Friday 4 September 2009

Look Gooddddddaaaaw

Say hello to the Demon Talking Fish. Batteries not working

Friday 28 August 2009

This is all kinds of Epic!

Steven Segal + Real life cop = My head just exploded.

Thursday 27 August 2009

Sorry.

I apologise but this will change your life for ever!

I bet you didn’t wake up today expecting your world to change forever, but I’m pretty sure it just did. [via.]

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Insanity of the Day

If anyone can find anything more unusual than this, they win £4.23.



#source: Jooostay (aka eggers)

Friday 21 August 2009

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done

The trailer for Werner Herzog's latest movie has just been released and it looks every bit as good as I expected. Don't be fooled by the Hollywood style voice over. This will be an emotive tail with equal part visual intrigue and total bewilderment. I can't wait.

Thursday 20 August 2009

My hero

My head is full up.

So the summer is nearly over and I haven't been even nearly as proactive as I had hoped, which shouldn't really come as any surprise seeing as the pro-activity curve hits a massive downward slope as soon as you start waking up early just to sit on your ass all day. I suppose I am being a little harsh on myself, I have: been to Morocco, worked in Belfast exposed photography gallery, started two new photography projects, read a bit about Eve Sedwick's Between Men book for my dissertation, went to visit Sarah in Bristol, went to Cardiff, seen Diane Arbus original prints and drank myself into a neolithic state on numerous occasions.

Anyway the reason for this blog entry is not nostalgia but an attempt to release some of the current traffic jam of information residing in my brain by making a list. I normally do this on a piece of paper with a pencil, but fuck that, this in the technological era, I'm typing this bad boy up on a blog for the world to see (world meaning six or seven people obviously)

So here goes, there is no order I am literally just about to type it as is and if you don't like it, send your complaints in writing to areyoufuckingserious@youareatwat.com.

1) Dissertation research:
a) Homo-Social decriptions by Eve Sedgwick.
b) Endless Vetel-Becker journals on masculinities.
c) Endless sage journals on masculinities.
d) Determine a overall topic and sub-topics or either.

2) Project research: Hunting Ground.
a) Photographers research.
b) Social climate research.

3) Project research: Oedipus Complex.
a) Shoot more images of sisters and nephews
b) Determine my rhetoric
c) Photographers research
d) Freudian theory research
e) Theweleit and object-relations theory

4) Project research: Gateways.
a) Artifice research
b) Artifice photographers research
c) Find more sites, shoot more images

Ok that will do. If anyone can help with any of these topics don't be afraid to drop a comment below.

Monday 20 July 2009

Top Gear in shit cheese scandal.

So I was watching last nights episode of Top Gear on iplayer and I noticed something unusual. Near the end of the show James, Jezza and Hammond spruced up there there cars to enable them you run better in the snowy conditions. They got new wheels, tires, roll cages and some fashionable fake sponsors painted on the side. Nothing strange there you may think.

I suggest you have another look.






Look at just the doors, we have "Tit Tree" "Phart industrie" "Coq Yougart" "Les Bien Hat" and "Merde du Fromage" (translated meaning, shit cheese).

I just thought they would make some reference to it and they didn't sneeky sneeky haha.

Monday 13 July 2009

Spotify, The Twelfth and all

So today is the 13th of July 2009 but technically it is the 12th if you live in Northern Ireland. If you don't live in N.I, don't worry it is not situated in some Hawkins-esq worm hole disrupting space-time, but merely a once every seven years occurrence. The twelfth of July is synonymous with Northern Ireland as it was the date King William of Orange invaded Ireland and claimed the North of the country as Britain, a subsequent feud began and fighting over who owns what has continued ever since. There you go a complete overview of the history of Ireland in 42 words (take that Mrs Smyth, my secondary school history teacher). Not really obviously, if you care you can click here to find out a little more.



To celebrate this momentous occasion -everyone loves a good invasion, don't they- men, women and children take to the streets dressed in orange aprons, bang drums and wave Union Jacks, just to remind everyone that "This is England", I mean "Britain", I mean "Ireland..." no wait "Northern Ireland" that's it" Presumably the fact that we all hold British passports, use British currency and are governed by British law isn't enough of a reminder that technically N.Ireland is Britain, thank goodness for all that red white and blue. So anyway, the 12th July fell on a Sunday this year meaning that the flag waving and apron wearing had to be put on hold, resulting in the paradox of the 12th of July being held on the 13th, today. As you may have guessed I do not partake in the British awareness rally's myself, not for any religious or political reason, it's just I look awful in orange. Instead I am sitting in my room drowning out the repetitive drum beat with Modeselektor, an excellent electronica outfit specialising in filth.



I have been using Spotify to stream their tracks and I have to say it is a truly amazing piece of software. Download it, type what ever you want to listen to and viola. If it wasn't for the random advertisements (which are relatively infrequent) this would be the single greatest advancement of the 21 century.. well maybe not but it's bloody good.

Ok I am off to watch Bruno, lets hope it's not the bag of shit I am anticipating.

Thursday 9 July 2009

Internet Thieves

So the last post, which celebrated all things internet has got me thinking. I mentioned that it is only a matter of time until some uninspired advertising agency will copy the basic principles of the SOUR music video in order to sell toothpaste or the like. So with that in mind here are a few examples of blatant theft and breach of copyright (if web videos had such a thing).

Sa Cla: This advertisement for Italian pesto created a rhythmic beat by editing clips together.



