// January 2009
Das War Selstam!
One of my goals for this year has been to learn German again. I did a bit of it at school because we were pretty much forced to learn a language of sorts, but I was never very good at it and had other things on my mind anyway.
But I’ve been to Berlin twice and loved it. And the more I get to know about Germany and its citizens the more I like them. They’re a very forward-looking people, and very tolerant – although this tolerance apparently doesn’t extend to Scientology, which is banned (so frankly I love them all the more).
I’ve even gone as far as watching extracts of Verbotene Liebe, the Das Erste version of Sons and Daughters. It’s gained a certain amount of international attention of late due to the gay couple Christian and Olli being amongst the hottest, sweetest and above all best acted gay couple on primetime telly. (And for a change, they get some. They’re not neutered and sexless like most TV gays.)
Admitedly it’s a good job someone’s been doing some fairly free translations for the subtitles, but I’ve been drawn into the story like you wouldn’t believe. Even to the point I want to watch whole episodes of the show from now on if I could just find them!
So I’ve been digging out the language aids. Getting some tuition podcasts, ripping Chris’ NLP German course to iTunes and flicking through my Lonely Planet phrasebook – a little book with a huge amount of humour to be had.
It contains, for example, German translations of the following phrases in its romance section:
- I’d rather not.
- Your ego is out of control
- That was weird
And my absolute favourite:
- Before this goes any further, I must be upfront. I’m an accountant.
Either the compiler of this volume has a very dry sense of humour, or they had a lousy time in Germany last time they were there…
Posted on January 25, 2009 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre, My So-Called Life, The World we Live In | 3 Comments
Oh for Fuck’s Sake…
I’m so tired of the whole SachsGate thing.
Now Andrew Sach’s daughter has seen fit to blab to that ever present spectre at the feast, the DailyHateMail, about Ross returning to the screen:
“Ross is reacting to the public hype rather than to my family. He’s ridiculing people’s reaction to the radio broadcast and the BBC for its censorship of him.”
Well, frankly I can’t blame him. The public hype was by far the most embarrassing thing about the whole affair and should rightly be lampooned.
Although it probably suits neither Kate Sachs nor the HateMail to remember this, Ross apologised to Sachs before the whole affair went as overboard as it did.
The only person who has come out of it at all well has been Sachs himself – even though the sudden appearance of his family in the press (as a result of Ross’ return) smacks of a distinct lack of dignity.
Dear Lord. Fame-Vultures to a man (or woman).
Posted on January 24, 2009 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre, The World we Live In | 0 Comments
Chalk
Now some of you may know that Steven Moffat, now Doctor Who supremo extraoirdinaire, is not only the author of some of the best episodes of the revived series, but is also an acclaimed writer in other fields too. (Some of you may not know this, but consider yourselves educated at last.)
His previous credits include the creation and writing duties on Press Gang, a series I must confess I never quite got into (possible ITV snobbery there), but also three acutely observed, painfully funny and intricately plotted farce-led comedy series: Joking Apart, Chalk and Coupling.
The latter of course is a deservedly huge success known to many, the former a bit of a cult hit but certainly fondly remembered, but “Chalk” is an oddity in that not only was it panned horribly at the time by the critics and died a huge death, but also that Moffat himself won’t even acknowledge its existence.
Why? Well, who knows. Only Moffat would be able to tell, but I suspect the mauling he got for it cut deep. But in any case he is as wrong to disown it as the critics were to pan it because it’s as brilliant (arguably more so) than the other two works.
And you can now judge for yourself because the first series has been put out on DVD by independent company ReplayDVD. And I urge you to support them and buy a copy so that they make enough to put series two out.
A second series? Even with the reaction it got? Oh yes… The second series was commissioned before the first had aired based purely on the reaction of the studio audience who lapped it up. It seems that it was the BBC’s idiotic decision to compare it to Fawlty Towers that angered the critics to the point they turned the audience against it before it had even been seen.
Now in the cold light of day you can see it for the magic it really is.
Buy it. You won’t regret it. It may have been a critical and ratings failure but the fact of the matter remains that anyone who sees it loves it.
