Too Many Ideas - the impworks Blog

Underworld: Awakening Movie Review

February 2nd, 2012

If you know the original Underworld you’ve a pretty good idea what you’re getting here: Vampires, Werewolves, action, a palette of blacks & blue, a certain amount of gore, a British character actor of a certain age, a gut shaking thump to the soundtrack and, of course, Kate Beckinsale in that outfit.

Yet for each of those characteristics they have in common each of the Underworld films is a slightly different beast.  The first is more political, Evolution is more of a chase and Rise of the Lycans is more historical.  So what of Awakening?  Humans have discovered the existence of Vampires and Lycans and set out to exterminate them.

After three films most people will already have some idea if this is a film for them or not.  The real question is does it deliver (and does it have Kate Beckinsale in that outfit)?  Personally I have to say it’s a definite yes.  It delivers.

I’m not going to over analyse it because, frankly, analysing this film too much would be silly.

I still think the first film is my favourite because the politics and mystery added a level of nuance to the story.  Underworld: Awakening is a new fairly close second place.

And it has Kate Beckinsale in that outfit.  With guns.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-29

January 29th, 2012

• @simplychrista Thanks for the #ff #
• @DaddyDM Thanks for the #ff #
• @iancockayne I don't know. The make up, hair transplants and work out to make him look like a little oriental girl is amazing! #
• @symatt If you do that after getting your hair wet diving from a submarine would it be #teaquestdsv ? #
• Back and mostly sorted from weekend away Omid Djalili very funny on tour in Bradford on Friday night. #
• Dear Old Media, I've no interest in registering to comment. Especially if you don't tell me I'll need to before I write the comment. #
• Grumble. Grumble. Life. Grumble. Grumble. #
• @TheRealGelfie I buy good sausages from local butchers. Cook them in the oven on a tray at Gas Mark 6. A few split & no explosions. #
• @K23Detectives I've seen some trolls go on for years. Not a medical condition – they just get a kick from trolling #
• @K23Detectives Not all of them are capable of stepping on people in real life but are quite capable of doing so online. #
• @simplychrista lol. I forgot it pretty much from last Thursday – Real life must have been too busy and fun #
• @Dicecreator Very nice #
• @GRIMACHU Nice work #
• @symatt If you were in a spoof of a 60s TV show you could have a #galaxyteaquest #
• You Decide: Jeggings and Treggings new core races in 5th Ed D&D or just street slang for kinds of leggings? #
• @sandchigger Those that respect the law, love sausage or know Treggings should not watch them being made (with apologies to Mark Twain) #
• @sandchigger Probably the best way to imagine it. Rather than the codedy skit about the big dog, little dog & step ladder #
• @sandchigger I'm guessing you mean mules? #
• My mistake. I only ever played one session of Dark Sun sometime in the '90s. We (almost) all died. #
• @K23Detectives I've no real idea. I think it was because an hour of Jeremy Clarkson would be illegal under the Geneva Convention #
• @K23Detectives He's become a caricature of himself. I think James was added to have someone who knew something about how cars work. #
• Just found a document I wrote a few years ago with the lovely title "Glocalizing Folksonomies" #
• @symatt I think it means you're about to become a [TM of Tolkien Estate] or a more generic Halfling. Life will become a #foodquest #
• @MarcUpdates Precisely lol. It was about making Tag clouds on websites that were tailored to each visitor's demographics. Didn't get made. #
• @call_me_salome Work Harder! Work Faster! (Hope that was the kind of help you wanted) #
• @call_me_salome PS And stop wasting time on Twitter #
• @KimKnox Can you tell yet? Can you tell yet? Can you tell yet? Can you tell yet? Can you tell yet? Can you tell yet? #
• @cultauthor 8 vials – thats about a leg full isn't it. Worth at least a biscuit and a cup of tea. Mabe even a lollipop. #
• @Jennisodes Good morning. I'd love to but there's a small ocean getting in the way #
• Simple yet Cool Visualisation RT @datastore: Europe: where do people live? http://t.co/nnNVyYPW #
• @cultauthor Couldn't they have swaped those for a toe, an ear or a none writing finger so you could work? #
• @Jennisodes We desperately need a Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! (with apollogies to Harry Harrison) #
• @Jennisodes With current engineering it would be very difficult and ridiculously expensive. Planes it is then. #
• @DanDiplo lol #
• @SarahDarkmagic It nailed me except it has me as being interested in Anime which I'd put on a par with my interest in soccer (ie a tiny bit) #
• @JonBrazerEnt I'd be flattered. Just like when a fitness game tells me I'm 21 or 22 #
• @StargazersWorld Congratulations on a most interesting number of followers #
• @simonjrogers Does that replace the old one that you have a million pounds but started with two million pounds? #
• @simonjrogers I can understand that. I think your new one is far better #
• Pub. #
• @MarcUpdates The complete plan was: Pub. Film. Chinese. Went like clockwork #
• Haywire not a bad but something lacking and the score was just odd and used in a weird way that detracted from the rest of the film. #
• @symatt Yes. At least there was in September when I went there on holiday. A proper game shop but a bit hard to find: http://t.co/RSBzfsek #
• @symatt Cool. I found them really friendly and had a lot of stock crammed into a small shop #
• @symatt Lots of book shops along the main road its off too if you like those. The Waterstones is huge. #
• @symatt And if you have time go to the Museum on the Mound to see the money chests and £1 million (not open Mondays) #
• @symatt Have fun #
• @KimKnox @iancockayne I don't know but I'm guessing around the time the first Hobbit film hits later this year. Just in time for Christmas. #
• @KimKnox @iancockayne Big fans here too. Wonder if it will be a launch title for the Wii U? #
• @simonjrogers @grahamwalmsley Hopefully not to recruit cultists for a ritual. #
• @simplychrista Thanks for the #ff #
• Would a Camraphone be a device for photographing real ale and making calls but only in a certain kind of pub? #
• The SFSFW with Castle Games Club will be putting on a game using Armies of Arcana rules at Crusade 2012 in Penarth tomorrow. #
• @DaddyDM Thanks for the #ff #
• @MoonWolf95 I thought it was so bad I had to share it #
• @KimKnox Like you needed an excuse #
• The SFSFW with Castle Games Club is putting on a game using Armies of Arcana rules at Crusade 2012 Penarth today. #
• @vmdolphin Thanks for the #ff #
• @sciamannata My condolences on your loss #
• @symatt lol. Hope you found it quicker than I did. #
• With this cold snap haggis for dinner seems to be a pretty good choice. #
• @simplychrista It was thanks #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-22

