Weekend Mix

If you ever want to see a movie without being disturbed, see if you can get into a late night showing!

I really fancied seeing The Golden Compass and figured it would probably be really busy. However, the local Vue cinema had a late night showing I thought I'd try out ... at 11:20pm. Perhaps not the best time to watch a film if you're already tired from the week's activities, but better than being surrounded by noisy, jabbering, spotty little oiks who can't keep quiet for longer than 30 seconds.

Figuring that since there was a late show it was anticipated to be quite busy, I headed there a little early to get the good seats ... from which there was a helluva selection as there was nobody else there!

As it got closer to the movie starting, I started to realise it was pretty much going to be a private showing: by the time the film started, there were only seven of us watching. Either the film isn't as popular as they were expecting or people really don't like staying for late shows.

So, what about the film?

Well, to be honest, I was a little disappointed. I really enjoyed reading Northern Lights and as such I guess I had quite high expectations; on that basis, perhaps my disappointment is a little unfounded.

That said, there are two gripes I have with the film:
  • the CGI occasionally suffered from a lack of fluidity, making some of the scenes obviously fake: this always ruins it for me, especially when it is so good in the rest of the film. It's almost like they ran out of time...

  • it suffered a little from the Eragon-syndrome: a bit of action/plotline, followed by epic voyage scenery shot, followed by dropping you back into new action. Its a very lazy way of cutting a storyline down, and sometimes you're left feeling that you've missed something between story parts.
Okay, I know its aimed squarely at older kids and, as such, I don't think these points will affect their enjoyment as much as it would an adult, so these comments are somewhat moot. However, I will probably watch it again when I am more alert and can take it in a little better!
* * * * *
Some people around here are a little too eager for Christmas and present-wrapping.

Earlier on Saturday, I decided to pop to ASDA to get a few bits that I had run out of and needed urgently, and spotted this car all nicely wrapped for a new owner!



See, there is comedy all around us, its just a case of finding it ... or creating it! :-D

Which actually gives me an idea ... in theory, you could wrap a car in cling-film, graffiti all over it, film the owner freaking out, then show them they can peel it off again. No harm done.

Hmmm, move over Beadle ... oh, you already have!!
* * * * *
How many of you have received a card in the post from Royal Mail informing you that they are holding a letter or parcel where not enough postage has been paid?

Well, I had one such letter a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't going to collect it as I figured that if the sender couldn't be bother to pay the full postage cost, then why should I fork out for it. However, when I got a card for something that needed signing for, I figured I might as well collect that too.

£1.16 it cost me! And what was it? A couple of A4 pages from an exhibitor at the Home Building and Renovating Exhibition that I attended earlier this year with my cousin.

The guilty party? A company called Hinges & Brackets* that, surprisingly, sells ... um ... hinges and brackets.

As I've been a bit short-tempered recently, I decided that I would respond to them and attempt to get my money back. So I wrote a polite yet succinct letter to the company, enclosing the envelope as evidence, not really expecting anything.

Last Friday, I received this:


No comments. No notes. You think they were making a point with the sellotaped coins?! :-D

Still nothing from Martin McColl and, as expected, nothing from PC World about my rather negative feedback.

Perhaps they could learn something from this company...
* * * * *
Yesterday, I finally got off my widening backside and sorted out my wireless connection and, joy of joys, not only does the PC connect wirelessly to the router now I've scrapped the software that came with it, but my PSP can now too! Hoorah!

Online gaming, here we come!



* For the older ones amongst you, this does not refer to those terrible English ladies Hinge and Bracket!

Comments

Cath said…
At the place I worked before here someone had a brand new yellow Lotus delivered. He was pretty chuffed with it, so the guys from sales thought it would hilarious to play around with it.

Come home time I was down in the car park, looked over, and his lotus was wrapped in bubble wrap! He wasn't particulary amused, needless to say!
OddThomas said…
You'd think he would be happy about it as his colleagues obviously wanted to make sure his new baby didn't get scratched! ;-)
Anonymous said…
Nice to see you got the Wi-fi sorted out at ast, isnt that almost as long as it took to get your TV sorted out?
OddThomas said…
Umm ... yeah, but, no but, yeah but, no, right, I got this done pretty quick ...

I need at least another year to match the TV! :-D

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