Flavours of the Month: February 2011...

LOOKS:

Breaking Bad: Season One - FX repeated the first season over the last several weeks, so I took the chance to finally check this show out. I'm gradually getting into it, and I look forward to seeing season two.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation - for some reason I had a hankering to see this woeful sequel again, but despite being utterly rubbish, there are numerous aspects to the film that are actually quite good, but blimey is it a cobbled together hash of old tat for the most part.

Curb Your Enthusiasm - yet another show I never saw during its original run that I'm now catching up on, thanks to Sky Atlantic, from the very first episode. Cringe-inducingly good.

Piranha 3D (Blu-Ray) - I've blogged about it already, so go and read that post.

The Sopranos - I missed it entirely during its original run, so I'm catching up from the very beginning on Sky Atlantic. Three episodes in and I dig it.

Clerks 2, Zack & Miri Make A Porno, Zodiac, and Twin Peaks Making-Ofs - I guess it must be all the SModcast network shows that I listen to during the week that inspired the first two, finally getting to see Fincher's latest for the third, and requiring some inspiration for the last one.

The Social Network (DVD) - I've also blogged about this in an earlier post, so have a read of that.

Dead Island Official Announcement Trailer (and music) - a wonderful teaser trailer, with heart-string-tugging musical accompaniment. Let's hope the actual game lives up to the memorable trailer.

The Oscars 2011 - another year, another four or five hours of content to skim through on Sky+ the morning after (having avoided practically the entire internet, and television, due to the tidal wave of spoilers that nobody gives a shit about putting out there ... I mean, it begins airing in the UK at 1.30am - nobody is watching it live in the UK, so come on already with the bloody spoilers!) Christopher Nolan getting overlooked was ridiculous, Hailee Steinfeld getting nommed for Supporting Actress instead of Leading Actress was bizarre, and Melissa Leo dropping the "f-bomb" was highly enjoyable. At least Inception did well on technical awards, Aaron Sorkin got a win, and Toy Story 3 was always going to walk it - but it's no less well deserved. Generally speaking it was another year of few surprises, but well, it is kind of like the Superbowl for movie fans, so I enjoy it all the same.

SOUNDS:

Foo Fighters - from their first to their most recent, in anticipation of this year's new album, I've had a retrospective tour through Grohl & Co's awesomeness.

Green Day "Warning" - this month got off to a very bad start with the death of my Aunt, so in my own little personal tribute and source of rememberance, I listened to this album several times. Why? Because in 2000 she bought it for me as a present (my first Green Day album to boot), and it was one of the albums that came along at that point in my life when my musical horizons were expanding - indeed prior to that point I hadn't been much into music - so the album meant a lot to me already, but it has now taken on an extra special meaning.

Basement Jaxx "Dracula" - as heard on the advert for the Audi A7 Sportback. Particularly enjoyable in a cinema setting.

The Social Network - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross most definitely deserved that Oscar.

Eric Prydz vs Pink Floyd "Proper Education" - the original track is a classic, and I recently was reminded of this remix, which I also quite enjoy.

VIBES & FLAVOURS:

Crackdown 2 - got it cheap and bashed through it. A mixed bag - all the orb gathering and city-leaping stuff is as fun as ever, but the "Tactical Locations" aren't in the least bit tactical, the inclusion of Freaks isn't a particularly interesting plot (or gameplay) device, the aiming system is frequently annoying, and it can at times be rather frustrating ... and yet it's still addictive, and can still be jolly good fun. If only they'd put some more thought and effort into it all - let's just say that I'm very glad I got it cheap.

"The Man In The White Suit", Ben Collins - The Stig speaks, and while he's not the greatest wordsmith, I found his book and enjoyable and surprisingly interesting read, particularly as a huge Top Gear fan. I don't in the slightest bit begrudge him revealing he was the man behind the world-famous helmet, particularly after eight years of loyal and influential service to the show. A combination of his career behind the wheel professionally, as well as during his time on the vastly successful Top Gear, and his army training - the latter of which proved to be actually quite interesting, not to mention impressive to read.

"A Simples Life: My Life & Times", Aleksandr Orlov - I couldn't give a stuff about the website these meerkats are supposed to be advertising, but they have proved to be the most consistently entertaining adverts on television. If only all adverts could be this welcome on my television screen. As for the book, it's a fun little extension of the whole thing.

"The World According to Clarkson Vol. 4: How Hard Can It Be?", Jeremy Clarkson - another year, another collection of Clarkson's musings on life, the universe, and everything. Good as always.

Allen Bridge - returning to a screenplay idea that's been brewing gradually over the last several months hasn't been easy, but it has been fruitful as I begin to claw back my creative juices after a rather bad start to 2011. This is shaping up to be my most interesting, but also most complex and difficult-to-figure-out, script to date.