Month: December 2002

Some people really really really need to work on their sarcasm detectors.

I’m feeling a little lost this morning. No-one from my team or indeed anyone related to these projects is around for the next two weeks and I’m dealing with everything. Unfortunatly I don’t quite know what I’m doing and something is bound to fuck up soon.

hmm, I note that C5 are showing an Law & Order marathon tonight. Could be good background stuff for the net later and provide a much needed break from Vice City or The Getaway.

I have Daredevil hardcover goodness. It is so very pretty, so very very pretty. Good day overall for comics. When I pick up my stash I have a kinda sad geeky ritual. I divide them up into two piles. Very straight forward really, one is stuff I must read now and the other is stuff to get around to reading. Well, today for the first time in a while, the must read pile was the larger one. Not one, but TWO War Stories from Garth Ennis & co, J for Jenny being notably excellent. Nothing else really outstanding, well actually the 6th issue of Micah Wright’s Stormwatch: Team Achilles was quite a good arc ending and I’m going to stick onboard in singles. Although a new artist would be so welcome. It was good to see another issue of Rising Stars, while I think the series has lost a little direction I am now intrigued again and looking forward to the ending.

Actually Ellis’s Avatar work is pretty good too and I have to admit to enjoying it more than his DC stuff. MEK issue two was certainly an improvement on issue one, but Scars and Strange Killings: The Body Orchard are I’d say more fun books but that is not the word.

A couple of trades in aswell, decided to stick with New X-Men in softcover so picked up the third one, read the first two again and then moved onto that. Hmm it seemed kinda week and disjointed. I can see why sales have been dropping on it. The other is something which is going to require a bit of effort and definitely some rereading of the first book, Alan Moore’s Promethea book two. Still have to read The Furies might leave it till tomorrow.

And so no, I have not gone out tonight. I read reading till around 9 and running maintenance on my pc. A 4gb harddrive took close to 5 hours to defrag. Guess I really should do that more often.

Oh yes.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Where to start? Well, the start was not bad at all. hearing the voices echoing around the mountain and then diving inside was excellent. It really got me involved in the movie from the start. Now for just some of the main highlights

– The first real moment of warmth in the movie I think was only there had you read the books. When Éomer insults Gimli and Legolas quickly draws on him despite being surrounded by a couple of dozen men, it was a great scene. It is such a shame that their growing friendship does not get more time in the movie. Later on when they are fighting at Helm’s Deep and keeping score is another nod to the real warmth we should be seeing. This can also be seen with Aragon and Legolas in particular when Aragon arrives at Helm’s Deep and when Gimli and Aragon hold the bridge. Really great work from the actors.

– While yes it was funny in particular the “Don’t tell the Elf”, I really didn’t like Gimli being used as the comic relief, it fitted with the movie I guess, but not with the book.

– Ditto with Faramir. In context of the movie, the changes work and he has some really good scenes, putting the life of Smeagol into Frodo’s hands was a really great scene and I’m hoping to see more (and a better side) of Faramir in The Return of the King

– Legolas, ok the jump onto the horse was excellent (I know, I’m a geek) and there were some fantastic action sequences with him, but did we really need (regardless of how good it might have looked) a fucking skateboarding Elf?

– Smeagol. After seeing the movie, and the movie rams this home so much more than the book, I cannot call him Gollum again. I know lots has been made of him being an entirely CGI character (with major props to Andy Serkis for voice and movement) but wow. It’s not technically perfect I guess but it doesn’t need to be. The character breaks your heart, the fucking CGI character breaks your heart. There isn’t anything else to it. Look into his eyes, listen to him talk, watch him argue with himself. It is truly amazing work. He really makes the film. A lot of people tend to forget that LOTR is a tragedy, Smeagol’s tragedy

– The Ents. Certainly well done if noticeably weak in a couple of places, but they felt superfluous. There wasn’t a need for them, it felt like an after thought. However they did add to the story and have to cause an event and they did that well. It is worth noting that Treebeard looked spectacular.

– In a movie that has such a superb cast, it could be argued that Brad Dourif as Wormtounge was the best cast. Absolutely wonderful work from him. He is appearing in London next year at the Sci-fi expo and while I’ve been a fan for a while, I think this has completely sealed it and I shall have to attend.

– Helm’s Deep. I don’t think I can say anything to justify this. I was on the edge of my seat unable to take my eyes away from the screen. Totally stunning. I would say the highlight of the movie, but it is just beaten by the performance of Smeagol. The arrival of the Elves was a great scene and the loosing of the first arrow while a little hooky was excellent. The fact that we saw kids being given swords and armour and being prepared to go and fight made it a little more than a movie. They were all going to die. I am sure I was not alone in wanting to cheer as Aragon and Theoden lead a charge out the main gates of Helm’s Deep to certain death.

