Why is it the better things seem to get and the more that things look up, the more depressed and addicted to sadness and self pity I get? Damn you strange chemical reactions of the brain!
Meh, I'll get over it.
Project 365 has kinda been left by the way side 'cause of books, beer, TV, laziness and more beer.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
PROJECT 365: 35 - 46
35. Possibly, Maybe - I've always liked Ryan Reynolds as both and action man and a leading man for romantic comedies, this is of the latter variety and he does a pretty good job carrying a film that is relatively standard fare. It was rather enjoyable with nothing too disagreeable in there and it was nice to see Isla Fischer getting some good screen time. 3/5
36. *Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within - just had to check this out on the home theatre screen. It's quite a good film with amazing animation, it doesn't make a massive amount of sense but with great voice talent and a very nice score you can overlook that. 3/5
37. Rachel Getting Married - Anne Hathaway is fantastically unlikeable, annoying and just plain screwed up in this weird little film and I really enjoyed it the whole way through. Seriously strange family and the weirdest wedding scene in film history with great performances and fantastic script make this a must see for any indie film fan, also tugs at the heart strings quite powerfully. 4.5/5
38. Seven Pounds - Will Smith hams it up in this paint-by-the-numbers drama about a dude who is feeling rather guilty about once being a douche bag and killing a bunch of people, thus he spends the rest of his life paying back his "seven pounds of flesh". It was sad and uplifting when it needed to be but there was nothing really revallatory about it. 3/5
39. Eagle Eye - I figured out who the chick on the phone was pretty quickly and their big reveal was a bit of a let down. Check your brain at the door and just enjoy the strange ride witht he bright lights and loud noises. 1.5/5
40. The Wrestler - despite the overuse of bind-the-protagonist camera work where we are pretty much just following people around, this is actually a seriously good film. Who knew Mickey Rourke could actually act? Also, Marissa Tomei's breasts are a revelation. 4/5.
41. How To Lose Friends And Alienate People - quite an amusing if predictable Simon Pegg comedy vehicle with pretty good performances all round and a rather amusing script. 3/5
42. Terms of Endearment - had to finally check out this supposed classic tear jerker. It's a strange film eh? Debra Winger is just plain nuts but I think Shirley Maclean and Jack Nicholson really carry this film. 2.5/5
43. Watchmen - certainly not your typical comic book film! The 2hrs 40mins just fly by mainly due to a fantastically dark script and some great performances, especially from Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach. However, beware the blue penis. 4.5/5
44. Hitman - amusing enough although the story is ridiculous as is much of the so called "acting" (Dougray Scott is exactly the same in every single film he's ever been in). In the end more mindless violence just for the Hell of it although Timothy Olyphaunt's way of carrying himself as number 47 was pretty cool. 1.5/5
45. Run Fatboy Run - yet another predictable though rather amusing Simon Pegg film, nice to Hank Azaria although maybe saw a little to much of him. 2/5
46. 1408 - ho hum Stephen King horror film. I'm a major fan of John Cusack but the script and the non-scariness of this film were just too ridiculous. 0.5/5
36. *Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within - just had to check this out on the home theatre screen. It's quite a good film with amazing animation, it doesn't make a massive amount of sense but with great voice talent and a very nice score you can overlook that. 3/5
37. Rachel Getting Married - Anne Hathaway is fantastically unlikeable, annoying and just plain screwed up in this weird little film and I really enjoyed it the whole way through. Seriously strange family and the weirdest wedding scene in film history with great performances and fantastic script make this a must see for any indie film fan, also tugs at the heart strings quite powerfully. 4.5/5
38. Seven Pounds - Will Smith hams it up in this paint-by-the-numbers drama about a dude who is feeling rather guilty about once being a douche bag and killing a bunch of people, thus he spends the rest of his life paying back his "seven pounds of flesh". It was sad and uplifting when it needed to be but there was nothing really revallatory about it. 3/5
39. Eagle Eye - I figured out who the chick on the phone was pretty quickly and their big reveal was a bit of a let down. Check your brain at the door and just enjoy the strange ride witht he bright lights and loud noises. 1.5/5
40. The Wrestler - despite the overuse of bind-the-protagonist camera work where we are pretty much just following people around, this is actually a seriously good film. Who knew Mickey Rourke could actually act? Also, Marissa Tomei's breasts are a revelation. 4/5.
