Watchmen - Watch
Looking for info on Wanted I came across a couple of refrences to Watchmen. The on & off adaptation of the what is possibly one of the greatest comics ever written. The film was officially canned a while back but just to remind you what we were promised:

1986
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons create the Watchmen

2000
Studio - Universal
Director - Terry Gilliam

2001
Writer - David Hayter

2003
John Cusack - Nite Owl
John Cusack - Not Nite Owl
Location - Czech Republic

2004
Sigourney Weaver - Silk Spectre
Daniel Craig - Rorschach
Action - Filming to start 04 in prague
Director - Darren Aronfosky
Studio - Revolution Studios
Studio - Paramount Studios
Jude Law - Ozymandia
Simon Pegg - Rorschach
Director - No director

2005
Director - Paul Greengrass
Action - Filming to start 05
Action pre -production kicked off
Location - Pinewood Studios
Marketing - Paramount launch watchmen.com



Joan Allen – The Silk Spectre
Marketing - Downloads available @ watchmen.com
Action - Filming to start late 2005
Action - Requests go out for props
Action - Filming to start July 2005
Location - No loacation
Studio - No Studio
Studio - Warner Bros.

2006
Director - James McTeigue
Writer - None
Director - Zack Snyder
Writer - Alex Tse
Action - Screenplay almost complete

The Firm (1988)
Plot Summary: This is the story of rival "Firms" of football (soccer) supporters, and how one man has a wish too team them up for the European Championships of 1988. However, when this is discussed, the opposing leaders, are not happy as the believe this is a challenge to their authority. This Film shows how football violence has progressed from pure violence to a form of organised crime, to the extent that all the leaders know each others home phone / mobile phone numbers.

I recently saw Green Street starring Elijah Wood (Plot Outline: Frodo a wrongfully expelled Harvard undergrad, moves to London, where he is introduced to the violent underworld of soccer hooliganism. AKA: Green Street Hooligans or Hooligans).

While browsing the web for info on the film (post viewing) it became apparent that to see a more realistic interpretation of the football hooligan lifestyle, The Firm is recommended. Made in 1988 for TV the film plots the inevitable decline of street fighting man Bex Bissell played by Gary Oldman. Bex is an Estate Agent by day and leader of a firm by night.

It was interesting to see Oldman in a his relatively pre fame , read OTT, performance. He eats the screen up as do the rest of the cast. Oldman seems to play Bex as part Travis Bickle and part, well Gary Oldman. This characterisation seems to be the template for all his future insane roles.



This is not typically the kind of film I would watch British films from this period are a little to gritty and dark (both in lighting as well as mood).

Oldman a fan of the Stanislavsky method, was at the time married to, and had a child with, Lesley Manville the actor/ess to play his wife and mother of his child in The Firm.

The Director Alan Clarke has a career spanning the 60's,70's & 80's. He passed in 1990. He seems to have specialised in TV movies and was possibly master of the gritty, made for TV, British working class underworld tales. His credits include almost every film of this type such as; Elephant, The Firm, Christine, Made in Britain & Scum. His 32 film career includes Road & Rita, Sue and Bob Too.

What's good: Performances
What's bad: Lighting and low production value or maybe this adds to the grittiness of the subject matter.
In the end: Interesting to watch if you are a hooligan or a celluloid/Oldman aficionado.

For my 111Th birthday I decided to paint the town red, pink & blue. 2 Of my closest friends from The City are off on an around the world trip soon and I thought it fitting that a night out was called for.

As the night drew closer it became apparent that Vertigo 42 was a non happener , although they did offer an alternative to my original request. We were all running a bit late so the abrupt inflexible call I got from the NPG to tell me that the kitchen was closing very soon,. They had warned me about this when I made the booking so it was no surprise and I'm guessing the abruptness of the French ladies manner had more to do with her inability to deal with my reaction to possibly losing my table than her general demeanour. Thinking about it I may pop down there this evening. Last drinks order at 10pm.

So after a quick chat we made our way to The Trafalgar roof garden for Aperitifs (and contributed to Paris's next allowance. Then into the heart of Mayfair for dinner at Zinc. I should mention that it was all good but don't order the seafood, Paul's Mussels and my Crab tasted if they had been frozen for about 3 weeks prior to our arrival at Heddon Street.

Afterwards I surprised everyone by ushering them into the Absolut Ice Bar. It's not quite the Ice Hotel, but it is owned by the same people and was an enjoyable experience for all. The Absolute team were really cool and really contributed to the fun of the evening. Just look at the pic of the guy behind the bar How friendly? We were enjoying it so much we stayed for 2 sessions and made good use of the Absolut cocktail menu.

Next to Below Zero in the heart of the West End you will find the UK's first permanent ice bar About Absolut Icebar London. The interior is kept at below zero temperature –5°C all year round. Step into an environment where all of the interior fittings, including the walls, bar, tables, and even your own personal glass holding the vodka drinks is made out of pure, clear ice from the Torne River in northern Sweden. The Icebar is run in partnership with Below Zero London, Absolut, and Icehotel. On entry you will be provided with a personal ice glass & thermal cape to keep you warm during your stay (40 minute time limit) Source - http://www.fluidstyle.co.uk

Afterwards we made our way to 2 floors in London and then back to MI9. For a night cap but mostly a nap.

The guys over at Product Dose have compiled a list of the 10 top geek watches:

Considering the wealth of geek chic wristwear out there at the moment, we started thinking about the point where nerd-tech meets personal style. As far as we’re concerned, no one embodies the aesthetic better than James Bond, a character who has effortlessly turned dorky into dapper at the flick of a wrist. While much of the tech that Bond has had access to was fictional in scope, there is a variety of watches available now that carry on the tradition of tech incorporated into effortless cool. In honor of Bond, we’ve compiled a list of our current nerd-style wristwatch favorites, which we hope will help you channel your inner geek-gent.

The list is as follows:

Fossil Frank Gehry Watch















Nixon Dictator Watch














Mr.Gadget 1GB USB 2.0 Executive Watch










Suunto X9 GPS Watch













Stanley Expandable Ruler Watch











Midas Remote Control Watch










Vestal Microdat Watch












High Frequency LED Watch














Tag Heuer Monaco Sixty-Nine










Cathode Corner Nixie Watch











Read the detail over here at Product Dose.

Earlier this year while visiting my best friend. We popped into Midtown Comics just off Times Square. Whilst there Mart & I came across an authentic pair of Light Sabres. Naturally this is like honey to a bear. Chaos ensues. Note the expression on the comic dudes face.

The guys over at Idle words have compiled a list of best practises for time travellers. The 8 key points are:

1. Act like you don't care whether people believe you
2. Don't be afraid to make woolly predictions
3. Read up on your physics
4. Cover Your Ass
5. Apocalypse, baby!
6. Dazzle 'em with details
7. Know your audience
8. Watch out for paradox

Media Orchard over at www.ideagrove.com have compiled a list of the 10 greatest Countries in the History of the World. They are:

1. Italy.
2. United Kingdom.
3. United States.
4. China.
5. Greece.
6. Egypt.
7. Iraq.
8. India.
9. Iran.(formerly Persia)
10. Chad.

For more detail read the entire blog post over here.