• Death Race (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2008). Als kind was ik zot van Death Race 2000, een onnozele cultfilm uit de seventies met Sylvester Stallone en David Carradine, die eigenlijk niets meer is dan een afvalrace voor gladiatoren in auto’s. De remake is al even onnozel, maar natuurlijk nog een pak lawaaieriger. Nochtans had het allemaal erger gekund: die Jason Statham is goed voor een vette grijns nu en dan en het was fijn om Ian “Cocksucker” McShane nog eens te zien opduiken in een film. B-film met veel knullige en hier en daar grappige momenten. (**)
• Angels & Demons (Ron Howard, 2009). Ik krijg binnenshuis soms wel eens het verwijt naar m’n hoofd geslingerd dat uit m’n muziek-, film- en boekenkeuzes enkel misprijzen voor mainstreamproducten blijkt die door de lezers van deze weblocatie enkel verkeerd geïnterpreteerd kan worden, maar hey, Angels & Demons, het kan moeilijk nog simpeler. En eigenlijk valt het nog wel allemaal mee. Nee, echt bij de lurven grijpt het je niet, en al die de-kerk-houdt-er-een-verborgen-agenda-op-na-onthullingen zijn nu ook niet bepaald ophefmakend, maar het had een pak erger gekund. Angels & Demons kent minder inzinkingen dan z’n voorganger en je hoeft je niet te ergeren aan dat over het paard getilde trutteke van Amélie Poulain. (**1/2)
• Boarding Gate (Oliver Asssayas, 2007). Clean vond ik heel goed, deze iets minder. Je kan nochtans niet beweren dat Asia Argento (dochter van) haar best niet doet: het mens kronkelt en lult wat af, doet haar best om een psychologisch zwaar gehavend personage neer te zetten en krijgt degelijk weerwerk. Maar het pakt niet echt, het is allemaal wat te miserabilistisch, te geforceerd duister, kinky en tegendraads, waardoor je naar een stuk theater lijkt te kijken dat nergens heen gaat. (**)
• Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince (David Yates, 2009). Mja. Hier geldt net hetzelfde als voor de vorige verfilmingen (en naar ik vermoed ook de boeken): het zit allemaal fijn in elkaar, het is plezant om naar te kijken, weet de aandacht doorgaans vast te houden, maar het is toch geen Lord Of The Rings. (***)
• Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980). Veel beter dan dit wordt cinema niet. (*****)
• Lomax The Songhunter (Rogier Kappers, 2004). Verrassend ontroerende documentaire, die vooral de voetstappen van Lomax volgt tijdens zijn Europese reizen. (****)
• Monty Python: Almost The Truth. Onverwacht onderhoudend. Eigenlijk had ik zelden of nooit iets gelezen of gezien over de dynamiek van die zes. Best leuk om ze te horen vertellen over elkaars inbreng aan de hand van allerhande klassieke stukken. Eigenlijk zou ik de oorspronkelijke versie van zeven uur wel willen zien. (****)
• Verder ook gekeken naar Them Crooked Vultures live @ Reading op de BBC (slaapverwekkend), Little Britain Season 2 (“Bitty!”) op DVD aan het kijken, en Hung, 24 Season 7 (vraag me niet waarom) en Mad Men Season 3 (greatness) aan het volgen.

NP: Digital Primitives – Hum, Crackle & Pop

Znów freebie z Little Britain, jak ten czas leci

Tym razem ubranko nieco więzienne. W wersji męskiej i damskiej, jeśli jakaś pani też nabroi

Dating back to at least 1766, the Eton Wall Game is played annually between a team of Collegers and Oppidants. Also described as “one of the oldest, hardest and weirdest ball games in the world”, to all intents it’s also one of the dullest. So dull in fact that this year’s game was played last Saturday and it’s taken me three days to summon up the enthusiasm to write a blog about it.

Played alongside a slightly curved brick wall, the pitch may be a mere five metres wide, but what it lacks in width it makes up for in its one hundred and ten-metre length, and with rules akin to a cross between rugby and football, to cut a long story short the last goal to be scored was 100 years ago, in 1909.

The teams argue over who has which end.

The red team are caught trying to sneak in an extra player.

The game is so dull spectators entertain themselves by wearing scarves that match the bricks in the wall.

