Rev Stan's other stuff

New favourite comedy

Am really enjoying In the Thick of It. Inspired by In the Loop I bought the DVD. It's copious amounts of swearing appeals to my mood at the moment. Here's a little snippet.



Music QotD: Musician Interview

If you could interview any musician, living or dead, who would you most want to pepper with questions?

Kirk 'Little Kirk' Hammett

I'd ask him if he can do a head stand and get him to demonstrate.

Twilight chuckle

This made me chuckle

Entertainment QotD: Favorite Entertainment Site

What website do you visit for your entertainment news?

None specific. I use RSS feeds and twitter so go where ever they lead me.

New film website

Natalie Portman has just launched a new website aimed at saddo's like me who are fascinated by what goes on, on film sets and behind the scenes. Could be quite a big eater of my time.

Life and death in the big city

A 16 year old boy was stabbed to death last night in the park opposite my flat. A 17 year old is in hospital with stab wounds. It happened during evening time and I was home. The entire park is still cordoned off.
Do I feel shocked? Strangely not at all. I've lived in this big city for a long time, people get murdered. Saddened? Well yes the loss of any life and in particular a young one is sad.

QotD: New Business

If you were to open up a business of your own, what would it be?
Submitted by beth.

I'd like to open a tea shop. Not a twee one but a cool one akin to the new coffee shops. I'd serve proper tea in tea pots as well as decent coffee and lots of gorgeous cakes including treats that people with food intolerances and diabetes can eat. There would be lots of squidgy sofa's for people to sit on and free wifi.

Sort of claim to fame

I was just sarky to a member of Girls Aloud thanks to Twitter. First and last time she responds to one of my tweets....

Sunday cinema: State of Play

Based on a BBC series (which I've never seen) State of Play is a political thriller in which crime journalist Cal, played by Russell Crowe investigates the death of political researcher working for a congressman played by Ben Affleck. There are inevitable twists and turns along the way as the story gets bigger and about far more than one seemingly tragic suicide.

State of Play: 'popcorn thriller'

But what can I say about it? Well, it was a little too long and the idea of journalists as scruffy, untidy, junk food eating hacks who always have a bottle of scotch in their desk draw is hackneyed. Helen Mirren plays the editor of Crowe's newspaper in a style akin to how she played Det Jane Tennyson in Prime Suspect but nonetheless commands the screen when she's on it.
Ben Affleck is well Ben Affleck and is well suited to play a bland politician.
It has it's tense moments, there are enough twists to keep you interested and it well rounded. Mark Kermode described it as a solid popcorn thriller and I tend to agree. It was entertaining but didn't make me go wow.
Here are some other reviews
Guardian
Hollywood Reporter
Time Out

Pigeons

Pigeons, originally uploaded by Rev Stan.

This is my favourite pic of today's miscellaneous bunch that i took on my Sunday walk. Shows there is beauty even in maingy, flea infested, horse-poo eating London pigeons.
Rest of pics at www.flickr.com/photos.revstan

QotD: Rockin' from the grave

Who is the best deceased musician/singer?
Submitted by sarahllr.

I'm not saying she is the best but i do have a soft spot for Janis Joplin. This is one of my favourite's.

Little Girl Blue

Janis Joplin

Rupert Friend the new Orlando Bloom?

This clip of the new Stephen Frears film Cheri comes from Empire online and whenever I see Keira Knightley's squeeze Rupert Friend, he reminds me of Orlando Bloom, in fact they look related.
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I don't rate Bloom as an actor, he's one of those thesps with a modicum of talent who's career has been carried to such heights by his looks. I've not seen Friend in a major role to gauge his ability but based on this snippet I think the two could be easily interchangeable.
It is a short clip and so I am prepared to be proved wrong when I see the film in a couple of weeks

* Rupert Friend pic from here

Sexy spy casting

According to reports on the internet, Matthew Macfadyen AKA Sexy spy no 1 has been cast as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood film which sees Russell Crowe playing the lead.
Am particularly excited by this as I don't think I've ever seen him play a baddie before, at least I hope he's a baddie, I've read reports that Scott is going to challenge the common stereo types of the key characters. I also hope he's trimmed down a bit as he been getting a little bit porky in recent roles.
In celebration here's a pic

Matthewmacfadyen

QotD: Flight or Invisiblity?

