Hello

What strange times we live in, first of all Hello again. Its been quiet because well life sort of took a hold and time became a precious commodity I could no longer ignore.

     There are lots of reasons for the inactivity, dreams exceeding ambitions. My son growing up and needing more of my focus and time and just the fact that though still watching movies at home and in the cinema and streaming I just hadn't seen anything that made me want to commit thoughts to the blog.

     Then along came a little bug and an international pandemic and the internet became an angry place. Twitter exploded with consipricay theories and and an endless stream of bial and vitriol and cyber bullying.  Arguments I thought would never see the light of day suddenly resurfaced, racism, sexism accross facebook and I returned to my bunker to shelter from the gathering storm.

     Here in Wellington, we started the year off with the city being brought to a stand still by anti vaxxers protesting the loss of there freedoms. Contradicted by the fact that they were being extremely loud and vocal and infilitrated by a number of known entities that had more extreme facist like views.

    But thats life, and when your fed up the world movies become more of an escape.  A form of normality is now restored, an election is about 14 months away and those angry voices can vote away their hate. They wont they will find another veichle for their ire.

    So as life reboots so have my personal dreams. Since my last posts I am now fully in love with 4K movies, I have a growing collection of movies some classic most new and I have found myself revisiting a lot of movies I used to watch in the eighties that hark back to the seventies. Recently I have revisited the Marathan Man and Little Big Man (Dustin Hoffman) the French Connection. 

   I love the fact that in 4K old movies look like film again, with more natural colours and a healthy dose of film grain.  That my 65inch Panasonic tv adds to that Natural feel. Its not perfect, its not OLED but I'm sorry after having a Plasma tv and learning and experiencing screen burn I just couldnt make that leap.

   Another revelation for me was the Beatles Get Back documentary. I did miss the grain, the digital smoothing that at times look a little waxxy but it was four nights of my life where I felt I was a fly on the wall with my favourite band that have been a vital part of my life and who I have taught my son to love too.

   So I'm back, older , fatter , greyer and dreaming of having my own projector. New dreams in an old body. I don't know how regularly I will post but it will be when I have something to say and not to meet some self imposed target. 

Welcome to 2017, and I find myself returning to this blog, my son is now 8, his genre tastes are developing nicely and he is a little more independent compared to the last two years. Tomorrow I will be taking him to see Assasins Creed and so kicks off my new cinema going year.

To be honest the last two years of silence have been down to laziness and a feeling of having seen it all before. 2016 however was not an all out cinematic endurance test as there were a few movies that I enjoyed , Deadpool was like a massive caffeine hit to the soul for daring to be R rated in both style and substance and for being different from the usual Superhero fayre. 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople was my favourite of the year, funny, heartfelt and heartwarming it entertained in  a good way and I came out of the cinema grinning like a Cheshire cat and not for the first time in 2016. Zootopia,  Doctor Strange, The Nice Guys, The Lady in the Van being films that entertained without being dumb.

Oh and on a controversial note, I loved the Ghost busters 2016 movie, I felt it was better paced than the original and the villain more interesting. It certainly didn't deserve the flack that had been directed at it.

Suffering from Super Hero fatigue, however 2016  did provide plenty of alternatives to the regular churn out of Multiplex programming with The Revenant, Spotlight , Jungle Book engaging on a much deeper level than some of the safer summer releases.

So I'm going to dip in and out again, but not with reviews, but little hits of my obsessions , more of a diary feel. Just to keep this blog going and to improve my writing skills. Also with Netflix now available I will give an overview of my current tastes with the more satisfying long form story telling  Netflix offers access too. For example during  the last two weeks of 2016 I have just binge watched two seasons of House of Cards with its mix of thriller, politics, black humour. 

I might also share some book recommendations based on what I have been reading over the last twelve months.

So drop by again, and happy New Year. 

Here and back again.

