spooky_miss | Films 10, 11 and 12, Book Seven

The Boat That Rocked

I love this film!! It didnt get a very good review when it first came out, but I think it's great. Its about a group of radio djs on a pirate radio ship in the North Sea in the 1960s, and a government minister who is trying to get their radio shut down. To be honest the bits with the minister are a bit boring at times - but thats the point really, to show the contrast between the boat and the government. The djs on the boat are great, each one of them has a different character (my favourites are Mark, who doesn't say anything, and Bob, who just loves the music! :) ) and likes different music. There is also Carl, who is sent onto the boat by his mother (it turns out this is to find his father...and I won't say which one of them it is, as I don't want to ruin the story!) . There is an ongoing theme of the guys trying to sleep with girls, but its not done in a particularly crude way, so its ok. The music is excellent and really shows off what might be some of the lesser known bands (to a modern audience) of the 60s. And it includes one of my favourite songs, Elenore! ("You're my pride and joy etc..." :D ) There are no Beatles songs, I assume as it was too expensive to get them for the film, but I don't think that is a bad thing, as they play lots of other great songs. oh! and a terrible bit towards the end, for anyone who loves vinyl! Makes me go "argh!" every time I see it! :) This isn't a particularly deep and meaningful film or anything, its just a fun film, which is great! I give it 9.5/10 (not 10 as the government bits are not as good, haha!)

Pirates of the Caribbean 2 - Dead Man's Chest

I've seen this quite a few times, but this is the one which I can't remember what happens as well as the other two! It does have some funny bits in though. Davy Jones has come to find Jack Sparrow, to get him to honour a debt he has with him. Jack Sparrow has to find Davy Jones' heart, so he can control Davy Jones and doesn't have to go on his ship. Obviously on the way theres lots of adventures, and Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann get involved. Johnny Depp is still great as Jack Sparrow, of course, and the rest of the cast are good too, but maybe the story is a bit confusing, as I can't remember it (and I only watched it this week!) For that reason I'll only give it 6/10.

The Devil's Advocate

Starring Keanu Reeves as a lawyer who has never lost a case, I thought this was just going to be another lawyer drama, but it is quite good. He is a very good lawyer, and gets headhunted to work for a big lawyers firm in New York. He moves there with his wife, and they get a big apartment and he has a big salary, but theres just something not right. His wife is unhappy because he is working all the time and never sees her, and the cases he takes on become more and more corrupt. Gradually his wife goes mad, and he doesnt know what to do with her. Eventually his wife kills herself, and his mother, who is very religious, ends up telling Keanu that his father is the owner of the law firm, played by Al Pacino, and that is why he got the job. And then..it turns out that he (Al Pacino) is actually the devil, and he wanted his son to take over the firm / devil duties! Keanu says no, as he realises that what happened to his wife has made him not want to be such a hotshot lawyer any more, and he should have paid more attention to her. So then at the end...well I won't tell you what happens, but it is a good ending. Better than I thought it would be! so 7/10 :)

Book Seven - Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger

JD Salinger died this week, age 91, so I thought I'd read Catcher in the Rye again, as everyone seems to think its amazing book, a brilliant commentary on youth and all that, but I just didn't get that at all when I last read it. And no, I didn't get it this time either! It is well written, an interesting read, but there is nothing that jumps off the page at me as being so deep and meaningful as most people seem to think it is. I don't care much for Holden Caulfield, so although I am interested in him and his activities on a superficial level, to see how they turn out, theres nothing deeper than that, and I don't take anything away from reading the book. Its not like things like 1984 and War of the Worlds, where the ideas and the story just jump off the page at you, its just a story about a boy who leaves school and goes to New York for a few days. So, although it is a good story, and I would recommend it, everyone's raving and expectations of it makes it feel less good than it is, I think. So I'd only give it 5/10.

This weekend was nice and relaxing (well until Sunday morning, haha!) so didn't really do much. Tidied out some bits of my bedroom on Saturday and found seven pairs of headphones that only worked on one earphone, haha. They look useful for some kind of craft or cyber project though, so I don't want to throw them away. Also found a working cd walkman, and tape walkman, and lots of batteries for them, so thats great! I didn't know I still had my tape player :D And found the computer cable and instructions for my phone, so I now have a new ringtone and message tone on my phone, as I put some more songs on there. However no one has called me, or text me when I could hear it, yet, so not sure I'll remember I've changed it, haha.

It was the "Rock Night Promotions" band night on Saturday night at the Beehive. The first band wasn't too great, just a normal generic "local band", i.e. not that good. But then Nadir Rising played, and they were excellent, as usual! They finished with a cover of "One Vision" by Queen as well, so that was great :) Same as normal with the people there, though Emma and Nick were there and I talked to them a bit, which was really nice, haven't seen them for ages.

Sunday was quite eventful, really! First I got up early to watch the final of the Australian Open - argh so nailbiting, especially at the end!! It was between Andy Murray and (of course) Roger Federer - and although he did beat Murray in 3 sets, the last one went to a tiebreak which went on for a while (ended up 13-11 I think) and it was increasingly clear that Murray is quite evenly matched with Federer, there were some shots that Federer didnt get, which he would of had he been playing a player who wasn't as good. Murray will win the Grand Slams he deserves - he just needs to get over the hurdle of beating someone who has been in 19 grand slam finals! Hopefully at Wimbledon Murray will do it! :)

In the afternoon we went to a Antique and Collectors Fair in Berkhamstead, which was good. There were quite a few nice Royal things I wanted to buy, but unfortunately as I've got so much commemorative stuff from 1953 - present, I want things which are earlier - but they're so expensive! Even the unusual stuff from the Silver Jubilee and the Coronation is quite a lot too - there were some lovely pin badges, but the stall holder wanted £10 each for them! I also saw a great looking commemorative brochure for when King Edward VII opened Shenley Mental Asylum - unfortunately it was £65, but I would love something like that, thats my two interests in one item! :) There was also a Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Commemorative plate for only £10!! but looking closer at it, it was smashed to pieces (in about 6 or 7 pieces!) and had been glued together again, so I didn't buy it. In the end I just got some Silver Jubilee ribbon :D

So all in all, a quite good weekend. Would have liked to have gone out to do some dancing at some point...but I'll save that all for 13th February and Assemblage 23 :)