January 22nd, 2012

• @call_me_salome Me! #
• I've put on a timer for 60 minutes and the 60s Mission Impossible sountrack. Now all I need to do is turn notes into sentences then paras. #
• @call_me_salome 1 was started when young & not good. 1 needs serious structural work. 1 needs 20K and an opening & time to finish! #
• Trying to find good words for men and women when writing about orcs. Thinking blorcs for me and womorc for women. Any suggestions? #
• @call_me_salome The one that's short 20K about 4 years ago. It has two layers: an inner one that's written I need a hook for the outer. #
• @GRIMACHU Thank you I think those could work well #
• @DanDiplo Colonel Mustard in the library with a copy of Professional C# ? #
• @cimota Those little model boating ponds at seaside resorts are going to get really dangerous now too. #
• Sherlock fun and I'll say no more for fear of spoiling it for anyone else. #
• I thought it was bitter out today – then I walked down to the new museum by the Mersey and its a different order of cold down there. #
• E-on Software Ships Vue 10 Linux Rendering Solutions http://t.co/Ggg22Uv5 #
• @GRIMACHU Even if you picked a slim race like an elf high the armour eventually made them massive. Aircraft carrier shoulder pads #
• @GRIMACHU I always thought Whispering Bob Harris should have had a breakfast radio show #
• @call_me_salome Its more like a circle anyway. Extreme left and right are often indistinguishable except by name. #
• I've never held twitter unfollowed people but just found I no longer followed @Ghostwoods & had him blocked! Don't think that was me! #
• @Ghostwoods The only thing I can think is I clicked something by accident but I've done som app culling & changed passwords just to be safe #
• The @OpenEyeGallery is perfect for a bite sized lunch or an excellent aperitif for its larger neighbours. #
• I wonder how stupid the company that sends me offers I'm not entitled to as a customer's marketing department is. Stupid or really stupid. #
• My thoughts on The Open Eye Gallery and the Painted Photographs exhibition http://t.co/acJeo6BY #
• So wikipedia is blacked out unless you know how to disable javascript. #
• @guardiantech Turn off JavaScript then go to Wikipedia? #
• Just for the record: I don't support SOPA. #
• My thoughts on The Open Eye Gallery and the Painted Photographs exhibition http://t.co/acJeo6BY #
• Just saw a film advertised as the Film event of 2012. Maybe they've not heard of a little film called "The Hobbit"? #
• @DanDiplo Maybe I'm being old fashioned but I assumed they'd actually remove the site. Guess SEO wins over protest. #
• @symatt Reply to me! Reply to me! Reply to me! Reply Now! Reply Often! Me! Me!! Me!!! Me!!!!! #
• @symatt lol. I think I may have used my exclamation mark quota for the quater up in that tweet #
• Is that something from the imagination of HP Lovecraft? RT @Thisangelbites: Imagine having a chandelier like this: http://t.co/KsmhHhLi #
• @xtamsynx @symatt Hey! Hows things? #
• Just back from excellent meal @tapastapas and equally excellent Margin Call. #
• @guardianstyle Just curious is the Internet no longer a proper noun? #
• This joke will probably only work if you've seen Margin Call. I'm hoping they make a sequel Margin Call: This Time it's Personnel #
• Its hailing again. I don't remember it hailing as often as it has this winter in the past. #
• @symatt I hope not! Good night #
• @symatt lol. 3AM is an unnatural hour that should be tipexed from the clock of everyone over 30. #

