2011 Baby!

I was gonna post a thing about 2011 at the very beginning of 2011, but the very beginning of 2011 got in the way so I will now be posting it at near-enough the beginning of 2011.

I'm hoping 2011 will be a good year. I'm hoping for a good decade. Of course, everybody hopes for this, so what is the point in wasting internet text space (it's in decline, y'know!) saying that I do? There's no point, but this is my blog, so I'll do what the hell I like. Here is why 2011 will be good;

• It won't be.

Can't lie to myself now, can I? Nah, in all seriousness, here is why I am hoping it will be good;

• I haven't set myself any direct new year's resolutions, thus I won't be stressing myself out trying to keep up with them! Okay, that's not entirely true, I've set myself a few; To vacuum my room at least once a month, to get a haircut, to get a job of some sort, to watch more films, to blog more (we know this ain't gonna happen). But these aren't ridiculous resolutions that I can't keep up with, and besides, what's the point of a new year's resolution anyway? If I need to make a change, then why can't I just start a new DAY's resolution? And set myself one every day! No stress at all! New minute's resolution; must stop rambling!
• About the job thing. Looking for a job is fucking hard, and dispiriting, and any other negative connotations you can come up with. Maybe not cancerous, but it wouldn't surprise me. So, very soon, next week hopefully, I will haul my taut little ass into a recruitment agency and apply for some beautiful temp work. This equals; temporary job, money, and experience. Really, I've fucked up by not doing it earlier I guess (not that I could really have known that, so no regrets), but I'm not gonna be lazy anymore, I want this more than I want Jesu to play a set at my house on my birthday.
• Movies, movies, movies! I like movies! My resolution to watch more motion pictures is both completely arbitrary, and completely awesome! So, yeah, it's a stupid resolution I guess, but then again, I just wanna do what I love. So, it's a great resolution! Plus, lots of personally highly anticipated films coming out this year; Sucker Punch, The Green Hornet, Black Swan, Alvin And The Chipmunks 3D - It's all happening!
• I will get better at bass and drums. I didn't mention this amongst my resolutions (and could easily go back and edit it immediately, but that would require way more effort than writing this painfully pointless sentence). My plans are to learn proper songs - as in play them the way they were written, not play my own interpretations of them. I'm in two bands now, Beerwolf, of course, and a fun band with my friends Alex, Paul and Phil, which is just us playing covers for fun. And that's what it is - fun. So, now I'm one of the most hotly demanded drummers in the county (that's what all the naked women said in my dream last night), I plan to become better at my chosen art. I might not have to try given all the extra drumming time I'll be getting in...
• New Jesu album! New Pale Sketcher EP! New Jesu remixes! Plus, probably LOADS more Broadrick yet to be revealed. New Explosions In The Sky! And, if this year's being particularly kind, new Fuck Buttons, and Between The Buried And Me.
• No tasking, I hear you say? What will he possibly blog? Actually, I plan to do the tasks laid out in the book 'The Mission', a very funny book full of silly tasks I got as a present from Nicole years ago, but never got around to taking a shot at. And most of them aren't quite as hardcore / criminal / deadly as many of Benrik's tasks, so it should be fun. There's 217 tasks in the book, so I plan to start around March. Summer shall be fun!
• And, last but not least, have fun. Chill out. There's very little worth stressing about in life, so just relax. Enjoy life while I still can. Hang out with my buds. Spend time with my wonderful Jaffy Cake. Make sweet music. Watch films. Party. Live... Okay, I may have semi-stolen and radically reinterpretated this inspirational paragraph from 'It's Kind Of A Funny Story', but, hell, it's an inspirational film, and a perfect one to watch to realise that you should just live your life. I'm not saying I've wasted my time in my past 22 years, but I realised all this sometime last year; Ignore the bullshit in life, focus on the good stuff. It's easier said than done, for sure, but it works more often than not if you keep that positive mindset....

