You lookin' at me?

Karen Gillan IS Nebula

That's an interesting look for the former Girl Who Waited as Karen Gillan takes on the role of cosmic super villain Nebula in Marvel Studios' forthcoming Guardians Of The Galaxy movie. The more I see of this movie the more I'm looking forward to it. They're not the Guardians that I remember from the 1970s comics but the style and tone of the new trailer makes the film look like a lot of fun. Even Rocket Raccoon seems promising. But I do miss the ginger hair...

Karen's, that is... not Rocket's...

Recent movies: heroes and hotels

Last night James and I finally got round to seeing The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the latest chapter in Peter Parker's arachnid-augmented movie saga. A strong follow-up to Marc Webb's origin / reboot from 2012, the film is not without its problems but is a good, fun popcorn movie in an age when superheroes on the big screen can be a bit too grim 'n' gritty for my tastes.

 ( Beware! Spidery spoilers ahead! ) The weakest links here are the villains, yet again: Jamie Foxx's Electro has some impressive moments ( which are mostly special effects-based, to be honest ) but is weakly-motivated and Foxx is desperately unconvincing as nerdish alter ego Max Dillon; while Dane DeHaan battles against a terrible haircut to portray a convincingly anguished and unbalanced Harry Osborn but a mediocre Green Goblin. The best villain in a Spidey movie is still Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus. Must try harder, Mister Webb. There is also a definite drag factor about half way through as the story gets bogged down with various colliding plot-lines. But what about the good stuff I hear you ask? ( OK, Dear Reader, it's not really you I can hear... just the voices in my head. ) Well...

This is, to my mind, the first of the Spidey films to truly capture the essence and the look of the web-slinger as I've always known him. The costume itself is practically perfect: far truer to Steve Ditko's original design than the overly-fussily detailed version in the last movie  -  although still no webs under the armpits?? The script accentuates Spidey's wise-cracking and cockiness, contrasting with Peter's angst, and Webb gifts us with some dizzying shots of the joie de vivre of our hero swinging through New York's concrete canyons. The relationship between Andrew Garfield's Peter and the lovely Emma Stone's Gwen Stacey is again at the heart of the story  -  less awkward this time but just as touching, more intense and obviously doomed. ( As we all suspected, this movie could have been called ASM2: Gwen Dies At The End... ) Quite how the franchise will survive without Emma Stone remains to be seen but I'm sure the film makers will find a way. This second instalment resolves the mystery of Peter's parents and sets up some of the antagonists for the next movie and for the projected Sinister Six film  - there seems to be no stopping the spidery series. 

I'll give this one Three Out Of Five Web-Shooters. Maybe the real Spidey classic is yet to come?

What was I saying about grim 'n' gritty super types? That tag certainly applies to another recent super sequel, Marvel Studios' Captain America: The Winter Soldier. ( As poster shows. ) However, unlike in the Dark Knight or Man Of Steel movies there is a balance between light and dark here that is more reminiscent of old skool Marvel, particularly the Marvel of the 1970s that I grew up with. And this movie really harks back to that time of Nixon, the Cold War and paranoid, political action movies  -  to the point of even featuring the great Robert Redford, star of 1975's Three Days Of The Condor. Chris Evans' Captain America, a man out of time following his 70-year cryogenic nap, finds himself a renegade as the forces of SHIELD are turned against him, while his old army buddy, Bucky Barnes, is revealed to be still alive but now a brainwashed assassin known as The Winter Soldier.

I've always been a sucker for paranoid thrillers, the concept that the world you know is turned upside down and you don't know who you can trust. Maybe because that's the way the world really is? At this very moment, Dear Reader, they are watching you, tracking your every movement, checking your bank account, logging all your disgusting online reading habits... or is that just me...?