Margin Call

January 19th, 2012

If you’ve ever stood on the side of a road and seen a car about to crash you’ll understand this film.  If you’ve ever sat in a car that is likely to crash you’ll understand what is staring the characters in the face in Margin Call.

Margin Call is the story of 48 hours in a bank as things go wrong.  Almost from the start there is a growing sense that things are falling apart.  It starts in a small way and grows as the crash looms more and more certain.  This is a story that could become bogged down in the detail of the financial dealings at the core of the story.  Instead it sketches them in the same way a science fiction film uses techno babble to explain how a space ship travels faster than light and don’t fall out of the sky despite having no wings.

There seems to have been a Mexican standoff amongst the actors.  There are lots of actors in this who are known for chewing scenery including Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto and Stanley Tucci.  Yet the performances are measured without histrionics.  The drama is on the screen but it’s the car crash that’s about to happen.

This is a smart film with no gun fire, chases, explosions, fist fights or car crashes except a metaphorical one. If you want to see an interesting film go see this.

The Open Eye Gallery: Painted Photographs

January 17th, 2012

I went to see the Painted Photographs exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool today of photographs that have been retouched for use on TV and in the Press.

Due to my own stupidity and incompetence I never made it to the Open Eye Gallery before its new venue so I can’t compare it to the old space.  Its new home is almost on the waterfront in a small but perfectly formed gallery with three rooms and a small shop.

There is an impressive elegance to the design.  It’s a simple uncluttered space with simple wall geometry and sight lines used to incorporate the entrance, reception, retail and first gallery area into one room without the other elements impinging on the gallery space.  Cleverly though the reception desk can see the retail area, entrance and first exhibition area while also acting as the payment point for the shop area without resorting to an exit through the shop design.  It’s the sort of architectural design I can’t help admiring.

I read about the Painted Photographs exhibition of pictures collected by Martin Parr on the BBC website last week.  Some of the commenters on the site get tangled up in the idea that this is a modern art exhibition.  It’s nothing of the sort.  It’s a curious insight into the way things were done before Photoshop became the ubiquitous tool of photo retouching.  Its old school and fascinating for it.

There is a photograph of Mohammed Ali arriving in London with crop marks to just use his face, another of James Dean with legs painted in and one of John Lennon with just enough of Yoko painted out to make a square frame of his face.  The brush work is hurried and surprisingly basic.  These are pieces of work produced to illustrate a news story not pieces of art intended to be hung in a gallery.