If you could pick between the superpowers of flight or invisibility, which would you choose?
Submitted by aynge.

Flight definitely. It would be such a cool way of getting around, especially if I could fly really fast.

Thank a Farmer

This came from Adam

Thank a farmer

To Be or Not To Be - the 'original speech'

Love this which was posted by the Guardian theatre blog today in honour of Shakespeare's birthday today. There are a load of other Shakespeare related clips too if you are interested.

Music to impress

In Twilight when Edward is showing Bella his room she puts his CD player on to see what he's listening to and it's Debussy, which got me thinking; if he'd had his guilty pleasure CD on say, oh I don't know, Take That Greatest Hits or Simply Red or something how it could have totally destroyed his street cred.
And it also got me thinking that if someone I wanted to impress put my CD player on what would make me cringe with embarrassment and what I'd really want them to find on there.
For the former there are tons. Daniel Bedingfield would be quite embarrassing, so would Abba Gold and Eurythmics Greatest Hits. Oh god and then there's my sneaky little Justin Timberlake.
As to what I'd want them to find well Janis Joplin wouldn't be too shabby or early REM (pre Out of Time) or early Nirvana. Beruit would be quite cool and Radiohead In Rainbows or PJ Harvey and The Shins.
And throwing it back out there, what would be your cringe/cool?

Hand latest

Swelling and bruises have gone down nicely. Pins are coming out on Monday, almost sad to see them going. They've been a part of me after all. Am hoping they will let me keep them as a little memento.

IMGP2550

Vox Hunt: Sunny Day Song

Share a song for a sunny day.

This is from a CD I call my sunny music. It's a recording of a band Mosh and I watched in Cuba on New Years Eve 2007. I usually listen to it when the weather is bad and I'm having a bad day because it transports me back to lovely sunny Cuba.

01 Cosita Linda

Septeto Sones De Oriente

Found this

Following on from my last answer to the QOTW I thought I'd look up Showaddywaddy on YouTube. It's a miracle my musical taste developed as well as it did.
People under the age of 25 should look away now.



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Music QotD: First Concert

What was your first concert?

Well I don't count Showaddywaddy whom my Father took me to see when I was three as that wasn't my choice.

So the first band I chose to see was The Cult at De Montfort Hall in Leicester. I was 14, a big fan and loved every minute.

Here's a clip I found on YouTube, it's not the actual gig of course but from around that time. Love the groovy 80's effects...

Culture QotD: What food reminds you of your childhood?

What food reminds you of your childhood?

Syrup sponge and custard. Well custard really. Mum made mean custard.

Deja vu

It feels slightly inappropriate to be writing about this in between photo's of tomatoes and Harry Potter trailers but that's the way my life is going at the moment and how my Mum is doing is long over due an update.
I haven't written about it for a while because for every step forward seems to have been followed by a step back and the doctors have had little concrete to say.
But yesterday there was, well I can't exactly call it a breakthrough because that implies something more positive than it is, but we did turned some sort of corner.
Since my last  post she has had a tracheotomy to make her more comfortable on the ventilator and reduce the risk of chest infections. She's also been transferred to the ICU at Peterborough district hospital, which is a grim horrid place after Addenbrookes.
She's has panic attacks and hyper ventilates and so is being sedated regularly but the nurses have got her out of bed and into a chair on occasions and she's eaten some ice cream and yoghurt. Which is definitely progress.
Easter got in the way of her seeing the consultant at Peterborough until yesterday and the best diagnosis they can give is that she has progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP):

PSP is a neurodegenerative disease involving the progressive death of nerve
cells in the brain stem and basal ganglia.

It has some similarities with Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimers but is rarer.
She's being transferred, hopefully next week, to Papworth Hospital near Huntingdon where they specialise in heart and lung conditions and therefore respiratory problems.
If the doctors at Papworth get her breathing for herself, at least during the day or stable on the ventilator she can go into a nursing home with a portable vent.
But it is a progressive illness so there is the risk that if she was off the vent she would stop breathing again at some point in the following weeks or months.
Having a permanant trachy puts her at risk of infection. And it is no life for her. She hates hopsitals and needles and the rest. It was always her biggest dread to end up like this, hooked up to machines.
And so I have had conversations with my sister about her quality of life and her death. A couple of years ago I wouldn't have ever conceived of talking about such things but having seen my Dad die of leukaemia, it all seems strangely familiar.
We've decided that her comfort is of primary importance and any treatment must respect that. We've also decided on DNR.
I can't say what I hope for.

