Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

Last night I was watching TV and caught a bit of the end of Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino's debut film from 1992 about the violent aftermath of a botched jewellery store heist. When it was released in the US it was pretty successful for a moderately low budget gangster movie, but in Europe and the UK it was a massive hit. In Britain especially it was hugely controversial and there was a lot of attention given to the level of violence in the film, although it was released during one of the periodic media panics in Britain about violence in movies. It played constantly in some cinemas for about two years, because it was unavailable on video until 1995. I only saw about quarter of an hour of it last night, but I have seen it before countless times and it really brought me back in my mind to 1995 when Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction were the ultimate in cool, must-see movies, and I was 16 and was just finishing my hated high-school time. That was also the year that I was really getting into movies and I saw a lot of different types of films in that year because 1995 was the year they marked the "Century of Cinema". I've often thought if I could go back to any period in my life it would probably be 1999 when I was in 20 years old, in college, I'd really started writing poetry for the first time and I felt genuinely optimistic about the future for probably the first time in my life. It didn't last.

Later on I was watching a Japanese animated movie from 2004 called Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, written and directed by Mamoru Oshii, and based on the "manga" (comic-book) by Shirow Masamune. The film is set in the year 2032 where the few remaining humans co-exist uneasily with robots, androids and cyborgs. When a series of "gynoids" (female androids), who are being used for sex, kill eight people and then destroy themselves, a cyborg detective and his human partner are assigned to investigate. Visually the movie is spectacular, mixing 2D and 3D computer animation. It's a pretty good movie, blending action, spectacle and philosophy pretty well.

It was my last day on the training course today, but I managed to leave early and got a kebab on my way home.

The Solitary Cyclist

Last night I was listening to a radio adaptation of a 1903 Sherlock Holmes story called "The Solitary Cyclist" about a young music teacher who enjoys cycling in the country on her own, but decides to call Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson when she realises that someone has started following her on her expeditions. It was a pretty good story.

It was another day on the training course, which meant that I managed to get home early, so that was good.

The Dancing Men

Last night I was listening to a radio adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story from 1903 called "The Dancing Men" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In this episode Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson discover that a seemingly innocent drawing of dancing stick figures could hold the key to a murder. It was a good story and pretty dark.

Today was the second day on the training course, and it went fairly well. It was kind of good that I managed to get out early again.

I have been trying to do some more of the writing recently, but it's not been coming as easily as it sometimes does. I haven't been able to think of any ideas that I actually like.

Training Course

Today was very quiet. I was on a training course at work and I'll be on it for the next three days, which is kind of nice because it means that I can leave a little bit early.

I got home at about half past four today.

The Naval Treaty

Last night I was watching a pretty good ice hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings on TV. Later on I was listening to a radio adaptation of an 1893 Sherlock Holmes story called "The Naval Treaty", in this one an old schoolfriend of Dr. Watson's, now a clerk at the Foreign Office, calls in Holmes when some vitally important documents he was supposed to be looking after go missing. It was a pretty good story, and apparently is often classed as one of the very first spy stories.

It was another quiet day at work. I'm on a training course next week, which is pretty good, because it means that for one thing, it's a change from the regular work and or another thing, I can leave a bit earlier than usual.

I decided to get a steak pie and chips on my way back home, which was nice and not quite as heavy as it was last time I had one.

Last Training Day

Last night was pretty quiet. I was listening to an adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story called "The Red-Headed League" on the radio. It was one of a number of Sherlock Holmes stories that I had on tape years ago. I wish I knew where the tapes are now, but I probably threw them out years ago.

Today I went along to the Roxburghe Hotel for the half day "Dealing with Change" training course for work. It started with an hour and a half talk about change in the workplace, how it affects people, and how different people deal with change. Then there was a coffee break for a few minutes and then we played a series of games and puzzles for the second hour and a half (which included making models out of Play-Doh). That was fun.

It finished at one in the afternoon and I had a half day booked off from work, so that was basically me free to do what I wanted. I headed up to the Filmhouse cinema to collect the Film Festival tickets that I booked a few weeks ago, so that went well. After that I did some shopping. I got a book called Churchill's Triumph by Michael Dobbs for my Dad's birthday present. It's a kind of historical, political thriller and I know that Dad's read a few others in the series. I also got the book Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman for myself. I got a birthday card for Dad and some wrapping paper. Then I went over to a hotel bar and had a club sandwich and a pint of beer for my lunch. So it was a pretty successful day!