41. How To Lose Friends And Alienate People - quite an amusing if predictable Simon Pegg comedy vehicle with pretty good performances all round and a rather amusing script. 3/5
42. Terms of Endearment - had to finally check out this supposed classic tear jerker. It's a strange film eh? Debra Winger is just plain nuts but I think Shirley Maclean and Jack Nicholson really carry this film. 2.5/5
43. Watchmen - certainly not your typical comic book film! The 2hrs 40mins just fly by mainly due to a fantastically dark script and some great performances, especially from Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach. However, beware the blue penis. 4.5/5
44. Hitman - amusing enough although the story is ridiculous as is much of the so called "acting" (Dougray Scott is exactly the same in every single film he's ever been in). In the end more mindless violence just for the Hell of it although Timothy Olyphaunt's way of carrying himself as number 47 was pretty cool. 1.5/5
45. Run Fatboy Run - yet another predictable though rather amusing Simon Pegg film, nice to Hank Azaria although maybe saw a little to much of him. 2/5
46. 1408 - ho hum Stephen King horror film. I'm a major fan of John Cusack but the script and the non-scariness of this film were just too ridiculous. 0.5/5
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
PROJECT 365: 26 - 34
26. Bolt - I was a bit leery going in to this but ended up quite enjoying it with many a *laughs* moment. The various pigeons cracked me up and loved the cats teasing bolt from the top of the trailer, tryin to perfect their evil laughs and remember Bolt's message. Vice talent was good, animation was fantastic, story was quite adequate. 3/5
27. The Reader - just came back from a free screening of this and I can see why Kate Winslett is getting so many awards, she is simply stunning in it (and not only 'cause she spends half the film naked and in sex scenes). I didn't now much about the story going in and that was a good thing. Seriously emotionally charged film that doesn't have the typical wrapped up happy ending. Everyone else in the film is great and I totally loved it. 5/5
28. Sharkwater - poorly made but good intentioned doco about the plight of sharks and how their demise due to the popularity of shark fin soup could have massive detrimental effects to the world's largest ecologies. 3/5
29. *Clash of the Titans - classic Ray Harryhausen animated/live action film that doesn't age well. Ah well, maybe childhood memories of these films should stay there. 1.5/5
30. Babylon AD - films like this PISS ME OFF. How do they get the funding to make films with such a disjointed script? Such awful acting? Such lame direction? Honestly, I could have shit a better film than this. -3/5
31. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - had a few giggles but not as amusing as the original. Neil Patrick Harris is, as always, awesome. 1/5
32. Speed Racer - Not a fan of the fast and frenetic nature of this film or the hyper-animated style but I actually quite liked the story line. Not great but not as crap as I thought it was going to be. 2/5
33. Elephant - disturbing Gus Van Sant film that sort of mirrors the events of Columbine High. Good acting and at times good directing - Van Sant's penchant for long ambling shots where you are just following a student walking through the labyrinth of halls worked sometimes but mostly not. It did evoke more eerie feelings towards the end though. Can certainly see where that young Aussie director who made "2:37" got his inspiration from. 3/5
34. Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood is simply awesome as a racist, bigotted, grumpy old man who becomes involved with the lives of two young Asian neighbours. I thought the young guy wasn't the greatest actor in the world but the story and acting from everyone else was just so spot on that it didn't matter. Sad but uplifting ending, Eastwood has certainly decided to pull out all the stops before he carks it. 4/5
27. The Reader - just came back from a free screening of this and I can see why Kate Winslett is getting so many awards, she is simply stunning in it (and not only 'cause she spends half the film naked and in sex scenes). I didn't now much about the story going in and that was a good thing. Seriously emotionally charged film that doesn't have the typical wrapped up happy ending. Everyone else in the film is great and I totally loved it. 5/5
28. Sharkwater - poorly made but good intentioned doco about the plight of sharks and how their demise due to the popularity of shark fin soup could have massive detrimental effects to the world's largest ecologies. 3/5
29. *Clash of the Titans - classic Ray Harryhausen animated/live action film that doesn't age well. Ah well, maybe childhood memories of these films should stay there. 1.5/5
30. Babylon AD - films like this PISS ME OFF. How do they get the funding to make films with such a disjointed script? Such awful acting? Such lame direction? Honestly, I could have shit a better film than this. -3/5
31. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - had a few giggles but not as amusing as the original. Neil Patrick Harris is, as always, awesome. 1/5
32. Speed Racer - Not a fan of the fast and frenetic nature of this film or the hyper-animated style but I actually quite liked the story line. Not great but not as crap as I thought it was going to be. 2/5
33. Elephant - disturbing Gus Van Sant film that sort of mirrors the events of Columbine High. Good acting and at times good directing - Van Sant's penchant for long ambling shots where you are just following a student walking through the labyrinth of halls worked sometimes but mostly not. It did evoke more eerie feelings towards the end though. Can certainly see where that young Aussie director who made "2:37" got his inspiration from. 3/5
34. Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood is simply awesome as a racist, bigotted, grumpy old man who becomes involved with the lives of two young Asian neighbours. I thought the young guy wasn't the greatest actor in the world but the story and acting from everyone else was just so spot on that it didn't matter. Sad but uplifting ending, Eastwood has certainly decided to pull out all the stops before he carks it. 4/5
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
PROJECT 365: 12 - 25
12. Wolf Creek - well I can understand why this film was lauded and loved, but honestly it was as formulaic as most horror films out there. John Jarrat and Kestie Morassi did great jobs with their characters, yet once again - like all these films - the protagonists have a ripe opportunity to kill the bad guy and they screw it up, or she decides to waste time watching video camera footage instead of looking for a car or her friend (and then gets what she deserves). 1.5/5.
13. *Awakenings - the first repeat of Project 365 and damn me what a great film to repeat seeing. I basically teared up the whole way through and was mesmerised by both DeNiro and Williams' performances. Was kinda weird seeing Julie Kavner in there - kept expecting her to launch into her Marge Simpson voice - but that didn't matter. This is truly an exceptional and wonderful and heart breaking film, all the more poignant 'cause it is all based on a true event. 5/5.
14. The King of Kong - A Fistful of Quarters - this is quite possibly the most perfect documentary ever made. It's hilarious, creepy, sad and really gets you sucked right in to the machinations behind these - let's face it - losers, attempting to break the world record in Donkey Kong. The whole story arc you couldn't have even dreamed up and the smarminess of Billy is just astonishingly awesome. Everyone should see this, it's just absolutely brilliant film making with a kick arse ending. 6/5. (yep, I loved it that much)
15. *The Fisher King - Terry Gilliam's films are a bit hit and miss with me and this one mostly hits. I like the redemptive story and also Williams' manic character suits him to a T. 4/5.
