In between writing quizzes, jobhunting, worrying about my health, shopping, thinking about Christmas presents, watching deliveries being delivered, wondering where I put my most recent set of stamps …
Which reminds me, I need to get stamps …
At any rate … ?
I have a loose, quiet, evening: and plenty of things I could be watching.
Including the Ralph Bakshi animated fantasy, Wizards.
Considering I caught his version of The Lord of The Rings, many years ago, watching Wizards seemed like a good idea.
So … ?
I’ll be watching it … then telling you about it on Monday night!
Printed ones, with the covers from the old Traveller games, on them.
I’m not sure I’ve picked the right colour for the shirts.
But?
At least they’re on route: and can (hopefully) be used for the next set of videos.
~≈🚀≈~
The one thing that has disappointed me?
Is NOT finding the 1980 cover of Runequest’s 2nd edition, online.
At least, not finding a large enough, good quality copy.
I’d love to have that on a t-shirt: although I realise the woman on the cover isn’t exactly practically dressed.
That armour’s going to chafe!
~≈👙≈~
There’s plans in the House of Commons.
Or — more accurately — the Government is planning to tighten various benefits: including Universal Credit, and Personal Independence Payment, the two I’m claiming.
I really don’t like the idea: anything that threatens the incomes of I and so many others?
Especially if you’re stuck on one section: desperately trying, with all your might, to get past a bit that’s rapidly filling up with water. Entirely digital, in-game, water.
Whilst a countdown goes off, threatening music plays …
Before your little blue avatar drowns.
Digitally, obviously.
~≈§≈~
At any rate, and all frustration aside?
All frustration aside, I actually fancied siting in with something to watch.
Granted, I’ve still got a pile of TV box-sets I want to watch.
But I also was more tempted by a film: either rented from iTunes.
Or something from Netflix.
As you might possibly have guessed?
I went with something from Netflix.
And?
I’m thinking Bright is pleasantly surprising.
~≈§≈~
Set in an alternative present, Bright shows us an alternative Los Angeles: where humans, orcs and elves live side by side.
Rather unhappily: elves are in posh gated communities, and orcs, humans, and everyone else … ?
Lives in whatever ghetto they can afford.
Much like the grizzled LAPD officer, Daryl Ward (Will Smith): a man much annoyed …
After his new partner, rookie Nik Jakoby (Joel Edgerton) manages to get him, Ward, shot.
When Ward goes back on duty, after recovering?
Is when Ward and Jakoby’s problems really starts.
The pair get called to what turns out to be a safe house for an extremist group called the Shield of Light.
One with lots of several dead bodies, two magically cremated bodies, a slowly dying elf assassin, embedded in a wall.
And a live elf girl called Tikka: a lone elf girl who seemingly speaks only Elvish …
And whose only possessions are the clothes on her back, and a a nuclear weapon that grants wishes.
A wand …
~≈§≈~
Now, “Pleasantly surprising, Paul?”, I hear you ask.
Yes, actually.
I don’t know quote what I was expecting, from Bright.
Something comedic, along the lines of Fresh Prince, or his performance in Independence Day: and something I know Smith is more than capable of.
What I got … ?
Was a cop drama: with a surprising amount of grit, and plausibility.
Yes, there’s humour: any film that features an odd couple — and quite an odd couple — will have it’s comedic elements.
But?
I’ve read near enough everything the late, Sit Terry Pratcheet wrote, during his life.
Something I remember him saying, in more than a Few of the novels, was that the Discworld was a ‘world, and mirror of worlds.’
Yes, everything was back-to-front.
But, yes: that helps us to see the real-world better.
Bright is another such mirror.
Yes, it’s tells us there’s heroes.
But, yes: it also tells us there’s reasons we need heroes.
It tells us people are people, whatever we happen to look like.
And that sometimes?
All the magic we need is a friend, whoever they are.
Yes, Bright is grittily dark.
Yes, it’s back-to-front.
But, yes and surprisingly, despite reminding us of our worlds corruption, graft and racism?
