Well, it has been a very pleasant weekend which included good friends, good food, a spate of music buying and discovering from the young sales guy in the music store that I still have street cred, and watching a couple of excellent films (Gran Torino and Milk - both of which made me cry, big sap that I am - this tough broad exterior fools only my mother, you know). On the topic of films - has anyone got any good recommendations for my Lovefilm list? Quirky is good. Character is important. Romantic comedies and horror are probably both out, as are vampires and any science fiction where the aliens have computers that have Windows. Funny is good, but not "we went to Las Vegas and this is what happened when we got drunk" type funny. One of my favourite films is LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, one of Ewan's is BARTON FINK. All suggestions gratefully accepted. Thank you :o)
And now, book news...
Courtesy of the lovely Russel McLean, a couple of events from Waterstones, Dundee. On August 20, Chris Longmuir, author of Dundee Book Award winning Dead Wood (which is a book I definitely need to get my hands on) will be appearing at the Lecture Theatre, University of Dundee. Time 7pm, tickets available from Waterstones in Dundee, priced at £3. And on September 11, Ian Rankin will be appearing at the same place. Tickets will be available from Waterstones, Dundee in the weeks before the event, again for the ultracheap price of £3.
Val McDermid in a stellar line up for the Ilkley Literature Festival.
Alexander McCall Smith says he's no Renaissance Man.
Iain Banks on BBC Radio Scotland on 13th August, at 13.15.
Via Bill Crider, Hard Case Crime news of a new Arthur Conan Doyle story.
Christopher Brookmyre is one of a number of new ambassadors for the Edinburgh festivals, as the Fringe is warned to 'modernise or die'.
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I watched Milk this weekend as well. How good was Sean Penn? Have you seen In Bruges?
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence. Penn was excellent. Wasn't it a good film? And yes - seen In Bruges and loved it - so that was a great suggestion!
ReplyDeleteNo list is complete without Harold and Maude.
ReplyDeleteI liked Milk but had seen a doco about the man first and kind of liked that better. As far as recommendations go...one of my favourite kinda quirky films is called Snow Cake - Alan Rickman is travelling through Canada and meets a grown woman with severe autism (played by Sigourney Weaver). It sounds odd but I really liked it and not just because I adore Rickman. It's a bit funny (but not the we went to Vegas and got married to a 1-legged hooker kind of funny), a bit dramatic and a bit sad.
ReplyDeletePogonip - have seen and enjoyed that one.
ReplyDeleteBernadette - I thought Snow Cake was great - and really unexpected (and I'm with you - I love Alan Rickman)! I will have to check out the Milk documentary.
I am obviously asking the right people the right questions as I'm getting some great suggestions back! Thanks all.
How about "My Life as a Dog"? So long as you don't mind subtitles (or understand Swedish :-)
ReplyDeleteOoooh, Tim - that looks like a good one - thank you. I've added it to the Lovefilm list!
ReplyDelete