3 out of 5 *****

Self-obsession isn’t an attractive quality. Self-delusion less so. Well, Young Adult gives us a lead character who has an overabundance of both. Charlize Theron stars as Mavis, once the popular girl in high-school, who has moved from a small town in Minnesota to the more bustling municipality of Minneapolis – even though how small does your hometown have do be to regard Minneapolis as the “big city”?

Now a divorcee, Mavis is a writer of fiction novels that can be found in the “young adult ” section of bookshops (as you can see, the film’s title has a double-meaning). However, she is unsatisfied with her lot in life, and rather than write, she spends most of her time drinking heavily and watching trashy reality TV shows that specifically focus on women – which I’m sure is deliberate. She may look at the likes of “tweens” in beauty-pageants and feel superior in their vacuity, but at her core, Mavis is no better. The only difference between her and Kim Kardashian is that she has a diploma.

Mavis is emotionally stunted. Her idea of being healthy is gorging on Diet Coke to ward off her periodic morning hangovers. She gets an email from her former boyfriend Buddy (Patrick Wilson), informing her that his wife has just had a baby. This is the catalyst for Mavis to jump in her Mini Cooper, drive back to her old hometown and set about rekindling the fires with Buddy. While there, she has a chance encounter with Matt (Patton Oswalt), a guy who had the locker next to Mavis’s in high-school. Matt was lower down the totem-pole back in their teenage years, so much so that he was beaten up by jocks for being gay – the fact that Matt isn’t gay was irrelevant. The assault was so severe that Matt now needs the aid of a crutch to be able to walk.

Matt and Mavis strike up an unlikely friendship – he later explains that, “guys like me are born in love with girls like you”. He warns Mavis against trying to resume her past relationship with Buddy. But Mavis lives in a fantasy land of her own vaingloriousness; as far as she’s concerned, she’s the star of her own story. Mavis thinks she’s in a fairy-tale where the princess returns to the kingdom to claim her prince. But everyone else is too busy with their own lives to play supporting roles in such a fantasy. Her fairy-tale gradually collides with the reality of where her life is actually at.

This is the second collaboration between director, Jason Reitman and writer, Diablo Cody. Their first, Juno was a resounding success. However, while I loved it, it was a divisive film in some circles. Cody has a stylised manner of writing that people tend to like or dislike. Personally, I find her incongruous way of generating humour a delight; some of the movie’s best laughs come from a dreadful cover band made up entirely of new mothers, and the town’s, “popular cripple”. And Reitman has already surpassed the directing achievements of his auspicious filmmaking father. His last outing, Up In The Air, was arguably the best film of 2010.

Theron does a fine job in the lead role, believable as a former prom-queen gone bad. She’s written to be unlikeable and Theron looks to be having an absolute hoot playing an egocentric bitch. Patton Oswalt (who’s stand-up work I highly recommend) is also impressive. There’s a reason why many felt he should have been Oscar nominated. It’d have been so easy for him to be the, “stand-up guy who’s only there for comedy relief”, but he gives the movie a solid thread of pathos.

The problems with the film are more on the technical side. The poor editing means the pacing suffers badly. Young Adult is only 93 minutes long but the running length feels like it’s at least 2 hours. There’s a lack of an impactful score, and Cody’s script – while funny – could have done with one more rewrite. Mavis eventually gets a sliver of self-awareness, but it arrives too late, and some audience members may be completely turned off the character by then.

All told, Young Adult is an uneven film. But while it may have fallen short in what it set out to achieve, I for one am grateful that stories like this have a place in cinemas. Better to reach for the stars and fail, than wallow in the cultural sewer.

I really didn’t see this one coming, but there’s no denying that it actually happened. Suddenly every box under my TV streams video. I feel a little bit behind the times with this one because there have been streaming video products available for a long time, it’s just that now it seems everything is a streaming video player, and more importantly, that there are lots of places to get the video.

For a little while you’ve been able to put your hands on things like a PS3, or XBox 360 that had some sort of video rental service. To be fair the PS3 has always been ahead of the XBox in terms of the available video services. The PS3 has had LoveFilm and BBC iPlayer for some time. Smart TVs and higher end BluRay players have had similar functionality.

Now that functionality has expanded all over the place. With the recent dashboard update the XBox did what so many people are doing these days and added apps. You can now download the Netflix app, the LoveFilm app, the 4OD app, and the list goes on. There’s even streaming live TV from Sky.

In addition to that it isn’t just high end BluRay players that have all the streaming services any more. I just got a Sony S380 for just £89 from Amazon and that comes with pretty much everything you’ll find on a PS3 except the ability to play the games of course.

And there’s more. Today Sky announced that their Anytime+ service is now available to all Sky+HD customers. Before it was only available if you had Sky’s broadband service, but now that’s no longer necessary. On hearing that I did rush to stick an ethernet cable into the back of our Sky box but I don’t know how to make the Anytime+ thing work so I can’t tell you if it’s any good or not. I’ll write something else about it when I get it working. Perhaps the most surprising part of their announcement is that they’re going to have BBC iPlayer content available over the system.

Through all of this iPlayer is a service that is now conspicuous in its absence. We’re told that it is coming sometime this year to XBox, just as Sky say the content is coming to their system sometime this year. the fact remains that unless you’re a Sony fan (hello to that person) putting iPlayer on your TV is one of the hardest things to do. Before the BluRay player, I was doing it with a hacked AppleTV.

Ah but what of Apple? For a long time they have had a much loved but maybe undersold runner in this race. The Apple TV. The product that some people love so much, they think that there’s going to be an actual TV set made by Apple. I have just seen my Apple TV die this last week, not too upsetting as it is so old that it must have been part of the first run of the device. The current model is very small and very cheap. It streams content from your iTunes library to your television more easily than any other device on the market, although others can perform the same basic task. It will even let you rent movies from the iTunes store, which has the same basic new movie selection as the XBox, PS3 or the growing number of smarter TVs and BluRay players. It also has Netflix and YouTube functionality much like all the other streaming video players.

The Apple TV is in danger of becoming irrelevant as more and more devices replicate its functionality.  For a long time the Apple TV has been the cheapest of all the streaming video options, at £99 it is a great little device. However that simply isn’t true any more, and it does face another bigger problem. Look at that Sony BluRay player. For a start it cost me £10 less than an Apple TV would have. If I was just looking for a streaming video player then it wins on price alone. The important thing is that I didn’t buy the BluRay player as a streaming video player. I bought it as a BluRay player. That really means that I now have no reason to replace my Apple TV.

On top of that, I didn’t buy my XBox as a streaming video player either, that was bought as a gaming machine, and now it does more video than the Apple TV ever dreamed of. So with all of these devices I’ll not bother replacing the broken Apple TV. There’s just nothing that it does that need to do.

Right now we’re also lucky enough to see the start of a streaming service battle in the UK. We just got Netflix and they are aggressively standing toe to toe with LoveFilm, which is effectively Amazon’s UK based video offering. Both cost around a fiver each month and offer an impressive selection of video content, with more being added to each service all the time. At the moment I feel like Netflix has the edge on functionality, you can happily enjoy your online content through iOS and Android apps, LoveFilm don’t offer such a thing. However LoveFilm has a larger selection of content at the moment, but you’re locked to your TV or computer. Nether are perfect, and they both use Silverlight on their websites which just makes me angry.

So now we’re at the point where if you’ve got some sort of box plugged into your TV then the chances are that you can stick an internet cable into it and get yourself some streaming video. I suppose this stuff still impresses me because I remember our first VCR arriving at the house. Now I can pretty much be watching any film I can think of in the next 30 seconds. We truly do live in the future now.

A few years ago the original series of a little scifi show called Star Trek was released on BluRay. It was the result of a years long project to enhance something that was fiilmed around half a century ago. It was generally accepted that the work they did was excellent. They didn’t only enhance what was there, but they started adding new things. The special effects were completely recreated, the music was rerecorded, and they gave the Gorn blinking eyes. Everybody was happy.

Then we get to Star Trek: The Next Generation. My personal favourite of all the series, it was the one I started with. I do have the complete set on DVD but they have a little problem, they are close to unwatchable. It’s fair to say that TNG didn’t survive the move to a digital format. 

Unfortunately the problem didn’t end there, while the DVDs were bad, it was also just as bad when it was shown on TV. It seemed nobody had a good copy of TNG. Time for the guys that did such a good job with the original series to get back to work.

And so, for several years, some clever people at CBS Paramount have been working away on their computers to make sure that TNG is not only watchable, but looks better than it ever did before.

