Jamie Bailey

I've had germs hanging about for a while and haven't really had the attention span to sit through films, but it was only a matter of time before I returned to terrorise you all with my *INSERT YOUR OPINION OF MY MOVIE OPINIONS* movie opinions, wasn't it? *INSERT EVIL MUSIC HERE... BECAUSE I CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO DO IT MYSELF, JUST MAKE SURE IT'S EVIL, THAT MEANS NO TELETUBBIES THEME TUNE, ALTHOUGH I GUESS THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED THE ULTIMATE EVIL, BUT STILL... YES, EVERYONE LOVES CAPSLOCK* Shrek Computer-animated fantasy about a reclusive green ogre (Mike Myers) whose peace is disrupted by a horde of refugees who have been banished by the evil Lord Farquaad. (2001) Is there anyone who hasn't seen this? This is a classic and Shrek's ears are now as instantly recognisable as Mickey Mouse's (even when I have to draw him blue in the mobile game "Draw Something", people "get it" from the ears) so I imagine many people out there have had to sit through this far more times than they really wanted to. I never realised how important the soundtrack was to this film until the London West End musical came about, I saw it and it just wasn't the same without tunes such as "All-Star", "Hallelujah" and even what I consider to be the film's main melody. Heck, even "I'm A Believer" was kept right to the end, and I mean the VERY end, after the whole thing had well and truly finished, cast bowing and all, and the song just felt like they were dragging the show on too long, plus the fact that for anyone other than the skinniest of runts the seats were severely uncomfortable, certainly not suitable for ogre sized people. Film still makes me laugh after all these years. If you haven't seen this film yet, let me be the first to say welcome to planet Earth! Shrek 2 Animated sequel following the grumpy ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) and his bride as they head off to meet her parents. The occasion is marred by a wicked fairy godmother. This is more of the same. I don't consider this to be quite the classic the original Shrek is, but it's still a great movie, still funny, still has some great tunes, and how could anyone fail to love the new character, Puss in Boots? Awww, just look at that face! That said, I haven't seen his spin-off movie yet. Shrek the Third Animated sequel. Shrek must find the errant heir to Harold's throne or face wearing the crown himself. However, an old enemy has plans of his own. Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz star. Anyone noticing a pattern here? Saw this one when it was originally in cinemas and was a bit disappointed. Watching it again on TV, it's better than I remembered but still not as good as the first two. Still, things picked up again after this one, so my next movie can only be... Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (2006) Jack Black and Kyle Gass star as guitarists on a mission to become the greatest rock musicians ever. All they need is a guitar pick made from Satan's tooth. Oh, well that's buggered it, unless this is the Director's Cut version of the fourth Shrek, but I doubt it. Anyway, this ROCKS... it also swears it's mother****ing head off and goes a bit mental. I'm not much of a rocker but this is still great with plenty of laughs, may give you an urge to eat some funky mushrooms though. ROCK ON! Date Movie (2006) Aaron Seltzer's comedy spoofs almost every romcom ever made. Alyson Hannigan falls for Adam Campbell but she must convince her parents he's the right man for her. After the epic fail that was "Epic Movie" I wondered whether this would even be worth bothering with. Turned out to be alright actually, got plenty of laughs out of it. Juno (2007) Ellen Page stars in this whip-smart comedy-drama as Juno, just 16, who finds she's pregnant. She decides to give the baby up for adoption but has she made the right decision? Hang on, this was supposed to have comedy in it? Anyway, this was one of those films where I wasn't sure if I was going to like it at first but found myself getting a bit irritated when the ad breaks showed up even though I skip through them, and that's when you know you've got into a film. I'm not itching to see it again but it was a decent enough watch for me.

It's Easter holidays, and what does that mean? TV channels are actually giving me some films to watch, so I'm back in action. Troll Hunter While investigating a series of suspicious bear killings, a group of students trail a mysterious "hunter" who wants nothing to do with them and attempts to shake them off his trail. Sheer persistence leads the group right to the prey he is trying to hunt and they soon learn there are far more dangerous and mystical creatures than mere bears. (Blu-ray description) My friend decided to lend me this and it bored me to death (Don't worry, I found a few extra lives before watching and I'm now safe and sound at a restart point, unfortunately, my clothes aren't). The film's Norwegian, but luckily there was an English audio option, which was probably the best thing about this as initially I got a laugh out of the actors' mouths not matching up with the voices. The trolls themselves don't even fit the film's found footage vibe, like you're suddenly watching a different movie. The moment any troll turned up, it felt like I was suddenly watching CG Jim Henson creatures, they LOOK like they could start talking, doing something funny or break into a performance of "Mahna Mahna" (or "Phenomenon" as I've always remembered the song) at any moment, or maybe that was just my own wishful thinking. Maybe some will find the out-of-place trolls funny, but I wasn't laughing. Skyrunners Sci-fi adventure about two brothers who discover a UFO. When one of the brothers takes a trip into space, he returns to Earth with superhuman powers. Starring Kelly Blatz. (2009) Not heard of this, seems to be a Disney XD made-for-TV kids' movie. It's a bit like a cross between a high school movie (not musical), Flight of the Navigator and a bit of Men In Black. Early on, the film reminded me a bit too much of Flight of the Navigator, it even has one moment that should feel instantly recognisable to anyone familiar with that film. This was an okay watch, nothing great, though I was just glad to see some films sitting in my list of recordings, and after Troll Hunter, this one didn't exactly have a tough act to follow. Eyes Wide Shut Sexual adventure drama starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, 1999. A New York couple have an argument which leads the husband on an adventure in search of new sexual experiences. Okay, let's go from one extreme to the other, from a kids' film to one that's certainly for adults, and turns out it's a Stanley Kubrick film. This is quite long and slow-going. I didn't think I'd like it at first, but once I slowed myself down to it's pace, I actually got into it and found it a decent watch. There was a surprising amount of nudity (well I'm certainly not complaining, lol), although the word "sexual" in the description and the late transmission time should have suggested something. Jackass 2.5 (2007) Documentary in which Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass crew present more of their idiotically irresponsible, wilfully dangerous and stomach-turningly gross stunts. Stretching the definition of "movie", this is more like a DVD extra featuring leftovers from Jackass Number Two, but the description says it all. Got a few laughs, glad I don't hang out with these guys.

