Quickie: Song of the Week

Since their levitation to success, this band has been one of the most consistent around. So many anthem-like tunes, as well as some that touch the soul, others that ring around in your head for days...

Hail mostly from Northern Ireland, but originally forming in Scotland, Snow Patrol shot to fame with the song-of-a-generation Run which is a favourite of mine too. But I'm not here to talk about that, or any of their other fantastic tunes that you may have heard of from their albums. This tune was recorded for the Spiderman 3 OST and is beautifully harmonic while at the same time having a killer beat; it's kind of a Run/Chocolate hybrid.

The video is simple but brilliant too, with a group of children performing their perspective on Spiderman; the song speaks to the soul and everyone can relate to it. I am, of course, babbling on about Signal Fire.

Signal Fire
The perfect words never crossed my mind,
'cause there was nothing in there but you,
I felt every ounce of me screaming out,
But the sound was trapped deep in me,
All I wanted just sped right past me,
While I was rooted fast to the earth,
I could be stuck here for a thousand years,
Without your arms to drag me out,

There you are standing right in front of me (x2)
All this fear falls away to leave me naked,
Hold me close cause I need you to guide me to safety

No I won't wait forever(2x)

In the confusion and the aftermath,
You are my signal fire,
The only resolution and the only joy,
Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes,

There you are standing right in front of me (x2)
All this fear falls away to leave me naked,
Hold me close cause I need you to guide me to safety,

There you are standing right in front of me (x2)
All this fear falls away to leave me naked,
Hold me close cause I need you to guide me to safety,

No I won't wait forever(x3)

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs

2 days in. It's been a bit 'grueling'; not done any 'work' as of yet. Just been talked at about dress code, fire safety procedures, contracts, filling out forms, what's expected of me, what we're allowed to do (ONLY access tax records for those we need to access for work related tasks) and not (anything else).

It sounds doom-and-gloom for some part, but it's a pretty relaxed atmosphere. And the people there seem to be a good bunch of people; everyone is there for different reasons, but we're all there to do a job.

Training officially begins tomorrow, and will last until Wednesday/Thursday of next week. During that time we'll be shown how to do our job. I'm hopeful that'll I'll perhaps take to it easier than many others, with my previous experience in I.T, databases and multi-tasking on-screen programs.

Oh, and I made a friend today too! Her name is Rachael and of all the things we have in common it's Counter Strike: Source. From the sounds of it she may of even been more hardcore than me!!

The real crack starts tomorrow though!

R. U

Goodbye Unemployment...

..Hello job!

That's right, the big adventure starts tomorrow (4pm 'til 8pm) so by this time tomorrow I'll have finished my first day of work at HM Revenue and Customs so expect some kind of first day impressions of: the office, it's employers and my activities, tomorrow.

Quickie: Song of the Week

Sticking with the Foo Fighters theme that I've been having over the previous weeks. Another one from their new album; a rare piano Foo Fighters song appears here. Home is the melodic poem-like song which sees the album take a slower pace. Perfect vocals from the Grohl himself, only prove that the Foos can do it all, whether it be a head-banging rock-fest or foot-tapping indie, they are the professionals.

Home

Wish I were with you
I couldn't stay
Every direction
Leads me away
Pray for tomorrow
But for today

All I want is to be home

Stand in the mirror
You look the same
Just lookin' for shelter
From cold and the pain
Someone to cover
Safe from the rain

All I want is to be home

Echoes and silence
Patience and grace
All of these moments
I'll never replace
No fear of my heart
Absence of faith

All I want is to be home
Ooh

All I want is to be home

People I've loved
I have no regrets
Some I remember
Some I forget
Some of them living
Some of them dead

All I want is to be home

Quickie: Carlito's Way - Review

"Just when I thought that I was out they pull me back in" - Michael Corleone

(Godfather Part III)

Plot synopsis.
Reformed con, Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino) emerges from 5 years behind bars as a history-book legend to a world somewhat changed. Carlito's Way catalogs the chase of a dream; going straight, of a man who knows nothing else but to do it the wrong way. The initially moral-grounded lawyer David Kleinfeld (Sean Penn) becomes Carlito's dead weight, and tempts Carlito back into his old ways, while old flame Gail (Penelope Ann Miller) provides the polar opposite moral compass.

Carlito must choose between honour, debt and loyalty or the American dream in paradise. In a final take similar to The Untouchables (also directed by Brian De Palma), Carlito's way is left dripping in irony.


