Tribute For Jeff Buckley

Just a quick one today. I wanted to pay tribute to one of the greatest musician I have ever had the pleasure to listen to Jeff Buckley. Some of you might not have heard of him or his music and you should fix that as soon as you can. Vocally I don't think I have heard voice more beautiful and soulful in my life. During his life he release just one album 'Grace' (a second album being released after his death in 1997), however I can say hand on my heart it is in my top 10 albums of all time.

Jeff Buckley didn't have an easy life, he only met his real father, the also very talented musician Tim Buckley only once in his life, and allegedly suffered from Bipolar disorder. He drowned in a channel of the Mississippi river at the age of 30. Today is the anniversary of his birth and had he not died he would be 46 years old today.

Anyway here are a couple of links to 3 of my favourite songs by him. Please Enjoy

Lover, You Should've Come Over

Dream Brother

Mojo Pin

The Start Up

I have been told that this post may offend some people. If you are indeed offended by any aspect of this post well, you know, shit happens.

Those of you who read my last post may know I had been thinking a lot about my death and legacy. Anyway I became distracted. Probably by something shiny or you know, boobs. So I decided to start thinking about maybe starting some sort of business venture, no reason, like I have mentioned before my mind tends to wander all over the place, (keeps things interesting in my opinion).

Anyway what sort of business you may ask, if you are indeed the sort of person that would talks to your computer screen without any hope of a reply (you my want to stop doing that in public, people will start talking), anyhow it would have to be a business that would be quite easy to start up. Something that wouldn’t need much upkeep (as I have mentioned a couple of times I have a tendency to lose focus, also I have recently downloaded a NES emulator and Super Mario 3 will probably be taking up a lot of time). Something that would attract a loyal customer base and something that could grow to give me the public recognition and adoration my ego craves.

Then it hit me I will start a religion. I mean have you seen how rich some of the world’s religions and religious leaders are, (just look at the Vatican). Religious leaders also wield a huge amount of power and have great influence on political leaders and celebrities around the world. They are recognised brands; with a large gullible, sorry I mean faithful following who will buy almost anything. Also as a religious leader I would pretty much make up the rules as I want. I could make the use of marijuana mandatory on certain days of the week. I could make Esperanto the official language my religion, (don’t worry I won’t). I could make William Shatner a saint, (which actually I might). I mean the sky’s the limit.

Don’t worry though my religion would never be used to do anything as un-cool as to suppress women or curtail freedoms. Not like some religions are used by some religious leader I can mention, especially in a certain middle-eastern area. I mean who would want to suppress women, Women are fantastic. I mean not all women, (obviously Margaret Thatcher is the complete opposite of fantastic), but you know women in general, and let’s be clear I’m not saying this because I am somewhat of a connoisseur of the female form, I truly hold women in high regards, again obvious not all women. Also without the freedom of speech I wouldn’t be able to write this blog, (which actually might be seen by some as a good thing hmm.)

In any case let us get down to brass tacks and get some details down for this undertaking. What does a religion require? Apart from a charismatic leader of course, (obviously you will agree I have that covered). If you said Mythology, Beliefs and Rules then give yourself a treat, don’t go crazy, just a small treat, like a chocolate bar or a small toy, I mean it wasn’t that hard of a question.

We now come to my first hurdle, though as most people I know, will confirm I have a gargantuan ego, I still am not arrogant enough to pretend to know whether there is a God and what awaits each of us when we shuffle off this mortal coil. Even if there is an afterlife with a Heaven and Hell, I’m sure my vision of either may be best suited for anyone other then me.

Therefore I will allow each follower to make there own decision about whether to believe in a Deity or Deities. Also I’ll allow them to construct their own version of whatever afterlife they would like, a Heaven and a Hell, reincarnation or becoming nothingness. I know this might seem like a cop out but isn’t it just as good as any other existing system, true they are more specific on details and set in their way,  however can they be proven to be any more accurate then my ideas. I think not.