More Training

Yesterday evening was pretty quiet. I listened to a pretty good radio adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story and later on I watched an episode of The Wire and the latest episode of The Apprentice which was pretty funny.

Today I had the last day of my training course about the new computer sytems that they are implementing at work. Tomorrow I am on a half day training course called "Dealing With Change" which is being held in a hotel. I've got the afternoon off on a half day which should give me an opportunity to pick up the Film Festival tickets that I ordered a couple of weeks ago, and also get a birthday present and card for my Dad.

Training Course

The posters I got on Sunday were the Watchmen logo of a smiley face with a dash of blood on it, and another Watchmen movie poster featuring actress Malin Akerman as the Silk Spectre and the slogan "I Am Used to Going Out at 3AM and Doing Something Stupid". The third poster was a kind of gothic fantasy photo art print called Arabesque by American artist Erica Leighton.

Later last night I was watching The Wire which is currently slightly over the halfway point of the second season.

I had to be out early today because I was starting a training course at work. The course is a three day one about a new computer system that they are installing. It was quite nice, with longer breaks and lunchtimes. Also, since I was working off the clock, I managed to get home over two hours early.

Voices From the Grave

Last night I was watching a one-off special show on TV which listed the funniest moments from Fawlty Towers. Later on I listened to an episode of Voices From the Grave on the radio. This week's episode was called "Middlewitch" and was about a town in North Wales under the influence of a deadly ancient curse. It was pretty good with some pretty scary scenes in it.

It was a long and pretty frustrating day at work. One good thing is that I'm pretty much on training courses for the rest of the week so that should be quite nice. Also I think that the training course on Friday morning is going ahead. From what I've heard the Friday morning one is a lot of fun and I'll have the afternoon off.

I put up my new posters last night. It took a lot of time to arrange them all (I got three new ones yesterday) but it was worth it because they do look good on the wall.

Training Courses

Last night I managed to do some writing, which was good, and I watched the latest episode of The Apprentice which was another really funny one. Later on I watched an episode of The Wire. One of the things that I like about that show is how it is basically one story split into episodes. I read somewhere apparently that the creators of the series had the whole story worked out well in advance down to the number of seasons and the number of episodes in each season that were needed to tell the story that they wanted to tell. Also I like the way that it really takes you into the minutiae of the police investigations. As I posted a few days ago, I really think it is important whether it's a TV show, a book series, a comic series or even a movie series to know when to quit. Otherwise people lose interest and it kind of tarnishes the memory of the earlier installments. The key thing, in my opinion, is to always leave the audience wanting more.

It was another fairly busy day at work today. I'm on a training course from Tuesday to Thursday next week and I volunteered to go on a half day training course next Friday morning. I'm thinking of trying to get a half day that day. Which, if it all works out, would mean that I would only have one full working day next week.

I got home at around six and had a microwaved spaghetti bolognese meal.

Long Distance Call

Last night I was watching the second episode of Life on Mars on TV. It was really good, I don't usually like cop shows much, but that one is good. I heard that an American version is being made starring Harvey Keitel.

I read a few stories from the American Supernatural Tales. One was "The Visit" by Shirley Jackson, about a young woman who goes to visit her friend and her friend's family in their large mansion, the family are friendly enough but it soon becomes apparent thet they have no intention of letting her leave - ever. Then there was "Long Distance Call" by Richard Matheson (author of I Am Legend) about a woman who is bothered by a series of nuisance phone calls only to discover that they are coming from the local cemetery (I think it was adapted as an episode of The Twilight Zone). After that there was "The Vanishing American" by Charles Beaumont about a depressed, middle-aged office worker who discovers that he is starting to become invisible. I often think horror works best as short stories because with novels, which often take days to read, the effect can become quite diulted.

I was still doing desk training at work. I'm off work until Monday, so that should be good. Apparently the strike is still going ahead tomorrow as well. The Union has lost quite a bit of sympathy from a lot of people for having two strikes within the same month.

Back to Work

Last night was really quiet. Today I was back to work after the training course. However I was still on "desk training" on the new work, where you have your work checked, and basically mentored for the first few weeks, until you're up to speed. Desk training usually tends to be a fairly quiet time, because you're encouraged to take it slowly. Also I'm only in work for two days this week.