Okay, so I got tired of waiting and decided to record a load of random films. I'm surprised at how impatient I am at the moment. Gay Aliens from Mars Classic comedy horror, 1968. When the residents of a small town begin dying of happiness, Peter (Elvis Presley) investigates but not everything is as it seems. Never heard of this. The title is misleading, I thought this was going to be "gay" as in... well, you know. This was quite good, it's one of those so-bad-it's-good films full of cheese, the final solution to the problem just doesn't make sense. Got lots of laughs though with the terrible special effects and the acting of the victims of the happiness is hilarious. I can see this getting a remake sooner or later. Care Home Musical (2010) All-star Disney musical starring Eddie Murphy, Sigourney Weaver and Justin Bieber about a pensioner-hating boy sent to do work experience in a home for the elderly. You either like High School Musical or you don't and your opinion of this film will most likely be similar. I did find this funnier than the High School Musical series though, with funnier, more memorable songs like Eddie Murphy's "Young Whippersnapper (U and Ur Phone)" and Bieber's_"Time 2 Die (Old Wrinkly Ones)". Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Uncharted Action adventure movie/videogame crossover. Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) and Nathan Drake (Mark Wahlberg) team up to investigate a time rift caused in an ancient tomb in the past by Indy (Harrison Ford). (2011) They had the perfect combination, Tomb Raider, Uncharted, Indy and a Doctor Who-style plot bringing them all together,_how could they get this so wrong? By putting Zack Snyder on directing duty, that's how. Despite all the action going on every time Drake makes an appearance, this was so dull, and the explanation for the time rift simply doesn't add up. Drake flirting with Indy should have been funny, but in reality, it's horrific to watch. Avoid. Titanic 2 Sequel to James Cameron's epic love story, 1999. The Titanic is rebuilt in present day, but on it's maiden voyage, can Psychic Maria_Thompson (Sandra Bullock) prevent the new ship from suffering a similar fate to the original? Some films should never have sequels, end of. Titanic was one such film, so I'm surprised at how good this one turned out. It's more focused on action than a love story and really gets gripping after the big twist in the middle of the film. I wasn't so keen on the singing though, it seemed like it was just thrown in to pad out the film's running time. April Fools Day Jamie Bailey types a ridiculous forum post about a bunch of fake movies that won't fool anyone but hopes everyone will get a laugh from it. (2012) Now this really is the worst movie ever made, it doesn't just break the fourth wall, it totally and utterly obliterates it. Happy April Fools day everyone!

They've been a long time coming but my area finally went through digital switchover and started receiving Freeview HD TV channels last Wednesday (21st March). On initial inspection it was hard to see much difference between standard def and high def TV channels besides a few cleaner graphics on the screen (time/show title of morning shows, remaining cash prizes on Deal or no Deal, etc), probably because not everything is in HD, either that or rather poor HD. I had to wait until Saturday to see what visual quality these channels could really pump out with the new series of Britain's Got Talent and it's new ratings rival, The Voice UK clearly being broadcast with a nice visual upgrade. Though I've been watching Blu-rays on my PS3 for a few years now, on Sunday I watched my first film broadcast from a HD TV channel... Land of the Lost Comedy starring Will Ferrell and Anna Friel, 2009. Disgraced scientist Rick invents a device that transports him to a parallel universe full of weird creatures. Short of Avatar or a Pixar animation, this was a great visual demonstration of what an HD broadcast film can look like, as this is quite a visually interesting film, the parallel world and it's creatures were a perfect demonstration of the HD upgrade. As a film, I wasn't sure at first as it wasn't as serious as I was expecting, but once I got my head round the whole idea of it being silly cheesy so-bad-it's-good type stuff, it's actually pretty entertaining. Jennifer's Body (2009) Gory horror satire starring Megan Fox as a cheerleader who is literally turned into a man-eater in a macabre accident. Only her nerdy best friend Amanda Seyfried can save the day... Saw this back when it was in cinemas but decided to watch it again now it's on TV. I had remembered the film as being purely an excuse to look at Megan Fox and little else, but it's actually a lot more entertaining than I remembered. Avatar (2009) Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Zoe Saldana star in James Cameron's part-animated sci-fi epic about a soldier who discovers his mission is to rid a world of it's inhabitants. On the fifth day of HD Channel 4 broadcast to meee... er, one Avatar movie, nice coincidence, that. Now THIS is a movie to test a HD channel. While it was a must-see-in-3D on the dull screen at the cinema, it's nice to see the film on my nice bright (by comparison) TV without 3D glasses dulling the colours, the film is actually more beautiful than I realised. It really is an awesome film. Saw 3D: The Final Chapter A deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy as a group of Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) survivors gather to seek the support of self-help guru, and fellow survivor, Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery). Soon though, the survivors really must help themselves as Dagen's dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror. (Blu-ray description) One of the leftovers from a time when I'd only get to see a movie (or series of movies) if I bought the DVD/Blu-ray, this completes my Saw collection (I think...). Saw this in 3D at the cinema and the 3D was rubbish, can't test 3D on this copy yet as I don't have a 3D TV... yet, but watching this Blu-ray in 2D, the film is still bright as though you're supposed to be sitting there with 3D glasses on, oh dear. As a whole series, these films are gory but gripping. Yes, there was blood. Now, my recording schedule for the upcoming week is looking a bit empty in the way of movies, oh dear.

