The [Three-Day Late] Weekly Review: 20/08/2012

A [Three-Day Late] weekly round-up of what I have been watching, listening to and discussing. Rather than just posts about film, this is a bit more all-encompassing as I think my interest in cinema and art crosses over and between a variety of sources...

Highlight of the Week

Visiting Mum and Dad in Ireland. Always a great, restful escape from the busy-ness of London. Rather than fly, Sarah and I travelled via the Irish Ferries and it was an incredibly choppy-sail over. I doubt we will travel in this manner because, ultimately, it took 12-hours. Each way. Just too long.

DVD's/Blu-Rays/Cinema:

Frankenweenie: Can't say nuffink. Damn Embargo.

Sleeping Beauty: Fascinating to think how this turns to all the previous 'Princess' classics and mangles them together. In an animated way that was, for the time, unprecedented. Almost Art-Deco in a way.

Cool Runnings: Sarah had never seen this (shock!) so it had to be done. And with all the crazy Olympics stuff going on, it seemed exceptionally relevant too.

Pulp Fiction: Still incredible. Should've been in the Sight and Sound Top 10 Films of All-Time. I think the vast majority of filmmakers post-Tarantino, are influenced by him in some way. Everyone from Edgar Wright and JJ. Abrams, through to Guy Ritchie and Fernando Meirielles

The Conversation: I didn't realise it had a connection to Blow-Up ... if I had known this in advance, I'm sure I would've watched it sooner.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park: I want to write a post about why this film could've been so good ... and indeed, there are many elements which are still fantastic. Unfortunately, alot of it is money-maker shlock.

Enemy of the State: We watched this mere hours before Tony Scott passed. It really is a brilliant film - and a film which, with regards to Control Rooms, Tony Gilroy should've paid more attention to this before directing The Bourne Legacy

Music/Podcasts:

The Hollywood Gauntlet: A third released covering The Avengers. All Hollywood Saloon fans were desperate to hear Andy and John's take on the series - at least this is 50% of the 'Saloon' giving their opinion. Indeed, we still wait with baited breath for Andy VS Hollywood...

The LAMBcast: Jason Soto is brilliant. And, after listening to them list their Top 5's I also now love Nolahn. I never realised before how isnightful he is. A great bunch of Top 5's - including the Top 5 Films that shoulda-had-car-chases and Nick's horrific Top 5 Films That He Never Wants To Watch Again. I had only seen Anti-Christ from the list... but I know of all the others... and I never intend to watch any of them!

/Filmcast: Scott Mendelhson featured on the episode discussing The Bourne Legacy. An episode which, in all honesty, I was in complete agreement with. The side-episode about the John Powell scores was incredible - David Chen really has a way with words and can describe and analyse a score so well. The parallel between the music and the themes of the story I rarely make, but Chen eloquently highlighted this.

 

James Newton Howard: God his soundtracks are good. Especially his Shyamalan scores - The Village and Signs.

TV/Theatre/Art Galleries/Books/Misc:

Fitness: I am eating porridge every morning. Sit-ups and push-ups every evening. Cardio every two days. I'm not in the 'zone' yet... but slowly and surely ...