Well after a long rest, I am back.  The time has been spent wisely watching my expanding blu ray collection sifting through mainly classic movies of the 70's and 80's (classic but in all honesty some of my purchases haven't aged well).  Also in June I attended the Armegeddon Expo in Wellington  where I drooled over a wealth of collectibles many of which were beyond my price range.

My moviegoing though frequent has been a mixed bag of entertaining delights and disapointing failures. The first half of this year has the distinct vibe of playing it safe with sequal after sequal. Stand outs so far for me have been Captain America 2, Godzilla and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Spiderman 2 and Transformers however Stand out as boringly predicatable and lacking in pace. Each had their standout moments but there is more boom and bluster present than great story telling.

The direction of my blog will change, I'm a film fan, and not a film reviewer so I will be toning down that part of my blog in favour of book reviews and some blu ray reviews for the collectors amongst my audience. These will be for those with doubts about potential purchases due to potential quality issues. Of course these will be of a Southern Hemisphere slant as that is my location.

So I will be back with more of a local flavour but also I hope a more general chat like vibe. A diary of my geek life, freeing me up to be more open in my opinions.

Robocop 2014

1987 was the start of a good run for Paul Verhoeven, already well established as a Dutch filmaker his transition to Hollywood kicked off with Robocop a movie that courted as much critisim as praise for its dark ultra violence mixed with a blacker than black satirical edge. This was the time of the greed is good 80's.

       I loved it at the time, for daring to go out on a limb, and for Paul Wellers outstanding turn as Alex Murphy. in fact it could be argued that it was his performance that brought class to the whole enterprise.  I was an avid reader of Judge Dredd and this was as near as I would get to taste of that bleak black comedic view of a world gone mad and consumed by greed and violent civil unrest.

       The film delivered it appealed to gore hounds as well as action film fans and this was a period of the 80's when Stallone and Shwarzenegger dominated.   When action was king with anti heroes bleaker than Dirty Harry.

        So now we come to the new 2014 verison of Robocop. Instead of critics being polarized by the movie we instead have dissent from the rank and file fans who despite an endless  stream of reboots and reimaginings seem overly protective over the mettalic future of law enforcement.

        I hold no such qualms this is a film that relects the current time as much as the original is very much a product of the 80's.  The violence is toned down but still there, the idea of man becoming machine and which is the dominant factor Murphy or Robocop is now front and centre and very much the heart of the film.  So my first bit of advice therefore would be to ignore the original. Take this new film on its own terms as it is a vastly superior film to the originals lacklustre sequals even if it doesnt reach the originals emotional wallop. 

       Everything about the set up is different , the big bad is different and theough violent it is less bloody it is very much a relection of current times.  This is a world in which politics is in conflict with corporate interests.  Villains are more ambigious and less clear and if there is one critisism this film lacks a big scenery chewing baddy for Alex Murphy to go up against.

       I feel strongly its because the man or machine element is of more interest to the film maker rather than being a pure action movie.

       On the whole I enjoyed the film on its terms.  The original is still out there, it can still be viewed and loved the new reboot exceeded my jaded expectations and deserves to exisit in its own right. It was a journey I am glad I took and if there was to be a sequal i would gladly welcome it. But next time, we need a bigger, badder villain for Alex Murphy to go up against.

And a little extra More pics from yesterdays visit to the Roxy in Mirimar

Just some more pictures taken yesterday at the Roxy with one older picture of the Roxy for a comparison to the Lego Sculpture in my last post.

2014 Happy New Year and a Day at the Roxy

Well currently I'm enjoying a well earned break and one that has recharged my desire to see some new releases where they deserve to be seen on the Big Screen.  From the very start of my blogs, I had expressed my desire to visit the Roxy, to savour the atmosphere and hell even have a meal at Coco's. So as I'm officially on leave for a week my wife and I decided to leave the snug confines of Porirua and experience the Hobbit Desolation of Smaug at the Roxy. A cinema that has though retaining the original Mirimar cinema's façade has been rebuilt to the latest safety standards incorporating an Art Deco look but with filled with Weta magic from the Gollum's statue greeting you before you ascend the stairs.