End of the Course

Last night was pretty quiet. I was reading another story in American Supernatural Tales, this one was called "The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis" by Clark Ashton Smith, which wasn't really a ghost story it was a surprisingly gruesome 1932 science-fiction story set on Mars where archeologists discover strange ancient ruins, in which lurk mind-controlling alien leeches which drink blood and eat brains. It was quite fun actually.

Today was my last day on the course, so that was kind of a shame. Although technically I sould still be on training when I go back to work on Monday. I got home early again so that was good and, on the way back, bought the latest copy of Radio Times magazine.

Tomorrow I should be going up to see author Chuck Palahniuk at the Book Festival and hopefully get some books signed.

The Real Right Thing

It's been pretty quiet here. I was reading a short story from American Supernatural Tales called "The Real Right Thing" by Henry James about a writer working on a biography of a dead author who comes to believe that the author's ghost may not be too pleased with the book. It was a little like James' Turn of the Screw in that it is left ambiguous as to whether the ghost is there or not.

It was another day on the training course, although it finishes tomorrow, which will be a real pity because I've liked it (especially the part about leaving early!) That's really how I've managed to be reading so much lately, I've had a lot more time over the past couple of weeks.

Of course, I'll only be in work for a couple of days next week before I'm off for three days from my Book Festival things.

Rant

I've been reading quite a lot lately! Last night I finished the book Rant by Chuck Palahniuk. The book tells the story of a young man named Buster Casey (nicknamed "Rant") who grows up in a small American town where he develops an addiction to animal bites. It's not long before he develops rabies and despite the fact that he does not show any symptoms he still carries the disease in his sytem. He moves to the big city where the citizens are forcibly devided into respectable "Daytimers" (who are only allowed out of their homes during the daytime) and the oppressed "Nighttimers" (who are only allowed out of their homes after nightfall). The Nighttimers pass their time by "boosting peaks" (uploading second hand experiences directly into the brain) and "Party Crashing" (a bizarre urban demolition derby where teams of people in cars congregate at a certain time in a certain area of the city and drive around purposefully crashing into each other, and they recognise each other by their elaborate decorations on their cars). Rant quickly joins the Nighttimers and takes up party Crashing while at the same time quietly causing a rabies epidemic. The book is written like an "oral biography" made up of interview statements from Rant's friends, enemies and family members. It is really bizarre and very imaginative. I'm trying to get all my Palahniuk read before Saturday.

I also read a couple more stories from the American Supernatural Tales. The first one was "The Death of Halpin Frayser" by Ambrose Bierce a strange story about a man plagued by nightmares about a reanimated corpse only to find that they may be true, and "The Yellow Sign" by Robert W Chambers in which a painter discovers a copy of a book which apparently causes anyone who reads it to be attacked by a vicious supernatural force.

I was also watching some of the film Child's Play 3 last night, which wasn't very good. The film series is about a doll called Chucky which is reanimated by the spirit of a serial killer (voiced by Brad Dourif). I remember watching an episode of The Twilight Zone about a killer doll which was far scarier than any of the Child's Play films despite having absolutely no blood or violence. Perhaps because it was more subtle.

It was another day on my course today. There is going to be yet another strike this month a week from today. However it won't really affect me because I have booked it off anyway. I'll be off the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week for some Book Festival things. The pay dispute seems to be really hotting up now. I think everyone is getting really sick of it by now.

Invisible Monsters

Last night I finished reading Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk. The story is narrated by a successful fashion model who is severely injured in an apparent motor accident. She is left without a lower jaw, and goes from being the beautiful centre of attention to being (in her words) an 'invisible monster' (so hideous no-one will acknowledge she exists). In the hospital she meets Brandy Alexander, the self-styled "Queen Supreme", who is in the process of having a male to female sex change. Brandy teaches the model that in order to find a new future she must completely reinvent her identity, and so the model sets out on the road with Brandy in search of a brand new past present and future. Along the way they try to kidnap the model's two-timing ex-boyfriend and take revenge against her treacherous best friend. Along the way she discovers some disturbing facts about her own past and family. This book is shocking, horrific, intelligent and frequently hilariously funny.

I was also reading a story from American Supernatural Tales called "What Is It?" by Fitz-James O'Brien about a man who is attacked in his bed by a (literally) invisible monster. It was quite an entertaining little piece.