Posted on January 10, 2009 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre | 0 Comments
Little Boots – Love Kills
A lady by the name of Little Boots (really Victoria Hesketh but hey) is apparently one of the great new hopes for music in 2009, having come second in the BRITs critics choice for 2009 and also having hit the top spot in the BBC “Sound of 2009″ series.
Now such accolades are usually guaranteed to make me roll my eyes and expect some standard dire singer-songwriter whose label is pretending is fresh and ungroomed and so on and will, therefore, be putting out miserable soul-lite or underproduced pap.
But blimey… she’s good. Stunningly pretty (both vocally and in aspect) and also impressively talented, she performed one of her songs on Later With Jools Holland by playing Stylophone, Piano and Tenori-on (see here) which is a feat I find quite impressive all told.
Frankly I would recommend downloading the whole Little Boots EP (currently ?Ǭ£1.58) because whilst the currently free “Stuck on Repeat” is good, and the Tenor-on/Piano version of “Meddle” is cool, the highlight is definitely her version of the Freddie Mercury/Giorgio Moroder classic “Love Kills”.
Originally from the electronic soundtrack Moroder did for the classic film Metropolis in 1984, the original is fantastic, but Little Boots’ version is bang up to date and astonishingly lovely.
I listened to practically nothing else on the way in to work today.
Posted on January 8, 2009 | Filed Under Pop Music | 0 Comments
Matt Smith is the Eleventh Doctor
Well, what do we think?
Now much as I was rooting for Paterson Joseph, I am rather impressed. For Steven Moffat to decide on him instantly does suggest a certain Doctorishness pervaded his audition – and given his interview excerpts it does seem he is a quirky and physical presence so that’s all to the good.
If I might be forgiven a moment’s smugness I do have a confession: as soon as I saw the BBC’s list of runners and riders yesterday morning it was his name that stood out to me.
And my first thought was “oooh, now he could be interesting”.
I’m looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
Plus, I hope, a pretty damn spectacular exit for Mister T.
Posted on January 4, 2009 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre | 1 Comment
Demons – Episode One
Hmm. Well, I can’t say I took to that. What did other people think?
Personally, despite some good direction and acting, it did seem to be living the phrase “trying too hard”, I thought.
And as for the dialogue… owcho! I think I scrambled my own insides cringing at the sheer awfulness of the horribly self aware “use the force Luke” and repeated “you must believe”s.
Frankly, like Robin Hood before it, it needs to take itself far less seriously to make a mark.
Christian Cooke is upsettingly hot though. Even if he is about 12.
Posted on January 4, 2009 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre | 1 Comment
Into a Bright New Year…
I must admit that as I grow older I find myself less enamoured of the New Year’s Eve festivities. It’s like going out only more crowded, more expensive and there is an imperative placed upon you to stay up until at least 12 – something which I find myself increasingly ill-inclined to do.
I do, I must confess, need my beauty sleep. (In fact I’m obviously not getting nearly enough.)
So last night, in a slightly grumpy “oh what’s the point” frame of mind (and given the flatmate was chronically ill and would provide some company) I stayed in, with a view towards having an early night, and waking in the new year bright and refreshed and lacking in hangover.
Sadly, due to an extensive BlackAdder documentary on G.O.L.D and then the discovery of a Screenwipe special I ended up staying up until 12 anyway, but there we are.
I still went to bed, consumed a Nytol and awoke ten hours later feeling pretty damn marvellous if truth be told. So a Happy New Year to you!
Resolutions? I’m not normally prone to them, but symbolically I do appreciate the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and think what I want to achieve. So this year I would like:
- To not move house again. (If at all possible, thank you landlord and credit crunch.)
- To continue losing weight and toning up. The sadist is doing wonders so I shall keep him on as long as I can afford him.
- Drink less. It really has to stop. If nothing else I’m finding myself not wanting so much any more, which is encouraging.
- Write more. Already the cessation of quiz-related activities has left my creativity a little starved and Daniel and I have thus begun working on two new projects, as well as finalising the Vitriol script for touting around. Plus there’s the novel which really does need moving forwards. I’m feeling quite enthused by the possibilities right now.
I trust you have some aims for the new year, and I hope they will be attained in much the same way I hope mine will!
Happy 2009!
Posted on January 1, 2009 | Filed Under My So-Called Life | 0 Comments