Below are photo's taken yesterday, a marvellous Lego reconstruction of the Roxy. The old style Cinema 1, it was here we watched the second part of the Hobbit but not until we had experienced the sheer magic of Coco's restaurant. The food and service was fantastic and this is definitely the place movie magic. The detailing and consistency of design shout out quality.

So recharged, on Holiday and raring to go so far this year I have experienced The Hobbit Desolation of Smaug, which is critic proof I have now seen it standard 3D and HFR 3D and the latter wins hands down. The film felt a lot better the second time around and though a tad too long is still a satisfying experience that leaves you thirsty for more.

Frozen marked my first film of 2014 and I found it to be pure Disney magic , a worthy addition to the Pantheon of Disney movies that confidently embraces Old and New Disney. I loved it, the songs were perfection the characters engaging and the pace perfect for both Adults and children.

After my disappointment with last years movies this year kicked off brilliantly and my next visit I hope to be the Wolf of Wall Street. So Happy New Year long may it continue.

Technology, blu rays and mastering the home theatre system

Well the pre christmas buildup has begun. Time to cast aside my blu rays for the real deal. First out of the gate next week will be Enders Game. This will be followed by the Hobbit Desolation of Smaug.  Meanwhile my local entertainment emporium, will be flooded with christmas product all fighting for my attention.

It all seems daunting but last week I bit the bullet and treated myself to Pacific Rim and In 3D no less.  The presentation is jaw dropping, the sound incredible and the sheer detail on display just draw dropping.  For a 3D experience this disc is demo quality,  simply astounding. Colours pop, the spectacle is all there for you to see.

Yesterday I also treated myself to the Hobbit extended edition which again is a stand out presentation with brilliant supplementary material. Of course this is to be expected the precedence having been set by the Lord of the Rings extended editions. With releases this good then Christmas promises to be a real treat this year making up for a less than impressive year of movie going.

Thor the Dark World and my return to cinema going.

Well after three lacklustre months of lousy cinema, and having resorted to hiding away in my man cave devouring blu ray after blu ray and rediscovering the joys of gaming on my negleted PS3.

The last two weeks however have been a tonic to my cinematic hunger. Its almost as if the stars in alignment. Last week I sat through a wonderful ninety minute documentary on Ray Harryhausen which left me with a strong desire to sit through The Golden voyage of Sinbad. Why?, because its been quite a while since I have seen the film that haunted my youth up to the arrival of Star Wars. It was the Kali sequence that I found so exciting, but its one of many that sticks in my mind.

So After three months of watching some fantastic blast from the past finally a movie came along that screamed must see to me. So I took the plunge, braved the elements which this winter and spring in NZ have been particularly windy and extreme to venture out to my local Reading cinema to see Gravity in 3D.  I'm so glad I did, as a bold experiment in story telling and visuals it was a stand out and though I doubt its Oscar worthiness I cannot deny it grip, brilliant effects and masterful use of 3D.

So I am excited again,and today my second trip this time  to catch Thor 2 The Dark World. This is a film of noise, colour otstanding visuals , makeup and costumes all whizzed in a blender of wonderful CGI effects. To brilliant and entertaining effect , a sequel that really delivers and eclipsing the original to truly deliver as a comic book movie.

Its as if the Avengers has really kicked the marvel franchises into high gear at the same time truly embracing their comic book origins.  This film has a truly evil opponent for Thor is the guise of Christopher Eccelstons almost demonic Malekith and the film is perfectly paced with some outstanding action scenes culminating in a fantastic closing battle that is shere eye candy. Go see , enjoy and stick around right through the credits for two surprises.

Is this it, 2013 the year the blockbuster took a dive.