Ah, thanks for that, that puts my mind at ease, I had a feeling the film was based on a book but couldn't remember, must have heard about it at some point a long time ago._I'm not into books either, I'll have to remember that one just incase I wake up one day in one of my random uncharacteristic moods (not often, but they do happen) with a craving to read a book. Nine to Five (1980) Colin Higgins's feminist comedy stars Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin as three office workers dreaming of taking revenge on their odious sexist pig of a boss. While I'm certainly familiar with the song, I never knew there was actually a film. This is actually one of those good surprises, very entertaining and funny. Flipper Family adventure drama starring Paul Hogan and Elijah Wood, 1996. A city boy spending the summer with his uncle in Florida befriends a tame dolphin. Used to watch the Flipper TV series when I was young. This film's alright, but I didn't find it as entertaining as Free Willy. (500) Days of Summer (2009) Mark Webb's feature debut is a romantic comedy, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, which focuses on the heartache of unrequited love. Misleading title, I actually thought this film was likely to involve things such as sunshine, BBQs, beaches, surfer dudes and beach babes, I was completely wrong as "Summer" is just the name of the film's female character. Boooo, I want my surfer dudes! Didn't like this much, not really a film for me. Confessions of a Shopaholic Romantic comedy about a college graduate who's unstoppable addiction to shopping places her love life and career as a finance journalist at risk. Starring Isla Fisher. The title certainly doesn't mislead here. Despite being a rather girly film, I much preferred this to (500) Days of Summer. Quite entertaining and funny.

Bride of Chucky Horrific black comedy starring Jennifer Tilly and Katherine Heigl, 1998. A doll housing the spirit of a serial killer, is endowed with supernatural powers enabling it to wreak havoc. Ooh, ooh, I like Chucky! Hang on, they've turned Child's Play into a comedy now? Wasn't sure if I'd like it so much as a comedy, but it was actually still good and funny at times. Surprised I actually like it just as much as the first three horrors. Sucker Punch In this epic action fantasy, Babydoll, locked away against her will, must band together with four fellow prisoners and use imagination and dreams to escape her dark reality. (Blu-ray box description) Coming from the director of Watchmen (how could this end up being so boring?) and 300 (never seen, but the trailer was hours of severe boredom condensed into a couple minutes, how'd they manage that?), I wasn't expecting to be entertained by this. This did have it's moments with some of the action scenes, so it's better than I expected, but considering all the action, I still think this should have been a lot more entertaining than it was. One thing I did find interesting is that watching this felt like I was watching someone playing a game during the action scenes. Sanctum From executive producer James Cameron (Avatar) comes a thrilling underwater adventure based on true events. Master cave diver Frank McGuire and his team have been exploring the least accessible, uncharted and dangerous underwater labyrinth on Earth. When a tropical storm cuts off their only escape route, they must find an exit to make it out alive. In Earth's inner sanctum, make just one mistake and no one will know you were ever there. (Blu-ray box description) They certainly like to make a big deal of attaching James Cameron's name to this, so I will too. It's better than Sucker Punch, certainly not as good as Avatar, Aliens, Titanic or the Terminator films. Aaand I'm done here. Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift Street-racing sequel starring Lucas Black and Zachery Ty Bryan, 2006. A car addict discovers the thrilling drift racing scene in Tokyo. Not much to say here, it's got Tokyo and it's got cars. It was good, got a few small laughs from it. The Running Man (1987) Arnold Schwarzenegger plays an innocent man forced to take part in a brutal TV game show in which gadget-wielding killers hunt him down on the streets of LA. Saw this at a younger age and wondered whether it would still be as good as I remembered. It almost is, although this film looks like it's ripe for a remake to me. Bonus points for having Arnie say "I'll be back" outside of a Terminator movie. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Adaptation of Douglas Adams's cult sci-fi comedy novel. Escaping the Earth's destruction, Arthur (Martin Freeman) embarks on a galactic journey in search of the meaning of life. (2005) Interestingly, 2005 was also the year Doctor Who was brought back to TV and this film's a bit like Doctor Who on a bigger budget... and more insane. In fact, it reminded me of Doctor Who so much, I wouldn't have been surprised if the Daleks turned up, shame they didn't. Still, I liked this and found it quite funny, especially the depressed robot._So long and thanks for all the fish. Don't panic, I'll be back.