And a ton of other sappy bullshit. But yeah, those long-winded, horribly-worded paragraphs above this one right here? All reasons why 2011 shall be a good year. It might not. But, I don't wanna get my hopes up, it can only lead to disappointment. So, addendum; 2011 will be a horrible year, full of torture, misery, pain, and suffering. And those will be the best parts. It's going to be the worst year of our lives. With that in mind, this year can only be great in comparison now!

HAVE A HAPPY 2011 EVERYBODY!!!

=D

Top 10 Films Of 2010

Yes, it's been a long time since I last blogged. But I'm back. And I'm not gonna do another rambling 'It's been a long time since I last blogged' intro (half-failed there). Just saying that I am back for my traditional top 10 films of the year. And hopefully I'll start blogging more frequently again. It's my intention, but I make no promises. Anyways! On with the geekiness!

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2010

Here are my possibly controversial, mostly mainstream choices. Bear in mind, there are a LOT of films I didn't get around to seeing this year, whether it's because they weren't released at major cinema chains or because I plain didn't get around to seeing them. So, this is only a top ten based on what I have seen of the year. Duh.

10. 'Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call - New Orleans'

Let's face it - Nicholas Cage, regardless of whether you like him or not (which you should), is at his best when he's doing batshit crazy. Probably because he is batshit crazy. Cage plays to this strength in the most spectacular way possible in Werner Herzog's hysterical fever-dream of a crime drama. Whether he's assaulting old women, having random, drug-addled sex with a woman in front of her boyfriend, or going all bug-eyed at the sight of a freshly killed drug dealer's breakdancing soul, this is Cage's movie, and one of his best performances. It helps that the film is also brilliant, as surreal and audacious as it is heartfelt and involving.

9. 'Monsters'

I'll admit, I wasn't actually expecting to like this, with many reviews making it sound utterly pretentious. Surprisingly, it really isn't at all. Despite the title, the trailer, the sci-fi tag, etc, this is, above all, a romance. We witness the two main characters meet, initially adverse to each other. As they travel through a quarantined Mexico, invaded by aliens, we're with them every step of the way, and their brilliantly understated love for each other blossoms in front of our eyes. Which is all good and well, and, whilst brilliant, not the stuff of 5-star movies. Until the ending, painful, heartbreaking and shocking, yet tender. This alone makes Gareth Edwards' debut film one of the most affecting experiences of the year. Which probably makes it sound pretentious. Sorry.

8. 'Shutter Island'

So the critics weren't the biggest fans of Scorsese's latest. Personally, I found it hard to see where the complaints were levelled at exactly though. Whilst the twist may be predictable to some, this is no less a film of expert suspense, an old-school, Hitchcockian piece with the pace and verve of modern-day cinema. Every cryptic line of dialogue, every purposefully jarring edit, and every masterfully crafted shot, the kind of which Scorsese does best, all blend together perfectly, leading to a brilliantly ambiguous ending.

7. 'Let Me In'

Let's face it, none of us ever expect a remake to be better than the original. And certainly no one expected it from this film. And, of course, this isn't the opinion of everyone. But most could agree that Matt Reeve's American-language remake of 'Let The Right One In' was at least on par with the source material. I would argue that this is a stronger film, mainly thanks to cutting out the unnecessary subplots of the Swedish original, and two stunning central performances from Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee. This one doesn't retain all of the ambiguity of the original, nor the same level of artiness, but when faced with such superb filmmaking neither of these are complaints, merely observations. This is how vampire films should be done.

6. 'Up In The Air'

Jason Reitman's follow up to 'Juno' sustains the same level of creativity, emotion and undeniable indie charm, yet comes across as a more mature, nuanced film. The genius lies in the relative simplicity - there's no crazy airport chases, no wacky sidekicks, not even a happy ending for the central couple. This film is a little more realistic than that. This does not in any way take away from the humour and the theatricality, it merely grounds it all in something we call life. Which makes it much more affecting when those age-old messages of living your life, loving those close to you, and not letting your job take over emerge. The film hits many themes - family, redundancy, life goals, relationships, jobs - and knocks them all out of the ball park with complete confidence.

