kick ass- a metaphor for our society?

hummm after coming back home from meeting my friend and realising I had to be at the pics in 10 minutes (I'm so bad at time keeping)I shot back out the door and sped down the road to see Kick Ass..

What was I expecting to see?
- Violence- hey this was a "Super Hero" Movie
- An easy to follow plot
- Abit of Fun
- Possibly abit of romance (the good guy gets the girl type of thing)

Things I was not expecting
-Peoples legs to be sliced off by a 12 year old
-A range of weapons I have never seen before used
- Some kind of vigilante save the world scenario

Carrying a 15 certificate, This film will probably get seen by the majority of teenage boys out there. Games like Hit man, Driver, Metal gear solid..the list goes on, only need to tell you its target market. This film flits between being like SuperBad (a good thing) Spiderman (also a good thing) and some think you know you shouldn't be watching but are anyway because you like the other stuff. This film is Violent, yes, do I think it should be carring more than an 18 certificate-yes.

For me it was kind of like a metaphor for our culture. Good verses bad. We all know who is gonna win eventually- and hey we are all scouting for the good aswell. We are told by our government that we must "save the world from terrorism" that we are doing this for the good of the people. So many people have died on both sides of the coin for riotousness. This film says alot. I'm not saying we shouldn't be defending our liberties but is this what we want for our children our liberties fucked up by the system we are fighting for?

Yes I did enjoy it in parts-it was kind of a guilty pleasure, but it was also sad to see this is what a "superhero" supposed to be about- as usual the revenge scenario. "O I'm going to save the world so Ill kill loads of people in the process". and I actually like superhero movies, personally I thought that kick ass was one step to far, it didn't need as much violence in it to make it a good film. I enjoyed the overall story line, but the level of violence just ruined it for me.

Has anyone else seen it yet? what did you think?

Leave a comment, Luke

Things that kick ass

~tear~ I have just watched Marley and me, I have got to say it is a good movie, I know some of you out there will say that its shit, but I actually thought it was cool. When I saw the trailer I thought it had to be the worst idea ever, but it actually has a good story line- watch it.

On the subject of things you should watch- Precious. I actually managed to get out and see the movie I have so desperately wanted to watch for so long, on the last day of it showing in Worthing. Be prepared this is another tear jerker. Based on the book "Push" by Sapphire, is a gut wrenching tale of one girls struggle to move on up- some what reluctantly in parts, with the help of her teacher- Blu Rain (played by Paula Patton) and social worker (Mariah Carey) into a better life. This is in NO WAY like Marley and Me thou and is not cheesy- its gut wrenching stuff. I wont go threw the whole of the plot- you can read that for your self on wikipedia but if you can get to see it do. For me her mom was the best actress Monique- she was very fierce, her acting was amazing, but you also get to see how human, (if a little crazy) she is. I also loved how Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) flitted in between a life where she was the star- to how hard her life actually was- Raped by her father and treated like crap by everyone, she says "no one loves me" to her teacher Blu in the film- to which Blu reply's- I love you Precious. Another tear. no happy ending either.. although I cant understand why this wasn't on national release- this was a really good film.

I also found the cutest (both in a cute guy, and actually really sweet) blog and you tube channel today- wikedycool on you tube- and http://www.breaktheillusion.com/ for his blog, check him out.

I'm also going to see Kick ass tommorrow, a new movie that looks amazing. Lots of very positive reviews for it, so I'm looking forward to telling you all how it goes!

Peace, Luke

give the rainforest a break

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/

Palm Oil is a Major destructor of Land and rainforest's throughout the world. This crop is majorly exported throughout the world as means of a cheap vegetable oil, unfortunately cheap usually means something suffers. The Orangatang is just one of the species at risk and is loosing its home and habitat quite rapidly in Indonesia. Greenpeace have recently launched a campaign to Nestle- one of the biggest chocolate companies in the world, to stop benefiting out of the Rain forest for Palm Oil- Once they are gone the are gone!! Not only is this negative for the diversity of the planet but its also speeding up climate change, as often they are planted in Peat bog land- which then releases harmful gasses into the atmosphere.

If you are going to do one thing today send an email to Nestle. The website to Greenpeace is above. the email template is already on the website, you only have to fill in a few details, thanks, Luke

Alice in wonderland!!

In a word- Amazing!! If you are hesitant due to all the dodgy right ups I suggest you go and make up your own mind!!! One think I dont understand is why everyone thinks its based on the book Alice in wonderland? its not, its based on Alice- through the looking glass!! As some of you know the red queen rules wonderland now and has renamed it Underland. Alice meanwhile is set to marry a duke, falls through the rabbit hole, declaring that its all too much. Her mission: To save Wonderland and restore the crown to its rightful owner- the White Queen. Yes the plot is very thin and you can see behind every twist and turn, but I loved it. The charactures are beautifully created- Matt Lucas as tweedle dee and tweedle dum has got to be my favorite, Helen Bonham Carter as the Red queen, and Depp as the mad hatter (more like hotter) are both brill too. The script is very well adapted, and I think for its market of Family's and Children is funny and entertaining. I kind of thought it was a little pretentious to think it would be anything other than lighthearted fun- did anyone actually think it would be anything but? Tim Burton has done it again and made a fantastic film.