16. *The Joy Luck Club - another repeat and probably wasn't a good idea to do so. This film hasn't aged well but that might actually be due to the DVD I watched - it looked like it was shot on cheap video cameras like they use for dodgy foreign TV shows that appear on SBS and not proper 35mm film cameras. Apart from that the story was rather labored in that you kind of knew where each one was going; lay on the tragedy as much as possible and see them come through as stronger and more focused women - now I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff but the acting by Ming-Na Wen especially was just so wooden and unbelievable that I did not really enjoy this much at all. 1.5/5.
17. Valkyrie - had free tickets to see this through MIFF. I quite enjoyed it despite knowing that the whole thing was not going to end well at all (obviously they don't kill Hitler). Tom Cruise was quite good as the determined and driven main protagonist and the support cast had some big names who did very well in their roles. I was particularly impressed with Bill Nighy. The mix of Merkin, UK and German accents was a little off putting at the start but once the story kicked into gear I really didn't notice it at all. Will be very interesting to watch the original German version I recorded off SBS the other night as the ads had a few shots hat looked strikingly similar. 3/5
18. The Contender - Joan Allen plays a US Senator nominated for the Vice Presidency who has to go through a committee process where they basically dig through her past and rip sh*t through her. Caught it on TV and really enjoyed it with great performances all 'round especially from Gary Oldman. 4/5
19. *Låt Den Rätte Komma In (Let The Right One In) - had to re-watch after finishing the book and still really enjoyed it. They kept very faithful to the book although maybe finding out about Eli's past could have been good as well. 5/5
20. El Orfanato (The Orphanage) - nice little supernatural thriller with a gorgeous lead actress and a rather creepy story with a bittersweet ending. 3/5
21. Rock 'n' Rolla - Guy Ritchie attempting get back to his hey day of Lock Stock and Snatch and he sort of gets there. It was amusing enough the way he intertwined his stories and I enjoyed the end tie-up of the last few minutes even though you could see it coming. The gay club dancing was hilarious. 3/5
22. *Superman Returns - only saw this once at the cinema and thought I'd re-watch to see if my original vitriol was well deserved or not and basically - yes and no. Yes it is an atrocious script with one of the dumbest ideas for a villain's plan in the history of comic book films ever but Bryan Singer did shoot a beautiful looking film with really bright and saturated colours and some damn good editing and pacing. The actors are all quite good with Spacey being the stand out although why Kal Penn was mostly reduced to scenes where he has a stupid grin on his pace that is supposed to be evil rather than actually having a speaking role I will never know. I also found it amusing that Singer cast so many of his gay (not that there's anything wrong with that) buddies in the film in various roles (Spacey, that footballer dude, etc). 2.5/5
23. Charlie Wilson's War - a great film about the quest of a US Congressman to stave off the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 80's and covertly aid the Afghan's in their struggle. I couldn't figure out why I liked this film so much until the final credits rolled - written by Aaron Sorkin, creator of West Wing & Studio 60 - 'nuff said. Loved Julia Roberts in this. 4/5
24. My Sassy Girl - a great little Korean film about a guy who comes to the rescue of an abusively drunk girl on a train. He decides to stay with her and try and heal her pain despite the fact she treats him so bad. Very funny and heart warming, I'm tempted to check out the Merkin remake to see if they managed to ruin it or not. 3.5/5
25. Slumdog Millionaire - you've all heard about it, it's great to see the dude from Skins in the main role, everyone is awesome with fantastic performances from the two youngest boys especially. Absolute loved it. Was not too fond of Boyle's overuse of angled shots at the start of the film but he calmed that down soon enough so that I was completely lost in the story. 5/5
13. *Awakenings - the first repeat of Project 365 and damn me what a great film to repeat seeing. I basically teared up the whole way through and was mesmerised by both DeNiro and Williams' performances. Was kinda weird seeing Julie Kavner in there - kept expecting her to launch into her Marge Simpson voice - but that didn't matter. This is truly an exceptional and wonderful and heart breaking film, all the more poignant 'cause it is all based on a true event. 5/5.
14. The King of Kong - A Fistful of Quarters - this is quite possibly the most perfect documentary ever made. It's hilarious, creepy, sad and really gets you sucked right in to the machinations behind these - let's face it - losers, attempting to break the world record in Donkey Kong. The whole story arc you couldn't have even dreamed up and the smarminess of Billy is just astonishingly awesome. Everyone should see this, it's just absolutely brilliant film making with a kick arse ending. 6/5. (yep, I loved it that much)
15. *The Fisher King - Terry Gilliam's films are a bit hit and miss with me and this one mostly hits. I like the redemptive story and also Williams' manic character suits him to a T. 4/5.
16. *The Joy Luck Club - another repeat and probably wasn't a good idea to do so. This film hasn't aged well but that might actually be due to the DVD I watched - it looked like it was shot on cheap video cameras like they use for dodgy foreign TV shows that appear on SBS and not proper 35mm film cameras. Apart from that the story was rather labored in that you kind of knew where each one was going; lay on the tragedy as much as possible and see them come through as stronger and more focused women - now I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff but the acting by Ming-Na Wen especially was just so wooden and unbelievable that I did not really enjoy this much at all. 1.5/5.
