I like to know if someone is reading my journal - whether you regularly hang around LJ or not. Maybe you know me from real life? Or somewhere else online? Maybe you've just friended me (or even defriended me on LJ - though I hope not) Say hello, criticise, ask a question, make a statement - whatever it is -this is the post to click the comments button below and and get typing on the keyboard.

thanks :)

PS. no hating please. Life's too short.

I have been distracted and away from LJ past two days. My Christmas present to myself which I have unwrapped already - iphone :D Just getting to grips with it so anyone on my flist with tips and recommendations please comment with them. Cheers :)

Work Xmas party tomorrow night :D

Just watched Take That - The Circus Tour on blu-ray.

It is amazing. Well worth blu-ray for crystal clear colours of stage, lighting, costumes, and the man band themselves. The helicopter shots are spectacular also.

Non-HD clip is crappy but it gives you an idea:




Also yesterday watch The Mighty Boosh Future Sailors Tour on DVD. Funny, I had forgotten about 'Batman Capes' and the Honey Monster. Still love Bob Fossils Dance Class and Crack Fox does 90s rave - terrifying and hilarious in equal measure.

thanks to all londongqmfs who came to the blu-ray screening. Whether you came for the movie or came for the extra's or you lasted the full eight hours of all of it you rock! It was fun :) Lets do another one soon I hope. Given the hilarity of watching Star Trek TOS episode Spock's Brain in the interval maybe we should have a TOS screening some time.

Back to Star Trek XI though - the extras on the blu-ray are great. I think we all agreed we had no idea so many of the locations were real buildings as opposed to sets. Beer plant for the engine room for example. And the 'Vulcan' council building looks amazing. Want to visit it! I was hoping Shatner might actually be on the Shatner Conundrum feature but no :( My only gripe is that the writers did not explain the idea they did have for including ShatnerKirk. It wasn't used and it was probably the right decision but having read about it online I hoped that detail at least might be on the DVD to cover it has part of the films history just as the deleted scenes are for example. I cannot wait for the sequel - all the cast deserve to contribute some more to their individual roles.

thanks to swankyfunk for pointing me to this.

Edward Norton does Spandau Ballet... sort of. Weirdest fandom cross-over! But it is funny!




Now to find out if I can somehow watch the rest of the episode!

Edward Woodward (1930 – 2009) : Edgar Wright Here

What a lovely tribute from Mr Wright. I was saddened to hear this news today - I will always giggle at his name because of his great comic performance in Hot Fuzz complaining about extremely irritating living statues, and hoodies, loitering about.

It only seems like yesterday that he was guest starring in EastEnders also.... :(

• 14:32 4.5 hours till Doctor Who, not that I've been counting the hours down since waking up ;) #

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Well worth the wait I think :) My favourite of all the specials of this 'season' so far. Tennant and Russell T. I applaud you - I think this is a great beginning-of-the-end. ( I knew as soon as the episode made such a big deal out of )

As much as I don't want to see it end I cannot wait to see how it does now :) The teaser was great. Loved the Master in a hoodie - wasn't expecting that :) Simm vs Tennant - its gonna be good! :D

This is an amazingly well put together video of filming locations of primarily Superman: The Movie and a few others - watch it and you'll see what I mean.



I have already visited the Daily Planet and Grand Central Station 3 times but I never knew the NYC street address for the alleyway in which Lois and Clark get mugged and Lois Lane's apartment. I want to get on a plane and go there NOW!

Non NYC - am pleased to say I have visited Golden Gate Bridge (but now I have another reason to - Star Trek!) - and the Hoover Dam - which up close I actually found scary! :)

It's also a nice tribute to Christopher Reeve, nice interview quote at the end. Superman really was in contrast to many of the 1980s action heroes.

