A bit of house keeping

A quick note for those who are interested. After 3 reasonably happy years using Blogger for the Pipedream, I have decided that it's services really are just a bit too basic for what I need and so I have decided to move the whole thing over to Wordpress. So, for all the thousands of you out there who read the site regularly, please update your bookmarks and RSS feed links. The site can still be accessed via www.thepipedream.co.uk or via the new address of http://thepipedream.wordpress.com/

Who watches the Watchmen...

... well you should of course.

This trailer just gets better and better everytime I watch it!!

"Excuse me, are you local?"

It's one of those phrases that becomes increasingly inevitable the longer you live in Bath. It's normally uttered by a confused looking stranger (often from another country), who has just ventured down the wrong back alley or side street and has no idea where the hell they have ended up!

The inquisitors in question tend to split into 1 of 2 camps. The first, is those who are miles away from where they actually want to be and have got completely lost on their way through. Normally they end up asking you something seemingly simple, like "Is this the way to Bristol", or "Can you tell me where the train station is?" and in this case it's normally a matter of pointing them in the right general direction, as you know that they will have completely switched off by the time you tell them to take the second right and the fourth Georgian crescent.

But every now and again you get someone who has reached the complete end of their tether in trying to find a specific place, and they know they are close but just cannot quite find the last piece of the puzzle to get them where they need to go. Tonight's direction seeker (and blog inspiration), was just one of those cases who was looking for the 'Nexus Church' while stood at the end of Walcot Street - i.e. next door to where they wanted to go. However my favourite is still the American couple last month who asked for directions to the Abbey when standing outside the Pump Rooms (and underneath a big signpost!). The poor woman just didn't have a clue.

However, I shouldn't be cruel as I am sure I have asked for just as ridiculous directions in my time. And at least a lost tourist is still better than a booze-soaked hobo. Or worse, an overly enthusiastic charity clipboard worker!

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

Rockin' the Suburbs

Last night I went and saw the very excellent Ben Folds in Bristol with Dave K and Chris and Jenny Phin. (Yup, that's right, I cross-polenated my work and home friends, but I think it all went well!) It's been the better part of 8 years since I last saw Mr Folds (back at V99 in Stafford with Kempy, Steve and Ant!), and so it was about time I got around to seeing him again. And thank goodness I did as it was a fantastic! Possibly ranking in my top 2 or 3 best gigs at the Academy in Bristol!*

Not only did he play nearly the entirety of his excellent solo albums 'Rockin' the Suburbs' and 'Songs for Silverman', (most notably Zack and Sarah and my all-time fave Folds song, Landed) but he also managed to squeeze in some new stuff, not to mention a couple of classic Ben Folds Five tracks as well (the always fantastic Kate and the Battle of Who Could Care Less!)

For those who are interested, he was supported by a curious little hobbit man called Corn Mo, who played the accordion and sung wierd songs about people who's trousers fall down - he was not great!

* For the record, my all-time top 5 Bristol Academy gigs are...
1. Ryan 'not Bryan' Adams (2004)
2. Ben Folds (2008)
3. Kings of Leon (2004)
4. Ash (2006)
5. Doves(2004)

Hancock

If you believe the trailer, then Hancock is your typical Will Smith comedy about a drunken super-hero who foils bank robberies, throws whales at yachts and then gets himself a PR agent in order to help stop everyone from hating him. It's essentially Hitch with Superpowers. And for 40 minutes or so, that's exactly what Hancock is - and it's loads of fun.

Then at 40 minutes in the 'plot twist' happens, and it goes from being Super-Hitch, to 'In Pursuit of Heroes', and steadily goes down hill from there. Instead of being that fun, knock about romp, it tries to shoe-horn in a sub-plot about immortality, the nature of heroism and the idea of superheroes as modern day gods/mythic heroes. Now, I don't have a problem with them doing that, as it's a really interesting idea and the is the kind of idea that makes comics like Powers, Astro City and anything by Neil Gaiman really interesting. However I don't want that from a film that stars the Fresh Prince of Bel Air!