Mini-review.
After controversial success with Scarface, director Brian De Palma provides Pacino with the lead again as they, this time, tackle a gangster film more "western" than "gangs"; you can't trust your family, friends, loved ones - "...there's only one rule, you save your own ass".
Pacino and Penn are excellent as mirrors of each other and themselves as the tables turn swiftly. It's particularly interesting to watch Penn portray his character's quick self destruct as the slimey lawyer falls deeper and deeper into trouble. Carlito is played with the intensity you'd expect from Pacino, and the sympathy he generates from the audience is not only impressive but believable too. However, for all of Pacino's great work the ending was generally not met with any emotional attachment - something perhaps due to Penelope Ann Miller's portrayal of Gail; there was something missing from it which seemed to emotionally isolate Pacino's character.

3.5 out of 5

A good standing flick about an unoriginal story. Worth a watch if not for the performances alone.

I *Heart* Movies

I love movies. They're something I've only really started to enjoy as a hobby over the past year or so. Anyway, as a member of blockbusters my list (of DVDs that will be sent out to me) was running a tad low. I've been using the imdb top 250 list as a reference point when I run out of movies that I've wanted to see and haven't previous, and need some more ideas. imdb, for all of it's downfalls, opened my eyes to movies and introduced me to such classics as "12 Angry Men", "Seven Samurai", "Sunset Blvd.", "The Third Man", "Double Indemnity" and the astounding 1927 sci-fi classic "Metropolis"; films I'd probably not have seen otherwise. From that I've then been able to find films that have specifics in common with the aforementioned movies, and allowed me to improve my experiences and decrease my limited knowledge.

So, on to matters more pressing, I've decided to set myself a challenge; watch all 250 movies on imdb's list.

At this moment in time (I know for sure that) I've seen exactly 100 (those in bold, below), that gives me 150 yet to see. There's a few I've probably seen (like Aliens, Indiana Jones' and Snatch, for examples) but it's probably best that I see them again.

So, speaking of Indiana Jones, why not start there. The next 3 on my blockbuster list:

Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom
Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade

Mini reviews to follow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

imdb 250 Top Movies

Pos. Rat. Name

1. 9.1 The Godfather (1972)
2. 9.1 The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
3. 9.0 The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. 8.8 Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
5. 8.8 Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. 8.8 Schindler's List (1993)
7. 8.8 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
8. 8.8 Casablanca (1942)
9. 8.8 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
10. 8.8 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
11. 8.8 Shichinin no samurai (1954)
12. 8.8 Star Wars (1977)
13. 8.7 12 Angry Men (1957)
14. 8.7 Rear Window (1954)
15. 8.7 Goodfellas (1990)
16. 8.7 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
17. 8.7 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
18. 8.7 Cidade de Deus (2002)
19. 8.6 The Usual Suspects (1995)
20. 8.6 C'era una volta il West (1968)
21. 8.6 Psycho (1960)
22. 8.6 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
23. 8.6 North by Northwest (1959)
24. 8.6 Citizen Kane (1941)
25. 8.6 The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
26. 8.6 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
27. 8.6 Memento (2000)
28. 8.6 Fight Club (1999)
29. 8.5 Sunset Blvd. (1950)
30. 8.5 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
31. 8.5 It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
32. 8.5 The Matrix (1999)
33. 8.5 Taxi Driver (1976)
34. 8.5 American Beauty (1999)
35. 8.5 Vertigo (1958)
36. 8.5 Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)
37. 8.5 Apocalypse Now (1979)
38. 8.5 Se7en (1995)
39. 8.5 The Departed (2006)
40. 8.5 Léon (1994)
41. 8.4 American History X (1998)
42. 8.4 Paths of Glory (1957)
43. 8.4 Chinatown (1974)
44. 8.4 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
45. 8.4 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
46. 8.4 Laberinto del fauno, El (2006)
47. 8.4 M (1931)
48. 8.4 The Third Man (1949)
49. 8.4 A Clockwork Orange (1971)
50. 8.4 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
51. 8.4 Alien (1979)
52. 8.4 The Pianist (2002)
53. 8.4 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
54. 8.4 The Shining (1980)
55. 8.4 L.A. Confidential (1997)
56. 8.4 Untergang, Der (2004)
57. 8.4 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
58. 8.4 Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
59. 8.4 The Maltese Falcon (1941)
60. 8.4 Double Indemnity (1944)
61. 8.4 Boot, Das (1981)
62. 8.3 Requiem for a Dream (2000)
63. 8.3 Saving Private Ryan (1998)
64. 8.3 Reservoir Dogs (1992)
65. 8.3 Leben der Anderen, Das (2006)
66. 8.3 Metropolis (1927)
67. 8.3 Aliens (1986)
68. 8.3 Raging Bull (1980)
69. 8.3 Forrest Gump (1994)
70. 8.3 Modern Times (1936)
71. 8.3 Hotel Rwanda (2004)
72. 8.3 Sin City (2005)
73. 8.3 Rashômon (1950)
74. 8.3 Singin' in the Rain (1952)
75. 8.3 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
76. 8.3 Rebecca (1940)
77. 8.3 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
78. 8.3 The Great Escape (1963)
79. 8.3 All About Eve (1950)
80. 8.3 Some Like It Hot (1959)
81. 8.3 Ratatouille (2007)
82. 8.3 Amadeus (1984)
83. 8.3 Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)
84. 8.3 Touch of Evil (1958)
85. 8.3 On the Waterfront (1954)
86. 8.3 The Prestige (2006)
87. 8.3 The Elephant Man (1980)
88. 8.2 Jaws (1975)
89. 8.2 Vita è bella, La (1997)
90. 8.2 The Sting (1973)
91. 8.2 Strangers on a Train (1951)
92. 8.2 The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
93. 8.2 The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
94. 8.2 Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. 8.2 The Apartment (1960)
96. 8.2 Batman Begins (2005)
97. 8.2 Braveheart (1995)
98. 8.2 The Big Sleep (1946)
99. 8.2 City Lights (1931)
100. 8.2 Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988)
101. 8.2 The Great Dictator (1940)
102. 8.2 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
103. 8.2 Blade Runner (1982)
104. 8.2 Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
105. 8.2 Notorious (1946)
106. 8.2 The Wizard of Oz (1939)
107. 8.2 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
108. 8.2 Million Dollar Baby (2004)
109. 8.2 High Noon (1952)
110. 8.2 Fargo (1996)
111. 8.2 Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
112. 8.2 Ran (1985)
113. 8.2 Donnie Darko (2001)
114. 8.2 Back to the Future (1985)
115. 8.2 Salaire de la peur, Le (1953)
116. 8.2 Cool Hand Luke (1967)
117. 8.2 Unforgiven (1992)
118. 8.2 Oldboy (2003)
119. 8.2 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
120. 8.1 Mononoke-hime (1997)
121. 8.1 Annie Hall (1977)
122. 8.1 The Green Mile (1999)
123. 8.1 Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)
124. 8.1 The Sixth Sense (1999)
125. 8.1 Grindhouse (2007)
126. 8.1 Yojimbo (1961)
127. 8.1 The Incredibles (2004)
128. 8.1 Gladiator (2000)
129. 8.1 Ben-Hur (1959)
130. 8.1 Finding Nemo (2003)
131. 8.1 Ladri di biciclette (1948)
132. 8.1 Life of Brian (1979)
133. 8.1 Children of Men (2006)
134. 8.1 The Deer Hunter (1978)
135. 8.1 V for Vendetta (2005)
136. 8.1 The Killing (1956)
137. 8.1 Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
138. 8.1 Die Hard (1988)
139. 8.1 Platoon (1986)
140. 8.1 Notti di Cabiria, Le (1957)
141. 8.1 It Happened One Night (1934)
142. 8.1 Crash (2004/I)
143. 8.1 Diaboliques, Les (1955)
144. 8.1 The Princess Bride (1987)
145. 8.1 The Graduate (1967)
146. 8.1 Battaglia di Algeri, La (1966)
147. 8.1 The General (1927) 11,426
148. 8.1 Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
149. 8.1 Brief Encounter (1945)
150. 8.1 Amores perros (2000)
151. 8.1 Smultronstället (1957)
152. 8.1 The Wild Bunch (1969)
153. 8.0 Gandhi (1982)
154. 8.0 Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
155. 8.0 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
156. 8.0 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
157. 8.0 Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
158. 8.0 Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
159. 8.0 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
160. 8.0 Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
161. 8.0 The African Queen (1951)
162. 8.0 The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
163. 8.0 Stand by Me (1986)
164. 8.0 8½ (1963)
165. 8.0 Wo hu cang long (2000)
166. 8.0 Heat (1995)
167. 8.0 Superbad (2007)
168. 8.0 The Night of the Hunter (1955)
169. 8.0 The Conversation (1974)
170. 8.0 Hot Fuzz (2007)
171. 8.0 Duck Soup (1933)
172. 8.0 Harvey (1950)
173. 8.0 The Big Lebowski (1998)
174. 8.0 Gone with the Wind (1939)
175. 8.0 Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
176. 8.0 The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
177. 8.0 The Gold Rush (1925)
178. 8.0 Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
179. 8.0 Cabinet des Dr. Caligari., Das (1920)
180. 8.0 Trainspotting (1996)
181. 8.0 Groundhog Day (1993)
182. 8.0 Patton (1970)
183. 8.0 Snatch. (2000)
184. 8.0 Toy Story (1995)
185. 8.0 Glory (1989)
186. 8.0 The Thing (1982)
187. 8.0 The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
188. 8.0 Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
189. 8.0 Belle et la bête, La (1946)
190. 8.0 Twelve Monkeys (1995)
191. 8.0 Lola rennt (1998)
192. 8.0 Ed Wood (1994)
193. 8.0 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
194. 8.0 King Kong (1933)
195. 8.0 Sleuth (1972)
196. 8.0 Toy Story 2 (1999)
197. 8.0 Scarface (1983)
198. 8.0 Spartacus (1960)
199. 8.0 The Terminator (1984)
200. 8.0 The Lady Vanishes (1938)
201. 8.0 In the Heat of the Night (1967)
202. 8.0 The Exorcist (1973)
203. 7.9 Frankenstein (1931)
204. 7.9 The Philadelphia Story (1940)
205. 7.9 Big Fish (2003)
206. 7.9 The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
207. 7.9 Mystic River (2003)
208. 7.9 The Lion King (1994)
209. 7.9 Magnolia (1999)
210. 7.9 Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
211. 7.9 The Hustler (1961)
212. 7.9 Stalker (1979)
213. 7.9 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
214. 7.9 Ying xiong (2002)
215. 7.9 Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
216. 7.9 Casino Royale (2006)
217. 7.9 Young Frankenstein (1974)
218. 7.9 A Christmas Story (1983)
219. 7.9 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
220. 7.9 Out of the Past (1947)
221. 7.9 Hotaru no haka (1988)
222. 7.9 Finding Neverland (2004)
223. 7.9 A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
224. 7.9 Dial M for Murder (1954)
225. 7.9 Rosemary's Baby (1968)
226. 7.9 In Cold Blood (1967)
227. 7.9 Shaun of the Dead (2004)
228. 7.9 Stalag 17 (1953)
229. 7.9 Cinderella Man (2005)
230. 7.9 Shrek (2001)
231. 7.9 Mou gaan dou (2002)
232. 7.9 Manhattan (1979)
233. 7.9 Casino (1995)
234. 7.9 Rope (1948)
235. 7.9 Du rififi chez les hommes (1955)
236. 7.9 Zodiac (2007/I)
237. 7.9 All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
238. 7.9 Umberto D. (1952)
239. 7.9 The Lost Weekend (1945)
240. 7.9 A Man for All Seasons (1966)
241. 7.9 Persona (1966)
242. 7.9 Before Sunset (2004)
243. 7.9 Roman Holiday (1953)
244. 7.9 Doctor Zhivago (1965)
245. 7.9 Brazil (1985)
246. 7.9 Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004)
247. 7.9 Network (1976)
248. 7.9 Mulholland Dr. (2001)
249. 7.9 Dolce vita, La (1960)
250. 7.9 Haine, La (1995)