Wanted Action-packed thriller starring James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman, 2008. An office worker is transformed into a skilled assassin by an ancient band of killers called the Fraternity. Oh look, that narrating penguin waddled into my next movie and brought Lara Croft with him. Trailers for this made it just look like something that wanted to be The Matrix, and it certainly is a bit Matrixy with it's over-the-top action scenes and bullet curving. This was actually far better than I was expecting, I like this one a lot. One Fine Day (1996) George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer star as two single parents attempting to juggle busy lives and childcare in this thoroughly modern romantic comedy. I'm surprised I actually liked this. Read that description, there's nothing there that suggests I will like this movie and just before watching it I even thought "why did I bother recording this one?". Nothing spectacular going on here, the kid from Bogus is back as if he's pleading with me for another chance, the film's not even funny, but somehow I actually liked it and found I didn't want it to end, well, not so quickly anyway. Surprises like this are the reason I haven't given up on romantic comedies, One Fine Movie.

She's the Man (2006) When her twin brother plays truant, football-mad Amanda Byrnes takes his place in the school team, but she doesn't anticipate the romantic entanglements her ploy will cause. Due to a problem I really should see a doctor about, I watched this in the middle of the night. and rather fittingly, the song during the opening credits kept saying there's no sleep tonight. I wondered why it's always men dressing up as women in movies and not the other way round, now I know, it works better that way. Bit odd but decent enough to watch. I Then continued my midnight viewing with... National Lampoon's Animal House Raucous college comedy starring John Belushi and Tim Matheson, 1978. The outrageous escapades of a 1960s American campus fraternity - a house full of beer-swilling party animals. Not heard of this. Good film, funny enough to keep me going during the early hours of the morning, and there's a few good old tunes in there too. Saturday Night Fever (1977) John Badham's iconic film stars John Travolta as a champion disco dancer hoping to win the prize that will get him out of the ghetto. Speaking of good old tunes, there was no shortage of them here. Watched on Monday, early evening after spending the day catching up on sleep, so it's more Monday Evening Fever, but still a good watch, got some laughs. Been waiting so many years to see this. March of the Penguins Oscar-winning documentary, 2005. Chronicling the journey of emperor penguins over the harsh terrain of the Antarctic to their breeding grounds. Well, I needed something to cool that fever right down. Good thing I didn't watch this during the night, it's rather like a documentary, maybe because, er, it IS a documentary, but still more entertaining than Bogus, that's the important thing. No big action scenes, no big laughs, no incredible CGI stunts (but it DID have penguins doing belly slides, awesome), no penguins speaking fluent english... unless Morgan Freeman really screwed up the voice acting, in which case, there's no telling which penguin he was voicing or why said penguin was talking like a narrator.

I'm going back to the real movies now, from Golden Abyss to... The Golden Child (1986) Eddie Murphy stars in this all-action comedy as a private eye who's called in to track down the peace-bringing Golden Child, kidnapped from a Tibetan temple. Never heard of this, are they pumping out new Eddie Murphy films and making them as 80's as possible? There was once a time when I only knew the guy as the Beverly Hills Cop who got fat, nutty and started talking to animals. Wherever they're coming from, I'm loving them and this is another great movie. Very entertaining the whole way through and funny. You've Got Mail Romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, 1998. A couple develop a romantic online relationship, unaware that they are actually business rivals. Romantic comedies, I'll watch them, but they generally aren't among my favourite movies and this is no exception. Never heard of this until I got my recording box, and searching through the list of movies coming on TV in the upcoming week, this one has kept coming up again and again and I finally thought that maybe if I watch it it'll go away... or maybe not. It's pleasant enough, got a few small laughs, but nothing special. Bogus (1996) Drama starring Haley Joel Osment as a boy who's mother is killed in a car crash. Adopted by Whoopi Goldberg, he copes by inventing an invisible friend, Bogus (Gerard Depardieu). Not heard of this. What happened here? I usually like Whoopi cushion but this film just wasn't that good. Annoying in parts, particularly Bogus, the imaginary frenchman the film is all about. The opening credits sequence was so annoying with it's music and circus imagery that it was almost enough to make me switch off before the movie even started, not to mention the fact I drifted into space several times during the film. Oh dear. Baby's Day Out (1994) Joe Mantegna, Joe Pantoliano and Brian Haley play three inept criminals who kidnap a millionaire's baby. But when the baby escapes, there's mayhem as they try to track him down. Used to watch this quite a bit on a VHS recording back in the day so I'm surprised I didn't have a better recollection of it. Don't love it anywhere near as much as I used to, but it's a whole lot better than Bogus, no drifting into space with this one.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss A forgotten mystery hidden in a 400 year old burial site leads fortune hunter Nathan Drake onto the trail of one of history's greatest legends. Tracked by a deadly guerrilla army, Nathan and his friends must risk everything in pursuit of fortune, glory and a lost city of gold. I'm going to have to kill everyone at Pixar just so they can turn in their graves, this is animated movie-making at it's sloppiest, not to mention requiring the purchase of a whole new player to view it. You see, the makers of this movie tried to make it waaay too long and couldn't be bothered to animate the whole movie, so every once in a while, the movie stops and viewers must move Nathan themselves as well as making him kill people, clean and inspect objects, I'm surprised they didn't make us brush his teeth and dress him too. The movie drags on for so long, I haven't actually finished watching it yet, although I also understand this isn't the first Uncharted movie to get the we-couldn't-be-bothered animation treatment, there are THREE previous instalments in the series which apparently have similar issues. Avoid at all costs unless you like pressing buttons. I hope Uncharted never comes to cinemas, viewers will never come out again!

