Nathan Barley (yeah?) & Blue Dragon

I remember watching Nathan Barley when it was first on telly in 2005. I didn't really get it to be honest, I was 15. I was loving Coldplay's X&Y album. I really wasn't ready for it. I watched it all again the other day on 4OD. I really need to remember about 4OD more often, literally years of television available to stream for free. Its brilliant to say the least. As is Nathan Barley. Its got Brooker written all over it as well with the fashionista cunts being made to look and sound like the dicks they are. What struck a chord with me most was the constant searching for a new word to describe anything. "That's so Jackson" being one that perhaps would be less "ironic" now than it was then. Witty, funny and also worrying how little has changed in 4 years. Young people are still wankers and not even just in London now. They're fucking everywhere. I'm probably one. I have shit hair and a penchant for drinking and swearing. Still worth watching, its free after all. Yeah?

Going from one end of the spectrum to the other. Blue Dragon is a nerdy as hell JRPG about saving the world from a robot shark controlled by an old purple guy. Or something. So I figured that if I can't find anything useful to do with all the time on my hands I may as well find a good time sponge. A Bounty for my wasted life. JRPGs are good for this, people can sit in their pants and play them for 200+ hours. I'm good at sitting in my pants and I have the time. I think I'm qualified. I'm about 1 hour into the game. Well probably more like half an hour. But I pissed about fighting a load of robots. Then I went to town to meet someone and couldn't find a save point first so left it on. So my game timer is actually about 3 and a half hours. Its alright so far. The characters are lame and annoying but the graphics are pleasingly bright and cartoony. A refreshing change from brown and grey shooters and the constant green and weird faces of Fifa. I'll see how long I can put up with it. Considering there's a mail strike now as well I'm going to be stuck with it for a while waiting for the next treat from Swapgame. It'll probably be something I regret having on the list anyway. I'll die before they send me Batman.

The Prestige & The Invention Of Lying

Its pretty much officially Autumn now here in cold and windy Cornwall. I've taken to swanning around the house on my many free days in a dressing gown and pyjama bottoms. Like some buffoon living off an estranged ancestors inheritance. Still, its a shame I'm comfortable to live with. Cosy and warm shame. Which very tenuously leads me to The Prestige. It is very much a film for the twilight of the year, the colours are dulled somewhat and the dress code is all coats and top hats. Not that top hats are more common place in the colder months, its more a necessity of a period piece like this. The film shares the many twists and turns of Christopher Nolan's earlier classic Memento and in some ways a similar narrative structure with past and present mingling often. I enjoyed as a whole, the performances were enjoyable and the general plot interesting. There is the complaint that there is perhaps one twist too many, the ending being a little hard to stomach given the way the film progressed before. However as an Autumn warmer for the mind its not a bad choice. The use of Thom Yorke's Analyse over the credits has also stuck with me afterwards, although maybe because the film's score was so forgettable.

I had a little trip to the cinema tonight to see Ricky Gervais' latest effort. Its not often I go to the cinema. Even though the one here is an independent one, I'm sure some people have bigger screens in their houses. Its best to point out now that this film isn't bad. The main problem with it is that the basic idea doesn't really have the legs to carry it. Which is why the film is such a hit and miss affair. The plot basically revolves around the ridiculousness of religion. Lambasting God, Moses pretty much the whole deal. The only thing that escapes ridicule really is Noah and his ark. Although that one is perhaps to easy a target anyway. These scenes work well, with the old Gervais comedy shining through. The scene in which Gervais appeases the fear of his dying mother is also surprisingly touching. But there is also a fair bit of filler with more than one clichéd and boring montage and a romantic storyline that may be too sickly for some (me included). Spotting the many guest stars also proves fun, Ed Norton, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, Christopher Guest, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Tambour, Jason Bateman and of course Barry from Eastenders. Admittedly some of those were in starring roles. Just wanted to make the list a bit longer though. There are worse films showing, many of them here in Cornwall but if your cinema chooses to ignore 500 Days of Summer, Adventureland and Zombieland then you're better off watching this than pre-ordering your tickets for the industry circle jerk of Jacko's freshly buried corpse.