Anyway, Cap 2 ( as nobody calls it ) is a breathless thrill ride as our Sentinel Of Liberty battles overwhelming odds to uncover SHIELD's shady secrets ( cough! Hail Hydra! cough! ) and the true identity of the enigmatic Soldier. Chris Evans is again perfect as Cap, as noble and heroic as ever but with a harder, more pragmatic approach to a more complex world... but still fighting at the last to save his old sidekick from his homicidal programming. With fine support from Scarlett Johansen, Howard Mackie, Sebastian Stan and Mr. Redford himself, along with taut plotting and an intelligent script, this movie again shows why Marvel Studios are currently making the best superhero films out there. ( And next up is unknown quantity The Guardians Of The Galaxy. Should be... interesting. )

Four Out Of Five Battered ( but not broken ) Shields

As a complete contrast, before those two mega-budget multiplex movies, James and I went to the good ol' Gloucester Guildhall to see The Grand Budapest Hotel, the latest offering from indie wunderkind Wes Anderson. The Guildhall has finally, after much debate and fund-raising, bought a digital film projector so modern movies can be shown in their full glory. And what a glorious film TGBP is!

It's a comedy, a heist movie, a prison movie, a romance, a look back at a dying ( if fictional ) age... it's... well, it's a Wes Anderson movie with all that implies. Visually dazzling, controlled yet often erupting into anarchy, laugh-out-loud funny yet achingly melancholic, it's as much a beautifully-made confection as the fancy pastries that feature so much in the story... as seen in the gift-wrapped box above. Many of Anderson's acting troupe make an appearance  -  Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray ( of course )  - and at the heart of the whole fairy tale is a wonderful performance from Ralph Fiennes as Gustave H, the louche, womanising, impeccably-mannered concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Who knew old Voldemort could do comedy so well? Fiennes is a revelation in the part, whether having affairs with rich old ladies, micro-managing his hotel or organising a prison break. Anderson's films are an acquired taste for sure  -  mannered, whimsical, designed to the nth degree  -  but it's a taste I love, so I'm giving this one

Four 1/2 Out Of Five Hotel Keys

Soundtrack: Room On Fire by The Strokes

I'm still alive...

...but still having computer problems. Hopefully normal service ( whatever that is ) will resume shortly. Until then hang loose, keep the faith, don't give up hope, be kind to each other, be kind to yourself, don't eat yellow snow etc. etc.

OK Computer?

Well... no, not really. There's likely to be a distinct lack of blogular activity around these parts in the near future ( "What's new?" I hear you ask ) as our PC has gone bang in the most literal sense of the word. To be fair, the thing is about nine years old and certainly gets a hammering, being the family computer, so it may have come to the end of its life. I'm typing this on Sophie's laptop but, as my access to this machine is limited and it may be some time until our main PC is fixed / replaced, please don't expect much in the way of blogging here for a while. I'll try and update you when I can but I'm sure t'internet will do just fine without me...
Peace.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A quarter of a million...?

Yes, it's true... this 'ere blog has recently hit 250,000 page views and I thought I'd just thank all you wonderful people out there in the Blogosphere for all your support. I know 250,000 page views over 5 years doesn't seem so much when compared with the output and following of more, er, prolific bloggers  -  but I'm pleased with it. And so is Hero who popped his head out of the basket above to add his thanks. Strange cat :-)
And, in the time-honoured tradition of TGWS,  here's some more random stuff...

( Above is the lovely Momo / "Jazz"  -  a very talented blogger who has sadly given up blogging for more important matters in the "real" world. If you're still reading this, Momo, I hope you and your family are well. Best wishes from the UK... )

And here are Sarah and I, raising a glass to all you Followers and bloggers out there.
( Well, yes, it's really a photo from last Christmas but we can pretend, can't we? )

Soundtrack: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

Lost in the Time Vortex: an impossibly late Doctor Who review

Time can only be experienced subjectively by any observer and, at a quantum level, time as a concept probably doesn't actually exist... which is why my Doctor Who reviews are always so late. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it...
Coming as it did only a month after the historic 50th anniversary celebration, 2013's Doctor Who Christmas special had a lot to live up to. The Time Of The Doctor was, of course, Matt Smith's final bow as the "hipster boffin" Eleventh Doctor.