Nothing like a Little Britain to ease a case of the mondays.

It’s a semi-recent occurrence for me, but I’ve actually started downloading most of the movies and TV shows I’ve wanted to watch. It’s been a great relief to have access to things like that whilst not having to leave the house, though now that I’m all healed up it’s not quite so important for those reasons.

So, during my illness I found myself watching three different TV series that I had downloaded from iTunes, and bought a couple of movies whilst I was at it too. iTunes actually allows you to rent films for a cheaper fee and you’ve got 30 days to watch it, though once you’ve started watching it, it will delete itself 48hours. In a fit of wanting to watch something ‘old school’ and fun, I hired Die Hard. The only downside to all of this is managed-bloody-downloads, which meant that that film took five hours to download.

Ridiculous! Anyway, I found another site that allows you to buy films and has a broader range than iTunes, so I bought Up and Moon from there. Both very good, very different, films. The female bird named Kevin in Up was quite amusing, and Dug the dog was just awesome! I’m a bit of a softie for dogs, they are just such great companion animals.

Back to iTunes, I also bought the first two seasons of Little Britain and a season of Family Guy, and for something completely different, the first and second seasons of Mad Men. I’m pretty happy with the iTunes TV downloads, as they are much, much faster, however, they don’t have subtitles, which is annoying, and the sound quality on three or four of the Mad Men was rather poor. A very tinny, high-treble sound that occurred whenever certain ‘clicky’ types of sounds were in the show, so doors closing, footsteps, and anything like that. It was rather distracting and rather annoying, but at the time the convenience was worth it!

Title: Little Gallifrey
Author: Nix Nada
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1789
Characters: First Doctor, Susan Foreman, The Master, Sixth Doctor (?), Omega, Lou, Myfanwy, Tom Baker

Utterly bizarre, but very amusing. And properly short snippets to prevent it becoming too much of a stretch in each case.

Here’s a collection of clips from the U.K. comedy series Little Britain, featuring a sketch called “Kelsey Grammar School.”  Hilarious!

Nowy zestaw z Little Britain, jak zwykle bez wątpliwości męski… chociaż wersja dla pań też się znajdzie.

Plaster na kolanku mnie wzrusza

Achim hat mir dieses Teil mal empfohlen. ÜBERHAMMER.

Lou der Betreuer und Andy, ein unschlagbares Duo welches die Bauchmuskeln zum schmerzen bringt. Die Welt ist so grausam, da hilft Andy und Lou mit herzerfrischendem Humor.

Hier mal der Clip mit der polnischen Freundin, ansonsten mal bei YOUTUBE suchen unter dem Stichwort “Little Britain”

I may have to rethink my previously-stated policy of not giving a tinker’s cuss about being bald. (Bald-ish. I’m sporting a lovely peach fuzz at the moment and saving a fortune on shampoos and hairdressers.) I was just congratulating myself on being seen in public with nothing on my head but a five o’clock shadow, when I popped into Sainsbury’s last night for some bits and bobs and ingredients for supper.

As I was at the checkout with *ahem* a couple of bottles of a lovely little red wine, the cashier leaned over to her colleague and said very loudly ‘This gentleman needs a wine carrier’.  Very briefly I considered whether to drop my voice and bluster it out as a man. Or should I complain? I’m afraid I did the very English thing of saying, rather apologetically, ‘Actually, I’m a lady’. (In the spirit of l’esprit de l’escalier I should, of course, have adopted a shrill falsetto and declared ‘I’m a LAY-dee’, a la Little Britain.)

She was aghast of course and apologised and we both laughed it off. But thinking about it…..I know I was in trousers and don’t wear makeup, but do I actually look butch?? Helpful colleagues have suggested sticking a large pink bow to my head, rather like with babies, so everyone knows I’m a girl. Hmmmm.

On 21^st August 1864 the small market town of Lewes in East Sussex suffered an earthquake measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale; that’s nothing compared to what happens in Lewes each year on 5 November.