I’m informed that series 1 will be released sometime in the summer of this year, however as a bit of a teaser, CBS have released The Next Level. This is a BluRay that has four episodes of Next Gen in all their brand new 1080p glory. They have gone back to the original film negatives, cleaned them up and scanned everything in again. The special effects have been recomposited and the sound enhanced to 7.1 surround sound.

I am watching that BluRay as I write this. The crew are on their way to Farpoint Station and stopping off for a little fight with Q on the way.

First of all let me tell you that this looks better not just than the DVDs of TNG, but this is one of the best looking things I have ever seen on BluRay. If you were on the fence about HD technology then this may well push you over the edge. I can see what I could always see much more clearly. I can also see things that I have never seen before, and trust me when I say, I have seen these shows a lot.

Ever wondered exactly how many hairs there are on Picard’s head? Now you can count them. Want a detailed report on how Data’s shaving rash is doing under that silver makeup? You can get that now. I can honestly describe what they’ve done as perfect.

You can see details on the ship models that perhaps the maker would rather you didn’t. You can read text on control panels. You can see detail that just showed up as fuzzy blackness, now displaying as clearly as anything could.

If the point of this disc was to get me excited about the season one release and make sure that I buy it, then it has done the job. You can buy the disc from Amazon for around £6, it’s worth it just for a look at things to come. Here’s a link to the disc on Amazon.

I love a good news story in the world of sport. So I doff my proverbial cap to the Leeds Rhinos, who announced that their cheerleaders will be supplemented by two male dancers for the new Super League season in rugby league.

I confess I’ve never been the biggest fan of this kind of thing. I think it’s one of the increasingly prevalent sideshows that take away from the athletic prowess on the field of play. But there’s no denying that they are very talented.

However, this raises a wider issue. The use of cheerleaders is an exemplar of a larger societal problem. Even in the ostensibly meritocratic world of sport, men are there to be looked at for their sporting skill. Women are just there to be looked at. So anything that helps bridge the gender divide – proving that there is no domain that is just, “for women” – has to be applauded.

While the appearance of male cheerleaders isn’t uncommon in North America, in Britain they’re about as common as introspection in a Michael Bay film. Cheerleading has an unpleasant association with being a softcore ogle-fest, scopophilia for people who want to go to to strip clubs, but are worried about being caught by their spouse.

The addition of male dancers gives eye-candy for everyone, although I hope it may be able to transcend the lustful part of the punters brains, and allow them to admire the dancers (of both genders) for their rhythmic skills, rather than be stored in the “bank” that dare not speak its name.

It’s only a little thing that the Rhinos have done, but sometimes that’s how equality suffuses itself throughout society. An act of moral decency eventually doesn’t become noteworthy, but humdrum. Let’s hope that this is the starting point for an era where a story like this will no longer be a story, as it’ll be too ordinary to warrant a mention.

Yeah the people who make Pot Noodle.

This is becoming a bit of a pet issue of mine, as this is something I have personally run afoul of in the past. Two incidents come to mind. The first was when one of our listener meet ups ended up at FAB Cafe in Leeds, only to be thrown out because it’s “illegal” to take photos in a nightclub, it isn’t. And the conflict continued as I took photos of the bouncers from the street, also not illegal.

Then there was the incident just before Charistms when somebody thought you can’t take pictures in a public place so much that they got into my car and tried to take my phone off me.

For some reason we seem to be living in a world where those of us who lack the ability to think are under the impression that taking photos is somehow a bad thing and is therefore illegal. They also forget that when they’re in public, then they’re in public and have absolutely no right to privacy. If you don’t want to appear on camera then stay home.

And so in following the above video I put in a call to Golden Wonder and got a lesson in how not to handle questions.

First of all I was given the name and number of the security company that supplies the guards. It’s a very common thing for companies like Golden Wonder to not directly employ their own security guards. It’s much easier for them to out source it to a private security company. Such companies exist because it’s such a common practice. Nothing wrong there. However by directing me to talk to Kingdom Security, Golden Wonder are essentially saying that they accept no responsibility for this matter as they don’t employ the individuals in the video. That’s all well and good, but I’d personally say that if somebody is on your company grounds, and is being payed to be there, and is carrying out the instructions of the company, then the fact that Golden Wonder doesn’t directly pay their wages is irrelevant.

After pointing out to GW that simply directing me to a different company is the same as not accepting responsibility for what happened I was transferred to the HR department. Then it got even more crazy. Just like the security guards in the video, there were a lot of contradictions.

First of all it was made clear to me that GW don’t have a problem with people taking photos of their factory and have invited the man in the video back to take all the photos he likes. That’s very big of them considering that that have absolutely no legal right to have a problem with people taking photos of their factory. I was also informed that the two security guards have resigned. Note, not fired, resigned.

Apparently GW are doing nothing more about this matter and have left it to their security company to do an investigation. Given that the two people in the video have apparently resigned I do wonder what that investigation with involve and what any possible results could be. To GW I have to ask why they are so caught up with this security company? Personally as soon as the video hit YouTube I’d have been on the phone to any other security company to replace the one I was using. Isn’t it that simple? If a company is providing you with a service that is not up to par, you use a different company. Yeah, it’s that simple.

GW also said that the incident needs putting in context because we don’t know what happened before the video started. They suggested that the photographer might have provoked the security staff in some way, might have set foot on their property, or attempted to stop cars entering the car park. I asked what hypothetical events might have occurred before the video started that warrented the response the man got from the guards, and got no answer. If he was stopping cars entering the car park, why weren’t the guards talking about that? If he was actually trespassing, why didn’t the guards talk about that? If he had done anything other than take photos, why was none of it mentioned in the video?

GW also seemed annoyed that the faces of the guards were visible in the video. They said that the BBC had played the clip on the news and had blurred out the faces of the guards, so based on that it was obviously a legal requirement to do so, and if it wasn’t, why did the BBC do it? Well, it isn’t in any way a legal requirement, for the same reason that it isn’t illegal for the photos to be taken in the first place. If you’re stood on a public street in the middle of the day you have absolutely no legal recourse against somebody either photographing or videoing you. It seems they haven’t learned their lesson, but seeing as they’re doing nothing about it themselves, that isn’t hard to believe. Perhaps the security company will learn that rule.

So in conclusion I’d say that Golden Wonder handled this about as badly as it could be handled. Perhaps they could do an investigation in to that.

When you’re out and about taking pictures, you’re entirely allowed to do that. You can take photos of people and buildings, even police officers and that’s all there is to it. Ignore everyone who tells you that you aren’t allowed to do it. The only situations that I’m aware of where you could very well be moved on from, is if you’re trying to take photos of milatry

3 1/2 out of 5 *****

One could argue a brief look at the publicity for Like Crazy is something of a marketing disaster; the trailer, the mawkish poster, even the title. You’d be right in surmising that Like Crazy is a love story, but it’s not the love story that the first wave of advertising would have you believe. Jakob Rehlinger – from the Nerd Hurdles podcast – argued that this same problem beset the movie, Hanna.

The couple is question is Anna (Felicity Jones) and Jacob (Anton Yelchin). Anna is an English college student in Los Angeles and takes a shine to classmate, Jacob. Sure enough a whirlwind love-affair swiftly develops between the two of them. While I’d imagine that they have been in relationships before, they approach this one with the wide-eyed wonder of a child who’s opened their Christmas presents to find that Santa has brought them exactly what they wanted.

But where’s the drama in two people who love each other in trouble-free togetherness? The major hurdle Anna and Jacob have is geographical. Anna is only in America on a student visa, and her stay in the country is far from infinite. The test comes from sustaining their love despite being in two different continents. Not only do they have to surmount this, but the quixotic rush of the early stages of the relationship dissipates, and the story explores just how well these two people are suited to each other.

The opening 20 minutes of the movie may cause some to roll their eyes with lassitude. We get the montage that we often see when people fall in love – whimsical walks on a beach soundtracked by an indie/pop guitar act. However, writer/director Drake Doremus still makes it bearable by his skillful direction. In conjunction with his cinematographer, John Guleserian, the shot arrangement is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The composition of Like Crazy is exquisite.

As the film progresses, things become increasingly complicated. Its depiction of the interaction between Anna and Jacob is handled with class and maturity, which is in some ways ironic, as one of the best things Like Crazy does is highlight the immaturity intrinsic in falling for someone. The way people can idealise a person they’ve just met makes adapting to their less pleasing qualities a wearying slog.