Apparently, this second half is left over from the original script which focused on the darker elements of the superhero story. However that was before several years in development hell and several re-writes gave us this bi-polar version of a once interesting idea. If only the Hollywood big-wigs could have not interfered and left Hancock to be either the knock about fun film it pretended to be (and if Ironman has shown us anything, those films can be a success) or had decided to make it into the darker, more edgy movie that the original script supposedly offered us. Instead, you get two halves of a good film and in the end those two halves, do not make a good whole.

A challenge has been set... and accepted!

I have been set something of a Blog-based challenge, or rather a 'task' by young Jennifer Phin in order to promote a bit of inter-blog activity on t'interweb. She is setting 'tasks' to anyone willing to make a comment on her blog here, and so after deciding I was up for the challenge, she has set me the following objective:

"Alex, your task is to recommend and justify films to watch in the following scenarios:

First date
Christmas day
Sunday evening
On your death bed
and!
A guilty pleasure

Good luck, sailor!"

Well, here goes!!

1. The First Date: 'Amelie'

A number of important factors to consider here. For a start, it has to be something you will both like - and especially something she will like, just in case she isn't a cinephile (no Lord of the Rings marathons here - unless she is a real Hobbit-phile!). The second factor, is that you must chose something which shows what impeccable taste you have in films. However it can't be too poncey - no Czechoslovakian documentaries about Communism in the 70s for example - in case you come across as an elitist. At the same time though, it can't be so populist that you might as well have picked whatever was top of the Odeon's 'What's On' list, it's a real tough one this! Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, you have to chose something that isn't too long, just in case either of you need to make a strategic exit via the toilet window, when you realize you aren't sat next to the future love of your life.

Therefore, my choice for best date film will have to be 'Amelie'. It's cultured, but not poncey. Romantic, without being slushy. Although it's long at just over 2 hours, there are plenty of nice breaks in the narrative where you can sneak off to the loo and make your escape through the pick 'n' mix section, without having to worry.

2. Christmas Day: 'It's a Wonderful Life'

Another tricky one this, as there are again, so many factors to chose from. Suitability for the whole family is obviously a big concern here (no excessive swearing or nudey-ness, after all I don't think Grandma Thomas would approve of John McClane screaming 'yippee kay ay mutha f***ka' in Die Hard or Jamie Lee Curtis getting her bristols out in Trading Places, while she's tucking into her christmas dinner!)

It should also have some sort of seasonal setting, which discounts a lot of obvious choices like Marry Poppins or The Sound of Music (sorry Han!). And of course, it has to be a 'classic' too, none of your modern rubbish here! Even Toy Story or Shrek seem a bit too new-fangled, even though they came very close on the shortlist.

For that final reason then, I cannot help but go for the obvious choice that is, 'It's A Wonderful Life'. Possibly the perfect Christmas film because, not only because it is such a fantastic feel-good movie, but before you get there, it has that slightly dark centre to it that truly captures the festive season for me. Plus, it's got Jimmy Stewart in it!

3. Sunday Evening: 'Fargo'

Sunday evening is a really traditional film night for me, thanks to the fact channel 4 usually uses this as the time it puts on it's decent arthouse film, so this is something of an easy one for me. It has to be something a bit 'Film4', but also something that gets you primed for a week at work. Something with a bit of depth to it, but not so pondering that you fall asleep half way through. For that reason then, it has to be 'Fargo'.

Nothing says Sunday night movie to me like the Coen Brothers, and so for that reason you have to pick their best work. I'm not one of the people who worships at the altar of Lebowski (hate me if you must), and so it has to be the misadventures of Marge Gunderson and co. every time!

4. On Your Death Bed: 'The Jungle Book'

This has to be the trickiest of the bunch. After all, if this is going to the final film you ever see, just what should it be? Part of me thought it should be some kind of deep and involved, morality tale that questions the very nature of existence. But then again, who really wants that when they are about to breathe their last?

