The main goal I’ve set myself this term is producing more work in my sketchbook. In the past I’ve been guilty of just taking an idea and producing a ‘final’ piece, which more often than not ends up being slightly underwhelming. Without trying things out, experimenting and producing different drafts, it’s no big surprise. So I thought I’d post some pictures from my sketchbook produced over the last 2 weeks and finally the finished drawing that’s been made for a mail art project I’m working on with my friend Rhian.

Over the next few weeks in the run up to Halloween I’d like to share some good old fashioned ghost stories with you all. First up, we have one of my all time favourites, Whistle and I’ll come to you, by the master himself, M.R. James. This television adaptation from 1968 is a master class in understated dread, playing on those base fears that we all have. The dream sequence really is something else, and by the finale you’ll never look at your bed sheets in the same way again. Subtle and genuinely unsettling, they don’t make them like this anymore. Enjoy.

I’ve returned from blockbuster, having gone with the intent of getting some icecream. I sit here with pre-owned copies of Gone Baby Gone and The Godfather.

And no icecream.

I’m going to be using the next few entries to flesh out some of the ideas I’ve come across in researching my Summer project for Art School. Before that though, here are two videos which sum up the themes I’m going to tackle. (The second clip is especially important for all my fellow Eels fans out there as E’s dad was a pretty big deal in the world of physics:p)

I like how I’ve unconsciously managed to get to the heart of how I’ve been feeling recently even when dealing with a subject a million miles away from anything that could be seen as too personal. I’m really happy with it though.

I love the NHS.

But then as a child killing, godless socialist commie, I would say that. Silly Republicans and their lies, they’ll be slagging off the beautiful old BBC next at this rate.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/erica/2009/08/stephen-hawking-likes-his-deat.php?ref=recdc

What really annoys me is the level of ignorance on this matter from seemingly vast swaths of the American public. Hand-wringing imbeciles whining about not wanting their country to turn into ”Russia or something.” God, I know it’s ingrained into the American psyche, but Socialism isn’t a dirty word. It doesn’t instantly lead down the slippery slope to some ridiculous, communist/nazi/1984 state of Government control. Also the downright selfish idea of ”well, I managed to help myself; I don’t really care about my fellow man. I don’t want to help them out with my own, hard earned money.” really grates with me. It’s that ugly, frontier cowboy, jingoistic side of America that’s just so unappealing.
I know that’s how the American health care system is set up, and it’s a perfect system if you happen to be a male, white, middle class captain of industry, but I don’t really have a problem with helping out those less well off than myself, although I am a bit of a Socialist after all. I wouldn’t usually get this worked up but the blatant lies from the likes of ‘balanced’ news networks like FOX and political powerhouses like Sarah Palin. Her ‘evil, death panel’ bullshit really was jaw dropping in the extreme. I know that we all view her as am annoyance; the stereotypical religious blowhard, but as recent events will show, people would rather listen to fire and brimstone hyperbole rather than doing the hard work to find out the cold, hard facts. Case in point.

It’s frustrating to see these idiots attacking the NHS, a system that is far from perfect, but which is strides ahead of its selfish and unfair American counterpart. I needed to vent here after getting into a discussion on this subject with a Libertarian. I don’t think I’ll ever understand their political viewpoint. Mass individual Liberty over that of state government. It’s too narrow-minded, too limited. Power to the people is one thing, but people are idiots and turn up to protest town hall meetings with guns strapped to their legs and mindlessly vote for fascists in European elections. People can’t be trusted.

Finally, if you’d like to read a far superior take on these events, then check out the recent entries in Kirsty’s awesome blog here and here

A few years ago I used to write up  movie reviews, mainly for my own amusement.  Now I’ve seen A LOT of movies since then, some incredible, more popular films like Zodiac and There Will Be Blood, to some wonderful, smaller scale gems like Dead Man’s Shoes, Martyrs, Primer and The Proposition. But I have to say Let The Right One In easily makes it’s way into my top 5.

I think most of you will know what it’s about, so I won’t go in a full on plot analyse, but to summarise, it’s the story of Oskar and Eli, two 12 year old neighbours who spark up a touchingly innocent relationship on the surface. They both provide each in other a reason for finding the strength to fight their own personal battles; Oskar’s discover of courage in the face of his bullying tormentors, and Eli’s precious insight into a normal life of a care-free child, because Eli is a vampire.

This is such a beautiful and heart breaking film I’m not sure if I can do it justice. The setting of a gloomy and snowy Sweden is breath taking but the performances of the two young actors is what will really haunt you. Their relationship is so pure and adorable, so charming and beyond their years. What really got me was the aching melancholy that ebbs from them in their screen time. Although this can be rightly classed as a horror film, (with some brief but fantastic and imaginative, though still shocking scenes of gore and violence) it can’t be defined by just one genre. It deals with loneliness and friendship but in such a wonderful and original manner. It’s never sensational or over the top, despite the outlandish story, in fact it’s far more subtle and restrained at times. I’ve seen it twice in the space of 2 days and it’s been a while since a film as lingered with me like this. An enormously touching, moving and brilliant movie. If you get the chance, it comes highly recommended. You’ll fall in love.

Let me know about any films that you’ve seen recently that have left an impression on you.

This is my latest entry in an Art Project called ‘The Turbulence Closet’, inspired by the film The Proposition.