I still haven’t got round to…

There’s an endless list of films I need to see. It’s a long sprawling list rancid in genre’s, era’s and recommendations from friends. I thought I’d share 10. Feel free to recommend others, slam these, correct my perceptions etc.

1.Outland (1981) Dir. Peter Hyams

Sean Connery in what I’ve been told is essentially High Noon in space. I’m after more ‘Western in Space’ films so if anyone can think of anything let us know. The wonderful worlds of Cowboy Bebop and Firefly have already filled my eyes with childlike glee.

2.Yojimbo (1961) Dir. Akira Kurosawa

On a daily basis it crosses my mind that I need to see this film. I feel bad I haven’t, especially as I’m a major fan of A Fistful of Dollars (1964). I caught a viewing of Seven Samurai at Slackspace over the summer and lapped it up like the filthy, unworthy dog I am.

3.The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Ate Some Matches and The Girl Who Drove a Cadillac Into a Swarm of Locusts (2009+) Dir. Niels Arden Oplev, Daniel Alfredson, David Fincher

Being a typical white man, I’ll attempt to read/watch/listen to the original before anything else (if possible). This has led to a minor pickle with these films. First I’ll read the books, then I’ll have to watch the 2009 films and now because David Fincher’s behind it I’ll have to watch the 2011 film…Eventually.


4.Gummo (1997) Dir. Harmony Korine

Recommended to me by a decent little artist, I know nothing about it except it's supposed to be good, weird and it’s an independent film. This has led me to assume it will feature long shots, realism, a lot of nudity, drugs and abuse (sexual and psychological). It might be a comedy.

5.Naked Lunch (1991) Dir. David Cronenberg

Posters cool. Honest, that’s why it’s on this list, I hope the designer lives in a castle.

6.Fantastic Planet aka La Planète Sauvage (1973) Dir. Rene Laloux

I like animation. I really, really like animation. Before the sun collapses and sucks in all the cartoons created I hope to have seen the venture.

7.Must Come Down (?) Dir. Kenny Riches

Alright there’s not really anyway I could have seen this film as I don’t think it’s finished yet but it could easily slip past me if I’m not careful. I’m hoping it’s a film about people I can care about with some decent laughs in it. Oh and Ashley Burch stars.

8.Detective Story (1983) Dir. Kichitaro Negishi

A Japanese noir where the lead performance has been an influence on Spike Spiegel from the Bebop Bebop. That makes it a must see for me.

9.Niagra (1953) Dir. Henry Hathaway

Last year I was introduced to Some Like It Hot and as a result the late Marilyn Monroe. Up until then I saw her as that face you see next to Elvis and James Dean, statues and prints spoon-feeding me a pseudo-nostalgia I cant identify with. But 5 minutes into her screen time and my brain flipped: ‘Oh, I get it now’. Her comic delivery is superb and I’ve been told she has some solid acting props so it figures I should check out her other films. Niagara was recommended to me by self confessed Marilyn nerd Heather Alexander and being a Noir seemed a good place to start.

10.Godzilla (1954) Dir. Ishirō Honda

Ent seen it. Which I don’t understand how, I like monster movies, old school effects and well, Godzilla. He’s a huge fuck-off sized lizard that breathes fire and wrecks cities. We should be drinking buddies.

