A film about a great Hero of our age
It makes me truly humble
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Die Hard
Die Hard (1988), it's not the best film ever made, it doesn't have the best plot or performances, but it is without doubt my favourite ever film. The story is simple, John McClaine (Bruce Willis) has to defeat a group of terrorists who have taken a group of hostages, including his wife, in an office block, but it's the humour and relentless action that drive the film forward and make it so enjoyable.
It's regularly repeated on terrestrial of satellite TV these days and it's one of the few films that I can watch again and again and still get the same sense of involvement and satisfaction.
The series has now spawned three further sequels which sadly demonstrate the law of diminishing returns, the second is a good films but not up to the standard of the first movie, and the third and fourth fall well short.
But Die Hard, and Bruce Willis, will always have a place in my own personal Hall of Fame.
It's regularly repeated on terrestrial of satellite TV these days and it's one of the few films that I can watch again and again and still get the same sense of involvement and satisfaction.
The series has now spawned three further sequels which sadly demonstrate the law of diminishing returns, the second is a good films but not up to the standard of the first movie, and the third and fourth fall well short.
But Die Hard, and Bruce Willis, will always have a place in my own personal Hall of Fame.
See the Northern Lights
In December 2007 I went to Reykjavik in Iceland, Suz had some Airmiles that needed using up so, knowing that No. 1 on my list of Things to Do Before I'm Fifty was to see the Northern Lights we decided to head up to the Arctic Circle.
We were warned that Reykjavik in December is cold, and expensive at any time of year and I can confirm that both of those are true, I can't remember the last time I was that cold. We decided to minimise the expense by renting an apartment rather than staying in a hotel which meant we weren't totally reliant on eating out all the time (hugely expensive) and we could spend our money on some excursions.
Firstly, Reykjavik is a great place to visit. Not particularly attractive from an architectural point of view but quirky and charming and small enough to walk around without needing to rely on public transport. The bars are warm and welcoming (if pricey) and the food is good quality, providing you stay away from the traditional Icelandic dishes which would test the appetite of the most determined foodie. Nearly everyone speaks English and they were without exception friendly and helpful.
The real attraction of visiting Iceland is the landscape. Iceland is mostly volcanic and the environment this has spawned is in part desolate and harsh (it has been used in the past to prepare astronauts of moon visits) and in part beautiful and dramatic. We didn't venture to far out of Reykjavik but if I ever gtt a chance it visit I would love to do the Golden Circle Tour which visits some of the real natural attractions the country has to offer.
We did visit the Hot springs which is a fabulous experience, the 10 second walk from the warm changing rooms to the springs is possibly the single coldest experience of my life, but the springs themselves were lovely and warm and sitting outside in the hot water watching the steam rise while ice crystals formed on my eye lashes was a great experience.
On our penultimate night we went on a visit to see the Northern Lights, we had been warned that there was no guarantee that we would see them and I'm sorry to say that, whilst we did experience them, the slight green smear that arced above us didn't live up to the expectation and I'd have to say that seeing the Northern Lights remains on my things to do list. Call me picky but what I really want is the kaleidoscopic spectacular I've seen in the pictures.
That said, I proposed to Suz while we were there under the lights and she said yes, so whichever way we look back on it it will still go down as one of the most memorable nights of my life.
We were warned that Reykjavik in December is cold, and expensive at any time of year and I can confirm that both of those are true, I can't remember the last time I was that cold. We decided to minimise the expense by renting an apartment rather than staying in a hotel which meant we weren't totally reliant on eating out all the time (hugely expensive) and we could spend our money on some excursions.
Firstly, Reykjavik is a great place to visit. Not particularly attractive from an architectural point of view but quirky and charming and small enough to walk around without needing to rely on public transport. The bars are warm and welcoming (if pricey) and the food is good quality, providing you stay away from the traditional Icelandic dishes which would test the appetite of the most determined foodie. Nearly everyone speaks English and they were without exception friendly and helpful.
The real attraction of visiting Iceland is the landscape. Iceland is mostly volcanic and the environment this has spawned is in part desolate and harsh (it has been used in the past to prepare astronauts of moon visits) and in part beautiful and dramatic. We didn't venture to far out of Reykjavik but if I ever gtt a chance it visit I would love to do the Golden Circle Tour which visits some of the real natural attractions the country has to offer.
We did visit the Hot springs which is a fabulous experience, the 10 second walk from the warm changing rooms to the springs is possibly the single coldest experience of my life, but the springs themselves were lovely and warm and sitting outside in the hot water watching the steam rise while ice crystals formed on my eye lashes was a great experience.