On another Superman note I totally forgot to mention that last week for the first time I dug into new Superman fandom and dared to watch episode 1 and 2 of season 1 of Superboy. Also made in the 1980s and created by the same producers behind the Reeve Superman movies - I have no memory of this at all so I must've missed it completely on UK TV. And erm.... well the first episode acting wise is AWFUL. But by episode 2 it improved enough for me to cringe less and I got used to its production values which actually contains some great special effects for a kids TV show of its time I think. Lex Luthor however has never had such a hideous wardrobe. I am going to try to stop laughing at the 80s hair styles and clothes and give it a chance. I do want to see how the show tells the story of Superboy being responsible for Lex's hair loss!

this message from my inbox:

Your order for Star Trek XI (11) (w/ Digital Copy) (3 Discs) has been posted.

Woo! For those attending the blu-ray screening I will post an update and the address privately at the weekend.

Well today was a crap day made awesome at the end thanks to Kevin Spacey and company in Inherit The Wind @ The Old Vic theatre. BRILLIANT. I am going to focus on this, not the crap stuff now that I am off to bed.

Seen at the cinema:

Slumdog Millionaire
Seven Pounds
Valkyrie
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Franklyn
Watchmen
The Boat That Rocked
The Damned United
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
Terminator Salvation
Public Enemies
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince
Moon
Inglorious Basterds
The Time Traveler's Wife
Passchendaele
District 9
Blind Dating
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Nowhere Boy
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Men Who Stare At Goats

Trailer:



I had high expectations of this. I mean look at the cast - George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey. What's not to like? I enjoyed it a lot, and it is funny but I can't say I busted a gut. Clooney is the star of this. And yay for a return to comedy for him! Jeff Bridges really made me laugh with his LET THE DANCE OUT! and I really enjoyed the tension between Clooney and Spacey's characters. Also the many Star Wars references and with McGregor in the cast made it funnier :)

Seen at the cinema:

Slumdog Millionaire
Seven Pounds
Valkyrie
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Franklyn
Watchmen
The Boat That Rocked
The Damned United
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
Terminator Salvation
Public Enemies
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince
Moon
Inglorious Basterds
The Time Traveler's Wife
Passchendaele
District 9
Blind Dating
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Nowhere Boy
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Trailer:



Just in case some people still haven't seen this.... THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR THIS MOVIE BELOW.

Saw this @ the bfi with fellow londongqmfs. Was great :D Oh, and rather ramdom but who was sat being myself and missy_manic for the screening - David Wailliams (one half of Little Britain) . I applaud his taste :) This was great on the big screen. I have a memory of seeing this as a child on TV - my first introduction to Star Trek that I can remember and being upset by the ending! I think it was one of the first films of my childhood I watched that did not have a Hollywood-type ending of everything is alright at the end. Ok, ok so the lingering last shot of Spock's coffin on a planet that creates life suggests its not the end of Spock - but that was far to subtle a clue for my seven year old brain to understand. ;) Now I love it for its themes of growing old, friendship, life, and death. It so much better than the first movie. And without it we'd never have III and IV which are probably my favourites. I can never decide.

Favourite quote: Spock: If I may be so bold, it was a mistake for you to accept promotion. Commanding a starship is your first, best destiny; anything else is a waste of material.
Kirk: I would not presume to debate you.
Spock: That is wise. Were I to invoke logic, however, logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Kirk: Or the one.
Spock: You are my superior officer. You are also my friend. I have been and always shall be yours.

On the internet is entertainment like no other. Obama does Thriller. Watch this, not Fox News:




Looking forward to meeting londongqmfs @ bfi tomorrow :D Khaaaaaaaaaan!

Seen at the cinema:

Slumdog Millionaire
Seven Pounds
Valkyrie
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Franklyn
Watchmen
The Boat That Rocked
The Damned United
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
Terminator Salvation
Public Enemies
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince
Moon
Inglorious Basterds
The Time Traveler's Wife
Passchendaele
District 9
Blind Dating
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Nowhere Boy

Trailer:



This movie is brilliant. Watch it. Emotional and moving. The birth of the band that became the Beatles is really a sub-plot. What this film is really about is family, friendship and identity. All the performances are superb, as is the writing and directing. It deserves to do well. I hope it does. As good as Milk which I also loved.