Has anyone else seen it what did you think? leave a comment xxxlove

personal power

Happiness, Ive walked the line a many a time
between good and bad happy and sad
Ive tried to deny it and pretend Im oblivious to it
tried to be normal
but normal isnt real, after all we are all different, bringing our own special talents and gifts onto planet earth.

But I have come to realise more and more that we are in the drivers seat of our life
its US not our outside circumstance that creates our reality its through the inner that we create our outer reality. Happiness is a place inside each and everyone of us. No matter how low we go, there is a choice to access happiness and a way out of the dark, how many times have we seen someone under extreme pain in there life, or something they have been through, with a smile on there face? and how inspiring is it?

We only need to stop pretending to be something that we are not and to find access to our true self, to be open and honest with the world, and also to try and be honest people in our lives and seek truth in the choices we make. We need more than Louis Vutton handbags, and a new plasma TV to make us happy. Every single thing we do affects something or somebody else, even a smile can make someones day.

I just wanted to make a point of saying that you don't have to be a slave to emotions, every emotion is valid, and shouldn't be denied- its not "wrong" to be sad, sad is not bad. But often we make a choice to get out of bed and be in a bad mood, who wants to be in a bad mood???? so do a dance shake those hips, smile and think of a good memory, because today can be what you want it to be. You don't have to react to other peoples states of mind- "don't let other people get you down" You create your world, don't give your power over to other people.

shes changed

and Breathe.... ahhhhh.. well its only the middle of the week and Im tierd!! lol!! This week has and still is a busy one for me... Well I was supposed to be going to a sculpture park today.. but it kind of never worked out.. so I did drawed a life model instead.. hey its still fun!!

Fans of Kate Nash should know she has "changed" I think everyone in Brighton's Komedia on Monday will be sure to agree. I think Kate Nash is fab!! I love her originality her style, and dress sense is what attracted people to her, she was in "fashion" shall we say, now she has turned her back on this image, the frilly dresses, and quirky lyrics, gone is the girl and in comes the woman. She has thrown down her cute image and turned into a Punk diva!!

Personally I loved the new style of the songs, they are allot more angry and experimental, she kind of reminds me a little bit of Bjork. I did feel a little bit shocked though. Only because I wasn't expecting it, she is like rocking out on Bass and guitar, and she only played two songs from her 1st album.. but hey I came to here new stuff and I very much got it. I'm still a fan- very much so. I hope she doesn't follow one of her lyrics and kill her self.. don't do it Kate we Love you!! I'm awaiting her album in April.

The puppet show was fun!! we made the movie and it is literally the funnest thing ever, walking around with a giant puppet that is!! I think that's what has done me in today. I should be in the middle of the big puppet on the actual day too!! FUNSIES!!

anyboot, love to all, leave a comment,
xxxxluke

puppet

Hello guys and gals... after entoxicating myself at the celidh- a night of jigging around to the sound of bagpipes, fiddles, and lots and lots of giggles, I had to get up this morning to help to operate a huge "Avatar" like puppet. For the next three days I will learn how to operate both this and a couple of younger puppets-one called Brook and the other, Sunflower, the bigger one not being named yet.
All the people involved had so much fun, some being involved in producing a film, the others in actually operating these beautiful creatures. We walked inside Brightons Pheonix Gallery and also took them for a walk up the street looking in windows and generally having a good time with them- to the amazement of the general public! Ill be keeping you all posted on what has been going on.. peace xx

Hey here is some pictures of my art

This pic is some cutouts that I have been working on-form horror movies, and a TV "ring" inspired hand!!

Loving life

Hello bloggies!! What a lovely relaxing meal Ive just had with my friend Elie- Cottage Pie followed by Rhubarb crumble with custard- amazing old fashioned english grub!! Ive had a lovley week its been tiring but also quiet upbeat and positive, Ive been working so hard on my project and its nice NOT to be doing anything for the moment.This week Ive been to see a new film- Micmacs- if anyone has seen the french film Amalie and liked it I would really reccommend it look it up you can find a video on youtube!! Im excited too for the coming week- a very busy one!! Im going to start a new sculpture for a project of mine, work with a group on a giant puppet for the childrens parade in Brighton in May for a few days, go to Kate Nash, and there is 2 new films I want to see too, and go to a sculpture park!! anyone who reads this blog will know that I love alice in wonderland!! I cant wait for it- so Im going to see that next week and hopefully go to see "Precious" too- Im sure Ill manage to fit it in somewhere-hehe!! whats everyone been upto>? Hope you're all having fun and enjoying your lives that's what its all about!! Peace

an inclusive climate movement.

I was inspired by the article below and a few other reads to share with you all my thoughts on the climate movement. This year has been a huge learning curve for me, about us and our place on this world. Books like Anastasia, 6 Degrees, and going to the climaforum in Copenhagen have inspired me so much and have lifted the gloom from my eyes, a gloom that we are told we can do nothing about. I think all these writers would agree that we can't carry on in the direction that we are going, if we are to protect our way of life we need to act now, with so much at stake why can't we all find a common bond?

