Chico & Rita

Bhutan by National Geographic

The Art of District 9

I meant to write about this film ages ago, but now this book has come out revealing some of the concepts and designs behind it, I see it as a valid opportunity to showcase it's brilliance.

A must-buy on DVD. Might even get the book.

Wood Church, Greenland

In Town

'Down and Out in Paris and London'

By George Orwell.

I really like this book.
As old as it is, and is irrelevant the content of it seems, there is a real warmth to it, a light-hearted and almost laughable look at poverty and lower-class survival.

Orwell's ability to paint vivid images from his words really comes into it's own here, but in a totally different way to that of '1984'. He almost adopts a totally different style of writing, not just because it makes more sense in this alternate perspective, but because he is less telling a story, and more elaborating a recount.

Another look into a brilliant literary mind, if an unexpected one.

The Hill of the Crosses

Although I myself am quite the atheist, I have to admit that I am sometimes fascinated by religious imagery. This really struck me though, as a testament to mass human reliance on a thing like religion. A flood, almost.

The cross used as a symbol of someone's personal belief, this structure represents an almost over-saturated view of Christianity. It almost gives a lost, desperate sense to what it is supposed to represent, and reminds me in a way of something post-apocalyptic - when there is nothing left, what else is there to do but put thousands of crosses on an ordinary mound and hope for the best.

App Saturation

Turnaround

Golden Girl

Justin Timberlake, Marc Jacobs & Kate Moss

Vogue, April 2009

Shot by Annie Leibovitz

Sunday Night Dog Fight

I don't know were this sprang from on a Sunday night, least of all why I felt it to be appropriate to put it on Twitter.

Maybe after the way things have panned out recently with my impressions of people I thought I knew changing, I feel like I need to justify my own pessimism at times.

Have a look.



Sometimes I feel like shouting out things I don't like about the people I care about, but then I realise I bite my tongue BECAUSE I care.

But then there is this fine line where I find it difficult to evaluate if I care enough to bite my tongue, or if I care too much not to.

At least I do it all with a smile on my face.

Nicki Minaj

Affirmation

An Alternative Route?

Eric Fortune

Artist

Majorca

A Move

On Friday I am moving into a brand new town. Fair enough, I've been working there for 3 months. But this has always been part of the plan and now it's coming together I am excited. There are a few things I'm thinking about:

- I haven't seen it yet. Do I trust my instincts enough?
- I don't know the area. Where am I living?
- Do I even like Reading?

Time will tell, and nothing lasts forever.
Pictures to follow.

The Cut

A Lull

Roger and Val Have Just Got In

Dawn French and Alfred Molina

Natalia Kills - Zombie

A stand-out track from the slithers that have been released so far from this beaut.

She is signed to Cherrytree and the beginnings of her career are using the Gaga template (short teaser clips, Akon-produced first single, teaser leaks), so she could be pretty big.

In a way I hope she isn't, because this campaign is already shaping up to be pretty wicked and I don't think it will necessarily be 'got' by a lot of people.

Filamentous Biomaterial

The Crazies

Robyn's 'Body Talk' Series

Into The Woods

Trade?

There are so many people that once mattered that seem to flit in and out.

Sometimes they rise in importance

Sometimes they lower

Sometimes they stay the same.

But there has never really been anyone to disappear like you.

I was young, it was a long time ago. Memories are fuzzy and sepia-toned.

But where are you, Will?

Lindsay Lohan in 'Machete'

American McGee's 'Alice: Madness Returns'

I have been a fan of American McGee for ages, but have unfortunately never played more than a short demo of the original 'Alice' game. I must get hold of it, because this looks brilliant.

The 'twisted Alice' theme has gone through the ringer of recent due to the Tim Burton re-imagining (which was really disappointing, to be fair) and 
so hopefully this will be a truer representation of what Lewis Caroll was getting at. There are so many underlying themes, and it's difficult to not notice them if you go along the lines of the Disney (or Burton) incarnations.

American McGee have obviously had to go some way with an artistic license here, but by the looks of it they have captured the darkness of Wonderland perfectly.

I've always had a fascination with Alice. This is right up my street.

Nelly Furtado - Baja Otra Luz

This album is probably her most underrated, and that is probably why I have barely listened to it at all yet. But this video is so charming, and like 'Manos Al Aire' before it, totally captivates what a carefree spirit Furtado is.

