Live as one of them.

This LJ is not locked. Rarely will I lock a post as there's not much personal stuff written. More than happy for people to friend me (I will friend back), especially if we share similar fandoms but it's not a requirement.

See user info for more fandoms. Some of my favs are below - excuse for pretty pics. And feel free to drop a comment on this post to say 'hi' if you add me.

Exciting for me this week is thatI got me a blu-ray player from work at less than half price. What they don't tell you is that to get the best quality out of it you need to buy a HDMI cable which isn't included. So halfway through installing the player I went out to the Sony Centre shop in Wood Green to buy said cable. This set me back £50 but I did have a great conversation from the purchase with the salesperson in the shop. As I was paying I spotted Thandie Newton and Dylan Moran on the big TV's in the shop showing Sky Box Office and before I could complete my own thoughts:

Salesperson: That's Run Fatboy Run, it's hilarious. Have you seen it?
Me: Oh yeah, I thought it was. Yeah I have.
Salesperson: It's great isn't it?
Me: Yeah it is. I always remember the scene with the blister.
Both of us: Urrghh! + laughter
Salesperson: Yeah Simon Pegg's in it. He's great.
Me: Yes! He is! He's got a new movie out actually.
Salesperson: Oh, the one I keep seeing advertised on the buses. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People?
Me: Yeah, that's it!
Salesperson: Must watch that. Enjoy your blu-ray.
Me: Me too. Thanks!

*grins* Pegg fans are everywhere. :)

For the record, the blu-ray player works a treat with my HDTV. And, the first blu-ray DVD purchase? Pixar's Animated Shorts :) And note to Working Title: Why isn't Hot Fuzz available on blu-ray? Me want it.

Went for a nice meal out in Islington for Rach's birthday last night though it ended up being a bit rushed after we got stuck at King's Cross because of a security alert. After the meal we went to the Almeida Theatre to see Waste. Never been to the Almeida before but love the small size and we had great seats. The play itself was quite heavy going with the topic of politics, the church and woman's right to choose/birth control in 1920s Britain. Did feel the effort of sticking through it was worth it for the end when I found I got more involved in what was happening to the characters. The performances are all great and its quite a large ensemble cast.

Where did this week go? Went so fast!

Went to see Stephen Mangan of Green Wing, Amelia Bulimore of Big Train and Jessica Hynes of Spaced in The Norman Conquest's trilogy - Table Manners on Wednesday. I enjoyed it a lot. Funniest thing I've seen at the Old Vic since American Anthems. Ben Miles is also in it. I saw in perform before at the Old Vic in Richard III but it was great to see him play a funny role - he was brilliant at it. All the cast are. Am tempted to see the other two plays in the trilogy. Also, the stage has been completely transformed to be 'in the round' so the stage is in the middle and the audience are around in 360 degrees - that is just as impressive.

Heroes season 3 has started on BBC2 - yay! Sylar is sooo evil.

Thursday was Rach's bday and tomorrow we are going for a meal and to the theatre to see Waste at the Almeida.

*Finally* a trailer for Bryan Singer's Valkyrie. It's tense but I love the ticking clock effect in the trailer:







thoughts anyone?

This movie seems to have come around so quickly! Not long now :)

Have been offline most of the week but just caught up with f-list and smiled at the many birthday messages to Christopher Reeve. Glad I'm not the only one who remembered on the 25th. lere8, rizny, kalalanekent, and lironreeve - you all made my f-list full of pretty :)

My birthday message from last year pretty much still sums it up for me.

Still missed.

Photos from last weekend with screen caps from film of same location etc. Image heavy under the cuts.

( Welcome to our, little club - The Krays )

We also went to find some of the pubs where filming took place:

( Pub? )

The Royal Oak pub is situated on Columbia Road which was also a filming location for Run Fat Boy Run:

( Can I just stop you there? No reason, just wanted to stop you there. )

More Pegg pavement in SE London as seen in Run Fatboy Run:

( I'm not fat! I'm unfit! )

Classic London landmark that must be in nearly every film set in London:

( London Bridge )

Code Street - just behind what was Shoreditch station - now closed - as part of the restructure of the East London tube line which I guess is being completed with the Olympics in mind. As a result part of the road is borded up.

( From the montage scenes )

^ The shoes on the wire are now on a nearby tree:
( He pulled your engagment ring out of a shoe! )

Hope you enjoyed that! If not, jog on! It's a fun way to discover new parts of London :)

Had an awesome two days going to watch two TV show recordings.