17. Valkyrie - had free tickets to see this through MIFF. I quite enjoyed it despite knowing that the whole thing was not going to end well at all (obviously they don't kill Hitler). Tom Cruise was quite good as the determined and driven main protagonist and the support cast had some big names who did very well in their roles. I was particularly impressed with Bill Nighy. The mix of Merkin, UK and German accents was a little off putting at the start but once the story kicked into gear I really didn't notice it at all. Will be very interesting to watch the original German version I recorded off SBS the other night as the ads had a few shots hat looked strikingly similar. 3/5
18. The Contender - Joan Allen plays a US Senator nominated for the Vice Presidency who has to go through a committee process where they basically dig through her past and rip sh*t through her. Caught it on TV and really enjoyed it with great performances all 'round especially from Gary Oldman. 4/5
19. *Låt Den Rätte Komma In (Let The Right One In) - had to re-watch after finishing the book and still really enjoyed it. They kept very faithful to the book although maybe finding out about Eli's past could have been good as well. 5/5
20. El Orfanato (The Orphanage) - nice little supernatural thriller with a gorgeous lead actress and a rather creepy story with a bittersweet ending. 3/5
21. Rock 'n' Rolla - Guy Ritchie attempting get back to his hey day of Lock Stock and Snatch and he sort of gets there. It was amusing enough the way he intertwined his stories and I enjoyed the end tie-up of the last few minutes even though you could see it coming. The gay club dancing was hilarious. 3/5
22. *Superman Returns - only saw this once at the cinema and thought I'd re-watch to see if my original vitriol was well deserved or not and basically - yes and no. Yes it is an atrocious script with one of the dumbest ideas for a villain's plan in the history of comic book films ever but Bryan Singer did shoot a beautiful looking film with really bright and saturated colours and some damn good editing and pacing. The actors are all quite good with Spacey being the stand out although why Kal Penn was mostly reduced to scenes where he has a stupid grin on his pace that is supposed to be evil rather than actually having a speaking role I will never know. I also found it amusing that Singer cast so many of his gay (not that there's anything wrong with that) buddies in the film in various roles (Spacey, that footballer dude, etc). 2.5/5
23. Charlie Wilson's War - a great film about the quest of a US Congressman to stave off the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 80's and covertly aid the Afghan's in their struggle. I couldn't figure out why I liked this film so much until the final credits rolled - written by Aaron Sorkin, creator of West Wing & Studio 60 - 'nuff said. Loved Julia Roberts in this. 4/5
24. My Sassy Girl - a great little Korean film about a guy who comes to the rescue of an abusively drunk girl on a train. He decides to stay with her and try and heal her pain despite the fact she treats him so bad. Very funny and heart warming, I'm tempted to check out the Merkin remake to see if they managed to ruin it or not. 3.5/5
25. Slumdog Millionaire - you've all heard about it, it's great to see the dude from Skins in the main role, everyone is awesome with fantastic performances from the two youngest boys especially. Absolute loved it. Was not too fond of Boyle's overuse of angled shots at the start of the film but he calmed that down soon enough so that I was completely lost in the story. 5/5
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
PROJECT 365: 6 to 11
6. The Lookout - Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a jock who winds up in a car accident that kills some of his friends and gives him some brain damage. Afterwards his life is all about making inappropriate comments out loud that he just can't stop and also making notes about everything so that he can remember things that he is almost certain to forget. He gets a job cleaning a bank at nights and soon some crooks start manipulating him into helping them rob the bank. Although it sounds kinda familiar the film is done so well and with an ending I didn't quite expect it is very much worth seeing. Some great performances especially by Levitt, Jeff Daniels as his blind housemate and Isla Fischer as the love interest. A great film with a real sense of menace from the robbers and a powerfully portrayed young man seeking redemption and acceptance. 4.5/5
7. The Bank Job - good film, not brilliant. Would like to find out just how much of it actually really happened. 2.5/5
8. Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging - a great little UK film about a 14 year old girl coming of age and trying to nab the perfect guy as a boyfriend. It's all been done before (found it very similar to 32A) but it was a very very funny film - Angus the cat steals the show. 4/5
9. The Mummy 3 - Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - trite bull crap. Some good effects with the Yetis but apart from that, pretty damn boringly crap. Brendan Fraser has a really weird voice. 0.5/5 for the Vomiting Yak.
10. Igor - why waste so much money and some pretty damn good animation on a script/story that has been done a million times before by Disney? I really don't understand Hollywood sometimes. Seriously, this is exactly the same as so many other films that I started planning dinner 30 minutes in. What a waste. 0.5/5 - gets half a point for decent animation and the amusing Annie angle.
11. Max Payne - hmmm, was ok despite the wooden acting and pretty shoddy script. I liked the hallucination aspect of it but the story was just so damn obvious. I picked out who were the bad guys the instant they made an appearance and knew how the end game would play out. Mila Kunis' character was a complete waste of space and the bit after the credits was not worth the time it took me to fast forward through. Did notice it was filmed in Toronto and Hamilton though - I've been there! 1/5.
7. The Bank Job - good film, not brilliant. Would like to find out just how much of it actually really happened. 2.5/5
8. Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging - a great little UK film about a 14 year old girl coming of age and trying to nab the perfect guy as a boyfriend. It's all been done before (found it very similar to 32A) but it was a very very funny film - Angus the cat steals the show. 4/5
9. The Mummy 3 - Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - trite bull crap. Some good effects with the Yetis but apart from that, pretty damn boringly crap. Brendan Fraser has a really weird voice. 0.5/5 for the Vomiting Yak.
10. Igor - why waste so much money and some pretty damn good animation on a script/story that has been done a million times before by Disney? I really don't understand Hollywood sometimes. Seriously, this is exactly the same as so many other films that I started planning dinner 30 minutes in. What a waste. 0.5/5 - gets half a point for decent animation and the amusing Annie angle.
11. Max Payne - hmmm, was ok despite the wooden acting and pretty shoddy script. I liked the hallucination aspect of it but the story was just so damn obvious. I picked out who were the bad guys the instant they made an appearance and knew how the end game would play out. Mila Kunis' character was a complete waste of space and the bit after the credits was not worth the time it took me to fast forward through. Did notice it was filmed in Toronto and Hamilton though - I've been there! 1/5.