Here’s what it says on Wikipedia:

The town’s most important annual event is Lewes Bonfire – Guy Fawkes Night celebrations on the 5^th of November. In Lewes this event not only marks the date of the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, but also commemorates the memory of the seventeen Protestant martyrs… [blah, blah]…

To mark the demise of the 17 martyrs, 17 burning crosses are carried through the town, and a wreath-laying ceremony occurs at the War Memorial in the centre of town. A flaming tar barrel is also thrown into the river Ouse: this is said to symbolise the throwing of the magistrates into the river after they read the Riot Act to the bonfire boys in 1847, but may also be an echo of Samhain traditions. The festivities culminate in five separate bonfire displays, where the effigies are destroyed by firework and flame. Up to 80,000 people have been known to attend this local spectacle, coming from all over the South and sometimes further afield.

Talking of Guy Fawkes Night celebrations, I heard the story earlier of how a man attempted to light a bonfire by standing on top of it, pouring petrol over the bonfire and dropping a lit match. The man receives a posthumous gold in to55er’s Dumb and Dumber Awards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv_O7DNZr7U

Lewes Guy Fawkes Night.

So, Prick up your ears is going to close early. Ticket sales have now collapsed since Matt Lucas pulled out of the play, following the recent death of his ex-husband.

It’s a shame to see a new West End play closing like this. So much new drama seems to depend on nothing more than attracting big-name stars into leading roles, and drawing in the existing fan base of that performer. Isn’t it a shame that nobody appears to be interested in the life of Joe Orton anymore? Here is a play in the West End telling the tragic story of one of Britain’s finest modern playwrights and it can’t sell enough tickets to sustain the rent…

How can any new playwright expect to get a show performed in London, unless it’s in the corner of a grotty pub, if the West End can’t even support a show like this? Roll on yet another musical to take its place…

I really don’t know. I was at a pub quiz in the Prince of Wales in Clapham, south-west London the other night, had had a few too many pints of Guinness and vaguely recollect one of my drinking partners saying that along with all of the above he’d been invited to a dinner party at the home of the former wife of Don Powell, drummer with seventies glam-rock band Slade, somewhere in Highgate, north London.

I guess you had to be there to appreciate the conversation, but this, coupled with some time ago going on the Old Highgate Village Walk that takes place every Sunday afternoon, does give me the chance to continue with my Things You Don’t Need To Know About London.

Don Powell, former drummer with Slade, on the right.

With its narrow lanes lined with cottages and Georgian town houses and spectacular views over London, you might guess by its name that Highgate is one of the highest points in London, weighing in at a lofty 131 metres. Highgate Hill, linking Archway and Highgate village, was the route of Europe’s first cable car, operating between 1884 and 1909.  

A rather tenuous claim-to-fame, at the age of 20 Charles Dickens once stayed in a house in North Hill, the highest part of Highgate. Almost opposite Dickens’ former home we have Highpoint I and II – two 1930s apartment blocks described as one of the best examples of early International Style architecture in London. Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected Highpoint on his shortlist of Britain’s Best Buildings.

Highpoint I.

The pub tradition of Swearing on the Horns, the pledging by oath one’s dedication to merriment and debauchery, originated in Highgate. Commonly seen as a way of local publicans alleviating gullible travellers of their money, I won’t bore you with detail except to say it involves kicking a pig out of a ditch, kissing the prettiest woman in the pub and saluting a set of horns.

Swearing on the Horns is still practiced to this day at The Wrestlers and Flask pubs, though due to health and safety the traditional horns of a live bull have been replaced by a set of horns from an animal of the dead variety.

 

Highgate School, previously known as the Sir Roger Cholmeley’s School at Highgate, is home to the oldest freemasons lodge in the world. Established in 1565, after 400 years the public boy’s school has eventually opened its gates to the opposite sex.

Former ‘Old Cholmeleians’ include former Home Secretary Charles Clarke, various members of the band Razorlight, cricketer Phil Tuffnell, various classical music composers, Murray Walker, Barry Norman, Geoffrey Palmer, Sir Clive C5 Sinclair, artists, playwrights, actors, MPs, Judges…

Highgate School.

On to North Road, a wide road formerly used to drive cattle into the city of London, and the guided tour takes us to the former home of both Poet Laureate John Betjeman and poet non-laureate, philosopher and opium addict Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Coleridge lived in Highgate until his passing to the great opium den in the clouds. His grandson an Old Chomeleian, he was buried in Highgate School chapel; however, after a row with the council his remains were dug up and reburied just down the road in the crypt of St. Michael’s Church.

St. Michael's Church.