If you’re interested in how things were done before digital stormed the world this exhibition is worth a visit.   It’s a perfect for a bite sized visit for lunch if you work in the city centre or an excellent aperitif for its larger neighbours if you’re coming from further afield.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-15

January 15th, 2012

• Watched last week's Sherlock just in time to watch this weeks #
• I had to check twice if Sherlock not Watson was driving. So often the assistant drives on TV detective show. Wonder if this was deliberate? #
• @cimota He's become a bit of a handy deus ex machina for all bureaucratic problems Sherlock runs into #
• @cimota The risk is Mycroft becomes rather mundane. #
• Enjoyed Sherlock – an interesting twist on the original. #
• @Troppers Love those flowing skirts, corsets and dark makeup too but I think that look would suit Robert Downey, Jr's Sherlock more #
• @Troppers Gatiss/Moffat take is different from the usual film/TV. Guy Ritchie takes an interesting different different approach #
• @Troppers Absolutely: the Conan Doyle original is the best. I do like that recent versions have returned Watson to something more like CD. #
• @JamesWallis What happened to all the Video rental stores? #
• Headline "Ferry company in liquidation" if it hadn't been would they have used "Ferry company still Afloat"? #
• @symatt But by telling us you may spread the need. Unfortunately there is no law of conservation of need to go to the loo. #
• Why does the announcement of D&D 5th Edition make me want to hum Whitesnake's Here I Go Again? #
• @symatt All the loos out of order or no loos? I suggest 5th Ed speculation as a cure. I speculate – 6 Stats: Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis & Cha! #
• @SarahDarkmagic I'm fine but @symatt seems to need distacting from a bathroomless train journey #
• @SarahDarkmagic THAC0. Just kidding. Streamlined, consistent, unambiguous rules & a focus on making D&D a fun social event to play. #
• @TheAngryDM And at extremes if suits of armour, long swords, metal daggers exist or if civilisation has emerged from the Stone Age. #
• @symatt Bit late but… How about THAC0 instead of THACO? #
• @symatt You like tomato and I like tomahto, You Say THACO, I Say THAC0. Oh hangon we probably both say it the same way #
• @SarahDarkmagic The mechanics of how different magic users "worked" differentiated them enough for me and the spells weren't common to all. #
• Probably a bit sad but I just bought ImagineFX just for article on world builiding by James Gurney. #
• @EmperorsElite £6 for four pages I want to read just seems a bit extravagent #
• @GeekyLyndsay lol. You could include the late night pregened bard from a game I wrote for a con – just one small slip and he had no spells. #
• @DaddyDM @GeekyLyndsay @DaveTheGame @TriskalJM I shudders at the memory of players wanting to abuse kits in 2nd ed 20 years on. #
• @simplychrista @symatt I found somewhere that did custom card printing after years of looking – cost effective if they made 10K copies #
• @EmperorsElite I get to use this for 3 hobbies so I can count it three times #
• @simplychrista @symatt I was told that the biggest expense is the cutter to cut the cards from the printed sheet. #
• @GeekyLyndsay I always found it easier to DM gothic and fantasy because I don't read them a lot. Felt less like I was messing up than SF. #
• @weareboy And I thought my old habbit of sketching on tracing film was expensive! #
• @GeekyLyndsay Agreed. I find most of the settings jar – I tend to have strong radar for anachronism that spoils them #
• @simplychrista Special finished could be but otherwise inks & stock were nothing special. Cutters & boxing machines were specialised. #
• @symatt Absolutely. Focus on what makes playing with others in a room is special, what no computer can do. Lead rather than follow. #