50 Things To Do When Your Bored

1. Make a list
2. Delete your phone book, enjoy the mystery of your calls/texts
3. Print your own money
4. Level Grind
5. Slap a Nun
6. Complain to Dominoes about pizzas you haven't ordered
7. Kick a Pig
8. Stab an alarm clock
9. Play Detective
10.Cross dress
11.Shave a dog, put it in a buggy and inform everyone it's your baby
12.Start a fire
13.Wear gloves on your feet
14.Eat an onion raw
15.Stalk a celebrity
16.Mispronounce French words, swear to everyone you're right AKA The Cream dilly Cream
17.Confess to a crime you didn't do
18.Conspire
19.Loose your wallet/purse
20.Play Godzilla, construct a model town out of cardboard and wreck it
21.Wear all your clothes at once
22.Rollerblade on a skateboard
23.Pitch terrible film ideas to major companies
24.Practise your ransom letters
25.Knock on a jehovah witness' house
26.Stare at the ceiling
27.Upload an acoustic cover version to youtube (don't bother learning it well)
28.Make soap
29.Get your board games. Swap all rules and pieces, play the new games
30.Give racism a whirl
31.Cover yourself in cushions and quilts, roll down stairs
32.Watch busy people, bask in your smugness
33.Bake a lavish cake, smash it
34.Go look at penguins (the animal not the chocolate)
35.Have a nap
36.Make papier-mâché replicas of your favourite Jazz musicians
37.Find a woods, pretend to bury a body. A nervous disposition around passers-by helps
38.Find a woods, actually bury a body. A decent shovel helps
39.Stop, look & listen
40.Construct your own lightsaber
41.Action dive over your sofa, if a sofa is unavailable a neighbours wall will do, if a neighbours wall is unavailable consider yourself blessed
42.Answer the phone with a new accent
43.Befriend a stray dog
44.Research the fruits of foreign lands
45.Make a blunderbuss
46.Visit an elderly relative, feign interest in their day
47.Colour in the carpet
48.Drop three coffee mugs: An instant puzzle
49.Make a lasso out of shoelaces, catch and raise mice
50.Absent-Mindedly organise itunes while debating masturbation

Dr Neo Cosplay

Another night of low budget costume nonsense has descended! The theme was Heroes and villains, and there was no way I was going as hero. But the villain? Who was I to be? Madvillain? Dr. Doom? Could have me bonnet mopped and wander around as Herr Starr?

Then a thought entered my head, or rather a letter, a consonant in fact and a capital one to be precise. DR NEO. CORTEX!

Of course! This yellow bastard has claimed many an hour of my childhood so it's kind of fitting that he should have an evening of my Adulthood. Most of the costumes pretty basic, sides the marigolds I'd used most of it before. The head took me awhile, it's made out of cardboard and Papier-mâché Sirius' wig and a healthy dose of paint. We mascaraed the what was left of my fabulous movember and covered myself in yellow paint. I woke up looked at my yellowing fingernails and was convinced my liver had failed my for the last time.

The only thing we had to buy for the Bandicoot was orange paint, sadly most people only worked out what the hell he was when we were together. Most thought he was some kind of stripper-cat.

We fort it'd be funny to take a photo like we were myspace girls from 2005, it wasn't.

This made me do that 'laughing' thing the kids are always on about.

Midnight Marauders

Another round of late night bargain bucket fancy dress in effect. It was Potter themed so we opted for this:

Slightly more effort than wearing my grotty old pillowcase, we raided charity shops for anything to help us out. Then, we went to town with paper and card making our custom Gryffindor badges and Sirius' plaque (we played rather fast and loose with time accuracy on this little venture).

We even made the map:


Online gif creator

Get it? Cause it's like the bit in the books when Snape tries to read it but with Puppet Pal Wizard Swears. Would say I have too much time on my hands but I really don't. I'm working on a new film and of course Quint is still coming along albeit at a far slower pace than I anticipated.

Oh and in case you (and you in particular) were wondering:

That's the School reunion down the pan then, shame I'd bought new robes (for once).

Lupin.

So What IS a McNinja?

So it's been well over a year since I've had this badboy blog, I can tell because I had to rustle up a last minute Hallows eve costume again (clickety here for last year). Looking at the gear I had I realised I was one white coat away from being every-bodies favourite Assassin with a medical degree. Quick trip into town and a little help from this guy and BAM! Dr McNinja in effect. If you don't have Facebook people aren't that fussed about taking pictures of you so sadly this is the best one I got. A shame I feel as the trousers really tied the outfit together.

Apologies to Christopher Hastings, I do not mean for your creation to be advertising Corona. That's all we need, creator owned characters endorsing products (though AXE COP life insurance ads would be a sight to see).

In terms of how much like a McNinja I felt I could not tell you, but I tell you one thing I really do hate these woods...

P to the S. My friend showed us this and it has to be the best costume I've seen all year.

Tired of me pedalling my nonsense? Look no further...

On Twitter I aim to recommend a bit of music about once a week, today I'm going to recommend some blogs for you to sink your proverbial teeth into.