Pretty clever eh?? Shame the advertising company responsible didn't come up with the idea. At least two years previous a Norwegian teenager made this in response to a college project.



Berocca: The orange flavoured pick-me-up tablet manufactures came up with this unusual campaign to promote morning freshness.



Obviously when I say they "came up with" I mean copied and not even copied very well why would there be treadmills in the middle of the street? It makes no sense.

Anyway this plagiaristic piece of crap was taken from OK Go an American band and their awesome music video here it goes again.



Action for kids: No doubt this is going to be a controversial one due to the emotive nature of the content and subject matter. With that in mind I'll refrain from any jokes or abuse.



Ok so you can say that raising awareness for such a worth while cause can use any means necessary and I agree, however Action for kids is not a non profit charity, the people who made this advert got paid, the people who came up with this concept didn't.



I am sure there are hundreds more, but these are the few I can think of at the moment. Stick any suggestions in the comments box if you can think of any.

Wednesday 8 July 2009

Blog off

Random irrelevant data. Zeros and and ones combined in order for your entertainment. Isn't the interweb a marvel.

Creative:

Keep you eyes peeled for an uncreative advertising executive ripping this off for T.V


Skilled:


Funny:


Rubbish: Please watch this whole video, I know it's difficult but seriously, It just gets shitter.


Music:
No1 on my ipod playlist at the minute.


So there you go.

Will somebody who is more talented than me please re-mix the Total Recall song. I will be forever in your debt, plus it's a guaranteed crowd pleaser.. well as long as I am in the crowd.

Friday 19 June 2009

Morocco: "Best post title award?"

Ok so I got back from Morocco a week ago and I am only just uploading some pictures now. This is due to the fact that I am going all retro these days and shooting almost everything on film. So, I only managed to get the films processed yesterday, a few hours of scanning and tidying up in Photoshop and we are ready. I'm sure you're all needing to go to the toilet with excitement.

By the way these are in no particular order, because.... I can't be arsed doing them chronologically it'll take too much effort.






HMV: Marakech We thought this guy might be a murderer.
.



One of the thousands of wee creeps


The Medina 50% amazing 50% nightmare.
















"The gardens": SHIT
Obligatory B&W Shot



So there you go, not excatly a comprehensive guide of Morocco, however after getting accosted for taking a picture and not paying for the privilege, I was a little cautious of taking my camera out.

Great week though!!

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Rescue Dawn: More Herzog

For anyone who follows my Blog, I apologise but you will have to get used to the name, Werner Herzog. What can I say the man is fantastic and I have yet to see a film of his that is anything but genius. The third film I am recommending is Rescue Dawn an unusual departure from his traditional format to what could be described as a typical Hollywood Blockbuster. However it isn't a Hollywood blockbuster in the sense that it's full of CGI and very little else. What it does have is poster boy and part time photography director frightening machine Christian Bale.



Rescue dawn is the true to life story of Dieter Dengler, a german born, American Naval Pilot who was shot down whilst on a top secret bombing missing in Laos during the Vietnam War. Dangler was captured by the Pathet Lao and taken to a POW camp, where he faced starvation torture and all round horribleness. The story follows Denglers journey and subsequent escape.

Herzog continues his familiar trademark of exploring the tormented soul, and manages to create tension like no other. I rarely get so involved in a movie that I mirror the emotions of the main character, however I can hoenstly say that Resue Dawn, had me filled with equal parts fear, apprehension and relief.

Tuesday 16 June 2009

Grizzly Man

Ok so I know I said I was going to post some Herzog Film recommendations in the next few weeks after receiving my 24 DVD monster Box Set but having a lot of free time at the minute I've decided to recommend a few that I have already seen. Starting with one of his more recent documentary films, "Grizzly Man" the true story of Timothy Treadwell a self proclaimed protector of the Alaskan Grizzlies. Treadwell spent 13 summers living within touching distance of these dangerous animals and documented the last 5 years on film. Unfortunately for Treadwell his 13th summer was his last as he suffered what some determined as the inevitable outcome for anyone spending time with wild bears, and he was mauled to death along with his girlfriend.

Herzog splices Treadwell's own original footage with new interviews carried out by Herzog on the friends and family of Timothy Treadwell. It really is a fantastic piece of work. I really don't want to talk to much about the film itself as I feel to much information will spoil the journey into the world of Timothy Treadwell.

So just watch it, £5 in HMV. I hope to get it shown at next years Film Club, as I really wish I had of seen it at the start of the year, before we started our nature lectures.

Werner Herzog: Offical Legend

I first came across the work of Werner Herzog when I watched Stozek earlier this year. I was blown away by his melancholic humour and truly bizarre conclusion (still the most unusual ending to a film I have ever seen). I watched Stozek without any preconceptions, any real knowledge about the film or Werner Herzog himself. A few months on I have learn't quite a bit about Herzog, his films and his process. He holds ideals about the world that are similar to mine, opinions I agree with and makes films that captivate me in a way no other film maker has ever managed. So for those reasons (amongst many others) I have declared him as a total legend.



I have just bought myself his complete work (up untill 2007) 24 DVD's in total, so expect a number of recommendations over the next few weeks.

Sunday 31 May 2009

Blackpool Sun

I'm always amazed how Blackpool changes in the Summer months. The beach was mentally yesterday. Went out for a stroll and my DSLR, I needed to blow the cobwebs of it after shooting so much film. So here's some cheese.

Postcards, get your postcards.


The saint.