borgias

December 31, 2012

I don't know why but i am totally into this show.
I spend at least 94% of it having to look away because Jeremy Irons makes me want to vomit in my lap.
I paint such a pretty picture for you all.
But he's so damn creepy. 
I've never gotten over Lolita.
Yuck.
Yuckety yuck yuck yuck.


Listening to: Speculator 'Sweet Emotion'

my wall

December 30, 2012



quaid hauser

Okay, so it was a little long but why were all the reviewers so scathing about this remake?
It's shallow, like the original.
It's violent, like the original.
It's got a lead who is by no means a wonderful actor but has enough charisma to pull off the role, like, yes you guessed it, the original!
I don't know, perhaps it's just film geeks being overly precious about a much loved 90's movie, which i totally get.
I love it myself and can rant with the best of them when a badly scripted, unnecessarily altered remake is chugged out of the moviemaking machine, for example Mister Farrell's bash at Fright Night which was beyond disappointing...but this wasn't bad! 
Maybe it's my love for Farrell and flying cars, or whatever but i'll watch this again quite happily.

Plus, i'll never get tired of people punching Kate Beckinsale in the face.
Never.


Listening to: Liam The Younger 'By The Pines'

blue furry dickens

December 28, 2012

Uh, the greatest and most accurate Christmas List ever compiled?

conti

December 27, 2012

Renamed 'The Gospel According To Vic' in the US for some bizarre, unknown reason.
I can't even think of a logical reason why they would change it...
Oh well, it doesn't spoil this inexplicably lovely piece of filmmaking.
Tom Conti, Helen Mirren, Glasgow and a wild amount of banter?
Now that's a fine amalgamation of awesomosity.
(The latter is not a word but i'm sleepy and couldn't think of a proper, appropriate word to use. Do not judge me.)

I now see why this is one of my Dad's favourite films.
Plus, Tom Conti is an all-time legend. 
End of.


Fun fact:
Charles Gormley, the director, was an optometrist from Glasgow (well, the outskirts, specifically Rutherglen), just like my Dad.
I find this kinda cool. 



Listening to: New Animal 'Nightmares of Candy Yang & The Black Italian'

hawkes

December 25, 2012


Merry Christmas you comtemptible scoundrels!

new animal

December 24, 2012

So, everyone loves Tartar Sauce the Grumpy Cat, right?
Prepare to love her more:

I know, i know.
Putting fluffy animals on your blog isn't cool.
Well, i'm not even remotely cool and i think Tard's amazing, so she's getting blogged!
Thwap!

I don't even know.
Excuse me while i go and watch Attack The Block to ease my obviously quite damaged brainpan.

skyway

I don't feel Christmasy yet. 
Maybe it's because i haven't seen Elf and The Muppet Christmas Carol in their entirety yet.
S'no good.
S'no good at all!

chromatic maladies

The Collaborative Art of Cara Thayer & Louie Van Patten


totality

December 23, 2012


'The term "solar eclipse" is in fact a misnomer. An eclipse occurs when one object passes into a shadow cast by another. In a solar eclipse, the moon does not pass into the sun's shadow, but instead passes between the sun and the earth, obscuring the sun—causing the shadow. The proper term is "occultation." The moon occults the sun, casting a small shadow onto the surface of the earth. It is not a solar eclipse, but in fact an eclipse of the earth.

The earth's distance from the sun is approximately four hundred times the moon's distance from the earth. In a remarkable coincidence, the diameter of the sun happens to be approximately four hundred times the diameter of the moon. This is why the area of the moon and the sun's photosphere—its bright disk—appear roughly the same size from the perspective of earth.

A total occultation is possible only when the moon is in its new phase, and near its perigee, its closest distance to the earth. The duration of totality depends upon the orbit of the moon, never to exceed seven minutes and forty seconds.'

- Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan
The Strain


Listening to: Valleys 'Tan Lines'

cough cool

December 22, 2012

I am completely and utterly in love with this band.

winchesters

December 21, 2012

Now this is a Christmas i can get on board with.
I do love them Winchester boys.
Even Sam, who's main role is to be a major buzzkill 99.9% of the time.

Nobody tell me anything past Season 5.
I'm purposefully keeping myself a few seasons behind because i don't want it to end and so far i am successfully unspoiled!
Don't cancel Supernatural.
Please?


Listening to: Cough Cool 'Back in Time'

mythago wood

 When it comes to e-books and the Kindle, i'm not exactly shy about voicing my opinion.
I think they suck, basically.
There is a constant debate between my sister and I about their validity and no one has won as of yet.
So my sister proposed a deal.
If i read a novel on the Kindle, then she would finally, after years of pestering, read a book i recommend.
I don't think she trusts my judgement in literature.
Harpy.
So, the rules were set, the book was chosen and the challenge commenced.
She was kind to me and chose something she knew i'd like, The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett.
At first i was huffy about accidentally pushing the buttons while halfway through reading a page but i got used to it.
One strop later, books shouldn't need plugged in, and i was well on my way to not wholly disliking this form of reading.
My sister repeatedly bulldozes my arguments with a very valid point, that it shouldn't matter what form the story comes in, as long as it can be read and enjoyed.
I agree but there's nothing majestic about words on a screen.
You wouldn't grieve the breaking of your Kindle the same way you would losing your library to a fire.
Empty screens mean little compared to burnt pages. 
Maybe it's just my curmudgeonly and troglodytic ways but i'm not okay with the dwindling support towards the printed word.
Books are wonderful, beautiful things and i will collect them until they exist no longer.

Now, i at least have experience of the thing i object to and can't be caught short with accusations of ignorance during our many and often ridiculous arguments.
Suck on that, sister dear.

I would recommend reading The Wee Free Men though.
Any Pratchett in fact.
He is a literary prince among men and should be read whenever there is a moment to spare.

Reading this started a trend. 
I like when that happens.
When happenstance leaves a trail.  
It came in the form of Brave.

What a bloody beautiful film.
Nobody does water quite like Pixar.
Remember when Finding Nemo came out? 
I was at the back of the cinema when the first few shimmers of water appeared and i'm pretty sure i made a magnificent, 'holy crapping hell' face at the graphics.
And they've only gotten better since then!
Anyhow, trails of happenstance.
In The Wee Free Men, the Nac Mac Feegle - drunken, red haired smurf-type creatures with a penchant for clobbering anything that looks at them funny - say many and varied Scottish-isms.
Among them is Crivens.
So, when Merida uttered this word, my sister and I had another moment of fangirl glee and being in our own home we quite happily bellowed the word in question at each other.
I love my sister and the other one.
They're the only people who understand and participate in my nerdish sense of humour.

Now, i thought that was the end of my scottish heritage making amusing connections within my humble and hermitic existence.
But no, coincidence wasn't done with me yet.
I like to read, as you may have noticed and i'm a sucker for fantastical tales.
I am my mother's daughter in this sense.
Our shelves are lined with all sorts of literature but there is a special set reserved solely for my mum's collection of the whimsical. 
And Robert Holdstock's, Mythago Wood has always intrigued me. 
A haunted forest, where the extraordinary bleeds into the ordinary?
Uhh, i was sold at 'forest'.
And just before watching Brave, what was i reading?
None other than Mythago Wood and who does the wild, red haired girl from the enchanted forest remind me of?
From the fair skin, to the wild hair, right down to the bolshie attitude?
Little. Miss. Merida.

This is like when rabbits were following me around.
I don't think i'd mind if the Nac Mac Feegle were stalking me, as long as they didn't clobber me.


This is a very long post about nothing very much at all.
You are welcome!
Or i'm really very sorry...


Listening to: Cough Cool 'Great Shredder Event'

deap valley

December 20, 2012


Thank you MySpace for waving Deap Vally in my face until i paid attention.
You may have been unceremoniously abandoned for Zuckerberg's creation but you still come through with the music.
Facebook, your band pages suck and i will not join you.

