everybodys fine (2009) - kirk jones

Robert De Niro plays his put upon (widowed) father role and goes around the country to visit (and surprise) his children after they say they cannot make a reunion meal. He is advised by his doctor not to travel due to his ill health, thinks 'Everybody's Fine', but soon discovers his children may have been giving him false information about how well they are doing (because they have issues - yawn). It was OK, but l certainly wouldn't watch it again, and l wish De Niro would pack in these roles and get back to being a scary fellow you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alleyway.

toodle pip

milton glaser - design genius and the unfit dogs of america

I was watching an excellent documentary on Sky Arts about Milton Glaser the other day, and it obviously showed some of his design classics, some of which are above (the New York one is the most famous). One thing that caught my attention however, was the packaging for dog food. It's not the design on the packaging itself, which does the job nicely, it's what the Americans were feeding their dogs in the first place. Burger with cheese flavoured dog food!! Only in America etc......

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scenes of a sexual nature (2006) - ed blum

Scenes of a Sexual Nature has some vaguely interlocking stories of people out for the day on Hampstead Heath and it features lots of stars from the UK (Ewen McGregor, Catherine Tate, Andrew Lincoln etc). It's pretty easy going, and whimsical in places, but it also has you trying to anticipate what is going on in a scene, or what the outcome of some encounters will be. Pretty well done, and so much better than other British (so called) comedy-dramas with local stars in (I'm talking about you - Richard Curtis!!), although it was still outrageously middle class. Tom Hardy was my favourite character, pestering girls and generally acting wacky. Don't know why l should relate to that though. It's also another role where McGregor plays a gay man (I've just watched him in I Love You Phillip Morris). This is getting to be waaaaay to regular an occurrence, for both him and me. I think l need a lie down.

toodle pip

lilja 4-ever (2002) - lukas moodysson

There's nothing like a nice cheerful Swedish film to pass the time, and this (you've guessed it!), was nothing like a nice cheerful Swedish film (but it passed the time). Lilja 4-ever tells the story of Lilja (Oksana Akinshina), and her gradual (but downward) spiral into the sex trade. She is originally from the Eastern Block (it's not specified in the film), but is abandoned by her mother, has to use her wits to survive, and is then tricked into leaving the country for a (supposedly) better life. Pretty grim all the way through, but an excellent film, loosely based on a true story, and 100% believable.

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lost in translation

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signed (and old) status quo pictures

Status Quo used to be cool. Nobody believes me if l tell them now, but at one time, they were outsiders, a band of the people, and they knew how to ROCK!!!!

This was all many moons ago.

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david bowie heroes out takes

Does exactly what it says on the tin - out-takes from the David Bowie Heroes photo shoot (taken by Masayoshi Sukita). Iconic pop history would have been changed if they had used a different shot (and 99% of the world would not have cared less - only us sados).

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christmas with cliff

What kind of new Hell is this?

Christmas?

With Cliff?

With the Daily Mail?

No thanks - l think l'm busy.

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rather brilliant tom samui sculptures

These sculptures are made of recycled car and motor bike parts and can be made to order. Fantastic stuff - shame l am so poor, or l would cough up for a giant something or other (rabbit?) in the front garden to scare off the neighbours.

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