• @KimKnox Are you sure you're not alternate universe you and in the one you came from our Kim is about to enjoy surprise chocolate? #
• @KimKnox Yes. In a type 1 multiverse you only need to travel far enough to find parallel you with chocolate – around 10 to power 29 meters #
• @KimKnox Meanwhile your type 1 multiverse twin 10 to the power 118 metres away is missing chocolate too #
• @SarahDarkmagic From shop owners I know it depressed it in the past but many collectors & fans like owning originals. Supply v Demand. #
• Cheap motion capture anyone? RT @guardiantech: Kinect for Windows to launch in February http://t.co/6cizNhAT #
• Brilliant – Amazon sends me a message from a seller but provides no obvious route to reply! #
• Amazon seller has asked me to remove polite truthful review after selling damaged goods. Should I just ignore or contact Amazon? #
• @jearle Or its a cynical piece of marketing to gather some data and then do what they want anyway. #
• @call_me_salome You confess even without us resorting to the Comfy Chair? What kind of devilish trick is this? #
• @simplychrista lol. If the Mayans could have been bothered to work out their calendar for another cycle they'd not be talking about it now. #
• Just saw the Daily Star front cover in newsagents "Robbie Savaged by Hot Dogs …and he didn't relish it". Too bad jokes in one headline. #
• @simplychrista My calendar only runs to the end of the year. We're all doomed. Doomed I tell you. Doomed! #
• @simplychrista Don't worry my diary runs to Jan 6th 2013 so we get another 6 days after 2012 #
• @sizemore Are there marauding packs of feral unpaid interns? Will he uncover a stash of expense claims? Does the speaker look like Blofeld? #
• @symatt So tempted to retweet that just so you can be all excitted again #
• @RPGadvocate Is it so big you could pin a tail on it and call it an elephant? #
• RT @SpringaldJack: Male fantasy author strikes fantasy heroine cover poses. – This is pretty great. http://t.co/JNxOWVCT via @GeekyLyndsay #
• @Fantasticmaps Nice post. I'm having flashbacks to drawing isometric designs at school lol. #
• 3D Printing coming closer and closer to the living room http://t.co/8BedjsLv #
• Interesting Publisher Rules of Thumb on the end of this Pelgrane Press blog post http://t.co/xC1iBRCA #
• @simonjrogers Normally I don't when asked but I thought the rules of thumb were interesting and worth sharing #
• Just back from Girl with the Dragon Tattoo enjoyed it. Sadly I inferred who dunnit from two early moments. #
• @DanDiplo lol. I'd not read the book or seen the original film although I'm tempted by the book now I've seen this film. #
• Is it really Thursday? #
• @sandchigger You're telling me its Friday Eve already too! That means I wasted Thursday Eve and Thursday Double Eve too. #
• Overheard by near busker: Did his business plan read: buy cheap guitar, cute puppy, piece of string, g̶u̶i̶t̶a̶r̶ ̶l̶e̶s̶s̶o̶n̶s̶ ? #
• @rodluc2001 Hi Luca. Thanks for the freebie #
• @KimKnox I've lost a lot of time reading the surveys at http://t.co/8jM7eb7F lately. If you've not seen it you'll lose even more #
• I'd missed that the new Open Eye gallery had opened think I'll wander down and take a look at this exhibition next week http://t.co/QhMKFu2m #
• @DaddyDM Thanks for the #ff – Any gaming this weekend? #
• @simplychrista Thanks for the #ff have a great weekend #
• This reminds me of those plastic puzzles from the 1970s just on a larger scale: Facet by Bloomming http://t.co/FUyOf8Ti #
• @Wizards_DnD Having started playing when 2nd ed came out & having played every ed except the very first. D&D3 for cleaning up the mechanics #
• And thus another working week ends. #
• @rodluc2001 Thanks for the #ff #
• Happy Birthday! RT @SFSFW: 20 Years and counting… The SFSFW was 20 on the 12th January! #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-08