Mythology had me a bit stumped, I mean obviously I could make it up and I dabbled with the idea of creating a science fiction based mythology for my religion; however Mormonism and Scientology seem to have that market cornered. So I sat down to think and then it hit me, not literally of course, why come up with a mythology or rules myself, when there is a vast reservoir of rules and modern proverbs available to us all and ready to be tapped into. Films! Think about it generally films have set concepts of good and evil, have entertaining stories which may or may not have some moral value I suppose, if not you can come up with some convoluted way to make it have a moral message, I mean followers of all the major religions tend do so with their holy texts.

Therefore Ladies and Gentleman I give you The Church of The Moving Image

Yes I know what you are all thinking, “why on earth didn’t I come up with this, this is genius”, well you didn’t. Some others of you may be thinking, “But there is too much to choose from, there are literally millions of films”. That is the beauty of The Church of The Moving Pictures; I shall set the first seven basic principles taken from films and interpreted by me the founder. These rules must be followed and never contradicted. However those of you who decide to join my church can add whatever other principle they like as long as they do not go against my founding principles.

The Founding Seven Principles

1. “Be Excellent To One Another” (Bill. S. Preston Esquire, Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure, 1989) – This one should be self explanatory, however just so there is no ambiguity, this means you must be generally nice and tolerant to people. Of course if they are being dicks you can retaliate, however only if provoked. Also note that this pretty much covers the last 6 commandment from the Old Testament in five easy words.
2. “Party on Dudes” (Theodore “Ted” Logan, Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure, 1989) – The world is a huge place, full of wonder and adventure. Try to get out there and enjoy yourself as much as you possibly can. Also if you are a very busy person as lots are, take a moment every now and again to take a deep breath and see what’s happening around you.
3.  “...You know that pain and guilt can't be taken away with a wave of a magic wand. They're the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don't want my pain taken away! I need my pain!” (Captain James Tiberius Kirk, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, 1989) – Bad stuff may happen to you, sometimes really bad stuff; you should take your time to recover or deal with it and then move on. Things that happen to us will be part of us and our experiences from that moment on, however they should define us completely. Remember principle number 2
4. “..we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain... ...and an athlete... ...and a basket case… ...a princess...  ...and a criminal...” (Brian, Andrew, Allison, Claire and Bender, The Breakfast Club, 1985) - You are who you are, it doesn’t matter what people want to label you as, you are a perfect version of yourself, be comfortable with yourself because at the end of the day we are more then just one thing, and other people can’t really make us happy.
5. “Any moron with a pack of matches can set a fire. Raining down sulphur is like an endurance trial man. Mass genocide is the most exhausting activity one can engage in, next to soccer.” (Loki, Dogma, 1999) – If you are good at something that is not something to be ashamed of. The cream should always rise to the top. I’m not saying you should treat others who are not as good as you poorly (For one thing that would violate principle number 1), however just think where we would be if Newton, Einstein or Leonardo da Vinci had not shown off their brilliance to fit in or appease peer pressure.
6. “You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, that's not far from the truth” (Morpheus, The Matrix, 1999) – The truth is non negotiable, members of the Church of The Moving Image must not go against what has been proven to be true, scientifically or otherwise. Hence issues like Evolution and Climate Change should not be dismissed.
7. "He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!" (Brian’s Mum, Life Of Brian, 1979) – This is where it may get tricky. This is a warning about following false prophets (mainly celebrities or those people who are perceived to be celebrities), however I could also be seen as a false prophet, in which case I have wasted a lot of time thinking and then writing this post. However then again what is a religion without some leap of faith. So remember be careful who you idolise, Justin Beiber, Kim Kardashian, Honey Boo Boo etc, are not good idols they are generally idiots.

There you have it the starting basis of my new church, there are of course still some issues to iron out, such as what I will be called, what sort of, if any clergy system I shall adopt and most importantly how I am going to make money from this, but I thought I’d get the ball rolling. Remember my followers you are allowed to add any principles that will make your life better, as long as they do not contradict any of the first seven.

