The Dark Knight.

Yesterday, my girlfriend and I went to watch The Dark Knight, and it's as brilliant as you've heard it is. Generally, these films rarely live up to the hype, but this movie does. It's edgy, dark, exciting, intelligent and thought-provoking. That's right, thought-provoking! I can't ever remember coming out of any other comic book movie and having a lengthy discussion about the moral questions raised by the movie. It is a long movie, but thinking about it, I can't think what could've been cut out without ruining the film, as every scene is important to the plot or character development.

The script is fantastic. It looks and sounds amazing, the production design, stunts and effects are all top notch. Even the music is fantastic. (No Prince songs to announce the Joker's arrival in this film!) The performances are nearly all spot on. Everyone is banging on about Heath Ledger's Joker, and he is good, although probably not the Oscar-worthy performance some people are calling it, but he does blow away Jack Nicholson's pantomime act in the 1989 Batman. Ledger's Joker is a vicious psychopath, not doing it for money (which he proves in one fire-raising scene) but because his nihilistic antics amuse him. Ledger's performance in this movie, however, is not as good as Gary Oldman's as Jim Gordon. It's less showy, certainly, but Oldman is, for me, the standout in this film, and the best Commissioner Gordon ever (that said, the others weren't much competition, really.) Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman isn't lost in all the acting showboating, he more than holds his own, and is a more convincing Wayne than he was last time around. Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is also good, but he does just degenerate to thug mode when he becomes Two-Face. Still better than Tommy Lee Jones' hammy turn in Batman Forever, though. In fact, this is a good ensemble piece with all of the performers doing their jobs superbly.

This movie is amazing. This is how you should do sequels. I'm just hoping the director Christopher Nolan sticks around to do the inevitable third movie (seeing as it has had the biggest opening of any movie ever) because this franchise is, so far, something special, and finally the character of Batman is getting the movies it deserves.

One thing I will complain about however, is its rating. It's been given a 12A, which means young kids can go and see it with their folks, but this is not a kids film. It's violent and scary, and any six-year old youngster who is going to see it because he loves Batman is going to be absolutely freaked out (and not in a good way) by the movie. Although the violence isn't that bloody or graphic, it's still too nasty for young children to watch. Also, given the knife-crime epidemic that this country is undergoing at the moment, I don't think kids need to see the scene in which the Joker explains why he loves stabbing people. I can also imagine young children getting frightened by Two-Face (although it's fantastic FX work combining prosthetics and CGI, but it's too gruesome for small kids to see.)

That said, this 34 year-old loved it, and I want to see it again, a film this layered and intelligent needs multiple viewings, I reckon. The best movie of the year so far and probably the best comic-book movie ever. Awesome.

Kids Today.

I know this post will make me sound like a moaning old fart, but what the hell is wrong with some young people today? (Please notice that I wrote 'some', not 'all', as I know that there are many great youngsters out there.)
Usually, I'm thinking these negative thoughts about teenagers after every bus journey I take around Birmingham. Usually, it's thoughts like 'Why haven't these wankers heard of headphones? Why do they think everyone wants to listen to their shitty, tinny music? It sounds like Pinky and Perky!'
Today, I'm also hating youngsters because of a bus journey, but it wasn't because of some selfish scrote playing his crappy MP3s out loud on his phone. It was because, today, whilst travelling back from Birmingham city centre on the 97 bus with my two daughters, some little shitbags lobbed a brick at the bus window. The bus window right next to where my youngest daughter was sitting. Luckily, it struck the bottom of the window and bounced off. Any higher, and the rock would've probably come straight through and who knows what would've happened? The window was a write-off, though, and the driver had to make the rest of the journey at a snail's pace so it wouldn't fall out.
What makes these little wastes of spunk tick? Why is this fun? If I ever grab hold of them, it'll stop being fun for them. I'd make them wish their fathers pulled out early, the little fuckers.
Right, rant over.

Watch out, Obama!

Ain't It Cool?

Septic Isle has been reviewed at Ain't It Cool, and it's a mostly positive one. The reviewer, Ambush Bug, (not the real one, obviously. He's too busy annoying the DC universe to be bothered reviewing British indie comics) gives special mention to the 'ear jabbing in the gaping ear wound' scene, which is one of my favourites, too. I remember wincing when I first read that in the script all that time ago, and I'm glad it's had the same effect on at least one reader! Anyway, I'll stop jabbering away so you can go and read the review, here.

Knob namesake.

Ever since Septic Isle came out, I've been guilty of putting my name into Google to see what people have been saying about the book and my artwork. I think it's known as 'Googlebating', but it does throw up some interesting results. Besides trudging though loads of listings about articles about David Trimble written by a journalist called 'Mick', I've found out that there's another Mick Trimble who used to play bass in a band called Iluvatar. Maybe he also puts his (our) name into Google and only finds criticisms of my 'wobbly linework'!

There are other interesting finds, such as this: The Trimble Funeral and Cremation Centers. You can now say goodbye to a dear departed loved one in that special Trimble way. This might mean less swearing than if you booked me personally, and that can only be a good thing, right?

I've also found out that there are 'Trimble tribute bands'. Excellent! You can book them here. While I have visions of four blokes dressed like me rocking out, it's just that these are bands who are from, or operate in Trimble County, Kentucky.

