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Sung on the pitch at Twickenham Stadium for St George's Day match on Sat 24 April, with the Royal Marines Band. Then watched Wasps lose to Bath 35-19. Got the T-shirt, sung the patriotic songs: Rule, Britannia!, Land of Hope and Glory, I Vow to Thee, My Country and Jerusalem. In England's green and pleasant land...
IMDB 6.7/10
Well-written screen adaptation of the play by Alan Bennett. Great interplay between the two teachers and the boys.
In 1980s Britain, a group of young men at Cutlers' Grammar School all have the brains, and the will to earn the chance of getting accepted in the finest universities in the nation, Oxford and Cambridge. Despite the fine teaching by excellent professionals like Mrs Lintott in history and the intellectually enthusiastic Hector in General Studies, the Headmaster is not satisfied. He signs on the young Irwin to polish the students' style to give them the best chance. In this mix of intellectualism and creative spirit that guides a rigorous preparation regime for that ultimate educational brass ring, the lives of the randy students and the ostensibly restrained faculty intertwine that would change their lives forever. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
Really enjoyed this movie, particularly James McAvoy's performance alongside Forest Whitaker's Best Actor 2007 Oscar performance. Gruesome towards the end - sometimes the truth hurts - and Idi Amin was a brutal dictator.
IMDB 7.8/10: In the early 1970s, Nicholas Garrigan, a young semi-idealistic Scottish doctor, comes to Uganda to assist in a rural hospital. Once there, he soon meets up with the new President, Idi Amin, who promises a golden age for the African nation. Garrigan hits it off immediately with the rabid Scotland fan, who soon offers him a senior position in the national health department and becomes one of Amin's closest advisers. However as the years pass, Garrigan cannot help but notice Amin's increasingly erratic behavior that grows beyond a legitimate fear of assassination into a murderous insanity that is driving Uganda into bloody ruin. Realizing his dire situation with the lunatic leader unwilling to let him go home, Garrigan must make some crucial decisions that could mean his death if the despot finds out. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
2010 is the 40th anniversary of the Isle of Wight Festival. It was great to be there as a 16-year-old. I've just booked tickets for my own 16-yr-old daughter to go to her first festival: Latitude (Florence and the Machine, Belle and Sebastian, Vampire Weekend, Mumford & Sons (let's hear it for west London). Fair's fair!
* Great shots here on Flickr.
* Facebook group here.
* ...and more: IOW1970 here.
The Simpsons Movie. Everything you'd expect and more from the Simpsons team. IMDB 7.6/10.
From the great wit and wisdom sayings of Homer: "That was the most incredible experience of my life! And now, to find my family, save my town, and drop ten pounds..."; "I dunno what to tell you, Marge! I don't think about things. I mean, I respect those who do, but... I just try and make the day not hurt until I can crawl back in with you," and fromPresident Schwarzenegger: "I was elected to lead, not read."
RIP Malcolm McLaren. In 1977, 'the punk year', I was 23 and heavily into jazz and thoroughly bemused (musically) and amused by punk. Punk, of course, was a major PR coup for Malcolm McLaren ('he had been attracted to the Situationist movement, particularly King Mob, which promoted absurdist and provocative actions as a way of enacting social change') and the Sex Pistols. Loved the anti-establishment stance and the whole rebel thing, but it was never me. Heard a Pistols record on R2 this morning and found it a good groove. Funny how time softens the blow... Nevertheless, loved both Buffalo Girls and Double Dutch in 1983. His resting place will apparently be in Highgate Cemetery, alongside Karl Marx et al.
Reapply for our own jobs? We can take a hint, thanks
by Sathnam Sanghera: Business life, Times Online
25 Jan 2010
Keep Britain Working, the independent job campaign group, published a survey the other day that contained a rather striking statistic: apparently, two thirds of British workers would rather leave their employer than reapply for their own job ... Frankly, everything about a reapplication job interview would favour the upbeat and vague newcomer. The only advantage you’d have as an incumbent is that you would be more likely to turn up to the interview on time and will know where the loos are. No wonder most people would rather quit.
+ Keep Britain Working website.
The largest artwork in history, with over 1,000 circles created by sand artist Jim Denevan, in Nevada, USA, 2009. Nine miles in circumference across the desert setting. Awesome achievement - larger than the lines in Nazca, Peru. The design is based on a mathematical theorem called an Apollonian Gasket and features triples of circles at tangents to others. Jim is also the founder and organizer of a worldwide moveable feast called Outstanding in the Field. His main site is here.
BAFTA- and Oscar-winning (2010 Best Film/Motion Picture), impressive Iraq war movie in the same vein as HBO's Generation Kill. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who won Best Achievement in Directing 2010 Oscar. A cast of mainly unknown actors (although Ralph Fiennes puts in a short-lived appearance as a Brit). Only 7.8/10 on IMDB, but maybe that's because the subject matter - about the operations of a US army bomb squad (Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit) and their reckless sergeant leader played by Jeremy Renner (Sergeant First Class William James) - is not everyone's cup of tea. Right up my street, though. Highly recommended.
Captivating WWII movie from 2001, starring Jude Law (Vassili Zaitev)), Joseph Fiennes (Danilov), Rachel Weisz (Tania) and Bob Hoskins (Kruschev). The story involves the sparring between a Russian and a German sniper on either side of the 1942 bloody Battle of Stalingrad, plus an undercurrent of Law and Fiennes sparring for the love of Tania. 'Inspired by a true story', which gives it an edge.
IMDB 7.4/10
http://www.2worldwar2.com/stalingrad.htm
BBC: Hitler's Invasion of Russia in World War Two
The stars swinging back to the Sixties ... how Keira, Carey and co are mirroring the looks of beauties from another age. January Jones (left) from Mad Men and the real deal, Grace Kelly (right). Read more at the ever-popular Daily Mail online.
Sung on the pitch at Twickenham Stadium for St George's Day match on Sat 24 April, with the Royal Marines Band. Then watched Wasps lose to Bath 35-19. Got the T-shirt, sung the patriotic songs: Rule, Britannia!, Land of Hope and Glory, I Vow to Thee, My Country and Jerusalem. In England's green and pleasant land...
