Autumn in Athens has two distinctive things; First the heatwave calms down for a while and then there are the Cinema Festivals that occur during that time.
One of the Festivals most anticipated is the Athens International Film Festival (www.aiff.gr). Most of the years (it is now the 16th time) it had awkwardness, comicness, extravaganzza and other quirky things. I've been following it since the third one, eversince I moved from my hillbilly village here to the center of Greece.
During the last few years, there is little interest from me though; I seem to have experienced most of the amazing things that this festival had to offer, but during the reformation (erm organization) of it, the festival turned into shades of grayish and dullness. Still some films were great, the ending ceremony was always fun to watch but the magic is not there anymore.
After a year absent during my military thingamabob, I believe that I will find some of its magic. I've marked some movies, so if you are still in Athens for vacation, or living there, come and say hello.
5.9.10
Torchwood: Children of Earth
Watching Dr.Who series is something that I like because it's a childhood thing that I had (a green goo alien episode that freaked me so much but in the end I liked it); Torchwood on the other hand was a series that felt a little bit like early 90's science fiction team shows. You get the weirdos researching and finally getting onto the problem where they defeat the big bad and that's it.
During the second series, Torchwood had its death toll. It also featured James Marsters which was the most shocking role after Spike (or learning that he had a band). Nothing much there, but it had Eve Myles (which is a hottie British woman nonsoever, Rhys you sob!). And then there was Series 3.
Series 3 changes everything. It has become a miniseries of days in the life of Torchwood which starts from the remaining team normal days (getting overpaid, saving the world one dead alien at a time) and leading to a global alien threat saving and disbanding Torchwood (for now).
The problem with torchwood in series 1 and 2 was that they usually based it on Dr. Who. It was a spinoff, torchwood was actually the team that helped stop dalek invasion (taking a lot of damage) during Tennant's DW. Since then it needed a structure. Yes it had one, to follow up for 3 seasons, but it was random episodes with small story arc.
Comparing it with the fringe division (FRINGE), they weren't so much connected. Fringe had connection (but more episodes) during the first 3-4 episodes, TW had connection during S2. But S3 had everything and the time to reap was there.
So, now waiting for the American Based S4 Torchwood, I suggest you watch S3 even if you haven't seen DW or any other torchwood series. It's like a SyFy miniseries (from the good ones, before sea creature craze) only with english accent.
During the second series, Torchwood had its death toll. It also featured James Marsters which was the most shocking role after Spike (or learning that he had a band). Nothing much there, but it had Eve Myles (which is a hottie British woman nonsoever, Rhys you sob!). And then there was Series 3.
Series 3 changes everything. It has become a miniseries of days in the life of Torchwood which starts from the remaining team normal days (getting overpaid, saving the world one dead alien at a time) and leading to a global alien threat saving and disbanding Torchwood (for now).
The problem with torchwood in series 1 and 2 was that they usually based it on Dr. Who. It was a spinoff, torchwood was actually the team that helped stop dalek invasion (taking a lot of damage) during Tennant's DW. Since then it needed a structure. Yes it had one, to follow up for 3 seasons, but it was random episodes with small story arc.
Comparing it with the fringe division (FRINGE), they weren't so much connected. Fringe had connection (but more episodes) during the first 3-4 episodes, TW had connection during S2. But S3 had everything and the time to reap was there.
So, now waiting for the American Based S4 Torchwood, I suggest you watch S3 even if you haven't seen DW or any other torchwood series. It's like a SyFy miniseries (from the good ones, before sea creature craze) only with english accent.
31.8.10
Suck (2009)
After last year's "New Moon" mega marketing-fest, I decided I won't follow any mainstream film with vampires as a plot. True, in 2010 vampires have flooded every kind of media like an infestation.
"Let's do an ad with vampires in it, it will sell. Let's adapt that novel about vampires into a really cool film that everyone will have cool hair and eyeliners."
Vampires are supposed to be cult figures. Yes they are likeable to everyone because they represent a free spirit (or in our case below a bitch to rock), but they are always the dirtiest of demons. Except the shit demon from Dogma that is.
And we get to "Suck". Suck, I consider a cult movie for a few sequences that could make a laugh in an audience, but nothing more. It's brainless, predictable and yet you can make a drinking game out of it.
The plot of suck is this: The female band player of the band, Jennifer is seduced by a vampire (with a very weird "crazy eyes" look as Barney Stinson would say and is turned into a vampire. This chick also happens to have:
a. Played vampires before (in Helsing for example)
b. Been the main Bass player's ex-girlfriend (which his present girlfriend is Nicole DeBoer from ST:DS9, Haven and The Dead Zone).
After that, she is discovering her gifts and also tries to embrace some of the band members. On the other hand though, there is Hellsing-something played by Malcolm McDowell, reminding us that even in the shittiest scripts, Malcolm can become a gem. So now, the band is becoming a great success but with what cost?
Yes, "SUCK" has practically around 2-10 spoofs. Starting with "fright night", pouring in some Anne Rice, shaking it with "Rockstar" and blending it with "Dracula". Also playing is Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper. Now don't get me asking why? but let's just leave them. They add flavor. Definitely a cult movie.
Aaaand where does our crap-o-meter stands? Well it's not Highlander the Source, which is a movie that should be buried into the depths of hell, then cemented and then clone the devil to have it guard it just in case devil or the antichrist dies unexpectedly in Detroit. But it's a low number. So let's just say 1.5/5 for the flavor.
30.8.10
And this should be interesting...
I've been to the internet for quite sometime now, helping expanding (as my real world job demands) or helping making it a big crapper of worthless bits of data, which will probably be unloaded to a poor man's head once either we are taken over by robotic entities or other alien civilizations find our bones and a single quartz crystal made to protect mankind's only assets. The internet archives.
In any case, we are screwed.
So actually this could be a good thing afterall. But for now let the crapfest begin.
27.8.10
Merge With Care
After a long long time away,
mostly being a slacker like mr. Strickland said I would be when I would grow up, I am back to this international blogwave of penny thinking. My original blog, ditikos the roadblog is still on for Greeks or for people who want to practice their bad language skills to an equally brutal and very often deadly (from boredom) blog.
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