MY BETTER HALF...

This woman is cleverer, funnier and stronger than I am. So she can certainly kick YOUR ass...

LEAST ACTION HERO...

So many deadlines and dinosaur incursions, so little time...

JOURNEYMAN...

Lay back and think of the air-miles I'm earning...

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Archive for October 2008

Old Brand New Who.

So, it must have been an interesting week to be a fly on the wall of the BBC.

Chatshow presenter Jonathan Ross, a guest on unsuccessful wannabee-libertine (but successful self-publicising idiot) Russell Brand's radio show, decide they should both ring up veteran actor Andrew Sachs when he doesn't do a scheduled interview and leave a message on his answer-phone. This turns into the kind of rant/message that includes the men giggling over how Brand may have 'fucked Sachs' grand-daughter' on a previous occasion and how Sachs now might want to kill himself. Then then decide to leave another message which again dissolves into offensive farce. So far the Beeb has received around 27,000 complaints - though to be fair, many generated by tabloid The Daily Mail's self-serving headline 'shame' campaign rather than the initial audience for the radio show.

Ross can be a bit of a prat and pureile on his own show, but would usually know better. Brand is a talentless idiot who simply likes to shock (for my American readers, he's the British guy in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the 'comic' called your outgoing President a 'cowboy retard' at the recent MTV Music Awards). Brand pranced around for a few days giving non-apology apologies and has now 'decided' to leave his job at the BBC. Quite why he had a job to begin with is bizarre but it's quite right that he takes a large chuck of the blame alongside Ross and especially the producer who ALLOWED the show to be broadcast despite it being pre-recorded and Sachs making a formal complaint and NOT giving permission. Ross remains in his job, but suspended. It was shameful 'entertainment' and shows what people can do when they think they're invincible and unaccountable. Thankfully the BBC has belatedly done something about it, but should have done better.

In less salacious but more interesting news, David Tennant has confirmed he's stepping down as Doctor Who after the 2009 specials. A new actor will assume the mantle in the full 2010 season. Tennant will be a bloody tough act to follow, but new show-runner Stephen Moffatt looks like he knows what he's doing. Who will be cast? Exactly. I'm sure they'll get it right.

Wait. Russell Brand resigns from his day job on the same day that they announce there'll be a new Doctor? Ye Gods. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

[CLICK ENTRY TITLE TO READ FULL POST] - Posted by JOHN MOSBY
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CLASS ACTION...

I'm tired. It's been a busy week. Well, given recent weeks at least.

Tuesday I had a doctor's appointment (nothing serious, I'll live)

Wednesday was the first of my National School Film Week presentations and I was up early to get to the cinema in Bradford for about 9:45am. This was for This is England, the 2006 film about a young kid growing up in 1980s Britain and becoming involved with a group of skinheads. I hadn't seen it on general release and though not easy viewing, it's got some good performances and is more about the nature of belonging than it is about the racism which existed/exists. There were supposed to be about 200 kids at the Q&A afterwards, but only a fraction turned up - however there were some good questions asked and hopefully some decent answers from me. Somewhere, some street corner is crowded. Go get 'em, Mr Truant Officer!

On Thursday, the second presentation was for The Orphanage, the rather brillaint suspense movie from Spain and which was produced by Guillermo del Toro, the guy behind Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy etc. I had seen this one before, but it stood up to a second viewing and even had some of the teachers jumping out of their seats at a couple of key moments. This is my kind of 'horror' movie... very little violence and all about atmosphere. Very effective. You can keep your silly torture porn, THIS is how to do those scares properly. Had about 50 kids in the audience afterwards, though the questions leaned towards 'Who's the most famous person you've ever met?'

Friday was another early start so that I could get across to Impact to pick up the new issue (good content, but the cover printing leaves a bit to be desired, dammit) and then get back to Leeds to interview Dave Gibbons. Dave was the artist on Watchmen and is a throughly nice bloke. He's had a much more happier experience with Hollywood than Alan Moore (Watchmen's writer) and his new book Watching the Watchmen is a great look at the visual evolution of the comic - just a few months ahead of the big screen adaptation hitting cinemas. I'll be typing up that interview tomorrow to run in the next Impact - got to have it ready for Monday.