Thanks everyone! Nice to know at least Overbound loves me. Here, have a large sausage roll! I'd give you a cuddle but I ate them all along with all other forms of love. I don't recall having a birthday topic last year, I thought I managed to escape it, I needed a break from paying too much attention to everyone's birthdays last year though (not just here), I always want the best for everyone on their birthdays (and all other days too) but it was getting too much and doing my head in. Gotta love those international timezones, by the time this topic appeared, my actual birthday was over by about four hours, although my birthday has now run into it's third day as we still have so much leftover food from birthday tea. I must be getting old as I remember the days when a birthday only lasted one day, lol. TIME ATTACKED 2 This post is quite long, so I'll break it down fo y'all, 'kay? Old geeza'z got 2 keep down wit da kidz yo! Ahem, anyway... I'm surprised I didn't catch on immediately, I saw the topic title and thought someone had decided to make TA2 themselves as well as posting in the wrong forum. Although if TA2 ever gets made, posting in General Discussion would be a nice nod to the days of the original's creation, when fangaming topics were posted in General Discussion. Admins might not agree though, I probably push the rules to their limits enough already, lol. Glad to see the old April Fools joke was never forgotten. Those graphics were at one point going to be turned into a seventh zone for the original Time Attacked as I felt the game was a little short, but I realised I'd kind of run out of new level design ideas that could be made with the game's engine and thought it'd be best to keep the game shorter and sweeter rather than shove in another zone just for the sake of it. I had an idea for the zone that I may use if I ever get to make TA2, but it seems I've been waiting forever for the stars to align, so to speak, and my eyesight is slowly getting worse, concentrating on a computer screen the way I did to make games may even end up being too much of a strain on my eyes now. I imagine TA2 would be an artistic marvel more than a technical one (if I can ever get my head round Sonic Worlds, I'm an artist, not a brainbox, can't we get some HD on that? Yes, someone going blind wants HD, try and get your heads round that one, folks, I'd have 3D like 3DS too if I could, just look at the effects in my previous games, I'm crazy for 3D effects), so I can't imagine anyone besides myself bringing my vision to reality regardless of their artistic talent or willingness to "make my game for me", maybe I'm a control freak when it comes to my art, maybe I have some kind of OCD, but the whole thing would have to be just so. That said, I was petrified putting the original's cutscenes and music in the hands of Blaze and Red/Dragon/Malcolm/TheManWithAMillionNames, both of whom are brilliant and would always have been my top choices for having someone besides me doing those tasks, and they proved I needn't have worried so, at all. BACK TO THE BIRTHDAY STUFF As I'm 30, I was a bit disappointed I got no main present this year, I just got some bits and bobs not worth going into too much detail about, some money and way too much lottery/scratch cards as the amount of money I've won is far outweighed by what my family spent, for instance, my "present" from my own father currently stands at £1, which is a really poor show for a 30th birthday in my opinion. Maybe I'm expecting too much, maybe I need to spend some time starving alone in a third-world country to put my head in check and learn to be more grateful or something, but when me and my family buy slightly special things for other family members' 30th birthdays, I expect to be treated the same when it's my turn. Besides that, my birthday this year was a million times better than last year's when I had a bad leg and couldn't move without being in pain as well as being absolutely shattered but not being allowed to get some much-needed sleep. I certainly can't complain about the food side of things, we're STILL eating it all! Despite not really wanting to get drunk, I was forced (in a way, not literally) to have a giant beer on the evening of my birthday as my brother did give me a giant beer glass which holds almost four cans worth of beer. I did not sleep well after that, I managed to escape any hangover but I was still absolutely shattered yesterday.

Thir13en Ghosts Horror remake about a family who inherit a mansion from their eccentric uncle, unaware that it's home to thirteen evil ghosts. Stars Matthew Lillard and Shannon Elizabeth. (2001) Never heard of this, now this is a better horror film. Forget 3D glasses, I want glasses that allow you to see ghosts, particularly the one that tried to take a Mega Drive controller straight from my hands when I was younger. The Muppets "It's time to play the music" as the Muppets return with a hilarious adventure to delight fans old and new! (cinema description) Yes, I've been to the cinema today to watch a load of Muppets. Excellent film, funny and it's nice to see a new musical with likeable music. I find it surprising how many musicals get rubbish songs that get so irritating and/or have too much singing (Sweeney Todd, take note). Death Race Futuristic thriller starring Jason Statham and Joan Allen. A death row criminal takes part in a deadly motor race in which killing opponents is the way to win freedom. (2008) Back home to the TV recordings. Someone must have been playing weapon-based racing games when they came up with this. The action-packed race scenes are well entertaining, but I felt the rest of the film could have been a bit more interesting._

