The Age Of Stupid

Here we are and now the Copenhagen conference has been and gone. It seems this movie is right on the money. Still we are juggling with if it is true or not. This Global Warming thing.

Do we now give up as it is too late! I remember as a young kid not wanting to be part of this society that has handed me a polluted earth. I was born hippy and how could I not be. School social studies was geared all the time to how bad the earth is polluted and how we are killing the place. 40 years on. I now like my 3 Litre car as its the smoothest ride I have air conditioned office and car and don't like it any other climate  seems humid to little ole me.

What has happened to me I am trying to figure out. I am lazy my wife nags me to cycle to work I use the smallest drizzle of rain to excuse myself, and hop into my car. How do I break this habit.

I am just one, what can I do ...all these questions I need to change my attitude. I guess things are going to get worse globally and all that but I don't see it in my little bubble.

However I can get healthier by cycling lose some weight ...save money by not using so much gas.

When I do this then I can make better choices about what I can do next.

My request to you reader, should you stumble across this wee article is to see this movie and start making a choice of what's next

Reign Over Me

Okay so I watched this on Tele last night. I was pretty impressed with Adam Sandler playing a more serious role.

I wondered is this what becomes of comedians in tinsel town, once the comedians ouvre is devoured ad infinitum by the all consuming public.
Only drama is left for them to continue to act!

A good story really at how we deal with grief in our own way and time. In 2008 I had to come to terms again with a death in the family. I was pretty angry wtih some family members and the methods they way they expressed their grief and I was disapproving.

It seems one can't be left to greive on ones own truly without folk interfering or projecting there stuff. What a mess a death seems to leave for the living.

Anyhow back to the movie the tears were jerked as this tail unfolded. Laughter too. It seemed a good cast unlikely to be cast together.  Worth a look if you ain't seen it. Only reason I did was that IMDB rated it quite high 7.4 methinks 

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Seldom have I been to a movie that has had such an impact.

• I liked how this was not a show off of all the 3D effects.
• I loved the fantastic world of Pandora
• The story is ok and holds you for the duration
• Coming out from the movie is like waking from a dream

It has been some time since all these factors have wowed this movie lover. It is a beautiful movie. Will this mean I will have to get 3D TV?

Will 3D be here to stay?
Will it make you sea sick sometimes.
Will the makers still allow the audience some mid ear balance.
Will the story suffer

So many things...all in all though this movie was like being immersed in a book. Imagination in 3D...

More...

Adams Apples

Ivan is an insanely optimistic preacher who takes in convicts to help around the remote, rural church he ministers to.

His current charges are a psychotic Saudi immigrant addicted to robbing gas stations and an alcoholic tennis pro convicted of sexual assault.

His newest helper" is Adam, a vicious neo-Nazi anxiously biding his time before he can return to hell-raising. Asked to set a goal for his stay, Adam sarcastically answers that he'd like to bake a cake.

Ivan cheerfully takes that statement at face value and puts him in charge of the parish's pride and joy: the only apple tree in the vicinity. Grasping the extent of Ivan's crazed, preternatural determination to look on the bright side of everything, Adam immediately decides to shake him out of his rose-colored stupor.

Anders Thomas Jensen puts a whole lot of the world into one environment and stirs it up to make a great black comedy beyond compare.

Atonement

Oh such a love story, love that removes social boundaries that lasts the journey of time. What truly grabbed me at the same time was the unromantic view of war. The grit of it all and all of it's brutal affect on all.

How lucky am I that I didn't have to endure such things. Who pays so many innocent people against the will.

Nonetheless a beautiful picture great story telling.... You will need tissues.

War and life, neither fair!

Flight of the Conchords: The Complete First Season

Master of the gag delivered ever so patiently and deadpan to a discerning fan base of 1.

Got to admire these guy's balls! Taking themselves to the world (USA) I guess is the place. I keep watching more and more and think perhaps they are educating the US and letting them learn how to chill!

