Long time - no blog....

Long time no blog – fortunately Cassie Hart (go read her superb blog now) wondered where I’d been so I’ve hit the keyboard again.

The usual worthwhile distractions (work/ family/ exercise) and the usual worthless distractions (TV/ Internet) have kept me from blogging – I will also claim that some actual writing has even been getting in the way. We’ll get to that, but first, my rundown of what media I’ve been sucking up recently-ish:

I’ve been experiencing...

Morrissey at Wellington Town Hall – yes, the Miserable One himself graced the coolest little capital in the world (says Lonely Planet). A cracking gig in a reasonably small venue – having seen him at the cavernous Albert Hall and massive Glastonbury Festival this gig was a far more intimate affair.

And being this intimate, I was able to witness every ounce of anguish that poured from the Moz’s sweating brow. As he wailed “and you go home, and you cry and you want to die” it was every bit as powerful as the lyric he laid down nearly 30 years ago. The shirt was torn off, the followers were touched, a painful departure from stage was made. In an interview the Great man stated that “it’s never a performance”. If that’s true, it must be mighty painful being Morrissey. However, I’m certain I saw a smile crack his face at one point (probably when he told an audience member that she couldn’t be his eighth friend). Heaven knows, not so miserable now.

Which brings me to....

I’ve been reading....

Morrissey and Marr: The severed alliance – THE biography of The Smiths. Their backgrounds, their childhoods, their teens, their coming together, their four or so fiery years in the spotlight and eventual break-up. Does this book explain the, surely, traumatic event(s) that marked Morrissey out as the patron saint of the outsider and the loner? Do we understand how he came to be filled with such outraged angst? To be honest, no. This makes it no less a fascinating read, but my conclusion is that he’s simply a miserable, full-of-himself sod. However, he is also an enormously talented and charismatic sod.

I’ve been watching....

Doctor Who Xmas special – In which we return to the wonderful Osman from Asylum of the Daleks, called Clara now and inexplicably (so far) living in Victorian London. A huge improvement on last years miserable Xmas special, a great intro to the new assistant who has instantly erased the long overstayed Amy and Rory from my mind. Geronimo, as the Doc might say.

The Campaign – an almost very good Will Ferrell send-up of US politics, pitching two congressional candidates at each, with both stooping as low as possible in the hunt for votes. It suffers from what many US movies suffer from – it wimps out at the end. Imagine if Brian got rescued at the end of Life of Brian to give the film a more fuzzy feel? That’s what happens here. They were almost on the point of greatness, skewering the warped values of US elections but can’t bring themselves to go all the way – let the warm fuzzies come in and spoil the ride. To be honest, a quick glance at Fox News shows that the actual US political process is so twisted it should be impossible to satirize, but this film ALMOST went there...

Looper – not half as clever as it thinks it is. Washed out, grainy graphics and odd CGI facial enhancement does not disguise some enormously contrived circumstances.

Argo – a very well made film, but essentially, it all comes down to whether or not our heroes can walk through passport control. What if the focus were reversed? This could be a story about the desperate hunt by the security forces to capture a bunch of devious foreign spies? I don’t know, in this day and age it’s hard to be on America’s side about anything.

Django Unchained – at first, I quite liked it but then got thinking...no, sorry, Tarantino is in danger of becoming a one-trick pony. Lots of stylish, slick and darkly witty dialogue, lots of characters on the edge of fury and violence, lots of opportunities for actors to prove just how good they are – and way too much bloodthirsty, unnecessary violence. I wouldn’t mind so much if Tarantino had something to say, but there’s nothing here beyond telling us that the slave trade meant wicked people did wicked things. I know that without having to put up with the protracted screams of a man being ripped apart by savage dogs.

Hitchcock – two brilliant actors (Hopkins and Mirren) play fascinating characters in a portrait of the great Director and his equally great (but much unsung) wife – while making the slasher movie of slasher movies, Psycho. And it’s got Scarlett Johansson.

I’ve been writing...

I’ve finally got sat back at the PC and continued Ken’s miserable journey to “The Camp”. I’ve also been fleshing out back story and a few plotlines for my possible space opera/ alien invasion saga. I had a sudden bolt out of the blue last night when I realized that revenge is always such a great motive – I need some of that in the story. Simply finding stuff is never enough.

This blog’s drabble – Tarantino in 100 words:

I seeing you, sitting there, being all charming, enjoying my fine wine and my fine women and being just the finest gentleman there is on God’s clean Earth. But you know what else I seeing? I seeing a dirty sombitch who’s wanting to take my money and my bitches and stab my honest soul right through my honest heart. Ain’t that the f**kin truth? Ain’t it? BANG BANG BANG, AAAGH, AAAGH AAAAAGH F***IN SOMBITCH AAAGH BANG BANG GLUG, PLOP, GLOOP BANG. (Pause) Now that’s how we do it down south. Elroy? Get your sh*t. (Cool record plays, roll end credits)