Cinematic
on Blog From Beyond (Rwanda), 03/Feb/2010 20:55, 34 days ago
Heehee, some more photos fromthe Ball. This is me and my step bro. Will. I just really like it because there are very few photos of us together so it's nice to have one - even if I do look about a foot taller in my heels :opAlso found the one below which was taken when we all got home! Ew - slightly worse for wear there but I'm not proud, I'll give you all a giggle. And yes, that mark on my left arm is thebloody monkeystill!So anyway, been a good week really. My last one working forDeafconnect- which is really sad as I've had a totally brilliant time there. My exit interview with my manager was really positive and lovely - even got a hug today, which was my last day. But I'm glad I made the decision not to apply for the permanent post. I think the guy they've hired seems really lovely and will do them well - and I need a kick up the arse to keep trying to figure out what I want to do with myself.I'm atCorbytomorrow working as a CSW (Communication Support Worker), which I'll be doing Wednesday to Friday as of next week. Need to keep planning thatroad trip to Belgiumwith Cathryn in the half-term. It's weird planning my life around college times. Been a very long time since I set foot in a school, I haven't a clue what I'm doing - but shhhh! Don't tell anyone that :opThey asked me in the interview if I was 'easily shocked' - after Rwanda? Hell no. Bring it awn.I'll still be popping in to Deafconnect though, as a volunteer. Offering some of my strategic planning and funding skills. Keep my hand in. Also hoping that after I get back from Belgium I'll set-up self employed as a Language Facilitator which I may use to go walkabout after the college year ends. Seems there's an absolute dire shortage of people who can do this kind of stuff - so no lack of work. Which at least keeps me out of theJob Centre, even if it isn't what I really wanted to be doing.But then, if I was 100% honest with myself - what I'd really like to be doing is making enough to get by whilst scoring time to write. At least until I've finished this second novel. I'd never make money out of it, but I enjoy it. So if I can stay afloat being good with my hands (oo-err), then I might as well give it a go. Working for Deafconnect has given me a real boost of confidence in myself. I wasn't sure how I'd cope working back in the UK and I've had a few abrasive jobs in the past which did me no favours confidence-wise. This was just wonderful, really gave me back my bounce. Just what I needed to settle back in to things and a potential source of clients for the future.I gave myself a bit of a treat this week. Really wanted to see theSherlock Holmesmovie so went on Monday. It was entertaining but wouldn't watch it again. Though I was pleasently surprised to seeKelly Reillyin it. She was great inMrs. Henderson Presentsand my mind couldn't help making the connection:Last OrdersalongsideMichael Cainewho playedAlfie, as didJude Lawwho plays her husband-to-be (Dr. Watson) inHolmes.Mark Strongwas also very good.I just don't think it really hit the ambiance of Holmes though. It was a bit scuffed Hollywood rush-through. Blow a few things up, smack a few people about, which negates any need to explore the intelectual side of the guy - and not a deerstalker hat in sight! Bit crap really. I suppose because of the rating they couldn't exactly go into the drug addled side of him, but they tried to hint at it, which just made him seem a bit of an oddball, and not in the good way.I think I'm of Dad's oppinion that the absolute definitive Sherlock Homes wasJeremy Brettin the TV seriesThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Apparently he was bi-polar, which may have helped his grasp of the character somewhat. I love that series - and indeed Holmes was quite handy with his fists even in that - although I have to admit to not being much of a reader of the books. I triedHound of the Baskervillesthree times and never made it past the fourth chapter.Aaanyway. That was my first treat. I absolutely love going to the movies on my own. Usually more than going with someone. It's nice to be able to talk about it afterwards, but I'm a sucker for that feeling of escaping to the cinema in the daytime (feels like bunking off school) and being the first into a totally empty arena. I find it more relaxing than the theatre because it isn't full of luvvies being seen to be seen. There's nothing pretentious about it. Plus I like people watching. There's quite a few like me, who go on their own. I like to see what kind of person goes to the movies alone on a week day - there's many different kinds but mostly middle-aged men who also look like they're hiding from work ;)I really like Cineworld in Northampton. It's out on an industrial estate so I can pick up junk food and be fairly sure of a parking space. It feels comfortably remote. I also noticed that if you type the name of your town and then 'cinema listings' into Google, you can see all the play times for cinemas in your area :) Doesn't tell