So for the record, it is a funny joke to sign someone's pseudonym up to the electoral register. It is not a funny joke for that person to then register you as a volunteer for the Green Party. Touche indeed, but not the end of that saga.

It's been a busy few weeks. I'm pretty happen to have the shortest day behind us - I'm sure more meaningful updates will resume shortly. Until then, here is the recent viewing list...

Be Kind Rewind (2008) - Michel Gondry makes must see cinema and with this film he has brought to screen a clever homage to the act of film making itself. While not everything works in this Jack Black lead comedy - it is creative in every sense.   Recommended

Stripes (1981) - Bill Murray and Harold Ramis play a couple of life's drop outs who enter the army in this Ivan Reitman directed cult comedy from the early eighties. It's not particularly funny anymore, or cleverly written, but does showcase some great actors early in their careers.   Average

Sex and the City (2008) - Putting aside the shallow and vulgar nature of characters, the film itself is disjointed and plotless. I would like to give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it is a deliberate portrayal of the emptiness of materialism - but I don't know that this occurred to the writers.   Average

The Accidental Tourist (1988) - The Lawrence Kasdan stylings are very much of the eighties - twenty years on this approach comes of as being both artificial and melodramatic.   Average

Venus (2006) - One of the more interesting British films I have seen lately. Peter O'Tool is great playing a veteran actor and his encounter with a teenage girl in a Pygmalion type story.   Recommended

Kung Fu Panda (2008) - Solidly entertaining animated martial arts comedy. The door is open for a far superior sequel - it's a franchise with plenty of potential.   Recommended

Death Proof (2007) - Tarantino's latest has all the dialogue and style you would expect. I still got that cultural cringe anytime Zoe Bell (as herself) was on screen, but nothing I couldn't overlook.   Recommended

Domino (2005) - Tony Scott goes so far over the top in a style over substance action film that the result is almost incomprehensible. I'm not a Keira Knightley hater, but this was the most annoying narration I have ever heard in a film.   Avoid

The Professionals (1966) - Good pacing, action and comedy balance make this one of the all time great westerns. Everything I love about the genre.   Recommended

Best New Music in 2008 (The first half...)

I know for a lot of people the debut album from Vampire Weekend will feature high on their list of musical discoveries for 2008. I haven't quite been able to connect to that bouncy alt. rock but there are plenty of other great releases from the first half of the year.

In The Future - Black Mountain
Their self titled debut album from 2005 somehow slipped by my rader, but this followup of rousing indie rock already has me checking back for more. Watch for this one on end of year lists.

Third - Portishead
After 11 years Portishead return, still relevant and original, with everything we have waited so long to hear again.

Attack and Release - The Black Keys
I've never really gotten into The Black Keys, but this seems to be a change of direction with an almost Gorrilaz like sound at the hands of producer Danger Mouse.

The Age of the Understatement - The Last Shadow Puppets
I really don't like Arctic Monkeys, but the side project from Alex Turner and the Rascals' Miles Kane, known as The Last Shadow Puppets, is some nice indie rock. With a late-'60s/early-'70s sound, it's been described as a Scott Walker and David Bowie-inspired collaboration.

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and company return to the big sound for their 14th album - it's a continuation of brilliant form.

Volume One - She & Him
Country-folk artist M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel assemble some simple melodies with great hooks.


Also worth a listen...

Devotion - Beach House
Dreamy and disembodied indie rock.

Changing Of The Seasons - Ane Brun
Wistful songs from Norwegian singer/songwriter.

Halfway To Fivepoints - Anna Ternheim
Follow up album of great piano-driven songs from Swedish singer/songwriter.

Mountain Battles - The Breeders
This Steve Albini produced fourth album from The Breeders may actually be their best work.

Just A Little Lovin' - Shelby Lynne
Not for everyone, but some beautiful covers that pay homage to the late Dusty Springfield.

13 Blues for Thirteen Moons - Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band
Still putting out that cathartic experimental artistic expression.

19 - Adele
Proclaimed as the next Amy Winehouse.

The Hungry Saw - Tindersticks
Tindersticks continue a prolific run of music, this may well be their best. For fans, this one will not disappoint.

In Ghost Colours - Cut Copy
Still getting into this one, but looks to be a rewarding listen.

Jukebox - Cat Power
A continuation of Chan Marshall's introspective Southern-bred indie rock.

Rockferry - Duffy
Great voice - and then there's those Bernard Butler influenced grandiose string-laden ballads.

Seventh Tree - Goldfrapp
Worth a mention, though not as innovative as earlier efforts.


Finally, a note about the best albums of 2007 - when I went through and picked out my favourites for the year I discovered that despite some great releases, none of them met my criteria for being "Essential". Since then I have discovered what I now believe to be my favourite album of 2007 - so for those catching up, go forth and check out Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. It's a gem.

In The Shadow of the Moon (2007) - Remarkable documentary featuring surviving crew members from NASA's Apollo missions telling their story in their own words.   Recommended

El Cid (1961) - Clocking in at over three hours this epic tale of Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz (Charlton Heston), still comes of pretty well despite the years. A great example of how Hollywood epics were once made.   Recommended

¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!! (What Have I Done To Deserve This) (1984) - I'm still to find a film from Almodóvar that I didn't like. He captures life like no other director - and in this instance a dysfunctional family in Madrid that descend into an absurd situation comedy.   Recommended

A Passage to India (1984) - The great David Lean's last film deals with colonization in India in the early 1920s. It falls short when attempting to evoke the mood and tension that are required - and you really feel every minute of the 163min runtime.   Average

21 (2008) - This film is a complete mess. Supposedly a fact-based story about six MIT students who got rich off card counting. A documentary would have been far more engaging than this contrived offering.   Avoid

Lucky Number Slevin (2006) - This is a great little revenge flick with a big cast. But it's flawed, and a few of the cast bring baggage that ultimately drags down the overall effect. Still worth a look though.   Recommended

Just the film log this week. With Queen's Birthday weekend coming up I promise to post something a little more interesting in the next edition!

