Bloc Party at Brixton Academy 28th October

Well, you can sort of make them out if you squint. Fine gig though, I'd forgotten how much great stuff there was on the album. Nonetheless, I stand by my criticism that they don't have the decency to include the titles of their songs in catch, easily remembered choruses.



That's a pretty picture isn't it? Music's great, but they do play it awfully loud these days.

Wot I bin and gorn and dun

Phew, bit of a shameful ten day catch up. Here's a list of everthing important that's happened:

1) Serenity's out. And is great. Smart script, and the few threadbare patches where the aim of compressing a plot arc of several seasons into a two-hour film are visible only emphasise what a cracking job Joss Whedon has done. I was left rather cold by what little of the TV show I saw (far too slow to draw viewers in in the way its ambitious emphasis on characterization demanded) but was left wanting more - and a revival of the TV show may (just may) still be on the cards.

2) Dead 60s album. Clash tribute band (one of the tracks is a dead ringer for Somebody Got Murdered) with a heavy dose of the Specials. Companion piece to Hard Fi (who are pretty much definitely better). Not as good as...

3) Maximo Park. A little late admittedly but finally picked up their incredibly powerful album. Best thing to come out this year (after The Go! Team).

4) XFM's Big Night Out, Mentally busy and could only take a couple of hourse of being squeezed sardine-like into Brixton Academy. Not helped by the plodding mediocrity of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. El Presidente sounded pretty good though.

5) Ghostbusters on the big screen at the National Film Theatre. Genius, end of.

6) A History of Violence. Incredible, go and see it now. Had some awesome violence too.

7) War on Ignorance: Sunset Boulevard last night - puts the Player and Singin' in the Rain in context.

Will try not to leave it so long next time...

Twenty Four-some

Wow. Friend of mine tipped me off to this earlier tonight. Basically, in the long tradition of Hollywood stars pimping themselves on Japanese TV, safe in the knowledge that a Western audience will never see them, Jack Bauer/Kiefer Sutherland has filmed an ad for Japanese energy snack Calorie Mate. (It must be good, it's a staple foodstuff in Metal Gear Solid 3).


Another picture? Oh go on then

A History of Violence: First Impressions

I wanted to see Aragorn. I wanted to see some muff. I wanted to see Aragorn eating some muff. I wasn't disappointed.




(/joke about three people I know will get)

Meh

New single from The Darkness played for the first time yesterday and if there was any doubt remaining, it's now safe to say they join the rank of novelty acts like Electric Six and The Polyphonic Spree. Precisely none of the verve and (schoolboy) wit of their first album, their sound now ground down to very basic metal dirge. Still fancy a listen? XFM have it here.

Darn

Astute readers will have noticed my post on Surface mentions both "so-so" CGI and "competent CGI". To set the record straight I reckon the CGI in the show was "competent". Unlike my writing.

"Symmetrical scarring on the hull" "A bite mark!"

I'm still unwell (self-inflicted this time) but have soldiered on through a fiendish hangover to talk Surface.
Like Threshold it comes across as an overgrown X-Files episode, the sort of thing that Mulder and Scully would have wrapped up in about an hour (including ad breaks). As Threshold does alien invaders that propagate through an interdimensional broadcast (truth) Surface does sea monsters who intimidate children, drown redneck fishermen and chomp on submarines. But I can't bring myself to say a bad thing against it: the show is simply good fun. I'm still not sure why this is. The acting is bog-standard fare (reports that Due South's Paul Gross was on board are sadly untrue), the CGI is so-so and the writing is distinctly average. Maybe it's just because it looks nice. Lots of sun, some competent CGI, exotic locales - more sumptious and interesting than the cold interiors of Threshold (which has an air of cheapness to it that for some reason reminded me of the abysmal Burning Zone). Basically I'm apallingly shallow, bought and sold with disgraceful ease. So what's new.