– “Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east!” Well he certainly delivered on that.

I shall be seeing this again, in a week or so. More thoughts then.

I’m trying to decide what to do for the day. Will go and get some comics soon, I remembered last night that included in this weeks order will be Mike Carey’s OGN: The Furies which I am really looking forward to reading and have heard good things about.

Other than that I have nothing planned. I have an urge to go out tonight, but I don’t know what I want to do. Well, that is not entirely true, I would love to go out and get some dvds and spend the night in front of the tv. In particular the third season of The Sopranos has been calling out to me for a while now, but money is tight and I really can’t afford it. Hell I can’t afford my comics but one of the downsides of ordering everything with my local comic shop is I have to go and collect them every couple of weeks. I guess I shall just do that and see how it goes.

Dear sweet fuck I love the internet. The poll the beeb conducted to find the ‘Worlds Top Ten’ songs is over. The winner is the one and only Wolfe Tones’ A Nation Once Again. Rigged to fuck of course but what the hell, that’s the joy of the internet, sometimes right headed people win through.

Right so I started to type and realise that within about 15 words I’m on about work stuff. Not good. There is lots going on and the next couple of weeks should be *fun* and thet is all and indeed more than I should really say. It is gonna be pretty quiet and we have some long lunches planned with pool being a leading contender for wasting away an afternoon or two.

Next week, I’m in work for Monday and Tuesday and then off work until the following Tuesday. I have some holidays left to use up or I loose them. I must remember to bring the cd burner home so I can actually format my laptop and start it all again.

Headed out after work, not feeling the best, to the pub for a catch up with a couple of people. Last night was the end of year party which to be quite honest I wasn’t all that bothered about missing. I had thought about not going anyway. However by all accounts a very good night was had by all and it was well worth attending. Damn, always next year I guess. Anyways stayed out for a couple of hours, drinking coke and not actually feeling that bad. Just chatted and caught up about some stuff which was good. Headed home around 8ish and realised I was starving and hadn’t eaten all day. Hit the shop, came home and had some food. Not done much since then.

I feel the need to talk around a subject but I don’t quite know how. I think I should start by stating it is not about work and therefore you shouldn’t read anything there. Sometimes things don’t happen, something’s just are not meant to be. For various reasons, it just does not happen. It might not have even been avoidable, but you know it could have been dealt with in a better way. Communication really is the name of the game, and you know even I will admit there are times that email or im just does not cut it. I guess it is different for everyone but some things should be the same.

Complete side note. I am listening to Strange Little Girls by Tori Amos at the moment. To be honest it is complete shit and is close to being painful…in fact it just go so painful, I’ve gone back to my limited collection of mp3s.

I had two new episodes of 24 to watch, and I was really looking forward to watching them. There had been a couple of rave reviews about the second one and I wanted to come home and spent a couple of hours in peace watching them. Of course real life intruded. It would appear that the last 5mb of the first episode is written onto a dodgy part of the cd. This unfortunately renders the entire episode unwatchable. The players just won’t recognise it. So no watching for me. Hence me being online and bored out of my fucking tree.

Plans for the weekend don’t really exist. I’ve gotta hit the comic shop tomorrow, not sure on what will be in, but just head along and pick some stuff up. There may be a nice Daredevil oversized hardcover waiting which will possibly make me giddy like a little school girl for the afternoon. Oversized lovely Maleev artwork and top Bendis writing, there is little better in comics these days. Other than that, I might just hit the cinema to take in a small movie no-one will have heard of, The Two something or others, and of course there will be some playing of Vice City at many stages.

There is a torn up business card on the floor between 4 desks here. It has the word ‘cock’ written on the back. It is somewhat disturbing and my efforts at ignoring it are not suceeding.

The network appears to be bollocked. This is annoying me. I have stuff to do before the weekend.

Only one person has so far told me I don’t look well go home, but I am feeling worse. So I am sitting at my desk and not going anywhere.

I need to see The Two Towers.

hmm Metallica are touring later in the year. Playing a couple of festivals and a date in Dublin. I shall have to add them to the ‘seeing next year list’. I wonder about the whole festival thing. I would like to REM live again, but they are only (so far) doing festivals (and Dublin) and the same with Metallica. I wonder about a couple of trips to Dublin or perhaps checking out a festival or two.

hmmm.

FUCK.
Clicked a link in an email and of course it opens in my window for Blogger and I loose a post.
FUCK.

Anyways I am feeling a lot better except for a splitting headache. I attribute this to a lack of food and have therefore had some food and taken 2 neurofen. I hope to feel better shortly. So tomorrow will be back to work.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
What can I say other than this game rocks. I have a damn kitana to kill people with!