It's odd, but I don't think I ever really talked about the Fantasy Film League on this blog.
The FFL was a site run by some friends that I first got involved with in around 2001 or 2002. I'm not sure exactly when, my memory is fuzzy. It was an online game, something like a fantasy sports league, where you pick a team (in this instance, a director and some actors) and their 'performance' (i.e. appearance in the box office ratings) would earn you virtual money. At the end of a season the winner of the league won a huge bunch of kudos.
It was Mr Birch and Mr Smith's big idea. Mr Wilson and Mr Estall helped them run it and after a while I came on board to help write articles and film reviews and to get up at 4am every few Saturdays to take part in Online Tonight, a San Francisco-based radio show hosted by David Lawrence (now best known as The Puppeteer in Heroes).
I love movies, but I've never been a real film geek and I certainly don't go often enough, but it was great fun writing DVD reviews and talking about the UK and US box office top ten on a nationally syndicated US radio show.
It all died in May 2006 when everyone's work commitments made it impossible to continue. I think that some tinkering with the format of the game also alienated some of the fans.
Well, now the FFL is being resurrected. The site is back up (along with a presence on Facebook and Twitter) and Mr Smith is working on a new, faster, shinier and (most importantly) more automated game engine. All the old team are back on board. I've already written a review which is up on the (as yet unfinished) site, and Mr Birch and I have recorded an inaugural podcast - very much a dry-run, pilot sort of affair. Hopefully, November's podcast will be available to the world on iTunes.
If nothing else this should act as a push to force me to go to the cinema more often; something that MLYW and I have been trying to do for ages.
Showing posts with label Films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Films. Show all posts
Friday, 9 October 2009
Friday, 30 May 2008
Hedy Lamarr Dies
"No! That's HEDLEY Lamarr." Sorry!
The comic genius that was Harvey Korman died today. The man who turned Blazing Saddles from a funny film to a VERY funny film. A sad loss.
The comic genius that was Harvey Korman died today. The man who turned Blazing Saddles from a funny film to a VERY funny film. A sad loss.
Sunday, 27 January 2008
Shut Up, Baby!
Today's title comes from a classic film - Double Indemnity. Which I mention because, for the first time this week, it's actually been quite a good day.
Up early-ish to do some shopping and have a coffee and a naughty cake in the town centre. Then back to tidy the garden a little and sweep up all the leaves that accumulated out the back all winter. This chore was only spoiled by treading in a huge, extra-smelly fox turd which was buried in a mound of leaves. Nothing stinks quite as bad as fox-shit!
Never mind, it was a great day and, for once, even doing housework and gardening (which I normally avoid, like Peter Hain avoids bank statements) were pleasurable.
Then hoovering the whole house - every nook and cranny - while MLYW cleaned the bathroom.
Suitably warmed up, I got out my bike, pumped up the tyres and went for my first ride of the year. Actually, my first ride since, ulp, September! Well, there's the Thames Bridges Ride to train for again, and I need to lose some weight. So I started gently with a 6-mile run around Ash, Tongham and Badshot Lea. A lovely, bright, sunny day, but deceptively chilly when you're cycling at 20mph (soon to drop to half that speed after 1 mile when I got knackered - and was not longer going downhill).
Back home to greet the in-laws and watch the footy with F-I-L Bill, followed by a slap up meal - a gorgeous bean, chorizo and vegetable stew, with cous-cous. Luvverly!
And finally, after the coffee, we watched an old black-and-white movie. It's become a habit in recent weeks. The last couple of times have been Hitchcock nights, but tonight it was time for Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson in the superb film noir which gives us the title of this post.
And now, just a pause to type up this entry. I guess it's a bit dull - just a rundown of a suburban Saturday. But after this week, it's been stimulating, relaxing and enjoyable. Just the tonic. Cheers!
