The Two Towers
Another few fantastic hours in Middle Earth. Breathtaking to look at, but was it as engrossing as the first one? Anyway, I sat in amazement for most of it and I’m eagerly awaiting the Return of the King. Link to … Continue reading
Whip it On — The Raveonettes
Is there such a thing as a sleazy ’60s noir road movie? If there is, then this is the soundtrack to it. The Raveonettes make sharp, guitar-based retro-rock (what?), they have wonderfully exotic-sounding names, and they’re much better-looking than the … Continue reading
Newsblaster
A summary of all the news on the Web. The Newsblaster computer program reads news websites and creates summaries. Since they’re computer-generated, the summaries are sometimes a bit incoherent. So it’s just like reading CNN.com. An interesting idea, if nothing … Continue reading
The Age of Wire and String — Ben Marcus
Initially, this book is very disorienting. It’s a set of short descriptions of a strange, primitive society based on our own. Common words (house, dog, wire) take on bizarre meanings that you just have to guess at as you read … Continue reading
Flower-watching
I have spent a lot of time looking at cherry blossoms recently. It’s “hanami” season in Tokyo, so everybody spends as much time as possible picnicking under sakura trees. This photo is from early April at Mizumoto Park, in Kanamachi … Continue reading
Stickmen
Three men with big sticks get their shot at the big time. This is a really fun film set in the world of seedy pub pool tournaments. It compares favourably to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and it’s great … Continue reading
Rabbit-Proof Fence
Another side of Australia. A true story about achieving a seemingly impossible goal against apparently overwhelming odds. But despite that unpromising description, the film is absorbing and fairly unsentimental. Beautiful sound and visuals too. Link to website Continue reading
John Peel
Three shows a week of the best music radio show in the world. I want to be John Peel when I grow up. The range of styles on this show is astonishing. Not all the artists sound good, but their … Continue reading
Sheehan Brothers
The Sheehan Brothers’ website showcases a couple of their excellent comics. Long Man is surreal, cinematic in scope and otherwise hard to describe. In contrast, Go Gorillas features explosions and excessive coffee consumption as well as the antagonistic protagonists. I … Continue reading