Happy Face

Out now. Listening to to it just now. Ain't No Grave can hold my body down

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_gr...rats/index.html

Happy Birthday cat lady

Just so you know I'm not making it up... Lucas has explained. Star Wars "was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where Nixon was trying to run for a [second] term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away." http://www.antiwar.com/horton/?articleid=6041 Lucas is so full of shit... He'll also told you he had the ideas for all 9 Star Wars outlined back in the early 70's. Sure. Right. George was planning on having the force be this magical energy that would later then be explained with the whole midichlorian genetic horse shit. Yeah. He planned on making 3 movies about space battles and light sabers and then making 3 about some kind of convoluted trades description fuckup. Riiiiight. Same thing with LOST, tbh. Those boners want to act like they've always had an idea of where the story was heading ultimately, but it just ain't so. If it were, the writing and continuity would make a hell of a lot more sense. To be fair, A New Hope was called "Episode 4" when it was in it's first cinema run.

Just so you know I'm not making it up... Lucas has explained. Star Wars "was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where Nixon was trying to run for a [second] term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away." http://www.antiwar.com/horton/?articleid=6041 You'll be recommending me a book about how to understand films next. Lucas is full of shit anyway. Star Wars is a bog standard fairy story, end of. Anyone who created Jar Jar Binks can whistle if he wants any credibility. Supposed to be heavily based on Akira Kurosawa's stuff as well. The Hidden Fortress in particular. Tbh though I think Lucas' comments are a bit like when I heard 'Face' on the radio years after the A-Team claiming it was all tongue-in-cheek rather than just shit. If you watched The Hidden Fortress expecting to see anything much resembling Star Wars you'd be sorely diappointed like. Both films tell their story from the point of view of two slaves who bicker with each other and that's about it. I haven't got round to watching it but having seen a few of his other films I sort of expected it to be canny different Thinking back I read that Lucas got the idea for R2D2 / C3PO (i.e. the slaves you mention) and I think Princess Laia (sp?) from it but not a great deal in terms of how it looks and feels. Have you seen much Kurosawa like? Ran's next on the list for me. I've seen most of Kurosawa's films. They work out to cost about £1.30 each if you order them from Hong Kong (I got them all from DDDhouse). My Japanese Rashomon poster takes pride of place on my wall. My favourite film of his. Ran is his version of King Lear. I thought it was coincidentally produced by George Lucas, but i was thinking of Kagemusha. Cheers, I might have to invest in a few. I've only seen Roshomon, Yojimbo and The Seven Samurai. I think Yojimbo's the best although I enjoyed all of them. Roshomon is bleak as owt but looks brilliant at the same time. In a similar vein, you might enjoy 'Sword of Doom'. I'd recommend Sanjuro in that case. Not as good, but it's A Few Dollars More to Yojimbo's A Fistful of Dollars. Love Toshiro Mifune so I'll keep Sword of Doom in mind for when I've gotten through some of the hundred odd films on my shelf, ta.

Just so you know I'm not making it up... Lucas has explained. Star Wars "was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where Nixon was trying to run for a [second] term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away." http://www.antiwar.com/horton/?articleid=6041 You'll be recommending me a book about how to understand films next. Lucas is full of shit anyway. Star Wars is a bog standard fairy story, end of. Anyone who created Jar Jar Binks can whistle if he wants any credibility. Supposed to be heavily based on Akira Kurosawa's stuff as well. The Hidden Fortress in particular. Tbh though I think Lucas' comments are a bit like when I heard 'Face' on the radio years after the A-Team claiming it was all tongue-in-cheek rather than just shit. If you watched The Hidden Fortress expecting to see anything much resembling Star Wars you'd be sorely diappointed like. Both films tell their story from the point of view of two slaves who bicker with each other and that's about it. I haven't got round to watching it but having seen a few of his other films I sort of expected it to be canny different Thinking back I read that Lucas got the idea for R2D2 / C3PO (i.e. the slaves you mention) and I think Princess Laia (sp?) from it but not a great deal in terms of how it looks and feels. Have you seen much Kurosawa like? Ran's next on the list for me. I've seen most of Kurosawa's films. They work out to cost about £1.30 each if you order them from Hong Kong (I got them all from DDDhouse). My Japanese Rashomon poster takes pride of place on my wall. My favourite film of his. Ran is his version of King Lear. I thought it was coincidentally produced by George Lucas, but i was thinking of Kagemusha.

Just so you know I'm not making it up... Lucas has explained. Star Wars "was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where Nixon was trying to run for a [second] term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away." http://www.antiwar.com/horton/?articleid=6041 You'll be recommending me a book about how to understand films next. Lucas is full of shit anyway. Star Wars is a bog standard fairy story, end of. Anyone who created Jar Jar Binks can whistle if he wants any credibility. Supposed to be heavily based on Akira Kurosawa's stuff as well. The Hidden Fortress in particular. Tbh though I think Lucas' comments are a bit like when I heard 'Face' on the radio years after the A-Team claiming it was all tongue-in-cheek rather than just shit. If you watched The Hidden Fortress expecting to see anything much resembling Star Wars you'd be sorely diappointed like. Both films tell their story from the point of view of two slaves who bicker with each other and that's about it.

Love it when the sound effects fella out of Police Academy does the "hrm ryhm radar sir!" on his radio and Rick Moranis goes apeshit on him.

