New Look

Just a quicky to ask you all what you think of the new layout? The lovely GregoryGaige spent the evening (morning) designing and implementing SuperPennie's facelift. He is a bit amazing =]

As I'm doing the update thing, I finally finished reading 1984. I know, it took me ages! I'm a slow reader... well not exactly. I read loads, fairly quickly, then wear myself out and only read tiny bits in several intervals until I get all excited about it and read loads in one go again. I have a short attention span!

I started reading Aldous Huxley's Brave New World yesterday, on recommendation from a man that frequents our pub. He lent it to me ages ago, but as it took me so long to get through 1984 I have only just got round to it. I will try my best to read this faster.

I was left a little empty after 1984. I will now permit myself to watch the movie and compare. I didn't want to watch it first. Though I am not looking forward to the bit with the rats.

PressRelease: SpeechMotion (Feb)

February 23^rd 2010

Immediate Release

Press Contact: speechmotion@makingtheatrework.com

    

Presents...

A Monthly Platform for Performance & Shorts in Shoreditch

            

February may be associated with Love, but if you are sick of all the fake flowers and cheap teddy bear’s, come along to SpeechMotion on February 23^rd to see where love will get you if you’re not careful!

As always, we have a great line up which includes some of the best talent from around Europe.

Resident Poet, SuperPennie, will warm up the mic and get the crowd feeling super inside with her latest rhymes. The London born poet claims that, ‘Growing up is bad for your health. In fact it is one of the biggest causes of death...’ (Obviously another Peter Pan complex) http://www.myspace.com/superpennie

The line up continues with London based Guest Poet, Jade Anouka, who’s feature spots include:  Farrago, Apples&Snakes, TriForce Promotions, I Think I'm Here Darling and UK Poetry Podcast.. Jade has also performed at the Sidewalk Cafe and The Bowery in New York. www.myspace.com/anoukapoetry 

  

Guest Film, ‘Think of Me Then Die,’ by French Filmmaker Sullivan Corredo, is about the way Nicolas Sarkozy rules France. However, watching it you would not necessary know that because Corredo is one of the best young surreal filmmakers out there, which means there are different interpretations to his work, some people love him, (speechmotion) some people don’t get him, but no one can deny his unpredictability. Corredo states, “It was not easy to fit the cultural view of the president, but working hard on it, I can affirm that I'm part of what the French government does at its best”. Vive la France!

As we are on the subject of politics has anyone ever lied...to a loved one?  Of course you have! “Little Secrets” is our Featured Film, by our favourite German Filmmaker, Sascha Zimmermann.  What a wonderful mix of dark humour and witty dialogue.

We sing the night out with our Featured Performer, Blanche Visarro - "A modern Chanteuse" - brought to the future from 1920's silent films, she will tell the story of love in trouble. With the piano at her finger tips and her magical voice in your ear, you will go home and cry yourself to sleep.  So moving!

Listing Information:

SpeechMotion promotes the work of original storymakers and offers a platform where a unique mix of performance and film co-exists between emerging and established artists.

Every last Tuesday of the month performers/filmmakers get in FREE)

Venue: The Horse and Groom, 28 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3NZ

Tickets £4/3

 Facebook Group

Producer Notes - Who is msft? The Storytellers Pedestal
msft, formerly known as missfit productions, has been producing events since 2006 and specializes in raising the profile of emerging artists, across the creative spectrum, (poets, performers, film makers and playwrights). msft create performance opportunities around London in quirky venues, that promise to nurture creative talent and artistic innovation. Why? - Because msft loves theatre. Not just the finished product, but all the drama that brings the product to life. For more information, images, interviews, sponsorship, or to perform/screen your work, please contact festival director Lennie Varvarides at speechmotion@makingtheatrework.com.

Warm Regards,

Hans Christian Andersen

So the other day I was thinking about stories I liked when I was a kid and how a lot of them were ruined by being brightened up (like by Disney and the likes). In following this thought through I hit up Amazon and purchased a copy of Hans Christian Andersen's Complete Fairy Tales. 

