Nothing much to say except hooray for a new McGregor/Boorman motorbike adventure in "Long Way Down". I'm a massive fan of "Long Way Round" and likewise Boorman's solo effort in "Race to Dakar" (even though the latter's themetune was nowhere near as good as the superb Stereophonics track for LWR).
Strange though that they're using the same track from LWR for LWD, but it's been edited so that he warbles "down" rather than "round"...some sort of fancy jigger-pokery, but it's a bit uneven at the change...just thought it was kind of odd.
Anyway, just wanted to say something regarding the new show, it's a big inspiration and enjoyable to watch. Perhaps one day I'll get to play the Jimmy Simak role on something similar (Simak was the support crew cameraman by the way, also on LWR).
And I certainly know one thing I'll be wanting for Christmas - the LWD DVD, oh yes.
Monday, 29 October 2007
Monday, 22 October 2007
The End! ...
No, not the end of the blog, but "The End" as in the title of my new short script I started hammering out today ... I say hammering, which is quite dramatic, but it's more ponderous and considered than that ...
Anyway, yes, "Signing Off: The End" aka "The End: Signing Off" aka "The End" has begun being written. I was pacing about my room huffing and puffing with boredom and then just said "fuck it" and started writing ... this being the usual tact that gets me to start writing or editing, oddly enough. "Signing Off", the script I have in mind for Sean, is a spin off/prequel of this original idea. The idea with "Signing Off" is to have a version which I could film myself, whereas with the version I am now writing (the original idea), is an epic short. The central idea is very visual, and the visuals are vast and expansive. Ultimately I'd like to see it animated, in a quite graphic, somewhat-film-noir style - very dark and striking. With some of the visuals I'm putting down on the page, I can envision such a style suiting it down to the ground.
I might do some rough sketches of scenes from this, perhaps even get my paints out - which should hopefully still be okay and no all dried up (I did leave the caps screwed on tight!) ... I have been wanting something to have in mind that I could actually paint, really put some expression into it, rather than accuracy or realism - more an impression, a feeling for the scene. Back in high school/sixth form I took 2D and 3D art courses, so I used to do a lot of drawing/painting/etc ... but once I packed off to University that all went in sharp decline. Aside from rough storyboarding, the last thing I sketched was ... if memory serves ... in January - 2006. I feel quite guilty now, squandering a talent (although as the theory goes, the artist never likes their own stuff, or is at least ambiguous about their own artistic merits and success)...
Okay, getting too deep for this time of night ... perhaps an antithesis-reaction to a programme just on about Karl Pilkington? Hmmm...
Anyway, yes, "Signing Off: The End" aka "The End: Signing Off" aka "The End" has begun being written. I was pacing about my room huffing and puffing with boredom and then just said "fuck it" and started writing ... this being the usual tact that gets me to start writing or editing, oddly enough. "Signing Off", the script I have in mind for Sean, is a spin off/prequel of this original idea. The idea with "Signing Off" is to have a version which I could film myself, whereas with the version I am now writing (the original idea), is an epic short. The central idea is very visual, and the visuals are vast and expansive. Ultimately I'd like to see it animated, in a quite graphic, somewhat-film-noir style - very dark and striking. With some of the visuals I'm putting down on the page, I can envision such a style suiting it down to the ground.
I might do some rough sketches of scenes from this, perhaps even get my paints out - which should hopefully still be okay and no all dried up (I did leave the caps screwed on tight!) ... I have been wanting something to have in mind that I could actually paint, really put some expression into it, rather than accuracy or realism - more an impression, a feeling for the scene. Back in high school/sixth form I took 2D and 3D art courses, so I used to do a lot of drawing/painting/etc ... but once I packed off to University that all went in sharp decline. Aside from rough storyboarding, the last thing I sketched was ... if memory serves ... in January - 2006. I feel quite guilty now, squandering a talent (although as the theory goes, the artist never likes their own stuff, or is at least ambiguous about their own artistic merits and success)...
Okay, getting too deep for this time of night ... perhaps an antithesis-reaction to a programme just on about Karl Pilkington? Hmmm...
Sunday, 21 October 2007
Two's down, Three to go...
Well, I've literally just finished playing Half-Life 2: Episode Two for the second time through. For the past 4 days I've been completely addicted to this superb game. The single down side being the short length, something which plagued Episode One, but at least this one is a tad longer - but another couple of hours wouldn't hurt.
My only other minor niggle with it would have to be all the running around in underground caves in the first portion of the game, it's good, but perhaps there's a bit too much of it - something which is common in the Half-Life 2 series - too much of certain areas, but at least you're extra-pleased to see new ground once you've moved on.