Up early-ish to do some shopping and have a coffee and a naughty cake in the town centre. Then back to tidy the garden a little and sweep up all the leaves that accumulated out the back all winter. This chore was only spoiled by treading in a huge, extra-smelly fox turd which was buried in a mound of leaves. Nothing stinks quite as bad as fox-shit!
Never mind, it was a great day and, for once, even doing housework and gardening (which I normally avoid, like Peter Hain avoids bank statements) were pleasurable.
Then hoovering the whole house - every nook and cranny - while MLYW cleaned the bathroom.
Suitably warmed up, I got out my bike, pumped up the tyres and went for my first ride of the year. Actually, my first ride since, ulp, September! Well, there's the Thames Bridges Ride to train for again, and I need to lose some weight. So I started gently with a 6-mile run around Ash, Tongham and Badshot Lea. A lovely, bright, sunny day, but deceptively chilly when you're cycling at 20mph (soon to drop to half that speed after 1 mile when I got knackered - and was not longer going downhill).
Back home to greet the in-laws and watch the footy with F-I-L Bill, followed by a slap up meal - a gorgeous bean, chorizo and vegetable stew, with cous-cous. Luvverly!
And finally, after the coffee, we watched an old black-and-white movie. It's become a habit in recent weeks. The last couple of times have been Hitchcock nights, but tonight it was time for Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson in the superb film noir which gives us the title of this post.
And now, just a pause to type up this entry. I guess it's a bit dull - just a rundown of a suburban Saturday. But after this week, it's been stimulating, relaxing and enjoyable. Just the tonic. Cheers!
Friday, 23 March 2007
Top Ten Films
Hello. I'm back. And to distract myself from the hundreds of boxes that we still have to unpack, here's a little diversion.
My Lovely Young Wife copied me in on an email going round her office. Everyone had to name their favourite top ten favourite films.
So, without too much thought, and more or less off the top of my head, here are my top ten, in no particular order:
Airplane! (1980)
What can you say, a gag every second and 30 years later you still have to concentrate to get them all.
Citizen Kane (1941)
The classic to beat all classics and the film which invented the language of modern movie-making.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
I'll start blubbing if I even think about the ending to this one.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
A chick-flick really, but I like it very much indeed because it's honest and true to itself.
Duck Soup (1933)
The Marx Brothers had to be here somewhere, so here's their most consistently funny film.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Fantastic. To be watched again and again and don't let anyone tell you that Stephen King can't write a decent story!
Alien (1979)
Will someone please tell Harry Dean Stanton not to go after Jones, the cat? I have to watch that bit between my fingers every time. Aliens nearly made the cut too ("They mostly come at night. Mostly").
Double Indemnity (1944)
Genius. Simply genius.
Donnie Darko (2001)
OK. I don't follow this one 100%, but it's so atmospheric. And Maggie Gyllenhall's in it.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
What the...? Makes Donnie Darko look like The Brady Bunch. David Lynch needs to make more films to confuse us and make our brains bleed.
Of course, as John Cusak says in High Fidelity (or possibly it was Nick Hornby) your top ten is never definitive and will change according to mood and as to what purpose the top ten is for. Personally, you could ask me for my top ten comedies, or films noir, or animated features and I'd have to mull it over for a week to do the question any justice.
Anyway - it's your turn now. Your top ten films please. Don't think too hard and just write them all down as quickly as possible.
Finished? Put them down in the 'comments' box then.
And now surf on over to the IMDB Top 250 films to see how many great ones you've missed. There will be at least another 10 or 20 for which you'll say "damn! I wish I'd included that one".
My Lovely Young Wife copied me in on an email going round her office. Everyone had to name their favourite top ten favourite films.
So, without too much thought, and more or less off the top of my head, here are my top ten, in no particular order:
Airplane! (1980)
What can you say, a gag every second and 30 years later you still have to concentrate to get them all.