On our penultimate night we went on a visit to see the Northern Lights, we had been warned that there was no guarantee that we would see them and I'm sorry to say that, whilst we did experience them, the slight green smear that arced above us didn't live up to the expectation and I'd have to say that seeing the Northern Lights remains on my things to do list. Call me picky but what I really want is the kaleidoscopic spectacular I've seen in the pictures.
That said, I proposed to Suz while we were there under the lights and she said yes, so whichever way we look back on it it will still go down as one of the most memorable nights of my life.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Forty Favourite films
A list of my forty favourite films. There are also links to pages which list my favourite things; things to do, books, television programmes, songs, art & architecture. All in groups of forty, of course.
1. Die Hard Trilogy
2. Ghostbusters
3. Zulu
4. Star Wars
5. Orlando
6. Sixth Sense
7. Casablanca
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark
9. It'’s a Wonderful Life
10. Dr No
11. Usual Suspects
12. Groundhog Day
13. LA Story
14. A Bout de Souffle
15. Duck Soup
16. Sin City
17. Citizen Kane
18. Field of Dreams
19. Grease
20. The Maltese Falcon
21. Inherit The Wind
22. 12 Angry Men
23. The Untouchables
24. Pulp Fiction
25. Amelie
26. The Italian Job (1969)
27. The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935)
28. Aliens
29. Road to Bali
30. The Great Escape
31. Batman Begins
32. The Big Sleep
33. Finding Nemo
34. The Incredibles
35. The Man Who Would Be King
36. The Princess Bride
37. Back to the Future
38. Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
39. The Day the Earth Stood Still
40. Toy Story
1. Die Hard Trilogy
2. Ghostbusters
3. Zulu
4. Star Wars
5. Orlando
6. Sixth Sense
7. Casablanca
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark
9. It'’s a Wonderful Life
10. Dr No
11. Usual Suspects
12. Groundhog Day
13. LA Story
14. A Bout de Souffle
15. Duck Soup
16. Sin City
17. Citizen Kane
18. Field of Dreams
19. Grease
20. The Maltese Falcon
21. Inherit The Wind
22. 12 Angry Men
23. The Untouchables
24. Pulp Fiction
25. Amelie
26. The Italian Job (1969)
27. The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935)
28. Aliens
29. Road to Bali
30. The Great Escape
31. Batman Begins
32. The Big Sleep
33. Finding Nemo
34. The Incredibles
35. The Man Who Would Be King
36. The Princess Bride
37. Back to the Future
38. Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
39. The Day the Earth Stood Still
40. Toy Story
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Forty Favourite Books
A list of my forty favourite books. I'll be adding songs, art & architecture and anything else that takes my fancy. All in groups of forty, of course.
1. Time Travellers Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
2. The Discworld Series - Terry Pratchett
3. The Rebus Novels - Ian Rankin
4. The Northern Lights Trilogy – Phillip Pullman
5. Daredevil: Born Again - Miller & Mazzucchelli
6. Songlines – Bruce Chatwin
7. The Long Goodbye - Raymond Chandler
8. Real Fast Food – Nigel Slater
9. Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
10. Jack Maggs – Peter Carey
11. New York Trilogy – Paul Auster
12. To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
13. Fermats Last Theorum – Simon Singh
14. Tales of the City – Armistead Maupin
15. Postsecret - Frank Warren
16. Storm Damage – Brian Patten
17. Batman: Dark Knight Returns - Miller & Janson
18. Jack Magazine (IFG)
19. Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson
20. Pre-History of the Far Side – Gary Larson
21. Hello I Must Be Going - Charlotte Chandler
22. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
23. Oscar & Lucinda – Peter Carey
24. In Patagonia – Bruce Chatwin
25. Thursday Next Series - Jesper Fforde
26. Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell
27. iCreate Magazine (Imagine Publishing)
28. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
29. Collected Poems – WB Yeats
30. Crow Road – Iain Banks
31. Long Dark Teatime of the Soul – Douglas Adams
32. Fever Pitch – Nick Hornby
33. The Code Book – Simon Singh
34. Perfect Storm – Sebastian Junger
35. Dilbert Books & Strips – Scott Adams
36. The Long Firm – Jake Arnott
37. Bonfire of the Vanities – Tom Wolfe
38. Knights of Pendragon - Abnett, Tomlinson & Erskine,
39. Collected Poems – Phillip Larkin
40. Left Foot Forward – Garry Nelson
1. Time Travellers Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
