Rev Stan's blog

One for the girls (or boys if that's your thing)

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:42:04 +0000

Slightly disturbed by what appears to be Prince Harry and also Daniel Radcliffe included among these. Do you think there is something subliminal going on which makes certain faces stand out the most? Mine was Jake Gyllenhaal.

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Today's Tweets

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:30:06 +0000

22:06 Blubbed all the way through Bright Star. Walked past Edgar Wright on way to Leicester Square. #
22:10 @adders Hope you got to Guildford OK and had a nice dinner. #
22:43 Off to bed. Exhausted by all the excitement #
08:44 Right, Bright Star blog post written, pancakes for breakfast I think. #
17:30 Good Bye Lenin! is on BBC 4 tonight. It's a fab film, you should watch it. #

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A sunny day

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:13:31 +0000

Woke up this morning to bright blue skies so I just had to make the most of it. I've been meaning to try and take some nice Autumnal shots so I walked up to Green Park to see what there was by way of subject matter.
Just a few of my favourites the rest are on Flickr

Autumn leaves in Green Park

Curious squirrel

The squirrel's are quite tame as they are used to being fed by the tourists. This little chap was looking to see if I had anything for him. I didn't but he and his Green Park buddies don't really look malnourished, far from it.

A tourist annoying one of the Green Park pelicans

Green Park has had pelican's since the reign of Charles II. I wonder whether visitors to the park back then were as annoying. I did get some non-tourist shots of the pelican after I pushed this man in (joke).

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Leicester Square reflection

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:46:46 +0000

Leicester Square reflection, originally uploaded by Rev Stan.

I'll always remember taking this picture. Not because of the picture itself - Leicester Square after a heavy, Autumnal downpour - but because of what happened leading up to taking it.
I'd just cried my way through Bright Star at the Curzon and was on my way to the bus stop, hat pulled down low to try and cover my face, trying to compose myself and I passed Edgar Wright in the street and then I came upon this scene.

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A thing of beauty is a joy forever

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:41:48 +0000

Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish as John Keats and Fanny Brawne

OK so Bright Star was in a win-win situation:

John Keats: check
Jane Campion: check
Ben Whishaw: check

The trailers were promising. Campion was going to have to do something pretty stupid for me not to like this film, for me not to love this film.

For those who don't know the story, it is told through the eyes of Fanny Brawne, the neighbour and object of romantic poet John Keats' affection and some would say muse. The two were unable to marry because Keats didn't have any money as his poetry was yet to gain mass market appeal and then his life was cut short by TB.

Keats wrote beautiful poetry and this is a beautiful film. The setting, showcasing the simple beauty of English nature is like a third character next to Brawne and Keats.

The script is kept simple almost with the attitude that less says more leaving Abbie Cornish who plays Brawne and Whishaw who plays Keats to showcase a more subtle side to their acting abilities.

There is one particular scene which cements Cornish as such a talent, I find it hard to believe that she could have produced such overwhelming emotion for more than one take. It is when Brawne finds out from Keats' friend Charles Brown that he has died in Rome, where he had traveled to for the good of his health to avoid the British winter.

The performance touches on such grief and heartbreak that it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. And it is up there with Juliet Stephenson in Truly Madly Deeply.

If I was to judge this film on tears alone, my tears that is, not the actors, it would get a very damp 10 out of 10 as blubbed the whole way through. And I wasn't the only one in the cinema.

Not that I particularly care but here are what some of the professionals thought:

Daily Telegraph "It’s by some measure the best film she’s ever made. It feels special without being at all precious. Eloquent, too, but not self-consciously lyrical or florid."

Time Out "A combination of unstuffy dialogue, wise casting, unselfconscious performances and sensuous but never pretty photography makes Campion’s version of the nineteenth century feel current but not anachronistic."

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Today's Tweets

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:30:05 +0000

17:29 At curzon sitting on comfy sofa with a glass of red waiting for my bright star #

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Today's Tweets

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:30:05 +0000

21:06 Shhhh...Spooks is on. #
07:31 More theatre tonight. This time a bit of Alan Bennett at the National. Lovely. #

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Today's Tweets

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:30:06 +0000

21:09 Out on a Monday night = knackered on a Tuesday night. Off for an early night. #

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Christmas is coming, already

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:55:49 +0000

Christmas is coming, already, originally uploaded by Rev Stan.

We haven't even had Bonfire Night yet and there I was walking through Covent Garden last night when I came across this street decoration in Seven Dials, Covent Garden.

Then I find out that the Christmas lights on Oxford Street and Regent Street were switched on tonight so I guess that means that the season of retailers' profits and excessive consumerism is truly upon us.

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Back in Flickr's good books but beware of food porn

nobody@vox.com(Rev Stan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:27:59 +0000

My wrists duly slapped, I've promised to be a good Flickr user and remember to follow the rules from now on. And as a reward my Flickr account is now listed as 'safe' again so I no longer feel like my holiday snaps have a seedy veneer.

I've duly noted the guidance of usage:

Please keep the Flickr guidelines in mind when moderating
your content in the future.
Female breasts, bare/thong bottom, see through topless
nudity, pasties, etc.. images need to be marked as
"moderate".
Genitalia/pubic hair images need to be marked as
"restricted".

Although I'm curious to know why pictures of meat and vegetables wrapped in pastry, Cornish-style, need to be moderated. Food porn? And if pasties are bad what do they include in the etc? Fish and chips...cakes...Sunday roast? I better moderate my pic of my five hour lamb just to be on the safe side...

Pasties - pictures should be moderated on Flickr

Picture is from here

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