Citizen Kane (1941)
The classic to beat all classics and the film which invented the language of modern movie-making.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
I'll start blubbing if I even think about the ending to this one.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
A chick-flick really, but I like it very much indeed because it's honest and true to itself.
Duck Soup (1933)
The Marx Brothers had to be here somewhere, so here's their most consistently funny film.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Fantastic. To be watched again and again and don't let anyone tell you that Stephen King can't write a decent story!
Alien (1979)
Will someone please tell Harry Dean Stanton not to go after Jones, the cat? I have to watch that bit between my fingers every time. Aliens nearly made the cut too ("They mostly come at night. Mostly").
Double Indemnity (1944)
Genius. Simply genius.
Donnie Darko (2001)
OK. I don't follow this one 100%, but it's so atmospheric. And Maggie Gyllenhall's in it.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
What the...? Makes Donnie Darko look like The Brady Bunch. David Lynch needs to make more films to confuse us and make our brains bleed.
Of course, as John Cusak says in High Fidelity (or possibly it was Nick Hornby) your top ten is never definitive and will change according to mood and as to what purpose the top ten is for. Personally, you could ask me for my top ten comedies, or films noir, or animated features and I'd have to mull it over for a week to do the question any justice.
Anyway - it's your turn now. Your top ten films please. Don't think too hard and just write them all down as quickly as possible.
Finished? Put them down in the 'comments' box then.
And now surf on over to the IMDB Top 250 films to see how many great ones you've missed. There will be at least another 10 or 20 for which you'll say "damn! I wish I'd included that one".
Friday, 26 May 2006
Busy Busy Busy
It's still all go in our household.
Bikes
Only 3 weeks to go to the London 2 Brighton Bike Ride. So if you haven't sponsored me yet, you've still got time!
Unfortunately, it's been raining pretty heavily and almost constantly since the last time I was out on the bike, nearly 3 weeks ago, so I haven't had a chance to do any extra training for the extra mileage that the Brighton ride entails.
Luckily the weather seems to have broken, so I'm going to need to get out a couple of times this weekend and make up for some lost time.
Acts
And rehearsals are continuing apace. Less than 2 weeks to go now until the play opens (7th June, since you ask) and while you can find more details over here I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear that it's all going really well. BUY TICKETS! All we need to do now BUY TICKETS! is cross our fingers and hope that our subliminal BUY TICKETS! advertising BUY TICKETS! brings in some extra tickets.
Films
Tonight sees the wake for the FantasyFilmLeague. In about 20 minutes, as it happens. I wasn't in at the beginning, but I enjoyed writing film review (from DVDs mainly) and getting up at 4.30am on Saturday mornings to appear on the David Lawrence Show and expose my awful lack of knowledge about films. I think that if only we'd got paid for it we would still be doing it to this very day. Ho hum!
Bikes
Only 3 weeks to go to the London 2 Brighton Bike Ride. So if you haven't sponsored me yet, you've still got time!
Unfortunately, it's been raining pretty heavily and almost constantly since the last time I was out on the bike, nearly 3 weeks ago, so I haven't had a chance to do any extra training for the extra mileage that the Brighton ride entails.
Luckily the weather seems to have broken, so I'm going to need to get out a couple of times this weekend and make up for some lost time.
Acts
And rehearsals are continuing apace. Less than 2 weeks to go now until the play opens (7th June, since you ask) and while you can find more details over here I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear that it's all going really well. BUY TICKETS! All we need to do now BUY TICKETS! is cross our fingers and hope that our subliminal BUY TICKETS! advertising BUY TICKETS! brings in some extra tickets.
Films
Tonight sees the wake for the FantasyFilmLeague. In about 20 minutes, as it happens. I wasn't in at the beginning, but I enjoyed writing film review (from DVDs mainly) and getting up at 4.30am on Saturday mornings to appear on the David Lawrence Show and expose my awful lack of knowledge about films. I think that if only we'd got paid for it we would still be doing it to this very day. Ho hum!
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