After my first successful Film Festival, last year, I was a bit aprehensive about whether this year could match, or even better the quality of screenings I’d previously attended. Like last year, I kicked off my Film Festival experience with a French film, but this time, French-Canadian!
West of Pluto follows the lives of a group of teenagers who have just started a new term at high school. The story makes use of Pluto’s declassification from a planet, to a Trans-Neptunian Object; relating a once prominent feature in our solar system, that has now been downgraded to a just a number, to the lives of several teenagers, who are all struggling to find their identities within the busy social-life of high school. I thought the location of the shoot, set in the early Autumn, was beautiful, and the film was able to capture all the rich colours of Autumn superbly, and made good use of its scenic location.
Later, I saw my second film of that day, My Girlfriend is an Agent. It was a big transition, but luckily I’d come prepared to see a Korean blockbuster! The film focuses Su-Ji, the Girlfriend/Agent in question, and Jae-Jun, her soon to be ex-boyfriend. After three years apart, they meet up again accidentally (in one of the films most hilariously disgusting scenes inside a men’s bathroom), and decide to stay in-touch, but keep up the premise that they live normal lives, with normal jobs. But the truth is, both are now undercover secret agents (working for different agencies). Jae-Jun’s background in computing makes him ideal for the job, yet his lack of suave shows him up whenever he’s in combat; unlike Su-Ji, who is very skilled when it comes to fighting.
What might sound like a Korean adaptation of Mr. and Mrs. Smith (a film which I actually can’t stand), I found the film to be much more like the US TV show Chuck, in which a computer nerd is accidentally integrated with the secrets of the CIA, and then ends up falling for his assigned handler, who is a proper highly trained agent. The film is unbelievably hilarious, and very sweet at times. I really hope this is available on DVD soon, as I know it’s a film that a lot of people would enjoy, but might overlook because of the simplistic title.
“Zo(mbi)ë” (pronounced Zoë, or Zombie) is the first entirely original short film from Thomas McNab in over 4 years. It was filmed on October 31st, 2008, all in one night! The plot expands on already well established themes from the Horror genre, and references such classic films as John Carpenter’s “Halloween”, and George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”.
The story follows Tom and Zoë, who plan to meet up on Halloween for a typical night of horror movies and popcorn. But when something (or someone) attacks Zoë on the way to Tom’s house, she suddenly has an altogether different plan for Tom, this Halloween Night.
I’ve added a much needed introduction to the History page on my website, detailing everything about me, for all those who don’t know me. I’m also meeting with the band this week, so I’ll have some news on that soon. All of my old video blogs are now available to watch, and I promise to record new videos soon. Take care, and thanks for visiting my website.
No. I’ve actually been living my life for a while rather than noting things of interest. But it’s time to set the record “straight”! I made a sort of New Year’s Resolution at the beginning of the month, which was to overcome all past obstacles and unfinished targets! I’ve been relatively amazing at seeing it through, and some awesome things are happening in my life right now as a result of this. It’s such a relief to know that even though I’m not physically my best at the moment, a whole host of worries have been taken off my mind! I really can’t wait for this year’s Film Festival to start! I’m hoping to expand my social circle and finally find someone or maybe even some people to enjoy and share these amazing and rare films with. I’ve gotten into a reading pattern, which I appreciate. I just ordered two new books online (and one graphic novel)! Musically, the band is still non-existent, but The Wise One has mentioned it for the first time in 4 months so I’m not giving up. I’ve been writing down lots of ideas for songs that I want to share with you all. I can’t believe I’m writing this blog post at 5 o’clock in the morning, but we just bought a Tassimo machine and I’ve had two cappuccinos tonight so I’m a tiny little bit alright okay so totally buzzing right now that I can’t sleep but the sugar and caffeine is slowly being spent and soon…..I……will……..fall…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
…When it’s been on the same channel before for three years running!