As much as I did enjoy her stay at the top during the 'Loose' campaign, you can tell she is far more comfortable in this territory. That smile will always ensure I listen to whatever she does.

Conversion

Tom Kennedy

Good graphic artist.

The Adventures of Guille And Belinda...

And the Enigmatic Meaning of Their Dreams

Touch-Up London

Koko The Gorilla

The Day I Met 'My Britney'

He wanted it.

Marina & The Diamonds - Oh No!

You are just so pretty I want to cry.

Also... Kinga Burza. Always Kinga Burza.

Karen Gillan

'Limbo' and the Dawn of Downloadable Games

Developed by PlayDead Games, A downloadable title for PSN and XBLA.

A boy tries to rescue his sister from what is essentially Hell.

While similarities can unavoidably be drawn to Braid, the Indie-produced but super-successful genre-subverting platformer, there is more than meets the eye to Limbo.

It's clever use of monochrome and light within the game highlights the obstacles in a clear 'one-at-a-time' way, so much that it holds your attention and doesn't divert from the core principles of the game. The physics system also looks pretty robust, and would be interesting to see if any object manipulation is used at any point to take advantage of this.

I am loving the regeneration of 2D platformers at the moment - I truly think this was a lost genre in the advent of the 'true 3D' era brought on by the original Playstation, N64 and Dreamcast consoles. Now developers are given a platform to produce cheaper, less time-consuming games in the forms of the downloadable networks, it is giving them more opportunities to experiment and go back to basics. If the game reaches minor success, they have made a quick buck with not a massive loss of expense. If not, they have at least used the game as a test, or precursor to use similar ideas in a more polished 'blockbuster' game. Watching producers and creators use the download networks as a playground is really interesting, and if it turns up more gems like 'Limbo', I am all for it.

The Hindenburg

First Days, First Weeks

3am

Not sure if this is a revelation, or just some pictures of the sunrise.

We'll see.

Florence + The Machine - Heavy in Your Arms

My love has concrete feet

My love's an iron bar

Wrapped around your ankles, dangling over the waterfall.

kelis - Flesh Tone

The Time To Leave

Donnington Castle

Beale Park with Saul

Chistina Aguilera - Bionic

Hungry Man by Joselyn Shipley

Tina Fey for Esquire

Diana Vickers - Hit

A Wedding

'I'm Joan Collins in the Algarve'

Favela Painting

After an assignment filming a hip-hop documentary in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn (better known as Haas & Hahn) decided to add their own flair to the neighborhood and help the community at the same time.

That's when their rainbow hued Favela Painting project started, turning the once drab shanty town into something that is like Dorothy's Technicolor Oz fantasy world. And they employ the youth who live in the homes to do the painting, which brings extra jobs to the area.

There is rarely anything sexy about charity work, but Haas & Haan have succeeded in "bringing art to unexpected places" and creating some hope in an otherwise drab atmosphere. And you thought no good could ever possibly come out of an MTV hip-hop documentary.

Alessi's Ark - Notes From The Treehouse

An album with a gorgeous tone, not too dissimilar from Laura Marling but with a bit more of a country twang.
Lyrically gorgeous, and with just enough vocal rasp to cut through any sugar-coating the production may give at points.


Lovely.

Portishead - Dummy

Only got this about a week ago, and am astonished at how much of it I knew already.
They must have SO MUCH royalty money from advertising!

Corker, though.

Monumental

Natalia Kills

This is what the Rated R campaign should have been.

Far more focused. Kills has taken elements from gothic horror, burlesque, and 60's exploitation films and merged them into a melting point from which to launch her album. Music is at yet pretty minimal and under wraps, but I'm interested from the graphics and media that the campaign has provided already. Watch this space,  I guess.

Oh Hey

That Island Boy

I’m such a heartless piece of shit.

Just going though, my room, and throwing out some old stuff.

Found a letter from a person who I think of every single day of my life,

Someone who I will always have a huge place in my heart for,

Someone who i treated so bad.

The biggest mistake i have ever made is letting you go.

I hate myself so much for what happened.

I’ve never lost intrest in you.

You are so perfect and I dont know why I never seen it before.

You understood me in a way like no other, you were the one person who i could tell anything to, even though i found it so hard.

I was immature, and stupid, and I cannot believe I gave up on you.

I’m sorry, I’m so so Sorry.

I will always have love for you.

I found this today as I was stalking.