It is pretty damn awesome! More awesome than I thought it would be in fact. I saw my package from Amazon, sat patiently waiting for my attention up on the table in the hallway outside my bedroom. I swiftly pulled open the cardboard to see it was huge (I should have assumed as much considering the word 'complete' is in the title, but shhh)! It was wrapped in cellophane, which doesn't often happen to be honest, so that was quite exciting. I pull the book out and realise it is HARD BACK. You have no idea how excited I got. I ripped off the cellophane and sat holding the book, touching the cover and just looking at it. I got a little bit over excited and was about to start crying, so I put the book down and left the room for a few minutes to calm down. 

Yes I am actually that lame.

A friend of mine phoned me at this point, which meant I had someone to share my excitement with. Which was so very necessary! I could well have exploded. I was actually about to phone Mr Gaige and tell him all about it before my phone started ringing! I literally spent the next 20 minutes talking about how happy I was and what it felt like and how it smelt like new book. I even went on Skype so I could show her the book on webcam. 

At which point, she informed me of a movie I should really have known about from the 50's which I have now ordered! Amazon tells me it will be at my door by Tuesday. This too makes me very happy! Hopefully it comes in the morning as I plan to go away for a couple of days and would love to take it with me so we can watch it together and sit and get all girlie at the singing and the storytelling! 

Amazon should blates pay me commission... I should write them a letter or something =p

I will give you my thoughts on the movie after I watch it! I have actually banned myself from reading for fun until after my degree, so you will all have to wait until summer for a book review. I find I feel really guilty for reading anything that isn't studying so have implemented a rule. 

Scrubs Without Braff

You must have noticed by now I waste a lot of time watching movies and series'… but hey it’s like research or something. I’m examining different kinds of writing… or something… Ok maybe I’m just an insomniac glued to her laptop, whatever.

So I am not a massive Scrubs fan – I mean, I like Scrubs but I’m not an avid watcher. It’s just one of those shows that’s always on tv and of the bunch it’s probably the best during those hours I spend wasting away. It is pretty funny and JD does make me smile, so when I found out the new season wasn’t going to have Zach Braff or many of the other stars I wasn’t too sure about it. The whole show is from JD’s head, how can you take JD away?

But I’ve been sat here watching a few episodes of season 9 and though I’ve not worked out names yet I am quite enjoying it. It actually feels like it’s a different show, it’s not really Scrubs anymore but that isn’t a bad thing. It’s not good, but it’s not bad; it just is.

Part of me feels like this should actually just be a different show, that they are just feeding off the ready made fan base. But I guess if you can do it, why not? I am actually enjoying it though, I like the idea of getting to be inside the heads of the characters. I actually think it’s a technique more things should use, but then I guess it wouldn’t be so special.

What do you think? Any Scrubs fans? Any script writers? Me and my mate are going to attempt writing a horror movie so every time we watch a movie we get to call it research – maybe that’s just an excuse.

Why a horror movie? Well, they are my favourite to watch. And I reckon I understand the rules of writing horror movies the best, because I understand the movies themselves the best. I always watch them. I can almost always work out what is going to happen, because they always follow the same rules. I want to try to break some of those rules, but work out how to make it a good movie at the same time. A lot of the time, movies that don’t follow the rules, fail. I don’t want to fail!

Also, script is so much harder to write than you’d think. I attempted once (way back when I was 15) and it was a pile of **** (I am not sure if I should swear or not in my blog, I swear a lot but I don’t want to offend anyone. Comment on that too and tell me what you think). You need dialogue in a script, I mean come on – no one really wants to watch a silent movie (unless it’s a short film) but at the same time dialogue can destroy a script. I think from what I’ve learnt in reading and research is that less is more.

Try not to give everything away with the dialogue

Say as little as possible – don’t spell things out

Use dialogue to develop the characters – the way they speak, what they speak about, who it is they are

Any thing you want to share with me is always welcome – we’re all here to learn! Well some people are here for entertainment or ‘cause they’re bored, but those people can just help me learn – ‘cause heck, I’m always learning. I’m a student of the world and even when I’m not officially wearing that Student Status badge I’m always going to be a student. We all are. As soon as you stop learning, you may as well be dead.