Using the process of the initial high of meeting a mate, the film explores issues that its characters would prefer not to face; What will it be like meeting your spouse’s friends and relatives? How do you keep things fresh when you have to focus on your career? What do you do when the sex stops and the talking begins? And how hard are you willing to fight to keep your love alive when fate seems to have other plans? Anna bemoans the fact that the intermittent nature of their relationship means they have to keep “starting again”.

Not only is the film superbly shot, but Doremus and fellow screenwriter, Ben York Jones, make a shrewd decision in not scripting the dialogue too specifically. Capturing the verbal and physical nuances of people falling in love, and trying to stay in love, are far too delicate to orchestrate in a screenplay straitjacket. It may work for Kevin Smith, Steven Moffat or Aaron Sorkin, but it would have choked the life out of a movie such as this. Instead, Doremus allows his actors room to improvise and it allows a more naturalistic feel, which empowers the performers to take control of their characters. I particularly loved how the film exposed the monosyllabic avoidance couples communicate in when they’re trying to prevent themselves getting into an argument.

The strong casting ensures that each performance strikes the right note. Jones and Yelchin dovetail well together, even though Jones is the film’s shining light. She was the best thing in Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant’s, Cemetery Junction, and has an easy radiance about her, which – if she chooses her projects wisely – should thrill audiences for years to come. There’s also a small, but noteworthy appearance from Jennifer Lawrence; if you don’t recognise the name, chances are you will this time next year after her role in the upcoming Hunger Games adaptation.

Like Crazy bears comparison with two of the best romance films of recent years, Blue Valentine – in terms of narrative and (500) Days of Summer - in terms of tone. It shows that not every love story has to have the emetic reductiveness of Sex & The City. Audiences will probably feel moments of recognition, and moments of awkwardness. The chances are that Like Crazy will remind you of someone you know, if not remind you of yourself. It shows us a part of life that is often rousing and painful, and at times discomforting, which is the requisite of any substantive piece of art. After the average cinema we got in 2011, Like Crazy gets 2012 off to a strong start.

The fourth installment in the franchise—and the proper sequel to the second film Underworld: Evolution—finds our heroine, Selene, awakening from twelve years in stasis to a world where humans have purged Vampires and Werewolves to the point of extinction. This is really the only place the franchise could be taken. This place being the Resident Evil films.

Co-directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein borrow more than a few pages from the Paul W.S. Anderson schlock-fests:

Page 1—We see a back-story of where a True Blood-style “Great Revelation” results in lycanthropy and vampirism being treated as like T-virus infections with paramilitary units going on search and destroy missions.

Page 2—Selene breaks out of a glass stasis tube, naked, in an Umbrella Corporation lab (here trading under the name AntiGen) and has to kill her way past endlessly respawning guards who luckily have a bad case of the Stormtroopers as far as their marksmanship goes.

Page 3—Selene has to make sense of the world she’s awoken to.

Page 4—Fights with rotting-looking dogs in a dark, cramped space.

Page 5—Teams up with a preternaturally strong and intelligent child sidekick.

Page 6—A genetically enhanced werewolf bears a striking similarities to Nemesis, at least in concept.

But to be fair, Mårlind and Stein borrow pages from other sources as well. Twilight and True Blood get their due in the form of a love triangle between being set up for the unavoidable next film. An Edward-esque vampire named Theo seems poised to come between Selene and her missing werewold/vampire hybrid boyfriend Michael. Really, this film has everything.

Except zombies. I’m holding out hope for those later in the series. In fact, if the next film doesn’t see a vaccine for vampirism and lycanthropy going horribly awry and turning humans into the walking dead, I’ll be demanding my money back. And I’ll be swearing a lot while I do it.

What the film doesn’t have, besides zombies, are engaging performances by any of the actors—including a sleep-walking Stephen Rea. For a film that is trying so hard to be Resident Evil, they seem to have forgotten Milla Jovovich is interesting to watch even if she’s just eating dry toast. Kate Beckinsale is about as interesting as watching dry toast. The first Underworld film became a cult favourite due mostly to the Adam West-meets-William Shatner camp of Shane Brolly and Bill Nighy‘s terrible (awesome) performances. No one here seems willing to make a fool of themselves and that’s the film’s great loss.

What the film does do well is bulk up on the gore. Finally the violence in Underworld is as dark and visceral as as war between vampires and werewolves should be. Unfortunately you have to endure some terrible 3D at the same time.

Apparently this was one of the first features filmed with the Red Epic cameras being used in The Hobbit. Since Awakening features some of the worst cardboard cut-out 3D I’ve seen since the rebirth of 3D, things don’t bode well for Middle Earth. In several scenes it’s exactly like you’re looking at a diorama with layered planes of paper dolls instead of experiencing an immersive world.

In a lot of ways Awakening is a better film than the previous Underworld films. But that actually makes it a less enjoyable film. And if you’re just going to see Beckinsale’s ass wrapped in vinyl, find a picture on the Internet—it’ll last longer.

The following post is from Jonathon Dez-La-Lour (a.k.a jonathond2607 on our forums and jd2607 on Twitter). This can also be read at - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/258996755

What I loved about this book was its honesty. It doesn’t read like it’s making out ambulance service to be glamourous or easy, and it doesn’t just present one aspect of the work. The highs, the lows, the bloody bureaucracy; it covers just about everything and it does so in a way that’s a pleasure to read.

Reynolds’ dark sense of humour suits me perfectly, so I got more than a few good giggles out of this book (“I have a baby deer to kneecap. These things don’t run out in front of cars on their own you know.”), but it’s also surprisingly heartfelt and has left me close to tears while sat on the bus, especially when he writes about his experiences during the London bombings of July 2005, or about some of the abuse that he’s witnessed in care homes.

When reading this, I got a real sense of someone who does his job because he sincerely wants to help people and when describing a “good job”, it’s always the one where they’ve been most able to make a difference in their patient’s life.

I’ll admit that when I started reading, I had no idea what kind of book I was getting into. I was expecting some sort of fiction novel that had then been adapted into a TV series. I’m really happy that I didn’t. I got something a lot more real and more heartfelt than some work of fiction. I can see the similarities between the TV series and the book, mostly in the way that the main character in the series comes out remarkably like Reynolds’ written words. However, the book feels much more personal.

Check this book out if you haven’t had a chance. It’s available for 99p in the UK amazon store (the kindle edition, the physical one is more expensive) and for $1.55 in the US amazon store (again, kindle edition, physical books are more expensive). I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who won’t enjoy this book.

Before I get to my thoughts on the past year in movies, it’s only fair to begin with three caveats: 1) I will only be dealing with films released in the UK in 2011, so films like The Artist, Shame and Martha Marcy May Marlene will not be considered. 2) I can only talk about movies that I’ve seen, so if you feel that I’ve omitted a movie that you liked, it’s likely that I never got round to watching it. 3)  I will be mentioning numerous films in this post, and they will contain a certain amount of spoilers.

Now that’s done with, the vagaries of American releases generally means that the year begins with the films that have been jostling for recognition at the prestigious awards ceremonies. The dust settled with The King’s Speech the clear winner from the awards season. Essentially Good Will Hunting using the British aristocracy, it contained fine work from Colin Firth and Helena Bonham-Carter (who should be recognised for how good an actor she is rather than her ostensible fashion sense or choice of husband). However, the awards laden on the movie was primarily down to shrewd marketing, which goes some way to explaining why it garnered more attention than Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. The heavy influence of  Dario Argento – which pervades every frame – shouldn’t take away from the superb job Aronofsky did helming the story. I sympathise that he seemed to get minimal credit, but when you watch Natalie Portman’s performance, you can understand why. Portman gives the performance of her career, finally realising the promise she showed when she burst onto the cinema screen as a 12 year old. Added to this, she’s lain to rest the ghosts of her part in the Star Wars prequels. Black Swan was Portman’s moment of creative maturation; the little girl from Leon has finally grown up.

The Coen Brothers continued their prolific output (seriously, do those guys ever take a day off) with a remake of the Western, True Grit. The Coen’s are smart enough to know that it makes little sense to retread the same ground of such an iconic movie, and so the 2011 version was very much their own. It remained a Western, but one that went through the Coens’ idiosyncratic filter. And in the same way that Leon was the launching point for the aforementioned Portman, the Coens’ may have unearthed a gem of an actor in Hailee Steinfeld. It takes a lot to hold your own in the presence of Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges, especially for a performer as green as Steinfeld. But while True Grit was an enjoyable watch, it didn’t live up to the brothers’ previous efforts, such as No Country For Old Men or A Serious Man. I suspect that creative burnout may have been a factor, and it’s little surprise that their next release won’t be until 2013.