Just call me Captain Curmudgeonly.
I need a theme tune.

tammar

December 19, 2012


I can't quite put my finger on who Tammar sound like exactly.
There's definitely a lot of Jesus and Mary Chain in there, with the drone of The Smiths and the mid-80s sound of Simple Minds.
But there is a band.
A very particular band that Tammar sound like and i can't get my damn brain to locate them.
What a dazzling display of grey matter failure.
Senility, be gone!

Maybe some early U2?


Listening to: Tammar 'Emily's Army'

stalemate

Io Echo: Stalemate on Nowness.com.

Excuse me while i listen to this over and over and over again.

fly casual

December 18, 2012

Gospel.

r


I'll give this a go.
It'll probably be Twilight with some personality but who knows.
I'll put my faith in Nicholas Hoult to not suck, he's done it before.
Jack The Giant Slayer, formerly Killer, looks pretty badass.


I seem to be having this constant battle with the Flash Player on my Macbook.
It routinely decides to have a strop and won't play any video in any form.
It's a pissy bitch.
If you have the same problem, this is the best advice i've found so far:


One more thing:

In lovelovelove with The Head And The Heart.
They should have been further up my 'Listen To' list.


Listening to: The Head And The Heart 'Heaven Go Easy On Me'

fumious bandersnatch

December 17, 2012


Something unapologetic and atavistic to end the day.

Oh, and some Civil Wars goodness.

darkness

December 15, 2012


Nerdy and awesome.
What more could you ask for?
Uhm, a sculpture of Tim Curry as the badass that is Darkness?

Mr Longhi, i think i might adore you.
Plus, look how happy he is!



Watching: The Dark Knight Rises...i can hardly contain my fangirl glee.

wish

'I wish for a visit from a space unicorn.'
by Brian Lastorka

The best christmas wish ever?

My sister saw this on a tag a kid had left on a wishing tree.
Kids are righteous.

I'd be happy with this:
Oh, Unicorn Dog, why can't you be under my Christmas tree this year?


Listening to: The Staves 'Wisely & Slow'

troy brooks

December 14, 2012




starbuck

anything could happen

rrrrrrrroll

This series is strangely mesmerising.
Look, look, look.

Deleting contacts from your phone's address book is a surreal act.
I'm not wholly comfortable with it but sometimes numbers need erased.
Hmm.


Listening to: Ellie Goulding 'Don't Say A Word'

icy death star

December 11, 2012

My nerdy heart just exploded a little.

how i spent my vacation



You're welcome.

zombi

There's something epic, in the true sense of the word, about this song.

Enjoying this photograph, immensely:

woz

December 09, 2012

All hail the great and powerful Woz.

I still haven't forgiven Joss for breaking up my favourite couple in the Buffyverse.
He's lucky she has a Marshmallow to keep me contented, or there'd be trouble.

azazel

I should have seen this by now.
Bad form.
It's like Seven and Manhunter had a supernatural, illegitimate lovechild just for my viewing pleasure.
And it really would be illegitimate.

Epic.
But i'm never getting 'Time Is On My Side' out of my head.


Listening to: City and Colour 'Silver and Gold'

partly cloudy

December 08, 2012

Holy, freakin' cute things, this is adorable.

Pixar, never change.

My sister found this.
All praise the one that is called, Emily.

soon enough

December 07, 2012


I have been waiting for this majestical man to release something new for so so long.
Yes, i realise Little Hell only came out last year but it feels like a lifetime ago.
That is how much i adore Dallas Green.

There is another reason why.
A geeky reason.
It may have something to do with him being Canadian and spelling colour with a u.
The correct way.
The British way.
It makes me happy inside.

