Media Mentalist

Ok, Houston We Have A Problem

2006-10-29T15:54:00.000+00:00

This site is dying......for the past week I have been unable to post new material........

SO.....There's a NEW SITE people!!!! The Media Mentalist

Check It!!!

CINaddiction update

2006-10-28T15:12:00.000+01:00

Episode 3 is now up on CINaddiction so check that out. Keifer Sutherland special.

And another episode will be up in time for Halloween, our Halloween special, funnily enough. FUNNY!!

Peace.

Bat Out Of Hell 3 : The Monster Is Loose

2006-10-24T18:14:00.000+01:00

I've made many mentions about this as I am unashamedly a Meat Loaf fan but it is finally here......any good?

Of course it bloody well is. It is nowhere near as good as the original but better than Bat 2, highlights are Blind As A Bat, Monstro, Alive, Seize The Night. It is so OTT and overblown it is a joy to listen to. Meat might have aged but he still has not lost his power and verve. Here is the Celine Dion cover It's All Coming Back To Me.

CSS - Alala

2006-10-24T18:12:00.000+01:00

I think I have made a mention of them before so here is their new video.

Pixies

2006-10-24T18:07:00.000+01:00

Great band, if you have not heard of them. Watch the video below. Reason for this post....they are planning a new record. Finally, years after them reunited they are going to record new material. This is risky as they are so loved around the world and will be hyped to death. Good luck to them, here is the video for Debaser.

Ladyfuzz

2006-10-21T15:36:00.000+01:00

Ok, they have been around for ages and used to feature members from Bloc Party and Tom Vek, but they still need recognition. I love them and their lp Kerfuffle is brilliant, go buy it. The reason for the mention today is that last night at Goldsmith's Union (Big up New Cross) had their "Sick Bag" Disco and bands like Vincent Vincent and The Villians and The Bishops played. The headline act was supposed to be SHITDISCO but their last minute injury caused Ladyfuzz to take their place. I couldn't have been happier. I love Ladyfuzz, the lead singer is crazy and her energy on record and live is great, she's a lot of fun. Songs like Monster, Kerfuffle and Bouncy Ball are brilliant.

Here is the video to Bouncy Ball, enjoy!!!

CINaddiction Episode 2 is Up!!!

2006-10-20T13:51:00.000+01:00

That's correct. Second part of CINaddiction podcast is now up on the CINaddiction website.

CIN Addiction

Check it Out!!

Meat Loaf - The Monster Is Loose

2006-10-19T13:42:00.000+01:00

Title Track from the new Bat Out Of Hell lp, out next Monday. Here's the International video for ya'.

Meat Loaf - Black Betty

2006-10-19T13:40:00.000+01:00

His new single came out this week. The cover of "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" and on the vinyl b-side, he does a cover of "Black Betty". Here It Is.....all because I'm going to see him perform today, oh yeah!!

And Now For Something Completely.....

2006-10-19T12:58:00.000+01:00

Yes, after a few serious posts I am now going to go balls to the walls stupid on ya'. Here is.....Dead Or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record). Ha ha.

Goodfellas

2006-10-19T12:43:00.000+01:00

Having decided to have a quiet night in for once, I chose to watch Goodfellas. I haven't seen this film since I was young and this film is much better than I remembered. It also seems to be a Scorscese film which doesn't seem to suffer from his slow bits which have ruined some of his more recent efforts. Based upon the life of Henry Hill during 60's and 70's New York as he works his way up the hierarchy of the crime scene. With a cast like Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, you know this film is going to be rough, and boy is it nasty. The Departed wishes it had violence like this, the film opens with a man being brutally stabbed and shot repeatedly after finding out he wasn't dead when they planted him in the trunk of their car. Fun for all the family, this isn't.

For a film over 2 hours, it never drags and its conclusion is satisfactory with DeNiro in fine form before he went on to star in crap like Rocky And Bullwinkle. Here is the infamous Spider scene in 2 parts, don't mess with Pesci.

Blackpool

2006-10-19T12:17:00.000+01:00

In a similar vein to "The Singing Detective", "Blackpool" is one of my favourite series to be shown on television in recent years.
The plot revolves around entrepreneur Ripley Holden (David Morrissey) who has just opened up his new arcade in Blackpool and it seems to be going great. However, the following morning a body is found dead in the arcade and the investigation is going to shatter Ripley's personal and professional life. What makes this similar to "The Singing Detective" is that the characters will go into song and dance utilising famous pop songs from the last couple of decades.

The cast is amazing, David Morrissey shines as Ripley Holden and David Tennant (the current Dr. Who) is amazing as Detective Carlisle, other honourable mentions are Sarah Parish as Ripley's dissatisfied wife and Georgia Taylor as Ripley's daughter. There are many twists and turns as Ripley makes sure the police can't nail him for this murder and it is always fun throughout the series.

To show you some of the fun of the show, here is a musical number. This is when the police arrest Ripley's son for drug dealing to the song "The Boy With A Thorn In His Side" by The Smiths.

The Singing Detective

2006-10-19T12:00:00.000+01:00

The Singing Detective is as the director arrogantly puts it "a masterpiece". The plot is very complex and the way the strands interweave and tie together is amazing to watch. All from the mind of Brian Potter, this television series (which was later adapted for the big screen with Robert Downey Jr, avoid) starring Michael Gambon is about a man who is in ill health, his skin covered in what look like severe burns, unable to move properly and goes into his fantasies far too often. He is an author of detective stories, his most famous being "The Singing Detective". The viewer is transported into his mind as the story plays out but never in a conventional way as his real world sometimes gels with the fantasy leading to song and dance routines with the doctors and nurses. We also cut back into his real youth and how he was brought up and how it shaped him.