Monday, January 05, 2009
FINAL READING LIST FOR 2008
Only got to 42 but a certain computer game and a lot of alcohol got in the way during December.
01 Mary Gentle - Grunts!
02 Robert A Heinlein - Stranger In A Strange Land
03 Karen Miller - The Innocent Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker 1)
04 Karen Miller - The Awakened Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker 2)
05 Joe Abercrombie - The Blade Itself (The First Law 1)
06 Joe Abercrombie - Before They Are Hanged (The First Law 2)
07 Ian McDonald - Brasyl
08 Richard Morgan - Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs 1)
09 Simon Hawke - The Outcast (Tribe of One 1)
10 Simon Hawke - The Seeker (Tribe of One 2)
11 Simon Hawke - The Nomad (Tribe of One 3)
12 Raymond E Feist - Wrath of a Mad God (Darkwar 3)
13 Chelsea Cain - Heartsick
14 Richard Morgan - Broken Angels (Takeshi Kovacs 2)
15 Richard Morgan - Woken Furies (Takeshi Kovacs 3)
16 Joe Abercrombie - Last Argument of Kings (The First Law 3)
17 Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space
18 R. Scott Bakker - The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing 1)
19 R. Scott Bakker - The Warrior Prophet (The Prince of Nothing 2)
20 R. Scott Bakker - The Thousandfold Thought (The Prince of Nothing 3)
21 John Scalzi - Old Man's War
22 Ian Cameron Esslemont - Night of Knives (Malazan Companion 1)
23 Richard Morgan - Market Forces
24 Tobias Buckell - Crystal Rain (Nanagada 1)
25 Steven Erikson - Toll The Hounds (Malazan 8)
26 Various - Solaris Book of New Fantasy
27 Richard Morgan - The Steel Remains (People Who Say Fuck A Lot 1)
28 Joel Shepherd - Crossover (Cassandra Kressnov 1)
29 Joel Shepherd - Breakaway (Cassandra Kressnov 2)
30 Joel Shepherd - Killswitch (Cassandra Kressnov 3)
31 Kevin J Anderson - The Ashes of Worlds (Saga of Seven Suns 7)
32 John Scalzi - The Ghost Brigades
33 John Scalzi - The Last Colony
34 Ian Cameron Esslemont - Return Of The Crimson Guard (Malazan Companion 2)
35 Glen Cook - Shadows Linger (Black Company 2)
36 Glen Cook - The White Rose (Black Company 3)
37 Terry Pratchett - Nation
38 George RR Martin / Gardner Dozois / Daniel Abraham - Hunter's Run
39 Jeff Lindsay - Dexter In The Dark (Dexter 3)
40 Lynne Truss - Eats, Shoots & Leaves
41 David Gunn - Death's Head (Sven Tveskoeg 1)
42 Greg Keyes - The Briar King (Kingdom of Thorn & Bone 1)
01 Mary Gentle - Grunts!
02 Robert A Heinlein - Stranger In A Strange Land
03 Karen Miller - The Innocent Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker 1)
04 Karen Miller - The Awakened Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker 2)
05 Joe Abercrombie - The Blade Itself (The First Law 1)
06 Joe Abercrombie - Before They Are Hanged (The First Law 2)
07 Ian McDonald - Brasyl
08 Richard Morgan - Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs 1)
09 Simon Hawke - The Outcast (Tribe of One 1)
10 Simon Hawke - The Seeker (Tribe of One 2)
11 Simon Hawke - The Nomad (Tribe of One 3)
12 Raymond E Feist - Wrath of a Mad God (Darkwar 3)
13 Chelsea Cain - Heartsick
14 Richard Morgan - Broken Angels (Takeshi Kovacs 2)
15 Richard Morgan - Woken Furies (Takeshi Kovacs 3)
16 Joe Abercrombie - Last Argument of Kings (The First Law 3)
17 Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space
18 R. Scott Bakker - The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing 1)
19 R. Scott Bakker - The Warrior Prophet (The Prince of Nothing 2)
20 R. Scott Bakker - The Thousandfold Thought (The Prince of Nothing 3)
21 John Scalzi - Old Man's War
22 Ian Cameron Esslemont - Night of Knives (Malazan Companion 1)
23 Richard Morgan - Market Forces
24 Tobias Buckell - Crystal Rain (Nanagada 1)
25 Steven Erikson - Toll The Hounds (Malazan 8)
26 Various - Solaris Book of New Fantasy
27 Richard Morgan - The Steel Remains (People Who Say Fuck A Lot 1)
28 Joel Shepherd - Crossover (Cassandra Kressnov 1)
29 Joel Shepherd - Breakaway (Cassandra Kressnov 2)
30 Joel Shepherd - Killswitch (Cassandra Kressnov 3)
31 Kevin J Anderson - The Ashes of Worlds (Saga of Seven Suns 7)
32 John Scalzi - The Ghost Brigades
33 John Scalzi - The Last Colony
34 Ian Cameron Esslemont - Return Of The Crimson Guard (Malazan Companion 2)
35 Glen Cook - Shadows Linger (Black Company 2)
36 Glen Cook - The White Rose (Black Company 3)
37 Terry Pratchett - Nation
38 George RR Martin / Gardner Dozois / Daniel Abraham - Hunter's Run
39 Jeff Lindsay - Dexter In The Dark (Dexter 3)
40 Lynne Truss - Eats, Shoots & Leaves
41 David Gunn - Death's Head (Sven Tveskoeg 1)
42 Greg Keyes - The Briar King (Kingdom of Thorn & Bone 1)
PROJECT 365: 1 to 5
So my main New Year's Resolution for 2009 is to see 365 films within the calendar year with a ratio of at least 90% ones I have not seen before. Crazy? Maybe. Fun? Yup. Possible? Time will tell...