America, please don't send me hate mail.

deptford goth

6.12.12

December 06, 2012

So, this is one of those times i bombard you with art.
Enjoy or turn away now and curse the day i was born.
If you're dramatic like that.
Poudot
Scott Kennedy
Ray Jones
Chris Polasko
Franco Clun
Paul Molendijk
Marzena Ablewska-Lech
The Giunta
Katrin Gareis
Ayu Nakata
Ivan Alifan
Camio
Patricio Betteo
baba Bartek Buczek
Camio

Just so you know, the more realistic of these works are not photographs.
They are all hand drawn pieces of art.
One is even a wood burning.
Makes you sick, doesn't it?


Watching: The Bourne Legacy...yay!

yellow ledbetter

Don't you just love it when a great film has a great soundtrack?
I do.

50/50 ended on a Pearl Jam note.
If i hadn't enjoyed the film before, this song sealed the deal.


Preceded only slightly by this heartbreaking little gem by Liars:


I love music.
I hope that never changes.
I also wish i could sing like Eddie Vedder.
Just saying.


Listening to: Pearl Jam 'Last Kiss'

vitalic

December 05, 2012

Film4 can always be relied upon to have good music playing over their adverts.
I just wish they'd make it more readily available.
tvadmusic.co.uk is there for a reason!


I will blog about something nerdishly substantial at some point in the near future.
Possible sickness is making me too sleepy to be bothered right now...


bugge

December 04, 2012



It's been a long day and this is how i choose to end it, cocooned under my duvet, trying my best not to suffocate, listening to Bugge do his thing.

au palais

December 01, 2012


he hit me


perth

November 26, 2012


This is how my internet tabs look right now.
I genuinely hadn't realised, or perhaps just hadn't acknowledged before, that i bloody love trashy horror movies.
I mean honestly, Leprechaun?

I must be defective.

In music, however i am certainly not.


Unless Rick Astley or Hanson are around.
But screw that, i refuse to have musical shame!


Listening to: Alex Collier & The Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra 'Dance Foyer'

rare book room


It's like he crept inside my memories, pulled out all the hurt and shaped it into something i could love again.
I don't know how he does that.
And i didn't know i could love this song any more.

ruiz

November 25, 2012

by Paul Ruiz


Listening to: Simon & Garfunkel 'El Condor Pasa (If I Could)'

burying davy

November 24, 2012

I have no idea what this blog is for anymore.

The frenetic findings of a curmudgeonly hermit with the worrying habit of typing whatever comes into her head and making it public?

Hmm.

If you happen to be in Tesco, search these out.
They are made of nom.



Listening to: The Decemberists 'Burying Davy'

disco ewok

November 23, 2012

Apparently, when you wake up your brain has the capabilities of a drunk person.

I don't find that hard to believe, even though i've pretty much forgotten what being drunk feels like, as i gave up the no-no juice a good few years ago because alcohol tastes of wrong.

Boring, huh?

Well bite me, for my liver wears a dapper hat and performs a happy dance at least four times a day!
So there.

...

Anyway.
Watching Russell Howard's, 'Right Here, Right Now' whilst running on 5 hours sleep is an immensely good idea.
Let's just say, the term 'Disco Ewok' had me in a painful state of glee.
He actually caused a headache.
Does anyone else get that?
Or am i just cursed with a delicate i.e. pitiful brainbox?

Also, is there anything more perfect than this:

Err, hello Christmas present givers, i'd like this please.



FAO: Ian Clark

Fly safely. Don't bring back any western diseases. Smuggle a snowglobe through customs for me?



Listening to: Mansions On The Moon 'Rest of Your Days'

love ridden

November 22, 2012

Miss Apple, you're breaking my heart.
This is a feeling i know well, having lost all four of my cats over the last few years.
If you have animals, you'll know they come to mean much more than most people who enter your life can but dream of.
Even when they attack your feet under the duvet while you're sleeping.
Or bully you out of your chair with the saddest eyes you ever did see.
They're still miniature heroes you refuse to live without.

If i had a tour, i'd cancel it too.

i bet on sky

November 21, 2012

One of my most treasured bands, still doing me proud.


Listening to: I Break Horses 'Load Your Eyes'
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