Next week should be a bit easier on the sleep-patterns and the eyes, but will be working late into the night as usual. The weather's turning colder, which means winter is on the way. Ah well, better start that Christmas shopping, packing and get ready to turn that clock back tomorrow am.

[CLICK ENTRY TITLE TO READ FULL POST] - Posted by JOHN MOSBY
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JOE COOL AID

It was a very good/bad week to be called Joe if you live in the US. The funniest Palin since Michael (intentional or not) was referring to Joe Six-Pack; McCain was referring to Joe Lieberman; Obama was talking up Joe Biden and then everyone was discussing Joe the Plumber. The irony being that the latter Joe, who'd complained to Obama on camera about tax increases for the reasonably wealthy, apparently isn't even a registered plumber and is so far behind on paying taxes that a) he wouldn't even be hit by increases to the top layer and b) probably wouldn't pay them anyway. And, hey, Joe's his middle name not his first. (Then again, I've got room to talk).

Everyone it seems is taking trips abroad. My parentals are off in Malta, where it's nice and sunny and there are apparently very few actual falcons. A colleague/friend of mine has been off in Italy driving jaguars, courtesy of a press trip. (I seem to miss these jolly jaunts). Meanwhile I'm holding the fort back in the UK. Not so much a fort, more a hut, but you get the drift.

The last week's been busy. I was in London to do some press for Frost/Nixon, Ron Howard's new movie. Not a bad movie at all - but can't say anymore because there's a pesky embargo until January! Peh. Will be even busier next week as I have the National Schools' Film Week events (see right) to host and hopefully an interview to do on Friday.

However with the year whizzing by I've been chatting with Jill and it looks as if I'll be heading out of the country too... back to Iowa for Christmas/New Year. It should be fun. I've seen Iowa in the sweltering heat and now I'll see it in its icy glory. (I've ben told to bring a shovel... then again, I usually am). Given last year's foreign trip debacle elsewhere, I'm obviously taking my life in my hands ... but there's every reason to hope this holiday season will be more sedate. And if not sedate, at least afield of dreams full of fun.

Oh. And the PC World money arrived. Which is nice.


[CLICK ENTRY TITLE TO READ FULL POST] - Posted by JOHN MOSBY
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Talkin' about a resolution!

There's an old saying in our family. Actually it's a relative new one, but it still rings true. It goes: 'Don't Mess with a Moz' (It's like Galaxy Quest's ' never retreat, never surrender...' maxim, but from a more wuthering climate)

We Mosbys are a reasonable, easy-going bunch but if people mess with us or people we know, we tend to stand our ground and not give in to pressure. It's not opportunistic, but if there's a time we KNOW we're being short-changed or taken advantage of, we don't give in to a war of attrition. Years ago I spent nearly six months and risked a court-case because I KNEW I'd been overcharged for a gas bill by over £300. The gas company swore they NEVER make mistakes and swore they'd make me pay but after months of wrangling I was able to use documented proof and a little bit of common-sense to get them to admit that 'Whoops, yes we kinda did. Sorry. Shoulda spotted that earlier, goshdarnit!' Damn right. That - and my mum's similar run-ins and triumphs over the years - make me not take the crap from bullying big corporations, even when they hit you with indifferent sales-staff, dishonest representatives and un-relentingly stupid advice that never helps resolve the issue at hand.

I'm not going to go through all my experiences with PC World. Regular readers (I'm sure there are SOME) can check back through my recent blog entries. However I am going to say that about ten days after being told by a rep that my ongoing complaint had reached an impasse (and to generally go forth and reproduce with myself) and subsequently firing off a very indignant letter to the Managing Director of PC World, I just received a letter with a pretty decent high-ranking apology and the admission that I was right, the service HAS been consistently dreadful and, yes, I should be getting a cheque to cover my long, drawn-out troubles.

