chocolat (2000) - lassie hallstrom

A strange one this, Chocolat has the look and feel of a French film but with everyone speaking English. It stars Alfred Molina as the mayor who tries to close the chocolate shop, Johnny Depp as a 'water rat' gypsy type, (who falls in love with the chocolate shop owner), and Judy Dench as the chocolate shop's landlady. Who runs the aforementioned chocolate shop? That would be Juliette Binoche (who is French). The little French town is religious and oppressed, and the chocolate shop and it's contents start enriching the villagers lives, despite opposition from the mayor and the young pastor whose sermons he has been influencing. A little bit too long, but the type of film l like, even if it did not need subtitles.

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invictus (2009) - clint eastwood

As the FPO has been slaving away on college work, l have still had plenty of time to watch stuff and read, so today was the turn of Invictus, the story of how Nelson Mandela unified South Africa, using rugby and the 1995 rugby world cup as an emblem of togetherness, forgiveness and looking to the future to create a 'Rainbow Nation'. Morgan Freeman is splendid (as he always is) playing Mandella, and Matt Damon (who has certainly beefed up a bit) plays Francois Pienaar, the captain of the Springboks. I put off watching the film because l have no interest in rugby, but it was pretty moving (but l still don't like rugby).

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recent (ish) photos from my camera

The Wine bar - busy as usual during the afternoon

Catterick Village residents (it's like a horror movie)

Scorton Car Boot Sales (every Sunday morning!)

The rabbit run before l hacked the overgrowth back

Rab still alive and kicking (well, alive at least)

Louise and Dazzers party for the house warming and little Lol

The wall in JT's

Idiots in the Wine Bar (Mr OC, Lonnie, Rich and Ditch)

Idiots dancing on a Friday night in Tunstall

Nothallerton Friarage Hospital waiting room (work in the morning)

The bloody grass before cutting it for bonfire night

Fireworks in the living room - no Health and Safety officer in sight

Mmmmm - Drink!

The Health Centre in Catterick Village (work in the afternoon)

An example of my sadness in front of the computer

The Health centre in Catterick (check up for me in the afternoon)

The river Swale on the way to Leyburn (opposite the caravan)

The beginnings of the bonfire and an idiot rabbit

Warming my tootsies at the end of bonfire night

Another late bedtime with the sun coming up

Bonfire night with a guy in the way

The idiot (and huge) rabbit being cleaned (and looking pissed off)

Thought l would share a few recent pictures that l had uploaded to the computer. What an exciting experience for everyone involved!

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pearl jam piss take with subtitles

I was watching the Pearl Jam documentary (Twenty) by Cameron Crowe earlier on this evening, and this piss take appeared on it. To me, it just got funnier the more times l watched it.

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crazy hallucinogenic cat video

This video is just weird. I sure picked a fine day to give up acid.

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cologne and dresden at the end of the war

Dresden 1945

Cologne 1945

To say Dresden and Cologne were bombed a lot towards the end of The Second World War is certainly a bit of an understatement. It's amazing how they (and Germany) have managed to recover so well, and in such a (relatively) short space of time, that they are now holding the purse strings of Europe.

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doctored burger king advert

Very clever!

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alternate cool hand luke posters

More junk/collectables for me to collect, depending on your viewpoint.

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cool hand luke (1967) - stuart rosenberg

Yet another classic featuring convicts. Cool Hand Luke is quite simply, one of the best (and most quoted) movies of all time. It stars Paul Newman as Luke, an ex war hero who is sentenced to two years incarceration in a Southern correctional facility (and the chain gang), for cutting the tops off parking meters while drunk. He refuses to lose his spirit, and becomes a hero and talisman to the other prisoners, once he has been accepted after a fight with their leader, 'Dragline' (George Kennedy). During the fight, Luke shows his determination for the first time and refuses to concede defeat. Luke also keeps escaping and being captured, and is punished throughout. There is a lot of spiritual symbolism and references, and Luke questions the Lord (or lack of one) on more that one occasion. At the finale, he finishes up in a church (where he prays), and is betrayed by Dragline. The film ends with Dragline rhapsodising about him to the new intake of prisoners. Altogether now......"I'm shakin it boss", "What we've got here is a failure to communicate", "I can eat 50 eggs in one hour" and "Don't put me in the hole again boss, I've got my mind right". Superb!

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