1. Bad Santa - very funny film. Laughed my arse off and loved the kid in it, he was perfect. 4/5
2. Mean Girls - pretty amusing and was funny to see half the cast of Saturday Night Live in there (man Tina Fey is HOT!). Also had the delectable Rachel McAdams although I prefer her with red hair and not being such a bitch. 2.5/5
3. Constantine - pretty cool flick although the DVD I watched had a very low volume for the voices which was bloody annoying. Loved Peter Stormare as Satan and anything with Tilda Swinton in it gets a thumbs up from me. 3.5/5
4. Suddenly 30 - Garner did really well with the body language and vocal patterns of a 13 year old in a 30 year old's (hot) body. Had some laughs and was good to see Gollum/King Kong in a non-cgi role. 2/5
5. The Strangers - kinda kept thinking about Charles Manson and those psychos during this. Was entertaining in its own way but very very predictable. 1.5/5
And so it begins, only 360 to go!
I'll be including "sessions" at the Melbourne International Film Festival in this list, eg 10 short films in a session is still just one "film". I'll be making use of the weekly deals at Blockbuster and might go through different sections each week picking up 6 or so films in each at a time - I plan on browsing the sci-fi section tonight.
1. Bad Santa - very funny film. Laughed my arse off and loved the kid in it, he was perfect. 4/5
2. Mean Girls - pretty amusing and was funny to see half the cast of Saturday Night Live in there (man Tina Fey is HOT!). Also had the delectable Rachel McAdams although I prefer her with red hair and not being such a bitch. 2.5/5
3. Constantine - pretty cool flick although the DVD I watched had a very low volume for the voices which was bloody annoying. Loved Peter Stormare as Satan and anything with Tilda Swinton in it gets a thumbs up from me. 3.5/5
4. Suddenly 30 - Garner did really well with the body language and vocal patterns of a 13 year old in a 30 year old's (hot) body. Had some laughs and was good to see Gollum/King Kong in a non-cgi role. 2/5
5. The Strangers - kinda kept thinking about Charles Manson and those psychos during this. Was entertaining in its own way but very very predictable. 1.5/5
And so it begins, only 360 to go!
I'll be including "sessions" at the Melbourne International Film Festival in this list, eg 10 short films in a session is still just one "film". I'll be making use of the weekly deals at Blockbuster and might go through different sections each week picking up 6 or so films in each at a time - I plan on browsing the sci-fi section tonight.
Monday, December 15, 2008
MILD BOOK REVIEWS #2
So some more mini book reviews:
Kevin J Anderson - The Ashes of Worlds (The Saga of Seven Suns book 7) - a nice enough conclusion to a series that was a little up and down for my tastes. It started well with the first three books, lost a bit of the plot towards the middle there, and then tied things up relatively nicely by this final volume and its predecessor, Metal Swarm. Kevin Anderson is sort of an everyman when it comes to Sci-Fi and it will be interesting to see how he goes with his new Fantasy series which is due to start next year. All in all The Saga of Seven Suns was a sort of space opera type sci-fi-lite with a lot of Star Wars-ish leanings - he even admitted it was originally pitched as an idea for a Star Wars series. I realise this write-up isn't even a write-up but more an admission that here is a sci-fi series that was basically OK but really quite basic and pulpish in the end. Why Basil Wenceslas wasn't murdered by the end of book one I'll never know - some of the characters' actions or naivety just did not make sense.
Glen Cook - Chronicles of the Black Company - I've read these first three Black Company books now and am likely to read the sequels but they aren't too high on my list. I can see why Erikson refers to these novels as some of the inspiration behind the characters in his Malazan series and it's like he's taken the next evolutionary step. Enjoyable novels and a story that arcs over the first three books, the main character of Croaker is certainly engaging and he'd have to be as almost the entire story is from his perspective. Would not suit everyone as they are certainly written in an "old-school" feel or way - I dunno how to express it any better.
Terry Pratchett - Nation - Terry's first non-Discworld book since The Amazing Maurice and it was well worth the wait. Nation is a sad and endearing tale of two young people struggling to deal with death and disaster in a world unrecognisable after the horror of a Tsunami. Not as funny as his Discworld novels but certainly with more heart and soul, I adored this novel and would recommend it to anyone, even people not into fantasy as it's not really a fantasy novel, more alternate history/reality. Also has the poignancy of Terry dropping everything to write this as soon as he found out about his Alzheimer's - it was a story he'd always been putting off writing until he realised he might not have time left to finish it. Loved it.
Gardner Dozois / George RR Martin / Daniel Abraham - Hunter's Run - adapted and expanded from a short story by Dozois I found Hunter's Run, although initially unlikable, to be quite an engaging and quick read. Basically about a man captured by aliens and his struggle to define himself and his humanity when forced to aid in the hunt for another human fugitive, a fugitive with closer links to the hunter than he thinks. It's quite obvious from early on what the relationship between hunter and hunted really is so the big reveal isn't a shock at all, but there is certainly an interesting story told about identity and what it means to be who you are and how circumstances can affect your outlook on life.
