What's the best way that you have ever heard of someone rising money for a worthwhile cause? Because I can pretty much grantee that it's not as good as this. Desert Bus for Hope.
Now for those of you that do not know, Desert Bus is a game from the Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors game that involves the player driving from Tuscon to Las Vegas in real time. Yep in real time, it takes 8 hours, it cannot be paused and the bus veers to the right so the player cannot just tape the go button down.
Now these guys are playing it for charity, yes they are playing the most boring game over and over again. The more money that is donated the longer they play. They have already been at it for 20hours, oh and you can watch them do it if you really want.
The charity in question is called Child's Play that uses the money it rises to provide hospitals with games and toys for kids. Pretty worth while I think.
So next time a bloody "charity" worker in the street of Leeds to ask me for money, I'm going to point them in the direction of people like this, who actual give a toss about the charity they are helping and not just a commission they get for signing someone up.
Saturday 29 November 2008
Wednesday 19 November 2008
Things that annoy me
Here is a list of things that annoy me and why, most of these were brought on by a trip to the cinema yesterday to see the new Bond film.
1. Popcorn - Ok it's not popcorn but it's the popcorn in the context of the cinema. I can hear some of you now saying "But wait, popcorn is an important part of going to the cinema how can you hate it" Well it's because it's a snack that is bloody loud! Who thought that a snack that is loud when eaten was a good idea at a place where silence is required to fully enjoy the experience. Do they sell it at a library? no I thought not, at a funeral home, nope but for some reason it is ok to sell it at the cinema. There are plenty of snacks that don't make as much sound when eaten that they could sell at an inflated cost but not it has to be bloody popcorn!
2. People who talk all the way through a film at the cinema. If you want to do this do it at the pub not when you have paid to watch things. I don't mind if you talk through the adverts but through the whole film? fuck off. This goes for people who use mobile phones in the cinema as well, if you cannot life without your mobile for 90mins than you really need to take a good look at yourself.
3. Finally to rugby union, no I'm not going to slag off the game itself, I think that the product does that well enough by itself. Instead I'm going to get stuck into the England fans who sing Swing Low Sweet Chariot for some reason. It's a slave song and yet some of the poshest most upper class people thing it's a good song to support one of the most backward thinking organisations in English sport? I'm sure the irony is not lost on anybody but the fans who sit in the stands of Twickenham.
Saturday 8 November 2008
Day of the Dead - Reviews
I had the pleasure of going to the Day of the Dead event today. What this entailed was going to the wonderful Leeds City Varieties at mid day and watching 5 horror films, the last of which finished at about 11.30. There was also a number of shorts, some where good (the animated one involving an old guy being sold a machine that could take him to heaven) some were ok (Bitten, basically a zombie/werewolf/them things from descent type film), some were shit (Island, spooky going ons on erm an Island) and some just made no sense (a French one involving bowling)
Anyway here are my reviews of the 5 films I show today.
The Disappeared
This was about a lad who comes home from a mental hospital and tries to get on with his life following the disappearance of his brother. However he starts to hear and then see his brother all other the place and this starts him on a journey towards finding out what happened to him.
As you can tell from the description, the films plot is pretty basic and anybody who has seen any horror film in the last 10 years will see the twists from a mile off. However that is the film's weakest point, the acting is really good, especially Harry Treadaway, who plays the main role (Matthew) and the direction (debut by Johnny Kevorkian) brings out all the right emotions in the viewer and nails the atmosphere.
3/5
Nightmare Detective
A Japanese film from Tsukamoto which is bloody bizarre. The plot revolves around two people who can go into people's dreams, one goes to help them and the other to kill them, well force them to kill themselves. All while a group of detectives try to catch the bad one.
The first 2/3rds of this film is really rather good, with the story been set and then played out at a good pace with some fine acting going on. However then the final act comes and it's a real big mess mainly because it takes place in the dream of the lady detective. This leads to it jumping about from location to location making it really hard to follow.
The film also has some surprisingly good bits of humour in it, even in the closing stages although it is debatable to whether this was intention or not.
If you can follow the final act there is a really good film hidden among the cracks.
3/5
Mum and Dad
This was introduced as the Royale Family (as in Jim not Charles) meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre however I would prefer to describe it as behind the scenes of Tubbs and Edward's house in the League of Gentlemen. As you can imagine it's pretty messed up, putting a British spin on the 'Goreno' genre.
It's very dark and although there isn't much graphic violence on screen compared to something like Hostel, it is still pretty gory or a better word might be brutal.
The film's USP is that the people carrying out the violence are a family that live in a normal house next to Heathrow and it really works quite well. Unlike Hostel, the characters are developed beyond the "we really like to kill people in horrible ways" and you get to experience the set up of the family and how they interact with each other. It is by far the best example of 'Goreno' I have seen.
4/5
Sexy Killer
The plot of this horror comedy is that a girl, yes a girl, is the scary killer, she also happens to be sexy. Basic I admit but it does take one awesome twist in the final act that is simply brilliant and will please any but the most cold horror fans.
I have this to say about this film, it is the most I have laughed at the cinema in a long long time. It's brilliant fun, to those who said that parody is dead, well I present Sexy Killer. From the opening 5 mins where it turns all the rules of horror on their heads to the very last shot, there are plenty of laughs. It references numerous Hollywood films along the way and does it in a way that makes sense and is funny, I hope the people who make the Epic films are taking notes.
It's really really fun, that's the best thing I can say about, go see it if you have a chance.
5/5
Martyrs
Which brings me to the final film, now before I get stunk into this Kermode style, let me fill you in on the hype that surrounded this. I was told by the guy who introduced it that it's one of the most controversial films ever and that people have walked out of it to be sick, personally I think they were just walking out though, as it's one of the worst films I have ever seen.
