I've seen it once at the cinema, but I couldn't resist watching "The Italian Job" (2003, USA) one more time, if only to compare it with the original I have on DVD. How they can claim that this film is a "re-make" of the original, I'm not really sure. Yes, there's Mini Coopers and a plot based around messing up the traffic systems, but the 1969 version was never about stealing the gold. It was about Charlie: about his own cunning, wit and charm. Croker's character provided everything, from the memorable one-liners to the tragic fall . OK, perhaps the new version brings the action kicking and screaming up-to-date: but where's the charm? "Remember - in this country, they drive on the wrong side of the road" - Charlie Croker (1969) "You should never mess with Mother Nature, mothers-in-law, and mother-freaking Ukrainians" - Skinny Pete (2003)
Watching the live coverage of the Olympic torch relay through the streets of London yesterday, I was fully expecting to see protesters attempt to disrupt the parade. In a way, I would have been disappointed if I hadn't – and not just because this would have denied the world the opportunity to see Her Majesty's Constabulary laying down the law, old-school style. As many of the torch-bearers tried to emphasise, one should never confuse the Olympics and Politics. Unfortunately, the two are undeniably inseparable. Awarding the games to China was based upon their (rather weak) assurance that they would improve their (dire) human rights record: the extent to which they have taken the world for fools is illustrated in just how little information about their oppressive regime in Tibet is allowed to surface. Britain, and all other free democratic states, should be proud that it's people are allowed to protest and express their views. We should be even more proud of the fact t...
Hello everyone, happy new year! Better late than never, eh? Sorry about the lack of blog posts. I haven't written a "regular" blog post since July (and that was a semi-rambling embittered rant about the government). There are two reasons why: 1. I get bored very easily. Which means I blog for a few months, then I get a temporary obsession with photography , then I become an insufferable music buff for several weeks, then I go and buy a load of gadgets... it's just what I do. Anyway, I'm back in a blogging mood at the moment, so enjoy it while it lasts. 2. We don't have 24/7 broadband at the flat. We have one mobile broadband dongle to share between three laptops. Coupled with the fact that I have a nifty internet phone (great for checking e-mails, a bit fiddly to write anything longer than 140 characters on), this means going on the internet to casually surf and submit various missives to a blog is a bit of a rarity these days. But now I'm b...