It can be hard watch at first but after a few episodes you are hooked and want to find out the conclusion. It is available on dvd with a fair number of extra features. Highly recommended.

The Departed

2006-10-17T11:54:00.000+01:00

Martin Scorscese, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, "Marky" Mark Wahlberg......now that is some lineup. Top Actors, top director brought together to do a .....remake!? Yes, The Departed is a remake of "Infernal Affairs", one of the best films to come out of asian cinema in recent years. It was a fast paced cop thriller running at 90 minutes. The Departed is an hour longer but still the same story.....why?

The Plot is essentially that the police force are trying to nail a man named Costello (Nicholson), and to aid them they have a man on in the inside (DiCaprio) but what the police don't know is that the Costello has planted a mole in the police force (Damon) and that is the launchpad for the film. The film is really good, as it should be, but as with all Scorscese, it is overlong and a bit patchy in places. The cast are all on fine form, no need to mention Damon or DiCaprio or even Nicholson as they get their fair share of praise all the time; my favourites are Baldwin and Wahlberg, Mark especially as the obnoxious cop who is one of 2 people who know about DiCaprio's cover.

Which do I prefer? Both are good films but I'd rather watch the original as the pace makes it more enjoyable. I do recommend you watch The Departed, my advice is go to cinema with comfortable seating as you will be there for a long time. Not Scorscese's best but his best in a long time. 8/10

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre : The Beginning

2006-10-15T17:52:00.000+01:00

"If watching people having their faces cut off, getting their legs amputated and having their throats tenderly slit is your idea of a horrific good time, you'll certainly get your money's worth here"

That is a quote from Rene Rodriguez from the Miami Herald. She must not have liked the film, but then I don't think she gets the film. People who go to see these films are expecting those kind of things, without it, what's the point? I put that point towards Hostel, the biggest dissapointment in ages. That film promised so much and delivered so little. This new TCM delivers by the bucketload, this film is sick and vile but great because of that.

No need for plot except that this is an origin story whilst being a gory horror flick. We Leatherface being born and the beginning of his new face. We also see teens being killed gruesomely. I have always had a bit of a problem with the TCM series, the lack of chainsaw massacres. The original only had like 1 death by chainsaw, this film has tons of people meeting their timely death with the chainsaw and all of them are unique.

Tons of people may be hating this film right now but I thought it was great. Tobe Hooper's is a classic but it has aged badly and I think this may age worse than the original but right now it stands on its own and is the best TCM since the original. 8/10

Hoodwinked

2006-10-15T17:36:00.000+01:00

Another animated masterpiece, isn't it? Wait, what's that? It isn't that good and is like many animated films out at the moment.....say it ain't so? It is sorta so.

Hoodwinked tries a novel idea and executes it badly, it steals heavily from Shrek, which isn't a bad thing; but even though it has many laugh out loud moments, it doesn't quite add up. The animation is a bit off, scnery looks fantastic but the characters look like they were made from Playmobile and are way too shiny. The acting is overall good, especially the wolf and Andy Dick (yes, I'm kinda praising Andy Dick) as the rabbit. Plot is the tale of Little Red Riding Hood as a crime scene and everyone is interrogated to say their side of the story building up to final twist.

Enjoyable and has some very good moments but not enough and the film is far too long for anyone's liking. Wait for the rental if you are into this sort of thing. 5/10

Green Wing Teasers

2006-10-13T15:57:00.000+01:00

Loving Green Wing still so here is something that they left off the dvd, the teasers which are quite simply brilliant.

Green Wing Comic Relief Special

2006-10-13T15:50:00.000+01:00

Here is a two parter special of Green Wing for Comic Relief. Quite funny.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Saw 3 Trailer

2006-10-13T15:41:00.000+01:00

It's that time of the year soon: Halloween. And how to celebrate it, yet another Saw film. These films get made so fast, they have to suck but Saw 2 was still a whole load of fun. So here's hoping....

The Byrds

2006-10-13T15:37:00.000+01:00

I really want to do a good post on them but not right now. Instead, I feel like posting a cool video of them live. This is The Byrds doing "Turn Turn Turn".

Four Tet - My Angel Rocks Back And Forth

2006-10-13T15:33:00.000+01:00

Last Four Tet post now, this is an awesome video directed by Woof Wan-Bau. It certainly is different. Watch!!

Four Tet - Hands

2006-10-13T15:32:00.000+01:00

Not sure if this an official vid or a fan video but the song is great nonetheless. Check It!!

Four Tet - And Then Patterns

2006-10-13T15:29:00.000+01:00

Another Four Tet vid here, directed by Karni & Saul.

The Ash - Avignon

2006-10-13T15:23:00.000+01:00

Another Aussie Prog rock group from the 70's here, The Ash were heavily influenced by Led Zep and Jethro Tull. Avignon was their biggest hit and here's the vid. Enjoy!!

Cin Addiction Update

2006-10-13T12:37:00.000+01:00

Episode 1 has been completed and is available to stream or download on Cin Addiction right now!!!! Go on, Do It!!
Link is in the Links Section.