Jeff Lindsay - Dexter in the Dark - with a fantastic first novel and a pretty good sequel, Lindsay has created something quite unique with his Dexter series and a spin-off TV show that just keeps getting better. Unfortunately the third novel lost the plot completely with some supernatural overtones that were just plain ridiculous. I find it amusing that the writers on his show are having far more fun with the character than he is, the third season has been great fun with Dexter finally finding a friend. I'll give the fourth book a go but if that is on par with this third one then I'll probably just stick with the TV show.
David Gunn - Death's Head - a thrilling and fun ride through an uber-violent sci-fi universe courtesy of the rough and ready Sven. I read this one in two days - a rarity for this slow reader for a 500+ page novel - because the writing was just so succinct and yet managed to paint a fantastically vivid picture of Sven and his travails with the Death's Head marines. Will definitely be reading the rest of this series, sort of a cross between Starship Troopers, Tales of the Malazan (the soldiering stuff from that anyway) and John Scalzi's books. Loved it.
Kevin J Anderson - The Ashes of Worlds (The Saga of Seven Suns book 7) - a nice enough conclusion to a series that was a little up and down for my tastes. It started well with the first three books, lost a bit of the plot towards the middle there, and then tied things up relatively nicely by this final volume and its predecessor, Metal Swarm. Kevin Anderson is sort of an everyman when it comes to Sci-Fi and it will be interesting to see how he goes with his new Fantasy series which is due to start next year. All in all The Saga of Seven Suns was a sort of space opera type sci-fi-lite with a lot of Star Wars-ish leanings - he even admitted it was originally pitched as an idea for a Star Wars series. I realise this write-up isn't even a write-up but more an admission that here is a sci-fi series that was basically OK but really quite basic and pulpish in the end. Why Basil Wenceslas wasn't murdered by the end of book one I'll never know - some of the characters' actions or naivety just did not make sense.
Glen Cook - Chronicles of the Black Company - I've read these first three Black Company books now and am likely to read the sequels but they aren't too high on my list. I can see why Erikson refers to these novels as some of the inspiration behind the characters in his Malazan series and it's like he's taken the next evolutionary step. Enjoyable novels and a story that arcs over the first three books, the main character of Croaker is certainly engaging and he'd have to be as almost the entire story is from his perspective. Would not suit everyone as they are certainly written in an "old-school" feel or way - I dunno how to express it any better.
Terry Pratchett - Nation - Terry's first non-Discworld book since The Amazing Maurice and it was well worth the wait. Nation is a sad and endearing tale of two young people struggling to deal with death and disaster in a world unrecognisable after the horror of a Tsunami. Not as funny as his Discworld novels but certainly with more heart and soul, I adored this novel and would recommend it to anyone, even people not into fantasy as it's not really a fantasy novel, more alternate history/reality. Also has the poignancy of Terry dropping everything to write this as soon as he found out about his Alzheimer's - it was a story he'd always been putting off writing until he realised he might not have time left to finish it. Loved it.
Gardner Dozois / George RR Martin / Daniel Abraham - Hunter's Run - adapted and expanded from a short story by Dozois I found Hunter's Run, although initially unlikable, to be quite an engaging and quick read. Basically about a man captured by aliens and his struggle to define himself and his humanity when forced to aid in the hunt for another human fugitive, a fugitive with closer links to the hunter than he thinks. It's quite obvious from early on what the relationship between hunter and hunted really is so the big reveal isn't a shock at all, but there is certainly an interesting story told about identity and what it means to be who you are and how circumstances can affect your outlook on life.
Jeff Lindsay - Dexter in the Dark - with a fantastic first novel and a pretty good sequel, Lindsay has created something quite unique with his Dexter series and a spin-off TV show that just keeps getting better. Unfortunately the third novel lost the plot completely with some supernatural overtones that were just plain ridiculous. I find it amusing that the writers on his show are having far more fun with the character than he is, the third season has been great fun with Dexter finally finding a friend. I'll give the fourth book a go but if that is on par with this third one then I'll probably just stick with the TV show.
David Gunn - Death's Head - a thrilling and fun ride through an uber-violent sci-fi universe courtesy of the rough and ready Sven. I read this one in two days - a rarity for this slow reader for a 500+ page novel - because the writing was just so succinct and yet managed to paint a fantastically vivid picture of Sven and his travails with the Death's Head marines. Will definitely be reading the rest of this series, sort of a cross between Starship Troopers, Tales of the Malazan (the soldiering stuff from that anyway) and John Scalzi's books. Loved it.
Friday, November 28, 2008
SLACKER HIGH
Well no new updates for a while, like I said this was not gonna be a seriously regular gig.
Everything is cool, have been reading some pretty good books - Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company (books 2 and 3), Terry Pratchett's Nation and just started Martin/Dozois/Abraham's Hunter's Run - looks like I can get to over 40 by the end of the year (Hunter's Run is #38) which is quite an achievement for me.
Seen some moofies: Tropic Thunder - hilarious, Starhip Troopers 3: Marauder - atrocious, Star Wars Clone Wars - meh, and watched in one sitting Kung-Fu Panda, Madagascar and Over The Hedge which actually just really showed how dull a moofie Madagascar is, I hope the sequel is far superior but am not holding my breath.
Had my housewarming last weekend which went well despite not really being able to use the outdoor area of our apartment because of the torrential rain, hail and cyclonic winds. Still plenty of fun with many a drink drunk. The image above is of moi and my friend Kerryn during a brief break in the weather - the balloons are Kerryn and Jane's idea of bringing the sunset with them.
Off to Perth next week for work - Monday night to Friday afternoon, which with the time difference means I get back to Melbourne at something like 9pm Friday - I have a pub crawl I am supposed to attend on the Saturday but flying always takes it out of me so I might not be able to attend... Ha! Who am I kidding? I'll be there with bells on!