 

Tricolour

Tricolour, originally uploaded by Rev Stan.

Borough Market was busy but it was still early enough to get plenty of pictures of some of the delicious food offerings. More pics at www.flickr.com/photos/revstan

Joggers

Joggers, originally uploaded by Rev Stan.

Lovely walk along the almost deserted South Bank this morning - too early for the tourist hoards.

New Harry Potter Trailer

Okay so now I'm starting to get a little bit excited. (Perhaps a sign that I'm starting to forgive Warner Bros?)

City of cranes

City of cranes, originally uploaded by Rev Stan.

Regular readers will know that I upload my humble attempts at photography onto Flickr. What you won't know is that at work we've started using Flickr as a potential source of images for the magazine.
So how proud was I to get an email from our art editor asking if he could use this shot of mine in a feature in my section? He said it was better than similar themed shots on Rex which is a paid-for photo library.
It was the writer of the piece who knows of my internet pseudonym that pointed out it was my pic.
Definitely going for a Rev Stan credit though.
How flattered and proud am I?

Who would?

Thanks to Mosh for pointing this out...
Play.com is taking pre orders for the new Muse album. It doesn't have a title yet. It doesn't have a release date. In fact from what I read it's unlikely to come out until the Autumn.
You even get the option to review it. Think that campaign should start now to put as many reviews on there as possible before any more details come out....

Hurray for holiday

It's official, we are going away for a week in May. My desire for sun in foreign climbs has been tempered by the hassle of organising it with everything else that is going on in my life at the moment so we plumped for simple, easy and old blighty...which translates to this gorgeous little cottage in village on the Norfolk broads. There are three pubs in the village, the closest is a good 200 yards, so will certainly need a drink by the time we've walked that. Ahem.
And if anyone knows that part of the world and can recommend things to see and do, please let me know.
Can't bloomin' wait.

Court humour

This has probably been around the internet a thousand times but it was one of several I got today at work and is an actual court room cross examination. Apparently.

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

Mid-week cinema: 50 Dead Men Walking

This has been on my 'one to watch' radar since I saw the trailers which hinted at a gritty, real-life thriller. Fifty Dead Men Walking is inspired by the autobiographical book by Martin McGartland, a petty criminal growing up in conflict-torn 1980's Belfast who is persuaded to spy on the IRA by the British police.

Jim Sturgess and Ben Kingsley in Fifty Dead MenWalking

Jim Sturgess plays Martin and is definitely a talent to watch out for while Ben Kingsley plays his handler. The fate of informants if discovered is a brutal death and something Martin is forced to witness in order to gain trust. The further into the IRA's organisation he gets the bigger the stakes and the tenser the film gets.
There is certainly plenty of grit and the realism is never far away. Indeed in one interview Jim Sturgess revealed that kids had thrown stones and yelled abuse at him while filming in Belfast.
All in all, the promise in the trailer lived up to expectation and more. I could barely tear my eyes away from the screen.

Other reviewers don't seem to share my enthusiasm but that's why I prefer to make my own mind up:
Times Online
Empire magazine
Time Out
And here's the trailer



Theatre: Future Me

Hidden away in a tiny back street Methodist Hall-theatre conversion near London's Kings Cross, is a strangely appropriate setting for a play exploring the taboo and emotive subject of paedophilia. As one of a small audience it almost felt like you were part of an underground club. But it is a shame not more people will get the chance to see this thought provoking and expertly acted play.

Future Me: David Benson And Rupert Hill

It is a harrowing and disturbing subject matter handled sensitively and in a manner that deftly avoids melodrama.
Rupert Hill plays lawyer Peter, the central character, who's seemingly school boy error with an email attachment (the only inconsistency in the plot) exposes a previously hidden side to his personality and changes his life forever. But this isn't just about Peter, but also about how it affects those around him and the people he meets on his way through the justice system.
It is disturbing, fascinating, thought-provoking and witty and it gave me a troubled night's sleep. It's on for two more weeks, it is a gem of a play with some superb acting in an intimate space and only cost £15, go, go, go.