5. 'Four Lions'

Chris Morris? Making a film? Quite frankly, there was no way that this wouldn't be amazing. Which surely meant it could only disappoint. Fortunately that wasn't the case at all. Morris' comedy about four radical (and radically misguided) Muslims planning a terrorist attack during the London Marathon (yes, comedy), is quite simply the funniest film of the year. Whether this is because of our four protagonist's (if you can call them that) utter stupidity, or the heady satirical targets it hits, not a minute goes by without a big laugh. Despite the theme though, it's not as controversial it all sounds - the topic is dealt with sharply, of course (this is Chris Morris after all), but also with sensitivity, as we witness the main characters' feelings about the justifications, and eventual doubts, about the attempted attack. Which makes for some haunting scenes, and an incredibly sombre ending. Which somehow manages to be hilarious at the same time. If that's not an accomplishment I don't know what is.

4. 'The Social Network'

What some may refer to as 'The Facebook Film' (which it really isn't about at all), David Fincher's latest is one of the sharpest, most involving films of the year. The razor-witted dialogue impresses, the story fascinates, and the characters resonate. All set to a strange, yet fitting, soundtrack from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, of all people. The performances are all excellent, with even the most bastardly characters emerging sympathetic despite their actions. And this film seems to prove, above all, that Fincher can pretty much tackle any subject and make it utterly compelling. Really, I could give a whole bunch of reasons as to why it's great, but it honestly comes down to one thing more than anything else - I was not bored for a single second.

3. 'Inception'

Christopher Nolan is a genius. This was pretty much public knowledge back when 'Memento' stunned cinemagoers back in 2000. But for him to make a film where characters invade a man's subconscious inside one man's dream, inside another man's dream, inside another dream, inside ANOTHER bloody dream (maybe inside a few more dreams), and for it all to come across as coherent and not silly. Well, that takes talent. 'Inception' is a breath-taking film on many levels (within levels, within levels). Keeping up with the spiralling, chaotic plot. Learning more philosophy and facts about dreams than you thought existed. Feeling right there with the confusion of Leonardo DiCaprio's protagonist (like the aforementioned 'Shutter Island', he delivers another stunning performance, proving no one does distressed better than Leo). Marvelling at the mental anti-gravity fight scene, all done with practical effects. And letting out a hearty 'NOOOOO!' at the purposefully ambiguous ending. Oh yes. 'Inception' is an amazing film. Having dreams about it is very disconcerting though, I may add.

2. 'Toy Story 3'

'Toy Story' - amazing. 'Toy Story 2' - even better. 'Toy Story 3' - even better than that. Who'd have thought it? Possibly the only trilogy where every subsequent film gets stronger, 'Toy Story 3' ends it with a bang. And a hell of a lot of tears. Maybe the jokes aren't quite a strong as its predecessor's, but it's hard to care when you're watching a goddamn 'Toy Story' film. The new characters are compelling, ranging from hilarious (Ken and Barbie), to downright evil (naming a character here may be somewhat of a spoiler). The voice work is still as spot on as ever. And, one scene - oh God, that fucking scene - is one of the most heartbreaking and poignant you'll ever see. Followed by an ending, also heartbreaking and poignant, but also bittersweet and fitting. And the perfect ending. Not many things in life are perfect. But it's completely safe to say the ending to 'Toy Story 3' is. And the film as a whole comes very close.

