Quick Update

Whilst I'll try to keep up my usual output, I must warn you my mother-in-law-if-marriage-was-legal is down to visit and thus I'm slightly distracted. But in the meantime:

The Lesbian and Gay Foundation is meeting with Lynne Featherstone on Tuesday 27th July regarding marriage equality. I urge you to give them you're opinions here.

Hypnotic has a rather awesome post on Kentish politics: Red Kent and Kent Blues.

Most importantly.... there's a new Godzilla movie in the works! Gojira!!

If you feel benevolent and particularly generous, this writer always appreciates things bought for him from his wishlist

Jurassic Park: Reborn

Hold on to your hats people! It's yet more drip-drip news of Jurassic Park IV...

Last year Joe Johnston stated yet again there might still be hope of a new Jurassic Park movie. Well we've heard this before (way back in 2005!) so I just dismissed it as just more hot air. But now Joe Johnston has told BoxOffice a bit more about his plans, more firmly confirmed it is happening (sure...) and given us some hope it might actually not suck (I'm not saying the others films sucked, I'm a huge JP fan!).

The internet is freaking out that there might be a Jurassic Park IV.

Wow, when did that happen?

November—you mentioned to Ain't It Cool that there might be a good script.

Did I tell him? Was it me?

You said that there was no way to get people back on the island for a fourth time and have it make sense, but that 2001 was the last installment and we're due.

Well, there is going to be a Jurassic Park IV. And it's going to be unlike anything you've seen. It breaks away from the first three—it's essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It's going to be done in a completely different way. That's pretty much all I can tell you.

A second trilogy?

If you think of the first three as a trilogy, number four would be the beginning of a second trilogy.

That's big. So not to lock you in, but there's a possibility there might be a total of six films?

Well, you never know. If they keep working—and if audiences keep going to them—there's no reason why there wouldn't be. We just want to make them justified in their own right. We don't want to make sequel after sequel just because there's a market for it. We want to tell different, interesting stories. You don't want to just sell hamburger.

I think a new trilogy, a new start, would be an excellent idea as the previous trilogy has truly screwed writers by making it nearly impossible to find a sensible way to create a plot involving dinosaurs!

I await with interest news that this project has been cancelled and my hopes dashed once more!

If you feel benevolent and particularly generous, this writer always appreciates things bought for him from his wishlist

Avatar

There's been a lot of people moaning about Avatar's "simplistic" story. Well I'm sure these same people turn their noses up at the great myths of humanity from Greek through Native American. Those too are simple stories but also enduring ones which still continue to thrill and entertain us to this day. There's nothing wrong with a simple story when expertly told and in Avatar this is done with skill.

Avatar is, without a doubt, the most visually stunning film I've ever seen. I was concerned, very concerned hence the delay in seeing it, that the mixture of CGI and real actors was going to be jarring and distracting. I needn't have worried. This is the Jurassic Park of this generation, seamlessly merging reality and fiction to the point where you can't see the joins. And this film comes with a message, a simple and straightforward one about greed and our relationship with the world around us be it others or nature.

This film has the emotion, the cinematography and je ne suis quoi to make it well up on my top ten list of all time. I cannot be complimentary enough on this one.

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Jurassic Park IV?

An old interview with Joe Johnston gives renewed hope to constantly postponed fourth outing for Jurassic Park IV.

"There is a great story for the fourth one that I would be interested in getting involved with, and it's nothing like the first three," Johnston told the site. "It sort of takes the franchise off in a completely different direction, which is the only way I would want to get involved."

He added that it likely won't be another storyline about a group of people struggling to survive a dinosaur attack. "We've done that, and it's been done three times..."

The site commented that they should stay away from an island setting this time. "Why would anybody go back to that island?" Johnston said. "It was hard enough to figure out the second and third reason for them to go, but it would take it off in a whole other trilogy basically, but when it gets to that level it's sort of about studios and Steven [Spielberg's] thing and who knows. I think we are at that point where we are due for another one if we are going to do it." - Source: Dread Central

File this one under the "I pray this movie gets made but probably never will".

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

District 9

District 9 is one helluva good movie. The special effects were amazing considering this movie was made on a budget of "just" $30 million. The plot was touching, disturbing and insightful. And there was another action to keep the Transformers fans happy.



Don't get me wrong, this is not a "classic" movie. It was too "predictable" (I guessed Wikus' fate pretty much as soon as he started to get ill). But nevertheless it is a must see.

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Brüno

In the interests of "completeness" I foolishly decided not to take BrumPlum's advice and went ahead and watched Brüno.

I have to say, based solely on this movie and Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen movies are slightly more painful to watch than having a leg sawn off without anesthetic. No, that doesn't go far enough... it's more painful that having my leg sawn off without anesthetic whilst crows pick at my eyes. Yes, that is more akin to describing the feeling I get when watching Cohen in action.

I have to say I laughed a lot more during this movie than I did during Borat, but cringed more too. I failed to see the whole of the Ron Paul sequence as I had my hands over my eyes from the get go. Way too embarrassing for my liking.

Once again I just found the whole thing pointless. There are funnier people out there, being more offensive than Cohen (Hi, Sarah Silverman!) and plenty of people getting people to say the things they really mean (take a bow, Louis Theroux). Cohen's movies are without merit, they are unnecessary. Your needs can be satisfied far more directly elsewhere.

How on Earth did this movie make over a $100 million??? Trashy rubbish with some good laughs.

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Borat

As promised I've begun my research into the world of Sacha Baron Cohen, as he is moving into the realms of Eurovision next.

Firstly, obviously, there was Ali G. He was a character I found utterly without an ounce of amusement in his body. I am simply not willing to watch any episodes of Ali G ever again.

Now we have Borat. I found this movie extremely difficult to watch and had to keep pausing it. I hate embarrassing situations and the character of Borat got himself into a lot of them. Cohen says he uses the character to explore others reactions, expose their true beliefs and have fun whilst doing so. Personally I think there are plenty of less offensive ways of doing that, and more amusing ways. I'm not saying some parts of Borat didn't make me laugh, they did. It's not a bad movie. But I think openly mocking real people, to their face, in a demeaning way is a step too far. Louis Theroux does what Cohen professes to with more humour, charm and efficiency. Do we really need Borat??? Nope.

Cohen's humour is puerile, which can sometimes be amusing, but an hour and half of it might be pushing it too far.

Next Bruno

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Sasha Boren Cohen And Eurovision

I hated Ali G with such an intense passion (growing up at school in the age of the words "batty man" was not a pleasant experience Mr G) so I've never bothered to watch Borat or Bruno. But I suppose now he's doing a film on Eurovision, it's time I did as otherwise I won't be able to express outrage. So think of this as a hold page for a very near future rant against this tosh. Hold that thought.

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist