A finished motion picture is a miracle of epic proportions. From idea to script, from pre production to casting, filming to post production, promotion to viewing. Every single one stands as a testament to the work of hundreds, sometimes thousands of people, who have put their hearts and souls into what they finally produce.
Many of these films are weak, flawed animals that you learn to love or hate for those very same flaws. Some are average; possessing very little originality but have a good base of skill throughout the production which sees them through to a 2.5 out of 5. Some are very good; they have originality or flare, star turns, great performances by actors or effects, an eye for detail or a ear for the unforgeable.
Some are great, hitting the right spot in almost ever discipline and stand way out and then there are the classics.
Its funny to think that a classic doesn't have to be loved by all but if it is a true classic then you should be able to at least nod and say 'Okay, yeah, I can see why you love it.' Classics are incredibly rare, they are to be held as shinning examples of how to make films and that it can be done; if you try hard enough and have enough magic then you can achieve something that touches people.
Sadly its these films that are re-made. Its the classic books that are 're-imaged', 'retold' or 'adapted' and its almost certainly true that what we are left with are tattered stories, weakened ideas and scripts that try to bring something new to something that should always have been left alone. This is a sad state of affairs and one that has been with us for many years, but now I ask it to stop.
We do not need to see remakes of classics, we do not need to see weak prequels (Yes Ridley Scott, I'm talking about you), and we do not need to see reimaginings of great literary works because we should not have to watch people trying to alter greatness.
I propose a new standard idea; a new mission for Hollywood! A new era! Bring your ideas to the table and if they are similar to something that has been before then tweak it and film it anyway. Let each film that is not a direct sequel stand on its own. Have the faith needed in your product to give it a different name and put all your effort into making it as good as you can. Beg, borrow and steal from your favorite ideas throughout print, film and music and charge forward. Be an individual! Stand on your own two feet!
Now this does sound like I'm contradicting myself and you'd be right, I am, from a certain point of view. I'm saying that you can have something that is similar but doesn't stand too close to what gave you the original idea. You can retread old ground but if you don't attach your product to someone else's then it doesn't matter what yours is like, it can suck and you haven't tainted someone's baby. If its great then you have filmed something that's like something else but does not effect the source material.
A vampire can be a vampire without being called Dracula, a captain can command a spaceship without calling that ship 'Enterprise', a man can kill a woman and not be 'Psycho.'
I want to see new classics, fresh performances, new actors and actresses, and I also want my standard 'average' night at the cinema to at least have the stomach to try and make its own way.
Look at 'First Knight,' not a great film but not an all out shocker, yet because it takes all the names from the Arthurian legends and craps on them it pushes itself into idiocy. If you just changed the blurb and the characters names and take away the obviously gutless attempt to make a vague sword and sorcery film that the studio didn't think would make anything if it didn't have Arthur in it and you have something that's nowhere near as insulting or annoying and so maybe we hate it a little less or maybe even love it a little bit more.
Prometheous would be far less stupid if it wasn't a crap attempt to make an ill-conceived prequel of a classic.It could be judged on what it was like as a self contained unit (still a botched movie) rather than how it effected the original masterpiece. In truth it makes no effect on the masterpiece other than to annoy people who can now argue whether or not it was the worst prequel ever or in fact if it is the directors worst film?
Taking the work of hundreds, if not thousands, of film makers and millions of fans and using your modern army of hundreds to take something special apart is wrong. Stop doing it. Please?
Each film is a dream that has come to actuality, if it is a true classic then it seeps into the collective psyche of the people who love it and becomes important to them.
If you are in the business then vow to forge new dreams...not shatter old ones.
Monday, 30 July 2012
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Political Nomad in the land of Illusion
Where are we now? One day after a ceremony many worried would be a shambolic embarrassment? Looking at the fall out we can be certain of the emotions we now attach to the games...or can we be?
Going into this Olympic Ceremony I knew Danny Boyle was a director of true brilliance. I knew he had £27,000,000 or so to spend. I knew he was looking at a more personal, toned down celebration than the one that met us in Beijing. After those facts I knew nothing and so I entered the whole ceremony with hope but felt that there was no way it was going to make those big spending Chinese and their thousands of drummers sweat...I was of course dead wrong.
Looking at the stadium covered in grass, people catching apples and being 'simple country folk' I felt the fear, but then came Kenneth Branagh, dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, reciting Shakespeare...how things changed. The Industrial revolution came and transformed our land and in fact the world and the ceremony itself and I was in awe.
I loved it. I loved the whole thing (perhaps not as keen on the Atkinson bit but fuck it right?) and tweeted the whole way through, but then the penny dropped. Some people were here to make a point. No, not Boyle, but tweeters themselves.