Yes, bring on the pr0n! *Sees the admins looking in his direction* In January, I watched a movie called Showgirls which I had never heard of before, I got a VERY pleasant surprise, anyway, Back To The Present... Bridge to Terabithia CGI-filled adventure based on the children's novel about two friends who escape to a magical woodland which helps them to deal with their real life. Zooey Deschanel stars. (2007) This is quite different from what I was expecting it to be after seeing trailers when it first came out, I expected a lot more time with CG all over the place, instead we get a lot more time watching kids in school. But it didn't disappoint, I liked this and was entertained the whole way through. Epic Movie (2007) Aaron Seltzer and Jason Freidberg's film parodies recent top movies including Nacho Libre, Snakes on a Plane and X-Men. With Jayma Mays, Kal Penn, Faune Chambers and Adam Campbell. I liked Scary Movie 1 and 2, but the word "Fail" should have been in this movie's title. I notice the description for this doesn't use the word "comedy", which is appropriate because I didn't even laugh once. Epic Fail. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Jessica Biel is among the teens threatened by chainsaw-wielding Leatherface in Marcus Nispel's re-make of the horror. Sometimes I wonder if Hollywood really find it that hard to make a good horror film or whether horror just isn't my genre. It seems so many horror movies just want to put me to sleep and this one was no exception. Eventually it picked up a bit, but was still just okay for me. The Day of the Triffids Classic sci-fi fantasy adventure in which a meteor shower blinds the Earth's population and covers the planet with strange seeds, which grow into huge plant-like creatures. (1963) This was not great but it was worth seeing to get a few laughs from the terrible special effects and ridiculous creatures.

The Longest Yard 70s prison movie remake starring Adam Sandler and Burt Reynolds. An imprisoned quarterback has to form an inmates American football team for a brutal prisoners v guards match. (2005) I liked this one, kept me well entertained the whole way through and quite a few laughs, I found the opening particularly funny. What Lies Beneath (2000) Michelle Pfeiffer plays the wife of Harrison Ford who believes their new house is haunted by the spirit of a murdered neighbour. Could the truth lie closer to home? Although this had it's interesting moments, this was mostly rather dull until towards the end. I certainly won't be in any hurry to see this again. The Time Machine (1960) George Pal's Oscar-winning film stars Rod Taylor as Victorian scientist H George Wells, who invents a time machine and travels forward through the centuries. Not quite Back To The Future, but I found this one surprisingly entertaining considering it's age. It was also unintentionally funny because of it's outdated special effects and because it has a woman named Weena living in the distant future. Blackbeard's Ghost Disney comedy. A pirate who's spirit is condemned to wander the earth until he does a good deed tries to save a descendant's family home from casino racketeers. With Peter Ustinov. (1968) I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I wasn't expecting much, but it was entertaining and funny the whole way through. Lassie (2005) Joe's (Jonathan Mason) beloved dog Lassie is sold by his destitute parents to the Duke of Rudling (Peter O'Toole), but the collie escapes and embarks on an adventurous journey home. Wasn't expecting much with this either, but it was a bit better than I expected. There was a period later in the film where it got quite boring, but the film was mostly okay, worth a watch for me.

Been too tired to sit through too many films this week due to illness. Flash Gordon Camp sci-fi adventure starring Sam Jones and Melody Anderson, 1980. Flash Gordon is on a mission to stop villain Ming the Merciless from causing the moon to collide with Earth. Ah yes, the classic so-bad-it's-good film. Shame I didn't grow up watching this, as people who did seem to love it, but it's still a good watch and a bit of a laugh. Gotta love the theme tune though. FLASH! AAA-AAH! The Full Monty (1997) A group of unemployed Sheffield steel workers are organised by fun-loving Gaz (Robert Carlyle) into a striptease dance troupe. It's a good thing I was familiar with this british movie since it's original release as I certainly wouldn't watch it based on that description alone. Great film and funny, just a shame it isn't about female strippers instead, lol. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Great Directors: Guillermo Del Toro's adult fairytale, set in 1944 Spain, about a girl with a brutal stepfather who is drawn into a magical world. If I want to read, I'll pick up a book or load a website, I struggle to read and watch a movie at the same time, so I can't stand subtitles, too many subtitles can completely ruin a movie for me (District 9, I'm looking in your direction), let alone a non-english movie that has to be watched entirely with subtitles. So this movie has been bugging me since it's original release as it looked so good, but I wouldn't have ever been able to cope with it's subtitles in the cinema due to my poor eyesight. So sitting extra close to my TV in a way I'd normally only do for playing games (I have to be damn close as it is for any film or programme, seen my eyes? They're rectangle!) I'm glad to say this movie is a must-see modern classic. Well worth putting up with the subtitles to see this at least once, and I can't imagine this being the only time I ever see it either. Still a shame, if this was in english I'd buy this on Blu-ray and watch it over and over.

