the only game in town (1970) - george stevens

Will Las Vegas dancer Fran Walker (Elizabeth Taylor) fall for the piano playing smoothie Joe Grady (Warren Beatty), or will she run off and marry her ex lover before Grady loses all their money gambling?  Who cares.  I certainly didn't, and l sat all the way through the bloody thing.  'The Only Game In Town' has the odd bit of decent dialogue, but don't waste your time with it.  In fact, l'll do you a favour and let you know the outcome.  They fall in love and stay together.  Yawn.

toodle pip

holidays, las vegas and new york

 Ah, lovely Las Vegas / Sin City

 You've got to go under the sign!

Midtown comics in New York.  Mmmmmmm.....Spidey comics

Myself and the FPO (and maybe others) are jetting off early next week to go somewhere for a last minute holiday.  It won't be in the USA, but looking through some earlier photographs, these ones leapt out and reminded us of other splendid holidays thereabouts.  I don't really care where we go this time, as long as it is hot and relaxing, so we can do some reading and chill out.  The weather in the UK has been crap this year, with near constant rain oop north, so it will be good to get away.  You know who l blame?   God.   He's meant to be in charge of sunshine duties (or did l misread the Bible?).

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the london zoo animal audit

The London Zoo have been doing an audit of their animals, which means that they have to be weighed and measured.  What a great job to have, and it has resulted in some cute animal photographs for all the family.  The Humboldt penguin getting measured (and then stroked) are my particular favourites.
Photos from The Guardian.

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nellie the otter stacking plastic bowls

It's clever AND cute! (and like me in the bath).

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the stupidly handsome paul newman

I've said it before on the blog when reviewing films, but Paul Newman was one handsome dude.  These photographs are from when he joined the U.S Navy in about 1943, and l tell you this now brothers and sisters, it's a good job he went up in planes for the Navy rather than being sent to sea, as there would have been a few fellows after some late night action with him once the loneliness crept in and they were a long way from land (because that's what they do).

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confessions / kokuhaku (2010) - tetsuya nakashima

A teacher tells her class before she leaves that she knows two of them have murdered her daughter, and she has taken her revenge on them (which they are shocked to discover).  The story then develops, giving alternate viewpoints and showing different time frames, until the unexpected twists at the end.  Confessions / Kokuhaku  is a Japanese film by Tetsuya Nakashama with English subtitles, and it is one of the best films l have seen.  It seems longer than it is, due to the interweaving and dark plot, and it certainly drags you in, gets you involved, and keeps you guessing.  Egotism, bullying, revenge, an Oedipus complex, love, grief, betrayal, inventions, killings, blood and gore, denial, the internet, a dog and some dance moves.  All are present and correct.  Even the soundtrack, featuring Radiohead and The XX (amongst others) is excellent.  What more could you possibly want from a movie?  Marvelous.

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where dalton trumbo liked to write

Yes, the picture is correct.  Dalton Trumbo, the rather magnificent author of 'Johnny Got His Gun' (amongst others) liked to spend hours in the bath, relaxing and writing.  No wonder l feel as though l can identify with him,  l've spent half my life in the bath (although for some reason, l still stink).  Now l need to get some kind of equipment like he was utilizing.  I'm impressed with his set up and forward planning, and I may even take up smoking and get a cigarette holder. It sure looks cool to me.

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the trial - franz kafta

I'd only ever read (but enjoyed) 'Metamorphosis' by Franz Kafta, so while l have got time on my hands due to being off work, l got stuck into 'The Trial', one of his uncompleted novels.  I'd heard a lot about it and knew the basic premise of the story, but it did surprise me.  Joseph K is arrested on his 30th birthday, but not charged.  He then spends the rest of the novel trying to find out what his charges are, how to get help, and what is the best way of bringing it to a conclusion.  Along the way he meets lawyers, painters, girls and priests, but is still non the wiser when he is taken out again on the eve of his 31st birthday.
There was some repetition about the trial that l found boring, and the end of the book was a bit sudden, but there was plenty of other stuff contained within to keep me interested and occupied.  At one stage l thought it all may be in K's imagination, and he was just going mad and fantasizing some events, as they were certainly illusory and semiotic.  Other parts certainly seemed to be religious (and confusing) metaphor's, (especially the part in the cathedral), but more than likely it (to me) represents guilt about past actions, how to acknowledge and deal with  it, and how to repent or pay for it ("Like a dog").
Then again, what the hell do l know?  I'm just a drunken opinionated fool.


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baby trashing a bar (las palmas by johannes nyholm)

Watching Adam Buxton's 'Bug' tonight, he showed an excellent video by Johannes Nyholm of a baby supposedly trashing a bar in Las Palmas.  The above video is the shortened version, but the full (but still short) film can be seen here.  Funny and cute!  What a combination!

toodle pip.

the pete townhend book is nearly out!