As much as I still have a lot of contempt for Jack, and don't think I could ever be anywhere near on the level of friendship with him again after the way he acted during and after...

It's nice to know that someone, anyone, somewhere has once thought that about me.

He's a fuck up, but I still feel a huge sense of honour to have left an impression like that.

Right, self indulgence over. NEXT.

Saul Bass

Fringe

This is a really intelligent series that I definitely want to see more of.

It has the bizarre scripted shocks of Lost, but with a more settled reality like other long-running American serials.

I think it definitely takes a lot of cues from The X Files, but that is in no way a bad thing if the output is of this quality.

Robyn - Dancing on my Own

This is so uncontrollably sweet, if it wasn't so bangin' it would probably make me do a single tear.

Somebody said you got a new friend
Does she love you better than I can
There's a big black sky over my town
I know where you at, I bet she's around
Yeah I know it's stupid
But I just got to see it for myself

I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her
I'm right over here, why can't you see me
I'm givin' it my all, but I'm not the girl you're takin' home
I keep dancin' on my own

I'm just gonna dance all night
I'm all messed up, I'm so out of line
Stilettos and broken bottles
I'm spinning around in circles

So far away, but still so near
The lights go on, the music dies
But you don't see me, standing here
I just came to say goodbye

iamamiwhoami

Health - We Are Water

'Exploding the narrative' as Shaun would say.

Too Much Today

2pm - Matt

Went for lunch with Matt. In retrospect, this was pointless. While I was there, it was all fine. Not enjoyable, but in a space where I thought it might even be worth building on. But now I come away, I don't hate but  just feel embarrassed for what he has become, and what reasoning he gave for why he remains happy. There is nothing left of the person I felt so much for, and nothing I can even grow to respect any more. There will always be a place for him, but something serious needs to change for me to embrace it.

5pm - Russell

I went to Russell's to drop off his birthday stuff. He wasn't even in. Fuck knows why, but I called him. Something which I rarely did when I was even with him. Maybe it was such a build up, I felt I needed to do something to make it known what I was doing, even to myself. He thanked me, it was awkward, but it was done. I didn't feel any better about it. Mug.

6pm - Ryan

Went for a drink with Ryan. Really really enjoying us getting along again. This isn't actually a moan at all, just making a point that I perhaps did too much in one day. I can openly talk to him about anything after all that's happened with us, and the thing I really like is he will give me advice and his view on it all, then take the piss and tell me I'm a dick. Basically, I need to laugh things off more because nothing is worth what I put myself through. If my relationship with him over the years has taught me anything, it should be that.

10pm - Shaun

I think I am playing with fire. But it feels so easy, and I don't want it to just be a back-up or a rebound. He shouldn't be like that, he should be so much more. He is one of the best. Glad I could end the day of doom with him. It sort of... puts it all into perspective a bit more.

All Saints - Black Coffee

I always passed this up as 'their experimental phase' where they sort of... didn't really hit it off and lost some of their faux-girlband magic. In actual fact, this is their best work. The songwriting is exquisite, William Orbit has arranged the song brilliantly and the video is a washed-out, perfectly imagined piece with some brilliant shots.

Night Swimming

Beach walking

Always silent

Never talking

Then you call my name

And I know inside I love you

Sail away

I miss you more

Until you see the shore

There I will be waiting

Anticipating

Each moment is new

Freeze the moment

Each moment is cool

Freeze the moment

I wouldn't wanna be

Anywhere else but here

I wouldn't wanna change

Anything at all 

I wouldn't wanna take

Everything out on you

Though I know I do

Everytime I fall

Day dreaming

Chain smoking

Always laughin

Always jokin

I remain the same

Did I tell you that I love you

Brush your teeth 

And pour a cup of black coffee out 

I love to watch you do that every day

The little things that you do

Night swimming

Beach walking

Always silent

Never talking

Then you call my name

And I know inside I love you

Sail away

I miss you more

Until you see the shore

There I will be waiting

Anticipating 

Every Day The Same Dream

I love the subtlety of this little flash game.

The man, struggling to find his place in a monotonous society, is led by you through a typical day.

Subtle changes to his environment and his actions are key to 'success' in this game, although in my various attempts through it I have no found a positive outcome. Most days end in being fired, suicide, your wife leaving you, or running through a field of cows in your pants.

A really interesting comment on the monotony of modern life... ironically probably played by people sat in office cubicles at work, due to the 'flash game' nature of it's marketing.