2. The Discworld Series - Terry Pratchett
3. The Rebus Novels - Ian Rankin
4. The Northern Lights Trilogy – Phillip Pullman
5. Daredevil: Born Again - Miller & Mazzucchelli
6. Songlines – Bruce Chatwin
7. The Long Goodbye - Raymond Chandler
8. Real Fast Food – Nigel Slater
9. Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
10. Jack Maggs – Peter Carey
11. New York Trilogy – Paul Auster
12. To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
13. Fermats Last Theorum – Simon Singh
14. Tales of the City – Armistead Maupin
15. Postsecret - Frank Warren
16. Storm Damage – Brian Patten
17. Batman: Dark Knight Returns - Miller & Janson
18. Jack Magazine (IFG)
19. Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson
20. Pre-History of the Far Side – Gary Larson
21. Hello I Must Be Going - Charlotte Chandler
22. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
23. Oscar & Lucinda – Peter Carey
24. In Patagonia – Bruce Chatwin
25. Thursday Next Series - Jesper Fforde
26. Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell
27. iCreate Magazine (Imagine Publishing)
28. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
29. Collected Poems – WB Yeats
30. Crow Road – Iain Banks
31. Long Dark Teatime of the Soul – Douglas Adams
32. Fever Pitch – Nick Hornby
33. The Code Book – Simon Singh
34. Perfect Storm – Sebastian Junger
35. Dilbert Books & Strips – Scott Adams
36. The Long Firm – Jake Arnott
37. Bonfire of the Vanities – Tom Wolfe
38. Knights of Pendragon - Abnett, Tomlinson & Erskine,
39. Collected Poems – Phillip Larkin
40. Left Foot Forward – Garry Nelson
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Forty Things I want to do Before I'm Fifty!
1. See the Northern Lights
2. See a leopard in the wild
3. Visit Barcelona
4. Play in the World Series of Poker
5. Stand on a glacier
6. Have something I've written published or performed
7. Go back on stage
8. Climb a mountain
9. Spend a night in a tent
10. Run in a 5K race
11. Cook Christmas dinner
12. Give up smoking
13. Visit Tokyo
14. Own a Paul Smith suit
15. See Villa play at Wembley
16. Watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy
17. Try the tasting menu at the Fat Duck
18. Visit Moscow
19. Learn to use (and like) linux
20. Make my own sloe gin
21. Invent a new word
22. Learn a magic trick
23. Go scuba diving
24. Watch an opera
25. Learn to play a tune on an instrument
26. Get a degree
27. See whales in the wild
28. Raise over £5000 for charity
29. Fly a plane
30. Take more pictures
31. Visit my grandfathers grave
32. Stop biting my nails
33. Eat olives in the country in which they're grown
34. Visit Hadrians Wall
35. Keep bees
36. Play in a baseball match
37. Go regularly to the gym
38, Invent a new cocktail
39. Sail across the English Channel
40. Own a gold sovereign from every year since I was born
2. See a leopard in the wild
3. Visit Barcelona
4. Play in the World Series of Poker
5. Stand on a glacier
6. Have something I've written published or performed
7. Go back on stage
8. Climb a mountain
9. Spend a night in a tent
10. Run in a 5K race
11. Cook Christmas dinner
12. Give up smoking
13. Visit Tokyo
14. Own a Paul Smith suit
15. See Villa play at Wembley
16. Watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy
17. Try the tasting menu at the Fat Duck
18. Visit Moscow
19. Learn to use (and like) linux
20. Make my own sloe gin
21. Invent a new word
22. Learn a magic trick
23. Go scuba diving
24. Watch an opera
25. Learn to play a tune on an instrument
26. Get a degree
27. See whales in the wild
28. Raise over £5000 for charity
29. Fly a plane
30. Take more pictures
31. Visit my grandfathers grave
32. Stop biting my nails
33. Eat olives in the country in which they're grown
34. Visit Hadrians Wall
35. Keep bees
36. Play in a baseball match
37. Go regularly to the gym
38, Invent a new cocktail
39. Sail across the English Channel
40. Own a gold sovereign from every year since I was born
Forty Forty
Forty Forty is about the best thing ever... well, the best things ever... actually, the forty best things ever. All in an easy-to-read list for you to nod along to.
It goes without saying that all of the items featured are solely my opinion. Feel free to agree or disagree, just don't expect me to go along with your mad opinions.
It goes without saying that all of the items featured are solely my opinion. Feel free to agree or disagree, just don't expect me to go along with your mad opinions.
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