Donnie Darko - Movie/DVD Review

28 days... 6 hours... 42 minutes... 12 seconds.
That... is when the world... will end.

Movies are like dancing; some people are good at it, some are creative and flashy with their techniques, some stick to a step-by-step routine of how to dance, while others will take everything they know about dancing and do something completely different, some dance routines make us cry, others make us laugh, sometimes dancing is pulled off by one individual, where others it is performed by 100s of individuals working together.

It's difficult to put Donnie Darko into one of those categories, perhaps because it does a bit of everything, takes you by the hand, spins you around, - your beliefs, the hero and anti-hero mantras - twirls you around and throws you down to the ground in one last hurrah; a final dramatic play that sees your partner fall to the ground while you look on wonder "but what if..."

First of all, Donnie Darko is not a horror, it is not a slasher, it's not supposed to make you jump, it's not an emo flick (unless you mean emotional film; and surely that describes all movies?) so expecting a guy in a mask to jump out and scare you is going to leave you out in the dark with regard to the true genius of this film. I'm not really sure what happened; it's a bit of an indie film - it's not a blockbuster - but once it was released it seemed to take on it's own life (funded by marketing money men?) which saw it being sold to the masses as something everyone can relate with; everyone has an opinion on slashers/horrors; you either love them or hate them.