Seen at the cinema:

Slumdog Millionaire
Seven Pounds
Valkyrie
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Franklyn
Watchmen
The Boat That Rocked
The Damned United
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
Terminator Salvation
Public Enemies
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince
Moon
Inglorious Basterds
The Time Traveler's Wife
Passchendaele
District 9
Blind Dating
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Michael Jackson's This Is It

Trailer:



I am a fan. I had a ticket to this tour. This is a nice tribute and a glimpse into what I would've seen. But better than that its a chance to see Jackson in rehearsal - something I don't think we'd of seen or he'd want us to see because it is not the finished product. I love what was planned for the song The Way You Make Me Feel - and there are lots of other highlights if you are a fan of his music and his dancing. Dangerous was always my favourite album - it was the first I ever bought with my own saved up pocket money and I remember seeing live concert footage and wishing I could go. I found this on you tube and could watch it over and over:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXK5xOJaYHI

Haven't posted for a week or so... been feeling tired all week. Have barely been online either so will attempt to catch up. Anything exciting happening on my-flist? point me to the links pretty please? - am feeling lazy, and still tired.

Spandau Ballet @ the 02 Arena on Tuesday. Brilliant. I had such a good time with missy_manic. Whilst much of the audience got nostalgic about 20 years ago - the 80s and Spandau, the two of us got nostalgic about 10 years ago - when me first met at uni, and both together discovered Spandau Ballet through a combination of EastEnders and Steve Owen, The Krays movie (still can quote this movie far too much) and 80s club nights. Ten years ago we watched VHS recordings of Spandau's concerts in the 80s wishing we could have seen them live because from the concert footage they looked and sounded great. We never dreamed we would get that chance because at the time there were nasty feuds going as a result of the court case in which 3 members tried to sue songwriter Gary Kemp for unpaid royalties. We met Gary Kemp a few times between 2000-2003 when he was acting in various plays in the West End:



I am still proud of my signed Through The Barricades album :D.

Even at that time despite the difficulties in the relationship between Gary and his other band mates he asked us if we thought the band should get back together. We said 'No' LOL! Because we just could not see the rift being healed and there would be nothing worse than seeing a band who have fallen out attempt to perform as a band as if all was ok.

But moving forward to 2009 - I am so so pleased to be proved wrong. The band really have forgiven each other and seeing them live was as I had imagined it might have been in the 80s (minus the clothes and the fashion of the decade). This tour really is I think about a happy ending to the bands history. There is no mention of court cases for example in the tour programme. And really who can blame them - bands want to be remembered for their music. And I forgot how much I liked their music - I knew all the songs! The set list has all the hits (minus Musclebound - a wise choice, I'm not keen on that song either). There were some non-single release songs - loved How Many Lies and With The Pride. Would've preferred Cross The Line to Virgin. And I was right not to expect any songs from the Heart Like A Sky album. There were none sadly. But these are minor gripes to what was a fab night. I don't know how it compares to the 80s concerts - all I know is I'm grateful that this band got over their issues to give me the opportunity to see them perform together.

missy_manic This post is dedicated to you. Here's to the next 10 years. I don't know where we'll be in another 10 years time. But I know we'll be friends :D You are GOLD!



^ More photos from missy_manic to follow this post.

I was tagged by shesdeadjim


♥ Write down the alphabet of your name.
♥ Then, type a song that pops up into your head for each letter.
♥ Count the number of letters and tag that many people in your friends list.

Don't Stop Me Now - Queen ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbI_2rE9TRQ )
All That I Need - Boyzone ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHops3rZ-2w )
Wasted - Gary Kemp (yes of Spandau Ballet. From solo album)
No One - 2 Unlimited (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kuMwVbO5EA )

I tag redderz, placebobitch, swankyfunk, crapguitarist

• 19:08 Spandau Ballet gig tonight *excited* x #

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