Views from a small village

Jarvis - MOT = epic fail

2009-08-23T01:40:00.003+01:00

Well it was MOT time a couple of weeks ago and I've been steadily working through the 11 - yep eleven - fails Jarvis (SIIa landrover) received. He was most miffed!

Here is the full excruciating list:

Indicator switch insecure
Horn does not function
Offside position lamp not working
Offside headlamp not working
Nearside front wheel bearing excessive play
Nearside front wheel bearing rough when rotated
Nearside front drag link end ball joint excessive play
Rear brake hose ferrule excessively corroded
split pins missing from hand brake swivel brake clevis joint locking device missing
offside front seat belt insecurely fixed
Front brakes imbalanced

Now with an old vehicle - Jarvis is 46 years old - one does anticipate some issues come MOT time and this list, whilst long, is not as bad as it seems.

However, certain things are either ironic (both horn and sidelight decided NOT to function ONLY within the MOT centre) or slightly fussy (the indicator switch is only slightly loose). The good news is, though, that as I thought the chassis is rock solid - always the biggest concern on these old buggers.

I did find the result a bit disheartening as I had worked on the vehicle since I got it in Jan this year, fixing the advisory items from the previous MOT (done at the same garage). Items such as missing split-pins etc must have been missing back then but the tester was different to the one who did my MOT. It also felt like the landy had not been looked after which is not the case. It's horrible waiting, it feels like you are on trial or something!

Still, this has given me the opportunity to learn more mechanics through necessity - till I got Jarvis I was not up to much more than doing routine servicing on cars.

So I've learned recently how to take apart front hubs, remove wheel bearings, fit and replace wheel bearings, remove drums and brake shoes, fit new brake adjusters, replace brake shoes, remove ball joints (a right pain even with the tool till you get the knack of it), replace ball joints.

I'm learning as I go so progress is a little slower than hoped - the rain this month has not helped - but I am also rather fussy, anything that comes off the vehicle is either replaced or at least cleaned up/painted where necessary, and I use copper grease as required to make any future maintenance a nicer experience!

So I am left with items 1, 4 & 8 to do. 10 is a moot point - this vehicle does NOT require seat-belts. I nabbed too off another landy but one was faulty so I fitted the passenger belt to ensure my son was safe when in the vehicle.

11, well that was probably down to the wonky hub, however I have replaced all the front brake shoes and adjusters - though the fit in the hubs is a little tight. Learning to bleed the brakes once I have replaced the corroded hose, and adjusting them up, is the job I am least looking forward to - series brakes can apparently be a right pain in the proverbial to get right.

Oh, and I do have a tip - see I am learning - for those of you who also have fairey free-wheel hubs and have not yet had to strip them for access to the half-shafts / wheel-bearings. Be very careful with the plastic 'worm' strip that you have to remove when taking the hubs off. I had trouble finding it till I realised that what looked like a black, metal counter-sink in the top of the hub (the bit where the flat screw comes out) was actually the circular collar which is attached to the white plastic strip - it was simply filthy!

Take care when removing this - it has to be pulled out that hole it's whole length - they can go brittle and are very hard to find replacements for.

Refitting it is also a bit fiddly, I went with greasing the underneath of the strip and then used vice-grips to push about 2 cm's in at a time, position the vice-grips just far enough along the strip from the hole that the strip stays rigid (any further away and the extra length in front of the grips will just bend). You have to hold the hub in with your other hand and, to avoid the mistake I made, try not to overpush it on - it pushes the hub slightly past the channel for the strip, making re-inserting it almost impossible.

So, perhaps this time next week I will be holding a fresh MOT with NO advisories to show off - and can get on with the job of cleaning/painting the chassis, full oil and filter change, fluid replacement in all the diffs, axles, swivels, steering tube, gear box, transfer box, overdrive, and doing the fun stuff like wiring up my spotlights, 2nd battery, split-charger, rear worklamps, inverter, second seat-belt, rear lap belts........

Star Trek

2009-05-27T19:06:00.012+01:00

Ok, this isn't a full in-depth review of JJ Abrams reboot of an ailing, once-popular franchise.

Short review is that - it rocks! Yes it's a little more action-oriented than some of the navel gazing entries in the film series which ended with the ponderous Nemesis, but this is a fantastic entry into the series - it serves to both reboot and reinvigorate the series to great effect.

Great effects, for the most part a decent story (meanders a little in the middle as the writers join up a few dots but it's executed with such pace and panache it's hardly noticeable) and, JJ's trump card - an excellent cast. Pine's Kirk is nicely nuanced, Quinto, as a young Spock, looks like he will grow into the - admittedly large - shoes once worn by Nimoy, Uhura is played as fiercely intelligent, almost bookish and beautiful (ok she had no choice on that one) by Zoe Saldana, Cho underplays Sulu effectively, Urban channels DeForest Kelley marvellously, and Pegg does a modern Scotty ok - sure he is utilised a little to comic effect but he does get the biggest laugh - in Scotland at least - when he tells Kirk and Spock to 'get tae'! JJ even finds room to give Bruce Greenwood the chance to portray an exceptional Captain as the stoic, courageous Pike.

Nero - well as a Baddie his motivations could be a little more mapped out - apparently some of his footage was cut due to running time concerns, although Bana does his best to portray a very alien, determined foe. If you've not seen the film yet - then I urge you to source a copy of the prequel comic which is a decent story in itself, and greatly fills in Nero's character background, motivation, and explains his hostility and hatred of Spock, whilst also setting up events that follow in the movie.

So yes - it's an unqualified success.

So, the point of this ramble? Well I wanted to discuss the 'complaints' and 'barbs' that the film has still managed to attract from hardened 'trekkers'. Now, my family are all big Trek fans - we've even gone so far as to have a Birthday Party for my Brother where everyone dressed as characters from Star Trek - and I've even dressed as a Klingon. In the early days of Sky TV we would religiously gather every evening at 10pm for the latest episode of The Next Generation.

Yet, despite this, I knew that a reboot was needed (in all honesty I though Star Trek was probably spent entirely) - Enterprise the series was turgid and bland, shedding most of it's audience before improving towards the end, and Nemesis was dreadful. The franchise was on it's knees. Paramount knew this, and took the gamble of rebooting the series AND trying to engage a new, young audience - the blockbuster viewers - at the same time. Ambitious - certainly, and a huge risk which has paid off - the film already on course for a +$200 Million domestic gross, being easily the most popular film of the year.

Is it this success that has alienated some of the hardcore Trekkers? Quite possibly - this was 'their' baby - the previous films did not do anything near the reboot's figures with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home being the only one to break the 'blockbuster' 100 million dollar mark. So it was their secret and now 14 year olds are discovering, and taking ownership of, their franchise. Like a slighted woman, they do not like giving up their obsession to anyone else.

Is it because the film-makers, writers etc set-out to alienate the hardcore fans? Well in a word - no. A second viewing shows the writers bending both ways in order to make a movie with the epic feel of Star Wars yet going out of their way to accommodate the fans. Don't believe me - well a second viewing shows this little list of nods to classic Star Trek (some minor spoilers ahead):

Bones "dammit Spock, I'm a Doctor not a physicist"
Kirk - marooned, alone and weaponless - on a barren planet v a BIG monster
Learning the origin of James T Kirk's terrible middle-name
Orion slave girl...
...Uhura & Spock, finally (see Plato's Stepchildren)
Captain Pike still ends up in a wheelchair
Kobayashi Maru...
..and Kirk with apple (see Wrath of Khan)
Red Shirted Crewmember!
Sulu fencing (see The Naked Time)
Tribble on Scotty's desk
Admiral Archer's beagle

I'm sure there are many more, but really it's churlish to decry this movie as not having the Trek 'ethos'. We see people, strangers even, thrown together by a huge threat who learn to work together, to save both themselves and others, in the finest tradition of Starfleet, they overcome insurmountable odds, to assume their destinies - what's not Trek about that? Hell, they even try to redeem the baddie before the inevitable.

Gene Roddenberry would have approved.

Traquair Medieval Fayre 2009

2009-05-27T17:33:00.005+01:00

Now normally I would be on the other side of the ropes but a knee injury and a bout of clinical depression saw me drift away from the re-enactment scene - I haven't picked up a sword in about 2 years, which is a sad state of affairs.

However, I knew that my mates from my (lapsed membership of) re-enactment society The Northmen (www.northmen.org.uk) were performing over both days of the Fayre held at Traquair House, near Innerleithen in Scotland.

This was too good an excuse to get the landrover wheels dusty, fire up the K20D and head down to Innerleithen via one of my favourite runs - the B709 from Heriot on the A7 - right through a fantastic sheep infested valley (a truncated glacial valley methinks). A brilliant route - with rough camping spots and a cyclists dream - 13 miles downhill (trust me, I cycle-camped that route once).

On the left, Andrew of The Northmen during the parade.

I was a bit rusty with the K20D having not got out much with it this year (and truth be told I am still to master it having only got it in December) - so that, using legacy manual focus lenses as I was too far away from the action for my fav 16-45mm, horrendous bright sunshine, and the crowd being determined to get in my way at every opportunity made for a difficult shoot as my stuffed up exposures will testify!. Enjoyable nonetheless.

On the right, Phil & Rob of The Northmen.

Robert of The Northmen leads the Parade as King James IV's Herald

As one has come to expect of The Northmen, they put on some excellent displays of weaponry skill and, more importantly, delivered some entertaining fights for the large crowd.

Gary shows the speed and power of the much-maligned staff

The humble staff - about all a conscripted working man would be able to afford, is often laughed at during battle re-enactments, often combatants refuse to even acknowledge a 'hit' from this weapon. However, it is a much more accurate weapon of the period - you just would NOT see common foot-soldiers wielding swords - at best they would have pikes, staffs, axes & hatchets (I use the 'excuse' that I earned my own sword by protecting my commander bravely during battle and being allowed to retrieve one item from the spoils recovered from the field of battle after a victory!). It also would just as effectively break bones, deflect sword strikes and prove very effective at keeping one's enemy at bay given it's length and range.

But, anachronism's aside - we all know the crowds come to watch Swords, Shields and Armour clash together!

A Knight and lightly-armoured footsoldier fight for the King's Honour!
(Knight equipped with buckler, pike and longword)

NB: Exposure stuffed up by yours truly, not the K20D!

Gary & Chris do a long-sword demo

Chris prepares to wallop Gary during a free-form fight which was very entertaining

So it was a fun day out and I got to experience these events from the other side of the rope. If you get a decent view the fights are more enjoyable to watch than I had expected from being a participant, but I'm now seriously hankering to return to the battlefield!

The K20D performed well although I learned 3 things - 1 - rtfm! 2 - despite normally shooting wide, I need a fast long-range zoom & 3 - don't move once you have a decent shooting position.

Jarvis - my SIIa was a joy again with the big perkins lump upfront proving frugal even on twisty, challenging B roads. Oh, and the ice cream we had in Innerleithen was just amazing!

Oh, and a final note for the re-enacter that growled me out for taking a small short-cut through camp. Yes, that's frowned upon, Yes, I completely forgot I was in civvies and should NOT have cut through the camp, but NO - that type of aggressive, arrogant and almost abusive approach to a member of the public will do nothing for the re-enactment scene - and not one of The Northmen would ever speak to a member of the public in anything other than a cordial and friendly manner - even if explaining the dangers of the encampment.

Landies at play

2009-05-23T13:12:00.000+01:00

My Brother-in-law Johnny is another mad petrol-head and, in particular, a total landrover nut. He has both a cracking TD5 pick-up and a fantastic ex-mod SII 109". He was working in Edinburgh in Oxgangs where they are knocking down the old flats and building proper houses with gardens etc in an attempt to modernize and revitalize a notorious part of town.

The opportunity to take the landies for a spin on this wasteland, and for me to indulge some photography at the same time, was too good to miss. There was a nice high, steep mound that had been created whilst clearing the site, which we just had to drive up.

The local neds even stopped their daily tasks (which appear to be stripping anything sell-able from their new luxury council houses!) to watch. I took the opportunity to shoot a couple of shots of the TD5:

Beautiful, isn't it?

One final meeting of old and new:

Next bit of off-roading definitely has to include some water and some real mud!

Landrovers

2009-05-23T12:13:00.000+01:00

I've wanted a landrover for ages and got one in January, a nice vintage SIIa - it's older than me!

However, it has been fantastically looked after - the previous owner is a great welder and the chassis is perfect. The clincher was that a Perkins diesel engine had been fitted that had barely been run-in - this will give 30+ mpg and run forever! The steering has all been sorted and even the leafsprings have all been cleaned and greased and work - as you will know when you bounce 2' in the air over a small speed bump!

As someone who is more comfortable with a precision screwdriver in his hand whilst fixing or building a PC, learning to maintain this old beast has been a steepish learning curve. However, I'm getting there - I've checked all the oil levels in the gearbox, transfer box and overdrive, fixed the wipers, replaced the duff windscreen water pump, replaced a seriously worn universal joint in the front propshaft, replaced the rear UJ at the same time although this only had slight play - it would only get worse. Next repair is to fix/replace the slightly leaky bung on the fuel tank.

So, your maybe wondering what the appeal is of these old, noisy, slow, drafy, leaky vehicles? Well, apart from their go-anywhere ability (off-road even the old Series vehicles are peerless), ability to tow anything and their iconic style, well it's the ability to customize these vehicles unlike any other.

Some mods and changes I've made so far:

Fitted 12v power sockets (cigarette lighter & usb)
made overhead console and fitted stereo into roof area
made and fitted central cubby box between front seats
fitted rear bench seats, seat backs and head-rests
utilized space under bench seats (which sit on frames atop the metal seat boxes) to store variety of tools
fitted hi-lift Jack to front of seat-box
made false fronts to the seat boxes to store additional tools, inverter, oil, hide jack etc
fitted rear work-lamps
fitted full length roof rack complete with front-spot lights and ladder (bought off a very nice chap in Perth)
constructed and fitted home-made raised air intake
carpeted inside
fitted gearbox/transmission tunnel soundproofing
fitted mini compressor
fitted full size defender mirrors (the current mirrors were absolutely useless)

Next job is to construct a second battery tray and install a battery + split charger to run the inverter. Also on the agenda is to partially floor the roof rack with chequer plate, chequer plate the wings to allow standing on to load front of the rack, fit a steering guard, fit rear speakers into false seat box fronts, line the roof, and fit some cab lights front and rear.

Long term mods are to fit solar panels to trickle charge the batteries and fit a rear reversing camera and build a PC into the truck as well - with an lcd screen fitted on a pivoting arm in the rear cab.

This may all sound like overkill but when finished I will have a go-anywhere vehicle that is completely fitted out for camping, for photography, will have mobile internet on a decent-spec fitted PC, has enough tools to be a mobile workshop or for on the road repairs.

Why? Well lots of reasons. 1 - I love camping so having such a capable vehicle which can charge my camera battery/mobile etc and eventually support a roof-top tent is just perfect. 2 - it will allow me to reach places that would take ages by foot, to let me shoot photos from different places - and I can use the roof rack as a raised viewing platform. 3 - my ambition is to go on an overland adventure into Arabia and Africa!

So there you have it; not everyone gets landrovers, but at least that's a glimpse into what you can do with one.

Yester Castle and the Goblin Ha'

2008-09-29T21:02:00.000+01:00

On Saturday, on the suggestion of the intrepid Dakota, and also in the company of Four Eyes One Lens from the Flickr East Lothian Group, we set off from Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland to Yester Estate in the search of Yester Castle and the Goblin Ha'.

From the gates to Yester Estate it took us well over an hours ramble to find the ruins of Yester Castle. We passed Yester House which was built by the architect James Smith (1645 - 1731) for John Hay, 2nd Marquess of Tweeddale, being completed in 1717.

After yours truly had led us down one wrong turn - spoiling Dakota's excellent interpretation 0f some emailed directions he had procured, the optician amongst us used his clarity of vision to point us on the correct path.

The ruins of Yester Castle do not dominate the skyline or make themselves apparent in the distance, infact you could easily pass within 10 metres of the ruins and miss them entirely - they are situated on steep banks and shrouded from view by overgrown trees and thicket.

Getting a clean shot is difficult due to the trees preventing a distant shot - however what remains is still spectacular - with an arched room revealing the construction technique of the low roof, and a stone fireplace, chimney and tower all still intact.

However, it was the second part of the Castle that we were most interested in: The Goblin Ha'. This is a vaulted subterranean chamber which remains intact and was a place where Sir Hugo de Giffard was thought to practice magic and became known as the Wizard of Yester, with the hall itself thought by locals to have been built by hobgoblins. The Goblin Ha' was referenced in the novel Marmion by Sir Walter Scott.

Having exhausted both ourselves and any possible shots, we returned by retracing our route, minus my silly detour, taking some shots of the ornate bridges and flora that we passed on our way back to Gifford.

The morning turned into afternoon and was rounded off in the comfort of the Goblin Ha'Inn where well-earned refreshments were taken and plans for our next trek to seek out another hidden-gem were formed. My thanks to my two muddy companions for their company, particularly D'akota for the idea to seek out the Goblin Ha' in the first instance.

National Treasure - Book of Secrets

2008-02-09T10:51:00.000Z

The first National Treasure movie came out of nowhere and rather stole the Da Vinci Code's thunder by weaving a tale of masonic conspiracies into a fun treasure hunt.

This sequel - Book of Secrets, follows a similar template - this time crafting a conspiracy around an American Civil War confederate plot to discover the City of Gold in order to finance their efforts to secure victory. In this treasure hunt, Cage's character is not only in pursuit of unimaginable treasure but also seeking to clear his Great Grandfather's name as Thomas Gates has been smeared as a conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln (Presidents play a big part in this film) by Ed Harris' antiquities collector whose motives for doing so are not yet clear.

The annoying sidekick Riley returns, not quite so annoying this time round, as do Gate's girlfriend played by Diane Kruger and Jon Voight as his Dad. As with the rule of sequels - (same + more) - Gate's Mother comes along for the ride (Helen Mirren) as she is needed both to decode an ancient Incan inscription and as a hostage for Ed Harris who, it seems, wants his hands on the treasure.

It's the equal of the first film for the most part - the action scenes are much crisper (even the oldies in Voight and Mirren get to do some action stuff!), and the clues mostly make sense - with the involvement of the US President and the final reveal all following the same logic. A sequel is also nicely set-up.

Loses some minor points for some lazy stereotypes when Gate's hunt for clues takes him to Paris and London ('Gor Blimey'). And, with the cast being bigger this time round, there is not a lot of good lines for the supporting characters who simply are there, at times, to help solve clues and push the plot/hunt along. Oh, and I can't not mention the hairpiece poor Cage is saddled with - it nearly comes a cropper in a few of the action scenes. Guess Hollywood can accept having older actors and bad guys who are receding / thin haired / bald but not their leading men!

I'm a big kid at heart and love adventure films - particularly treasure hunts so this hit the spot nicely. If you have trouble suspending disbelief it might be a film to steer clear of, otherwise it's two hours of light-hearted fun entertainment.

Quantum of Solace - Teaser Poster Out

2008-02-07T14:02:00.000Z

Staying on a Bond theme, the Teaser Poster for the next Bond (no 22) - Quantum of Solace is out. I like it - it's nice and stark.

To celebrate this small step towards the release of Quantum of Solace in November, I've made a wallpaper from the teaser poster, links below should you want it.

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Aston Martin DB5

2008-02-07T00:22:00.001Z

Aston Martin DB5
Originally uploaded by Gizmo_Ferguson

I put together a light-box for macro shots this afternoon - see instructions here: diy light box

Was cheap - about £4 pounds for the tracing paper and art card.

Seems to work nicely although I need to sort out my lights.

This is the first shot from it - a model DB5 as driven by James Bond in 'Goldfinger'.

Small Bridge

2008-02-05T08:59:00.001Z

Small Bridge
Originally uploaded by Gizmo_Ferguson

Was playing around with this photo as it wasn't quite right. The bridge was casting some marvellous shadows but the sky was blown-out.

There is a method for recreating the 'Orton effect' (a film method devised by MIchael Orton who created the technique of combining two images - a sharp layer overexposed by two stops and a blurred layer overexposed by one stop.

This creates a single image with an ethereal glow of an impressionist painting.)

I still wasn't happy so I recalled seeing a photo recently on flickr where a boring sky on an otherwise natural coastline shot had been replaced by a subtle feathered texture and it worked nicely.

As the Orton technique is meant to make the image look like a painting, I applied a canvas texture, and this is the result.

It's different, certainly, but I think more can be done with these techniques.

(Best viewed large by clicking photograph)

Chrissy

2008-02-01T19:33:00.000Z

Chrissy, as I've christened her, is my Series III 88' Land Rover (hence the land rover cup in the post below).

After a year and a bit of work, she is at the local welder this week for the small welds needed to the chassis. The engine is running sweetly and needs but a service, the gearbox hasn't needed any tlc at all and is, according to other Series landy owners, exceptionally quiet.

The only further matters to tackle before she is back on the road is full oil change (even the axles and cv joints in these old motors need oil), replacement of the master/slave clutch cylinders, new windscreen wipers and possibly a new relay - then it's off for an MOT and hopefully back on the road come the camping season in April if not before.

I know a lot of people object to 4x4 vehicles and they are taxed heavily (mine is a classic and therefore tax exempt) but these vehicles are not neccessarily more polluting simply due to the type of transmission. I also feel that restoring a vehicle, even if it will produce some C02 whilst in use (I plan to fit an LPG tank as part of my wish-list of upgrades as the gas is cheaper and produces less damaging emissions*) is more energy efficient. It would use much more energy, and generate a helluva lot more Co2 to produce a new vehicle - this is recycling in action!

On a side note it is considered that the amount of energy and dodgy chemicals used, particularly in the batteries, in building hybrid vehicles means these vehicles, over their lifetime, will have caused the production of much more Co2 in comparison with a conventionally petrol-engined model.

Besides, classics like this are not meant to be scrapped - roughly 70% of land rovers built are still running according to Land Rover.

I hope to use Chrissy for camping trips and to allow me to get to more remote areas of the country to further my photography. I also do historic re-enactment so she should allow me to cart more stuff to fairs and battles.

Hope you agree she's a beautiful old classic!

First person to figure out why she's called Chrissy I will send a postcard and a local beer to!

*mooted upgrades - finance and SHMBO** permitting:

Parabolic Springs
LPG Conversion
Roof rack
Roof Top Tent
Disc Braking
Deep cycle second battery
Split charging system
Inverter
Outer Roll Cage - under consideration

** She Who Must Be Obeyed (or Wife as they are also known)

Checker Plate Mug

2008-02-01T15:37:00.001Z

Checker Plate Mug
Originally uploaded by Gizmo_Ferguson

My first attempt to shoot in RAW mode ( a format which delivers the images out of the camera without compression / noise reduction / sharpening or smoothing taking place in-camera as with JPG files).

Certainly gives more control over the image, but as a consequence I need to practice processing better as I think I've left a bit too much noise in this shot (shot at ISO400 light by windowlight which would account for some noise/grain).

Still the highlights on the shiny silver surface are kinda nice.

Us landy-heads can't get enough of checker plating - it's nearly a fetish!

Speaking of land rovers.....see next blog.

2008-02-01T10:44:00.000Z

Brr, it is absolutely freezing today again. Blizzards, sleet and snow and gale-force winds - and my dog Bez* still wants to go out in it - and that's despite the poor pooch having pulled a muscle and is hobbling along on a mixture of anti-inflammatories and determination.

Apparantly it even snowed in Amman, the capital of Jordan yesterday - a rare event indeed. I flew into Amman from Aqaba once (beautiful place and claimant of the most hours of sunshine yearly) and our plane was delayed for three hours by fog. Yeah, yeah we thought as we all looked at each other nervously, assuming this was Jordanian-speak for the engine being gaffa-taped back on. Perhaps if it can snow in the otherwise sunny capital it can indeed get foggy....

*So named because he has no musical talent whatsoever and is a 'rubbish dancer'!

Blue Pink Red

2008-01-31T21:51:00.001Z

Blue Pink Red
Originally uploaded by Gizmo_Ferguson

Decide to have a wee go at making a montage of some flower shots, just enjoying the mix of colours.

The blue shot on it's own made explore - guess people find it hard to resist flower shots.

Brick

2008-01-31T20:20:00.000Z

I missed this at the cinema, probably because it got a limited release but picked it up on DVD as it sounded intriguing.

Intriguing is probably a good word to describe it. Noir-ish in feel and texture, it features Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Third Rock From The Sun) as a loner who investigates the circumstances surrounding his ex-girlfriend's disappearance, with help from The Brain. Feeling a little like a The Big Sleep but set on campus, he tracks down clues and infilrates the cliques and crime-rings that operate on and around his High School campus.

The cinematography and subtle soundtrack help add to the Noir feel - there's some nice use of contrasting light and shadow, and some scenes are deliberately shot from dutched angles to isolate the viewer, and in turn the protagonist, from the bigger picture.

Unfortunately, the unusual slang used by a lot of the characters is difficult to follow and the dialogue is often buried deep in the mix - a complaint I've noted from people who saw this at the cinema so it's not simply that I have a rather crappy centre speaker (not helped by my R2 release not having subtitles and defaulting to the 2.0 soundtrack not the 5.1). I don't normally have a problem with slang as it's usually nuanced, in context and delivered in a familiar rhythm that I can pick up and usually have a good idea what the characters are saying - A Clockwork Orange is a great example - Anthony Burgess' mixture of latin and soviet slang he wrote for the droogs seems to instantly make sense when read or indeed viewed in Kubrick's searing movie adaptation.

However, part of my befuddledment is probably due to the effect most noirs have on me -they almost always reveal more of themselves on a second viewing and are more enjoyable as you start spotting clues or red-herrings.

So I can't say whether I loved this or not but it certainly gripped me and should have rewatch value too. Definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of noir or to enjoy Gordon-Levit's excellent portrayal.

Casino Royale

2008-01-31T20:04:00.000Z

My, it's been a while since I posted anything - mind you, nobody's reading anyway! :D

In the face of the commercial success of the blockbuster-earning Die Another Day but with a stern critical backlash over the film's dodgy script, poor/over-use of CGI (Surfing Bond - just wrong) and gadgetry - its a far cry from the grittier Goldeneye - Eon take a brave but risky decison to reboot the Bond franchise - using not just the title but most of the actual Fleming story from the first Bond novel Casino Royale, which was previously filmed as a farce starring David Niven, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen.

In this Novel, the novice agent has just earned his '00' status becoming an early, less embittered and more naive MI5 agent.

Martin Campbell (Goldeneye) returns to shoot a Wade and Purvis script based on the book, which is reworked by the magic digits of Paul Haggis (screenwriter - Million Dollar Baby, Crash) which aims to take Bond back to the beginning- albeit setting the novel in a contemporary setting and retaining Judi Dench's 'M' despite the continuity paradox which seems to get lots of people hot under the collar.

Daniel Craig is chosen to play the first Blond Bond and was written off before a single 35mm frame is in the can by some people who think they can not only critique a film/actor but can do so before a single frame is in the can. Well, I do hope those idiots at 'craignotbond' had a dose of humble pie that gave them the shits as Craig absolutely nails the part, owning the tux and seamaster in a way that only Connery did previously. Strong, physical, rugged but Craig also nuances his perfomance with hints of the traits that Bond is known for - traits I'd imagine will be phased in slowly in the next movies following this reboot.

In Eva Green's Vesper, Craig has an exceptional actress to spar with - the scene on the train, the crisp, jousting dialogue clearly Haggis' work, well I'll not spoil it but it's my favourite 'on a train' scene after the memorable exchange between Cary Grant and Eva Saint-Marie in Hitchcock's Bond prototype North By Northwest.

Mads Mickelson makes for an interesting baddie in Le Chiffre, a terrorist banker who bets on the wrong horse and needs to run a high-stakes winner takes all game of Poker at Casino Royale - Texas Hold'em is chosen rather than Baccarat from the book, presumably due to it's wider appeal.

A misjudged reboot could well have done what numerous baddies failed to do and killed 007 off for good, but this movie is an utter joy - crisp, gritty action scenes, excellent acting all round, a complex yet fairly realistic plot and a script packed with Fleming-esq scenes - and no road-going gondolas or invisible cars in sight.

The decision to continue this story into the script for the follow up Quantum of Solace - the third film to be named after a Fleming short story from his book of short Bond adventures titled For Your Eyes Only (that and A View To A Kill were also used) is a good one and the return of Jeffrey Wright who underplayed Felix Leiter nicely in Royale should add some much needed continuity. In Marc Foster, they have selected a director who has a nice eye and is a good storyteller.

The Chain

2008-01-31T17:47:00.001Z

The Chain
Originally uploaded by Gizmo_Ferguson

Think close-up / macro shots in b&w might be something I shall continue shooting - I love seeing the texture and highlights brought to life when desaturated or converted to monochrome.

My fuji S5600 does not usually give good bokeh but it at least makes a fist of it in macro mode. :)

Time to use this blog

2007-02-28T22:56:00.000Z

Time for a first post then;

Guess I should introduce myself on the assumption that someone, somewhere, will stumble on my wee blog or my other movie reviews blog (and that's been sadly neglected until recently - apologies) - which you can find here. I adore movies - probably because they show a life that makes sense - more romantic, more happy endings, no-one seems to go to toilet unless it's integral to the plot, parking spaces always in abundance. Perhaps some of my issues with real life stem from my naivety in hoping to one-day have engineered my existence to resemble a perfectly shot film?

Well I'm living out here in a small East Lothian village though formerly a native of Edinburgh and I still commute to and work in the City. I'm told I have a fast wit and can be very funny - but despite this I can empty rooms by telling a joke - I just do not have the knack - perhaps due to self-consciousness but that's a whole other set of issues...so I hope that my dry-ish sense of humour comes through.

Enough for now, I always did hate these quiz shows that spent 10 out of the available 30 minutes asking the contestants really boring questions about themselves....zzzz.

I'm 'trying' to find my way into amateur photography as a hobby so I might post the occasional photo from flickr - hey with a captive (or more likely, no) audience I can subject you all to the modern day equivalent of the 'want to see our holiday slides - and yes, those ones where Uncle Harold wears nowt but sunburn, a dodgy 'tache and some speedos that should have been outlawed under indecency laws!