The episode veered from the typical Moffatt silliness ( nudity! cooking turkey in the time vortex! ) to the equally typical Moffatt time-twisting plotlines. The Doctor finally found himself trapped on the fields of Trenzalore, facing Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels and a whole galaxy-full of evil aliens, all trying to reignite the Time War. In a breathless style that must have been baffling to the casual, mince pie-stuffed viewer, Moffatt managed to tie up dangling plotlines ( the Silence are confessional priests! ), introduce and then kill off new characters ( the flirty Mother Superious, Tasha Lem ) and address the fan-pleasing concept of the Time Lord regeneration limit. Phew! But was it any good...?

Even though this episode didn't have the scope and scale of The Day Of The Doctor
( which would have been a hard act for anyone to follow ) it seemed a fitting send-off for Chinny. In keeping with the original, twisted fairy tale vibe of Smith's first season, this episode was heavy on the myth-making, with a real sense of the weight of time as the Doctor spent decades defending the town called Christmas from seemingly overwhelming odds. ( This theme of waiting and enduring runs all through Eleven's era, from little Amelia waiting for the blue box to return, to the Last Centurion's vigil, to Amy growing old in an alternate time-stream. )
And Matt Smith pulled out all the stops for his final appearance. Even labouring under layers of latex as an aged version of the Doctor he was as subtle, playful and soulful as ever  -  flirting with Tasha Lem, dancing with the children of Christmas, castigating the Daleks and, finally, giving that wonderful speech: "I will always remember when the Doctor was me." So will we, Matt. Oh, and it was a lovely surprise to see The Girl Who Waited one last time...

 And just when it was all getting too soppy, up popped the brand new Doctor in the shape of the awesome Peter Capaldi  -  all mad, staring eyes and complaining about the colour of his kidneys. The old order changeth yet again. How long is it until Autumn? It's a good job time's only subjective...

Soundtrack: loads of old school Hip Hop from Public Enemy, De La Soul, Wu Tang Clan, Dr. Dre etc.

Suited and booted

OK, I'm probably the very last blogger this side of Raxacoricofallapatorious to comment on the 12th Doctor's new costume but I couldn't resist posting this picture of a very sharp-looking Peter Capaldi. I definitely approve of this new, stylish look for Capaldi's Doctor. It's pretty much exactly what I'd hoped for  -  a darker, more severe look for what is being heralded as a darker, more severe incarnation of the character. A few people here on t'internet have compared this image to a stage magician, and the hand gestures certainly back that up... and hasn't the Doctor always been a kind of magician? The coat's red lining also reminds me of John Simm's Master. As well as Dracula. And a crombie coat and DMs? Perhaps this Doctor's an ex-skinhead...

Soundtrack: Grace by Jeff Buckley

Winter Walks

Even though the weather's been pretty dismal lately here in the Shire, whenever the sun's ( briefly ) come out Sarah and I have tried to get out in the countryside for some fresh air. Here are a few recent photos, firstly from a beautiful sunny day up at Cranham on the edge of the Cotswolds...

I really like this shot: the shapes of the trees and their undulating shadows on the hillside. We were walking along, kicking at the fallen leaves, and disturbed a deer who was grazing nearby. On hearing us blundering about he ( or she ) ran across the path and disappeared into the trees.

Are those my feet...?

These next few photos were taken at Saul where the River Frome runs into the Severn but had burst its banks in places and flooded the fields. So, I had to go wading, didn't I?

Here are Sarah and my Auntie Carol ( and her dogs, Max and Pippin ) on the banks of the Gloucester / Sharpness canal.

And this is the usually-placid Frome rushing down to the Severn...

...and flooding more fields on the way.