One of the stronger independent titles to open 2011 was Blue Valentine. Starring Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling as a married couple, it traverses the events of their marriage. This is a rare example of a romance film that’s not a romantic comedy. It may be best described as an “out of love” story. The characters are both good people, but wrong for each other, together more out of initial attraction and social obligation. I’ve often wondered whether people who fully commit before they’ve had a thorough chance to know each other is a contributory factor to divorce rates. The movie makes for uncomfortable viewing, as it should. Picasso once said, “art is a lie that reveals the truth”. Well Blue Valentine reveals an uncomfortable truth about relationships that many may find too hard to stomach. Gosling is superb, but even he is surpassed by Williams. Who’d have thought the blonde one from Dawson’s Creek would go on to be one of the planet’s best actors.

As the glitter of the awards season faded, we were given a series of disappointing high-profile films, and some strong low-budget pictures. Paul was Simon Pegg & Nick Frost’s attempt to permeate into the North American mainstream, which resulted in a movie that had some pleasing pop-culture references, but lacked the charming wit of either Shaun Of The Dead or Hot Fuzz. I think the need to turn a profit is due to Edgar Wright’s commercial – if not creative – failure with Scott Pilgrim vs The World.

Another lacklustre screening was Limitless. Now I know one Kennedy Gordon thinks highly of this film – you can read his thoughts here. However, it seemed little more than a good movie pitch that needed at least two rewrites. Thankfully, this mediocrity was offset by Rango and Never Let Me Go. 

Gore Verbinski’s filmography isn’t one to inspire confidence, but Rango was an absolute delight. An animated movie with Johnny Depp voicing the titular character, the film manages to live in the world of referencing pop culture, without falling into the Dreamworks trap of being narratively lazy. It performs the tightrope act of chasing whimsy without tumbling into the pit of self-indulgence. It’s now the second year in a row where the best animated film was not from PIXAR, putting a lot of pressure on their upcoming film, Brave.

Never Let Me Go, based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel is probably the least “sciency” science-fiction film in years. The pace of the movie is extremely measured, but is ultimately rewarding in its denouement. A lot is demanded of the cast, but they all do an excellent job, particularly Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley – it’d be nice if people could start to be kinder about the good performances she has given, rather than single out her failures. Name me an actor that hasn’t dropped a few rickets in their career? Go on, I’ll wait…

The summer blockbusters were profitable but ultimately forgettable. X-Men: First Class suffered from a disjointed screenplay, Thor from the lack of a robust villain – a must in any genre fiction tale. Super 8 was over-reliant on special FX, when J.J Abrams would have been better served by trusting his talented young cast, The Inbetweeners Movie was a clear case of shark-jumping, while Captain America was hamstrung by the fact that Cap’… well, despite Chris Evans’s best efforts, he’s simply a lukewarm character. Maybe we’ve been spoilt by Christopher Nolan in recent years, but this summer’s stories were all stuck in second gear.

It was only the autumn that prevented this year being something of a washout. Woody Allen showed that while he may be long past his best, he remains better than a great deal of his peers. Midnight in Paris was a marvellous piece of surrealist fancy, bursting with playfulness and fine acting work, especially from Corey Stoll, Alison Pill and Kathy Bates. It takes some doing to impress the audience at the Cannes Film Festival, but Woody managed it.

Another filmmaker who reminded us of his quality was Kevin Smith. Going outside traditional funding methods, Red State was a fine piece of horror filmmaking. Showing a visceral side we’d never seen from Smith before, it was a welcome return to form. Smith has stated that we are now in the valedictory period of his career, and it looks as if he’ll leave the stage with his fans crying out for more.

We also got the pulsating Drive. A hodgepodge of 80s mis-en-scene, taut pacing, and exploitative violence. It may not be the year’s best film, but I suspect that Drive will be the movie that becomes the most enduring work of 2011. We’ll get to the “best movie of 2011″ in a moment.

British cinema had a good year creatively, with the fun Attack The Block (why it’s taken so long for an alien invasion movie to be set in a council estate is beyond me), and the offbeat Submarine - as a side point,  Submarine’s lead, Craig Roberts has “Future Doctor” material written all over him.

However, the best British films of the year, and two of 2011s best were the vicious Kill List and Tyrannosaur. Kill List is ostensibly a story about hitmen, when it’s really about a man “paying the piper” for his past transgressions. Not for the faint-hearted, Kill List has a piercing and compelling intensity.

Tyrannosaur is the debut film from the wonderful actor, Paddy Considine, and bears comparison to when Gary Oldman went behind the camera to make Nil By Mouth. Both films explore the dark recesses of humanity and put you through the emotional wringer from start to finish. Tyrannosaur is anchored by powerhouse displays from Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman. Most Brits will know Colman from her work in Peep Show or Rev. North Americans may recognise her as the human embodiment of “Prisoner Zero” in Matt Smith’s first appearance in Doctor Who. After her performance in Tyrannosaur, Colman should go on to be an established name in her own right, rather than “the girl from that thing”.

Two of the minor disappointments from the second half of the year were Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Melancholia. The cliched lie, “it’s not you. it’s me” springs to mind regarding these two movies. Both are well executed, with skilled performances, and expertly shot (the apocalypse has never looked so beautiful as it did in Melancholia).  However, I found them both far too detached to draw me in. Now I think both Tomas Alfredson and Lars Von Trier made the films they wanted to make, but I don’t think they’re attuned to my individual sensibilities (I was one of the few people that preferred Let Me In to Let The Right One In).

While I don’t think 2011 ended up being as bad as some had feared midway through the year, it lacked consistent quality. For every film that I’ve praised on here, they are two more that fell short of competence, let alone high-class. It was a year of sporadic sunshine amidst extended periods of pouring rain. Personally, I’m not sorry to see the back of 2011, and hold out hope that it was an aberration rather than an indication of where cinema is heading.

HIGH POINTS OF 2011:

Best Film - Perfect Sense 

I’ve already gushed at length about this film. But I have no problem doing so again. A movie that came out of nowhere, a low-budget rose that grew from concrete. David McKenzie directs an astonishing “high-concept” tale that operates on numerous levels. Ewan McGregor has clearly reached a point in his career where he’s decided to be an actor, rather than a celebrity, and he reminded me of what an accomplished actor he can be. 2011 had a few good films, and couple of very good ones, but only Perfect Sense has a genuine claim to greatness.

Special Mentions: Black Swan; Submarine; Drive; Rango; Kill List; Tyrannosaur; Midnight In Paris

Best Director – David McKenzie  (Perfect Sense)

See above. Someone write him a blank cheque for his next movie.

Special Mentions: Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), Richard Ayoade (Submarine), Joe Cornish (Attack The Block), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), Kevin Smith (Red State), Gore Verbinski (Rango), Ben Wheatley (Kill List), Paddy Considine (Tyrannosaur), Woody Allen (Midnight In Paris)

Best Male Actor – Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine; Drive; The Ides of March)

Gosling had one hell of a year. He’s been one of America’s best character actors for a while, but in the last 12 months, he’s become a star. In my review of Drive, I compared him to Marlon Brando. Gosling has the ability to remain entrenched in the public sphere, while still making high-class films. Whether he can deal with the new-found attention he’s sure to receive could be another matter. But if he can keep his head, movie fans are in for a treat. He has the potential to become an all-time great of his profession.

Special Mentions: Colin Firth (The King’s Speech; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy), Craig Roberts (Submarine), John Boyega (Attack The Block), Neil Maskell (Kill List), Peter Mullan (Tyrannosaur), Ewan McGregor (Perfect Sense, Beginners), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50)

Best Female Actor – Olivia Colman (Tyrannosaur)

As mentioned above, Colman is remarkably affecting in Tyrannosaur. Her performance of good-hearted tenderness in a world of misery and abuse will melt the stoniest of hearts. She deserves every single plaudit that comes her way (for her delivery in the film’s revelatory moment alone, if nothing else). The fact that she looks set to miss out on an Oscar nomination is nothing short of scandalous.

Special Mentions: Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine), Lubna Azabal (Incendies), Carey Mulligan (Never Let Me Go; Drive), Jessica Chastain (Take Shelter), Eva Green (Perfect Sense), Yasmin Paige (Submarine), Saoirse Ronan (Hanna)

Best Supporting Male Actor – Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

A sinch to sweep the board during the current awards season, Plummer excels playing a man who comes out as gay in his twilight years. While it’s a dream role for an actor, it needs to be handled with extreme care to work effectively. Mercifully, Plummer avoids resorting to reductive and insulting stereotypes, and imbues the character with wonderful humanity.