As I watched the whole thing became a 'protest against the state', each song analysed for its left wing sensibilities and I felt the horror. The pure, cynical, filthy horror of politics invading a truly masterful piece of art, performance and direction. If someone farted it was in honour of the labour party, if a song was great it was because it was against the 'Tory killing machine', if there was emotion it was raw and working class and from the people, a cry of defiance in the face of a tyrannical lunatic educated at Eton with the express purpose of fucking the country.
Utter bollocks.
As my new stance emerges I look to all the parties and see the corruption, filth and lies that they wallow in. I am a Nomad, moving from party to party as the political wind pushes me. I look not for the party that will do the most good, no, those days are gone, now I look for the ones that are going to do the least damage. This gives me the ability to look beyond Red, Blue or indeed Yellow and Green and see the bad in all. What the hell has that got to do with the amazing opening ceremony? Come closer, for I will key you in son. Ready?
You see what you want to. You interpret what you see. You decide whether what you saw was and is good. You write your own script.
Danny Boyle brought us a story of wonder; the evolution of a country and its people from what we were then to what we are now. He gave us a spectacle that highlighted many moments of change in this countries great history from the Industrial Revolution forward and guess what? Change comes from radical thinking, conviction that drives individuals to inspire whole populations and the inevitable conflict that comes from that new idea coming into contact with the old structured establishment.
Many of those moments came from revolutionaries that were almost certainly Labour orientated in spirit. Some came from technology and the pursuit of money and efficiency and were probably Conservative in drive and some came from injustice confronted and I would stick that happily at the doors of the Liberals. We all worked to bring these changes; establishments need to be able to bow to pressure, the right type of pressure must be exerted by the revolutionary and the population must accept the new status quo.
Look at the ceremony, see the history we created! The music, the innovation, the rights won and the battles that shaped our land. This was a celebration of our struggle up until this point. The N.H.S moment wasn't there to shame Cameron, it was there to show the world we have something amazing and unique and it can be beautiful.
Now the N.H.S is an awesome achievement but guess what? Its not perfect. Anyone that even suggests this is lambasted and called a 'Tory Facist', but that is in essence a feeble defence for such a great institution. Defend the front line staff, defend the success and dedication that largely goes unsung, defend the stressed out nurses who have to cope in the toughest situations, but be aware of the idiocy. I worked for a good while for a hospital renovation building contractor and the amount of money wasted, not by the builders but by the administrators, is nothing short of disgusting.
I was once walked into a I.T dump for the local N.H.S and this very large building was full of old computers, new computers and printers that were simply out of ink and some dickhead decided to just buy another one because they couldn't change the cartridge. It's this crap that needs to change and it needs to change now. The waste. Waste that is systemic in some of the upper management circles.
The N.H.S was shown to the world as a symbol of how great it CAN be and that's what came across; hard working nurses caring for the vulnerable. It made me feel very proud...but you could look at it as a segment showing something we are about to lose! Shame on you Tory scum!!!
No. Sorry. It was a celebration as was all of this great ceremony from the wonder of a massive Voldermort to the spectacle of a 'Nursery' Of Mary Poppinsies (so wrong but I have to call them that) floating down to save the kids. From a montage of kisses on film with one just happening to be between two women (oh my god! A protest against homophobic Tory bastards right?!)to the Sex Pistols (Oh my god! An attack on the Monarchy and the establishment filth right?).
It was a celebration of our music and we do it so well that every word, phrase or cord can cut a bastard down! To skip the important musical moments would be stupid, to skip the N.H.S would be stupid, to skip the C.N.D, the second summer of love, the Sex Pistols, any musician that's been done for drugs, Lesbian's kissing, the suffragettes, Pink Floyd, Steve Redgrave, Doctor fucking Who or GOD DAMN IT THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE INTERNET!! To ignore any of these would be gutless and stupid. Danny Boyle is neither of these things.
When the house was lifted and the man that gave us all the very thing we now communicate on was revealed it did not symbolise the greater establishment stealing his house from around him and leaving him destitute! No! It showed a man, a great man, in his house, at his computer, but open to the whole world. He is the man that represents our ability to go anywhere with the touch of a button, read anything, on any subject, to better ourselves or just to make us laugh! He represents a form of modern freedom that we should cherish for what it is. A wonder of the modern world.
Parachutes and super spies, queens willing to partake in the festivities and actors and music gods wanting to be a part of something far bigger than they are. That's right, the Queen is a part of this country but the country is far bigger than just her.
We could be heroes played as the GB Team walked in and its true, they could be! But if you are looking for heroes on that night the final piece of the ceremony showed them to be just that. Seven young athlete's were nominated by seven legends to light the torch. The torch was made up of over 200 metal petals that when ignited were lifted up to form a full flame. The spectacle, the wonder, the emotion and the intention were perfect.