I think it's brilliant that there's a Trimble county! Maybe I should go and live there, claim my throne and live like the king I should! Maybe I can get my technically American lovely girlfriend to take me and help translate. (She's been complaining lately that I haven't mentioned her on this blog for ages. Happy now, Heather?) The main reason to go to Trimble county, however, is to see the magnificent Trimble Knob. Lots of people have marvelled at the magnificence of the Trimble knob, they want to go and sit on it. But only if it's a nice day and they can take a picnic.


TRIMBLE KNOB.

Don't You Think They Look Tired?

This post is about last night's finale to the current series of Doctor Who, so if you've not seen it yet, don't read, as it will contain spoilers, I mean, who would've thought the Doctor would regenerate into Michael Barrymore? Only kidding! Awight?

The positives:

Julian Bleach was excellent as Davros. His scenes with the Doctor were tense, and him making the Doctor realise that he turns his companions into weapons was a brilliant scene. Much better than last year's scenes with John Simm's Master. Bleach's performance from under all that latex (and it was a fantastic design, updating but not completely changing Davros) was fantastic. A proper, shouty, scary villain for once.

Visually, it was fantastic. The SFX were brilliant, and it's great these days that British TV SF can compete with the production values of its American counterparts.

I liked the Daleks shouting in German. It was an unsubtle allusion to them being nazis, but I enjoyed it.

The end of Donna's time on the TARDIS was bleak. I likes me some bleak, sometimes. Very dark for a kids' show. A bit cruel though, seeing her develop and realise her full potential over the last thirteen episodes just to have her 'reset' button pressed and she reverts back to being a shouty caricature again. It was sad seeing the Doctor almost get ignored as he said goodbye.

Bernard Cribbins. He's been brilliant throughout this series, but the scene at the end when he realises how lonely the Doctor is, with the Doctor standing in the rain, was excellent. And I'm glad they didn't spoil the scene with a 'What?!' moment like they have the last couple of times.


The negatives:

I understand it was Russell T. Davies clearing the decks before he buggers off and lets Steven Moffat take over, but why did he feel the need to bring back nearly everyone? (Pete Tyler was a curious omission.) Martha's mum returned just to hug her daughter, cry a bit and then hide under a table. Jackie Tyler with a gun? What did Torchwood add to this episode? K-9 just teleporting in? None of them added much to the plot.
I knew after last week David Tennant wasn't going to change into another Doctor. There was no way Davies would've let him go without a big sentimental speech saying ta-ra first, and we didn't get that, and it would've been a shit way for him to bow out anyway, being winged by a Dalek because he was running to give Rose a bit of a hug. (That Rose is shit, anyway. Who reactivated the last Dalek? She did. Who activated the Genesis Ark? She did. Who got the Doctor shot in last week's episode? She did!) So we didn't get a regeneration. What we did end up with was another Doctor; two lots of smug gurning for the price of one!
A lot of the ideas set up in last week's episode were just wasted or ignored. What was the point of the Shadow Proclamation? After being referred to loads of times in previous episodes, it turns out it's just a posh shop inhabited by the Judoon and albino clones of that sex-change weird curly haired antiques expert kid. We were led to believe that they were going into battle, but they never showed up again. The Haagen-Dazs key, or whatever it was called, was another red herring, and was easily cancelled out by Davros and a transportation device. (I had to smile at that UNIT guy who didn't want his name to be associated with the end of the world. Who's going to know?) And what was the point ofthat necklace thing Sarah Jane had?
So, let me get this right. Dalek Caan went back in time to save the Daleks from annihilation in the Time War so he could kill them all over again? What?!! Why did Davros have a handy control panel in the same room as the prisoners that can control (and destroy) all the Daleks? And why was the same control panel built for use by humans? And what was the point of atomising everything in the universe anyway?
Also, I found the ending, with Rose going off with the Human Doctor, a little bit creepy. Rose settles for a second-best blow-up sex doll version of the Doctor? (Also, this makes it possible in the future, whoever the Doctor is, that Tennant can always come back as a guest star, no matter how old or fat he gets!)
And the Tardis towing the Earth back to it's rightful place just looked stupid. Last week, we were told that relocating planets took 'fearsome technology', and the TARDIS went on fire getting to the same point last week (bit of a design fault, that, a time machine that goes on fire when travelling through time!), but bringing the Earth back was a piece of piss, just tow it like some cosmic AA truck. And this was just after he'd sent all the other planets back by just throwing switches, why did he need to tow the Earth back? It was just so the cast could stand around the TARDIS console winking and smiling and hugging each other and looking smug. They reminded me of the contestants of The Crystal Maze when one of them had just won another crystal.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it, but I think Davies is bowing out at the right time. Maybe I'm too hard-hearted for the sad stuff to affect me. Maybe I'm too cynical and the wrong age to appreciate this fully, because my youngest daughter (who's twelve) said to me just after it finished: "That was the best episode EVER!"

Britain Is Broken.

Just a quick post to tell you all that the Septic Isle website is now live and ready for your perusal. I've done some new art for the site; Profile pics of the main players in the story. You'll find out that I was in a 'hand' mood on the day I did those, all the characters are doing stuff with their hands! Anyway, have a look for yourself, here.