Its been quiet on here, mainly because I came out of quite a few films in the past two months and thought is that it?. Is that your idea of original, is that bad excuse of a script actually got made and this is the result. There were a few stand outs for me, but they were films of moments but that didn't really blow me away.
Man of Steel delivered, it has superhuman beat downs, iconic moments of patriotism, grand operatic imagery. Zack Snyder delivered but it still didn't feel like a total success to me. It was missing something yet I can't say what. It had all the beats.

 Pacific Rim certainly knew its corner and came out punching. Literally.
 Bright eye popping colours big kick ass monsters vs high techs mecha's. I loved it, it delivered for me and then I saw the finale of the Cornetto Trilogy.

The Worlds End, it wasn't my favourite of the trilogy but the boys were back, it entertained, and it was a fitting conclusion. Shaun of the Dead will always be no 1 in my books.  But I got the point, some brave choices were made and the pay-off was worth sitting through.

But disappointments were many, I hated Epic,enough to actually walked out, accompanied by my 5 year old who was in a like mind and has voiced his dislike a little to loundly . I avoided the Lone Ranger purely because the reviews suggested a snore fest with the same faults of over indulgent set peices as the last two of Gore's Pirate trilogy.

Iron Man I made the choice I would wait for on Blu ray.

There are films that I am impatient for. The next Mad Max, the second part of the Hobbit trilogy but I have been revisiting a few classic old films on Blur ray which have left me wishing that summer films stateside were less about following sequal after sequal but actually daring to be new. Where is the next Godfather, Good fellows, Tootsie, Kramer vs Kramer.

Maybe that is why the Great Gatsby reignited my excitement to the point that I had to purchase the book and start reading. It was stylistically dazzling, daring in your face and at the same time loud brash and colourful.

So as I kick up again, so will my personal observations of things that catch my eye. Elysium will be my next film of choice and I will begin commenting on some of my more recent Blu ray purchases. So keep and eye out.

Side by Side Digital and Film

The Last twelve years has seen a transition from film as a principle format for delivery to Digital. The Old guard have either embraced the new technology or have stood their ground defending film with all its limitations with their last breath. Undeterred the revolution gathers pace, as technological advancements keep pushing the capabilities of the digital  form.

     This is to be expected, by its very nature and make-up digital film making is undergoing constant innovation and breakthroughs much like the computer industries has done over the last thirty years. Whatever criticisms one might have about digital as a format, it is now the established norm and its not just projection , cameras , editing that this evolution has effected. 

     Side by Side is not a dry boring history lesson or discussion, it is in fact a fascinating discourse on both where the format has come from and where it is now. But it doesn't really cover the whole story as breakthroughs are still taking place even now as I type after the films completion's, high frame rates being the latest development.

     It is ironic that I caught this moving on itunes, a digital delivery of a film shot digitally. Convenient, quick, and viewable anywhere I choose once downloaded. Keanu Reeves guides us on an interesting and informative journey with simple yet effective examples of the advances currently being made. It is a fascinating documentary that deserves an audience and to be seen. 

     It provides both sides of the digital divide with a voice, without ridiculing its subjects. This leads to some thought provoking idea's, defensive arguments. But in closing George Lucas comments resonate the most. 

     Digital film is advancing it is a constant evolutionary process, as its limitations are reached , advancements are made.  There are no boundaries just a constant striving for superior picture.

     Lastly and bearing in mind the nature of digital technology, high frame rates will improve. Peter Jackson took the first digital step and critics were quick to point out some of its video like moments. But I do not underestimate that this is HFR 1.0 and now the first step has been taken, those critics will be silenced as a more filmic experience is sought. 

Star Trek into Darkness

If Skyfall was the official reboot of the Bond franchise, resetting the format, and letting loose with the revised formula then Star Trek into Darkness serves the same purpose. This film hits all the right marks and as a non trekkie entertains and delivers as a movie in its own right. There is no requirement to see the last movie, this film works on its own terms. By the end of the film the franchise is well and truly rebooted and the torch held out for the next standard bearer with a good set of bones to mess around with.

