Yes, my friends, its that time again when a nation stops to watch people walk, swim in synch and throw metal balls. Whoever thought I would be sitting on the edge of my seat watching a number of athletes perform the most ridiculous stroke ever invented, otherwise known as butterfly. Seriously guys, if you were floating in the ocean when the Jaws theme suddenly echoed in your ears, how many of you could honestly say that flapping your arms while smacking your face against the water (basically making as big a disturbance as possible) would be the best tactic of reaching the shore in one piece?

Now i don't want to begrudge those worthy competitors who dedicate hours to becoming the best in the world at something. In fact, i openly support them to the extent that i believe, for their own sakes, the silver medal should be made redundant. Obviously you have to keep the gold, and the bronze medalists are usually happy that at least they've gotten something, but how cruel is it to stand someone on a podium and make them listen to a different anthem being played as they kick themselves wondering if they couldn't have put in just a little bit more effort. It's basically saying "Congratulations! You're the first loser. Try again in 4 yrs time, if you're not to old or jaded to compete."

I have to admit, though, that my wish isn't entirely philanthropic. During the Olympics I find myself becoming judgemental and severe in my hunger for gold. I'm just not happy with anything less. I can almost see myself now in 10(?) years time, running up and down the sideline while heckling the other team in my child's under 8's soccer/netball match. Banish the thought!

V. Skye

For every impressionable young mind, a phase...(you know what I'm talking about v.skye)

Bear with me, but the many faces of Leonard Cohen are persistently engaging for the nonce. (it all began with finding an obscure DVD of an even more obscure CBC doco about him from 1965). Just as an intro to the mind of the man thought I'd post a poem that amused me. I'm sure even those of you who didn't spend most of last semester anally researching "Canadian identity" (if there is such a thing, I'm beginning to doubt the very existence of the place, 6669 indeed) , will get this:
[He wrote it when he went to Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion]
[Disclaimer- i did get the full text of this off the net so caveat emptor]

'The only tourist in Havana turns his thoughts homeward' from "Flowers for Hitler"
Come, my brothers,
let us govern Canada,
let us find our serious heads,
let us dump asbestos on the White House,
let us make the French talk English,
not only here but everywhere,
let us torture the Senate individually
until they confess,
let us purge the New Party,
let us encourage the dark races
so they'll be lenient
when they take over,
let us make the CBC talk English,
let us all lean in one direction
and float down
to the coast of Florida,
let us have tourism,
let us flirt with the enemy,
let us smelt pig-iron in our back yards,
let us sell snow
to under-developed nations,
(It is true one of our national leaders
was a Roman Catholic?)
let us terrorize Alaska,
let us unite
Church and State,
let us not take it lying down,
let us have two Governor Generals
at the same time,
let us have another official language,
let us determine what it will be,
let us give a Canada Council Fellowship
to the most original suggestion,
let us teach sex in the home
to parents,
let us threaten to join the U.S.A.
and pull out at the last moment,
my brothers, come,
our serious heads are waiting for us somewhere
like Gladstone bags abandoned
after a coup d'état,
let us put them on very quickly,
let us maintain a stony silence
on the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Havana
April 1961

In a bizzaro world Cohen's alter ego would be Jerry Seinfeld (uncanny resemblence)

cb

Ode to the documentary (contd)

Couldn't agree with you more gt! I think documentaries are a brilliant genre and for that reason ought to be hallowed ground- even if they can walk the walk (the Simon Schama walk...need I say more? ) if they can't talk the talk then begone I say!

It's not for just any fathead off the street to stand in profile touching a rock and with a look of pained intensity say, "You can just FEEL the history!" (Wynford Vaughan Thomas in 'The Dragon has two tongues- The History of Wales', every respectable Welsh nationalist has seen this 12 part series at least twice over!).

It does annoy me though when the background sounds are so loud that they drown out the presenter's voice. I mean, it's all very well to hear the deafening gurgle of babbling brook and the growling of wild bears but I want to hear the scientific/ pantheistic ruminations of David Suzuki dammit! You guys are brilliant sound technicians (if that's the term i'm looking for... "cue distressed metal! cue thunder!"), why do so many documentaries which are supposedly good enough to secure international circulation subject their audiences to this??

But no one can truly appreciate the art of documentaries until they have seen 'Massive Landmarks of the 20th century' (production of the National Theatre of Brent comprising entirely of the emminent presenter, Desmond Olivier Dingle and his researcher, Raymond Box...a must see, 1st ever episode I was doubled over with laughter the entire duration) and 'People like Us' ("it's 2 o clock and already the Japanese visitors are on time")- bless the BBC's penchant for parody.

Is anyone going to see 'My Foetus' to be aired on the ABC shortly? Saw an excerpt of that-I would never have admitted that that I was so squeamish before. I throw the gauntlet- see it and give us a rant+rave on the blog.

cb

The future of documentaries

Background- read a review that said a certain Documentary was too much of the hushed library voices style to be really engaging.

With technology allowing the reconstruction of eons old buildings springing before our eyes, constant re-inactments, those damn annoying dress up an actor and have him interpret the thoughts of dead x directly to the camera technique, Simon Schma getting another history gig [rats i missed that] and new in your face and grab your attention styled docos [SuperSIZE ME- counldn't watch those promos and yet i want a cheeseburger now] where will it all lead?

Hoepfully no more Hollywood, cue over enthusiastic why is she here host, look we are going to dig up this Egyptian guy for the 1st time on Tv! I'm not refering to the program that was on recently about the Lost Pharoah but one that appeared ages ago. This type of genre can be a bit dry and its nice to see some life in them but please lets leave the talking to somebody who knows whats going [had happened?] or at least has a an opinion about it beyond 'wow gee i can't believe we will be the first to see this guy in like a thousand years'.

Is it worth watching a doco at the cinemas or should i watch something that would exploit the surround sound capabilities and be really good in the atmosphere of a cinema? Considerations of time available to actually watch a film of any genre mmmm

" Oh history. That's all in the past!'
Jingo by T, Pratchett

Spiders, Time-travelin governors and chipmonks yes the hard hitting issues

In brief my babble before the return to matters of business, power and learning how to make wicked animations.

Spiderman2- go watch it. a very enjoyable film even if you don't like comics or suffer from arachnophobia. The happy sequence with return to nerd looking form Peter Parker (as one audience memeber noticed to which i replied 'its the glasses' :)) walking around in the sun to the tune of 'rain drops keep falling on my head' and that last freeze frame is just wonderful. oh and the action sequences aren't bad eithier with the tech guys smoothing out our hero abit more as he swings around or gets swung around. which brings us back to the villian mmmm not dark enough? ultimately another good guy turned nutty oh those scientific types. i say he beats the 1st villian the Goblin (Spiderman1) because that guy's mask looked terrible and his glider a bit shaky. Once again tech improvements and eight arms are better than two.

To those who have seen it and i hope i'm not giving too much away. Am i just a cynic or does anyone else not entirely believe that those people on the train would really keep 'mum' about his ID.

Love story handled much better than Star Wars Attack of Clones [then again maybe thats not a fair comparison i could have gagged on those scenes] Dunst and Maguire make a cute on-screen couple and he has to save her alot so yeaaah action sequences.
[ must admit though the hospital and ensuring people getting hit scene, i and others found hard to watch. ]

Terminator 3- ok action flick. Kinda ruins the first two so don't watch it if you liked the others. Me nit-picking but on the DVD if John Connor was concieved in 1983 and the film is set in 2003; how can ge be 23/4?

J.Connor to his "love interest": you remind me of my mom

that kid has problems waay beyond having to save the human race.

As for Arnie hey good luck in sunny California.

Afternoon cartoons- does anyone remember Chip and Dale [ not those dancing guys ladies]Rescue Rangers?

Pride and Prejudice and dead gay men

As c.berry so eloquently put it, we are "on the cusp of the rebroadcast" of the classic Simon Langton-Andrew Davies BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, an event which definitely warrants a mention on our worthy site. It's not often one has the opportunity of watching a new uneducated generation become fans of what has to be one of the best film or tv adaptations ever!

Speaking of which, has anyone seen the 1945 black and white production of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray"? The picture itself scared me half to death (I actually jumped) and was beyond anything I imagined while reading the book, which in itself freaked me out. Nonetheless, Oscar Wilde is definitely on my permanent list of people I would love to go back in time to meet. I would just love to see whether he was as quick-witted in person as he seems on the page. The fact that his response to an American customs officer who asked if he had anything to declare was "Only my genius" (a classic egotistical comeback if ever I've heard one) makes me suspect he was.

Of course Leo is on my list as well (who was also supposedly homosexual. Hmmm, an emerging pattern?) What about anyone else....who and why?