The plot revolves around a girl taking revenge on a family that kept her captive as a child before she escape. She is haunted by a demon thing that hurts her and then there is some more crap that happens at the end.
Where as we saw earlier the British taking the 'Goreno' genre and putting their unique spin on it by making it dark, here the French do what they do best and make something pretentious crap. Yes this film is trying to make a point with a torture porn film and not a very good one at that, at least Roth knows what makes these films (boobies and gore for anybody who doesn't know) Instead this film decides that it is better than anything else and is going to court controverstry where ever it goes (it does have some pretty horrible scenes in it). But it doesn't have the talent to pull it off, the acting is average at very best, the direction is by the books stuff (Haneke he aint) and the message is terrible and make no sense in relation to the title. Yes it follows the original definition of martyr (witness) but who uses the word in that context these days or in fact ever. They made a film called Martyr without a bloody Martyr in it!
Somehow this got a round of applause at the end. Those people cleanly weren't watching the same film as me or the people set next to me. If you want clever meaningful violence watch 'Funny Games', if you want to see something new on the 'Goreno' theme, watch 'Mum and Dad' and if you just want plain old boobies and horrible violence watch 'Hostel'. However if you want pretentious wank that has no meaning no matter how much it pretends to, watch Martyr.
0/5
Apart from the last film I had a really good day and in the end even that film has let me vent. I will be going next year given half the chance, hope some of you can join me there!
Anyway here are my reviews of the 5 films I show today.
The Disappeared
This was about a lad who comes home from a mental hospital and tries to get on with his life following the disappearance of his brother. However he starts to hear and then see his brother all other the place and this starts him on a journey towards finding out what happened to him.
As you can tell from the description, the films plot is pretty basic and anybody who has seen any horror film in the last 10 years will see the twists from a mile off. However that is the film's weakest point, the acting is really good, especially Harry Treadaway, who plays the main role (Matthew) and the direction (debut by Johnny Kevorkian) brings out all the right emotions in the viewer and nails the atmosphere.
3/5
Nightmare Detective
A Japanese film from Tsukamoto which is bloody bizarre. The plot revolves around two people who can go into people's dreams, one goes to help them and the other to kill them, well force them to kill themselves. All while a group of detectives try to catch the bad one.
The first 2/3rds of this film is really rather good, with the story been set and then played out at a good pace with some fine acting going on. However then the final act comes and it's a real big mess mainly because it takes place in the dream of the lady detective. This leads to it jumping about from location to location making it really hard to follow.
The film also has some surprisingly good bits of humour in it, even in the closing stages although it is debatable to whether this was intention or not.
If you can follow the final act there is a really good film hidden among the cracks.
3/5
Mum and Dad
This was introduced as the Royale Family (as in Jim not Charles) meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre however I would prefer to describe it as behind the scenes of Tubbs and Edward's house in the League of Gentlemen. As you can imagine it's pretty messed up, putting a British spin on the 'Goreno' genre.
It's very dark and although there isn't much graphic violence on screen compared to something like Hostel, it is still pretty gory or a better word might be brutal.
The film's USP is that the people carrying out the violence are a family that live in a normal house next to Heathrow and it really works quite well. Unlike Hostel, the characters are developed beyond the "we really like to kill people in horrible ways" and you get to experience the set up of the family and how they interact with each other. It is by far the best example of 'Goreno' I have seen.
4/5
Sexy Killer
The plot of this horror comedy is that a girl, yes a girl, is the scary killer, she also happens to be sexy. Basic I admit but it does take one awesome twist in the final act that is simply brilliant and will please any but the most cold horror fans.
I have this to say about this film, it is the most I have laughed at the cinema in a long long time. It's brilliant fun, to those who said that parody is dead, well I present Sexy Killer. From the opening 5 mins where it turns all the rules of horror on their heads to the very last shot, there are plenty of laughs. It references numerous Hollywood films along the way and does it in a way that makes sense and is funny, I hope the people who make the Epic films are taking notes.
It's really really fun, that's the best thing I can say about, go see it if you have a chance.
5/5
Martyrs
Which brings me to the final film, now before I get stunk into this Kermode style, let me fill you in on the hype that surrounded this. I was told by the guy who introduced it that it's one of the most controversial films ever and that people have walked out of it to be sick, personally I think they were just walking out though, as it's one of the worst films I have ever seen.
The plot revolves around a girl taking revenge on a family that kept her captive as a child before she escape. She is haunted by a demon thing that hurts her and then there is some more crap that happens at the end.
Where as we saw earlier the British taking the 'Goreno' genre and putting their unique spin on it by making it dark, here the French do what they do best and make something pretentious crap. Yes this film is trying to make a point with a torture porn film and not a very good one at that, at least Roth knows what makes these films (boobies and gore for anybody who doesn't know) Instead this film decides that it is better than anything else and is going to court controverstry where ever it goes (it does have some pretty horrible scenes in it). But it doesn't have the talent to pull it off, the acting is average at very best, the direction is by the books stuff (Haneke he aint) and the message is terrible and make no sense in relation to the title. Yes it follows the original definition of martyr (witness) but who uses the word in that context these days or in fact ever. They made a film called Martyr without a bloody Martyr in it!
Somehow this got a round of applause at the end. Those people cleanly weren't watching the same film as me or the people set next to me. If you want clever meaningful violence watch 'Funny Games', if you want to see something new on the 'Goreno' theme, watch 'Mum and Dad' and if you just want plain old boobies and horrible violence watch 'Hostel'. However if you want pretentious wank that has no meaning no matter how much it pretends to, watch Martyr.
0/5
Apart from the last film I had a really good day and in the end even that film has let me vent. I will be going next year given half the chance, hope some of you can join me there!
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