Christmas is looming, must think of some gifts to foist onto the family...
Oh and I had planned a post about how I never get angry except over petty things - house mate and a friend recently commented about how I am pretty happy kind of guy (including a very happy drunk) and don't get angry or upset about things, that is until I released my furious anger in a tirade about neighbours and their bins and the evil passengers that pollute trams... ahem... Like I said, planned a post, but I'm lazy so it may never turn up.
Everything is cool, have been reading some pretty good books - Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company (books 2 and 3), Terry Pratchett's Nation and just started Martin/Dozois/Abraham's Hunter's Run - looks like I can get to over 40 by the end of the year (Hunter's Run is #38) which is quite an achievement for me.
Seen some moofies: Tropic Thunder - hilarious, Starhip Troopers 3: Marauder - atrocious, Star Wars Clone Wars - meh, and watched in one sitting Kung-Fu Panda, Madagascar and Over The Hedge which actually just really showed how dull a moofie Madagascar is, I hope the sequel is far superior but am not holding my breath.
Had my housewarming last weekend which went well despite not really being able to use the outdoor area of our apartment because of the torrential rain, hail and cyclonic winds. Still plenty of fun with many a drink drunk. The image above is of moi and my friend Kerryn during a brief break in the weather - the balloons are Kerryn and Jane's idea of bringing the sunset with them.
Off to Perth next week for work - Monday night to Friday afternoon, which with the time difference means I get back to Melbourne at something like 9pm Friday - I have a pub crawl I am supposed to attend on the Saturday but flying always takes it out of me so I might not be able to attend... Ha! Who am I kidding? I'll be there with bells on!
Christmas is looming, must think of some gifts to foist onto the family...
Oh and I had planned a post about how I never get angry except over petty things - house mate and a friend recently commented about how I am pretty happy kind of guy (including a very happy drunk) and don't get angry or upset about things, that is until I released my furious anger in a tirade about neighbours and their bins and the evil passengers that pollute trams... ahem... Like I said, planned a post, but I'm lazy so it may never turn up.
Monday, November 10, 2008
MILD BOOK REVIEWS
Although I love films and I love reading, I really don't like reviewing them at all - I either like 'em or I don't with the occasional in between. So with that in mind, here are a few mini reviews of recent books I've read:
Joel Shepherd - Cassandra Kressnov Trilogy (Crossover/Breakaway/Killswitch) - a great sci-fi lite series about a cyborg/android set on the world of Callay. Humanity has expanded to the stars however the breakaway League is more inclined to explore technological advancement with fewer checks and measures than their Federation brethren - they are so impressed with what they can do they don't necessarily think about what they should do. As a result Cassandra Kressnov has been created - the most highly advanced hunter-killer cyborg of all time, except now she's gone rogue and has decided that civilian life is for her, civilian life amongst the tech-savvy Callay capital of Tanusha, a Federation planet.
Basically this trilogy covers Sandy's struggle to become "normal" and accepted within a society that thinks of her as a monster. The books cover some great political and philosophical ground with a tech-noir bent and measures of anti-racism and anti-discrimination - based on just about anything - thrown into the mix. A fun and fast read where the pace hardly ever lets up, I greatly enjoyed every book - Joel Shepherd is an Aussie author to look out for. Very cool covers on the US versions from Pyr which are what I have.
John Scalzi - Old Man's War / The Ghost Brigades / The Last Colony - a great little trilogy of novels where Scalzi explores themes of Humanity, our place in the Universe and a few other bits and pieces, all against a Starship Troopers-esque backdrop of alien arse kicking and violent Human expansion and colonisation. A very fun trilogy with some fascinating takes on aliens and just how virulent the human race could be once it reaches the stars. I greatly enjoyed this series and look forward to reading the rest of his books either in this universe or out.
Ian C Esslemont - Return of the Crimson Guard - Esslemont's second foray into the Malazan world shows just how far he has come as a writer since the so-so Night of Knives. Quite an enjoyable read and fits in very well with Erikson's existing Malazan novels (this occurs, for the most part, somewhere between Reaper's Gale and Toll the Hounds) although curiously the story of the titular Crimson Guard themselves was probably the weakest storyline of the whole book! It was a little confusing at first as he has many plot threads starting in the first 100 pages or so but he quickly manages to weave together culminating in the largest battles yet depicted in the Malazan universe. I especially loved Nait's storyline and antics and the novel also features an absolutely HUGE event in the Malazan world so MUST be read by those who are enjoying Erikson's books.
Basically this trilogy covers Sandy's struggle to become "normal" and accepted within a society that thinks of her as a monster. The books cover some great political and philosophical ground with a tech-noir bent and measures of anti-racism and anti-discrimination - based on just about anything - thrown into the mix. A fun and fast read where the pace hardly ever lets up, I greatly enjoyed every book - Joel Shepherd is an Aussie author to look out for. Very cool covers on the US versions from Pyr which are what I have.
Ian C Esslemont - Return of the Crimson Guard - Esslemont's second foray into the Malazan world shows just how far he has come as a writer since the so-so Night of Knives. Quite an enjoyable read and fits in very well with Erikson's existing Malazan novels (this occurs, for the most part, somewhere between Reaper's Gale and Toll the Hounds) although curiously the story of the titular Crimson Guard themselves was probably the weakest storyline of the whole book! It was a little confusing at first as he has many plot threads starting in the first 100 pages or so but he quickly manages to weave together culminating in the largest battles yet depicted in the Malazan universe. I especially loved Nait's storyline and antics and the novel also features an absolutely HUGE event in the Malazan world so MUST be read by those who are enjoying Erikson's books.
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