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Sunshine
2007-04-06 03:29:00
I was given the priveledge of being one of the first people in the country, and probably the world to see Danny Boyle's "Sunshine " the other night. For those of you who don't know, Danny Boyle directed 28 Days Later, probably the best horror movie to come out of the UK, despite borrowing rather heavily from the book "Day of the Triffids".Anyway, Sunshine is his move into sci-fi, although Boyle does well to keep the feeling that the whole mission of stopping the sun from, well stopping, could go wrong at any point. We also saw this in 28 Days Later, where few zomibes appear but we are still very aware of their overarching presense. The film isn't perfect, there are plenty of plotholes you could pilot spaceships through and the dialogue is hardly sparkling.However, the film hinges on the idea that being in a confined space in space for years with the same people will drive you mad. And the film focusses on what people worship/focus on to get them through. Each character has so...

The Problem with Atheism
2007-03-20 18:28:00
I'd encourage you to watch the following debate between a Christian and an atheist before reading this post, although it's not entirely necessary:http://www.atheistdebate.org/An yway, one of the points Atkins, an atheist makes is that:"Atheism is an absense of a belief in anything. It's really the foundation on which evidence must be provided for placing anything further."The problem with such a statement is that it assumes one thing to be better than another. Why is reason better than feeling, why is logic better than assumption? Because by these things arguments are made and things proved. However, what are we proving, and how are we proving it. In saying that everything can be proved by reason, you are therefore stating a belief by which everything else flows. Why should we use reason? In trying to answer a question you must use reason, therefore you hit a roadblock, and therefore you come to an assumption: reason is the best way to figure out how things work. Note, th...
More About: Problem

Unappreciated Gems: Desperate Houswives
2007-03-16 19:41:00
Perhaps the most surprising entry out of the one's I made is Desperate Housewives. Why does it deserve to be watched? Well firstly, its humour. (that's the same thing as humor for anyone reading this stateside) The show can always rely on scenarios which see Susan, expertly played by Teri Hatcher, do something clumsy, or Gabby something bitchy. Whether over-the-top, subtle or dark the audience is always taken on an enjoyable 60-minute ride through the world of Wisteria Lane.Secondly its use of drama and suspense is in my opinion, better than even a show like 24. Why? Well, much as I love 24, often it can be seen to sacrifice characters (often in the literal sense) for drama. So we may see 45 minutes of Jack chasing someone, or being tortured and learn little-or-nothing about him as a character. This type of television is great for those who love it, but for those of us who watch shows for interest in the psychology of a character and the choices they make, Housewives must ...
More About: Wives , Gems , Rate , Reci

Unappreciated Gems
2007-03-06 01:03:00
To set-up some sort of defense of some TV shows I love, I'm first going to post a list of my favourite ones that simply don't get the appreciation they deserve by certain members of the public. To make it clear what I consider to be a 'good' TV show, I'd say what I'm looking for in order of importance is:Character development, dialogue/wit, use of theme, and plot.Pretty simple I think. Anyway, on those criteria the following emerge triumphant:Buffy the Vampire SlayerAngelDesperate HousewivesFireflyVeronica MarsDoctor WhoSpecial mention should also go to Lost, which doesn't make the list simply because everyone I know appreciates its worth, even if they themselves don't like it. Otherwise, I'd say those are the shows that have kept me most engrossed over the past 10 years.
More About: Gems , Reci

Science of Sleep
2007-03-06 00:18:00
Michel Gondry's (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) latest film tells the story of Stephane, a man who is so wrapped up in his own little world he finds it difficult to tell dreams from reality. And so the film brings us into his world: we spend a fair chunk just in his dreams, with its giant hands, cardboard cameras and bands dressed as kittens.Yet, beneath this surreal and unreal setting lies one of the most realistic portrayals of life you'll ever see. "What? Last time I checked, my hands were normal size - or at least not the size of the rest of my body."Ah, but if we look merely at the setting of the film: the stage, the props, the weather and fail to look deeper, of course that's all we see. Instead, to see a film's true worth, we must examine the characters around which it is based.So, Stephane: is he actually realistic?Well first off, tell me how you've spent the last 24 hours. You may:"I got up, washed/ate, went to work/college, came home, ate, watched TV t...
More About: Science , Sleep