Rugby and Movies

Yeah I'm now at work having decided going back to bed for an hour wasn't really worth it. The game: a lot of forward work and generally our pack looked good. Too much dropped ball, particuarly close to the line, meant the scoreline didn't blow out as much as the possession stakes suggested it should have. Good defensive performance to keep the Scots scoreless, but overall 'could do better'.
Best bits: Tony Woodcocks attempt at a delicate sidestep; Sione Leuaki's runs up the middle.

Movies in the weekend:
Exiled, a Hong Kong gangster flick that was also at the filmfest this year. The cinematography in this is great. Sadly the movie drags, badly. Very stylish fight scenes, and the storyline seemed reasonable, but the overly wanky use of slow pans around the place got tiresome. I got the same vibe from this as Hero, looks stunning, but ultimately style over substance. I won't go so far as to say it was as boring as a Robert Besson donkey movie or a Eastern European/Chinese movie about 'technology coming to remote village', but it was certainly challenging them... Plot revolves around a bunch of gangsters getting back together and doing a hit on a boss. As I said, it looks great. Not sure how it ended as we got seriously bored, and gave up an hour into it.
Drink: Chimay red.

Fistful of Dollars. I decided I wanted to rewatch the trilogy, so started with Fistfull. Obviously. Great movie for it's nice twisted ambiguous characters, but also the worst of the three. Sure Clint is fantastic and the grittiness is wonderful, but at this stage Leone makes the rest of the characters make up for Clint's reticience. So everyone elses gabbers too much - later movies he seemed to have figured out the camera can tell a fair amount of story - and that helps things. Characteristic eye shots aplenty, and really I can't recommend this one too highly. Also worth watching are the doco's on the bonus disk (presuming you have that version).

The Abandoned. Marky Mark suggested this, and since it was sitting around we decided to watch it. Looking at the storyline you'd guess 'cliched ghost story' and largely, yup, you'd be right. But its brilliantly done. Who-ever was dressing the sets deserves a medal, they are superb. Atmosphere, frights, twists - all there. Wonderful touches with the torch (when shes in the parents bedroom). The director and screenwriter, Nacho Cerda, is someone you should keep an eye out for - as this was something special. It's been awhile since I watched a thriller/horror and didn't laugh. Sure there are plot holes, but the vibe carries it. Plot is basically: adopted woman goes back to house she's inherited from her murdered mother. Scary ghostly badness ensues. Definitely worth watching.

Then the SA v Tonga came on, so I watched that too. But I would like to say I only had one (750ml) bottle of beer all night.

Right, since I'm here at work and I've procrastinated for awhile I should do something. But never fear, I think some more bloggage (probably geeky) will turn up later.

Love, B