January 8th, 2012

• @simplychrista Thanks for the #ff #
• RIP Ronald Searle #
• I now have a new windswept look. #
• @simplychrista Join the rest of us with the new year windswept look – its what all the happening people are doing #
• If I had a do and it was called Toto I'd have had the perfect quote after the last gust of wind… #
• listening to "Mission Impossible TV Series Plot Music – Lalo Shifrin" ♫ http://t.co/EzQItFR2 #
• listening to "Billy Bragg – Moving the Goalposts" ♫ http://t.co/RGwiem5e #
• A little shredding can be oddly satisfying and relaxing. I doubt it is if you think the FBI is about to knock on your door #
• @Stigmatyr lol. Just the sort of documents an unscrupulous competitor could potentially exploit if they don't mind crawling through bins… #
• @call_me_salome @Stigmatyr Da. Do. Da. Do. Da. Do. #
• @Stigmatyr @call_me_salome I destroyed the evidence of cake. I eat all of it. Now I need to exercise to hide the evidence of the evidence. #
• @johnbellwrites Thanks for the #WW #
• @call_me_salome @Stigmatyr Did you have Wheelie Bins imitaiting tumble weed last night? #
• @DaddyDM lol. Our office is just in Liverpool's Cavern Quarter. #
• @call_me_salome @Stigmatyr I started back into it yesterday but I'm falling off the wii balance board again tonight for pizza & a movie #
• @Stigmatyr @call_me_salome So long as you get all the trace evidence (and by trace evidence I mean crumbs). #
• @DaddyDM Saddly it was a London station putting on a dodgy accent rather than the genuine Lime Street #
• @Fantasticmaps Nice. And simpler than my first model and render them in Vue Infinite then post process and draw over the render #
• @Fantasticmaps For those mountains drawing it is simpler & the results nicer. On the flip side I can easily produce perspectives. #
• @Aldric_Newberry To quote a microbiologist I know "use by dates – because botulism is tasteless and odorless" #
• Why are adverts full of wimpy cover versions? First it was a wet version of Kiss Crazy Nights. Now its Steve Winwood Higher love #
• @Domikko Make that three bad covers in ads. Cheapskates #
• @symatt The way its blowing out there the whole UK may all end up in Kansas + bits of Oklahoma & Nebraska #
• I wouldn't be surprised if the shipping forecast areas have been shuffled into a new order by tomorrow morning. #
• RIP Bob Holness #
• @paulbaalham Saddly so. Look at UK trends on twitter and its full of related topics #
• @DaddyDM Thanks for the #ff #
• @simplychrista Thanks for the #ff #
• @DaddyDM Not this weekend – still recovering from late finish of New Years Eve Cthulhu #
• @GameCouch lol. Last time I cooked a curry my kitchen was aromatic for three days #
• @EmperorsElite Thanks for the #ff #
• @xtamsynx It does look interesting doesn't it #
• @DanDiplo Love the hair #
• @darkdwarf I'd forgotten those but yes they were bad too #
• @DanDiplo Plain or with a pattern? #
• @DanDiplo Probably the most humane end to them being turned into a cloak then #
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Movie Review http://t.co/upClCnXz but is it really Mission Impossible or just a rubber mask? #
• @Jennisodes Its a time dilation caused by a localized distortion of the space time continuum related to the inverse effect on a Sunday. #
• @simplychrista Nice #
• @Troppers I'm trying to map those to the programmers food groups. Toast=Pizza, Tea=Cola, Marmite = Beer? #
• Morning world. Having done stuff I'm now doing as little as possible. #
• @KimKnox That problem – I'm measuring reference material for FG by the foot #

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Movie Review

January 5th, 2012

They say football is a game of two halves: and so is my review of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is an enjoyable movie.  It’s populated by beautiful people in exotic locations.  It has guns and gadgets.  It has explosions.  It has chases.  It has spectacular high places.  It has all the elements of a modern action spy thriller.

It is dominated by Tom Cruise but I don’t see that as a bad thing.  It’s his name above the title on the poster.  He’s the one at the front of the group on the poster.  He’s one of the film’s producers too.   If he’d not been the main player reviewers would be asking “where’s Tom?”

It has a stand out performance for me was Simon Pegg: Benji  is a great foil to Ethan Hunt.  Benji is both competent at the technical parts of the job but Pegg manages to infuse him with enough comedy to  lighten the films atmosphere.  William Brandt  (Jeremy Renner) and Jane Carter (Paula Patton) round out the team yet despite being given more back story than Benji  get less to do.

It’s Not a lot of effort goes into developing the villains whose actions drive the plot with little more justification than they’re a bit mad or are working for cash.

It is overall an enjoyable action movie – not a classic but good fun.

But is it a Mission Impossible film?

On the surface it has the trappings of a film based on the 1960′s TV show: the famous theme music runs over credits that feature glimpses of the action to come while a fuse burns down; there are face masks; there are missions that are impossible; the stakes are high; the secretary will disavow all knowledge etc etc etc.

The problem is these are elements borrowed from the series not what made it unique.  Week in week out they used to select a team of talented individuals, have a little fun as they showed the gear they’d use, then the stone cold operatives would go into action, overcome some unexpected happenings before Mission: Accomplished they’d ride into the distance.  I’ve not kept count but if the current IMF pull off more than 50% of their jobs then I’d be surprised.  At least in Ghost Protocol despite hints there aren’t any traitors in the IMF.

Oddly one of the elements of the movie I liked the most annoys me as being not MI.  Benji is good as the tech guy but he isn’t a Barney.  Barney would crack a joke in prep for a mission but on the job?  Speaking English, talking about how cool it is to be a spy while walking through the Kremlin?  Mission Impossible isn’t about characters who need to wise crack all the time.  Leave the one liners to Bond movies.   I’d actually like to see if Simon Pegg can play a straight role because I have a feeling he’d be pretty good at it.

Jane Carter is another case of not quite getting the original series.  I’m glad she can hold her own in a fight like her three male companions.  We’ve come a long way from heroines who couldn’t do anything in a fight via Buffy and Alias.  Carter shows us that she can fight in Dubai.  Yet if I was picking an MI squad I’d take Barbara Bain’s Cinnamon Carter.  Why?  Because in Mumbai she’d have tricked the guy into giving up the code for the satellite and done it with a ton of style.