Anyway, point being, it's a superb game. The graphics are perhaps a tad rusty around the edges now that the current-next-gen has come along, but in other areas the graphics have excelled - the key one being the use of High Dynamic Range lighting. It was obtrusive and sluggish-at-times in Episode One, so in-your-face in fact that it became a bit unrealistic and over-the-top, but thankfully it's been reigned in with Episode Two. Now it's used with subtlety, selection and realism.
The new car - the hot rod - is awesome fun to drive. The new countryside locale is fantastic fun to explore (even though you're a bit train-tracked, which was pretty much the case with the previous installments). But what is on offer along the way is so visually arresting that you wouldn't want to be bothered looking at other things because the scenes set before you are rich in texture and concept; key scenes if you will.
My main cheer for the game, however, has to be down to the story - the script and the performance by the voice actors (and likewise the 'acting' by the computer-generated characters). The key honour going to the character of Alyx Vance, you actually care for this character, which makes the ending all-the-more powerful - a rare feat in videogaming.
It's not often that you actually give a stuff about the characters, but the interplay is so finely tuned it's as if you're watching a movie (although here you're inside one). The quality of voice-acting, as well as how the creators have translated the performances into these CG characters is astonishingly good. If only more games had this much emotional investment and true sense of scale, of drama. It is indeed a true epic, and while Episode One was good (shakey, more-of-the-same, like a tacked-on second ending to the original game...admittedly), Episode Two is affecting. You're invested within the story, you actually care what is going on, rather than barging on to see what shit you can blow up next.
Although that said, when stuff does blow up it's awe-inspiring (the wooden buildings in the final battle with the Striders being the key example). Another enjoyable addition (or tweak) is the extent of puzzle solving throughout the game. It's not mind-breaking, far from it, but rather it's enjoyable and often results in something cool happening.
A bloody triumph, Episode Two is certainly the cream of the videogaming crop right now, and importantly - will stick close with me for a good while before it rightfully takes its place with the other classics of videogame history. Episode Three can't possibly come soon enough!
My only other minor niggle with it would have to be all the running around in underground caves in the first portion of the game, it's good, but perhaps there's a bit too much of it - something which is common in the Half-Life 2 series - too much of certain areas, but at least you're extra-pleased to see new ground once you've moved on.
Anyway, point being, it's a superb game. The graphics are perhaps a tad rusty around the edges now that the current-next-gen has come along, but in other areas the graphics have excelled - the key one being the use of High Dynamic Range lighting. It was obtrusive and sluggish-at-times in Episode One, so in-your-face in fact that it became a bit unrealistic and over-the-top, but thankfully it's been reigned in with Episode Two. Now it's used with subtlety, selection and realism.
The new car - the hot rod - is awesome fun to drive. The new countryside locale is fantastic fun to explore (even though you're a bit train-tracked, which was pretty much the case with the previous installments). But what is on offer along the way is so visually arresting that you wouldn't want to be bothered looking at other things because the scenes set before you are rich in texture and concept; key scenes if you will.
My main cheer for the game, however, has to be down to the story - the script and the performance by the voice actors (and likewise the 'acting' by the computer-generated characters). The key honour going to the character of Alyx Vance, you actually care for this character, which makes the ending all-the-more powerful - a rare feat in videogaming.
It's not often that you actually give a stuff about the characters, but the interplay is so finely tuned it's as if you're watching a movie (although here you're inside one). The quality of voice-acting, as well as how the creators have translated the performances into these CG characters is astonishingly good. If only more games had this much emotional investment and true sense of scale, of drama. It is indeed a true epic, and while Episode One was good (shakey, more-of-the-same, like a tacked-on second ending to the original game...admittedly), Episode Two is affecting. You're invested within the story, you actually care what is going on, rather than barging on to see what shit you can blow up next.
Although that said, when stuff does blow up it's awe-inspiring (the wooden buildings in the final battle with the Striders being the key example). Another enjoyable addition (or tweak) is the extent of puzzle solving throughout the game. It's not mind-breaking, far from it, but rather it's enjoyable and often results in something cool happening.
A bloody triumph, Episode Two is certainly the cream of the videogaming crop right now, and importantly - will stick close with me for a good while before it rightfully takes its place with the other classics of videogame history. Episode Three can't possibly come soon enough!
Sunday, 14 October 2007
I've got the scripting bug, people...
Well, the third draft of "Signing Off" is done, I've done a 'write up to bank' of "Penalty" (an idea I never followed through with back in 2005) - by which I mean, have a short script for something that could be filmed as-and-when, in the 'bank' so-to-speak, rather than having nothing 'in the bank'...you never know when you might need to whip out a short script for something.
So with that in mind, and with the short script for "VHS-2" also banked, I'm going to write yet another short script, which will be a write-up of the original idea for "Signing Off", but I'll re-title it "The End: Signing Off" or "Signing Off: The End" or just "The End" ... my thoughts being that I'd seek to have it animated by someone (because the scale of the idea is huge, compared to the small-scale-low-key vibe of "Signing Off", which is kind of a live-action-prequel to "The End"). I'd also be thinking of setting "The End" in America, so I'd be on the look out for an American to do the voice over work...again, this is for the DeadShed Productions script bank, so who knows when it'll get done - or if - if you wanna be 'glass half empty' about it all, ha!
With all this script-banking in mind, I've even dug out some other rough-note ideas I've had hanging around, including one for an exploitation type comedy-parody-thing, an idea I came up with long before I'd even heard mention of "Grindhouse", so no - the idea isn't a rip-off.
So this kind of puts my feature comedy script - which admittedly is a long-term project, as opposed to the short-time vibes of these short scripts I've been hammering out 'for the DeadShed bank' - is currently living up to it's name ("Generation Procrastination"), because I've been faffing about with it a bit - however, when I do get into a session writing it (after all, it's something I'm chipping away at) then I bash out the pages like nobody's business - anyway, point being it'll get done all in good time, when it feels right to continue writing it, as-and-when that might be, then well ... that's how it'll be. And as I've said before most likely, once that is done, I've got a feature horror script in mind I want to write.
Then of course ... there's the issue of "I Am Zombie Man 3" ... a project which is on the horizon in a "when we can get to it" sort of situation, I don't want to force it, because I want to make it a fantastic cap-off to the trilogy, really push the boat out - certainly because I'll be dropping some cash on it, unlike previous shorts I've made which have been 'done-for-nout' experiments/works of passion.
Okay, I've rambled on again, so I'll shut up and go prepare for the brand new Top Gear episode, a mere hour away! :)
So with that in mind, and with the short script for "VHS-2" also banked, I'm going to write yet another short script, which will be a write-up of the original idea for "Signing Off", but I'll re-title it "The End: Signing Off" or "Signing Off: The End" or just "The End" ... my thoughts being that I'd seek to have it animated by someone (because the scale of the idea is huge, compared to the small-scale-low-key vibe of "Signing Off", which is kind of a live-action-prequel to "The End"). I'd also be thinking of setting "The End" in America, so I'd be on the look out for an American to do the voice over work...again, this is for the DeadShed Productions script bank, so who knows when it'll get done - or if - if you wanna be 'glass half empty' about it all, ha!
With all this script-banking in mind, I've even dug out some other rough-note ideas I've had hanging around, including one for an exploitation type comedy-parody-thing, an idea I came up with long before I'd even heard mention of "Grindhouse", so no - the idea isn't a rip-off.
So this kind of puts my feature comedy script - which admittedly is a long-term project, as opposed to the short-time vibes of these short scripts I've been hammering out 'for the DeadShed bank' - is currently living up to it's name ("Generation Procrastination"), because I've been faffing about with it a bit - however, when I do get into a session writing it (after all, it's something I'm chipping away at) then I bash out the pages like nobody's business - anyway, point being it'll get done all in good time, when it feels right to continue writing it, as-and-when that might be, then well ... that's how it'll be. And as I've said before most likely, once that is done, I've got a feature horror script in mind I want to write.
Then of course ... there's the issue of "I Am Zombie Man 3" ... a project which is on the horizon in a "when we can get to it" sort of situation, I don't want to force it, because I want to make it a fantastic cap-off to the trilogy, really push the boat out - certainly because I'll be dropping some cash on it, unlike previous shorts I've made which have been 'done-for-nout' experiments/works of passion.
Okay, I've rambled on again, so I'll shut up and go prepare for the brand new Top Gear episode, a mere hour away! :)
Saturday, 13 October 2007
Scripting round the bend...
Tried to create a funky title, but failed miserably...so on with the blog-juice.
Finished my "Round the Bend" memory-lane sesh, it has to be said that Doc Croc is officially awesome, nuff said.
Also fancied a re-watch of Jake West's excellent "Evil Aliens", after reading an interview with him in the Guerrilla Filmmaker's Handbook. I loved the film when I first saw it, still love it. It's superb British indie horror-comedy at it's finest, plenty of gore, plenty of flesh, plenty of gags, and plenty good ideas well executed.
Also recently re-watched the cast commentary on "Deadlands: The Rising", all inspired to do so after seeing some of the behind the scenes pics and video for "Trapped", Gary Ugarek's new indie zombie flick that's currently filming and is sure to be awesome. I certainly look forward to seeing it.