Sorry, I ended up on a bit of a tangent with this post… 

Last Night's SpeechMotion

Last night was this months SpeechMotion - and it was AWESOME. Not from a biased I'm involved kinda way, more like a it was genuinely awesome kinda way. There was a massive crowd, which is always nice. But half of them disappeared after the interval (light weights), which was a shame because they then missed the amazing Tim Wells doing his thing as well as a film by Sascha Zimmermann about a hold up in the middle of nowhere - which was hilarious! Three girls dressed in bunny suits (or something) with guns trying to hold up a petrol station = gold. 


I filmed (well my camera filmed whilst being held by my beautiful assistant) a few performances of the night, which will be put up on YouTube eventually - I'll let you know! There's a couple of poems from me, MC Angel and Tim Wells as well as a comedy sketch from a group called 'Your Mum' which was brilliant. Sorry I didn't film everything but when I got there I realised I didn't have a full battery and I had to make choices. There were some stand up comic in the open mic you would have enjoyed laughing at, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Or the dice rolls. Or the porcelain dolls smashes when you drop it's scary face out of a window...


I was sat on the floor during the comedy sketch with my sister's dog (who felt the need to sit on my lap rather than the floor - I guess she didn't want to get her bum dirty or something, the little diva) who freaked out a little bit when the three girls started running on the spot. She tried to charge at them so she could play as well and I had to hug her to keep her back. I imagine an excited puppy jumping on you while you're trying to act wouldn't have be fun (for the girls at least). 


As always Missy was the star of the show getting the most hugs and kisses out of everyone all night. It's not jealousy, don't worry - just thought I'd point out that I never get that sort of love and attention and it's just not fair! *cough* I mean... erm... moving on.


Oh no saying that, a couple people hugged me and it made me feel a little uncomfortable. So if we are meeting for the first time, it is really ok if you don't touch me. I wont be offended. Well, hand shakes are fine. 


The night was a massive success and thank you to everyone who came down to support as well as came to perform. Even though I'm not convinced any of those people read this... but I just want to make all you non-attenders feel guilty! (Ok that last part wasn't true, I'll see all your beautiful faces tomorrow. Kinda)

Movie Review: First Wives Club

Ok, I know is really old and probably not actually worth reviewing, but I love Bette Midler and thought I'd take the opportunity to look at her by watching the movie again. Whilst obviously taking the opportunity to talk about my love for her by reviewing the movie. Maybe I'll do a 'Bette Midler Season' and watch Hocus Pocus tomorrow! Both have Sarah Jessica Parker in too (which I totally only just noticed! How ridiculous is that?).

So let's start by filling you all in on those standard details in case you don't already know.

First Wives Club, 1996
Director: Hugh Wilson
Writers: Olivia Goldsmith (novel) Robert Harling (screenplay)
Staring: Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton

Now, you know when you see the names of amazing actors on a film, you're always that little bit more tempted to go see it? Well, it's with good reason. Good actors promise at the very least good acting. And this is something that should never be over looked, I mean come on, you didn't watch 'Jenifer's Body' because Megan Fox can act now did you?

So after the suicide of high school friend, Cynthia Swann Griffin, who is abandoned by her husband, 3 recently divorced old friends come together to teach their exes a lesson and get some revenge. This is a witty comedy about women getting even. It might sound a little anti-men, but it's not, just anti-cheating-user-men.

They formed the First Wives Club and vow to get back at them.

Elise is an actress with a drinking problem and a fear of growing old - enough so to lead to the love of the knife. Brenda is a single mother, raising a jewish son who's father gets engaged to a ditzy young woman (Parker). Annie is afraid of confrontation, whilst raising a lesbian daughter and putting up with her mother.

Elise (Hawn) starts taking back all the possessions she ever gave to her husband who is expecting alimony, including his Lamborghini which they then trick Brenda's (Midler) ex husbands new bit into buying in auction.

They sneak into Brenda's exes new place to look for his books after finding out his business is dodgy. The bit in the window cleaning lift thing was hilarious. They're all trying to be discrete and quiet but they're screaming and freaking out and then they're falling down the side of a building and they're screaming some more. They even pause to look in on a couple in bed!