1. 'Scott Pilgrim Vs The World'

I could rave and rave about this film. But I want to keep this relatively short, so; Brilliant characters. Brilliant performances. Amazing special effects. Aesthetically incredible. Unique fight scenes. Sharp dialogue. Perfect soundtrack. Crash And The Boys. Sonic sloth vs sonic dragon. Edgar Wright. Mary Elizabeth Winstead. With multi-coloured hair. In her underwear. Michael Cera, doing something more than his awkward geek shtick. Anna Kendrick. Kieran Culkin, as Wallace Wells, the greatest character. Hell, everyone who stars in it. Fuck it, I'm tired. But quite simply, 'SPVTW' gets everything right. And maybe it's just because I'm also a 22 year-old geek in a band who pines after Mary Elizabeth Winstead. But the film resonated with me. So maybe I'm biased. I don't care. Either way, the filmmaking on display is, bar-none, absolutely astounding. Wright and his cohorts put so much effort into every single frame of the film that it becomes one of the most admirably ambitious cinematic experiences I've ever witnessed. There is a no justice in the world that this film, one so endlessly joyous, crazy, and just straight-up HAPPY, would bomb as badly as it did. But it doesn't matter, because it's number one in MY box-office of the year! Sorry about how cheesy that was.

So there you have it. My writing got progressively worse as it went along, due to my being ill, tired and overheated (and my desperate need for a thesaurus, of course). But there you go. 2011 has a lot to live up to...

It's been a while...

It's been a while since I've posted a blog, so you know what that means. It means I say that I've been incredibly lazy and haven't felt like blogging, haven't felt like tasking, haven't felt like living. It's true. I've been incredibly bored the last few weeks, doing nothing, looking for jobs, applying, never hearing back from them, feeling dejected and like I can't be bothered to look for them anymore. I have done barely anything in the last few weeks, having nothing to do has made me incredibly unmotivated. Yesterday was my birthday, and I honestly can't say I even wanted to celebrate it. But I did celebrate it, I had friends and family come over for an awesome night of drinking and eating and banter, basically, and I'm glad I did. It was a great night, despite that I fell ill at about half 1 and actually had to leave my own party. I am thankful to all my friends who came and everyone who wished me a happy birthday, and gave me lovely presents. I can't wait to watch 'Dexter' Season 2, and read 'A Book For People Who Want To Become Stinking Rich But Aren't Quite Sure How' and the Gamer's Edition of the Guinness Book of Records, and to play drums with my awesome drumstick holster, and to play 'Lego Indiana Jones 2' (when an English copy arrives, Michelle got sent an NTSC copy, curses!). And there's more presents to come too. Good times! Not that birthdays are all about presents, of course. But I kind of like the idea of still being able to celebrate your birthday a little bit after it's actually happened.

I'm 22 now. That's absolutely insane. I still feel 15 to be honest. But I feel a bit more motivated to sort my life out now. Maybe not today, because I still feel a bit shit from my mystery illness today. Hell, I've already taken some responsibility and gave the living room a thorough clean to make up for last night's messy party (that sounds a tad wrong). Okay, so I know that's not much, but considering I've pretty much spent the last few months playing XBox and using the computer, it's something. So I will get off my arse, I will make steps to get a job, and I will not let myself be walked all over - I've been dabbling in self-respect lately, it worked for Scott Pilgrim, it can work for me. Maybe.

I will start tasking again too. I have done a few mild tasks lately, which essentially boils down to studying Ada Peach's life, and increasing my pain threshold by having Jay punch my arm as hard a possible. No, I won't be tasking super hardcore or anything, but really, I never did. I just like the idea of having a little something special to do each day. I've already tasked mildly today, of which I will go more into detail on my next blog.

The fact that I'm actually writing this blog shows that I'm a bit more motivated than I have been in ages to be honest. And let's not fuck around here, I fully expect that I will probably have a lapse in motivation sometime soon, because I do this all the time. I'm a bit of a broken record, and this blog entry is an example of that, it's the archetypal entry I do when I I've already lapsed, and recovered, only to relapse at some point. Which makes me sound firstly like a drug addict, and secondly like I'm in a negative headspace. I'm not, I'm simply being realistic. But I'll try my best not to. Doing stuff is far more fulfilling than not doing stuff. Even if you try and fail, at least you tried. I will smile at the the end of a day if I know I've done SOMETHING productive. And it's been a while since that's happened to be honest. So, I'll stop starting and stopping living, just get on with my life, motivate myself, and if I do lapse, remember that it's so much rewarding to do stuff.