But what with being ousted from the TV room because of the Rugby, I sat down to do some script writing. Both 'banking' a one-page-script for a football-themed comic short (strange for me as I despise football), but it's based on (or really just a proper script write-up of) an idea I had for the Nokia Shorts 2005 competition - something which I ended up not getting around to filming. I'd entered the year before with an experimental short using footage shot during a location scout for "my NIGHTMARE" in the summer of 2004.
The main thing though, is that I knuckled down - again with a reluctant muse evading me - and bashed out the second draft of "Signing Off". I might do a small polish for a third draft, but I don't know - depends if there's anything I suddenly think of wanting to add to the monologue. I think I said before, but can't be arsed to look, but I'm writing it for Sean Connell, brother of Ben Connell who played 'BenZee' in "I Am Zombie Man 2", and appeared in the likes of "Smack Addict" and "Trapped" - speaking of "Trapped", Sean also appeared in that and officially became a legend when he took a throat-load of fake blood (food colouring & washing up liquid) after his brother over-zealously gushed a load of it in his face. Bravo to Sean for providing some quality gory-blood-dribble shots before literally washing his mouth out with soap - ergo - LEGEND.
More information on "Signing Off" will be posted as-and-when, same goes for "I Am Zombie Man 3", on which I've been trying out some rough ideas for the title sequence, rendering out raw shots to use later - get some of the leg work out of the way, you know.
Finished my "Round the Bend" memory-lane sesh, it has to be said that Doc Croc is officially awesome, nuff said.
Also fancied a re-watch of Jake West's excellent "Evil Aliens", after reading an interview with him in the Guerrilla Filmmaker's Handbook. I loved the film when I first saw it, still love it. It's superb British indie horror-comedy at it's finest, plenty of gore, plenty of flesh, plenty of gags, and plenty good ideas well executed.
Also recently re-watched the cast commentary on "Deadlands: The Rising", all inspired to do so after seeing some of the behind the scenes pics and video for "Trapped", Gary Ugarek's new indie zombie flick that's currently filming and is sure to be awesome. I certainly look forward to seeing it.
But what with being ousted from the TV room because of the Rugby, I sat down to do some script writing. Both 'banking' a one-page-script for a football-themed comic short (strange for me as I despise football), but it's based on (or really just a proper script write-up of) an idea I had for the Nokia Shorts 2005 competition - something which I ended up not getting around to filming. I'd entered the year before with an experimental short using footage shot during a location scout for "my NIGHTMARE" in the summer of 2004.
The main thing though, is that I knuckled down - again with a reluctant muse evading me - and bashed out the second draft of "Signing Off". I might do a small polish for a third draft, but I don't know - depends if there's anything I suddenly think of wanting to add to the monologue. I think I said before, but can't be arsed to look, but I'm writing it for Sean Connell, brother of Ben Connell who played 'BenZee' in "I Am Zombie Man 2", and appeared in the likes of "Smack Addict" and "Trapped" - speaking of "Trapped", Sean also appeared in that and officially became a legend when he took a throat-load of fake blood (food colouring & washing up liquid) after his brother over-zealously gushed a load of it in his face. Bravo to Sean for providing some quality gory-blood-dribble shots before literally washing his mouth out with soap - ergo - LEGEND.
More information on "Signing Off" will be posted as-and-when, same goes for "I Am Zombie Man 3", on which I've been trying out some rough ideas for the title sequence, rendering out raw shots to use later - get some of the leg work out of the way, you know.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
My war isn't over, Adrian...
Well, after finishing "A Bridge Too Far", I decided to re-visit the "Rambo" trilogy (soon to join the legion of "4th in the series of" sequels of recent times (the trailer looking awesome), and I have to say, the first movie is awesome. The 2nd and 3rd are good, but not awesome, nor shite...but not superb, although I get their reason for being - 2nd movie is Rambo returning to Vietnam, 3rd movie is Rambo's modern day Vietnam, after ending his personal war with Vietnam he needed a new war to fight, so it ended up being in Afghanistan ... although being thoroughly perplexed by Middle Eastern politics, I don't know where "Rambo 3" fits in with all the shite going on over there now.
All this talk of "Rambo" though, does remind me of the hilarious, yet fully justified, rant from the Angry Nintendo Nerd regarding film franchises and the titles - such as these films:
1) First Blood
2) Rambo: First Blood 2
3) Rambo 3
4) John Rambo
There's not the consistency of Stallone's other franchise, that is the utterly superb "Rocky" series - solid Roman Numberals all the way till the last one, which as we all should know is "Rocky Balboa" - although that is fully justified, it was such a long gap since "Rocky V", and it exists in a different time, whereas the previous films were all quite quick-fired out, or within the same range of time ... it's why I guess "Live Free or Die Hard/Die Hard 4.0" makes sense ... technically ... I say technically, because both those titles suck - just call THAT film "DIE HARD 4" and leave it be, but as Stallone is actually a Jack of several trades, he does inject his own soul into his heroes - particularly Rocky - so I think it makes complete sense of cap-off his two biggest characters by titling their final films after the protagonist.