Song of the movie is You Don't Own Me which the girls sing on a couple of occasions - and I LOVE. It is actually also one of the reasons I watched the movie today! I heard the song (being sung by someone else) in a youtube video and got really excited!

So there are the ups and the downs and the girls get into a fight and smash up Elise's place a bit. Annie (Keaton), the quiet one, screams at the other two before being slapped by Brenda.

I'm not going to carry on, because if you are one of the few people who haven't seen this film in the 14 years it's been around then I don't want to ruin the story for you. There's lots of meddling and plotting and it's high quality comedy; real quality, not the usual comedic crap that floats about the place. I admit I am not usually a big comedy fan, but maybe I need to restate that: I'm not a fan of teen comedies. I'm not a fan of slapstick or cheap shots. But I damn well love this film.

Insomnia is...

... probably just an excuse.

But heck, let's role with it. I've never had the sort of sleep patterns that really stick to those norms of the everyday human, which really help when you want to function in the world. Sleeping at night and being awake during the day really sets the tone for getting work done, going to work etc etc so you'd think knowing that sort of information I'd make the effort to sort it out... Well Mr Presumptuous that is just plain wrong.

I have a few theories on why this seems to be the way I roll, but who knows the truth? So here are a few possibilities, please chime in with your own ideas on why my sleep patterns aren't much on the pattern side (or you know, why you don't sleep properly either).

1 - This is my subtle attempts to live outside society and rebel against it's structures

2 - I am trying to put tomorrow off so much I don't want to speed its arrival up by going to sleep.

3 - My avid procrastinating has me putting off sleep

4 - My brain is just too active to switch off on command

5 - I'm stressed/worried about the pressures of life and existence. Avoiding sleep means avoiding that quiet thinking time that comes before it

6 - I want to keep going until my body gives up for itself

7 - I enjoy the peace of night time

What do you think? Any suggestions? Both in a 'add to the list' and 'how you get to sleep' kind of way.

It's weird, between the hours of 1am and 7am I swear my brain is at it's most efficient. I can write and read and think and most importantly actually seem to get things done. I just can't understand those early risers, who get up at 6am to commence the day!

So I am sat here waiting for Better Than Chocolate to buffer to watch a movie before attempting to retire for the evening and figured I may as well do something to waste *cough* I mean 'fill' my time. The only place I could find it in good quality is on divx and I am starting to think divx hates me. Divx web player refuses to play on my new macbook for some unbeknown reason no matter what I do, so I'm having to watch it on a different computer. On top of this small (ok bigger than small) annoyance it also takes longer to buffer than anything else seems to! Sure, I could watch it in a lower quality or just watch something else which doesn't need to be streamed but that's not the point.

Do any other macbook owners have divx web player hate or am I just lucky?

Movie Review: It's Complicated

Watching this film made me feel very old, granted I am probably 30 years shy of the movie's target audience but it was still very much worth watching. This film had me fall in love with Meryl Streep just a little bit whilst also having me want to date (or maybe marry) a baker. But mostly this movie made me really hungry. So I suppose I should tell you something about the movie after all that...

Everything I read about this film tells me they're middle aged, but when did 50 become middle aged? Maybe I just have low expectations, but I would have called them old. Anyway, It's Complicated is a rom-com for the older generation. Haha ok, I am focussing on their age way too much - I'm sorry. But it's not everyday I watch a film that fits this slot - most of Hollywood ensures I spend my time staring at sexy 20 somethings. Though apparently director and writer Nancy Meyers pretty much does just this so... I guess I just need to look harder.

The film is set 10 years after Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake Adler's (Alec Baldwin) divorce, just as Jane is starting to feel normal again. Jake cheated on his wife with a younger woman who he then went on to marry (even though she cheated on him and had a child with someone else - it's all very tangly).