Can I have a whoo and a hoo? Yes, I think I can.

It's not a remotely big cheque and it hasn't actually turned up yet. But it's just enough to reinforce my faith in constructive complaining. Always be polite. Always be thruthful. Always be willing to go to the top. Never let the bastards grind you down. And never be too afraid to mention you just happen to edit a national magazine and PR payback would be a bitch.

[CLICK ENTRY TITLE TO READ FULL POST] - Posted by JOHN MOSBY
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Finances on Ice.

So, like many people I'm watching the financial chaos which seems to be gripping most of the world and shows no sign of abating any time soon, bail-outs or not.

This is where things get interesting...Currently there's a big argument in the UK because a lot of our local councils and businesses have stored or invested their money in banks in Iceland. Iceland banks just froze (irony?) a lot of their banks' dealings and so the UK is demanding their deposited money back - because frankly, without those millions, some of our own institutions are quickly going to be in trouble. Iceland's banks are refusing to let money be transfered out because it was badly affect THEIR economy, so the UK government is getting tough and threatening legal action to grab the money back. Now...the ONLY way to legally do this is to instigate procedures under the anti-terrorist laws, thus putting Iceland in the 'terrorist' camp, albeit only by conveniently legal classification, not by deed. However if Iceland (a tad miffed by this semantic classification) is suddenly a 'terrorist' state then people may ironically note that were must have been investing with terrorists and shouldn't someone be punished for that too? Semantics are a bitch. Come to think of it why were our local councils sending their money to Iceland when they could and should have been investing within the UK itself.

Though this is a truly serious situation the world is in, I think the rumours that marauding gangs will soon be roaming the streets lookign for tinned food and that Leeds will become the Wild West (or even Mad Max) territory are rather extreme, but this current crisis does show how quickly a modern way of life can be tripped up. But the news that the recently bailed-out AIG Bank has just taken its top exectutives off for a six figure spa weekend while investors lose their savings... well, it does show the haves and the have nots gap is widening now that the haves simply have yours.

Me? If my banks get into trouble, I'm taking my overdraft elesewhere!

[CLICK ENTRY TITLE TO READ FULL POST] - Posted by JOHN MOSBY
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Cinema Dazed.

Well, just got back from Cinema Days where I got to see about twelve upcoming films and seem to have developed eye-strain and over-tiredness. Perhaps the two are connected?

The films varied in quality, though there were no truly outstanding movies. Some were quite good (Ghost Town, Clubbed, Lakeview Terrace, Easy Virtue, Slumdog Millionaire, Inkheart), some were okay but a tad disappointing given their cast and potential (What Just Happened, Body of Lies) and others were so dreadful that I wouldn't recommend them to anyone (the worst of which was the deeply unpleasantly bizarre Surveillance - a gruesome so-called thriller for which I'd worked out the twist and lost interest in after ten minutes - directed by Jennifer Lynch. The film does nothing to change my opinion that Lynch is a lousy film-maker whose work is purely a pale immitation of her father's - so doubly damned.

Danny Boyle, Kris Marshall and a few others turne dup to promote their projects, but over-all there were not the big names we could once attract to the event and if it hadn't been for the social side, it might not have been worth going on a potential-revenue level.

Over the next few weeks I'm hosting a couple of Film Education screenings and there'll be a few more press outings - but I'm hoping I can get a few deadline sout of the way and buckle down to generating some more outlets and getting some more finances sorted pre-Christmas. Both are do-able if I can get some balance to the schedule restored.

Oh and after the gosh-darnit Vice Presidential debate of last week which was a tenth of the fun of the superior Saturday Night Live sketches to date, it'll be interesting to see if the Obama-McCain second round raises my blood-pressure or only an eyebrow. Be careful, it's a lipstick jungle out there...

[CLICK ENTRY TITLE TO READ FULL POST] - Posted by JOHN MOSBY
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