Live Long and Prosper

Death and Fame

Please be aware this a slightly more dark blog then I will usually post. Then again the dark places within us all are where all the delicious stuff is. Just ask Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Shelley or Edgar Allen Poe. Actually you will have to find some way to either travel through time or speak to the dead, and then you can ask them. Should you do so kudos to you. Anyway...

I’ve been thinking about death a lot recently, my own to be more precise. I have been going through some dark times and a lot more dark thoughts, (no need for details as I will save them for my autobiography, or a good psychiatrist.) Anyhow as Hamlet asks in his fantastic “To be or not to be” soliloquy I too wondered about the merits of living against those of ending it all. Which lead me to look upon what legacy I would leave to this world?

I have no children, (that I know of), so that can’t be my legacy and nor should it be so. Ones legacy should not depend on the lottery of the right sperm winning a race to the right egg. I have not produced any great piece of art that the world will look at or listen to in wonder. I haven’t done anything of historical note, you know started a revolution (though still time for that I suppose), I haven’t invented anything to help further humanity (through general laziness) and I have fought for perceived injustices, however very quietly and therefore not to any standard that will be noted down.

Then again I haven’t done anything bad to be remembered for either, I haven’t committed mass murder (again still time for that I suppose) so won’t be remembered like Hitler or Stalin, I haven’t oppressed anybody so don’t get the recognition of say Pol Pot or the Kims of North Korea. Also I haven’t written or created anything truly awful enough to warrant fame or infamy to be more correct either, I’m looking at you Cliff Richard, Ayn Rand and Joel Schumacher (yes I still haven’t forgotten about Batman and Robin).

Anyway all this lead me to start thinking about fame and the reasons some people are famous, (This jumping around topics in my head is quite normal for me so don’t worry.) Obviously there are those that deserve to be recognised. Some for their contributions to the world as a better place i.e. Shakespeare, Darwin, Beethoven, Gandhi, Mother Teresa and etc. Some are famous because the create something or do something that entertains enough people that they deserve the recognition i.e. Kevin Smith, Ian Wright, Maria Callas, Audrey Tautou, Joss Whedon and etc. Then there are those who we should not forget to remind us of what is unfortunately possible i.e. The Nazis, Stalin, Jack the Ripper, Cortez and etc.

However there is a new group of people who have emerged recently, (not sure how long it started as I usually stick around my own pop cultural sphere), who are famous for no other reason that they wanted to be. I am talking about of course people who are the “stars” of so called reality TV shows. I’m talking about the Kardashians (not the militaristic alien race the Cardassians from Star Trek, though come to think of it I would love to see a reality show about them), the Jersey Shore cast, Courney Stodden and the latest abomination to come to my attention. Now from what I can tell (mind you I haven’t done extensive research on this), most of these people are famous for mentally defective on TV (I would use another word but I have been told not to). The exception being Kim Kardashian who is famous for filming herself during sex and then it somehow getting out DOH! and her sisters and mother who are riding her coat tails.

Please people tell me that these so called celebrities will not leave a bigger impact on the world then me. Otherwise I may have to bite the bullet and release a sex tape of my own, and trust me nobody wants that. However if Monica Belluci is up for it message me. 

A Tale Of Two Batmans

PLEASE BE WARNED THIS ARTICLE WILL CONTAIN SOME SPOILER FOR THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!

For those of you who after reading my first blog thought that I would only be writing about highbrow topics, well you were sorely mistaken. I like most of my fellow human beings am a complex and wondrous creature (though I am of course much better then most of you out there). I can love Shakespeare, Mozart, Art in general (though not cubism), the works of Akira Kurosawa and Poetry, and yet at the same time still love Star Trek, The Sex Pistols, Hackers (fantastically ridiculous film with very early Angelina Jolie boobage), the word boobage and comics.