      The set-pieces are stand out, the 3D not too bad and the film has a wonderful ambiguous villain in the form of Dominic Cumberbatch who is a worthy protagonist for our hero's.

      This film delivers, J J Abraham's delivers on his original set up and by the end of the film were are once more in familiar territory and the closing moments will leave you smiling and once more on familiar turf. Yes the familiar has been tinkered with but you come away feeling that such tinkering with character motivations are deserved and well earned.

      Yes there are twists and turns, the villains name, motivations are unclear. Kirk and colleagues are playing a deadly game of cat and mouse, but Kirk's transition from impulsive and reckless Captain to a leader of men is believable.

     This Trek will go down at this franchises Skyfall, and a masterful transition is achieved that means the next films in the franchise will be in the Five year mission territory inviting new tales not dependant on the tv series.

I highly recommend this film, yes it could be tighter in places, a  little leaner, but it delivers and at the end of the day that is what you want from a film.

Lets get up to speed.

Well this post is going to an evolving post, as I scuttle my thoughts to make some cohesive sense. Blogging has taken a back seat to personal matters, but here I am back again and hopefully just in time for an influx of good movies. Something lacking since Christmas, okay I might be a little unfair with that last comment but to be honest there has been nothing recently released that has excited me enough to want to even express my views.
Die Hard 5 was a major disappointment, a film that has totally lost touch with what a decent Die Hard movie should be. John McClane has been reduced to a simple cardboard cut out superman.  The guy can now understand fluent Russian when reading a crib sheet on his estranged son on a flight to Moscow. I love Die Hard but really bury the franchise or go back to 1,2 and 3 and a make McClane more every-man again.
Oz the Great and Powerful was a light breezy affair that kind worked and delivered on its promise. It wasn't completely satisfying but it hit enough beats to quell my hunger.
Kiddy movies, The Croods , Rise of the Guardians entertained as did Jack the Giant Slayer. But nothing really wowed me. Same old same old.
Roger Ebert died and we mourned his passing a man whose humanity and courage and film intellect enlightened , entertained, and educated. May he rest in peace.
So I'm back, I'm aiming to see Oblivion and I might add a post concerning some great retro movies worth a look on Blu ray. So come back and lets shoot the breeze.
Oh a few months I mentioned that I would post a blog about my views the HFR, well that will appear shortly but in regards to a recent documentary I watched on I tunes regarding celluloid vs Digital cinema photography again watch out for that post which will appear shortly.

2013 and back in action

Well happy belated 2013, apologies for the silence but the year for our household started off with a few hiccups which saw us without wheels and having missed out on my planned trip to Hobbiton. But February has taken on a much more positive sheen and finances are being adjusted to accommodate the high cost of repairs. So normal movie going service will resume.
    Unfortunately for me this has meant missing about three movies I was looking forward to seeing on the big screen, But the beauty of blu ray  is that it no longer feels like I'm making a compromise. In fact on more than one occasion revisiting films on the format has proven to be a superior experience to having viewed the content on the big screen.
    So normal service is about to resume, with a few blu ray reviews of some classic films that were given to me as presents over the Christmas Period.
    So happy new year and catch you soon.

