Life on film

After my last post I thought I'd talk a bit about films (finding myself fighting the use of 'movies'...I'm not keen on Americanisms). As I said I plan to look up The Golden Compass which is the film adaptation of His Dark Materials. I'm glad I read the book first, I usually find the films of books poor in comparison. The films of Twilight are good, but not great. Unfortunately t's just too watered down. You lose so much and a lot of it is so relevant to the story. I fell in love with Ed Cullen in the books but was fairly indifferent to Robert Pattinson's portrayal *shields head*. I was especially disappointed by Memoirs of a Geisha which was a fabulous book but a mediocre film. Kubrick's interpretation of a Clockwork Orange, while interesting in some ways, was so bizarre as to detract from so many important aspects fo the book. American Psycho is one of the films that made the switch more smoothly.

I don't tend to go see new cinema releases as I'd rather watch things at home (I get irrationally annoyed at spending 30 quid to be seated in front of 6 gossiping teens while eating stale popcorn and getting cramp). The last film I watched was Funny People, I'd expected it to be amazing. I think Adam Sandler is very talented but for me this film was too mind numbingly dull to even pretend there was some important message or that perhaps the humour was hidden. Seeing as how it was almost 2 and a half hours long, I'd hoped that the last half hour might present some kind of revelation or even point to the film. Not the case. Hmph.

I still love older films from the 80s or early 90s. I grew up enjoying films and treasuring those small black slabs of plastic. I loved videos so much I still have a massive collection of them and still have a video player in pride of place on my TV stand. My favourites include: Beetlejuice, Weird Science, Short Circuit, The Navigator, Flatliners, Tremors (actually a terrible film but I have a thing for Kevin Bacon!), Poltergeist, Batteries Not Included, Drop Dead Fred, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Dirty Dancing, Grease, Big, Alive, Dumb & Dumber, Edward Scissorhands, California Man, Back to the Future...the list is probably endless but I think these are films EVERYONE should have watched at least once. In fact, if you know me, I will MAKE you watch them!

As for my very most favouritest films of all time, I'd go with:

1. Alive. This is a painful true story of a young groups' experience of a life changing disaster. How that can change people and how they cope in this adversity is hard to watch but I adore this film.

2. Dude, where's my car? Hilarious, dumb, crazy, juvenile comedy. This is one of the few films I can watch over and over and still it makes me laugh. Just watch it!

3. The Stand or The Green Mile- both Stephen King adaptations and both outstanding!

Right I think that's me done for now. Except to sign off with the fact that I'm fighting against the urge to do a Lush order. I'm sitting next to a virtual basket that is up to £50 already. I told myself I will just get a few bits I want to try and a couple of the poor soon-to-be-discontinued flosty gritter. But if I continue the temptation my basket will be double that by the end. All essentials you understand?! But I just can't afford it at the moment without spending virtual money. If it's on my credit card it's not real surely?