Just so you know I'm not making it up... Lucas has explained. Star Wars "was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where Nixon was trying to run for a [second] term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away." http://www.antiwar.com/horton/?articleid=6041 You'll be recommending me a book about how to understand films next. Lucas is full of shit anyway. Star Wars is a bog standard fairy story, end of. Anyone who created Jar Jar Binks can whistle if he wants any credibility. I personally enjoy reading books of film criticism and re-interpretation and sites like Metaphilm, but I don't expect anyone else to. I thought both Star Wars and District 9 could be enjoyed simply as Sci Fi stories by people with no idea about vietnam or apartheid. And I have no problem with that. Seems they can't win with you though Rents. The allegory is either too glaring (District 9 is not politically subtle enough to be taken seriously) or too buried (Star Wars is too fluffy to be taken seriously). And you don't seem to place much stock in either approach. ...and Jar Jar Binks had to be a suitably idiotic, hateful individual since he's the puppet on a string, idiot manipulated into starting the whole clone war (that's Bush)......or not if you hold no truck with these kinds of interpretations

Just so you know I'm not making it up... Lucas has explained. Star Wars "was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where Nixon was trying to run for a [second] term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away." http://www.antiwar.com/horton/?articleid=6041

It was just too obvious imo - nothing wrong with making the point but the theme of "these things don't know any better" was just a bit over-played to the point where I just thought I'd ignore it and enjoy the action/swearing. The film was even set in South Africa ffs! I did enjoy on a certain level but that level was not much above the likes of Star Wars. Very silly really. As a Vietnam (and later Iraq) metaphor, Star Wars was probably more subtle, but I don't see why metaphor needs to be imperceptible to allow you to enjoy the film. "Only as good as Star Wars" is pretty high praise in the world of Sci-Fi though. I didn't say it was as good as Star Wars, I said I enjoyed it on the same level, i.e. fantastical nonsense (and overhyped). News to me that Star Wars was some deep metaphor for Vietnam mind. Perhaps it should have been set in Vietnam

It was just too obvious imo - nothing wrong with making the point but the theme of "these things don't know any better" was just a bit over-played to the point where I just thought I'd ignore it and enjoy the action/swearing. The film was even set in South Africa ffs! I did enjoy on a certain level but that level was not much above the likes of Star Wars. Very silly really. As a Vietnam (and later Iraq) metaphor, Star Wars was probably more subtle, but I don't see why metaphor needs to be imperceptible to allow you to enjoy the film. "Only as good as Star Wars" is pretty high praise in the world of Sci-Fi though.

Why did you think the apartheid theme was done so badly?

http://www.dragcity.com/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-One-Me-Joanna...E4BYXQCDZG3KDHC ;) It's leaked apparently Can't find it like. I'm two tracks in. She's sounding VERY Kate Bushy. Lush so far.

Even I place no stock in those stats. Apples and oranges.

It's been a few months since we were reminded what fuckers the banks are.... http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story...ut_hustle/print

Its good that, seen it a couple of years back but as usual found it hard as fuck to follow properly with all the complex plot twists. Should try and re-watch it with subtitles. Aye it's a proper Usual Suspects/LA Confidential style drip feed of the facts up to the final reveal...then reversal. Proper mint.

Reading more about it I found the inevitable... "Miramax and Focus have bought the rights for an English language remake" So get it watched quick and you can annoy everyone saying you prefer the original a'la The Departed

I was in bits like

Congratulations to you both.

Tell No One Incredible French thriller with shades of Hitchcock when a man comes under suspicion 8 years after the murder of his wife. Very highly recommended. It's only £3.98 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B...indhotelinth-21

Shouting and screaming to get people to do what you want is, for me, a direct subsitute for charm, charisma and the powers of persuasion (i'm not saying i have any of those btw). That would be for others to do.

If you aren't thick skinned enough to take a bit of a dressing down, you shouldn't really be working at the highest levels of government. The hammering they're giving Brown day in and day out could kick them in the arse when it gets so bad as to win him the sympathy of the public. I'm no fan of his, but I'd love to see him tell them to fuck off. He's fucked up enough important things, we shouldn't really be concentrating on some flunky who couldn't take the heat.

The Seven Year Itch I thought this was supposed to be a classic. I guess any Monroe vehicle has been built up out of all proportion since she died young. Poor. Reign Over Me I wonder how many people were lulled into this Adam Sandler film imagining laughs aplenty and were surprised to find it's one of the most depressing, emotionally exploitative, trudges through death and mourning you will see. Sandler's wife and 3 little girls were killed on one of the 9/11 planes and he spends 2 hours (based 7 or 8 years later) dressed as Bob Dylan wallowing in self pity. I've been trying to give it the benefit of the doubt since. I've been trying to think if it works as a clever subversion of the post 9/11 American psyche. Sandler represents America and 9/11 fucks him up completely and he loses all sense of proportion, rationality and response. I can't manage it though, because if that was the case, then they couldn't do something as disgustingly shallow as . So all you can say about it is that it uses a real tragedy to satisfy it's own melodrama which is pretty vile. Anvil It's been said time and time again, but it's amazingly close to Spinal Tap for real. The 2 founder members of the band sit in a cafe and sing one of their earliest songs. They visit Stone Henge. They play in front of ever dwindling audiences. They lose their record deal. One of the band is screwing the manager. The manager's incomptent. They argue and split and get back together and tour in Japan. An incredibly funny and enjoyable film. All that was missing was little bread and dobly. Ghost Town Not as bad as people have suggested. There's not many big laughs, but there's a few chuckles.

Happy Birthday