Sign or Die

A great little blog I came across, it reviews local (Essex) bands performances, albums and the like. It's all wrote in an honest and sometimes witty style without mocking or putting anyone down. Recently they reviewed our show so should you want to know what someone else thought of our giglet, check it. You don't? Pfft, check it anyway.

How Games Saved my Life

A curious ditty ran by the delightful Ashley Burch from the 'Hello Ms. Burch what is that your interacting with?' webseries. People submit stories ranging from quirky to quite dark based around the blog title. Recently it was updated encouraging other mediums to be submitted as well. With such a diverse range of stories being posted it's caught me off guard numerous times. I submitted a tale. A computer game helped you out? Maybe you should consider sending something.

Muñecos Dibujos Diretes

I have no idea how I came across this, I still have no idea quite what it is. I think it's an art blog by a Spanish doll-maker/sculptor, but I cant be sure. But just look at it, It's so rich in imagination, swimming somewhere between falling asleep and the shadows of fairy tales. While you window shop at this world some music plays providing the perfect soundtrack to the environment. I find it fascinating!

While you were getting with that, we were getting with this...

On the 21st of September we (ICHI & The Trigger Fingers) played at one of Icebreakers regular nights at Pat Molloy's. It was our second show and the first to feature Will on the Cajón (you could call it a 'beatbox' if your a fan of awful jokes). We played our usual brand of Jazz Hiphop covers with an original thrown in somewhere. Thanks to everyone that came out/put up with us. I'm heading back to the wicked, wicked, wild wild west tomorrow but I'll be back in the Essex area winter, ready to deliver more of our Bebop Acoustic Rap nonsense. Until then feel free to check out these clips Phil filmed:

Got Your Money



Original by Ol' Dirty Bastard (our version didn't feature Kelis).

Children's Story



As if you need telling! Original by Slick Rick. In his version he doesn't go for the 'Fuck, where are we? Scat singing option'.

Clint Eastwood



Original by Gorillaz & Del The Funky Homosapien.

Ichi Trigger Finger



Original by us. If anyone can give a rats arse about what's coming out my gullet the Lyrics are below the video on youtube.

Hiphop Medley



Our medley contains a Bowed double bass and sections of: Ain't Goin' Out Like That by Cypress Hill, Bring The Noise by Public Enemy, The Muppets Theme Song, The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, What's Golden by Jurassic 5 and The Next Episode by Dr. Dre.

Choice Is Yours (Revisited)



Original by Black Sheep. If there is a finer way to end our set I'll eat my hat (or just end the set with that instead).

In the words of MF DOOM 'that's that'. Feel free to spread the word Tweet You've heard worse.

Happy Birthday Bill Murray!

Epic Redesign: Dumbledore Vs. Grindelwald

Ol' Jk's never been too subtle about the whole Grindelwald/Hitler thing so I thought it's about time I drew how it looked in my brain. As the wizarding mayor has been known to contact the muggle mayor in times of danger it makes sense that the worlds would have allied during world War 2 and of course stupid jetpack Hitler would naturally have evil Nazi Wizards on his side (at least that's what me and 3D Neil speculated).

I imagine poor Dumbledore is thinking a mix of 'Oh dear I'm gonna have to waste my best friend' juxtaposed with ' Damn he did always did look good in black.'

Grindlewalds probably thinking 'FORTHEGREATERGOODFORTHEGREATERGOODFORTHEGREATERGOODFORTHEGREATERGOODFORTHEGREATERGOODFORTHEGREATERGOODFORTHEGREATERGOODFORTHEGREATERGOODFORTHEGREATERGOODFORTHEGREATERGOOD'

Uploaded this bit separate so you folks and folkesses can take a better look at his him. I based his outfit on the British UK uniform (down to the shoelace pattern, because I'm sad like that).

So from head to toe, left to right:
Half Moon goggles, Order of Merlin First Class, 12 vials of Dragon Blood, Pouch of Rations and the like, Medi-pack (primarily containing Phoenix tears), some handy potions, his old wand and some sherbet lemons for comfort.

Made with Pen and watercolours. Let us know if ya wanna use 'em, I probably wont have a problem with it.

For more art here, for rambles here