I love comics, I love the ideas behind the stories, the art, the films based on them and the worlds they create. I know some people still maintain that comics are for children and not a "serious" medium, well obviously they are wrong and they should read say, Sandman, Preacher or Watchmen to prove themselves so, and then contact me for some more reading suggestions.

In comic book terms I am a DC man. I read and enjoy many Marvel titles but prefer the work of their rivals (please note I include the works of DC Vertigo in this). Of the vast pantheon in the DC Universe my favourite being Batman (Surprise Surprise). I won't go into too many details of why, as I will end up sounding like a pre-pubescent girl at a Twilight Convention (or a Justin Beiber concert, if Twilight isn't a big thing any more. I don't know I don't keep track of these things) Suffice to say that firstly Batman without powers has fought some truly mighty villains, using only his training and his intelligence (and billions of dollars), and secondly he has the most impressive rogues gallery of any comic book hero, super or not.

Now being a huge Batman fan I was of course looking forward to the final part of the brilliant Christopher Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy. After the absolute pile of crap that was 1997's Batman and Robin, Nolan had bought back some respectability to the character with Batman Begins and then set the bar for all comic books films stupendously high with The Dark Knight. There had been some worrying reports during production of The Dark Knight Rises, such as Bane's voice was not understandable, and that Nolan was planning to do something that the Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Ra's al Ghul or anybody else to have fought the Caped Crusader had not accomplished. Kill the Batman.

I however had full faith in Mr. Nolan and boy did he deliver. I have seen the film 4 times at the cinema (Twice at the IMAX). It's not my Favourite Batman film, that's still The Dark Knight, however it's joint second with Batman Begins. It marries bits and pieces from The Knightfall, The Dark Knight Returns (more on this later) and the No Man's Land story-lines together and forms something unique and intriguing. The cast is as with all the other Nolan films excellent, with special mentions due to Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon (when is this man not watchable),  Tom Hardy as Bane and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, even when Bruce Wayne/Batman is not on screen if one or more of these three is on you don't miss him.

Now The Dark Knight Rises is not a perfect. It has been noted by many many people who have talked about the various plot holes littered throughout the film. I won't repeat them as I don't care about them. The way I know I don't care about them is that even after finding out about them, I can still watch the film and not notice them and enjoy the film. 

One critic of the film I will address is Ralph Garman. Ralph Garman is an Actor, Comedian and radio host. He co-host one of my favourite podcasts, Hollywood Babble-On with Kevin Smith, and is I hate to say a far bigger Batman fan then me (I meanhe got Adam West a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Christ's sake). His main Problems with the Film are that he doesn't think that (and I'm paraphrasing here) Batman would a) abandon Gotham for 8 years if his girlfriend died and b) He would leave Gotham to an untrained Robin at the end so he could go make out with Selina Kyle. I have thought about these points and come to the conclusion that, as in DC comics a Multiverse exists, with many versions of Earth and many different versions of the heroes and villains also existing, this is just another version of Batman, and one where Bruce Wayne gets to go off and be happy. The comic versions of Batman are in a different universe as are all the other  film versions and of course the Adam West version.

By the way I like to subscribe to the Multiverse idea for our reality as well, it has been theorised by physicists that there are indeed other universes where things are different to ours in some or many ways, say in one of these universe the dinosaurs didn't die out, or the Roman Empire never fell. I subscribe to this theory in the hope in the infinite universes out there with their infinite possibilities, There may be a Universe on which I am Batman. I mean how cool would that be! Of course this also brings out a possibility that there is a universe out there where I am Robin. I try not to think about this too much as, me in tights is not something I or anybody else should imagine.

So as far as I am concerned we get an excellent Batman film for 2012 and we should be happy with it, But No! 2012 it seems is the year that we Batman fans were truly spoiled. Released a little over a week ago was The Dark Knight Returns - Part 1, an animated adaptation of the first 2 books from the iconic graphic novel by Frank Miller. An older (55 year old) Bruce Wayne dons the cape and cowl again after a 10 year absence, having watched Gotham turn into a hell hole. The graphical novel when it came out was a shot in the arm for the character, it bought about a darker more gritty Batman than there had been before. Something I'm glad to say has stayed with the character ever since. 