It’s very watchable … !
Bright ★★★☆
* It, and the original Sonic the Hedgehog, are both available on the fourth — and later — generations of Apple TV.
You know, I’m think that movie making genius is a hard thing to define.
Really.
And that any definition I come up with … ?
Is going to be one that you are immediately not going to agree with.
Which is fair enough.
Let’s face it, everyone is different.
Even in large groups: which is possibly enough to give a statistician a headache.
If nothing else, your view of movie making genius is going different to be to mine.
My view’s certainly includes telling you about the soundtrack for Small Town Murder Songs: the film was good, but the soundtrack, sounding like the the Polyphonic Spree had turned Amish, is beautiful … and playing on my iPod, at the mo.
You might just disagree about how good it: but it’s worth a listen, I feel.
At any rate, I’m pretty determined to not tell you about Small Town Murder Songs: however I actually feel about it.
No, I’m bound and determined to tell you about a film I’ve seen. Last night, in fact: one it’s taken me a while to catch up with.
Hmmm … I think I’ll have to give you a hesitant yes, there …
~≈◊≈~
22nd July, 2013
Sorry, sorry, BIT of a gap, there. Possibly one that involves me heading into Basildon.
Which is possibly a story for another time, maybe.
At any rate … ?
At any rate, I was telling you about the film I’d caught, on Saturday night: the gorgeous Pan’s Labyrinth*.
And I’m thinking that gorgeous is quite possibly the word, here.
Set in 1944 Spain, in the early years of Franco’s rule, Pan’s Labyrinth follows the story of Ofelia and her mother: a recently remarried widow.
Unfortunately for Ofelia … ? Her mother, Carmen, has married Captain Vidal: a vicious Falangist who’s hunting down the last of the anti-fascist forces in the area.
Her mother is heavily pregnant with Ofelia’s half brother, and has a lot on her mind.
And Mercades, the Captain’s housekeeper … ? Has only so much time to spare.
Leaving Ofelia to go exploring her new home: and some of the weirder parts of its back garden.
It’s only when she meets a faun — a genuine faun, none of your Narnia stuff, here in rural Spain — that she starts to realise that there’s parts of the world she’s been nowhere near …
~≈◊≈~
Now … GENIUS …
Yes, I think I’ll hesitantly attach the word to Pan’s Labyrinth: mostly off the back of the fact I’ve not seen that much of Del Toro’s work.
I should add that the film is both gorgeous looking — I’m thinking Del Toro’s taken a few hints from the David Lynch school of colours — and wonderfully acted: I don’t think I can fault it.
Strange at it sound’s, my broadband has been — seemingly — switched back on.
Why, I don’t know.
I really don’t.
I do know that I’m intent, as things stand, on giving BT a phone call, come Tuesday, when I’m expecting the offices to re-open, to give them a call, and find out what’s happening.
I’d HATE to end up paying double, I really would …
•••••
At any rate, I know that, while Allison was over, this afternoon, we managed to catch one of the movies on over Christmas.
Or — to give it its full name — The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
Think I’ll stick to the version of the title I grew up on, it’s less of a gobful …
At any rate, the original Narnia stories are something that I feel I’ve outgrown: indeed the books’ overt Christianity is something I find mildly offensive, as I do being preached at.
But, back in the day?
I think I was hooked on these, in much the same way that many children today are glued to Harry Potter in its many forms.
And today?
Actually, watching this with Allison was sort of took me back to those days, in a funny sort of way.
Allison’s usually the first person to admit that she’s not the worlds biggest book fan, either now, or as a child, so seeing this with her, meant explaining the plot — most of which she was able to guess, anyway, she knows me well enough to read me, and my telegraphed hints, like a book — but knowing I’d read it gave her a certain amount of vicarious pleasure.
And interest, actually, bless her!
Fantasy usually isn’t her thing, normally, so this for her, was all new territory.
Which means I think I’ll have to insist she bring a John Wayne film along, to the next movie night.