I recently re-watched the second half of "Rocky II", recent as in yesterday morning when I was waiting to use the internet, and it just reminded me of how awesome those films are (well, the fifth is a bit tosh, but with all the Tommy Gun crap taken about, it's actually still pretty good, because it advances the story of Rocky Balboa onwards). Plus - the soundtrack is just awesome, I listened to the 'best of' compilation whilst doing some title sequence tests for "I Am Zombie Man 3", and considering the story of "IAZM3", whilst listening to the "Rocky" soundtrack, it just fit really well ... the vibes being somewhat similar.
All this talk of "Rambo" though, does remind me of the hilarious, yet fully justified, rant from the Angry Nintendo Nerd regarding film franchises and the titles - such as these films:
1) First Blood
2) Rambo: First Blood 2
3) Rambo 3
4) John Rambo
There's not the consistency of Stallone's other franchise, that is the utterly superb "Rocky" series - solid Roman Numberals all the way till the last one, which as we all should know is "Rocky Balboa" - although that is fully justified, it was such a long gap since "Rocky V", and it exists in a different time, whereas the previous films were all quite quick-fired out, or within the same range of time ... it's why I guess "Live Free or Die Hard/Die Hard 4.0" makes sense ... technically ... I say technically, because both those titles suck - just call THAT film "DIE HARD 4" and leave it be, but as Stallone is actually a Jack of several trades, he does inject his own soul into his heroes - particularly Rocky - so I think it makes complete sense of cap-off his two biggest characters by titling their final films after the protagonist.
I recently re-watched the second half of "Rocky II", recent as in yesterday morning when I was waiting to use the internet, and it just reminded me of how awesome those films are (well, the fifth is a bit tosh, but with all the Tommy Gun crap taken about, it's actually still pretty good, because it advances the story of Rocky Balboa onwards). Plus - the soundtrack is just awesome, I listened to the 'best of' compilation whilst doing some title sequence tests for "I Am Zombie Man 3", and considering the story of "IAZM3", whilst listening to the "Rocky" soundtrack, it just fit really well ... the vibes being somewhat similar.
Another charge through a bunch of stuff...
As I sit here re-listening to the excellent "Venus Doom" album by HIM, I figured I'd catch up on some blogging and barge out some thoughts...
1) Danny's Underground Slacker Blogcast was actually rather entertaining and enjoyable (even if I didn't get all the stuff about Japanese videogames and such), bring more on says I, it's like a UK version of SModcast, but all about nerdy media-based chit-chat.
2) Having finally tracked down "Blastazoid" online, I can now agree with many by saying that yes, it's a complete load of tosh - I think even Dico, one of the chaps behind it, thought it was pish.
3) Recently I've been on a PGR3 mish, barging through it some more after having had a brief return to the excellent Crackdown so I could jump around more rooftops and go orb collecting. However, I've suddenly had a change of heart and returned to Rainbow Six Vegas to try and get past a bit that caused me to put it on my shelf after getting stuck and huffing & puffing with frustration, dropping the f-bomb every-other-word ... and as per usual, once returning, another 3 or 4 tries and I'm past the bit that stuck me so often before, with ease (it happened at two points on Gears of War - the first Beserker and then at the petrol station). So now I'm all about R6V again.
4) The reason I'd gone back to bosh out some more PGR3 being, I wanted to get more out of it in case I decided to take the plunge and cash-out for PGR4, which does look lush, it has to be said...but now I'm figuring I might hold off, because of playing PGR3 - I'm now on the lookout for more shooting, hence a return to R6V ... but does this mean after Vegas I will go for PGR4, or does it still mean I'd fancy dropping the dosh on Call of Duty 4, which - again - looks absolutely 'tastic-groovy. It was a 50/50 for a while there, until earlier when I spied the Limited Edition, which does look tasty for an extra fiver ... so perhaps the deal is already sealed in my head, who knows ... yes I know, it's all about the major, key decisions in life with me isn't it?! HA!
5) As said recently, I've been on a scripting mish of late, but battling the lack of creative muse most of the way, well, sine last time I've actually sat down and powered out the rest (which was the majority) of the first draft of "Signing Off", a script for a short film that's kind of about zombies, but doesn't feature any zombies - it's a short that I want to make which is almost entirely based around the central performance. The idea is it would be a nice 5 minute short, something easy to achieve, but something that will look and play well and add to the over all filmmaking experience - this time I want to focus more on performance.
