And yes, it's true- I'm totally behind on my weekly update! Thank fuck for the weather. It's cheered me right up. Hope it stays, at least for a while.

So, what's been happening? Answer: not a great deal. Main reason for not updating actually. I have, to a lesser extent, been continuing my film watching flex. When I add up the titles of the so called classics I've never seen before you'd wonder how I could ever consider myself to be a film buff! Truth is, for some odd reason, I don't really like the cinema that much. It isn't the most social of activities, but at the same time I don't like going alone. I like to have someone with whom I can dissect the film afterwards over a drink or two. Thus I miss a lot of "just out" films and have to play catchup with DVDs. Lovefilm is excellent for this. Best thing I've done in a long time was join.

The non drinking has been fine, but only really because I've not been going out much, so it's not been much of a test. My friends, for the record, are chronically shit at keeping in touch. If I don't bother then nobody else does either. Doesn't that make one feel wanted! Arseholes mutter mutter.... My best friend is out of the country for another few weeks and we spend at least one evening a week, usually two and possibly some day time activity doing stuff, so that's a big chunk of my weekly socialising gone.

Monday is my Grandmothers memorial service. It's not a funeral because she donated her body to medical science. I don't imagine it'll be fun. Lots of distant relatives with whom I have nothing to do, and who's names and faces i don't really remember or know. It's a case of getting through as best one can I think.

On the film front I have watched:

City of Lost Children- Been on my to watch list for ages. Didn't disappoint. Loved it.

Curse of the Golden Flower- Same director as Hero and House of Flying Daggers. I loved those films. This was a pile of lazy meladromatic shite relying on big showy visuals without the integrity or storyline to earn them. A perfect example of what happens when you give a film maker too much money and pressure them in to repeating earlier successes. Shit. So so so shit. I got half an hour in and thought "well, it's not as good as the others clearly, but it's not THAT bad. Not sure why everyone slated it so hard."
Then they proceeded to shit all over the already not very exciting atmosphere they'd set up.
There was a hot girl in it. That is it's only redeeming feature.

Hard Boiled: Well known 1980s Hong Kong action film which in the words of one critic "shits all over every hollywood action film made in the last five years". It is an action film. It is impressive considering the budget. Those Hong Kong guys are talented. It bored me, I don't need to see another high octane gangster shootout as long as I live, however much I like Tony Leung and Chow Yun Fat.

The Big Blue: English language, but basically a French film by Luc Besson. Another 80s offering. Weird concept- young boy's father dies in a diving accident. He grows up to be a world champion diver. Feels like a fish out of water, loves dolphins, finds it hard to get on with humans and the real world. I won't spoil it, but it's a sad film, but worth watching. Quite beautiful in its way.

Black Cat White Cat: A film by Emir Kustarica, Croatian director of Underground, which is a completely brilliant completely demented film. This is less brilliant and less demented. It's got no serious theme to it, just a bit of fun. It's about some very colourful gypsies getting in to dodgy deals, cheating, marrying off family members etc. It's funny, joyful, it'll cheer you right up. As there's no serious theme to it I don't want to give away the plot (although when you watch it you can see most of it coming a mile off apart from a minor twist at the end).
Here's one of the characters. Nice chap:


Well, that's more than enough to bore you with I reckon. I hope you're all doing well. XXX