So instead I've decided to go for something more optimistic. A film to put a smile on your face during your darkest moment. A film that will remind you of the full pleasures of life, and to send you to meet your maker with a smile on your face. It's nothing, if not the perfect way, 'to forget about your troubles and your strifes'...

5. The Guilty Pleasure: 'Welcome to the Jungle'

There are so many criteria for what makes a great guilty pleasure, but at the end of the day, it has to be a film you are actually a little bit ashamed for liking. It has to be a film which, you aren't always proud to have in your collection, but which you know you can put on when there is nothing else on and it cannot fail to raise a smile. I initially thought of including something ironic, like the Goonies or Ferris Bueller, but those are just a little bit too cool. Then I started thinking about 80s cheese like 16 Candles, or Say Anything, but the only reason those are uncool for me to like is because I'm a boy and shouldn't be watching Molly Ringwald films at my age.

However what it boiled down to was, this had to be a film I owned, that I was slightly ashamed of, but not so ashamed that I would sell it off at the first opportunity. It had to be something that had survived my various attempts to clear out the deadwood of my DVD collection and something that has maintained it's place, despite it's obvious tragic-ness.

For that reason alone, my nomination in this category, is 'Welcome to the Jungle'.On so many levels this film should be awful. For a start, it stars a wrestler, albeit The Rock. Secondly, it has that bloke from American Pie in it. And thirdly, it has Christopher Walken in a gigantic hat, scowling and doing one of his geographically non-specific 'bad-guy' accents. On paper, this film should be a stinker, but it isn't. It is probably the greatest beer and popcorn film ever made, and as such could be the only real choice.

So there we have it. My film's for every occassion. I'm intrigued to know how my choices will go down. And in the meantime, don't forget to add your own choices!

The Cusack Principle

For many years I had several simple rules when it came to renting movies. For example, 'never rent a film with Dolph Lundgren in it'. 'Never rent a film which is endorsed by Paul Ross'. 'Never rent a sequel which doesn't have any of the original cast'. 'Never rent a film with the words 'National Lampoons' in the title' (except Animal House), and perhaps most reliable of all: 'there's no such thing as a bad John Cusack movie'. Whether it was the teen angst of Say Anything, the fan boy rants of High Fidelity or the uber-cool hitman in Grosse Point Blank, the boy Cusack could do no wrong. Even when he was horribly mis-cast in Nic Cage action/mullet-fest, Con Air, Cusack brought his laid back charm to the party and helped steal the show as FBI agent Vince Larkin (albeit with considerable help from the always excellent Colm Meaney).

But then, in late 2006, my faith in the Cusack took an almost fatal blow and the world was never quite the same again. How I came to watch the film 'Must Love Dogs', is neither here nor there, however watch it I did and the outcome of this brief dip into the world of the 'rom-com', almost left my world without a purpose. It was as if magentic north had suddenly been turned off and my filmic compass was left to spin, out of control, pointing at all and sundry without any rhyme or reason. If such a fundamental rule as 'the Cusack Principle' could be questioned then what next> Would the sky turn green? Would dogs and cats, live happily together? Would there be amss hysteria?! Who knew?!

However, after several lost years in the cinematic wilderness, my faith in the Cusack Principle was finally returned this weekend, thanks to a little movie called 1408. Based on a Stephen King short story (which is always better than being based on a novel by Stephen King, because invariably the films of his full-length books tend to suck) this supernatural horror was something of a one-man show, as Cusack becamse stuck in a 'haunted hotel room' as he attempted to debunk the claims that this was the most haunted room in the USA. And as such, it was make or break time for 'the Principle'.

Fortunately, after half an hour my faith in the 'Principle' was re-affirmed and I began to realize this was Cusack back to doing what he did best. Admittedly, he is a little more world weary than when he was in his prime, however the laconic charm, the lightning quick dialogue and the long sulky smoking scenes were all there and we were back in business (albeit with one notable asterisk against 'the principle's' otherwise rock solid reputation). All this and evil little devil child with an axe to give you nightmare, what more could you ask for?!

Now maybe I should give those National Lampoons films another chance?