The Characters.
Truth is, you can't put Donnie Darko into a neat (generalized) genre box; there's no real good people in this film; no hero or savior (though Donnie [played to perfection by Jake Gyllenhaal] eventually becomes that figure). Likewise, there's no anti-hero; not even fruitloop, fear vs. love Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze) running a child-porn ring, or Donnie's little dancing sister (Daveigh Chase), or Donnie's older less wiser sister (played by real life sister, the underrated Maggie Gyllenhaal) who doesn't really know what she wants to be; a teenager or a college-bound woman, or his understanding parents (Rose and Eddie played by Mary McDonnell and Holmes Osborne respectively) whom seem to play second fiddle to their three children; sometimes blindly supporting the bad things in their children's lives and seamlessly allowing people to walk over them in the process.

Supporting Donnie's family is an extremely strong and diverse cast; faces we've all probably seen at some point.
The purdy Jena Malone plays Donnie's love interest, Gretchen Ross, who's a bit missed up herself; new girl in school who had to move (and change her name) because her mothers ex-husband stabbed her mother four times. Gretchen's desire is to see the good things in the world; and to prove to herself that the world can be beautiful. Ironically she sees this in disturbed bunny seeing Donnie, who himself is afraid of solitude, confused, but at the same time curious of the world and it's lies.
Speaking of the Bunny, what can be said? Except that it makes for an unbelievable conclusion; having already seen it before I watched it (er.) again, I knew what was coming and the explanation of "Frank" the demonic dummy (played by James Duval) whom seems to be manipulating and pulling the strings of Donnie; with the promise that it will eventually save the world from destruction.
Trying to prove that this is nothing but utter nonsense and to get to the root of Donnie's problems is understanding shrink Dr. Lilian Thurman (played'eth by Katharine Ross - I had no idea that was her, until I looked it up!).


Storyline.
I like to keep things regarding plot, character arcs when reviewing movies mostly vague as I don't like to spoil and so on, I feel it also helps the review itself - it keeps things objective; so I'll keep it vague. Although the basic premise of this film is an old one (to save the world) that isn't really what this film is about. In fact, it's really about how it doesn't need saving (I didn't italicize the wrong word there), as the film presents the theory that we're all on a unchangeable path. Donnie talks to teacher Kenneth Monnitoff (Noah Wyle) about the theories of time travel; Donnie debates that if you can see your fixed path (and thus your future) you could change it. However, Monnitoff explains that this perspective is a contradiction; if you could see your future you could change your destiny, thus it wouldn't be a fixed path. Donnie hits back by saying that view is irrelevant if you could see "God's path".

"God's path" is perhaps the most obvious of the religious undertones scattered throughout the film; redemption, prophecies, destiny, faith, a higher power, sacrifice; these are all covered in Donnie Darko, but it avoids being pretentious in it's content as it never truly answers the issues it poses, it doesn't force feed a truth or single theory. Instead it merely guides you, like Frank does Donnie, and then asks you to choose, or not as the case may be.

Essentially, Donnie looks at the actions he is performing (dictated by the from the future touting bunny) as a means to that end; to change ones destiny. Donnie is terrified that he will die alone, having little or no meaning to his own existence. Dr. Thurman explains; "If the sky were to suddenly open up, there would be no law, there would be no rule. There would only be you and your memories. If this world were to end, there would only be you... and him... and no one else." Although she means this as more of a if your false reality would end... in the end she is right; "Every living creature on earth dies alone." but the thumb print left by the death of an individual is sometimes greater than we could imagine; the people who we've interacted with (little or small) are all influenced by their experiences with us. The movie ends with that note soaring high.

The conclusion to Donnie Darko, sends you on a roller coaster of realization. The pieces fall into place not just for the audience, but for Donnie himself. He finally realizes why Frank has been hounding him, and in a fantastic montage, everyone else realizes what Donnie meant to them. In essence, they are all given a second chance through Donnie's choice and his ability to see "God's path". Most of the characters are like glasses of water; each of them are exactly half full (half good - half not so much). Donnie's 'choice' allowed for those characters to have full glasses, it also gives them the choice, a new set of cross roads which would not have been there were it not for the actions of Donnie.

5 out of 5


Closing words.
Watch it. Love it. Hate it. But have an opinion on it.

Films like this: American Beauty, The Butterfly Effect, Fight Club (according to imdb)...