Norseman

Watched 2 blu rays today,

The Road : gritty and harsh with some very clever lighting and cinematography, read the book as well and it is mostly very tight with it, some graphic bits missing but I liked the added flashbacks, rubbed it in more how harsh and difficult life had got. Well acted soulful, a very good solid 8.5/10

Valhalla Rising : Was expecting a lot more from this, very messy film and a tad confusing to watch, a times it came across as some mad acid trip. Fairly minimal on the combat scenes as well considering the scope and some dubious stabs at history. The Scottish scenery is bleak, wild and dramatic and when there is some bursts of action it is brutal and efficient (though with some dodgy cgi blood spurts). I wanted to like this and aspects of the film on occasion worked but in general a poor effort, 4/10

I was in the States when Firefly first aired, they showed the episodes out of order and on different nights and times each week, a very deliberate attempt to kill it I think. From what I have read I think Whedon had at least 2 full 22 episode seasons written (it only got half a season, killed part way through). Tremendous characters and it was just touching on the super soldier aspect of River (especially in Serenity), would have loved to have seen more.

As soon as I get into a series it gets canned, Dresden Files, Moonlight, Tru Calling, Sarah Connor Chronicles, I must be a jinx!

I see that a film spin off from the HBO/BBC series Rome is in the works with the key original cast as well set a few years after. Also looking forward to Spartacus and a very very naughty Lucy Lawless in it!

Really liking the new Exodus album, a quality piece of modern thrash. Also liking the Slash album, some interesting stuff on there, think I will try and blag a ticket for his gig in Edinburgh on 1st July.

yip, The Amorettes are still coming up, was just chatting to Hannah their drummer and all ok. Any replacement for Oblivian Incarnate or just a 3 band bill now? I really like Liars Dice anway, good band but hopefully will catch Syth another time (work depending).

I very rarely get time to go to the cinema but ended up going to see Kick Ass again as my missus wanted to see it, just as good 2nd time around (maybe better?), a stonkingly good film. 9.9/10

While away in the frozen wastes of the Norwegian mountains recently watched:

Harry Bown - loved it, very "now" painting life in British estates with touches of black humour, a definited 9/10

Serenity (again) - the directors cut this time, such a good film and miss these characters from Firefly, the world needs more psycho unhinged unstoppable killing machine River! 9.5/10

Max Manus - A film mostly in Norwegian though partly shot in Scotland, basically about a famous Norwegian geezer blowing up German ships etc in WW2, nicely done though and pretty close to the true story, enjoyed it, 8/10

Star Trek XI (forced to sit through it again with a friend) - mostly drank beer and tried to avoid the pish on screen, hate this film with a passion, vies with Transformers 2 with the amount of plot holes, pish locational geography and logic failings, downgraded to 1/10

Dark City - watched the blu ray version (though not the greatest transfer), quality quirky sci fi, very dark with some amazing set design, 8.5/10

New In Town - Minnesota based hokum about the local food factory shutting down, watched it as I have worked in that general area where it is set. Was actually better than I expected with a few humouress pieces though not what you would call a cutting edge film and Zelwegger was only slightly annoying in it but counters that by having a very nice bottom. 5.5/10

You really feel for the Anvil guys, was a bit surreal seeing them play in Edinburgh before xmas, very very enthusiastic live and very humble.

Saw Kick Ass recently, tremendous film, absolutely loved it with Nic Cage ace as a psychotic but caring daddy! Hit Girl steals the film though and is an uber cool character (though probably not a great role model for most 11 year old girls) :-) 9.5/10

Eventually got round to watching the new Star Trek film, can't say I liked it and thought the story was pish, so many plot holes and idiotic actions and decisions for dramatical effect it just got me annoyed. C'mon, a cadet who hadn't even qualified yet from the academy made a captain!!! What???? Not a single shuttle/fighter/man with a stick to protect vulcan and earth from the big drill thingy, come on!!! 3/10

Also watched The Matador, a very quirky role for Pierce Brosnan. I enjoyed it very much, some unusual twists and turns and Brosnan nails the role of a burnt out, screwed up unpredictable hit man to a tea. Lots of quite amusing sequences as well and he plays off straight man Gregg Kinnear very well. 8/10

I know what you mean, I live round the corner from The Music Hall, ach well, beer in town then taxi to AECC :-)

Sorry, meant May for the Amorettes. Brain fade :-)

Good call, been meaning to see these guys for a while now and for a change I will even be back in town from Norway so a beerstrewn night in Moorings it is! Good to see you have The Amorettes booked for next week, they are pretty good.

This working out of Norway can be a right pain, would have liked to have gone along to this one, any other way of buying the new single (nice artwork by the way)? Still, should see the Downfall and Bloodnut chaps this Friday for one of few evenings back in the Deen.

