Seeking Xanadu

My brother got married

M & I headed down to Devon for a long weekend. We had no idea what to expect from my brothers wedding. It turned out that since it was a gorgeous day and there was a mix of people either in suits of in full biker leathers and club colours and a hog roast there was a delightful small festival sort of vibe. The whole thing was really good fun, everyone was lovely and most people mixed well.
The bride and groom couldn't have looked more pleased with themselves which was wonderful because I remember how that feels and i am pretty close to my brother really.
Oh and my sister and I got a ride on the Trike. the lovely driver hung around for ages taking people out for a short spin on her cool machine. I got a welsh flag painted on my face too since Piers married a welsh girl and the bikers are all Welsh Coast
M & my pics are all here 

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

the latest movie trip was for harry potter. I was unsure about this one, especially after the last one was dreadful.
It was entertaining, although I got a bit fed up of Radcliffe's jaw clench expression which apparently is the only one he has for intense, or angry, or concerned. The guy who plays Weasley is much more subtle as an actor and has perfect comic timing.
Also, Giny is now taller than Harry *snigger*.
Anyway, otherwise, life is sweet, book blogging is keeping me busy.
Loves ya.

Drag me To Hell

Ok, I remember when I first saw the Raimi creation that was Evil Dead I was jumping every few moments and laughing hard a number of times. It's a peculiar blend of jumpy, genuinely creepy and kinda funny that became a bit sillier as the movies progressed. Bruce Campbell was wonderful as the unhinged Ash and Raimi made the clear statement that he didn't do happy endings with those films.

So roll forwa to 2009 and Sam and Ivan Raimi get to write and direct another horror. These guys have not grown up at all. The budget may have been better but the same balance of brilliantly creepy and schlocky hilarious horror that marked the Evil Dead films as cult classics is present here in spades.

I spent the whole time in knuckle biting tension and laughed so hard I cried. The fight scene in the car is brilliant.
Alison Lohman as Christine Brown was a brilliant replacement for Campbell, playing the part with amazing subtlety to bring you to just the right place emotionally for the end of the film. I can't help feeling that the wrong casting for this role would have been a disaster and I am very glad the part ended up with Lohman.

Some of the effects and events were almost straight from Evil Dead and it would be deeply offensive to gypsy's if it weren't so over the top. I really hope we see more of the style that made Raimi's name back on the screen and I hope we see a great deal more of Lohman in these tough rol

grrr snarl

I hate children. They have homes and nice gardens and a great park and the village green and all sorts of places to go and play, but no they hang out in a pack on the close being insanely loud and making me nuts. aaaargh. and the cat keeps farting at me.

Two Gentlemen Play the Pops

M and I went to the pub in the village last night for a couple of pints with some mates. We'd forgotten the band was playing and it's usually busy for these guys. Everyone must have been tied up at the wedding or something because the pub remained quiet, which is how M & I prefer it. None the less the boys put on a great set for all ten of us and we had a fantastic time. An unexpectedly delightful evening. M & I have always been a bit dubious as to what kind of cover set two blokes with a drum set, an acoustic guitar and a kazoo could manage but they are both extremely good and very entertaining.

Does anyone remember Brimstone?

other than me and Caitlin Kittredge.
It was a TV series based around the Devil (dude on the left) and a cop who died and went to hell because of a vengeance killing (he murdered his wife's rapist). Although Stone (the cop) went to hell he was basically a good guy who let his emotions get the best of him and when some evil souls break out of hell he is sent out to round them up. The tattoos represent the names of the escaped souls and one disappears every time  he send a soul back. It's kind of like Reaper but more adult and not funny. I loved it and was gutted when it was cancelled.
I'd like to see this one brought back, along with Firefly and Reaper.

What would you like to see resurrected?

I love London

I was in London yesterday and I love that city! I was there to interview AMP Mills who wrote the very witty Hell Bent on Success. Some notes on the interview are here and the audio file itself will be going up soon.

You should check it out, I had a hoot and also got to meet up with an old online pal.

This is me paying attention.

And our charming host,amused by something. Of course we were amused by lots of things so I can't guess which.

Marc, from the peanut gallery, also our photographer for the day.

 

 

Now go see the rest of it.

phasing out

Hi folks, just to let you now, I am paid up for about 10 more months on this blog, but over the next year I will be phasing out. I will probably maintain a blogger blog just for the occasional post. My time is going into Un:Bound more and more and that seems set to continue. I hope some of you will visit me there www.unboundblogzine.com and I will link to blogger when the time comes. For the next few months I will continue to post occasionally here and hope to transfer your blogs to a new home so I can keep up with your goings on.

Ravenous Romance Blog Tour

Hi folks, if you hop on over to Un:Bound you can join in the fun of the Ravenous Romance blog tour, oh and mock me for my uselessness. Thank fully I have my very own cyber hero to rescue me from time zone cockups.

http://hagelrat.blogspot.com/2009/04/bus-is-fixed-ravenous-romance-ornery.html

go on, it's fun.

Change

As in .. I felt like one. Un:Bound is pretty much dictated by my gorgeous logo (thanks Andy) so the change is here. I like the bright new template.