1) Thursday night, went to Teddington Studios to watch a recording of an Xmas Special for The Peter Serafinowicz Show. Never been to these studios before, much easier to get to without a car than Pinewood Studios. I had no idea the studio had a history of comedy being filmed there - including Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper, and acccording to Wiki series 1 of Black Books :) Peter Serafinowicz addressed the audience as Terry Wogan (if you never seen his impression, there is no better Terry!) which turned out to be the first recording - Peter as Terry Wogan doing continuity links. To give you details would spoil it but its involves Terry partaking in something you'd never expect ;) We also saw another 3 sketches being filmed - these were comedy sketches rather than impersonations - one involved a job interview made me laugh a lot. At the end of filming Peter thanked the audience again and since he was still on set. Some of the audience took the oppotunity to talk to him. Me and missy_manic couldn't let that opportunity go, so we shook his hand and said hello. I told him I loved Brian Butterfield :) One of his characters from the show. If you missed it on BBC2 first time round, we heard Peter tell another audience member highlights will repeated along with new sketches for the Xmas special. I recommend it. Here's Brian Butterfield. Call now!



2) Friday night involved the long journey down to Pinewood Studios, Bucks to watch a recording of The I.T. Crowd. Got a taxi from Uxbridge and have never feared for my life so much. Scary taxi ride, the driver crossed four lanes of traffic at the speed of light and later wound down his window to shout abuse at the car in front for not moving fast enough after the green light. He made friendly enough conversation to us but I couldn't wait to get out! Anyway, we made it alive to Pinewood Studios, I always get excited going through the gates and you can immediately see the HUGE 007 Stage - all the great movies that have filmed there (especially Superman and Superman II) ;) missy_manic was hoping we might get to see an episode with Matt Berry and we got lucky. As we walked into the studio we saw the boss' office so grabbed seats right in front of that particular set. And yep, Matt Berry was there to film his scenes on that set. Something very funny involving electric pants - that's all I'm saying. We had a fantastic view right at the front so that was fun. Also exciting to see Richard Ayoade, Chris O' Dowd and Katherine Parkinson. I was wondering if we would get to see it filmed in chronological order because all the other shows I've seen filmed are sketch shows where the order doesn't really matter. And yes, the episode is shot in order moving the cameras from set to set. Writer Graham Lineham was there to also direct, and he spoke us (the audience) several times to explain situations when there was a slight continuity gap. Was fascinating watching the different takes as Graham is very much hands on advising the actors what he wants differently on the second take. Matt Berry was great to watch from that point of view because his second take was always a different comedy emphasis than the first. We saw the first episode of the series being recording so look out for tickets for more filming f-list. I know there's a fair few of you who love this show :) And now for my fav. Matt Berry and Richard Ayoade clip from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace:



thanks to missy_manic for getting the tickets :) And introducing to me to some hilarious comedy :)

MTV has an interview with James Marsden in which he talks about Superman Returns and sequel news:


Honestly, my theory is that the white bread element of Superman or the virtuous element of Superman wasn’t that exciting to young people, the videogame generation. You’ve got to have some edgy, kick-ass dark side to the character to make people want to be him....There was something old school, virtuous — which I actually loved — and white bread about Superman that didn’t resonate so much. I loved the movie that Bryan made. But maybe I’m the anomaly and I don’t represent what young fans want to see.”

In the end, Marsden doesn’t think that Warner’s decision to go darker is a good one -– but a necessary one, he said.

[Audiences] want to see darkness and Superman doesn’t represent that. I like that about him but honestly that’s the reason why,” Marsden continued. “Look at ‘The Dark Knight’ and Christian Bale. He’s the hero but there’s a kick-ass darkness to him. Or Wolverine and ‘X-Men.’ Superman was virtuous and the reluctant superhero. He never told a lie. He eats apple pie. I don’t know if that’s something the young kids want to aspire to. It’s kind of sad to me.

I think Marsden has a point here. It's sad to me too :( But I am of the belief that Superman is still relevant today without having to go 'dark' - surely kids can still aspire or want to be the best they can be.... This has never been cool to admit but it doesn't mean kids don't aspire secretly to be like Superman. Or adults either.

Poor Richard White never got his sequel - man that annoys me probably more than Marsden LOL!