And here are some other reviews:
http://londonist.com/2009/04/review_future_me_only_connect.php
http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/24005/future-me
http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/24230/future-me.html

New act on the South Bank

New act on the South Bank, originally uploaded by Rev Stan.

Saw these two guys yesterday, didn't have time to hang around to see the show unfortunately but will look out for them again.
Whenever I see a dwarf (apologies if that is the politically incorrect term) I can't help but think of Colin Farrell's character in In Bruges.

Days off

I'm saying a loud HA! to the weather today. It is always nice the day after a bank holiday weekend and I'm tricking it by taking a couple of days off to enjoy it. Later I plan to take a long walk into town to meet friends for a bite to eat then a play at the tiny little Only Connect theatre near Kings Cross.
But before I kick back and relax I'm going to tackle the mountain of paperwork that needs filing and hoping I don't unearth anything that should have been dealt with weeks ago.

Vox Hunt: Celebrating National Pecan Day

Today is National Pecan Day. To celebrate, show us something nutty.

Why does this question make me immediately think of a post Soup did ages ago in response to vox hunt about showing something you've created? And no I'm not going to link to it, you'll have to ask him.

Eavesdroppers in Great Hall at Hampton Court

Eavesdroppers in Great Hall at Hampton Court, originally uploaded by Rev Stan.

High up in the roof beams of King Henry VIII's Great Hall these figures were carved as a reminder to the guests below that they were in a place where they could be observed and therefore should behave accordingly.
The only other fact I remember from my trip to Hampton Court yesterday is that courtiers used to eat 4,000-5,000 calories a day - must have been the weight of all those elaborate clothes burning up all the energy...

More remake madness

It's barely been out in cinemas a week but a UK film company has already bought the rights to Let the Right One in and plan to remake it.
Tomas Alfredson the film's director has commented:

"Why are they doing it? Because they love the film, or do they see an opportunity to make some extra bucks?" he ponders.
"If greed is the main motivator, it's very seldom that the result is good. But if you are motivated by a love for the story, then there's the chance for something good."

But I must admit, I don't share his optimism for it's potential to be good. It is his version, in his chosen setting and with his chosen actors and direction that has played such a large part in the films critical success. How could all those elements possibly come together in the same way to such great success again?

Politics and the Beeb

I thought this article was an interesting take on the recent calls by certain politicians that the Brand/Ross BBC fine be paid for by the presenters themselves.

Good Friday film: Let The Right One In

This Swedish film has had the critics and film industry in a bit of a lather. Director Guillermo Del Toro said of it: "As delicate, haunting and poetic a film as you're ever bound to see. A chilling fairy tale."
So I was quite keen to see what all the fuss was about, particularly as mainland Europe has produced some of the most memorable films of the last few years.
It is a Vampire story and a love story but there it's similarity with Twilight ends. It is to Twilight what Champagne is to Asti Spumante. Not that Twilight wasn't enjoyable, this is just in a different league.
Oskar is a delicate 12 year old who is bullied at school. He meet Eli who is also 12 and who encourages him to fight back. Eli is a vampire.
The children's acting alone makes this worth a look but I cannot sum it up any better than del Toro. This film deserves to be seen, so go see it.



Music QotD: On Stage with...

If you could be on stage with any band, who would you want to perform with?

Well they have  couple of girls who bang base drums and I reckon I could have a go at that, besides they always look like they are having a riot of a time on stage, so it has to be Gogol Bordello

Eugene Hutz drum surfing

Entertainment QotD: Movie of My Life. Starring...

Which actor or actress would play you in "The Movie of Your Life?"

Kate Winslet or Samantha Morton because not only are they fab actresses but also gorgeous, er, like me, ahem.

Another day another cast

Yay the horrible van-sized cast has gone and now I have this new, made-bespoke one which means I can actually type using more than four fingers and a thumb and do useful things like tie my own shoe laces. I feel like a new person albeit with very stiff fingers... but the movement will come back as I gradually get used to moving them a bit again and do the exercises I've been given.

Cast no 4

But before the lovely occupational therapist Pip made and fitted my cast, she helped take some pics of my hand and pins in all their g(l)ory. Don't scroll down if you are sqeamish

Palm

...and back

And yes my hand really is that colour, Pip did check using a surgical wipe...