I need a reason to post here more. This first post is content copied over from another forum where the topic is basically becoming "So what films has Jamie been watching today?", so it's long and contains far more than the "last" movie I watched. _______________________ Whether it's something you've seen on TV or if you've been to see one of the latest cinema releases, whether it's an old favourite or something you had never even heard of before, whether you loved or hated it, what was the last film you saw and what did you think of it? I've been watching loooaaads of films I've never seen before since I got a TV recording box (PVR) last summer. It's great not having to be in front of the TV at a specific time to catch something, and I can whizz through the ad breaks in recordings, bonus! Yesterday I watched The Shawshank Redemption, which is something I've seen before, but it is a brilliant prison movie and was well worth seeing again. I also watched Shanghai Noon, a martial arts/western comedy with Jackie Chan, never seen it before but was disappointed, it wasn't that funny. Now, the latest film I've just watched: Funny People Comedy drama starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, 2009. When a rich comedian finds out he has leukaemia, he reconsiders his life, helped by an aspiring stand-up. (Description from my PVR) Never heard of this, I usually like Adam Sandler films but this bored me, especially running for 171 mins (including ad breaks). Title is misleading, should be changed to "Unfunny People". Yawn. Simply Irresistible (1999) Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as the worst chef ever, until a magic crab transforms her culinary skills and her love life, as she falls for restaurant owner Sean Patrick Flanery. Never heard of it. This romantic comedy came with an extra large serving of corn. It certainly entertained me more than "Funny People", but it's still just okay, something to watch once to kill time if you don't mind really corny stuff, but I imagine many people would class this is terrible though, so I probably still liked it more than I should have. Bad Boys Action Thriller starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence and Tea Leoni. Two wisecracking cops are forced to switch identities in order to track down $100 million of heroine stolen from the police. I liked this. I'm starting to like it when I start watching a film I know very little about and text comes up at the start saying "DIRECTED BY MICHAEL BAY", that seems to translate to me now as "YOU WILL LIKE THIS MOVIE!". Kangaroo Jack Comedy adventure starring Anthony Anderson and Jerry O'Connell, 2003. Two friends hunt for a kangaroo who bounds away with their 50,000 dollars in the Australian outback. Actually wasn't expecting this to be very good, but was actually quite surprised. A lot better than I expected and gave me a few laughs. Knocked Up Comedy starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen, 2007. A journalist tries to build a relationship with a slacker after their one night stand results in a pregnancy. Wasn't sure if I would like this, but it was actually quite alright. I got plenty of laughs out of this one so pleasantly surprised. Lost in Translation (2003) Great Directors: Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson star in Sofia Coppola's Oscar-winning film as two lonely souls alone in Tokyo who form a warm, understanding relationship. Not heard of this, recorded it as it had Bill Murray in it. Shame this wasn't lost in transmission, so dull. I was so bored solid with this I stopped watching and deleted the film from my box after forty minutes. I know I truly dislike a film when I don't bother to finish watching it. The Hurt Locker (2008) Great Directors: Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning drama about a US bomb disposal unit in Iraq. Starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty. Looks like Film 4 are doing a "Great Directors" season. I wasn't expecting to like this, it didn't sound like my kind of thing but I decided to have a look as there was a time when this was being raved about as well as news stories of it being pirated by so many people. Considering it's not my kind of thing, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Birth (2004) Great Directors: Jonathan Glazer's film stars Nicole Kidman as a widow about to re-marry until a boy walks into her life and announces he's her reincarnated husband. Never heard of this. For so many years I've thought the concept of someone being reincarnated and remembering their previous life would be a great idea for a movie, but I've never seen it done until now. I did find this film a bit slow and noticed there really were no likeable characters in it, it was the concept of the film kept me interested. There need to be more films that use this concept, it has potential to be hugely entertaining. Stealth The US military develops a fighter jet controlled by artificial intelligence, only for it to develop a mind of it's own. Action adventure, with Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel. (2005) Never heard of this. I quite liked it. About as entertaining as I expected it to be, with action, a bit of sci-fi and special effects, this movie went down nicely. Romancing The Stone (1984) Michael Douglas plays an adventurer, helping Kathleen Turner search for her kidnapped sister in Colombia, in Robert Zemeckis's classic comedy-adventure caper. Didn't think I was going to like this at first, but after about 15 minutes it got going and I found it alright, but this was still a bit up and down for me. Stephen King's Thinner Occult thriller starring Robert John Burke and Joe Mantegna, 1996. An obese lawyer is cursed by a vengeful gypsy and begins to lose weight rapidly. Films like this are the reason I keep recording films I've never heard of. Quite relevant as I'm desperately trying to lose weight myself, but certainly not like the guy in this film does. I liked this, it kept me well entertained. I found one guy's voice quite distracting as he sounds exactly like the mafia boss in The Simpsons, now I wonder why that might be… LOL. The Incredible Hulk Comic book action starring Edward Norton and Tim Roth, 2008. Bruce Banner's muscular alter-ego is pitted against a genetically-modified soldier created by the military. Haven't seen the film that came before this, but didn't think I'd really need to. This is pretty much what I expected, superhero action. It's good, but I got bored a couple of times. My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006) Luke Wilson lives to regret dumping his needy girlfriend (Uma Thurman) because her alter-ego is superhero G-Girl and she is going to use her powers to make his life a living hell. Double whammy of superheroes tonight. I liked this one and got a few laughs from it. Funniest bit involved a totally real shark being thrown into a bedroom window that CLEARLY wasn't a CG special effect (it was). Cocoon: The Return (1988) The alien visitors are back on Earth to rescue a cocoon found on the ocean floor, now the subject of scientific investigation, while the immortal old folk visit their ageing friends. Used to watch the Cocoon films when I was younger, but hadn't seen them in a long time. Saw the first one again recently and found it wasn't as entertaining as I remembered, but this one is. Good film. Trading Places (1983) Eddie in the 80s: Comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy as a rich banker and a homeless man whose lives are swapped for a $1million bet. I'll assume the description for this one was avoiding spoilers, but I've certainly still been missing something here, how could I have been allowed to not hear of this in all my years? This is a great movie! Funny and kept me well entertained the whole way through. The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) Romantic sci-fi drama. Eric Bana plays a man with a genetic condition that causes him to suddenly disappear into the near future or past, straining his marriage to Rachel McAdams. I like a bit of time travel, so the subject of this movie is up my street, but I still found it to be better than I was expecting. Reminded me an awful lot of the River Song storyline that's been going on in TV series Doctor Who for a few years now. I liked this one. The Mask of Zorro Swashbuckling adventure starring Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas. To avenge his wife's murder and the kidnap of his daughter, an ageing Zorro recruits the outlaw Alejandro. (1998) I had doubts that I would actually like this one. Not so up my street but I got on okay with it, it was worth a watch for me. Monster-in-Law (2005) Comedy in which Jennifer Lopez meets the man of her dreams (Michael Vartan), but his mother (Jane Fonda) is hell-bent against the match and sets out to destroy it. I thought this one was just sort of okay at first but as it went on it seemed to pick up and I was getting a few laughs from it. Definitely better in the second half. Tango and Cash Action thriller starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell, 1989. Two arch-rival Los Angeles cops reluctantly join forces when they are both framed by a drugs baron. Despite the title, this movie doesn't involve a fizzy fruit-flavoured drink and a pile of money, gotta love these misleading titles. I like this one, wasn't too sure what to expect so it was a pleasant surprise, funny too. The Honeymooners (2005) John Schulz's comedy stars Cedric the Entertainer and Mike Epps as blue collar workers who dream of making a killing through get-rich-quick schemes. Another film where I wasn't too sure what to expect. Now this one was just sort of okay for me, could have been better and certainly needed to be funnier. Bit disappointing for me. I hope it's not possible to die from an overdose of movies…