The long awaited Pete Townshend (of The Who) autobiography is nearly out!  He has also promised that it will deal with his caution in 2003 for downloading child pornography (which he said was for research).
The book has taken over 15 years to complete, but he has done well to knock one off (so to speak) in such a (relatively) short amount of time.
After all, books take a long time to write when you have to keep pausing your research in order to delete your browser history.
And cookies.
And cache.
And hard drive.
And set fire to your office.
And flee the country.
(with thanxs to The Afterword and @Bobtheidiot)


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chalk farm graffiti

This graffiti around Chalk Farm in London is by Blu (via artofthestate), but l am not sure what l feel about the work.  In a way, it looks too amateurish for my liking (not that l can do any better) but there is also something surreal about it that appeals to me.  It doesn't take a lot to confuse me, and this graffiti certainly does that.  Time for another lie down - my head hurts.

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the sun - old mocked up covers

I'm not exactly a huge fan of 'The Sun' newspaper, but l have to admit that these are a good idea.  They are mock ups of historical events in the past, as though The Sun was reporting on them at the time.  Respect is due to whoever did them, as they are pretty good.  More covers are  here.

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a lord howe stick insect hatching

This video is the Lord Howe Stick Insect (Dryococelus Australis), which was thought to be extinct by 1930, but was discovered on  The Lord Howe Island group in 2001, and has been bred, notably at Melbourne Zoo, where the above video was taken.  That however, is not the only amazing thing about them.  The video goes on for a while, but it is worth the time viewing it, as the hatching of them is unbelievable.  How on Earth they manage to fit inside their shells before hatching beats me, and even after seeing it emerge, you still can't believe what you have seen.  They certainly can't have been comfortable, no matter how flexible they are.  Nature - it can be freaky.
More information is at Discovery magazine.

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drawing a realistic playing card

OK, I'm impressed.  Mark Crilley rips up a playing card and then does a realistic drawing of it.  Why?  Who cares, it's something l would love to be able to do, and it's an incredible skill.
Git.
From Boing Boing.

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soiled elvis undies for sale

Here's an unusual momento for all you Elvis Presley fans out there who want to own something personal of his.  It's a pair of soiled underpants that Elvis wore in 1977, and they are on sale with other Elvis stuff at Omega Auctions (estimate between £7,000 and £9,000).  For the fan who has everything.  Get some DNA off them and get him cloned!

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the new barcelona away kit

Who on earth designed and passed this monstrosity of a kit for Barcelona FC this year?  Where was the voice of reason when it was needed?  Don't people at the club have any eyes or taste?  Football - bloody hell  (not like when l was a kid etc......).

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the rainmaker (1956) - joseph anthony

There is a towering and lively performance by Burt Lancaster as Starbuck, 'The Rainmaker' of the title, a con merchant who is travelling from town to town selling his devices, until he meets and falls for Lizzie Curry (Katharine Hepburn), an idealistic and downtrodden daughter of a desperate (for rain) farmer father.  Starbuck gives her, the family (and himself) hope, and despite some of the hammy acting  by others, Lancaster and Hepburn manage to make the film interesting and watchable.  Does it rain at the end?  Do they live happily ever after?  That would be telling.

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the death of neil armstrong

 The iconic shot of the Earth rising in the shadow of the Moon

Armstrong back in the capsule (but still on the Moon) after his walk

For people of a certain age, the death of Neil Armstrong resonates because of the significance of what he did.  The first man ever to set foot on the moon (with Buzz Aldrin in Apollo 11).  That, let's not forget, is an amazing achievement, even if it was to be carried out now, let alone back in 1969.  Lots of things could have gone wrong, and he (with the other crew members) risked their lives and succeeded in pulling off an amazing feat.  Obviously l never knew the man, but by all accounts he was pretty modest about his achievements, but what a thing to experience.  It was amazing to see it on TV at the time, but to be able to look back on the Earth, step foot on another surface, and then return home in one piece, must have been mind blowing.  How can the rest of your life compete with that?  No wonder he looks so happy in the photograph above.

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johnny got his gun - dalton trumbo (1939)

A bit of an American classic this one, and well worthy of it's reputation.  Johnny Got His Gun tells the fictional story of Joe Bonham, who wakes up after being involved in an explosion while fighting in the First World War, only to slowly realise that he has had his limbs amputated, and also lost his sight, speech and hearing.  There is some great free flowing and hallucinatory writing from Dalton Trumbo, mixing thoughts and memories together, as our hero struggles to cope with his isolation and despair.  It's moving, emotional and political, and certainly anti war, and the joyous moments after Johnny realises he can be understood through morse code, up to the denial of his requests are some of the best passages l have ever read.  Trumbo was blacklisted and wrote under other names, and is probably best known for the screenplay to 'Spartacus', but this book has to be his crowning glory, and should be compulsory reading for schoolchildren.  Fantastic stuff.

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records being played today

For the first time since l have been off work, l haven't watched any films today.  That is because l have been reading and listening to music, specifically, the records above, and a fine days listening and reading it has been.  If you are wondering about my liking of Phil Harris, it's because he was Baloo in The Jungle Book, so all of his records pretty much sound as though Baloo is singing them, which can never be a bad thing.  It's a hard life (somewhere).

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chris evans has the chitty chitty bang bang car

I have no great interest in cars, but this is one little beauty l would have liked to own.  It's the car from 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', a film which l loved when l was a kid, and was bought by Chris Evans for £500,000.  He has finished making it roadworthy, and can now drive it home from work.  It certainly makes my Rover look like a pile of crap.  I wish l had loads of money, but it's good to know Chris isn't wasting his anymore (the jammy git).  Pictures are from The Sun.

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