Frankly I’d like to see the MIF showing a bit more brain and a little less brawn.   Not so much running around.  Fewer guns.  Fewer car chases.   By now the IMF should be getting disavowed.  And handed their P45s too and looking for jobs as MFI.

On the plus side the theme sounds like it’s in the correct time signature.  The infiltration of the Kremlin is pretty good till it goes wrong.  There are some nice references to elements of the original series dropped in.  This is also a smaller, lighter weight IMF at least after Ghost Protocol is invoked who can’t call tech support or the marines.  And they don’t throw a traitor in the MIF into the story.

So if you’re a fan of the original Mission Impossible series and were hoping for more than a bit of surface ephemera on an OK action film you may be disappointed.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-01

January 1st, 2012

• Happy Christmas! #
• Surprising number of people surprised to be caught without tickets on the train today. Personally I'd rather pay than be left at Stockport. #
• @simplychrista A very late thankyou for the #ff #
• @MoonWolf95 A very late thankyou for the #ff #
• Spell checker really wants me to change Stockport to Stockpot lol #
• Managed to write almost 4000 words on the train today and only one serious accidental deletion on the shaky bit over the Pennines #
• @CODAPUBLISHER I'm figuring on around 20K for that piece of which around 15K are now done #
• @simplychrista I had to stop when the guard got annoyed with me writing up her sleeve #
• Diving shoes and a couple of sandbags might help with the wind. A suit of armour might help with the shoppers. #
• Happy New Year! #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12-25

