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Trailer Park: The Fantastic Mr. Fox
I'm not too familiar with the Roald Dahl book, but I would certainly say that Wes Anderson could do with a bit more guidance with his stories .....so The Fantastic Mr Fox could work out nicely.
Clooney and Bill Murray amongst the voices. Trailer here.
31st Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
SKY+HD 3D ADSL XBOX
Sky has announced their plans to roll out 3D TV next year, via the existing Sky+ HD box. You'll need special comedy glasses of course, but unfortunately you'll also need a new TV.
Tucked away in the announcement is the new that Sky will also be adding Video-on-demand to the Sky+ box in 2010, which will hopefully include the iPlayer...
The Guardian has the details.
Update: Some sniffing around also unearthed the Sky Player / Xbox tie-up, allowing you to watch your Sky content via XBOZ. Could be handy for that upstairs bedroom.
31st Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Alien vs Russell Crowe
Looks like Ridley Scott is going to be taking a crack at re-re-booting the Alien franchise, signing on to direct a prequel. No word on what part Russell Crowe will be playing as yet.
Writer Jon Spaihts is having a pretty incredible career, with nothing produced, but 5+ scripts in development.
Variety has the story.
31st Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
3D Monster Maze
News of the BBC's plans to shoot Syntax Era - a comedy drama based on the rivalry between Clive Sinclair and Chris Curry (ie the Curry who gave us Curry's) in the 1980s (should be on BBC4 this Oct) - got me thinking about the genius of the ZX81 (the iPhone of its time kids) - and specifically the joy of playing 3D Monster Maze. With the help of the hefty 16K external memory booster megapack stuck on the outside of the hard-drive/membrane keyboard/CPU, and several hours spent getting it to "download" from the memory stick cassette player, you could be transported into another dimension.
The object was simple: run through the maze to the exit, or be eaten alive by a giant T-Rex. You could run a bit faster than the monster - but thanks to the hours of ambient time spent walking around the identical walls, waiting for it to arrive, and the seconds it took to pounce when it did finally show up, more often than not you were chomped up instantly after waiting for ages. No weapons. No extra lives. Just the chance to do it all over again. Existential terror has never been colder or more accurately detailed in pixel form. Good times.
31st Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Unlikely tie-in: Sky 1's presentation of 'House' is sposored by Carpet Right.
31st Jul 2009
Read on TwitterCronenberg's Cosmopolis
David Cronenberg is lined up to direct Don DeLillo's yuppie haircut short novella Cosmopolis
31st Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
25 Things You Didn't Know About Me
I'm not entirely sure what a meme is, but this could be one. The 25 Things You Didn't Know About Me craze has been sweeping the net for a while, and I've been meaning to rustle up a list for Chimpomatic, but haven't had time. More suggestions in the comments please.
1. I don't know what a meme is.
2. I like Pearl Jam.
30th Jul 2009 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Lightning Dust
Infinite Light
Jagjaguwar
The Black Mountain Army are proving to be nothing if not consistent. Since releasing Black Mountain's barn-storming In The Future in 2008, the contributors have been working steadily through their alter egos - with Pinkmountaintops putting out the excellent Outside Love and now alumni Amber Webber and Joshua Wells releasing a second album under the Lightning Dust moniker. I'm expecting a breakthrough album from Blood Meridian next.
Webber's contribution to Black Mountain is not to be over-looked, with her sultry vocals pulling the band back from the brink of parody and adding a mournful sound to the mix. Her vocals also supplied some of the highlights on Outside Love - and she was sorely missed on the supporting tour. With Lightning Dust however, Webber is firmly centre stage - taking on the majority of the writing, as well as guitar and 95% of the vocals.
Where the self titled debut was spare and sultry, Infinite Light is a more filled out and polished affair - much like the latest albums from the previously mentioned strands - and that extra push pays out rich rewards. Where Lightning Dust occasionally strained or became just too sparse, Inifinte Light sweeps and soars, showing a much wider range. Opener Antonia Jane is a country-tinged affair, obligitary lead-free-download I Knew adds some catchy low-key disco electronics and is notable for Well's superb drumming, while the piano-led The Times even threatens to become a sing-a-long. There are mysterious synthesizers and luscious strings, which all add up to a strangely epic vibe - for what is still essentially a small, self-contained record. There's a consistency and clarity here that would make a perfect soundtrack, probably to a modern day western or double crossin' film noir.
That 5% of the vocals that Webber doesn't cover is where this album loses it's half star - momentarily slipping towards that musical theatre vibe as the male vocals intrude on Honest Man. So while the variations are welcome to a certain extent, it's still the mournful voice of Webber that scores the highlights here - leading us effortlessly through the swell of History, the pounding balladry of Wondering What Everyone Knows or the flawless closer Take It Home, which perfectly sums up everything good about this excellent band. Great drums, moody bass, strings that could go on forever and a soaring, epic vocal performance that will put shivers down your spine.