I believe that we must stick together if we are going to make this work, like Ben west says in his notes, allot of the public are pissed off with the "political correctness brigade" and the belief that we have to go around smashing and vandalising things to get ourselves heard, after all nobody likes to be told what to do, it has to be a choice to make it work.People need a positive direction- reasons why not why not. We need to separate the "Them and Us" mentality on both sides, and the illusion of sides, and see that we are all after the same thing.

Is it the fate of our society to gobble itself up in one fatal gulp? I for one certainly hope not. We must not exclude people from the climate movement, if we are going to move forward, we need to show people that its going to have a positive effect on the way we live our lives. Looking at it from a one dimensional viewpoint isn't going to get us very far, we need to look at it from ALL angles and from all points of view. We need to have an inclusive climate movement if the world is going to take us serious.

Like Ben West says, " you don't have to be an environmentalist" it is more than this issue its about progressing forward to a bright and sustainable future for us all.

Inspiring reading

Ben West's Article-
You Don’t Have to be an EnvironmentalistShare
Friday, February 19, 2010 at 5:33pm
Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. If you pay any attention to the news, it’s a pretty horrible time to be involved in the climate movement. First, there were the UN talks in Copenhagen which turned out to be the biggest anti-climax since Susan Boyle came second in Britain’s Got Talent. Since then, we’ve had stolen emails jumped on by conspiracy theorists, attacks on honest scientists by publicity-seeking know-it-alls, resignations and who knows what else. It’d be as laughable as an over-hyped Dan Brown novel if it wasn’t so serious.

So what should those of us who give a damn do? Well for starters, don’t lose your head. The numbers of people driving this climate sceptic twaddle are relatively small. Nasty, cynical, vocal, below-the-belt, but small. And between you and me, they don’t tend to be very clever either- most of them are definitely not climate scientists themselves.

And the good news? Scientists can generally be trusted. Whether it’s monitoring the safety of your food or ensuring that those flu tablets won’t kill you, these guys don’t lie for a living. They earn their money (and their reputations) by getting it right most of the time, and being honest about when they don’t. So, emails or no emails, when tens of thousands of scientists across the world tell you something, sensible people take notice.

What’s interesting though is that when you speak to the people peddling the anti-climate change rubbish, it’s not really the science that they’re interested in. They drive cars and take medicine like the rest of us. It’s not the scientists or the science that they dislike, it’s us. The ‘bossy environmentalists’. The ‘alarmists’ with their heads in the clouds. The ‘dangerous lefties’. The ‘political correctness brigade’ trying to tell people how to live their lives. If ‘climate-gate’ teaches us anything, it’s that environmentalists have got a serious image problem, and that if a few emails or doubts about the science give people an excuse to stop listening or caring, many will.

But here’s thing. When you look at the things that need to be done to tackle climate change, they’re things which any sane person would agree with. You don’t have to be an environmentalist to think that the trains or buses should be cheaper and more reliable so that the roads are less blocked up with polluting cars. You don’t have to be a raging leftie to be sick of yo-yoing petrol prices or extortionate heating bills to want a cleaner alternative. Green industries are booming. $200bn was spent on renewable energy last year- that's double what was spent in 2006. At times like these, you don’t have to be an activist to want a secure, well-paying job that just happens to be green.

The point is, the best way to get action on climate change may well be to stop talking about it as a scientific or environmental problem. For years, we’ve banged on about polar bears, whinged about ice caps, waved our placards and shouted slogans. Although it’s got us some of the way, huge sections of ordinary people have been left out in the cold.

Don’t get me wrong- the polar bears matter, but if you want to engage people and convince them of the need to act, then we need a new, diverse, inclusive climate movement that is able to connect with people’s ordinary lives and concerns. A post-carbon World isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for our health, our wallets and our quality of life. It’s an opportunity for all of us, and you don’t have to be an environmentalist to want to be a part of it.

hello

Hello Bloggies. Well Ive been a busy ol' bee. Last week was chaotic to say the least, Ive had two gigs to go to, a project to finish, and a mom to spend time with...
Very busy!!!

Went to see the Noisettes and they were amazing- Im not going to bore u all with another review, but you should deffo check them out, It was like going to see a broadway show!! amazing!!
My project is now complete, I need to get pictures uploaded really soon so you can see what Ive been doing... woooo Im listening to the wierdest song right now- Bonzo do da band- think the music as dorothy swirls away in her house, and you will get the idea (only crazier!!)
and seeing my mom was a fab end to the week.. many coctails later of course!! Love you mom!!

Other things that have graced my life include (in no particular order)
* getting Lilly allens album
# Booking tickets to see kate nash nest week-woop!!
£ actually starting to go to yoga again- but how long will it last!!??
^ finished the best book Ive ever read- the Catcher in the Rye- Read it!!

humm I was thinking what would be my target audience for this blog?
Im not writing for anyone particuly, but hope it reads ok and provides a smile or two!?
let me know xx