December 25th, 2011

• @oldknickers At least you didn't plug it into the cactus #
• @simplychrista Toucan and Preen or Robin Cousins #
• @cha0tic I just can't imagine the brain dead brainstorming that came up with that idea #
• @simplychrista If the weather report I just saw holds up they'll get plenty of opportunity. #
• @Ulyverse I was wondering but was too polite to ask #
• @Ulyverse I can do pedantic if you want but its far too cold right now #
• @MoonWolf95 Thanks I'd return the compliment but it seems to only want to offer me Parking or Anime as topics you influence me on lol #
• @cimota We need a word for that – I had something similar when starting PC and it said "16,423 updates to apply do not turn off until done" #
• @symatt Any people get a haircut applied as an effect by the printer Seriously this explains it better than I could http://t.co/erCCo8Em #
• @SteveHills I've called in a strike by an orbital mass driver on your location. Look up now & you should see the asteroid just about to hit #
• Analysis of Bifrost survey now winging its way to Steve Blease for Ragnarok. #
• @Dicecreator Very cool and a Ftaghn Christmas to you to #
• @deadorcs What formula did you us? #
• @deadorcs Cool. Will you have lights and/or tinsel as well this year? #
• @Danacea Good piece. Not hugely surprised that WH Smiths are in a lot of bother in the vote. #
• Drag and drop upload in WordPress is pretty cool #
• The Cold Soap Window Sill Steam Phenomenon photographs http://t.co/pS3Rsay2 #
• @Troppers Onions, Carrots, Salt , Pepper & Herbs (Bay Leaf, Parsley). Garlic. Possibly leeks, celery, mushrooms, fennel, tomatoe #
• @Troppers I had to shorten the original list to fit twitter. Garlic is very much an if you like it in stock. #
• @MoonWolf95 I had to add it as something you're influential on. #
• @Troppers I'd not put gammon and garlic together personally #
• @MoonWolf95 Just Klout being weird and not getting the obvious stuff while picking out random stuff. #
• @Troppers Cool. Onion and salt are the key ingredients and have been at least as far back as the ancient Egyptians. #
• I expected Chicken Curry with Cardamom to taste more of Cardamom still it was pleasant and not fussy to make. #
• The Glasgow of Young James Herriot seems to be a ghost town with no trams & barely any other transport in sight but enjoyable anyway. #
• Is it just me or does pretty much everything sent mail order at the moment come with vouchers for money off wine? #
• @undercoverman The weather this year it was like completely crazzzzy man! Especially the rain of petit fours on July 42! #
• @realsimjoy So far I have resisted. Although I have a nice bottle of rioca stashed away for New Years Eve #
• @realsimjoy So far vouchers: one for a bit off, one for free delivery over £100, one for £40 towards a 12 bottle case and one like yours. #
• @greywulf And the Cliff Diving Award goes to… Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Splat! #
• @cultauthor At the end can you do that laugh he does? #
• @STARBURST_MAG I'll probably see at least one or two of them but the trailers make me want to say none of the above. #
• @symatt I've been snacking on trail mix today. All that dried fruit is healthy right. That means no calories right #
• @xtamsynx A slow download could be at the other end – especially now for smaller websites 1 user with a good connection can swamp a server #
• Vue 10 PLE and Trial Versions now available http://t.co/kTrjz5AX #
• @xtamsynx Is it slow compared to what you're used to getting? #
• @call_me_salome I thought you were a bot but if you're saying your a man I'll not be upset #
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows my review with spoilers http://t.co/O7hvkfyY #
• @call_me_salome My GP tells me no man should wear jeans that tight. They can cause problems with the digestion. #
• @call_me_salome lol. In '78 I was too young to understand the significance of Olivia Newton John being stitched into those jeans for Grease. #
• More interesting than more Ugg boots RT @call_me_salome: Surreal shoes of the day. http://t.co/8yeskBtf #
• Email spam way down but 864 spam comments to my blog since 5 December – 120+ for Ugg Boots? Not one made it past akismet #
• @ehlanakovas Not attractive but different #
• Goodnight clouds. Goodnight sky. Goodnight twitter. Goodnight world. #
• @xtamsynx I'd be tempted to talk to my ISP then. Years ago Orange broke mine by putting their gear into diagnostic mode #
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows my review with spoilers http://t.co/O7hvkfyY #
• @xtamsynx Glad you got it sorted #
• @Thisangelbites That would be unfortunate #
• @jearle Google need to open it up both ways with APIs or its in danger of becoming another casualty of their wanderings into social media. #
• @GRIMACHU Oy! Leave it out I was just starting to drop off nicely then. #
• Spending the day coding C# always leaves me feeling far more like falling asleep than coding PHP. #
• @jearle I know. Yet somehow Facebook do and accept that making money on a % is better than a walled garden that fail. #
• @Ghostwoods lol #
• Personally I'll take the brass trio busking near the office over the usual guitarist with a backing tape but I seem to be in a minority here #
• Finishing the last day at work for 2011 with a bit of WordPress. Nice. #
• @Troppers Depends – did you speak with your mouth full? #
• @MoonWolf95 Just a guess from but that shape will have a lower centre of gravity than a cube so less chance of rolling on landing. #
• @MoonWolf95 Plus its tried and tested for 40 odd years so most of the kinks have been worked out of that design making it safer + cheaper #
• @Thisangelbites That looks rather good – I might be near one of their shops I can see a purchasing accident happening #
• @MoonWolf95 You're on a 2 year mission to Mars on the way there IIS has an accident – now you can't get home. #
• @MoonWolf95 Plus the assemble in orbit idea is nice but I'll bet quality & cost are cheaper when done on the ground even with launch cost. #
• @MoonWolf95 Long term yes but the number of manned space flights is still barely out of the early flight era. Stick with what we know. #
• @MoonWolf95 Or you get overly enthusiastic unrealistic programmes. Not just space read Neville Shute's Slide Rule for airship engineering #
• For the last time in 2011. Home time #
• @DanDiplo Ask the MP for Cannock Chase in Staffordshire #
• Something tells me the driver of the shiny red Ferrari didn't buy it for sitting in a traffic jam in a less fashionable area of Liverpool. #
• @Ulyverse I shocked some colleagues by not only knowing who William Orbit is but having some CDs of his music. #
• Listening to the @TheUkes cover of Teenage Dirtbag http://t.co/ThqKJWFa #
• @Troppers Trouble is the one in my head from the books beats all of the actors. Although everyone except RM gets part of him right. #
• @Troppers I wouldn't want to over promote them. But the novels are worth a look and the short stories include some intriguing oddities. #
• @Troppers Personally Dr No as its close to the Connery film, Casino Royale as that's the Bond of the books before any polishing… #
• @Troppers …+ The Living Daylights just because the whole of novella is 5 min of the film but read others first as its not like the films. #
• @call_me_salome He's behind you. (I could say yes but its panto season) #
• Happy Christmas http://t.co/gskEf6is (this year's virtual Christmas Card) #