Also, I should probably stop rambling so much... But it's been a while... =)

Day 244: Take our test and find out if you're a psychopath

I promised myself that I would task harder in September, and, well, I haven't. Big surprise. I've had a very busy weekend to be fair, and have been super lazy since. However, I did do this test, and found out that... *Drumroll* I AM NOT A PSYCHOPATH! I am 5 points off though =s I asked Jay to answer the questions, 'cos she knows me better than anyone else, and apparently I'm near psychopathic... But I don't have to worry just yet.

I got the '101 Things You Need To Know... And Some You Don't' book the other day. While it is blatantly meant for children, I'm enjoying it, learning lots of new facts, and looking forward to taking on all the miniature tasks. I should be too old for it, but honestly, I'm a 9 year old in a 15 year old's body, who happens to have been on Earth for 21 years, so it works out great for me!

#9 - Learn That Instrument

Like I promised, I will update y'all on any Things To Do Before I Die that I have done before I die. First one first, learning an instrument! Also probably the only Thing that I've put any effort into...

When did you start to learn your instrument?: 24/10/2004. Roughly, because I think that was the year I got it.

Which instrument have you learned?: Drums

Did you have lessons as a child: No

What age were you when you started learning?: 15

I haven't written any real melodies that I can remember, although maybe I can put in some of my band's original stuff. Haven't done it yet, but will update if I do!

How loud can your instrument go?: 80 decibels (roughly)

Overall, how well do you think you play?: Very good (I'm a modest person, but you've sometimes gotta admit it when you're good at something)

How well do others think you play?: Excellent

Which other instruments can you play?: I am learning bass guitar.

What can you play?: Many, many songs

Have you written your own songs?: Not properly myself yet, but one day in the future hopefully.

Do you annoy others with your playing?: Yes, sometimes.

I haven't ever busked either, so I've left that section blank.

Your first public performance (in a band): No idea, was late last year I think though. Maybe early this year. I really should update these things as I go along.

What was your band called?: Beerwolf, and is still called such.

Where did you play?: The Railway, Ipswich

Did the gig go well?: Yes

Have you been asked back?: Yes

Days 229 - 236

Honestly; there's no point blogging about these days, because I did not do them at all. I've been extremely lazy with tasking lately. I dunno why really, maybe I'm just feeling lazy in general. Some of the tasks just don't seem fun, or require money, a commodity I am severely lacking at the moment. But mostly, I just think I've kind of resigned because I don't feel like I've been tasking well, that if I haven't been doing it properly there's no point continuing it properly. And that I want to redo all the tasks at another time, a time when I can do most of them, when I'll have the money or confidence to go through with them. Don't take this as a letter of resignation though; I will definitely continue to task when I can/can be bothered/want to. In fact, I've actually made a semblance of effort with today's task, which is something, even if all the effort so far has merely been research. But I'll let you know about that tomorrow. Or some other day, whenever I can also be bothered to blog. Like I said, lately I am very lazy. So, this is really just an apology. An excuse for my terrible life-changing. And a promise (hopefully) that one day I'll do it all properly.

Days 227 - 228

Day 227: Handcuff yourself to public fixtures today

I considered doing this one, to the extent that I actually went into town, picked up a pair of handcuffs, and considered buying them. But I decided that 1) I didn't wanna spend any money (not even the astonishing £1.49 they cost), and 2) I didn't want to handcuff myself to a public fixture. So I passed unfortunately.

Day 228: Today lobby Celine Dion to sing about you

I wrote a nice, lengthy letter to Celine Dion, telling her who I am, and that she should write a song about me because I, like her, am extremely passionate about music. Flattery gets you everywhere, so I made sure to mention that she is far superior than me in terms of talent. I've yet to send the letter, but there's no way it can fail!