6) It seems to all be about text recently, either I'm writing it or I'm reading it. With the latest Total Film dispensed with, bar a couple of features I've still got to bosh through, there's been "World War Z", which I've been thoroughly enjoying (here's hoping the film adaption, should it happen, will be rather spiffing and put some much-needed thought back into the zombie genre without having to wait for George A. Romero to come back and do some good, but GAR will always be the zombie master). Anyway - then at the same time I'm pouring over "Grindhouse: The Sleaze-Filled Saga of an Exploitation Double Feature" making-of book regarding, well, "Grindhouse"...the superb, yet Weinstein-wasted, slice of underappreciated genius.
7) South Park is back - and fucking-dick-shit-blood-belchingly hilarious...not my words, Eric Cartman's words ... okay that's not true, but he did swear a shitting boat load throughout, which yes, I found absolutely hilarious, while still maintaining that tourettes is a terrible affliction (hey, Big Brother 7 - I was behind Pete all the way) ... but you know how it is, South Park nails another great episode - you've got to love a stream of unsuspecting paedophiles blowing their brains out in front of Chriiiiiis Haaaansaaaaaahhhn, roflburgers!
8) Top Gear is back! Oh yes!
1) Danny's Underground Slacker Blogcast was actually rather entertaining and enjoyable (even if I didn't get all the stuff about Japanese videogames and such), bring more on says I, it's like a UK version of SModcast, but all about nerdy media-based chit-chat.
2) Having finally tracked down "Blastazoid" online, I can now agree with many by saying that yes, it's a complete load of tosh - I think even Dico, one of the chaps behind it, thought it was pish.
3) Recently I've been on a PGR3 mish, barging through it some more after having had a brief return to the excellent Crackdown so I could jump around more rooftops and go orb collecting. However, I've suddenly had a change of heart and returned to Rainbow Six Vegas to try and get past a bit that caused me to put it on my shelf after getting stuck and huffing & puffing with frustration, dropping the f-bomb every-other-word ... and as per usual, once returning, another 3 or 4 tries and I'm past the bit that stuck me so often before, with ease (it happened at two points on Gears of War - the first Beserker and then at the petrol station). So now I'm all about R6V again.
4) The reason I'd gone back to bosh out some more PGR3 being, I wanted to get more out of it in case I decided to take the plunge and cash-out for PGR4, which does look lush, it has to be said...but now I'm figuring I might hold off, because of playing PGR3 - I'm now on the lookout for more shooting, hence a return to R6V ... but does this mean after Vegas I will go for PGR4, or does it still mean I'd fancy dropping the dosh on Call of Duty 4, which - again - looks absolutely 'tastic-groovy. It was a 50/50 for a while there, until earlier when I spied the Limited Edition, which does look tasty for an extra fiver ... so perhaps the deal is already sealed in my head, who knows ... yes I know, it's all about the major, key decisions in life with me isn't it?! HA!
5) As said recently, I've been on a scripting mish of late, but battling the lack of creative muse most of the way, well, sine last time I've actually sat down and powered out the rest (which was the majority) of the first draft of "Signing Off", a script for a short film that's kind of about zombies, but doesn't feature any zombies - it's a short that I want to make which is almost entirely based around the central performance. The idea is it would be a nice 5 minute short, something easy to achieve, but something that will look and play well and add to the over all filmmaking experience - this time I want to focus more on performance.
6) It seems to all be about text recently, either I'm writing it or I'm reading it. With the latest Total Film dispensed with, bar a couple of features I've still got to bosh through, there's been "World War Z", which I've been thoroughly enjoying (here's hoping the film adaption, should it happen, will be rather spiffing and put some much-needed thought back into the zombie genre without having to wait for George A. Romero to come back and do some good, but GAR will always be the zombie master). Anyway - then at the same time I'm pouring over "Grindhouse: The Sleaze-Filled Saga of an Exploitation Double Feature" making-of book regarding, well, "Grindhouse"...the superb, yet Weinstein-wasted, slice of underappreciated genius.
7) South Park is back - and fucking-dick-shit-blood-belchingly hilarious...not my words, Eric Cartman's words ... okay that's not true, but he did swear a shitting boat load throughout, which yes, I found absolutely hilarious, while still maintaining that tourettes is a terrible affliction (hey, Big Brother 7 - I was behind Pete all the way) ... but you know how it is, South Park nails another great episode - you've got to love a stream of unsuspecting paedophiles blowing their brains out in front of Chriiiiiis Haaaansaaaaaahhhn, roflburgers!
8) Top Gear is back! Oh yes!
Blog juice, it doesn't come in a jar...