Special Mentions: Kyle Gallner (Red State), Eddie Marsan (Tyrannosaur), Corey Stoll (Midnight In Paris), John Hurt (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Melancholia), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class)

Best Supporting Female Actor – Barbara Hershey (Black Swan)

Hershey gives a chilling turn as the insidious and stifling mother of Portman’s ballerina, giving Black Swan a new take on the Oedipus myth. It shouldn’t need stating, but Hershey’s performance is another tangible reminder that female actors don’t have an expiration date. Not every role for a woman over the age of 40 has to go to Meryl Streep.

Special Mentions: Helena Bonham-Carter (The King’s Speech), Keira Knightley (Never Let Me Go), MyAnna Buring (Kill List), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Elle Fanning (Super 8), Jessica Barden (Hanna), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Melancholia), Sally Hawkins (Submarine; Never Let Me Go), Alison Pill (Midnight In Paris)

Name the title of the movie that was adapted from a novel. Also provide at least 3 authors of the original works.

Bonus (for fun):

1. Provide at least 2 of the actual titles of the novels that aren’t the same as the title of the movie.

2. There is one author that has more than one title here. Who is that author?

3. The font I chose for the numbers is a special font for one of these movie’s poster. Which movie is that?

Send your submissions to ro.rosaka@gmail.com. Deadline is next Thursday, 01/19/2012, at 12AM PST. One winner will be randomly selected and given a shout-out on our next recording.

3 out of 5 *****

There is an argument for saying that if you were to distill Steven Spielberg into a giant chunk of celluloid, the end result would be War Horse. Based on the popular children’s book, and the even more popular stage production (which Lindsey Kalenborn was kind enough to review here), the story focuses on young Albert Narracott, and his beloved horse, Joey.

The opening of the film is set in the lush Devon countryside in the early part of the 20th century. Simple living and English countryside accents abound. The lifestyle is basic and insular, where everyone knows each other’s business – making it easy for Spielberg to introduce us to the characters, as well as the setting.

However, the way of life is shaken by an oncoming storm; The First World War. Needing to make ends meet, Albert’s father, Ted (Peter Mullan) sells Joey to the British Army. A heartbroken Albert tries to enlist, but is held back as he is not of legal soldiering age.

Joey is a thoroughbred rather than a workhorse, but he is a headstrong animal with an unquenchable spirit. One area where Spielberg deserves credit is anthropomorphising Joey to prevent viewers looking upon him as a dumb animal – a prejudice that shouldn’t need addressing, but like all prejudices, sadly does.

As anyone with a knowledge of their history will know, in 1914 the British attitude in heading to France for battle was, “Tally ho chaps, this’ll be a lark, King & Country, give the Bosch a damn good thrashing, be back home for Christmas!” And as anyone with a knowledge of their history will know, a mass bloodbath developed that took four years to bring to a resolution. Joey and Albert – who enlists as soon as he reaches adulthood – are caught up in this battle. While suspecting Joey dead, Albert vows that he will be reunited with him again.

The first hour of War Horse, set before the outbreak of war, is essentially high-budget, ITV1 fare. The intrinsic mawkishness is supplemented by a John Williams score, which comes ready-made, dripping with treacle, absent of any ardour. The screenplay from Lee Hall (Billy Elliott) and Richard Curtis (Love Actually) sounds like a first draft, especially the dialogue. While I think this is done with the aid of making it accessible for North American viewers, I’m not sure if it artistically mitigates the decision.

Thankfully the quality rises when we move into the miasma of WWI. It’s not as if Spielberg needs to prove how skilled he is at helming a story in this backdrop, but he does so with aplomb. The visual is prioritised over the verbal, and the story improves as a result. We see the effects of war, not only on those in the middle of it, but to the citizens on the fringes. They may not have paid with their lives, but the conflict came at a cost to all, soldier or not.

The themes of enduring love, loss and the terror of a loved one going into harm’s way are at play in War Horse. But the trope that is the movie’s most abiding, and most effective, is the loss of innocence (something that is often overlooked when people speak of Spielberg). The First World War was debatably the time when a large portion of the globe lost its innocence, the first of many scars on the psyche of the West. Personally I was glad to see a story that focused on WWI for a change – I have a bugbear with people who refer to WWII as “the war”, and I wonder if WWI seems to lack the same redolence because it didn’t have any Nazis in it.

Despite the script, strong actors can always elevate average material and the likes of Mullan, Emily Watson, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Kross, Niels Arestrup, Eddie Marsan and Toby Kebbell have the talent to make silk purses out of sows’ ears. And if nothing else, the lachrymose first hour is proficiently filmed.

Leaving the cinema my friend said War Horse felt like a Christmas film. I said it was more like a children’s movie. I think we both meant the same thing. Now there’s nothing wrong with setting out to make a tale for kids. I actually think many children would like War Horse and it’d be a good starting point to educate them about WWI. Spielberg can justify directing what was a simple story, the problem is that it’s executed in such a simple way. War Horse is the kind of film that “Wendy” would love (Movies You Should See will explain the reference).

The following post is from Jonathon Dez-La-Lour (a.k.a jonathond2607 on our forums and jd2607 on Twitter). This can also be read on his blog - http://jd2607.posterous.com/french-toast-and-spicy-tomato-sauce

French toast is something that I’d never really tried until a few years ago, mostly because no-one else in my family likes it. I had to go and look up how to make it properly. Personally, I’m not a fan of it on its own, so I like to prepare it with some sort of savoury sauce to dip it in. So here’s my french toast and spicy tomato salsa:

 For the French Toast:

Ingredients:

• 25g Butter
• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 25ml milk
• Salt & Pepper
• 4 slices of thick-cut bread

Instructions:

1. Add the butter and oil to a frying pan and heat them over a medium heat until all of the white particles from the butter have dissolved.
2. While the butter’s melting mix your eggs and milk in a bowl or something similar. It needs to be big enough that you can lay a slice of bread in it.
3. Coat one slice of bread and add it to the frying pan and cook it on both sides until it’s brown.
4. Repeat this with the remaining slices of bread. Make sure to coat only one slice of bread at a time and to only coat them just before you’re going to cook them otherwise the bread will turn to mush and won’t cook properly.

 
For the Spicy Tomato Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 10 Small Tomatoes – like cherry or santini tomatoes
• 2 Medium Chillies, crushed – the colour of the chillies don’t matter much, you can use red or green here. I prefer to use red.
• 1 Clove of Garlic, crushed
• 1tbsp White Wine
• Tomato Puree

Instructions:

1. In a small pan, heat your tomatoes, chillies, garlic and wine.
2. Use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes so that they form a chunky sauce.
3. If your sauce is looking a little pale, add some tomato puree to give it a bit more colour.
4. Transfer your sauce to a bowl and serve while still warm.

I love this sauce, it’s spicy and a little bit fruity and just a hint of the flavour of wine underneath. I think it compliments the french toast perfectly, but you could just as easily use it to dip your chips in as an alternative to ketchup.

The following post is from Emma Hyam (a.k.a emma_lou on our forums & emma_lou1983 on Twitter). This can also be read on her blog - http://emmahyam.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/doctor-who-the-doctor-the-widow-and-the-wardrobe-review/

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED EPISODE, SEASONS 3 & 6, AND ALL OTHER CHRISTMAS SPECIALS

The “Christmas Special” as a concept is stuck in a weird catch 22 position; does it go for a intense, plot-driven episode that is very much part of the overarching mythos, or does it try a fluffier, more simplistic story?  The Doctor Who Christmas Special, despite only being in its seventh year, has become enshrined as “traditional” in the UK and Steven Moffat’s previous Christmas episode effort definitely favoured being “Christmassy” rather than just another episode, which was the norm in Russell T Davies’s reign. This year’s effort was more of the same from Moffat’s preferred Christmas storytelling, with The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe being a standalone, simplistic tale with and strong emotional core at its heart.

While the story itself was probably too simplistic for its own good, lacking in Moffat’s usual head scratching plot twists, and favouring the crowd-pleasing ending of having Alexander Armstrong’s character being saved, its emotional center and the outstanding cast carried the day to result in probably the most satisfying Christmas Special to date. It was funny and heartbreaking without being maudlin. The story worked well, as did the FX work, particularly the wooden King and Queen, who were eerily effective.