Danny Boyle delivered something truly special that has been cynically twisted to fit a misguided political movement in the worst possible way. Some would say that music is politics, art is politics, love is politics and ultimately life is politics.
I'd just tell them to fuck off.
A political nomad can cut through the filth and see the idiocy of all parties, love none, be blinded by no liar with a crocodile smile and vote without prejudice...but on this night my status allowed me to enjoy an Olympic Opening Ceremony without cynicism and agenda.
I loved it because it did something that I haven't seen in a long time. It was designed, built, acted and directed with one goal; to show people that through all the struggle, fights, sociological leaps and terrible loses endured we are truly a nation that has a lot to be proud of.
The real miracle was that Boyle went out to remind us and the rest of the world how remarkable the British people are, and ultimately, he succeeded.
Going into this Olympic Ceremony I knew Danny Boyle was a director of true brilliance. I knew he had £27,000,000 or so to spend. I knew he was looking at a more personal, toned down celebration than the one that met us in Beijing. After those facts I knew nothing and so I entered the whole ceremony with hope but felt that there was no way it was going to make those big spending Chinese and their thousands of drummers sweat...I was of course dead wrong.
Looking at the stadium covered in grass, people catching apples and being 'simple country folk' I felt the fear, but then came Kenneth Branagh, dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, reciting Shakespeare...how things changed. The Industrial revolution came and transformed our land and in fact the world and the ceremony itself and I was in awe.
I loved it. I loved the whole thing (perhaps not as keen on the Atkinson bit but fuck it right?) and tweeted the whole way through, but then the penny dropped. Some people were here to make a point. No, not Boyle, but tweeters themselves.
As I watched the whole thing became a 'protest against the state', each song analysed for its left wing sensibilities and I felt the horror. The pure, cynical, filthy horror of politics invading a truly masterful piece of art, performance and direction. If someone farted it was in honour of the labour party, if a song was great it was because it was against the 'Tory killing machine', if there was emotion it was raw and working class and from the people, a cry of defiance in the face of a tyrannical lunatic educated at Eton with the express purpose of fucking the country.
Utter bollocks.
As my new stance emerges I look to all the parties and see the corruption, filth and lies that they wallow in. I am a Nomad, moving from party to party as the political wind pushes me. I look not for the party that will do the most good, no, those days are gone, now I look for the ones that are going to do the least damage. This gives me the ability to look beyond Red, Blue or indeed Yellow and Green and see the bad in all. What the hell has that got to do with the amazing opening ceremony? Come closer, for I will key you in son. Ready?
You see what you want to. You interpret what you see. You decide whether what you saw was and is good. You write your own script.
Danny Boyle brought us a story of wonder; the evolution of a country and its people from what we were then to what we are now. He gave us a spectacle that highlighted many moments of change in this countries great history from the Industrial Revolution forward and guess what? Change comes from radical thinking, conviction that drives individuals to inspire whole populations and the inevitable conflict that comes from that new idea coming into contact with the old structured establishment.
Many of those moments came from revolutionaries that were almost certainly Labour orientated in spirit. Some came from technology and the pursuit of money and efficiency and were probably Conservative in drive and some came from injustice confronted and I would stick that happily at the doors of the Liberals. We all worked to bring these changes; establishments need to be able to bow to pressure, the right type of pressure must be exerted by the revolutionary and the population must accept the new status quo.
Look at the ceremony, see the history we created! The music, the innovation, the rights won and the battles that shaped our land. This was a celebration of our struggle up until this point. The N.H.S moment wasn't there to shame Cameron, it was there to show the world we have something amazing and unique and it can be beautiful.
Now the N.H.S is an awesome achievement but guess what? Its not perfect. Anyone that even suggests this is lambasted and called a 'Tory Facist', but that is in essence a feeble defence for such a great institution. Defend the front line staff, defend the success and dedication that largely goes unsung, defend the stressed out nurses who have to cope in the toughest situations, but be aware of the idiocy. I worked for a good while for a hospital renovation building contractor and the amount of money wasted, not by the builders but by the administrators, is nothing short of disgusting.
I was once walked into a I.T dump for the local N.H.S and this very large building was full of old computers, new computers and printers that were simply out of ink and some dickhead decided to just buy another one because they couldn't change the cartridge. It's this crap that needs to change and it needs to change now. The waste. Waste that is systemic in some of the upper management circles.
The N.H.S was shown to the world as a symbol of how great it CAN be and that's what came across; hard working nurses caring for the vulnerable. It made me feel very proud...but you could look at it as a segment showing something we are about to lose! Shame on you Tory scum!!!
No. Sorry. It was a celebration as was all of this great ceremony from the wonder of a massive Voldermort to the spectacle of a 'Nursery' Of Mary Poppinsies (so wrong but I have to call them that) floating down to save the kids. From a montage of kisses on film with one just happening to be between two women (oh my god! A protest against homophobic Tory bastards right?!)to the Sex Pistols (Oh my god! An attack on the Monarchy and the establishment filth right?).
It was a celebration of our music and we do it so well that every word, phrase or cord can cut a bastard down! To skip the important musical moments would be stupid, to skip the N.H.S would be stupid, to skip the C.N.D, the second summer of love, the Sex Pistols, any musician that's been done for drugs, Lesbian's kissing, the suffragettes, Pink Floyd, Steve Redgrave, Doctor fucking Who or GOD DAMN IT THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE INTERNET!! To ignore any of these would be gutless and stupid. Danny Boyle is neither of these things.
When the house was lifted and the man that gave us all the very thing we now communicate on was revealed it did not symbolise the greater establishment stealing his house from around him and leaving him destitute! No! It showed a man, a great man, in his house, at his computer, but open to the whole world. He is the man that represents our ability to go anywhere with the touch of a button, read anything, on any subject, to better ourselves or just to make us laugh! He represents a form of modern freedom that we should cherish for what it is. A wonder of the modern world.
Parachutes and super spies, queens willing to partake in the festivities and actors and music gods wanting to be a part of something far bigger than they are. That's right, the Queen is a part of this country but the country is far bigger than just her.
We could be heroes played as the GB Team walked in and its true, they could be! But if you are looking for heroes on that night the final piece of the ceremony showed them to be just that. Seven young athlete's were nominated by seven legends to light the torch. The torch was made up of over 200 metal petals that when ignited were lifted up to form a full flame. The spectacle, the wonder, the emotion and the intention were perfect.
Danny Boyle delivered something truly special that has been cynically twisted to fit a misguided political movement in the worst possible way. Some would say that music is politics, art is politics, love is politics and ultimately life is politics.
I'd just tell them to fuck off.
A political nomad can cut through the filth and see the idiocy of all parties, love none, be blinded by no liar with a crocodile smile and vote without prejudice...but on this night my status allowed me to enjoy an Olympic Opening Ceremony without cynicism and agenda.
I loved it because it did something that I haven't seen in a long time. It was designed, built, acted and directed with one goal; to show people that through all the struggle, fights, sociological leaps and terrible loses endured we are truly a nation that has a lot to be proud of.
The real miracle was that Boyle went out to remind us and the rest of the world how remarkable the British people are, and ultimately, he succeeded.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Sorry.
I'm having a good time at the moment, it has to be said. I'm looking at a longer spell of work with the private builder, my skill set is expanding, the money's still great and the danger level is low. I have lines to possible paid writing work (very early possible), a new novel is brewing and the feed back from my project last November has been positive but urges me to make 'hard edits.' The fact that I haven't been told to pack it in is great but that I feel I'm developing is even better! My Marvel role-playing game is about to start up once more after a long break and I've been cutting trailers for the individual characters that are all being very well received. All is good....and yet I am feeling guilty.
Years ago we ran with many people, a huge group of drinkers and smokers in fact. Everyone was welcome at the table (okay a few weren't) and we knocked about the pub, footloose and fancy free. Yes, people fell out, there were arguments, there were messy breakups and unfortunate events but for the most part we were young, happy and rat arsed.
In amongst that horde were some very close friends; many I still see and chat with regularly, some I have lost contact with or have moved to different countries, others? Others drifted away for other reasons.
Have you ever clicked with someone on a level so natural it just feels like you've known them forever? They could be any sex, colour, creed or religion, have any accent or dress any way but you just...got each other? Those friendships are special and even more than that they are incredibly rare? Someone you can sit in silence with and read while sharing a packet of fags...but separate books? Someone you love without the messy tangles of sex to fuck it all up?
I hope you have. I hope you held onto that love, that friendship, with all your heart and never let go. I hope you still play five aside football with them and then down three pints before heading home. I hope you meet for coffee and share pictures and maybe even holidays and weddings together. I hope you nurture that love.
Sadly, I didn't. We didn't. Obviously I'm not talking about my wife; an amazing woman who I love with all my heart, no, I'm talking about an old friend who just happened to be of the opposite sex.I friend who drifted away when our lives changed. We were thick as thieves and by god did we run together...but something changed and we just couldn't get each other back. Too much space between us.
Recently I found she is doing much better after a tough time. Things are on the up for her and I was hit by memories that split a smile across my face and stories I could never tell you about what life was like for us, me, her, and the relative few who I would classify as the 'mainstays.' But that smile faded and I felt something entirely unexpected. I felt guilty.
Guilty I wasn't there for her when the times got hard. Guilty I didn't help. Guilty I had allowed these years to be lost and that I hadn't tried to help, pursued our friendship, said something before.
I'm still feeling guilty.
It's weird because I wouldn't have my life any other way bar the obvious adjustments; money, job stability, success, and yet I wish I could have MADE room for this person. I should have. But I didn't.
I'm hoping I can meet her in the coming years and regain my friend. I know logically and realistically that I had to put my time where I did and that investing time with the people I did was the right thing to do...but I can't get this damn monkey off my back.
So here it is. Simple. Straight forward. What I have to say.
I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry I didn't help. I'm sorry I couldn't help. I'm sorry I didn't make the time and I'm sorry we drifted apart.
I know typing this won't make the feeling go and I honestly don't want it to. I want to write to this wonderful, magical person who took me on that ride when we were young and say thank you. I wont say sorry to her straight away. I may feel too self concious or think it will drive her away, so I'll sit on it.
For now a song will do. What else could it be?
Years ago we ran with many people, a huge group of drinkers and smokers in fact. Everyone was welcome at the table (okay a few weren't) and we knocked about the pub, footloose and fancy free. Yes, people fell out, there were arguments, there were messy breakups and unfortunate events but for the most part we were young, happy and rat arsed.
In amongst that horde were some very close friends; many I still see and chat with regularly, some I have lost contact with or have moved to different countries, others? Others drifted away for other reasons.
Have you ever clicked with someone on a level so natural it just feels like you've known them forever? They could be any sex, colour, creed or religion, have any accent or dress any way but you just...got each other? Those friendships are special and even more than that they are incredibly rare? Someone you can sit in silence with and read while sharing a packet of fags...but separate books? Someone you love without the messy tangles of sex to fuck it all up?
I hope you have. I hope you held onto that love, that friendship, with all your heart and never let go. I hope you still play five aside football with them and then down three pints before heading home. I hope you meet for coffee and share pictures and maybe even holidays and weddings together. I hope you nurture that love.
Sadly, I didn't. We didn't. Obviously I'm not talking about my wife; an amazing woman who I love with all my heart, no, I'm talking about an old friend who just happened to be of the opposite sex.I friend who drifted away when our lives changed. We were thick as thieves and by god did we run together...but something changed and we just couldn't get each other back. Too much space between us.
Recently I found she is doing much better after a tough time. Things are on the up for her and I was hit by memories that split a smile across my face and stories I could never tell you about what life was like for us, me, her, and the relative few who I would classify as the 'mainstays.' But that smile faded and I felt something entirely unexpected. I felt guilty.
Guilty I wasn't there for her when the times got hard. Guilty I didn't help. Guilty I had allowed these years to be lost and that I hadn't tried to help, pursued our friendship, said something before.
I'm still feeling guilty.
It's weird because I wouldn't have my life any other way bar the obvious adjustments; money, job stability, success, and yet I wish I could have MADE room for this person. I should have. But I didn't.
I'm hoping I can meet her in the coming years and regain my friend. I know logically and realistically that I had to put my time where I did and that investing time with the people I did was the right thing to do...but I can't get this damn monkey off my back.
So here it is. Simple. Straight forward. What I have to say.
I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry I didn't help. I'm sorry I couldn't help. I'm sorry I didn't make the time and I'm sorry we drifted apart.
I know typing this won't make the feeling go and I honestly don't want it to. I want to write to this wonderful, magical person who took me on that ride when we were young and say thank you. I wont say sorry to her straight away. I may feel too self concious or think it will drive her away, so I'll sit on it.
For now a song will do. What else could it be?
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Marvelous
A quick round up of the comic con is all you get tonight but here it is; Marvel are on the move as they look to expand the cannon of characters they have already unleashed on the silver screen.
First up we have 'Antman' making a run at his own movie and good luck to him. Henry Pym is a complicated character with a vast back story to capitalise on...some of it not as pleasant as the uninitiated might think.
Pym is one of the original Avengers, as Antman, and went on to have a whole wardrobe of names and powers all pretty much based entirely on his 'Pym Particles,' particles that give him the power to control his size, either shrinking or growing. This would probably be his mainstream claim to fame but those that read comics I think will always see Pym as the man that attacked his then wife The Wasp.
This wasn't an act he undertook while controlled by an alien force, or perhaps did only because she was herself possessed, no, Pym was the centre of a domestic violence plot that saw him descend into wife beating and then depression.
Obviously Marvel are not going to send us on a heroic trip around the world with a man who wears a string vest and a punch drunk misses, no, but the fact that this character has this history means Marvel can do what they have always done, deal with issues that need highlighting and bringing into the light.
'Antman' is set to be a lighter hearted spy affair for now, but lets see what comes our way...
Next up we have 'Guardians Of The Galaxy.' What can we expect? Well, I have no idea but I would have thought a good roster of characters, a highly impressive space adventure and of course a way into the Thanos plot, indicated at the end of a certain recent film.
The sequels got a run out and some exciting tit bits of information. Captain America 2 will be called 'Captain America: Winter Soldier,' which is just fantastic news! The Brubaker comics were brilliant and using them as a base for Cap 2 is both logical and exciting. We also have hints that 'The Falcon' will be joining Cap in the movie, great news again!
Thor 2 is now 'Thor: Dark world.' No, I don't know anything about this, that's good! I'm really looking forward to the sequel, hope it can continue to deliver without Sir Ken at the helm and I can't help but be stupidly excited already.
Finally we have Iron Man 3, footage was shown, the suit was unveiled and cast members were confirmed. As thought Sir Ben Kingsley is playing the Mandarin, the plot is following Extremis in some way and Guy Pierce is in as well. Everything looks great for this, especially with Shane Black at the helm!
There's plenty of other news about The Hobbit, Superman and plenty more besides but that can wait for another night. Tonight we are all cashed out.
First up we have 'Antman' making a run at his own movie and good luck to him. Henry Pym is a complicated character with a vast back story to capitalise on...some of it not as pleasant as the uninitiated might think.
Pym is one of the original Avengers, as Antman, and went on to have a whole wardrobe of names and powers all pretty much based entirely on his 'Pym Particles,' particles that give him the power to control his size, either shrinking or growing. This would probably be his mainstream claim to fame but those that read comics I think will always see Pym as the man that attacked his then wife The Wasp.
This wasn't an act he undertook while controlled by an alien force, or perhaps did only because she was herself possessed, no, Pym was the centre of a domestic violence plot that saw him descend into wife beating and then depression.
Obviously Marvel are not going to send us on a heroic trip around the world with a man who wears a string vest and a punch drunk misses, no, but the fact that this character has this history means Marvel can do what they have always done, deal with issues that need highlighting and bringing into the light.
'Antman' is set to be a lighter hearted spy affair for now, but lets see what comes our way...
Next up we have 'Guardians Of The Galaxy.' What can we expect? Well, I have no idea but I would have thought a good roster of characters, a highly impressive space adventure and of course a way into the Thanos plot, indicated at the end of a certain recent film.
The sequels got a run out and some exciting tit bits of information. Captain America 2 will be called 'Captain America: Winter Soldier,' which is just fantastic news! The Brubaker comics were brilliant and using them as a base for Cap 2 is both logical and exciting. We also have hints that 'The Falcon' will be joining Cap in the movie, great news again!
Thor 2 is now 'Thor: Dark world.' No, I don't know anything about this, that's good! I'm really looking forward to the sequel, hope it can continue to deliver without Sir Ken at the helm and I can't help but be stupidly excited already.
Finally we have Iron Man 3, footage was shown, the suit was unveiled and cast members were confirmed. As thought Sir Ben Kingsley is playing the Mandarin, the plot is following Extremis in some way and Guy Pierce is in as well. Everything looks great for this, especially with Shane Black at the helm!
There's plenty of other news about The Hobbit, Superman and plenty more besides but that can wait for another night. Tonight we are all cashed out.
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Governance: Epic Fail.
I'm in a mood. There is no escaping it. It is an entity that I control if I can and normally I do really well...but not this week. This week I've officially had enough. It's not about people in my day to day life; they are lovely, excellent, fabulous people who I can normally negotiate with, no, its the higher level of idiots and bureaucrats that make life for everyone hard.These are the people pissing me off.
In the last two weeks I've been sent a ream of letters from officials from the local county council to the tax office and back again. I even had a doctor's survey sent to me, asking how I found the service in the last year; stupid really as I haven't seen my doctor in two years! They asked me to pay back money while at the same time giving hefty checks and though I appreciate the tax returns knowing what the hell is going on would be so much better.
This got me thinking, thinking about the maze of offices and the myriad of people and pieces of paper that make up my official existence. I thought about it and calculated and thought some more and wondered why I didn't just have all my details, everything about me on one file? One central point of truth; 'EddLand.'
Why was 'Eddland' not possible? Why the hell bother me with all this perishable, losable, environmentally taxing material when they could just email me? Would that work?! For me? Yes. For others? Maybe not.
Digging deeper I was feeling more and more frustrated and then I pushed through and the situation was made crystal clear by my current hinting boss, letting me know that we are mere weeks away from 'Project Complexion.' He's a nice guy, pays well, has never even tried to screw me over (a first in my experience in the building lark) but lets face facts; this guy is not a people person. He's not a chatter and he doesn't have the conflict conversations (excellent) or the conflict resolution conversations. He simply waits for people to see the light. I got the message mate, please stop hinting, when project completes I'm 'down the road.' I got it.
This is something I have known would happen from the very start of my commencing work for him so I am not pissed off about that one ending. I'm pissed off that another one may not be beginning. I'm pissed off that I'm in this ridiculous situation, like nearly three million other people....and that's when I asked the question. Stupid one really but I had to.
Where are all the jobs and how do we get them back?
Screech! Traffic swerves, people dive into piles of cardboard boxes to avoid their oncoming doom, smoke rises from the carnage left in the questions wake. What?! Why is it such a difficult question to answer? Well, its hard because its not one party, one reign of governance, one person or even one problem. So many people have so much to answer for that it makes my brain actually hurt...hence the mood.
We could track this trail of misery back to Cameron, through to Brown, back to Blair, round Major, straight through Thatcher, Kinnock, up the unions, through the Seventies, back to the Germans and the Americans and the whole world if we wanted too. I don't. I'm not going to. I really can't be bothered. I want them all to go to hell and maybe, just maybe, come back again.
What I feel is the real issue is now, not twenty, thirty, forty or even just ten years ago...no, the problem, the issue, the urgency is now! Where are all the jobs? Where is all the gold? Where's all the money? Where is our 'Boom' that we are told will follow this extensive and seemingly never ending 'Bust'? It isn't hiding in the cupboard or under the stairs and its not in my top pocket! Where did we put all those bloody jobs?!
We lost them because we have no industry. It is complicated and yet simple. We export very little/not enough and there is an issue with the way our governors view us as the people. You see, if you are a manager or an executive or basically anyone with a large, robust income then you have done well, but if you have a normal or 'crappy' job then you failed. That's how they see us...and what's worse is that that's how we are urged to see each other.
With over two million people out of work we need a mass of jobs, not amazing jobs that fly around with a cape and no high heels (that one was for regular readers), no, we need a shit load of shit jobs. We need them to be poorly paid to start with and have them upgrade over time. We need them to be unskilled to start with and we need them to be permanent positions which lead to us exporting something. Ships, planes, shit McDonalds toys, sex aids, hearing aids, cereal boxes, Graphene, pharmaceutical bottles, cat trays, filing cabinets, tampons, spider woven body armour, cakes, cabbage patch dolls, knickers, trainers, fire trucks, flame proof coats, dog bicycles...anything! We need this shit that we make to go somewhere so that the normal people, people that don't have jobs at the moment, can earn money, pay tax, grow the economy, pay back our debts, buy fucking big t.v's and eat out.
We need this badly...but we have no direction to go in and no-one from up high who has the vision or the balls to motivate or mobilise us. We have all those idiots to blame and ourselves as well. We shouldn't have lived the life of Reilly, we should have lived with-in our means and yes, we should have taken a step back and asked the governments before this one to shine a torch in the right direction so that we could pick up the rope and drag our country out of this depression.
For me, the road is clear, unpleasant maybe? Yes. But clear. Ready?
We need to level our tax system. Twenty percent across the board...no loopholes. What you get paid is what you pay your tax from. Twenty percent for everyone. No excuses. You'd see far more tax brought in as a result as people would no longer be able to dodge it. Close the rich accountants back doors and make everyone pay the same percentage. Of course we wouldn't all be paying the same, if you are richer you are putting more into the system. If you earn £100,000 a year you are paying £20,000 tax. If your earning £20,000 then your paying £4,000. No matter how you look at it the fat cat is still putting more into the system than the poor labourer but he is actually putting in rather than sending it off shore and cheating the country and its people.
Secondly we look at the corporate tax and we implement a system which WILL give substantial tax breaks if the company employs a lot of people and is actively developing its base and growth in the country. By doing this we encourage companies to invest, to thrive and to do it as they like; at low cost. If you think about it they will still be paying a lot into the country; by paying the work force.
I don't have the answers, but I do feel that vilifying the companies that are going to give the population jobs, eradicating industry, implementing cuts to the vulnerable and blaming the unemployed is not going to do anything other than rush us towards an inevitable doom.
Thanks for reading, I'm tired and so I'm gonna go.
Goodnight.
In the last two weeks I've been sent a ream of letters from officials from the local county council to the tax office and back again. I even had a doctor's survey sent to me, asking how I found the service in the last year; stupid really as I haven't seen my doctor in two years! They asked me to pay back money while at the same time giving hefty checks and though I appreciate the tax returns knowing what the hell is going on would be so much better.
This got me thinking, thinking about the maze of offices and the myriad of people and pieces of paper that make up my official existence. I thought about it and calculated and thought some more and wondered why I didn't just have all my details, everything about me on one file? One central point of truth; 'EddLand.'