Eastern Promises (2007) - David Cronenberg continues his run of well crafted films that encapsulate his unique vision. This time a tale of Russian organized crime in London with Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts in lead.   Recommended

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) - Like its three predecessors - it's all just contrived nonsense, but the action pulls you along and this time around the FX and action sequences take a big step up. There is a lot packed in, but the real reason to watch is simply to see the saga continue.   Recommended

Horton Hears a Who! (2008) - Captures the spirit and good humour of the Dr. Seuss book and one of the better films in the genre to come along in the past few years.   Recommended

Waitress (2007) - OK, so I only watched this because Keri Russell has some strange appeal to me (I'm not alone on this). But this is a fun, quirky, and easy watching drama/comedy. All that, and I like pie.   Recommended

Exils (2004) - A road movie from French writer/director Tony Gatlif captuiring a couple returning to their parents birthplace in Algeria. Nicely shot, but not enough to keep me fully engaged.   Average

Bloody Sunday (2002) - Director Paul Greengrass had a career breakthrough with this film dramatization of the Irish civil rights protest march on January 30, 1972. Shot without sentimentality and rendered in handheld documentary style that creates a genuine sense of realism.   Recommended

So much for having more spare time over winter. I haven't had a quiet night at home in over two weeks. So this week it's just the recent viewing list, while I cram for my Spanish test next week.

I'm thinking I need to put up a list of some of the better albums of this year that I have discovered (many through Muxtape). Any reader suggestions welcome - just comment or email them through.

Iron Man (2008) - Robert Downey Jr. plays an unlikely action hero in a film that is a one of the better comic adaptations in recent years. You have to overlook a lot of unimaginative script diversions and formulaic stereotypes, but for the most part it is worth the ride.   Recommended

Dirty Pretty Things (2002) - A modern social commentary that explores the dark side of London's underground. Great ensemble cast and surreal atmosphere.   Recommended

Rush Hour 3 (2007) - I don't actually recall having seen the first two, but regardless this is just an average, altogether predictable and forgettable action film.   Avoid

Mon meilleur ami (My Best Friend) (2006) - The reassuring French formula for comic drama is once again on display with Daniel Auteuil as lead. This effort is light but plenty entertaining.   Average

The Hottie and the Nottie (2008) - I had to see this for myself, and as suspected this is the film that exposes the IMDb rating system to be a farce. Within the genres she operates, Paris Hilton is actually an above average actor. This is not as bad as the last couple of terrible comedies I have seen such as Shrek 3 or Blades of Glory.   Average

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) - I don't think Brad Pitt has enough screen presence to fully pull off this role. In all other aspects this is a very engaging historical epic.   Recommended

Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006) - I like the concept - an afterlife for people who have committed suicide. It gets a little too absurdist by the end but I give it a recommendation for originality in the black comedy genre.   Recommended

The Painted Veil (2006) - By all accounts this is the best of the three versions of this "unhappily every after" story that have been committed to film. This remake, with Norton and Watts as leading couple, may well be a flawed epic but still presents a stirring portrayal of redemption.   Recommended

Nine documentaries in seven days. While researching some of these films I came across a reviewer that gave star ratings based on a curiously original concept:

***** Saturday Night
**** Friday Night
*** Friday Morning
** Sunday Night
* Monday Morning

I like the way the criteria captures the essence of film viewing by putting it in the context of your lifestyle.

Sicko (2007) - Michael Moore's attempt to indict the American healthcare system using his standard bag of tricks by revealing only facts that support his stance. There is an embarrassing lack of balance, many awkward scenes of manipulation, and no real solution offered.   Average

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) - This is what happens when compulsive behavior grows into a community, Donkey Kong is added, and rivalry is amplified. The portrayal of Billy Mitchell has made him one of the all time great cinema villains.   Recommended

Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience (2007) - A collection of Iraq war experiences - some told through animation, others by film or still photos. There are some great pieces here, and although the whole does not give the fresh insight it might have been hoping for, it does shed light on the soldier experience with integrity.   Recommended

Jesus Camp (2006) - A jawdropping exposé on an evangelical summer camp for kids in Colorado. Knowing what we now know about Ted Haggard makes this all the more disturbing. So many great quotes: "At five I got saved because I just wanted more out of life."   Recommended

Helvetica (2007) - This was a bit of a let down for me. I love typography, but Helvetica loses its direction very quickly and becomes an exercise in self indulgence by not bridging the gap to an audience outside of the design industry.   Average

No End In Sight (2007) - I'm on the verge of Middle East documentary fatigue - but they have all been brilliant and unlike Michael Moore, they seek honesty and truth. This one, narrated by Campbell Scott, traces the decisions and incompetences that have lead to failures in the war against terrorism.   Recommended

Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (2004) - The story of Zana Briski's attempt to both document and help some of the children in Calcutta's red light district. I feel bad saying this because everyone was better off for her efforts, but I frequently had the uncomfortable feeling that she was taking advantage of these children.   Average

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) - Alex Gibney's Oscar winning doco from 2007 takes an up close look at the torture that went on in Afghanistan, and in particular the series of events that lead to an innocent taxi driver killed in 2002.   Recommended

The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) - A look at the post-Beatles Lennon as he becomes a New York citizen and antiwar protester. Where this documentary fails is in the selective (read: positive bias) nature of the facts about his life that are revealed. The portrait of the man is less interesting that he backdrop of the vietnam war, but at least the music is first class.   Average