The credit for the episode’s overall success must go to Claire Skinner as Madge Arwell, who was utterly compelling as a heartbroken mother desperately trying to keep Christmas sacred for her children, while dealing with the grief of cruelly losing her husband to war. She hit every note perfectly – the scene where she is forced to witness her husband’s death brought tears to my eyes. The two actors playing her children must also be recognized, I loved Maurice Cole as Cyril, being very believable as a kid mostly stunned into wide-eyed silence. Matt Smith is always so good that these days you take his excellent performances for granted, the scene at the very end where he wipes away an all-too human happy tear upon being reunited with The Ponds was simply beautiful. If I have a complaint about the episode is that it almost seemed to go by too quickly, the hour absolutely tore past at breakneck speed; Bill Bailey, Arabella Weir and Paul Bazely seemed to be barely on screen as the three tree harvesters from Androzani Major (a very pleasing shout out for us old hands, along with a lovely reference to the Forest of Cheem), and so it sadly seemed like a waste to cast them at all.

It is surprising, looking back on previous Christmas Special’s, how important they have been to the larger world of Doctor Who, take for example The Christmas Invasion; it establishes David Tennant as The Doctor, gives us one of the first glimpses of Torchwood in action, and prematurely ends Harriet Jones’ reign as Prime Minister, opening the door to The Master’s eventual takeover of the world two seasons later. Even last year’s, A Christmas Carol ; on the face of it a fluffy modern interpretation of the classic Dickens tale, has proven to be immensely important, establishing the eleventh Doctor’s willingness to use time travel to manipulate people to his own benefit and obliquely setting up The Silence, don’t believe me? Go back and listen to Katherine Jenkins’ song at the end, doesn’t she say “Silence” a lot? In particular the line “When you’re alone/Silence is all you’ll know” seems pretty haunting in retrospect. So this being said, what can we infer is coming for series 7? For me The Doctor’s assertion to Madge that he can’t feel as deeply as she does sticks out for as a possible future plot point, also the episode’s underlying theme of motherhood and strength is ripe for further exploration, Amy Pond referring to River Song with a very maternal “She’s a good girl!” is full of potential.

In summary, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe was perfect Christmas fare, beautifully made and for us ubernerds, and full of intrigue for the future as the long wait for series 7 begins.

Got a geek on your shopping list that you still haven’t bought a gift for?  Gotcha covered right here with a drum machine shirt, a subversive comic book collection, a bottle-opening iPhone case and serious hearing protection.

Electronic Drum Machine Shirt
I’ve always thought the music-playing shirts were a cute little novely item.  ThinkGeek has taken it to a ridiculous level with the new Drum Machine t-shirt.  This thing is no joke.  While I may not wear it in public, I can’t stop playing with it.  Not only does it have 7 drum pads that can all be played at once, it records loops, so you can layer beats and effects on unlimited tracks and can be as long as 3 minutes.  There are 9 different drum kits at your disposal, for a grand total of 63 sounds.  On a shirt.  Hidden on the underside in a pocket is the mini-amplifier that looks like a tiny Marshall stack with a headphone/audio out jack and naturally, a volume knob that goes up to 11.  The electronics all pop off the shirt easily for washing too, or if you’re like me, you prefer a plain black t-shirt and a new drum machine to play with at your desk.  Check out the video after the jump for a demo and believe that this is a steal for $29.99.

Opena iPhone Case & Bottle Opener
How has it taken this long for someone to add a bottle opener to an iPhone case?  Originally a Kickstarter project, the Opena fits your iPhone 4 or 4S with a hard plastic finish in white or black, and on the back is a slide-out metal bottle opener.  What’s great about it is that it’s solid and doesn’t feel like it’s going to break at all.  You might also think that it may be heavy, but it’s not much heavier than any other standard case.  There isn’t much more to say about this aside from the fact that I told two people about it at a party recently and they were blown away that it exists and wanted to buy it for people on their lists on first sight.  If I had an iPhone, this is the only case I’d consider.

V-Moda Faders by Ear Armor
Got a friend who is always going out to concerts or clubs, or is a DJ or musician?  These brand new earplugs (not earbuds) were designed by professional music producers and DJs for optimum fidelity while still reducing overall decibels by 12.  I DJ every weekend and tested these on a recent night.  I went with the largest of the 3 included fittings to get the snuggest fit for my ear and immediately noticed the difference between the Faders and the cheapo foam earplugs I am used to wearing.  Instead of sounding like the music was underwater, I could hear a full range of sound from lows to highs, with a nice overall softening effect.  The shape and size of the earplugs took a little getting used to, it felt like they were very noticable, even though they weren’t, and I only experienced a little discomfort toward the end of my five-hour shift.  One modification I did make was cutting the string off that runs from one to the other, presumably to keep you from losing them.  These are a great buy and a thoughtful gift for someone who can use them but probably never thought about it, especially at just $15.  Believe me, tinnitus is the anti-gift that keeps on giving.  Protect your ears, people.

Milk and Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad (Hardcover)
Unless you’re entrenched in the comics world, you’re probably looking at that cover and thinking, “What the…?”  Yes, it’s an anthropomorphic carton of milk and wedge of cheese.  They are angry, foul-mouthed, rude, crass, sarcastic and hilarious.  This new collection brings every one of their comics from the past 20+ years together for the first time and damn is it an awesome read.  And this is coming from a guy who is not really big into comics.  Writer & artist Evan Dorkin even has an Eisner award on his mantle for these twisted characters.  If you’re not sold yet, here’s a quote from the first page- “We’re on a moron-killing spree, and we’re out of ammo.”  Read this, and then get on  new Milk and Cheese stories coming soon in Dark Horse Presents comics.

Love him or hate him, there’s no denying the pop culture force that Paul Reubens’ character Pee-wee Herman was in the 1980s. Inside Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the new book by Caseen Gaines, tells the story of Pee-wee’s rise from obscurity in the Groundlings comedy troupe to the height of his popularity in film and on his children’s show Pee-wee’s Playhouse, to his triumphant return to Broadway last year, without skipping any of the ups and downs (no pun intended).  All of the stories and photos come from those who worked alongside Ruebens, so all opinions and stories are unfiltered, as are the tons of awesome behind-the-scenes photos revealing the inner workings of the puppet residents of the Playhouse.  An episode guide is also included that will surely induce sugar-coated Saturday morning flashbacks.

Now that the holidays are here, I am gonna make your gift buying a little bit easier. If you are looking for some stocking stuffers here are few items that will make shopping a breeze. Recently Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Modern Family all came out with DVD’s.

Modern Family came out with with Season 2 on Blu-ray and DVD. The show has won six EMMY awards including the EMMY for Outstanding Comedy Series. With a great cast headlined by Ed O’Neil this show explores the funny sides of all the types of families. Season 2 comes with 24 shows, bloopers, outtakes, and a lot of other bonus features. If you haven’t check out the show before well now is the time.

Next up is Family Guy Volume 9. Volume 9′s first episode centers around a murder mystery in Quahog. Where better to solve the mystery than  going to James Woods’ mansion. Of course Peter will be the one to try and solve the case. Other episodes include the show’s milestone 150th episode, the controversial “Extra Large Medium”. If you know someone on your Christmas list that loves Family Guy, then this is the right gift.

Finally last but not least are The Simpsons. The latest DVD set is Season 14. As with most Simpsons DVD sets it starts off with the Treehouse of Horror episode. This set contains all of Season 14′s 22 episodes and guest stars Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz, Tony Hawk, and Blink 182.  Out of all the three sets mentioned in this article this DVD set to me is the best. I have loved The Simpsons since the show’s debut on The Tracey Ullman Show. To me the writers keep the show fresh and my favorite part of these sets are watching the shows with the audio commentaries. It has audio from the writers, cast, and producers.  For more info check out the FOX DVD Shop and you also have a chance to win a copy of The Simpsons: Season 14 and Modern Family on DVD. Just email me why I should give you the DVD sets and you might score them.

Roll: 1-5-17
Album: Brian Jonestown Massacre, Thank God For Mental Illness

The Brian Jonestown Massacre walks a tightrope between homage and musical parody—the band name alone is an example of this balancing act. Anton Newcombe may actually intend his songs to be jokes, but if so they’re, thankfully, just a little too deadpan to be funny.

Still, Thank God For Mental Illness could have been used as the soundtrack to a mockumentary about a late ’60s folk rock band. Something like Spinal Tap meets A Mighty Wind. A case could probably be made that Dig!, the documentary about Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, was that film.