That's right, blog juice comes from who you are ... if you don't remember or appreciate that kids summer camp-based reality TV show for kids, that used to be shown in the UK on Channel 4 during the summer holidays, then you're a ... a ... nob, ha!
Why the random glance back in TV time? I've been strolling down TV memory lane at Homepage of the Dead with fellow TV afficianados, and was promptly over-joyed when I was kindly reminded of the glory that was "Pugwall's Summer", again a Channel 4 summer holiday must-watch ... at least I think it was Channel 4, most shows were - like the likes of "Alex Mack", that toxic teen who'd puddle under doors and so forth.
Anyway - point being, I've been on a massive Round the Bend bender, yes pun-tastic wasn't it...and actually surprisingly anarchic and non-PC ... oh those were the days, back when a Cockney crocodile living in a sewer could call his viewers "benders" and not mean it to mean anything other than someone who watched Round the BEND...glorious. You can't beat a show which runs a horror serial styled like a 1950s B-Movie called "False Teeth from Beyond the Stars", to be honest.
So indeed, it's been a slew of YouTube visits for the likes of Fun House, Finders Keepers, Huxley Pig ("oink oink"), Crapston Villas (although yes, that was an adult animation back in the day that I'd try my utmost to craftily record or watch whenever possible like any other self-respecting kid my age) and most importantly above all (yes, even above Round the Bend) - The Real Ghostbusters, my absolute favourite cartoon from my kid-hood...all the better for the nerdgasm being that Bill Murray (who played real-life Peter Venkman) played the voice of Garfield in the CGI movie, a character who was voiced (in the cartoon version) by proper leg-end Lorenzo Music, who also voiced the cartoon version of Peter Venkman ... even more nerd-tastic (yet kinda naff), was that apparently (according to fellow Ghostbuster obsessive Bassman311 at HPOTD) Murray had LM fired as the voice of cartoon Venkman because it made him sound too much like Garfield! Now that's some crazy shit ... I hope I got that last bit correct, it's new to me - just going to show that my chap Bassman311 is a larger GB fan that I, well not necessarily larger, he just obsesses more than I over it ... and I absolutely love the movies and show and had a shedload of the toys as a kid (most of which I still have in my possession)...
Anyway ... onwards ... to something, I duno...
Why the random glance back in TV time? I've been strolling down TV memory lane at Homepage of the Dead with fellow TV afficianados, and was promptly over-joyed when I was kindly reminded of the glory that was "Pugwall's Summer", again a Channel 4 summer holiday must-watch ... at least I think it was Channel 4, most shows were - like the likes of "Alex Mack", that toxic teen who'd puddle under doors and so forth.
Anyway - point being, I've been on a massive Round the Bend bender, yes pun-tastic wasn't it...and actually surprisingly anarchic and non-PC ... oh those were the days, back when a Cockney crocodile living in a sewer could call his viewers "benders" and not mean it to mean anything other than someone who watched Round the BEND...glorious. You can't beat a show which runs a horror serial styled like a 1950s B-Movie called "False Teeth from Beyond the Stars", to be honest.
So indeed, it's been a slew of YouTube visits for the likes of Fun House, Finders Keepers, Huxley Pig ("oink oink"), Crapston Villas (although yes, that was an adult animation back in the day that I'd try my utmost to craftily record or watch whenever possible like any other self-respecting kid my age) and most importantly above all (yes, even above Round the Bend) - The Real Ghostbusters, my absolute favourite cartoon from my kid-hood...all the better for the nerdgasm being that Bill Murray (who played real-life Peter Venkman) played the voice of Garfield in the CGI movie, a character who was voiced (in the cartoon version) by proper leg-end Lorenzo Music, who also voiced the cartoon version of Peter Venkman ... even more nerd-tastic (yet kinda naff), was that apparently (according to fellow Ghostbuster obsessive Bassman311 at HPOTD) Murray had LM fired as the voice of cartoon Venkman because it made him sound too much like Garfield! Now that's some crazy shit ... I hope I got that last bit correct, it's new to me - just going to show that my chap Bassman311 is a larger GB fan that I, well not necessarily larger, he just obsesses more than I over it ... and I absolutely love the movies and show and had a shedload of the toys as a kid (most of which I still have in my possession)...
Anyway ... onwards ... to something, I duno...
Friday, 5 October 2007
Oh memory lane...
I've recently discovered 12 episodes of "Round the Bend" on YouTube, gawd bless it, and have been watching my way through those gradually...well, I've done 3 so far. Anyway, oh the memories that came flooding back, some quality kids TV with a real anarchic bite - moreso than I remember - plus it's quite politically incorrect and has a lot of toilet humour, which is just what you want as a kid ... then that bitch Mary-fucking-Whitehouse came along and spoiled everyone's fun and it got shafted off the air, thanks a lot.