you which ones are subtitled though, which caught me out once.The strangest thing I saw was Monday's visit. The place was tumbleweed country. Maybe four people in total. All of a sudden a man, his wife, and probable father walk in. They look at their tickets, climb all the way up the aisle and tell this guy, sitting by himself, that he's in their seat! The man apologised and moved to the next empty row in front of them.I just thought it was very strange. I could understand if the place was heaving, or if it was a wheelchair accessible seat down the front, or even if it was the seat right in the middle that they'd specifically asked for. But it was just a seat. Like any of the other 100+ empty seats. Why would you be that anal?Anyway. Today, being my last day, I took myself to seeAvatarin3D. It was my first time seeing the film, and my first time ever seeing a film in 3D. I remember mum saying she'd seenUpwith my nephew in 3D and loved it.I had images of those cheap cardboard glasses with one red and one blue lens, and was really surprised to get a pair of sunglasses which you keep and take to any 3D film in the future. I'm probably sounding a bit primitive, but I'm fairly sure that when I left the UKImax Cinemaswere the only major place doing 3D films? To be honest, I didn't really go to the cinema very much back then so I wouldn't know, but it seems like there's a lot more of it since I've been back.Anyway, I loved it. I wasn't sure when I first put the glasses on. I wondered if it was going to give me an almighty headache or kick off a migraine - it was that sort of fuzzy-eye feeling. But once I relaxed I forgot about it completely and the film was absolutely beautiful to watch. Those little floating seed things were glorious.What surprised me was that it was the small details that had the biggest effect, like little pieces of burning wood floating down, or a camera shot through glass - even the titles were impressive and there was one cross fade towards the end that faded like I'd never seen a cross fade fade before! It was a detail that in any normal movie you'd never have given a second thought to, but this really turned it into something artistic.On the down side, the definition was not very sharp on certain things. Corridor shots of people lined up into the distance for example, it was very hard to see exactly what they were all doing. And whereas standard 2D sort of guides you with the use of focus, I felt restricted a bit with 3D - there were things I wanted to look at that I couldn't because they were out of focus and it was twice as noticeable. If that makes any sense at all?It did take me a while to get used to seeing like that. In a way it made 3D even more 3D than real life. When I took the glasses off at the end I was a bit disappointed with the way everything looked. Oddly, it also messed up my balance for a few seconds :opBut it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and not just for the effects but for the film itself. I know lots of people will slate Avatar, partly because it'sJames Cameronand partly because it's lots of blue people drowning inCGI. But in all honestly I absolutely loved it. I thought it was an extremely, refreshingly original story with an underlying, timeless theme that appeals to our slightly shamanic sides. It was visually beautiful and emotionally clever. I really appreciated it. I wonder if it would have been as absorbing in 2D.So, I've had a very film-loving week. I think I'm going to sign up for theCineworld Unlimited Card.£13.50 per month gets you into anything you like. Although there's a £1.30 charge on 3D films. It sounds like a lot but there's quite a few films coming up that I'd like to see and it costs about £7 anyway so I'd only need to see a couple of films a month to make it worthwhile. Keeps me off the streets :)On that note. My friendChloësent some circulars today. I don't tend to read that kind of thing but she's very selective and they're usually quite funny.This one certainly was:If you were around in 1919 (just before prohibition started) and cameupon the following poster.........I mean, seriously, would you quit drinking???And the second was just wonderfully un-PC ;)Latest International Terrorist Alert LevelsThe English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross."The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out.Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards". They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the frontline in the British army for the last 300 years.The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability.It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert.Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels ..The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA!". Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the airforce being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "Shit, I hope Australia will come and rescue us".Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain, "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.