h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*rushes in ing*

Christian Bale ??? Where ????

I watched The Simpsons Movie in German last week. The downtonned dubbing was very good. I can't be doing with those American high Cs that the yellow folks love so much. It sounds too much like screaming.

I saw Simpson's movie a while ago and enjoyed it, though on some levels it did feel like just a really long episode.

But I REALLY want to see Atonement. I studied that for English A-level coursework in the academic year just gone, and I remember whenever I was looking for a passage I was going through, wherever I opened the book I'd rather just read it, and after half an hour of this I realised I still had the work to do so turned to the relevant section. The book is amazing if a tad confusing at the end, but it's just so well written. I remember wondering what a film of it would look like, so I can't wait to see what they do with it. AND the girl who plays Lola was in my year until GCSEs. Claim to fame there!

I went to see Atonement at the weekend...

...

...

Meh. It was OK. Actually, it was really quite good, but you can never get across in film what's going in the characters' heads, really. I think other people have said the same...you never really care *enough* about the characters.

Not my film of the year. *

RF

* The Simpsons Movie, since you ask!

Run, fatboy run.

with some great gags and I was astonished how fantastically worth Hank Azaria looked in the buff. Definitely worth adding to the thread birthday boys

I've Met Hank Azaria

I've seen him naked

Notting Hill. Never seen it before. Rather enjoyed it.

Mol

I saw "In The Shadow Of The Moon" on the weekend. It was a history of the Moon landings, and featured 9 of the 18 people who have circled or walked on another world.

Really very interesting to hear them talk about how the experience has changed their lives; some turned more religious, and more philosophical about humankind. It would've been even better if Neil Armstrong broke his silence, and at least a couple of the astronauts have died. Alan Shepard, and Fred Haise, for two -- but I'm glad that they've filmed some of them before they're gone.

I've just watched Forrest Gump.

It's really not a good film to watch when you're missing your other half.

Maybe not. But a good film to watch. Six Oscars, including Best Actor for Tom Hanks, who deserves some kind of lifetime award. The guy looks like somebody from down the block, and turns that into gold. From Forrest Gump to Woody in "Toy Story" to the gangster in "Road to Perdition".

I reckon I would like to do a bit more of my lifetime before getting a lifetime achievement gong. Hanks can only be about 45-50 surely?

I'd give him one ... a lifetime award, I mean ... even if it does seem a bit early. They could always give him a second one when he's 90

And he is just brilliant.

I like it when I see a film that's still giving me things to think about the next day. Also, am I right in thinking that Jenny was played by her out of The Princess Bride (which is 20 years old this October, surely some international celebration is in order?).

Yep that was Buttercup a few years older and a whole lot wilder. Now married to Sean Penn, btw.

Went to see DeathProof last night, one half of the mutilated Grindhouse double feature.

Very, very mixed. The first act was essential for the film (as first acts usually are) but it was *far* too long - full of boring and irritating dialogue and pretentious cinematography. It did include one of my favourite Robert Frost poems though.

In complete contrast the second act was really, really good. Genuinely thrilling (my pulse was racing at a few points) with sparkling dialogue and some really funny moments. Zoe Bell was an absolute gem - really charismatic, very physcial in her stunts (not surprising since she's a stuntwoman by trade) and very real. She had a real knack for comedy too.

I think it's one for DVD really, so you can skip the dull bits.

I hadnt sena film in ages and then saw one accidentally.

I was watching the end of a nature programme got up to lock the backdoor bofeore going to be and saw a bloke out of a TV commercial in a drama. Let's see if he can act I idley thought and plonked myself in front of the TV for what I thought would be five minutes.

Wrong.

The film had me gripped for the full length. It had nice touches like using cartoons to illustrate the thoughts of the narrator.. The films narrator announced early on that this was the adaptation of a book and the scenes, cartoons and narration all blended together if not seemlessly, certainly in a complimentary way.

I have so many good things to say about the film and I just dont have the time, the things I liked the most were that it did not pull any punches or sugar coat any of the issues.

If you can get hold of it watch Stauart: A Life Lived Backwards" it is deeply moving and fantastic in a low key way that is totally disarming. If you cant there is a book of the same name. What raises this book above a lot fo the current plethora of books about peoples' suffering is that the suffering thougha central element isnt all of the story its about two people with very different world views who are thrown together by accident who find that together they are stronger and able to bring out the best in each other.


one love

The Black Dahlia - lost interest after about ten minutes and didn't really follow the rest. Umm, can't really comment. Not sure whether this was the film's fault or mine, but I think it ought to share some of the blame.

blicky I watched 'Stuart - A life backwards' the other night. Superb. I found myself crying like an idiot during the second half because of all the layers of meaning and poignancy and the relationship. Absolutely brilliant.