Ah yes, Doctor Who, best thing on TV... mostly. I haven't been so keen on the last two Christmas specials and the episode with the peg dolls bored me to death. Nice trailer, but after reading reviews of the Wii and DS games, I don't know whether I should be excited for this one or not. Can't wait to see what they come up with for the show's 50th anniversary next year.

Hello Epon! Now the party really gets... oh, everyone's gone. *Sits on the ceiling*

*Runs through the thread... drunk and NAKED*

I know we have all sorts of timezones going on around here but come on! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! By the end of the year, we will all have survived the end of the world... again... like we always do. Oh and the Millennium bug says hi, how nice of him. I hope you all have a fantastic year, loads of love to you all! NOW LET'S MESS THIS THREAD UP WITH ONE ALMIGHTY NEW YEAR'S PARTY! WHOO!

If I've ever given someone rep points, I don't remember doing it, I never use the rep system, although that's partly because I'm so inactive on the board these days and partly because I mostly view the board on my iPhone (don't use my PC much now), on which, as far as I know, I can't give rep points. Being mostly inactive, I've somehow still managed to get 29 points. There is no need for rep from one person being higher than rep from someone else, it should be like a post count, increase by one each time someone gives rep. I do also like the idea of admins being able to award special images and things to anyone who does something extra special or has done a lot for the community over a period of time. Maybe if the admins feel up to the task, they could also even award little achievement-style images, yes, like 360 and PS3 games or merit badges, for members to earn and collect either on their profile or attached to their posts somehow for achievements such as helping members with sprites, graphics, engines, music, sounds etc, good reputation for making good/useful/helpful forum topics, encouraging members to post more and/or get creative, good reputation for dealing with problems such as flame wars, helping with or running SAGE, submissions to the main site, including sprites, graphics and maybe even the rarest of the rare... a completed fangame (of acceptable quality of course). Maybe too much effort for the admins, but just thought I'd throw the concept in there. Maybe members could nominate each other for achievement images when they feel it is deserved rather than admins having to keep track of everything everyone does.

I got an app on my iPhone yesterday called Songify which auto-tunes speech and turns it into a song, so I'm currently listening to songs involving my cat repeatedly going "Meow... MEOW!" and a song where I keep singing "Here I am, here I am, sitting here, sitting here, scratching my nuts, scratching my nuts" and thinking how funny it would be to play such "hits" in quiet public places. Due to this app, I've discovered the Gregory Brothers' Auto-Tune The News on YouTube (I'm not much of a YouTuber, so I'm probably years behind) and currently have stuck in my head.That's proper music right there.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-4-Figures/129298161731?ref=nf First 4 Figures Facebook page. Why have I posted this here? Someone made an appearance... in human form... sort of.

Voted again, so, er, yeah, I'm still with this. Will try and remember to keep it up. In other news, using that smiley makes me a fucking tool, well I wasn't designed for it but I suppose I could be used for that function too.

I voted! Asuma's mess for Prime Minister!