Songs Of 2013

As the year known as 2013 is already a distant memory ( hey, it's nearly Summer now, isn't it? ) I thought I'd do the usual ridiculously late look back at the songs that rocked my world over the last 12 months. Of course, the universe of popular music in 2013 was ( unbelievably, improbably ) owned by a man in his sixties. More of him later. First of all... here come the girls...

Maybe not such a great year for female singers in my opinion ( for what it's worth ) compared to previous years ( even the usually-reliant Rihanna didn't seem to put out much material worth listening to ) but 2013 did see some great pop singles from the following:
 Burn by Ellie Goulding
I Love It by Icona Pop
Roar by Katy Perry
Somewhere Only We Know by Lily Allen
Royals by Lorde
No Strings by Chloe Howl ( one of the best live artists of the year )

And as well as making fantastic, upbeat, sparky pop music Chloe knows a cool T-shirt when she sees one :-)

On a global scale one of the best things to happen to music last year was the meteoric rise of Haim, three sisters from LA channelling the ghosts of '70s / '80s FM rock... but in a good way. Their combination of Fleetwood Mac-style tuneage, Michael Jackson-style grooves and Haim-style attitude was a winning combo on songs like
The Wire / Don't Save Me / Forever
They even turned up at Glastonbury, performing their own material and also doing backing vocals with Primal Scream. I think they're going to be massive...

I didn't really listen to a huge amount of dance or Rap in 2013 ( no real reason ) but some of the good stuff did come my way:
Look Right Through by Storm Queen ( albino panther pic from cool video above )
Animals by Martin Garrix
Thrift Shop / Can't Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Latch / White Noise by Disclosure
Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke ( feat. Pharrell ) ( controversy ahoy! )

After bemoaning the lack of good new indie / Rock / whatever bands for the last couple of years, 2013 seemed to be bursting with them. As well as the usual old fogeys, I managed to see a few great young bands live last year and, luckily, they lived up to their promise on record too. Some of the best songs were:
Follow Baby / Lovesick / Float Forever by Peace
Cough Cough / Duet / Don't Try by Everything Everything
Superfood by Superfood
Peace by Kids In Glass Houses

Not quite so young, but equally awesome were the following:
Reflektor / Joan Of Arc by Arcade Fire
2013 / It's Alright, It's OK by Primal Scream
Stoned & Starving / Master Of My Craft / Careers In Combat by Parquet Courts
Xanman / Giant Tortoise by Pond ( the Australian Psychedelia renaissance continues )
And then, of course, there was Mr. David Jones...

David Bowie somehow surprised this spoiler-ridden, internet-addicted world by appearing from nowhere after a ten-year absence and rumours of illness and retirement with a new single and, soon after, one of the best albums of his career. Only Bowie could have pulled off such a trick, like some Victorian magician wowing the crowds with his legerdemain. And on his 66th birthday, too.
The Next Day sees a return to a more traditional Rock sound for Bowie after his turn-of-the-century forays into Drum 'n' Bass. But that doesn't mean it's old-fashioned: ace producer Tony Visconti updates the sounds of "Heroes" and Scary Monsters for the modern age and Bowie is on top form, his voice betraying no signs of age and his song-writing skills as keen as ever on wonderful songs like
The Next Day / Where Are We Now / The Stars ( Are Out Tonight )

 But, after all that, my Song Of The Year doesn't come from the Thin White Duke but from a couple of French robots. Yep, the ubiquitous Get Lucky by Daft Punk ( with the help of Pharrell Williams and Chic legend Nile Rodgers ) was the earworm of 2013 and, even now, after listening to it approximately 10,000 times ( probably ), its all-conquering robo-funk groove still sounds as cool as on first hearing.

And this brave new world of 2014 is looking pretty good, too. Brand new music is expected this year from The Horrors, The Maccabees, Everything Everything, Peace, Kasabian and more. Onwards and upwards!

Oh, yeah... that was post number 750. Phew!