ICTChris

I went to see Pan's Labyrinth on Saturday, it's a fantastic film. It is about a little girl who has to go to live with a Fascist army captain (her step-father) in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. They go from their life in teh city to a creaky old house in the countryside, where amid the battle between hardened Republican guerrillas and El Capitan's Fascist troops the girl enters a magical world of fairies, fauns and magic. She is told she is the reincarnation of a magical princess and must complete three tasks to prove her worth. The storys of the battle between the Fascists and the Republicans and the girls quests are intertwined and told alongside each other - the contrast between the magical fantasy characters of the girls world and the brutal realities of the Franco dictatorship is brought out but the stories have parallells as well. The girl's struggles in her quests can be seen as metaphors for the Republicans struggles in the 'war'. All in all, I thought it was a fantastic film, great performances from each area of the cast. Normally child actors are about as appealing to me as smallpox, but the girl is magnificent, never prissy or sentimental. The Fascist captain is magnificent - the whole construction of the character embodied facism, from his costume, to his lines to his performance. Superb.

I was going to post that she had a cheek asking you to help her move her stuff away and that if it was me I'd tell her to fucking well do it herself, until I remembered one pertinent reason why she probably couldn't do that

I cracked my knee of the bannister yesterday, owww. A Uni friend of my girlfriend phoned our flat yesterday at 0030 and 0230. Little c**t

If you do get a letterbox, ensure that it is one of those wired tight ones that snaps shut to deter those internet stalkers who have a disposition for postal onanism.

Being medically trained, are you able to identify which patient will die in Casualty before us mere mortals? Is that part of your training and if not, why not?

I'm not going to click on that site at work but is the crux of the 'conspiracy' theory that Hamilton was a Mason and used his Masonic connections to ensure he kept his gun licence, despite the fact that he was a renowned nutcase? One of the connections I have heard rumoured is an ex-Labour government minister. Some of the documents presented to the inquiry into the incident were withheld for 100 years or something which caused further rumour. I think that these have since been released and contain nothing controversial.

It has very interesting articles, as I told my girlfriend when she opened that unmarked package the other week.

Training Day on FilmFlex last night, very good film. Denzel Washington is superb in it.

Didn't know such a thing was being planned. Is it being down by the same people or is it a pishy Hollywood cash-in?

saltyTon, do you not get bored of watching horror movies? I mean I like pizza but if I watched one pizza on DVD a day for a month I'd get pretty bored with it! Same with you eating your stuffed crust horror movies I'd bet.

Link Just after I get engaged as well

My parents gave me Gary Imlach's book 'My Father and other Working Class Heroes' for my birthday, it's excellent. I didn't realise he was from Lossiemouth, three members of his youth side became professional footballers. No pro's have come out of Lossie since then. I just finished the chapter on the 1958 world cup, what an absolute shambles it sounds. They make today's SFA 'beaks' look the epitome of good organisation and competence The whole book shows how different things were for playersw then - they were basically serfs. They could be frozen out by their club with no pay and not allowed to leave and have their houses taken from them, they had a maximum wage which clubs skimmed off at every opportunity. Basically they were treated like shite.

Watched Goodfella's last night, my girlfriend had never seen it. I could probably recite it but it was good to watch it with someone who hadn't. A truly fantastic film. I usually watch it witha few beers so it was good to watch sober and appreciate the whole construction of the film. Who won Best Director in 1990? I bought A History of Violence on DVD and watched it theother night as well. It's another cracking film, the cinematography (sp) is fantastic, it's a beautfully shot film. I am no expert on it all but it also seems the violence is more visceral than in other films I've seen, especially the scene in the coffee shop. It's very realistic and sends shivers through you (or through me at least) which is strange as violence is so common in films today. I also bought the graphic novel that the film is based on, it's interesting how Cronenberg changed it. The focus of the novel is really the narrative but Cronenberg focuses on the ideas of identity - Tom or Joey - and the effect on the Stall family of violence intruding into their lives. It makes for a much more interesting package I think. The ending is still a bit fucking daft though.

I'd get to the doctors, heavy crushing pain is a bit of a 'red flag' I think.

Does your wife have issues with your taste in music, she seems to manage to miss all the concerts you buy her tickets for?

Sounds like a Nightshift job.

I wouldn't buy electrical goods from Tescos. For my dads birthday a few years back I bought him a widescreen TV and a Freeview box. We had to take the telly back and then the replacement as they had the purple haze thingy you get when the telly's been bashed. The set top box conked out after a year or so as well. To be fair to Shirley Porters Groceries they did give us replacements no bother and I think that buying electrical goods from these places is always going to be a bit hit and miss. My parents have that old-school Presbyterian thing where if we'd bought them expensive stuff they'd have taken it back

I don't want to know about the 'downhill skiing'/reacharound festival that was once known as the P&B House.

It was the trainline, not some weird gay sex line that you are no doubt expert on.

I phoned for some train times and got someone who sounded like a spit of Apu from the simpson's who introduced himself as 'Paddy'

People are too mollycoddled these days - no smoking, life insurance, car insurance, pet insurance and all that malarky. The human race managed fine for thousands of years without all this pish. I bet Attila the *** or Genghis Khan didn't have chariot insurance, I'm sure when Winston Churchill went for a few sneaky brandies he didn't have to go outside to puff on his cigar and I'm absolutely positive that Clint Eastwood monkey buddy from Every Which Way But Loose didn't have worm insurance. But they all managed OK and became admirable members of society!

I don't see the point in car insurance and prefer to drive without it. This makes me drive more carefully to avoid getting into any accidents and also means that even short journeys have an element of excitement in them. Plus I really hate those fucking Confused.Com adverts.

Obviously some town planner had a wee joke putting the 'posh' supermarket next to Mage Haney-ville.

Is there a tesco's in the Raploch? I lived in Wallace Street, next to the Tesco's at the roundabout.

I used to live on the street next to Tesco's in Stirling. I once got drunk or stoned, can't remember, and did several kamikaze runs jumping over the wall to get munchies from the garage, startling the unsuspecting motorists filling up. I can't remember if they were old or disabled or had kids or all three. I feel quite bad now.