Fifty Calibre Smile are good live, caught them down in Edinburgh before playing with Drive By Audio and Serpico.

There's not really a lot of films coming to mind but Minority Report is one of them.

forgot about it, really liked that as well.

Slayer AND Pantera?

Yip, like tea and buscuits, great combo!

Might just have to fly back from Norway for the weekend for this.

Some good choices on here so far and it has hard to narrow it down (or even remember a lot of them off the top of my head), but a quick stab in the dark for movies that floated my boat:

Avatar

LOTR trilogy

Pans Labyrinth

Gran Torino

Confidence

The 40 Year Old Virgin

The Hangover

The Anvil Story

A History Of Violence

Taken

The Bourne Trilogy

28 Days Later

Dog Soldiers

Me, Myself & Irene

The Mist

Serenity

Inglorious Basterds

Hell Boy

Iron Man

Pitch Black

Really didn't like Forgetting Sarah Marshall but Brand was almost amusing in it (which is a lot for me as I think he is a big twat). The foxy little Miss Bell was as foxy as usual though which nearly made up for the film.

I loved it but I like these big grandioise Sci Fi epics and a bit cheese and clunkiness in some of the acting is no biggie in a film like this (or a fairly simplistic storyline). Seems to be a lot of polar opinions on this film but most of the people I know really liked it and I will be getting it on Blu Ray as well when it comes out.

Very few bands/singers out there that get me in a frothy rage, some I dislike or can't be bothered with but the few that do send me into spasm are:

Beyonce (fat arsed god bothering prima donna)

Lady Gaga (anyone who has a 50+ entourage needs a sanity check)

J-Lo (as above but with a huge fat arse)

50 Cent (about time for someone else to shoot him)

P Diddy (and the thousands of bling toting wannabe acts)

Kids In Glass Houses (annoying up their own arse pricks)

Bring Me The Horizon (as above and possibly even more full of themselves)

Oasis (at last, no more! (hopefully))

U2 (well, really Bono)

Amy Whinehouse (why oh why oh why is this nasty fetid abomination still trundling around)

Pete Doherty (surely he must have an OD soon!)

Leona Lewis (the pinnacle in reality tv blandness)

Whitney Houston (drug addled annoying blandness)

Coldplay (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

A nice room in Hotel Salt Mine Siberia for the lot of them. Though probably just me being a prick as I am both a Slayer and Pantera fan (and I even like Trivium (well, don't dislike)).

bugger, would have liked to have seen this but will still be in Norway.

This is pretty tough but here goes and in no particular order:

Megadeth : Endgame

Slayer : World Painted Blood

The Wildhearts : Chutzpah

Steel Panther : Feel The Steel

Sonata Arctica : The Days Of Grays

Skindred : Shark Bites And Dog Fights

Serpico - Neon Wasteland

Sabaton - The Art Of War

Rammstein : Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da

Mammal : The Majority

Probably missed some obvious ones as I am half asleep still.

That is a shame, hopefully it has just fallen off and turns up, would be well out of order if some torag casts a shadow on the gig with a some light fingered shenanagins! If someone has lifted it in the heat of the moment then at least drop it off anonimously or post it into the Tunnels or something.

That was a blast, first time I have seen Cobra Kai and I enjoyed the set, good gig from Escape To Victory as well and The Luchagors were ace, Amy seems a right character and certainly game for some crazy stuff.

Recently re-watched Vamp but I thought it had dated badly, very camp but still enjoyable in a cheesy mad way.

I have seen Twilight as well, it was ok and the vamps in it were pretty mega insanely powerful which was an interesting touch, none of this Hammer Horror woosy vamp stuff.

I did enjoy 30 Days Of Night, don't know how close it was to the original graphic novel but I liked it and I like Melissa George as an actress (a long way from Home & Away!).

Quite liked the Moonlight series about the vampire detective (again canned after one series) and I am getting into True Blood. The old Brit series Ultraviolet was good, would have liked to have seen more of that.

The last few weeks I have been mostly watching the new series of Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, True Blood, Flash Forward and just started on Fringe. Liking all these so far but gutted about Dollhouse, especially as Summer Glau had been signed up as well. I really think Joss Wheedon should stop dealing with Fox! Saying that, most interesting and quirky series in the States get canned very quickly due to their Nielson polls system even though generally they go onto do great things globally with epic DVD sales etc. Seemingly Firefly is one of biggest ever selling box sets but that didn't even get a full series on Fox and they showed it out of order and on different nights each week originally!

The CGI Arnie looked pretty good in Temrinator Salvation but I doubt the BBC have assigned that sort of budget to this (though could be wrong!)

aaah, now had a terrible vision of a naked CGI Tom Baker! where the hell did that come from......