Injury one upmanship

Am totally whipping arses in the waiting room for hand therapy in terms of visible injury.
Only one other person has any sign of bandages and it's a puny little finger.
(Can anyone tell I'm bored waiting?)

Hermit Crab

Hermit Crab, originally uploaded by derren meadwell.

My brother is a bit of a sea creature fanatic - snorkels with an underwater camera and stuff. Particularly like this one. That crab has personality.

QotD: Have You Ever Walked Out of a Movie?

Have you ever walked out of a movie?
Submitted by Jack Yan.

Only when I was bursting for a wee but I always came back apart from once when the film finished before I could return. That was annoying.

Cast no 3

And the most annoying yet as it leaves only my thumb exposed which is very little use and am effectively one handed.

Most annoying cast yet

It is like having my hand strapped to a narrow plank with a kink in it. Useful if i find myself in a dingy and without a paddle but little else, I can't even dress myself. And it is too bulky for most of my t-shirts (long and short sleeved) to fit over. Am living in tracky bottoms as they are the only thing I have with an elastic waste - feel like a chav.
The good news is that I've got to go back to St Thomas's tomorrow to have this cast off. I'm hoping for something more slimline and manoeuverable in its place - swapping the large van for a nice nippy two-seater. It could get very tedious if I haven't even got the use of a couple of fingers on my injured hand for the next three weeks.
The other good news is that so far I've only had to take a couple of the mild pain killers. The first one when the anaesthtic started wearing off about 4am. Think I'll save the horse-strength ones for when I can't sleep

I've lost my arm

Well yes I can see it but I can't feel it. They did a serious load of injections at the hospital and it's going to take 8-12 hours to wear off, even my left eye is a little bit droopy. If you imagine how it feels when your foot 'goes to sleep' then multiply that sensation by 20 and spread it over your whole arm that's sort of how it feels. I could stab my arm and I

It's this one - yep they mark the arm just in case

wouldn't feel it. When Mosh took my arm out of the sling so I could change and it was dangling down by my side it didn't feel like it was part of my body. My mind was telling me that it was still in the sling and can't compute when I put my hand to touch it in the place it thinks it is and it's not there. Sort of like when you are watching 3D film and you want to reach out and touch what looks like is just in front of you.
Anyway 'tis done and under the local anaesthetic, although they turned up the sedation so I actually slept through the whole thing.
Even though I knew it was the real mccoy I was still a little surprised to be wearing a gown that ties up the back then laying on a hospital bed with a canula in and staff all wearing scrubs, masks and shower caps.
All over now though, well until Thurs when I get a new cast.
Pins out in 3 weeks.

Surgery

So I've got to have my broken bone pinned tomorrow. The consultant is going to try and do it under a local anaesthetic (numb from shoulder down) but will knock me out completely if there are problems (comforting!!!).
I've never had surgery before and they certainly put the fear of god into you with all the paperwork and pamphlets to read.
I'm on nil by mouth from 6am, have to get to the hospital at 12 and the surgery will happen sometime between 1pm and 5pm. It's like starving yourself while waiting for the plumber to come out.
My favourite part of the leaflet: Your day surgery, and bearing in mind this is for those who've had a general anaesthetic is the bit which says: "For 48 hours after the surgey, please do not make any important decisions or sign any contracts".
No, really it says that.
I'm looking forward to getting rid of this cast, particularly as today the nurse cut the bandages to remove it so the

Cast/bandage version 2

consultant could examine my hand then when he'd finished, slotted my hand back in and put another layer of bandages rather haphazzardly over the top. It now looks like a girl guide has been practicing her first aid badge on me. And it is too bulky to get most long sleeves on over it.
Am getting another cast tomorrow but that will only stay on a couple of days and then I get a more slimline plastic version which will hopefully allow a bit more movement and use of my fingers (one-handed typing is getting rather tedious).
Then the pins get removed in four weeks and if that goes well then it's straight on to physio.
Road to recovery starts tomorrow.

Vox Hunt: Creative Energy

Show us creativity.

Artist sketching the Houses of Parliament today

Fisherman's friend wants to play

Fisherman's friend wants to play, originally uploaded by Rev Stan.