The animated film sticks very closely to the first two books of the series and the look of the animation along with the excellent score by Christopher Drake give it a feeling of watching Gotham in the Blade Runner universe (which in case you need to be told is a very high compliment coming from me). The voice cast is very good especially Peter Weller as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Ariel Winter as Carrie Kelley/Robin.

I have so far watched all the DC Animated films, most of which have Batman in them. I would have to say in my opinion (which is far from humble) this is the best one I have seen so far. I would go as far as saying that this is on par with The Dark Knight Rises and Batman Begins, and it's only the first half. I can't wait for Part 2 next year when Batman will take on the Joker (bought out of his comatose state at Arkham Asylum by the the return of his favourite foe) and the biggest fight of Batman's life when he goes toe to toe with Superman.

Shakespeare and Me.

I love Shakespeare, and before anybody gets on their high horse and starts to ramble on about the authorship question, and how the plays and sonnets where not written by William Shakespeare. Just don't!

I don't care about who did or didn't write these wonderful words, I care that they were written down. If someone can prove that it was Edward de Vere, Kit Marlow, Francis Bacon or any of the other multitude of candidates people claim, then all well and good. Until then I will continue to refer to these collected works as those of Shakespeare. 

Now that we have gotten that out of the way I will continue. Some people say that Shakespeare is hard or too old fashioned and hence not relevant. About these people I would say to quote the great man himself "They have a plentiful lack of wit."

When I first picked up my first Shakespearian play The Merchant of Venice, I too found it daunting. That was until I was told about the poetry of the language and how sometimes with words, less isn't more (Thanks Mrs Bennett). Once you understand that the sentiments of the words is what is important, you can look beyond them to realise how important they are (more about this later). You can of course "translate" the plays into modern English, just as they can be translated into any other language. I for one though prefer the original. There is a richness that makes the extra effort to understand it worthwhile.

Sure you can say;


Now all of my family's troubles have come to a glorious end
Thanks to my Brother, King Edward IV.
All the Cloud that threatened the York family
have vanished and turned to sunshine
Now we wear wreaths of victory on our heads
We've taken off our armour and weapons and hung them up as decorations.


but doesn't it just sound better as;

Now is the winter of our discontent

Made glorious summer by this son of York,

And all the clouds that loured upon our house

In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths,

Our bruisèd arms hung up for monuments

Shakespeare's contribution to what we refer to as modern English should also not be overlooked he invented thousands of words and hundreds of proverbs still in popular use today. I won't list any as, I assume that if you are reading this then you have access to the internet, so can stop being lazy and look for yourself and be surprised.

Of course the plays and sonnets aren't just a good guide to the English language (though they are that too.) They are as I mentioned earlier important. Shakespeare's works are a mirror to show us our humanity. He displays love, camaraderie, deceit, villainy and every other aspect of what makes us more then mere animals. The joy and despair of Romeo and Juliet's love, The anguish of Henry the Fifth the night before Agincourt, Macbeth's blind ambition, Lago's envy and anger at Othello, Shylock's anger at his persecution etc etc etc. All these are things most of us deal with regularly throughout our lives. As long as they are relevant so is Shakespeare. 

Of course he isn't the first, nor the only person to have shown us these aspects of humanity. A couple of thousand years before Shakespeare, Homer did a fantastic job with The Iliad and The Odyssey (and if you are lucky I will write a piece on him someday). However in my opinion Shakespeare did it better then those before and has yet to be equalled by those who followed.

I will end with a quote from someone more qualified then me to praise Shakespeare

"He was the man who of all modern, and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and most comprehensive soul."
John Dryden Quote (1631 - 1700), "Essay of Dramatic Poesy"