One of my mottoes in life is “If a bandwagon is passing, jump on it”. So, without further ado, I present to you the next generation of gaming console.

Previously known as the “Revolution”, Nintendo have now renamed their new product “Wii”.

Some have already suggested that it is perhaps pronounced “Why” but no, it’s not. If you read the flash blurb on the link above, it clearly states that it’s ‘Wii! As in “we.”‘

They go on.

Wii sounds like “we” which emphasizes this console is for everyone.

Erm, no. Wii sounds like “wee” which emphasizes this console is piss.

Oh well.

It’s not about you or me. It’s about wee.

(Gratuitous photo follows!)

(more…)

Dir: Billy Wilder
Scr: Billy Wilder, Raymond Chandler (adpt. James M. Cain)

This is the film that, with the exception of The Maltese Falcon and M, more or less paved the way for Film Noir. Spoofed countless times in everything from Mr Magoo to Wayne’s World 2, it’s unsurprising that this ranks so highly on the Top 100 movies on IMDB.

I can’t rave about it though. Well, actually, I can. The story is pretty weak in comparison to more modern films such as “The Usual Suspects” or older films like “The Third Man” but the dialogue is to die for. There are some marvellous lines, reflecting the writing genius of both Wilder and Chandler (who, apparently, did not get along at all during the making of this film). It’s just unfortunate that everything else feels a little clichéd - except I must keep in mind that this was the original and everything else just copied it.

So yeah, a good film, but I wasn’t blown away.* Not enough to consider it a valuable additon to my collection which is my normal yardstick.

*Feel free to pick me up on this and tell me why I’m wrong. But bear in mind that the DVD I was watching this on was slightly scratched so parts of the film were jumpy and I didn’t feel well disposed to it.

Dir./Scr: Hayao Miyazaki

I’ve rented this Oscar-winning film out several times with the intention of
watching it and finally, last night, I did.

I’ve mentioned elsewhere how much I detest the cutesy style of most anime.
This is despite the fact that Akira remains one of my bestest films ever
but, fortunately, my desire to watch films is always outweighed by any
particular feelings I have about a style/genre/actor. A good thing too as
this is a film I’m glad I’ve seen. What’s more, Spirited Away does a lot
to diminish that loathing.

What can I say? It was (mostly) all good. The story is really a sort of
fucked up Oriental Alice in Wonderland. But with heavy appliance of
Miyazaki’s incredibly imaginative (and more than a little disturbed)
vision, it’s a tale that totally entranced me. I know I can’t wait for my
son to be of an age where he can watch it too, although I don’t know when
that might be as I’d imagine that the crones Yubaba and Zeniba, might prove
to be a little scary.

If it’s mostly all good, what’s the bad? Well, to be honest, it’s my
general dissatisfaction (for want of a better word) at Japanese animation
styles. I haven’t seen any other Miyazaki films yet it all seemed so
familiar. It’s like all anime movies have to follow certain conventions
about the way that characters move and how background has to appear and so
on. But this is only a gripe I have about it and not one that ruined the
enjoyment of the film for me.

One thing I would like to point out is that the English dubbing was sorted
out by Pixar head honcho John Lasseter and so features the likes of John
Ratzenburger, Lauren Holly and Michael Chilkis providing voices. Not only
that but they made a real effort to match the voices to the animation far
better than just about any other English dubbed anime film I’ve seen. I
tend to always watch foreign films in original languages with subtitles
where possible but checked this out when I noticed Lasseter’s name on the
credits. More films should be done like this for those people who do tend
to shy away from foreign language films.

So all in all, a marvellous film, full of imagination, wit and great
vision.

It will eventually be review day here at Tabula Rasa as I’ve been saving up some film (and book) reviews for your limited pleasure. In the meantime, via Annie, here’s a meme:

Go to Wikipedia. Type in your birth date (but not year). List three events that happened on your birthday. List two important birthdays and one interesting death. Post this in your journal.

So, 15th February:

Events
399BC - The philosopher Socrates is sentenced to death. (No idea how they know the date for this but anyway.)
1906 - The British Labour Party is organized.
1971 - Decimalisation of British coinage is completed.

Births
1564 - Galileo Galilei
1954 - Matt Groening

Deaths
1965 - Nat King Cole

And it’s also Flag Day in Canada.

Don’t you feel enlightened now?

Inspired by Amber, I was going to write about my favourite Chinese restaurant and post pictures. But I couldn’t find them to scan them in, so you’re saved a nostalgic and dull post.

Instead, you get this:

Tired of your current wardrobe? Want some new threads to impress that boy/girl/bit of both you’ve been chatting up?

Then get your groovy self down to Deathgob where the berks are waiting eagerly to take your order.

(This post is a blatant plug for some people I met once who have got a lot of creative talent between them and deserve to do well. Also, they’ve got amusing t-shirts and badges for sale.)

I am so bored!

(c) Copyright 2006 Tabula Rasa

One - you lock the target
Two - you bait the line
Three - you slowly spread the net
Four - you catch the man

I got headhunted yesterday.

This was quite a coincidence as I’d decided over the weekend to see what
other jobs were out there. Of course, I haven’t mentioned The Plan yet but
while the foundations for that are being dug, filled with concrete and
waiting to harden, I figured be good to see what the market was doing and
what oppurtunities may or may not be available. Just in case I had to fall
back to Plan B. Or F. Or perhaps even X.

I should be flattered.

Except that the job in question was so far removed from anything I do
(except that it was in the finance industry), am capable of doing or, more
importantly, that I would be vaguely interested in doing that it negated
any sense of being valued and desired that the original approach may have
instilled.

So today I’m left with a decision to make: sort out my CV and get it up to
date then send it out or grit my teeth and weather the depressingly
depressing monotonous grind of staying here until all the pieces of The
Plan slide neatly into place. I just don’t know whether I’m really the
right person to simply lie on my back front and think of Wales.

“I’m really sorry about your galaxy an’ all but I’ve got my own plans”

Pink Five - watch her in action on AtomFilms

So there I was, wending my way through Victoria tube station, idly wondering where the word wend derived from, when I noticed a familiar face, a face I had not seen since, oh, before you were born. (Not you, you!)

The gaunt and determined expression, the blue skin and the pupil-less eyes were the first clues but it was the bio-chipped equipment that gave the game away: Rogue Trooper! Last of the GIs (Genetic Infantryman) with his former comrades, Gunnar, Bagman and Helm.

Yup, sure enough, a poster advertising a new game based on the legendary 2000AD IP. Developed by Rebellion who also did the marvellous Alien vs Predator and the average Dredd vs Death (and who also own 2000AD itself these days), this is a 3rd person shooter affair set in the wilds of Nu-Earth. No idea if it’s any good but hope so because he was one of my all time favourite characters.

And it’s a story begging to be turned into a film too. But only the original one, not Friday.