Skipping to the part where it starts getting juicy, they both find themselves staying in the same hotel in New York for their sons graduation. Their three kids are off doing their own thing, having a party or whatever and Jakes wife couldn't make it leaving the two of them alone. They get drunk and dance and reminisce and before long they are panting and laughing semi naked in bed together. And so it begins. There is a bit of crotch fondling going on as Jake says "Home sweet home" in a slightly cringey but mostly funny scene. Jake seems very proud of himself, while Jane is busy throwing up and feeling guilty.

The film pretty much continues with Jane being the other woman but then we get Steve Martin thrown in, playing her architect as another love interest. It's all pretty rom com predictable to be honest and was probably mostly funny 'cause it was cringey in an old people having sex kind of way but the acting was spot on (as you can imagine, look at those names!) but even so I was in hysterics the whole way through and will no doubt be watching it again. And again.

I think the highlight had to be Streep and Martin sparking up a joint. Yes - old people stoned! Classic.

I don't want to give too much away so I'm not going to comment on the ending in the hopes you go and watch it. Meryl Streep is fantastic and Baldwin does what he does best. I think this is my favourite Martin film - but to be honest, what I've seen of his is a bit too slapstick for me.

In fact, I now kinda want to review the Lizzie Mcguire Movie just so I can talk about how much I hate slapstick, but part of me is already a little embarrassed that you know I watched it. He's not in the Lizzie Mcguire movie so that probably seems like a strange leap I just made there.... he's in Cheeper By The Dozen (which is worse) and both have Hilary Duff in... in case you wanted to know why I'm talking about this...

Movie Review: I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer

Ok, you know what, the title says it all. And unless you get some sadistic pleasure out of forcing yourself through terrible horror movies, take a hint and stay away.

I on the other hand got a little bit excited trolling through Amazon for cheap horror movies I could laugh at.   Just look at the title, it has to be funny! They can't be taking themselves seriously with a title like that, right?

Well, I don't even know. I may be throwing in some spoilers here people, so if you're excited about watching this pile of wank then maybe you should look away, but I'm sure I couldn't ruin this film for you even if I tried.

It could maybe fall into the category of Aussie Comedy-Slasher or whatever, but all that means is a stupid film with lots of blood and unnecessary, over prolonged nudity. There is even a bit of body doubling from Miss Nude Australia going on, Miss Arianna Starr. Yes, there is a shower scene with the porn glow and hints towards masturbation...

Basically the film amounts to a pissed off bloke who was bullied by his cricket team as a kid, killing off his team members now that they're all grown up and he's developed super strength. There's really bad policing with one of those serial killer boards drafted up by the Australian sergeant, who is a bit of a tool. Then a British detective is brought in to aid the investigation, little do they know she is not part of the solution at all.

The cops collect up what's left of this old cricket team and put them all in a house in the middle of nowhere, calling it a safe house. Erm, I'm sorry but since when was a house in the middle of nowhere safe? Especially in a horror movie... So yeah story goes, they've put all the soon to be victims in the same house together to help out the crazy cricket guy kill the lot of them off in one go.

Dressed in a full cricket kit with a silly moustache and a big floppy hat, he goes around killing them with cricket related weapons. You have your state of the art cricket ball with nails hammered through, sharpened cricket stumps and of course the cricket bat. And if that wasn't enough, he also hammers (or screws?) nails into a cock guard (I don't actually know what they're called, but you know what I mean) to add a little bit of spice to his killings.

One guy sneaks off near the beginning to have sex with his lady friend - I don't know who she is, some woman who trekked to the middle of nowhere with a whip and handcuffs for a bit of a shag. Obviously, following the rules of a horror, he is the first of this lot to be knocked off. But not before getting his naked arse whipped by the killer a few times...

About 15 minutes is spent leading up to the death of one guy, with him sneaking around a room after finding a dead body behind him. I can only imagine this took so long because he was topless.

All in all the film goes nowhere. Everything took a really long time, but the film somehow felt incredibly short - however that works. And if it wasn't all ridiculous enough for you, they've thrown in a bit of incest at the end. Everyone loves a bit of incest when it comes to crazy murderous folk...

This film can now take it's rightful place on my list of worst films ever, along with The Forest and Wolf Creek etc

Go check it out =p therunsmovie.com