It’s difficult to draw a line between Newcombe reverently invoking the ghosts of the ’60s and taking the piss out of them. And you actually get the sense the line might not exist for him. Which could be why, despite the tongue-and-cheekiness of his lyrics, Mental Illness sounds so authentic. Besides, one could argue all the main influences here—Bob Dylan, The Stones, Donovan and The Beatles—were all pop-culture jokers seeing how far they could push the gag before people realized their favourite bands were having them on.

Of course those bands didn’t really treat what they were doing as a joke and you can hear neither does Newcombe. It’s clear the irreverence in his music stems from a reverent love of albums like Their Satanic Majesties Request, Younger Than Yesterday and Bringing It All Back Home. Plus what he’s created isn’t just a collection of carbon copies, there’s still something unique an original going on. It’s almost as if he actually believes he’s a contemporary of Brain Jones era Stones or CSNY, somehow lost in time.

At worst the music on Mental Illness comes off a bit like The Monkees’ most cynical emulations of their supposedly more “legitimate” peers. Seeing as how The Monkees were always a little unfairly maligned for this—it’s not as if The Small Faces and The Pretty Things weren’t doing exactly the same thing— that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The record also sounds like it was recorded 25 years earlier than it was. There’s the raw, rushed feeling a lot of those old sessions had. Especially on records by smaller bands who didn’t have the kind of label support to get everything just right someone like the Beatles had.

Where the record fails is songwriting sounds a little rushed. There’s some decent tunes here (“It Girl”, “13″, “Down”, ‘Cause I Love Her”), but no would-be classics. If BJM had been contemporary in 1967 it’s more than likely we’d never have heard of them except on psychedelic obscurities compilations. Taking a little more time crafting the album might have done the trick.  Mental Illness was no less than the third album BJM released in 1996 (along with Take It from the Man! and Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request) and it’s hard not to feel that between the three discs there’s one solid album.

But then, it wouldn’t be The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Part of the appeal of the band is the sprawling mess of material and the ramshackle, off-the-cuff immediacy of their recordings. There’s something charming about the way Newcombe seems to purposely shoot himself in the foot at every turn. It’s what prevents his music from being a weak homage or stale parody.

Like the classic albums by his heroes, there’s always something compellingly “off” about a BJM record.

Yesterday 2oth Century Fox came out with Rise of the Planet of the Apes on Blu-ray and DVD. I have seen the cult classic Apes films from back in the day and enjoyed them for the storyline. I did not know if this film was going to be great or be a dud. It turns out that Rise is a great film. Rise is a prequel to the original Planet of the Apes. The film shows the starting point of where the apes attempt to take over the world. The plot is centered around a scientist, Dr. Will Rodman (James Franco) who looks for a cure for the Alzheimer’s disease that his dad, Charles (John Lithgow) has and needs to be supervised as his condition continues to get worse.

Rodman looks to cure Alzheimer’s with a new drug called ALZ-112 that has been tested on apes. One of the apes called Bright Eyes shows signs of great mental growth from the treatment. After an incident with Bright Eyes the company shuts down the trials, but Rodman keeps the study alive with Bright Eyes’ offspring Caesar that inherited the ALZ-112 drug from his mother. A bond grows with Caesar and both Rodman and his father at Rodman’s home. That is all I will say about the film since I feel you need to check out the film because it is on my favorite films of this year.

Rise does a great job of tying the old films and brings in the new CGI technology of now to create a great film. Caesar is played by actor Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Serkis does one hell of a job as Caesar. At one point I started rooting for Caesar with all the different struggles he faces in the film. Make sure you watch the credits since there is a little footage after the film ends!

The Daylight Titans

I suppose it must go without saying that I really enjoy putting together my Pollyanna Cowgirl Records Podcast.  Obviously there is a selection process.  Some artists are totally unknown to me, and some artists I absolutely trust.  Thus, the first thought that came to mind when I listened to the new album from The Daylight Titans, Everybody Loves Music and Snacks! was, “I could have just grabbed the first song (“Ten”) without hearing it and trusted it was good enough for the show!”  I could have grabbed any song from any where on the CD, as a matter of fact.

Everybody Loves Music and Snacks!

Everybody Loves Music and Snacks! is straightforward rock-n-roll.  So much of indie music these days is filled with acts trying to be too clever for their own good.  The Daylight Titans embodies the old school approach, the very human act of jamming together, of someone shouting “1, 2, 3, 4!“ and the band is off on another rocking adventure.  The nine songs on Everybody Loves Music and Snacks!  vary in length from 2:55 to 3:56.  The Daylight Titans get in, make their statement, and then they leave.  There is no fluff in their sound nor in their approach.

This week on the Pollyanna Cowgirl Records Podcast, I discuss Everybody Loves Music and Snacks!  with The Daylight Titans guitarist and vocalist, Andy Smith.

THE DAYLIGHT TITANS – Everybody Loves Music and Snacks!

Roll: 6-1-11
Album: Witch, Paralyzed

It sort of heretical to say, but the only two J. Mascis records I love (much less own) are by Witch. This is entirely because the indie-rock guitar god doesn’t play guitar on them. Or sing.

Try as I might, for two decades I’ve been unable to swallow the blue pill and truly enjoy Dinosaur, Jr. Which is a little odd since they sounded a lot like my favourite ’80s indie bands (Husker Du, Sonic Youth) and inspired most of the stuff I was listening to in the ’90s. Which is why I’ve always been able to appreciate Mascis’s weedy vocals and unmistakable guitar style even if it never really gelled for me. To borrow another sci-fi idiom, Yoda would say do or do not, there is no try. I did not.

The nerdy allusions in the above paragraph are apt since Witch is nothing if not an homage to vintage Dungeons and Dragons metal acts.

Or perhaps that’s not exactly accurate. “Homage” suggests a too-conscious aping of Sabbath, Zeppelin, Maiden, Motorhead and Priest. Though the 2008 record sounds like it could have been recorded in 1978, it’s not classic-metal-by-numbers. You can unmistakably hear love for the cited bands in Witch’s music but, unlike many contemporary bands exhuming this type of rock, Witch have sewn the cadavers of the past into their own unique sound.

One thing that makes their sound so unique, even among the original metal bands they’re following, is the raw, punkish intensity of their playing. There isn’t a punk or hardcore riff within miles of the album, but they play sophisticated metal riffs like they’re three-chord punk thrashers. Something that was always missing the first time around with this kind of thing.

Even from the start Black Sabbath was too polished, too warm and  fuzzy (pun intended). Motorhead always had the grit but not the musical chops. Maiden were too precise to ever feel truly dangerous, etc

Witch manage to play with the ramshackle recklessness of a garage band like Mudhoney but with the musical sophistication of their too-sterile Seattle brethren, Soundgarden. For fans of metal, grunge, psychedelic rock, or just plain old rock’n'roll, this is having your cake and eating it too.

Warning: This review is for parents with small kids or adults unhealthily obsessed with Alvin & The Chipmunks.  The latest Alvin & The Chipmunks game is a vast improvement over the last two, even if I still feel they all should have been Guitar Hero/Rock Band type games.  Chipwrecked, coinciding with the third movie, is a dance game set to Chipmunk versions of some classic tunes.  I was a huge fan of the Chipmunks as a kid, so I’m happy to give all of their recent stuff a shot with my daughter, who can’t get enough of this game.  There’s 30 ‘munked versions of classic songs to choose from, however none of the popular dance songs from the movie’s soundtrack are present.  On the other hand, you haven’t had a ‘holy cow I’m old’ moment until you’ve danced with your kid to Alvin and The  Chipmunks singing The Clash’s ‘I Fought The Law’.  You can choose to dance along with the boys or the Chipettes, who are customizable with different outfits and bling as you progress through the game in several different locations from the film.  This is pretty much a no-brainer if your kids are into the dance games and the Chipmunks, so have Santa put one under the tree.

Prank Packs are fake gift boxes featuring ridiculous, yet plausible items on the packaging, which conceal the real gift inside.  I used the Dream Griddle box you see here for a birthday gift recently and it completely worked.  In fact, with a couple of little white lies, it worked even better on someone who saw it later on who was amazed by it and was thinking about buying one for her boyfriend.  The Prank Pack became a topic of conversation for the rest of the day, not to mention a now go-to joke for who knows how long into the future.  Check out the full line of boxes at PrankPack.com for some more gems like the iDrive and iArm, to mount your iPad on your steering wheel or forearm, Snuggies for multiple people, automatic Pet Petters and motorized rolling pins.  The photos and descriptions are awesomely realistic and at the same time completely ludicrous.  You can easily convince someone they saw these on a late night infomercial.  The Dream Griddle’s fine print includes a recipe for Raspberry Pancakes in Bed that tells you to set the Dream Griddle to the ‘Pancakes/Keilbasa’ setting and also boasts an included sleep mask and plug for its sister product, the Dream Fryer, a bedside alarm clock/deep fryer.  Definitely recommended to get some laughs at your next holiday or birthday party, and especially great for those awful office Secret Santas.  The only catch is you may want to get the box back after the fun is over, as the Prank Packs will set you back $8 each or 3 for $20 on the website. Prank Packs are also available at Bed, Bath & Beyond stores.

In recent weeks, an alarming aspect of sport has come to the fore. The partisanship of supporters – normally a crucial component in the heft and resonance that makes it such an appealing aspect of life for some of us – has descended into a ugly sump of rabid, one-eyed protectionism. It seems that there’s no heinous act that won’t be defended – as long as the accused represents the team that you like.

Last month, both Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Chelsea’s John Terry were accused of racially abusing opposition players. I think anyone with a core of decency in them would state that these are two racial incidents too many. Suarez has been charged by the Football Association, while the Terry case is ongoing, as the Metropolitan Police are now leading the investigation.

The issue is here is not to attach any alleged guilt to Terry or Suarez. Our justice system is founded on the principle of “innocent until proven guilty”, and as such, they should be treated as innocent citizens until the requisite authority decrees otherwise. 

However, this has not stopped football fans taking to the radio airwaves and the Internet to either condemn Terry and Suarez or defend them with a zeal redolent of religious fundamentalists. Terry has been more in the spotlight as he’s a divisive figure and is also the England national team captain. Many have used the controversy to decry him with fierce abandon, while the same fierce abandon has come from his defenders – primarily Chelsea fans.

This has bought the issue of racism – a poison thought to have been eradicated from our shores – back into the public consciousness. Former black professionals who have used their Twitter feeds to declare that this is a necessary wake-up call to any who would bury their heads in the sand have received a ton of the most vile abuse. They have been told to shut up, and to stop bleating over a problem that doesn’t exist – and these were the relatively polite responses. Some have gone so far to send these ex-players reams of vile bigoted tweets – the type of repugnant rhetoric that seems to be the preserve of many a Twitter page. Terry and Suarez may not be guilty of racism, but these troglodytes posing as football fans certainly are.

But why stop at racism, let’s throw child abuse into the mix as well.

It’s fair to say that college American football isn’t a sport that gets a lot of coverage outside North America. However, when a sex abuse scandal broke out at Pennsylvania State University, then Penn State fast became worldwide news.

Longtime member of the coaching staff, Jerry Sandusky has been arrested after being charged with sexually abusing underage boys between 1994 and 2009. As Sandusky was arrested by the local police force, it was revealed that knowledge of these actions went up the Penn State chain of command. Head coach of the football team, Joe Paterno was accused of being made aware of Sandusky’s conduct 9 years ago, and did what police have described as the “bare minimum”, alerting the college’s athletic director, Tim Curley, before washing his hands of the situation.

It seems that Curley did the same, as well as the senior Vice President, Gary Schultz. Police have charged both men with failing to report the suspected abuse. The parallels with the peadophilia prevalent in the Catholic Church is chilling, and Paterno has paid for it with his job.

Feel sick yet? Well if not, students of the university took to the streets in angry protest. Which would be perfectly understandable if it weren’t for the fact that the protests were in aid of Paterno being fired.

Yes, a man who was possibly complicit in a lengthy period of underage boys being raped, is the good guy in the eyes of the students. They point to his long years of service, his stellar coaching record, and all the players who have gone to have successful careers after playing for Penn State. The gist of the argument was essentially, “what about all the people who haven’t been raped?”

Not only that, but the first victim who sparked the scandal has received such vitriolic bullying from his classmates, he has been forced to leave the college. Yes, in Penn State, after you’ve been (allegedly) sexually abused, your torment doesn’t stop there.

What is that makes people behave in such a way? To take the most unconscionable actions, and try to spin them as if they were a mix of Karl Rove and Peter Mandleson, all because a person happens to have a sporting talent. You can be sure that they would be little support for Paterno had he been an average coach.

Like religious zealots, sport is fast becoming a church where you don’t just follow a team and its players, you worship it with immutable devotion.

But this isn’t being a fan, it’s being a fanatic. Having a demented belief that all that comes from your side is good and right. To borrow from The Bible, people like this believe that their club is “the way, the truth and the light”, and any who question or oppose it are heretics who must be silenced at all costs.

Is this the start of a disconcerting trend? The conduct of some of these fanatics are frightening. But what’s even more frightening is the thought of this behaviour becoming the norm for the next generation of sports fans. Be it Suarez, Terry or Paterno, in the eyes of some people, these men can do no wrong. It makes one wonder what the reaction to O.J Simpson would have been if his infamous court case occurred while he was a star player in the NFL?

Apologies for the delay in getting this out. This interview was conducted back in September, in which Emma (emma_lou @emma_lou1983) explains how she found Simply Syndicated, providing her with her very own safe haven.

Shane: How was it that you found Simply Syndicated?

Emma: It was about two and a half years ago, I got my first USB mp3 player and thought about looking for some Star Trek podcasts. And the only one that really popped up was Make It So. I listened to one episode and was totally addicted, and downloaded everything I could find after that.

Shane: It’s the Star Trek answer again.

Emma: Yeah.

Shane: Were you downloading other podcasts as well?

Emma: No, it was just Make It So. I wasn’t using i-Tunes at the time, so it was a case of going to Google, and typing in “Star Trek podcast”. That was what took me over to the Simply Syndicated website. And I think there was a week where there wasn’t a Make It So out, but there was a Definitive Word on the feed, so I listened to that instead, and from there it built up.

Shane: As the network grew, and with it the amount of shows, did you start listening to everything?

Emma: Pretty much. It was a case of The Definitive Word becoming one of two podcasts I’d listen to, and then Starbase 66 became one of three, and then Here Goes Nothing became one of four, and then Masters of None,  and now I think I listen to everything that’s on the network.

Shane: Do you have any favourite episode(s)?

Emma: It’s hard to pick one. I really love the Starbase 66 episode on “Voyager”. Mostly because I was like, “Finally, I’m not the only one who feels this way about the show! There’s other people who think the same thing.”

Also, the Here Goes Nothing that had Allison on. An epic-length show that was funny from beginning to end. But there’s a lot of favourites out there for me.

Shane: Where they any shows from the network that you felt weren’t up to the same standards?

Emma: There’s been a couple. There was an episode of Paddy’s TV Surprise – guess which one! But everyone can have an off-show, so I try not to judge on one episode.

Shane: What role does Simply Syndicated play in your life now?

Emma: It’s a big part of my life. The last few years have been quite difficult for me, health-wise. And it’s nice to have… almost like a safe haven to go to chat with like-minded people. Where I can talk about Star Trek or heavy metal.

Shane: You mentioned the word “haven”. Do you think that the network has developed into something of a haven for those who are socially on the fringes?

Emma: It almost sounds harsh to put it that way, but I think it has. I think there’s a lot of people who are the only one in their town who’s into “nerd stuff”. My experience of being at school was that even though I had friends, none of them shared any of my interests. So to be able to switch my computer on and have a dozen people to chat to, or that fact that I can write a blog about the most appalling nerdy things, and people will send me a tweet saying how they enjoyed it – it’s so nice to have that “back and forth” with people.

Shane: Is there anyone associated with the network that you would consider as genuine friends at this point?

Emma: Oh yeah. I’ve been lucky enough to go to Leeds to meet people in the flesh, and I would count some of them as genuine mates.

Shane: If you’d never have got that mp3 player, and had never have listened to Simply Syndicated, where do you think your life would be now?

Emma: I think I’d be a lot more miserable. I’m extremely lucky to have a wonderful partner and great “real-life” friends, and family support. But it’s nice to have a place where I can can get away, put my headphones on, zone out and listen to people that I respect and admire talk about stuff that I love.

Shane: Finally, what does Simply Syndicated mean to you?

Emma: To me it means friendship and laughter. I’m extremely blessed and lucky to have found it, and to have people who weren’t horrified by my nerdery.

The following post is from Greg Blanchard (a.k.a. GAB on our forums). He can also be heard on the “Inappropriate Conversations” podcast, which can be found at http://inappropriateconversations.podbean.com/ or on iTunes