satyricon (1969) - federico fellini

Wow, Fellini really goes to town on this film. Set in the time of Nero, Satyricon follows the exploits of  Encolpio (Martin Potter), his love for Gitone, and his travels and adventures throughout ancient Rome (including being involved in the death of a hermaphrodite with healing powers).
It's an outrageously gay film, and Fellini has taken a lot of liberties with the story, adding in scenes wherever he felt like. The colouring of the film, the strange characters, the surreal settings, the mad feast, and the weird story, make it seem like a hallucination or a disturbing dream, but that is no bad thing as far as l am concerned.
 The book by Petronius is vastly different (although l haven't read it for years), with many missing sections. These are the parts added by Fellini, and l think he did a good job it.
A very strange film indeed, but right up my street.
I knew l should have been gay.

toodle pip

giant ant hill excavated

This is pretty amazing. A giant ant hill is excavated by pouring a load of concrete into it, and then digging away all the surrounding earth. The size, scope and planning of the structure built by the ants is staggering.
Clever little sods, they'll be taking over the world if they keep on like this.

toodle pip

I sell the dead ( 2008) - glenn mcquaid

I Sell The Dead is a black comedy about two grave robbers, one of whom, Willie Grimes (Larry Fessender) is guillotined at the start of the movie. The other, Arthur Blake (Dominic Monaghan) is visited in his cell by a priest, Father Duffy (Ron Perlman), and recounts his life of crime to him.
The trouble is, the film is not at all scary, even though it features vampires, zombies and killings. It is also not funny, and l couldn't relate to either of the main characters, although Ron Perlman was his usual excellent self.
Pretty rubbish really, another hour and a half of my life wasted. Lucky l am off work at the moment.

toodle pip

little jamie has appeared

Had a phone call today from Kerry to say that little Jamie has been born in Middlesbrough, is doing fine and is OK. Bit of a shock that it has happened so soon, as it was not due until the end of March, but at least everything seems to be working correctly. Little Jamie turned out to be a boy (although they are naming him Ciaran) and we will be going through tomorrow to see them all. Champagne and cigars for Robbo, a pat on the head for Kerry.
All we have to do now is wait 18 years and get him matched up with Louise and Dazzer's Lol.

toodle pip

bacon in a tube

America - l love the place. The home of bacon in a tube which can be added to cakes. Pure genius!

toodle pip

son of dracula (1943) - robert siodmak

Not one of the better Dracula films, Son Of Dracula stars Lon Chaney Jr as Count Alucard, who comes to the States and marries Katherine, a plantation owners daughter. She however, has done it so she can nibble on and then spend eternity with Frank, her true love. Obviously things don't go to plan, and the Count is killed in the end.
The first Dracula film to have the transformation into a bat, but it's still pretty damn dated.

toodle pip

out for lunch with the crazy cats

 Idiot cat in Tunstall

  Idiot cat in Tunstall

  

 Idiot cat in Tunstall on the cooker

  Idiots  in Tunstall

Trying to snow in Tunstal

Dragged myself out of bed this morning to watch The Sunday Supplement, then went off to to Louise and Dazzer's  for Sunday lunch, prepared by Dazzer and eaten in a kitchen that could well have been one in Beirut, as it needs plastering, painting, and units put in. Apart from that, it's great, and they at least have a new cooker.
The food had a bit too much on the old vegetable side for me, but there was cans with it, and it was nice and tasty otherwise.
Myself and Daz persuaded our FPO's to let us bugger off to the pub in Tunstall for an hour and a half afterwards (we have to obey a tight and strict schedule), but unfortunately for us (and luckily for the girls), it was (as we suspected it might be) closed. What a swine of a result (a bit like Liverpool v United yesterday).
We sulked back to the house, had another can of wife beater, then myself and the FPO returned home, where l promptly fell asleep reading in the bath (water in first).
Watched the last episode of Misfits (series three) which we had taped before Christmas, then it was the computer for me, bed for the sap who has to get up in the morning for work.
It's great being off work (not back until Tuesday afternoon).

toodle pip

old tv listing from 1980

This is an old TV listing from about 1980, and it just shows haw crap the television was back in the day. Only three channels, and they closed down just after midnight.
No wonder l used to go out a lot.

toodle pip

the changing face of catherine zeta jones

Now, as those who knows me would confirm, l am not a person who would ever say a bad word about anybody, nor comment on the fact they may have had plastic surgery done.
OK, l'm lying - of course l would.
l am not for one moment suggesting that Catherine Zeta Jones has had any work done, but she sure as hell doesn't look like the girl from the valleys anymore.
What's wrong with being happy with how you look? Growing old gracefully? Bucking the Hollywood obsession for surgery? Staying close to your roots?
Sod all that - she looks miles better, and whatever she paid, it was worth it, although l do suspect that her new picture has been heavily airbrushed and photo-shopped.

toodle pip

the sons of katie elder posters

The posters for The Sons Of Katie Elder. More crap l would like to own.

toodle pip

the sons of katie elder (1965) - henry hathaway

This is the kind of film l grew up with.
The Sons Of Katie Elder is based on the true story of the Marlow brothers, who, like the Elder boys in this film, are ambushed while supposedly being moved to safety by the law.
The four brothers had come home for their mothers funeral, and try to find out who shot their father. They are then framed for a murder and then ambushed while being transported away from town.
The Duke does get some revenge at the end, but after a high cost to the brothers.
I can watch pretty much any cowboy film with Dean Martin in, and John Wayne is his usual self (even after his recent bought of cancer). As a bonus for me, it also features a young Dennis Hopper as a cowardly baddie, and George Kennedy (from Cool Hand Luke) as a not so cowardly baddie, so l was quids in with this.
Also, Katie Elder was a real person, more commonly known as 'Big Nose Kate' and was very friendly with Doc Holliday. She didn't die until 1940, which is just amazing to me, as that seems so recent.
Top stuff.

toodle pip

three people you shouldn't go out drinking with - when stars were stars

What a night out this must have been. All hail, from left to right -  Keith Richards, James Brown, and John Belushi.
Sadly (but to be expected) only one of them is still alive (obviously the inspiration that is Keef).
Stars nowadays? Pah!
Gym going, moisturiser applying, funny haircut wearing, lip syncing and choreographed dancing in 'trendy' clothes bunch of girls.
And that's just the blokes - don't get me started on the women.

toodle pip

in the valley of elah (2007) - paul haggis

I know The Valley Of Elah is based on a true story (and it's where David fought Goliath), and maybe l was just not in the mood for it, but l tried watching it this evening, and thought it was crap. I was lent it by somebody at work, and a few people there had said they enjoyed it, but l most certainly didn't. I just hate the sort of films that  have an old soldier who still lives as though he is in the army, walking into bases and everyone  kowtowing to him, telling him classified information, saying they will withhold evidence (a hash pipe), and treating him like he is some general, rather than the sergeant he was. Of course there's a dodgy bloke in a van who can assist him with high tech stuff, and of course he is dissmissed by the police, until a disillusioned and attractive female officer ends up taking pity on him and helping him out, and .......
That's it, l got no further than the body being found.
The sort of serious, over the top and unbelievable kind of film l hate, even if the only part of the film l saw was pretty slow and bathed in misery (which l would normally like).
It's the last time l  take advice from anyone at work.

toodle pip