I laugh and squirm at the same time. True ambassadors, forget the politicians these dudes get my vote. Unashamedly kiwi blokes not seen something as good since the comedy genius of Fred Dagg.

However this flight is far from landing I would say!

Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin.... A truly beautiful movie. Musicians perform a tribute to this very zen creature in a suit Mr Leonard Cohen.

Interview snippets are economically peppered throughout the movie and also one sees the economy of words and speech with purpose. Just listening is beauty to that voice. A guru of word and most humble.

To write something about this man is almost impossible as words fail me. Listening to his songs and lyrics delivered by other musicians with such conviction and passion to the lyric intent.

This movie oozes from the screen to your heart, as a child does to a parent. If you love music and the poetry of lyric then this movie is a must, if you don't yet you will after seeing it.

The man is simply a legend.

Control

The bands I grew up to in the loose sense of growing up. The Fall and Joy Division always figured highly on my playlist in the flat. The Fall seemed to cater for that angst with semi mystic lyric. Joy Division seemed deep and angst and a whole lotta things.

So when Ian Curtis takes his life what a crash. What a band that could have been. Miraculously New Order rose from this tragedy with success.

Seeing the movie Control re kindled all those feelings from the dizzy days when music could affect public thought and business can be a collective and bands could all earn direct avoiding that middle greedy business man!

But all the nostalgia aside. I felt like I was getting some "closure" something of an answering of why Ian Curtis took his life.

Even at moments I was transported back to the music the realness and the acting completely took me, I forgot ...this ends bad.

Wow what a movie from the bleakness of black and white TV Manchester England. This movie works on so many levels and gives such an understanding as one can of the band and the man Ian Curtis was.

The genius that was Joy Division a must see movie.

Heartbreak Hotel

A gem of a movie. It seems the treatment of this subject matter from Hollywood would have perhaps been to make a situation comedy and barely plausible outcome that you're meant to suspend belief.

I was expecting a man bashing session as so many movies in the past decade or two have dealt with divorce in this manner.

One is dropped into the lives of two different women both with similar circumstances.

The enjoyment of this movie is the realness of it all. This could be true. As a book does makes you believe. Not suspend belief to conform to the directors whim.

All in all a great mature movie.

I recommend watching with your wife/husband/partner or even ex....

And The Pursuit of Happiness (Louis Malle)

How things change? This movie was made in the mid 80's, I believe and is still valid today as it was then.

A couple of questions it left me with.

Is slavery still what the wealth of the world is based on. As each country deals with immigration. What price do people have to pay for the pursuit of that happiness.

This documentary intelligently gives us a birds eye view the pursuit of the American Dream as far as it goes for immigrants.

How different cultures mix or do not.

It merely serves this up to us and allows the viewer to make there own opinion.

A fascinating look at just how vast the gap between rich and poor is. Yet again!

Pan's Labyrinth

Reality is grim and an escape into a fantasy world seems to be a relief!

But what transpires is every bit as real as the grim world. A beautiful story told with great expertise!.

The film medium used to it's best to entrap the viewer and lead them on a journey into this imaginary world wishing that reality was imaginary.

If you missed it on a big screen watch this in the dark at home. It will transfix you.

An Inconvenient Truth

All I could think of is would I last 90 minutes of someone going on about all those things I don't want to hear!

How sad am I!

Or is just how sad we all are. As long as I can remember I was actively intolerant of how we have polluted the world, how much we ignore how dependant and how delicate everything that hangs in a the balance of life. I never wanted to be part of this!

As I grew up and became part of society. Those values I used to fight for have gone by the wayside.

Now I am fretting about how cold the day is and how to excuse myself to not ride my bicycle, and take the car yet again!
How sad I am.

This film is an eye opener and a huge warning sign. A thankless job as Al Gore travels against the tide.

I am losing sight of where hope lies. What can I do.....

Well I can get off my backside and ride the bike to work. I can not over use the water, save electricity consumption....

I can encourage more folk to feel sad after watching this DVD. A must see for anyone that has some conscience or heart for the planet any more!