The Hobbit & Skyfall

Well I can truly say if these are the last two films of the year for me, what a way to end. Firstly Skyfall, a film that promised so much and actually delivered. This film has Craig being allowed to truly embody Bond and at the same time having fun. The welcome return of humour, and recognisable characters being reintroduced into their rebooted persona's is welcome. The feels like a new revitalised Bond, if Casino Royale was a wake up call, then this is the full stop and next sentence.
  As a Bond fan I loved the new Q, I loved the fact that for the first time in the last four films there was a memorable villain portrayed with show stopping vigour by Jarvier Bardem. This film hit every mark well and in Bond parley it hit the Bullseye and left its mark. I eagerly await the next film and I hope its not too long a wait this time.
 Yesterday I visited my favourite local cinema to capture the Hobbit in all its full 48 fps glory. I was sort of edgy about this choice, early press reviews were mixed claiming a video like sheen to preceding and that the highly detailed image exposed flaws in make-up and environments.
Now I'm not a Tolkien fan, I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a cinematic work, as a piece of drama and as a bravo piece of film making. The Hobbit is a lighter tale that the Rings trilogy, it takes place in a happier period of middle earth history and is very much a children's tale told to entertain and excite.
Jackson is  a director that excites ever since Bad Taste I have sought out each of his films. There is only one of his films that I find hard to be entertained by, and that is Meet the Feebles.  Even when flawed his work still delivers. Kong is too long, but so many scenes post arrival to Skull Island hit the mark, I still love the film. Lovely Bones is another work that for me is a perfect adaption of the book but Its hard to say I could watch it again. Because you still have to get past the initial act that deprives the heroine of her life and that is I think the one element of the film that audiences find hard to get past. But moments, beats work powerfully for me having read the book well before it became a film I knew what to expect, and felt it was a brave choice for Peter Jackson to make after Kong.
Its a sign of our times that success in film seems now to be based on box office performance and not on how good the film is, or how on a story telling level it succeeds.
The Hobbit is good, no hell its great. Yes it is a good hour too long, yes out of 13 dwarves only three really stick out in the memory but with another two films yet to come there is time for them to shine. As the opening part it works on all levels and with a welcome dose of humour. Martin Freeman delivers a great Bilbo and not to many liberties are taken with the story. This is recognisably the Hobbit  with a few minor tweaks which suggest big pay-offs further down the line. Nobody does Fantasy like Jackson and I came away from the film excited and with the damn Misty Mountains song cycling through my brain. The High frame rate issue I will tackle separately it deserves it. But I will be seeing this film again, it will be High Frame Rate and hopefully Dolby Atmos. I loved it and this is the perfect Christmas  Present on which to end the yearn.
So now I shall ponder my views on the High frame rate and post within the next day or so when I have let it all sink in.

The Hobbit Wellington Premiere

Well a great time was had by all, and as promised here are few pictures from the Wellington Premiere. It was a blazing hot Wednesday afternoon and there was a lot to see, and the air was buzzing with excitement  I've posted some of the clearer pictures I took , a lot of them involved avoiding heads, and other photographers didn't come out so great.

It was a long wait, the cavalcade of stars not arriving until about 4.30 pm at which time I had been waiting for two hours and was about ready to drop. But we were all in good spirits even if some of us were moaning about not getting a Gandalf style promotional Hobbit hat.  I had bought a Hobbit premiere t-shirt so looked the part, but as you will see from my pictures there were a lot of cosplay characters dotted around. I counted quite a few Hobbit s, 1 Gandalf and one Wring Wraith. Fortunately there were no Gollums present.

Hobbit premiere , artisan market, and Gandalf at the Embassy

Well today Sunday 25th of November was spent with my family in Central Wellington. I had but two goals. To view the Embassy canopy with its new Gandalf installation.

Then with a sharp turn left we were met by our local councils tribute to Middle Earth. It shows Wellington city rising up in the heart of Middle Earth. Now imagine this scene on the day of the Premiere this street will be closed off to traffic and filled with fans hoping for a site of the stars and the films director.

But the main purpose of our being in Wellington CBD was the Artisan Fayre which I referred to in  my last post. So what follows is just a flavour of Sunday at the Fayre. Various craftsmen and women, plus larger companies such as NZ Post and Air New Zealand advertised their links with the new film and various practical demonstrations of makeup, clothing and weapons were taking place on a small stage with large screen pumping out images to the gathering crowd. It was a family day out and there was a great atmosphere. I have a feeling that getting anywhere near the Embassy theatre on Premiere day will be optomistic. But I will be taking my camera.

