sentences and no description whatsoever.
"This is a load of ****e!" Mark stood up from his seat. He was on a train. A fast train.
:roll:
Shame on me for reading this trite! And SHAME on Pauline for writing such a thing. This book was SO bad that when we watched an episode of Father Ted we couldn't find the dependable Mrs. Doyle funny, as we were too busy going "Oh there's that stupid ***** who wrote that book!" :lol:
I'm only on chapter 15 and I'm completely hooked, enthralled, frightened, amused, fascinated, and a plethora of other wordy type things to fit the bill, by this devilishly entertaining novel. It just clicks so well and is written with such confidence, such cockiness, that these characters literally burst out of the pages unashamed by their actions - this book will make you laugh and feel uncomfortable usually within the same sentence.
It's about a man - the author, actually -who's tired of his ordinary surroundings. After a poker game he finds a dice under a card and has no idea what number it has landed on. Out of curiosity he decides to add a task to each of the six sides with number one giving him permission to go downstairs to rape his neighbour while the others are simply generic, less exciting commands (sleep, drink or clean up). Well, let's just say he takes a visit downstairs and that triggers off a series of events succumbing to the dice and lets it dictate his every move.
If you haven't read this book I URGE you to pick up a copy. This may sound a bit eye-rolly coming from someone who might read two books a year, but this is stuff of gold. Again, yeah, I haven't finished it either, but it's something to be experienced. I rarely laugh or cringe at books; in fact I doubt I ever have. But with this, though; one page it'll have me howling and the next it will make me feel as though I accidentally stepped into a room I shouldn't have and witnessed something I wish I hadn't. It's thought-provoking, warped, funny and EXTREMELY well written. GET IT.
Film Review: Wall-E
As films go, Wall-E dazzles. It's a feast for senses - an aspect of the film critics have been going gaga over. Story wise, though, it's fairly basic, which is fine coz it's a "kids film" but Pixar have always raised the ball visually and from a narrative standpoint. Perhaps it was down to the hype surrounding the film; maybe it could have been my extreme hangover and two hours of sleep; it might have mostly been down to the fact it was in Spanish... whatever the case, I merely enjoyed it instead of falling for it. My Spanish is fairly simple, but even so, the plot dwindles here and there and the ending could have been better. Ah, sure, I'll see it in English and get back to ya!
DVD Review
A very capable series, T:SCC gets off to a fine start with the Pilot (****), the basics are laid out in front of us and there are quite a few action scenes and some superb SFX. Everyone fits into their roles well and this Sarah Connor is rather believable, too, if a little softer than the movie counterpart. "Gnoti Seaton" (****) is another strong offering with some nice mythology building and great character interaction - the ending is great! "The Turk" (***1/2) works because there's quite a few throwbacks to the previous films and the new characters introduced blend rather well into the show. "Heavy Metal" (****) meanwhile is more action orientated and the interplay between the main leads continues to impress ("I call shotgun" "I call 9mm"). A bit of a dip with "The Queen's Gamit" (***) although it's not without its merits - Agent Ellison comes into the forefront; he's an intriguing character and nicely fleshed out. "Dungeon and Dragons" (****1/2) is a mega-cool look at the future and managing glimpses of Kyle and the desolated earth are just cherries on the cake. The home-front stuff is just as meaty and the return of Sarah's ex is a nice touch. "The Demon Hand" (*****) is a personal fave, revisiting Sarah during her stay at the mental hospital; seeing Bruce Davison reprise his role from the T2; watching Summer Glau grace us with a ballet performance, right down to the final scenes with the dulcet score playing in the background. A character-driven piece fans thought to be boring, but not this one! "Vick's Chip" (**) is a bit of a snore, it has to be said. The opening moments are brilliant, but it sort of slips into a comfy techo-babble plot I just didn't care for. "What He Beheld" (***1/2), meanwhile, serves as a very good episode, but is forced to act as the season finale, and while it has bite, it couldn't possibly deliver the goods of an actual finale. Still, there are some c/assic moments tucked away in here - the fight scene where we don't actually get to see the fight has to be one of the series' highlights. The ending, too, is a bit of a doozey and gives us another baddie to look forward to next season as well as a few questions as to whether or not someone will survive. Roll on season 2!
New (old) show I'm watching 
Bought season one for €16 and it's hilarious! I didn't think much of it from commercials but there's genuine humour to be found, it's an incredibly clever show. I like a series that can tackle serious issues and yet has time to be as puerile as can be, ala Scrubs (only snappier). Plus, any series that references some of my favourite shows regularly gets a thumbs up from me :D
OK, I've nattered on a bit too much.
Later,
M@rk
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