Yes, that was my reaction when I found out Nickelodeon UK are promoting one of my favourite TV shows What I Like About You (starring my all-time favourite actress Amanda Bynes) as a new show they’ve picked up to screen over the Summer, in their brand new TEENick slot (think T4, if it were aimed at 8-year-olds). The show kicks off from the beginning Monday, July 20th at 6:10pm on Nick UK. (more…)
You see, we’re currently in the Zodiac sign of Cancer, and also my latest video project for JimmyTeens.tv about the Treatment of Cancer Patients has been uploaded, so the title is a play on words! Check it out, I filmed this two weeks ago at St. James Hospital (which is where I’m a patient at for two days of the month).
I’m really proud of the way it turned out and want to thank Cat, the Youth Support Co-Ordinator, for letting me shoot and edit it. Hopefully I can do more films for Jimmy Teens in the future! The other update is my Sims 2 series, The Caliente Affairs, that has been on-going since 2005, but I’m only just now in the process of uploading it to my website. You can check out a preview of how it will look when all 19 current episodes go live, via Twitpic.
Below, you’re about to hear the first ever snippet of You and I (if you’re kind enough to press play). I don’t know if I should be posting this so soon… for one, it’s still in the early demo stages (albeit not as early as the original preview). But we are supposed to be performing live in two weeks, so to hell with it!
This is a quote from a blog entry I posted in March regarding t.A.T.u.’s break-up:
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What would I like to see? How about a lifetime honour that’s not from MTV Russia: let them perform during the Eurovision…
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And this is what was posted on Thursday (that I just read):
TATu who represented Russia at the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest have announced that they will perform at the first 2009 Eurovision song Contest semi final on Tuesday of next week.
And now I’m experiencing that familiar crash I get after finding out about new t.A.T.u. projects. That, “DMY, you know this won’t be as good as you’re picturing it.” Crash! But you see, the first time t.A.T.u. were on Eurovision, I didn’t properly savour the experience. I barely knew them, and from what I can remember thinking back, all the press thought they were going to do something scandalous during their performance. So I remember finally seeing it and being like, “Wow, Russian girls frolicking on stage – shocker! And they were never heard from again!”
I literally cannot even think straight enough to post this, I’m so consumed with a mixture of excitement and anxiousness that I won’t be able to sleep tonight! And the thing of it is, it’s not even been officially confirmed by EBU! Ack, I need a life; preferably that of someone in Spain who’s won £110 million!
I’ve finally uploaded my second t.A.T.u. vs. Klaxons EP, it’s available to download in the music section along with the previous EP. The videos have also been uploaded to YouTube. Here’s the pretty artwork!
1. Vremya Luny (Magick Mash Up)
2. Snegopady (Two Receivers Mash Up)
3. 30 Golden Skans (Russian Vocal Mix)
Track one combines the t.A.T.u. album track from Happy Smiles, Время Луны (Vremya Luny), with the Klaxons single Magick. Track two mashes together the verses from t.A.T.u.’s new single Снегопады (Snegopady) with the Myths of the Near Future track, Two Receivers. Finally, track three is a revisit to a previous mash up, 30 Golden Skans, but remastered with the Russian vocals from 30 Mинут (30 Minut).
Rather unexpectedly last week I received an email notifying me that the 10th Young Persons Film Festival in Leeds was on – and thank God I did, because one of the films on display was a movie I’ve been aching to see since I read about it last November.
Låt den rätte komma in AKA Let the Right One In is definitely a lot more well known than some of the films I saw at last years International Film Festival – in fact its been given a mainstream cinema release in UK Cinemas from today! I’ve not heard a lot of bad things about it; some people say it’s too slow, but I thought it was paced perfectly in order for you to feel for the characters. Without that the connections would have lacked meaning and sentiment. Check out the plot and trailer after the jump, but it may contain spoilers! (more…)
As well as adding a link along with the rest of my online profiles, WordPress have kindly launched an official Twitter widget for the sidebar, so to stalk me without even leaving my website, just look a little to the left and note the most recent status posted under “Activity”. (EDIT – The widget is not cooperating is it? Not my fault, sorry!)
