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With little time and money spare we need the help of critics or reviewers to help us in our choices. As a single male with a cynical slant and a hatred of being “sold” anything I tend to take comfort with critics who get rather angry in their specialist area. Here are a few I really quite like.

BBC Five Live - Mark Kermode film reviews
Kermode loves film and is the BBC’s film reviewer who appears on Newsnight review and The Culture show from time to time. His reviews are, I have to say, spot on for my liking. Of cause not everybody will agree but I like this chap for his balls in lambasting a film. His famous rants against Pirates of the Carabiean and Little Man have almost become legendary.

Reading
Kermode film page / podcast links
Wikipedia entry

4Later - Vids
Before channel four filled its nights with quiz channels or 24 hour CCTV footage of some wankers in a house 4later aired and was a gem of my pubescent years. It had odd animations and tv shows which ran on a shoe string. One of the best was Vids, a video review show which looked at the latest VHS releases. Starring Stef and Nigel as two Scottish video shop owners their reviews took place during comedy sketches which I have yet to see repeated. A classic which could make a fantastic come back on the net if somebody could track them down.

Reading
Vids fansite, long since dead.
IMDb information
Google cache of old 4later site.
Dog-Sized-Cat. Nigel’s new site with links to Vids episodes.
4later fansite.

Internets - Angry Nintendo Nerd (aka angry video game nerd)
This chap just makes me laugh out loud. His age is about mine, his subject matter old video games and his anger is constantly at about 10.

Reading
Angry Video Game Nerd Home page
Youtube videos

BBC Four - Screenwipe
The artsy BBC 4 hosting a program where the hosts states “an undercover camera show that filmed children in restaurants and calling them c**ts, thats a show I would watch” has to be worth a peek. I missed it up until now and have only caught up thanks to youtube and some chap pirating them. I would basically describe this show as like ITV’s TV burp, but funny. Plus any show that hires fat-pie.com and Adam Buxton has to get my vote. Classic.

Reading
BBC Four Screenwipe page
Loads of “clips” uploaded to youtube

Normally I don’t mind ticket touts. They hang around outside gigs and make a few pounds but what really pisses me off is ebay and the way they turn a blind eye to selling tickets for silly money. Perhaps its just that I’m pissed off that I can’t get to see the UK premier of Clerks 2 in Edinburgh. The tickets sold out, unsurprisingly. They cost £7 if you beat the rush, however they are going for about £70+ on ebay. Meh.. I wish I had the money or a really big stick to go and get my revenge on the people who only buy these things to make a profit. Swines.

Anyhow, if anybody feels the need to give me tickets and a hotel to stay in I wouldn’t say no. In fact I think I would probably dry hump your leg for a good few hours, or until you managed to shake me off.

I wonder when/if clerks 2 will be showing in my local cinema.. sigh.

I truly admire Kevin Smith. His films have made me smile so much over my formative years. Of note are Clerks and Mallrats which never fail to make me smile. He truly is an amazing writer and one director I can forgive for writing a dodgy movie.

Over the last few weeks he has done something we rarely see on the interweb or anywhere to be honest. He has opened up his heart and through his blog has told the story of his close friend and on screen partner Jason Mewes and his battle with drug addiction. Although long, its an amazing read which for the first time on the Internet has made me cry and laugh at the same time, showing the skill of his writing style.

Although I doubt his next film, Clerks 2, will create the same emotions in me, I cannot help feel that knowing what Jason, Kevin and all the people involved in this tale have gone through and to have come out OK will make the experience of seeing the film a even more fantastic experience.

I would encourage everybody who truly loves film to first watch the Smith back catalog, then to go on and read the following in order.

Me and My Shadow, Pt. 1

Me and My Shadow, Pt. 2

Me and My Shadow, Pt. 3

Me and My Shadow, Pt. 4

Me and My Shadow, Pt. 5

Me and My Shadow, Pt. 6

Me and My Shadow, Pt. 7

Me and My Shadow, Pt. 8

Me and My Shadow, Pt. 9

Last night I went to the pub for a few jars of orange squash and to witness some music entertainment. Fun was had by all, but whilst sporting a “Night of the Living Dead� (IMDB) T-shirt I was spotted by a fellow zombie flick lover. She not only loves Zombie flicks but has also produced a wonderfully funny short film about the living dead and killer nuns. For a student film I was actually amazed by how much I laughed at this.

If the idea of a student film about zombies puts you off, trust me its worth it just for the line “God damn pathetic catholic issue guns�. You can watch “Killer Nuns And The Zombies From Channel 6� at Studentfilms.com.

Yesterday I went and got Akira (IMDB) on DVD for the bargain price of £6.97. The Japanese Manga film always seems to be praised by critics and animation gurus alike so I thought I should see what the fuss was about.

This really is an amazing film although as a side effect has given me nightmares about nuclear warfare. The night time scenes where futuristic bikes with the 1980s fashion clad riders rampage through the streets of Neo-Tokyo really were captivating. Although I am still not a anime nut.. I can see why films such as this can get somebody hooked.

Here is the trailer which you will need RealPlayer to play.

At university I came across the film Requiem for a Dream. It is often compared to Trainspotting, but really the only similarity is fact that they both explore the use of heroin and other drugs and the effect it can have on ones life. However, Requiem goes that one step further and attempts to show the mindset of a drug user in a much more graphic way that the famed “baby on the ceiling� scene of Trainspotting. It shows remarkably well the rush, pain, fear and confusion that drugs can force the user into experiencing, something that I felt Trainspotting lacked.

So why am I rambling on about this? Well I just came across the Requiem website (I am a bit slow), and its has given me the fear something rotten, but has reminded me of what a great film it is.

If you want a film that you can smile at or actually enjoy a happy ending, Trainspotting might do that, Requiem on the other hand will make you more depressed. I needed at least two cups of tea to get over this one. Well worth it though, wonderfully scary take on drug use, cracking soundtrack (no pun intended) and the way the camera moves, slices and cuts is unique. So unique in fact that the Simpson’s have immortalised it in their little world.

… mmm the rib-wich.