Past the home of comedienne Victoria Wood and the tour arrives at The Grove, one of the most expensive streets in London; home to George Michael, Annie Lennox and Sting.

Across the road and we find the former home of super-sleuth Margaret Rutherford, now home to ex-Python Terry Gilliam.

“Against cold meats was he insured?
For frozen chickens he procured -
brought on the illness he endured,
and never was this Bacon cured”.

(Pip Wilson)

Final stop on the guided walk – the pond-less Pond Square – one of the most sought-after parts of Highgate village. It’s here the guide leaves us with a story of a frozen stuffed chicken that led to the death of Sir Francis Bacon and the haunting of the Ghost Chicken of Pond Square. I won’t bore you with the details.

The Prince of Wales in Clapham does a very good quiz on a Thursday night. Say "to55er" to the barman and you might get a free pint.

Lyssnade just på de underbara Spanarna i P1. Rekommenderar speciellt Calle Norléns beskrivning (30 okt) om hur vuxna människor tagit efter tonåringarnas axelryckning och uttryck: OCH….! Aktuellt nu i dessa tider med kgb-agenter (Guillou) och PRO:are som konfronterar ICA-handlare. OCH…!

Min favorit-hat teen är i alla fall Vicky Pollard i Little Britain USA. Håll tillgodo. Och det är inte ok att vara teen av denna kaliber efter man fyllt 15.

Sometimes, Halloween gets bigger than Christmas. I love Christmas too but Halloween is my favorite. What’s better than to prance around in crazy halloween outfits? Today I’ve put on random items out of my Halloween folder and truth to be told, I’m not sure if I’ve paid for any one piece of the outfit. Okay, enough blabbing and here we go. Oh, drats! I forgot to put on the creepy ghost eyes from Rotten Toe!

Happy Halloween, stay safe(:

Details…

Skin – vive9 Summer Crisp Pre-Release

Hair – Anuenue “anuenue.salon-BoB01*C-Cream

Costume – * Deviance * – Pirate Mate (Pink) (apple bobbing lucky dip)

Undershirt – ~Blacklace~ Sexy little Gift # Black Satin and Lace

Companion – .::TD::. The Song Bird is bound- (Shoulder) – Tangerine (Skipping Stones hunt)

Cake – * nonino * Halloween Tart / S size (okCopy) (with animation)

Cig – Guilty As A Girl Can Be Mouth Ciggie (freebie at Little Britain Designs)

Necklace – *Miss 80s* CROW QUEEN necklace (free at DU II event)

Tattoos – *BOOM* Popeye Anchor Tat (found it at the Blackmarket Event I think), AITUI TATTOO – No No No ( free on Xstreet)

Left Foot – Wooden Leg (Beetlebones Blackmarket Freebies in a Wine Bottle)

Right Foot - (Dernier Cri) Zombie Avatar boot

After this post, I should be taking a long break;P

So make sure I do.

Xanadu xx

…bo wygląda na to, że befsztyk się wymknął

Koszulka, jeansy i nóż. W tym tygodniu do wzięcia w Little Britain.

This might be a strange irrationality, but I can’t shop anywhere or buy anything that spells its name wrong: Kwik Save; Kall Kwik; Toys R Us; Fone Bitz; Vodafone; Bettabuy; Prontaprint; Truprint; Irn-Bru; Spud-u-like; you name it, I just can’t do it.

My girlfriend Jane sings in the English Arts Chorale, and recently I found myself listening to her performing Rachmaninov Vespers in the chapel of St. John’s College in the city of Cambridge. After the performance we retired to our hotel; booked by Jane, it hadn’t occurred to her that somewhere that calls itself Cityroomz just might not be quite the five star hotel that she was expecting. All I can say is it’s amazing how small a space they can fit bunk bedz into.

Jane outside the backpackers' hostel known as Cityroomz.

Formally known as Sleeperz.

The beautiful chapel at St. John's College, Cambridge.

I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for those expecting something special for the London 2012 Olympics, but artist Shauna Richardson has won a £500,000 National Lottery grant to crochet three thirty-foot lions. The lions will be displayed in a taxidermy case in Nottingham.

Whoever said buying a National Lottery ticket was a tax on the stupid.

Imagine this, only x3 and thirty foot tall, all for the bargain price of £500,000.