Dead Silence

Last night I was watching the film Dead Silence, directed by James Wan. It's about this guy (Ryan Kwanten) whose wife is murdered, with her tongue torn out, apparently by a ventriloquist's dummy that is mysteriously delivered to their apartment. The police naturally don't believe him, but the man connects it to a local ghost story from the small town called Raven's Fair where he and his wife grew up about a ventriloquist called Mary Shaw who was implicated in the disappearance of a local boy and murdered by a vigilante mob, who tore out her tongue, and ever since comes back as a malevolent spirit to kill and remove the tongue of anyone who screams. The film's director, James Wan, and writer, Leigh Whannell, were also responsible for the Saw series of films (interestingly, both this film and the Saw films feature creepy ventriloquist dummies). The films is pretty creepy in places and is very stylishly done. I really didn't think it was bad at all.

Later on I was watching another film on television called Shakes the Clown, written, directed by and starring comedian Bobcat Goldthwait. The story is set in the fictional city of Palukaville and tells the story of depressed, alcoholic clown Shakes (Goldthwait) who specialises in performing at children's parties. When his boss is murdered and Shakes is framed for the killing he goes on the run to clear his name. The film is a pretty nasty and mean-spirited dark comedy. The film depicts communities of clowns and mimes as bitter, rival sub-cultures, obsessed with status. It features Robin Williams in a cameo as a mime teacher and Adam Sandler in a small role as a clown.

I had a quiet morning today. At around lunchtime I headed out to the Filmhouse cinema. I had just missed the bus that I usually get. With a bit of running though, I managed to catch a differnet bus and get to the cinema on time. The film I was there to see was a re-release of Jules et Jim, a 1962 French film directed by Francois Truffaut and based on the novel by Henri-Pierre Roche. It's set around before, during and after the First World War and tells the story of Jules (played by Oskar Werner) a shy writer from Austria who becomes good friends with Jim (Henri Serre) an extroverted Parisian. However, their friendship is tested when they meet the free-spirited Catherine (Jeanne Moreau), whom they both end up falling for. It is a very good film, and one of the classics of the French New Wave movement. It features a kaleidoscope of cinematic tricks such as voice-over narration, freeze-frames, on-screen captions, newsreel footage and handheld camera footage. After the film I went and had a drink in the cinema cafe-bar before heading back home.

Back to Work Again

I was back at work today, and it was as dull as ever. I was so bored I decorated the wall near my desk with magazine cuttings. At the moment, decorating my locker and the wall beside my desk I have pictures for American Psycho, Mulholland Drive, American Splendor, The Blair Witch Project, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Eloge de l'amour, 21 Grams and Dogville and French actress Audrey Tautou. Today I put up an advert for the New York Film Academy as a reminder to myself to chase for what I actually want, no matter what and to let nothing distract me from my goals, and a picture of Rachael Leigh Cook, to distract me.

I realised this morning as I was waiting for the bus that I had forgotten to renew my bus pass for this month, and so I walked to work in order to save money. I left work at around twenty past five and went out to revew my bus pass. As I was feelig bored and a little miserable, I decided to treat myself to a pint of beer at a bar called The Rose Street Brewery, which I had never been to before. I just had one drink and read my book.

After that I had a text message from Jackie while I was waiting for my bus, and so I went along to the Omni Centre and met her and Joe at Lloyds Bar. We were joined by Alan and Joe and I discussed Doctor Who (apparently the next season is going to see the return of the Sontarans and Davros). I had about three more pints there. After a couple of hours, Joe went home and Jackie wanted to go out clubbing, but it was work tomorrow and I decided to head back home.

Comics and Documentaries

Last night I watched the first episode of a new three part TV series called Comics Britannia, tracing the history of British comic-books. This first episode dealt with the comedy comics for children such as The Beano and The Dandy, I can remember them really well. I used to read them when I was a kid, I especially liked The Beano, because I thought it was hilarious. The comic I remember buying every week was The Transformers. I must have bought that every week for over five years (until I was twelve and started buying Aliens). I used to go along to the corner shop every Sunday morning and get the six soft brown rolls for lunch, Mum's Observer and my Transformers. Back in simpler, happier times.

I also watched a documentary film called Overnight, which was about this guy named Troy Duffy, a Boston bartender who sold a script for a film called The Boondock Saints to Miramax Films for a lot of money and also managed to get his band signed to Madonna's record label. At first he looks like he has absolutely got it made, but it all starts to fall apart, mainly due to his own massive amounts of arrogance and paranoia. It's an interesting film, but it's really hard to have any sympathy for the guy, mainly because he is so unpleasant.

Today was another dull day at work. There were special team meetings however, about massive re-organisations that are coming up. No-one really knows where they'll be going or who their new bosses will be and so rumour and speculation are flying all over the place.

After work I went out to renew my bus pass for another month.

Friday

Today was fairly quiet. I went to the New Yorker bar at lunchtime because someone was leaving. Everyone else was drinking but I just had a couple of glasses of Coke, because I had to go back to work (but then so did some of the others and it didn't stop them). I won't be back at work until a week on Monday.

I had intended to go up and see the new Hostel film but I was delayed on the bus for over an hour again. So I just gave up and went home.

On the way I picked up a copy of Empire magazine.

Movie

Today was another quiet day at work. My friend Alan lent me a DVD box-set of the first series of a show called Entourage, which Alan is a big fan of.

I left work at around half past four and was travelling for over an hour to get to the Cineworld cinema to meet my mum. The journey should have only take about twenty minutes to maybe half an hour, but the streets were busy and the bus was stuck in traffic. I didn't get ther in time to it and have a coffee in the cinema bar like I usually do when I go with mum but at least we were in time for the film.

The film that we saw was La Vie en Rose which was directed by Olivier Dahan and starred Marion Cotillard as the legendary French singer Edith Piaf (also known as "The Little Sparrow"). The film tells the story of Piaf's life from her miserable, poverty-stricken childhood in Paris, as she starts to earn money by singing in the streets, where she is discovered by a nightclub owner who hires her as a singer. There she starts a long and controversial rise to the height of international fame during the 1940s and 50s, depsite being plagued by personal tragedy, substance abuse and her own failing health. It was a very good film, with superb performances. The film flashes backwards and forwards through Piaf's life. The music, which is mostly from Piaf's records because the director did not think that anyone else could match her distinctive voice, is great. I thought it was a very interesting film and I enjoyed it. My mum really liked it too.

I went back to my parents for dinner (meatballs, pasta, and melted cheese in a pasta sauce) so that was very nice.

Missed the Movie, Yet Again

I once more attempted to go up and see 28 Weeks Later and yet again, I didn't manage to get there. I was waiting for about an hour for a bus and it ended up being about two hours from when I left work to when I came home. The problem with the cinema I go to, which I go to mainly because I have an "unlimited" pass, where you pay a certain amount every mointh and then get to go when you want and as often as you want. The problem is that it is a long journey to get there at the best of times. I have to say that I was extremely annoyed, by the whole thing.

28 Minutes Later

Today was very slow and very dull at work. I left sharp so I could go up and see 28 Weeks Later at the cinema, but the bus was very late for some reason and so I missed the film, and there was nothing else on at a convenient time when I arrived, and so I just went home. I arrived home about an hour and a half after I left work, and I was not particularly happy about it. I'll have to try to leave in really good time tomorrow so I can get up in time for the movie.