Still - "False Teeth from Beyond the Stars" - how could you not love this show?!
Oh well, "A Bridge Too Far" has been polished off, very good indeed, next up I'm going to go on a "Rambo" bender with all three films...
...
Otherwise, I've been in a bit of a creative dip these last couple of weeks, the muse has escaped me. After ploughing through to the end of the first act in my feature script, I took a break and started thinking of another script idea - for a short I'd wanna film - it's called "Signing Off", and I started writing it, but again, the muse fucked off home. So I forced myself to plan some of it out, and I'm going to make a concerted effort in the next few days to sit down and right the damn thing, it's only a short piece, so I just want to get it written and "in the bank" so-to-speak.
Then I can go back to the feature script, after which I've got another feature to write, as well as an alternate version/sequel/follow up to "Signing Off"...in fact, the short idea I'm writing is actually a prequel/alternate version of the original idea in fact. The original idea being of quite a large scale (I was thinking of it in terms of animation too), but the version I'm trying to get written at the moment would be live action.
Let's just hope I can get that bloody muse to get off her arse and lodge back in my brain...oh delicious...
Now though - new My Name Is Earl and Danny's Underground Slacker blogcast.
Still - "False Teeth from Beyond the Stars" - how could you not love this show?!
Oh well, "A Bridge Too Far" has been polished off, very good indeed, next up I'm going to go on a "Rambo" bender with all three films...
...
Otherwise, I've been in a bit of a creative dip these last couple of weeks, the muse has escaped me. After ploughing through to the end of the first act in my feature script, I took a break and started thinking of another script idea - for a short I'd wanna film - it's called "Signing Off", and I started writing it, but again, the muse fucked off home. So I forced myself to plan some of it out, and I'm going to make a concerted effort in the next few days to sit down and right the damn thing, it's only a short piece, so I just want to get it written and "in the bank" so-to-speak.
Then I can go back to the feature script, after which I've got another feature to write, as well as an alternate version/sequel/follow up to "Signing Off"...in fact, the short idea I'm writing is actually a prequel/alternate version of the original idea in fact. The original idea being of quite a large scale (I was thinking of it in terms of animation too), but the version I'm trying to get written at the moment would be live action.
Let's just hope I can get that bloody muse to get off her arse and lodge back in my brain...oh delicious...
Now though - new My Name Is Earl and Danny's Underground Slacker blogcast.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Reaper...and you know, stuff...
Well, the monster sesh of American TV has kicked off with the likes of all the classic 'toons (especially South Park - woohoo), but of all the shows kicking off recently, "Reaper" fucking rocks more than most, and actually has me laughing out loud, which is something I rarely do when viewing stuff on my own.
So if you haven't seen it, check it out. I forget the character's name, but the lazy chunky side-kick guy is pure genius and the funniest thing on the planet right now for me pretty much.
...
On other things, I'm still watching "A Bridge Too Far", rather good stuff - an odd mix between classic British stiff-upper-lips, American bravado and 'early Saving Private Ryan'-ish focus on bloody deaths...a true epic, back in the day before CGI came along and made everything easy, no...these guys were actually out there with a shedload of planes parachuting people and blowing up buildings, respect where respect is due.
...
Also, "Contempt of Conscience" is almost finished, it's just a case of plugging some small gaps and the final editing sessions, then it's all about getting it out there, so I'll be posting up new info as-and-when on that project.
...
And now ... off to see the new episode of "South Park", play more PGR3 (gotta get some more money's worth out of it before PGR4 turns up and no doubt "pwns" ass left-right-and-centre), get some reading done (juggling the new issue of Total Film, "World War Z" and the 'making of' book of "Grindhouse").
So if you haven't seen it, check it out. I forget the character's name, but the lazy chunky side-kick guy is pure genius and the funniest thing on the planet right now for me pretty much.
...
On other things, I'm still watching "A Bridge Too Far", rather good stuff - an odd mix between classic British stiff-upper-lips, American bravado and 'early Saving Private Ryan'-ish focus on bloody deaths...a true epic, back in the day before CGI came along and made everything easy, no...these guys were actually out there with a shedload of planes parachuting people and blowing up buildings, respect where respect is due.
...
Also, "Contempt of Conscience" is almost finished, it's just a case of plugging some small gaps and the final editing sessions, then it's all about getting it out there, so I'll be posting up new info as-and-when on that project.
...
And now ... off to see the new episode of "South Park", play more PGR3 (gotta get some more money's worth out of it before PGR4 turns up and no doubt "pwns" ass left-right-and-centre), get some reading done (juggling the new issue of Total Film, "World War Z" and the 'making of' book of "Grindhouse").
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