So here are a few images as promised  to give you and idea at the interest approaching the Premiere.

Bag end arrives in Wellington.

Well by next weekend my mission will be to photograph the new Bag End sculpture that today arrived on the canopy of the Embassy cinema in Wellington. The home of the Hobbit premiere on November 28th. Traffic was being diverted today as the artwork was being put in place.




Also this week the Waitangi Park Artisan fare at will open which in the lead up to the Hobbit premiere will be showing the Lord of the Rings trilogy on giant screens. It will also be televising Premiere highlights as they take place. Again due to its close proximity to the Embassy I will be out with my camera to try and capture some of the things going on and sharing on my blog. More importantly the Artisan fare will give those artists and craftsman a place to showcase their skills and work to the public.

The lull before the Storm, Skyfall, Hobbits and Blu rays

Well things have been sort of quiet, most of the movies recently released in NZ have held very little appeal to me. Its sort of like having gorged myself and over indulged over the last three months of blockbuster season and having a mild case of cinematic indigestion.
I guess with the likes of the Avengers I had been spoiled. But recently I managed to catch and enjoy Karl Urban as the Icon Judge Dredd in Dredd.  A great adaptation of one of my favourite 2000AD characters that had the bad luck of having an almost identical plot to the Brilliant Raid. This film buried the memories of Stallone s take of the character and the film gets a lot more right than it gets wrong. A pity that financially it didn't break the US market. I sort of feel sick for making that comment. There seems to be something perverse about judging a films success based on its ability to make moolar at the US box office. It seems almost like I should be on the Deadline website passing judgement based on stats and box office breakdowns.


     Madagascar 3 was a bright, brilliant hilarious improvement on its two predecessors'  my son loved it and despite my lukewarm appreciation of parts 1 and 2 this for me delivered the goods and put a great big perma smile on my face.
     Frankenweenie  however was a disappointment  I appreciated it, but I didn't love it. It was retro Burton, well it is a remake of his live action Disney original.  Burton has a unique style maybe its time that tonally he revamped it and explored new visual stylings.

    Blu rays have been my viewing method of choice, with the Jaws release providing the most pleasure along with the comprehensive Prometheous blu ray. The film still doesn't work for me but Ridley Scott still delivers a great sci fi experience even when not firing at full capacity. The transfers are just breath taking and reinforce exactly why Blur ray is  the true cinephiles format of choice.

But Skyfall is a week away, and I have booked the afternoon off for the Hobbit premiere which is on the 28th November  and over the next week or so I will be roaming with my camera in the hope that I can get some great piccies to share on this blog. To give those of you who can't make it down here some sense of the occasion. Also I might publish some proper Blu ray reviews and share some of my collection. So hopefully things will pick up again as more exciting films head this way.
Catch you on my next post.

Back

Well after a lacklustre month of film things are looking more exciting. The view from my office window has this week become more interesting. The Hobbit premiere is two weeks away and Wellington is gradually transforming into middle earth. So as the first blog in a while I will share my new view.

Hobbit a week goes by.

Well just a quick little post, the Hobbit machinery is starting to kick into gear and film ties are starting to appear. The Hobbit Almanac being the first I've seen out there in bookshops along with the book with the cover being the film poster image of Bilbo. But messing around on my IPAD this afternoon, I came across the Hobbit App on Itunes and for fans out there who need a pre film fix its not a bad little primer. I suspect there will be a few updates prior to the films December release and that this is an evolving little program but try it out. There are links to it on the official Hobbit Facebook page.
     Also in following the local Wellywood scene via news and social media there is a brilliant blog by Nolder. Seek him out, as his posts are always informative and interesting. In fact this week after one of the Guardians writers did a hack job on Peter Jackson questioning his film making talents Nolder had the opportunity to defend Jackson via a local radio item.
   Seek his blog out if and One Ring Net is a good place to start if you haven't visited their site already.