Another thing I was watching a repeat of the first episode of a show called Life on Mars, which was about a police detective from 2006 who is knocked unconcious and wakes up in 1973, not knowing whether he is in a coma, whether he is insane or whether he actually has gone back in time. It was pretty good, actually. I'd always meant to see it when it was first on but I'd missed the first episode and didn't like to start it in the middle of the story.

I had another day at my course today and so I managed to get home early. On my way I renewed my bus pass and got the latest issue of Total Film magazine.

Gone to Pieces

Last night I was reading a couple of stories from my American Supernatural Tales book. I read "The German Student" by Washington Irving (who also wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle") about a German student in Paris during the French Revolution who discovers a shocking secret about the woman he spends the night with, and also "Edward Randolph's Portrait" by Nathaniel Hawthorne about a hidden portrait which is, apparently, cursed. I also watched an entertaining documentary called Gone to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film which I really enjoyed. It was an affectionate, and very gruesome, overview of slasher films from the 1970s until the present day.

I was back at my training course today for the second, and last, week. It was okay though and I managed to leave early, which was good.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Yesterday I was watching a film on television called Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, directed by Karel Reisz. The film was released in 1960 and based on a novel by Alan Sillitoe, who also wrote the script. It's set in an indutrial city in the north of England and revolves around rebellious Arthur Seaton (played by Albert Finney), who works as a lathe operator in a factory (and whose personal philosophy is summed up in such statements as "What I'm after is a good time, all the rest is just propaganda", "Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not" and, most succinctly, "Don't let the bas**rds grind you down"). Seaton is someone who lives soley for the evenings and weekends, which he spends drinking, fighting and romancing women (in particular Shirley Anne Field and Rachel Roberts), one of whom is his friend's wife. He's constantly struggling against the limited opportunities available to him in his bleak world and trying to find something more in life than just work, booze and death, but he seems unable to change anything. It was one of the earliest and most influential of the British social realist (or "kitchen sink") dramas of the 1950s and 60s. Although the film is obviously very dated by today's standards, it still has a gritty, powerful feel to it, and a superb performance by Finney. A week on Wednesday I'll be seeing Alan Sillitoe in person at the Book Festival.

Today was the end of the first week of the training course, although there is still another week to go. I managed to leave at half past one, which I was very happy about.

Training Course

It was another quiet night last night. I spent a lot of the time watching repeats of comedy shows. I had another day of the training course today. I managed to leave for the day at half past two in the afternoon so that was good. However, it was raining pretty hard so I just went straight on home. The course has been quite good actually. My job involves recording up legal documents and when I started there (back in May 2003) I was at the very end of the process (sending out the finished documents), currently I've been working at the beginning of the process (recording all the information) and this training course is for like the middle of the process (creating the official records to be sent out). It's quite interestng seeing how it all ties together.

It would actually be really nice to go out, especially with the Festival going on at the moment, but it's been so wet that it's just been better to go home. It's just that when you leave work early it just seems a pity to waste it. The course is on for another week though, so hopefully it will brighten up at some point. It's actually hard to believe that it's already August. The year seems to have passed really quickly.

Quiet Day

Last night was pretty quiet. Today was my third day on the training course at work. As a result I managed to leave work at about five to three. On my way home I went and had a couple of drinks at a bar, which I had always kind of meant to try but never really got round to, despite it being only a couple of blocks from my home.

It was interesting watching The X-Files movie yesterday. I can remember it when it first started. I used to watch ot all the time and I can remember when it became a really big thing in around 1995, because that was a really important time in my life (it was the year I left high school - which I hated - and started college - which I liked). It's hard to believe it was as long ago as that. Something which has really been bugging me for the past few years is the feeling that I'm running out of time. I'm going to be thirty in December which (as my friend Alice said) is my "scary age". I mean Orson Welles was twenty-five when he made Citizen Kane, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain were younger than me when they died. The thing is that when there are things that I want to do, I'm so convinced of my own failure that I don't actually go for them, and I hate myself for feeling that way, which does not help my self-esteem, so it beomes like a circle. Also due to my lack of self-confidence and shyness, not to mention my ugliness and weird voice (in my head I sound like Malcolm McDowell, in reality I sound like someone gargling soup) I have no luck with women, which makes me feel more bitter and depressed. Also I am kind of an idiot (I have done more than a few dumb things in my time).

Actually the whole of that previous paragraph is kind of stupid, I just can't think of anything to post about.