hero (2002) - zhang yimou

This film was a splendid way to spend an afternoon while the FPO was working hard (or skiving on Second Life). Hero concerns Nameless (Jet Li), a warrior who is planning to assassinate the King of Qin. Along the way, he meets other warriors and tries to convince them to assist him in his evil plan. One of them, Broken Sword (an excellent, handsome and introverted Tony Leung), is Nameless' equal when it comes to sword play, but tries to persuade him to give up his assassination attempt for the greater good and unification of China (possibly the world, it depends how it is translated). Will he? Won't he? Watch it and find out. The film also looks fantastic, and the cinematography (by Christopher Doyle) is stunning in places and has some highly effective uses (and changes) of colour. The film is so good, l may even take up the old martial arts again, as l used to be highly effective in the Zui Quan discipline. Ah, they were the days my friend, when l was a young rake about town, speedy both in thought and actions, with a devil may care attitude and hang the consequences. Damn your eyes old age!!!

toodle pip

george best scrapbook

This George Best scrapbook from the 1960's has been on sale on ebay. I am not bothered about owning it (although l wouldn't mind having it in my possession), but it took me back to the old days when l was an innocent young whippersnapper, when times were hard, footie was cheap and the streets were full of dogshit (and the Bootle boys bossed Marsh Lane and Litherland). Happy days indeed!

toodle pip

death valley, the milky way, peyote, and the bastard spiders

This is the Death Valley with the Milky Way in the background/heavens. I want to go there and see this (and maybe take some peyote and interact with Jim Morrison), but l am a bit worried about the spiders. I think l will have to cure my fear of spiders.

toodle pip

replace the face

This guy has hit upon a good idea. Replacing the faces from old Russian paintings with modern people. More paintings and info here.

toodle pip

space age jet cars are nearly here!

This is amazing. It's the future! It will mean space age jet cars!!

About bleeding time.

toodle pip

tubbs and a rabbit skeleton

Just think, if l managed to clean all the crap, fur, whiskers and blubber off Tubbs, he will look look this, nice enough to stick on a shelf. I'll make a start tomorrow morning by shaving him.

toodle pip

we're a culture, not a costume posters

One of the original posters

The piss take

An original

A piss take

Ohio University came up with some racism posters for fancy dress wearers, but these have quickly spawned some good imitations. More imitations posters are here.

toodle pip

hydrothermal worm marine organism

This little git is a Hydrothermal worm marine organism , and it looks pretty scary and alien. I certainly wouldn't like that up me (through any orifice).

toodle pip

katalin varga (2009) - peter strickland

Katalin Varga was made very cheaply in Romania (Transylvania!!), although the cast are speaking Hungarian (but luckily for me, it was subtitled). Katalin had been raped 11 years previously, but when her husband finds out the son is not his (and kicks them both out) she decides to get retribution on her attackers. Sadly, it was not that good a film, but there were a lot of great shots of the Romanian scenery (filmed in a natural way, so it looked real, not on film). It got better right at the end, when she stayed with the family of the rapist, but l certainly wouldn't recommend it that much (there's not even that much violence for pity's sake!).

toodle pip

lucky number slevin - (2006) paul mcguigan

Another film that has been out for a while that l had not got round to watching. Also, another film that l should have watched ages ago, as l loved it. Lucky Number Slevin deals with murders, lone sharks, crime lords and mistaken identity. Things are going bad for Slevin (Josh Hartnett), so he decides to stay at a friends in New York, but gets mistaken for the person he is supposed to be staying with. This means he gets caught between the two crime lords (Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman), and there is also a shady hit man lurking around (Bruce Willis). Of course (as they always do) Slevin falls in love with a girl (Lucy Liu), and there are lots of twists and turns in the story. Excellent.

toodle pip

more rudolph mates illustrations - a forest story

A Forest Story is from 1929 and l think the illustrations in this (by Rudolph Mates) are even better than his work on The Cock And The Hens. More of his work can be found here. Enjoy!

toodle pip

rudolph mates illustrations - the cock and the hen

These Rudoph Mates illustrations are from 'The Cock And The Hen' by Joseph Kozisek, and l like them a lot. More from him later.

toodle pip

attacked postter

toodle pip

good will hunting (1997) - gus van sant and elliot smith - between the bars

I must have been one of the few people in the western world never to have seen Good Will Hunting since it's release (apart from a few minutes), but l am afraid that is the case. Until today of course, as l have just successfully sat all the way through it, and l must admit, enjoyed it a lot. It's (as if most of you out there didn't already know) the story of a troubled lad, the eponymous Will Hunting (Matt Damon), who is discovered to be a genius. He is also a tearaway with abandonment issues, which he gradually deals with during his therapy sessions with Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). After acknowledging that his abuse as a child was not his fault, Hunting has to decide if he wants a career using his intellect, or a succession of dead end jobs in the same neighbourhood. Of course he also falls in love along the way, with a (to me) annoying Minnie Driver, playing Skylar (even the name is annoying, as was her accent). There is a great soundtrack by Elliot Smith, and the film deserved the Oscar nominations (and wins). I can't believe it has taken me so long to watch it.

toodle pip

art for places project - bootle 2008

I missed the Art For Places project when it hitched up in Bootle in 2008 (as l was swanning around New York at the time), but l grew up in the street next to this balloon and have been in the pub on the corner (The Pacific) on many an occasion. I'm all for art projects in deprived areas, although l would have preferred a permanent item, like the Antony Gormley statues at Crosby beach (Bootle beach to me). Just don't give the artists all of the money, and use local craftsmen to make the exhibits.

The Johnson's factory was the landmark l most related to as a nipper, but apparently, it is going to be transformed into flats and shops. At least it is not being knocked down, it should be (if it is not already) be classed as a listed building). I hope the renovation works out better than the bee hives they installed along the canal.

toodle pip

johnny cash (folsom city blues) and gordon jenkins / beverly maher (crescent city blues)

Now l would not like to say that Johnny Cash stole Folsom City Blues from Gordon Jenkins and Beverly Maher, but let's face it, as much as l love him, he did (and later had to pay up). Listen for yourself and make your own mind up.

toodle pip