Unmissable.
30th Jul 2009 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
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Extra Wilco Dates
With the London Troxy show in August now sold out, Wilco have added to new dates to a return tour scheduled for November. Do these guys ever stop touring?
More info at Wilco World.
NOV-03 LEEDS, UKLEEDS ACADEMY
NOV-04 LONDON, UKTHE FORUM
NOV-06 BRUSSELS, BEANCIENNE BELGIQUE
NOV-07 WEISSENHAUSER STRAND, DEFERIENPARK, ROLLING STONE WEEKENDER
NOV-08 COPENHAGEN, DKROYAL THEATRE
NOV-11 ZURICH, CHVOLKSHAUS
NOV-13 FLORENCE, ITTEATRO DELLA PERGOLA
NOV-14 MILAN, ITCONSERVATORIO, MILAN: W/SPECIAL GUEST GRIZZLY BEAR
NOV-16 AMSTERDAM, NLPARADISO
NOV-17 EINDHOVEN, NLEFFENAR
29th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Electrosmog
Allergic to WIFI? DJ Steve Miller claims he is, and it's hardly an implausible thought. I shudder to think what colour the atmosphere would be if all the waves we pump out weren't invisible.
29th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Twitter now providing bundled txts from O2 phones in the UK. How 90's.
29th Jul 2009
Read on TwitterIs it just me, or is Bono looking more and more like Robin Williams in sunglasses?
29th Jul 2009
Read on TwitteriLSD
Interesting article up over at The Huffington Post, publishing a letter from LSD inventor Albert Hofmann to Apple boss Steve Jobs - asking for some help in re-purposing his product.
29th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Fact: William Eggleston only takes one photograph of each thing, as a personal rule.
28th Jul 2009
Read on Twitter
Tron-a-thon
I remember seeing Tron in 1982. It was alright. Clever, and Jeff Bridges was cool - but a bit boring (check out the original trailer). Let's just forget about Steven Lisberger's later films, especially Slipstream.
All that seems to have been erased by the geeks though, who hold it as some holy grail of greatness - so with Comic-con last week, some more details were unveiled about the upcoming sequel - now titled Tron Legacy - and the anticipation and hype is building quickly.
Here's some titbits:
- Daft Punk seem to be doing the soundtrack - and then may or may not be touring to support it.
- Kevin Flynn lives on at this 1990's style website, which appeared a couple of months ago and now hosts HD downloads of the new concept footage (embedded below) amongst other things.
- Flynn's arcade has been re-created, where you can play a load of 80's style games.
28th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Mad Men Yourself
what would you look like walking around drinking martinis all day? find out!
28th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: Whip It
Juno and Maybe from Arrested Development?! it's a sassy kid overload in Whip It, the roller derby debut from Drew Barrymore
28th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Khmer Rock And The Killing Fields
interesting doc on Cambodian psych rock on R4 1.30pm today - Khmer Rock And The Killing Fields. MP3s of many of the tracks up at WFMU
28th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Keep an eye out for a cameo from 50 Cent in this week's Entourage: http://bit.ly/cWw2y
28th Jul 2009
Read on TwitterFlight Of The Conchords Present
FOTC deleted band meeting scene and S2 dvd giveaway up on the Guardian
28th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: The Book Of Eli
looks like it's Denzil Washington's turn to save us from a post-apocalyptic future
27th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
SpotifiPhone
Spotify have announced an iPhone version of their excellent music streaming program - and have submitted the app to Apple for approval. Assuming it gets accepted, this could be a possible game changer for me, as the thought of owning any more CDs now has zero appeal. This thing requires a premium Spotify account, which will set you back £1 a day or £10 a month, but that will provide access to several million tracks - and no ads.
Spotify are also planning a US roll-out of their service. More info at WIRED.
27th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
Simulated Red Carpet
Nikon won a bronze lion award at the Cannes Advertising Festival for this red carpet simulation in a Seoul shopping mall, which fires off the flashes when someone walks past. Make sure your hand luggage is that flashy handbag we talked about.
27th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
In an hours time CSF will be a mere 5-toed mortal, taking 3 weeks of R&R.
27th Jul 2009
Read on TwitterRT @iancr: or this. you make danzig wanna speak spanish: http://awe.sm/qMJ go go go go
26th Jul 2009
Read on TwitterSky Movies showing a quadruple bill of Indiana Jones movies on Saturday - all in HD.
26th Jul 2009
Read on TwitterTouring Band
Nice bit of timelapse photography up at Wilco World from a recent show. Shows what a small piece the actual gig plays in the puzzle.
24th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet
