But what is it all about? This is the best explanation I’ve seen so far.

To say that SOPA could be the end of the internet is stretching the ideas of rational thinking, but it will be, if it passes the US House of Reps and Senate, and isn’t vetoed by President Obama, the end of the internet as we know it today. Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia could all be nothing but a memory or nothing like they are right now.

We all take the net for granted but it’s important to remember that the controlling organisation, ICANN, is overseen by the US Dept of Commerce and was created by US Dept of Defence’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), also the guys who first invested in Facebook, but that’s another story.

But with The Ides of March Clooney is back; as actor, director and producer although the producing credits were almost as long as the acting credits and even included Leonardo DiCaprio.

The film is set around a fictions US Democratic party primary election to determine who will run against the Republican candidate in a Presidential general election. I think. Well, I know the protagonists are democrats and that they are duelling it out to see which one gets the nod to run for President.

But this movie could have been set in a myriad of backgrounds. It’s a story of honour, loyalty, trust, hope and faith. There are no winners. Or losers for that matter.

The writing is smart. The tipping point is elegant. There was even an audible gasp in the theatre where I saw this movie (mostly from my companion) when the infallible became the indefensible.

The Ides of March plays much like a story arc from The West Wing but without Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue trickery for effect, enhancement and filler. Don’t get me wrong, when I grow up I want to write like Aaron Sorkin, after all he gave us one of the greatest movies, scenes and lines of all time with Jack Nicholson versus Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men, “You can’t handle the truth!”

And for special mention I select Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti. Both these dudes are spectacular actors. They have zero screen time together but share a couple of scenes. For my money, a movie with these two playing opposite each other could be the equivalent of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino doing Heat.

As for Ryan Gosling, well although he is the lead, it could have been played by almost anyone. DiCaprio would have been good. But not Bradley Fucking Cooper!

4 broken election promises out of 5.

Once again Messrs Downey and Law reprise their roles of Holmes and Watson. One would be forgiven if perhaps the editor was being paid by the frame as this tends to spend a lot of time, a lot of t i m e, in scenes which IMHO could have been much shorter and retained all the impact, if not more.

On the other hand, A Game of Shadows is beautiful to watch so the editor can be forgiven for not wanting to leave a single frame on the cutting room floor. It does mean the Director’s Cut, a marketing ploy of pure genius if ever there were one, will be longer only in the extras as opposed to the feature itself.

This movie wraps together too many of the printed version stories including the series ending which is considered by many an expert as the finest literary conclusion every put to page in modern time, with a rather big hat tip to Bill Shakespear’s Romeo and Juliet. Someone at the studio obviously thought ending this cash cow prior to making a trilogy (and collector’s edition box set complete with actor, director and producer commentary on Blueray in time for Xmas ’12) too soon was not an idea to that would gain favour with his/her higher ups. Said exec aded what looks like two pages of script to the end to ensure a) a Hollywood ending, b) increase in Christmas cash revenues which leads to c) not holding entirely true to Arthur Conan Doyle’s original.

As I have said before to friend and foe, Jared Harris as Professor James Moriarty is not good casting. Moriarty was brilliant. And evil. And vindictive and well quite insane. While Mr Harris is a fine actor, at the top of his craft and career with starring roles in Mad Man and other production, he doesn’t bring ‘it’ to this role. Again, I refer you to Philip Seymour Hoffman as the evil mastermind in the third instalment of Mission: Impossible. Pure genius. Blood curdling with nothing more than the slightest of looks. And the right tone of voice.

Three and a half psychopaths out of 5

Making this documentary in 3D was a waste of money which could have been better spent on subtitles. It follows the 2010 campaign by Guy Martin and his new sponsor to win the Isle of Man TT race.

What’s the Isle of Man TT? It’s an annual motorcycle festival considered so dangerous by a bunch of soft cocks that it was removed from the GP series. There are six events held over 7 days that are each four laps of the island which is 252 km. On average, every year, two riders die. Google it. Be amazed.

If you ride motorbikes you must see this movie. And if you think you have some skills when it comes to riding this movie not so gently reminds you that your skills are barely above those of a caveman discovering fire compared to Einstein spitting the atom.

Guy Martin is a the loveable larikin of the motorcycling world. He is from England but speaks some weird ass dialect that only his mother could understand. Again, subtitles would have been good. They guys that ride TT are obsessed. Being the fastest here makes you the fastest anywhere. And the bravest; going into corners where you can’t see the exit with your right wrist twisted all the way down, left foot ratcheting down to top gear (race bikes gears are opposite to street bikes) and no thought of braking. All for a piece of tin and some cash.

While this is a doco the story is compelling and unless you know the results of the 2010 TT race then get thee to a venue where you can rent or download is as soon as possible.

5000 rpm at 300km/h out of 5

1. 2012 Membership to the Melbourne Storm
2. Virgin Blue $200 Gift Voucher
3. Your personal domain name: www.ashleighmcclure.com
   I registered this domain for you so can have your own little part of the internet. I’ll show you hot to set it up so you can have all your existing email addresses and anything@ashleighmcclure.com go to one mail box.

www.brand.com

brand.com

facebook.com/brand

twitter.com/brand

.brand

The lesser end of the spectrum is just personal or professional embarrassment.

Below is a screen capture of an email that was forwarded to me from a friend who received it from one his friends.

It’s a funny little analogy. But to me, what makes it even funnier is who it’s coming from. Or more correctly, the profession of the originator – a counsellor  (sort of a budget shrink).

When the ‘joke’ and the signature are read together it’s a short walk to see this guy is pretty much saying, ‘if your life is fucked, I can’t help you’.

So the lesson for today; learn how to remove your ‘business’ signature when sending unrelated emails.There’s probably others to do with professional misconduct but I’m no expert in those matters.

As such there are many with specific interest in the site and the majority of those have profit as their main motivator.

Your role as a guardian of Sydney’s architectural and planning oversight through your commentary in all forms is not only required but is your duty. Resigning your post as Chair of the Design Review Panel is unacceptable.

There is no way you could have anywhere near the influence being outside the decision process of this development. To wit, it is in the national interest that you immediately take whatever steps necessary to reverse your resignation from the aforementioned post and continue to fight for this unique development.

No matter what obstacles are put in your path by politicians, bureaucrats or lobbyists you must as you have always done find creative ways to sidestep their efforts for the good of the residents of Sydney, the state of NSW and the future of Australia.

This is an opportunity for you to leave a lasting legacy. It is up to you if that legacy is of failure or triumph.

Regards etc,

Craig Ashley Russell

I made a lot of jokes on twitter and Facebook about this movie before entering the cinema. Not so much jokes as snide comments about it being nothing more than sexy chix with guns. And while that’s true, Sucker Punch is so much more. Or at least it tries to be and maybe tries a little too hard. Writing reviews for crap movies is much easier than writing reviews for good movies.

The story is not new; mother dies leaving two daughters alone with their step father. He is left out of his wife’s will so goes about trying to rape the youngest daughter. The oldest daughter (Baby Doll) thinks this isn’t such a good idea, goes to kill him with a 9mm, misses and kills her sister instead. One down one to go thinks the father so he takes the older sister off to a mental hospital where she is incarcerated while waiting to be lobotomised. Which is done with a spike, and not a scalpel as I thought. The ‘therapy’ this particular institution uses to help their young, sexy, female, sexy inmates is ‘improvised acting’ under the strict guidance of Polish psychiatrist Dr Vera Gorski. Baby Doll (we never learn the real names of any of the girls) wants out and after some to-ing and fro-ing with the Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish) the five girls decide to escape. But how…? This is where you need to remember that Sucker Punch is not a documentary and is just a fantasy with sexy chix. Baby Doll has an ability to make people enter a trance like state when she dances. The first time she dances she enters an alternate reality, probably as a coping method while inside the nut house. Here she meets Scott Glen who remains nameless through out but appears in each alternate reality vignette as a guide for the girls. In each vignette the girls must acquire one of five items to aid their escape plan. When reality encroaches on alternate reality, which is already an alternate reality anyway, shit gets real.

The SFX are ground braking, the acting is tight, the bad guys are nasty and the girls just rock. There are some elements right out of other movies but that’s just how it is these days. In the ‘Fire’ vignette, the bad guys are left over Orks from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Return of the King. In the ‘Bomb‘ vignette the guards are from the cutting room flooe of I, Robot.

Unlike a Hollywood big budget flick, the ending isn’t typical. Perhaps that’s why many people are panning Sucker Punch.

My tip; watch the trailer, if you like what you see, see the movie. If you don’t, don’t. I saw Sucker Punch on opening day in VMax with @BondiGeek, who hated it.

4.5 sexy chix out of 5