Why was 'Eddland' not possible? Why the hell bother me with all this perishable, losable, environmentally taxing material when they could just email me? Would that work?! For me? Yes. For others? Maybe not.
Digging deeper I was feeling more and more frustrated and then I pushed through and the situation was made crystal clear by my current hinting boss, letting me know that we are mere weeks away from 'Project Complexion.' He's a nice guy, pays well, has never even tried to screw me over (a first in my experience in the building lark) but lets face facts; this guy is not a people person. He's not a chatter and he doesn't have the conflict conversations (excellent) or the conflict resolution conversations. He simply waits for people to see the light. I got the message mate, please stop hinting, when project completes I'm 'down the road.' I got it.
This is something I have known would happen from the very start of my commencing work for him so I am not pissed off about that one ending. I'm pissed off that another one may not be beginning. I'm pissed off that I'm in this ridiculous situation, like nearly three million other people....and that's when I asked the question. Stupid one really but I had to.
Where are all the jobs and how do we get them back?
Screech! Traffic swerves, people dive into piles of cardboard boxes to avoid their oncoming doom, smoke rises from the carnage left in the questions wake. What?! Why is it such a difficult question to answer? Well, its hard because its not one party, one reign of governance, one person or even one problem. So many people have so much to answer for that it makes my brain actually hurt...hence the mood.
We could track this trail of misery back to Cameron, through to Brown, back to Blair, round Major, straight through Thatcher, Kinnock, up the unions, through the Seventies, back to the Germans and the Americans and the whole world if we wanted too. I don't. I'm not going to. I really can't be bothered. I want them all to go to hell and maybe, just maybe, come back again.
What I feel is the real issue is now, not twenty, thirty, forty or even just ten years ago...no, the problem, the issue, the urgency is now! Where are all the jobs? Where is all the gold? Where's all the money? Where is our 'Boom' that we are told will follow this extensive and seemingly never ending 'Bust'? It isn't hiding in the cupboard or under the stairs and its not in my top pocket! Where did we put all those bloody jobs?!
We lost them because we have no industry. It is complicated and yet simple. We export very little/not enough and there is an issue with the way our governors view us as the people. You see, if you are a manager or an executive or basically anyone with a large, robust income then you have done well, but if you have a normal or 'crappy' job then you failed. That's how they see us...and what's worse is that that's how we are urged to see each other.
With over two million people out of work we need a mass of jobs, not amazing jobs that fly around with a cape and no high heels (that one was for regular readers), no, we need a shit load of shit jobs. We need them to be poorly paid to start with and have them upgrade over time. We need them to be unskilled to start with and we need them to be permanent positions which lead to us exporting something. Ships, planes, shit McDonalds toys, sex aids, hearing aids, cereal boxes, Graphene, pharmaceutical bottles, cat trays, filing cabinets, tampons, spider woven body armour, cakes, cabbage patch dolls, knickers, trainers, fire trucks, flame proof coats, dog bicycles...anything! We need this shit that we make to go somewhere so that the normal people, people that don't have jobs at the moment, can earn money, pay tax, grow the economy, pay back our debts, buy fucking big t.v's and eat out.
We need this badly...but we have no direction to go in and no-one from up high who has the vision or the balls to motivate or mobilise us. We have all those idiots to blame and ourselves as well. We shouldn't have lived the life of Reilly, we should have lived with-in our means and yes, we should have taken a step back and asked the governments before this one to shine a torch in the right direction so that we could pick up the rope and drag our country out of this depression.
For me, the road is clear, unpleasant maybe? Yes. But clear. Ready?
We need to level our tax system. Twenty percent across the board...no loopholes. What you get paid is what you pay your tax from. Twenty percent for everyone. No excuses. You'd see far more tax brought in as a result as people would no longer be able to dodge it. Close the rich accountants back doors and make everyone pay the same percentage. Of course we wouldn't all be paying the same, if you are richer you are putting more into the system. If you earn £100,000 a year you are paying £20,000 tax. If your earning £20,000 then your paying £4,000. No matter how you look at it the fat cat is still putting more into the system than the poor labourer but he is actually putting in rather than sending it off shore and cheating the country and its people.
Secondly we look at the corporate tax and we implement a system which WILL give substantial tax breaks if the company employs a lot of people and is actively developing its base and growth in the country. By doing this we encourage companies to invest, to thrive and to do it as they like; at low cost. If you think about it they will still be paying a lot into the country; by paying the work force.
I don't have the answers, but I do feel that vilifying the companies that are going to give the population jobs, eradicating industry, implementing cuts to the vulnerable and blaming the unemployed is not going to do anything other than rush us towards an inevitable doom.
Thanks for reading, I'm tired and so I'm gonna go.
Goodnight.
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