Binnsy's Hovel

The screen lost a rising star last week, with the now widely-known and still very barely believed death of Heath Ledger. As a self-confessed film addict and aspiring writer-director I am still somewhat shocked by this news. I awoke to a text message from a colleage last week stating the fact and it pretty much set the tone for the whole week.

Publicists for Heath’s latest film, the Dark Knight, will have a nightmare ahead of them, as they try to balance ‘normal’ advertising of the film, featuring Heath’s dark and creepy Joker, with maintaining respect for his memory. A moral dilemma of the worst possible kind.

It’s bizarre watching films of Heath’s now. Watching segments from the Brothers Grimm, I’m Not There, Casanova and Brokeback Mountain is very hard, given it’s like watching a ghost of the silver screen. Where there’s a kind of ‘they’ll live forever in the magic of movies’-type detachment to departed stars like Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, John Wayne, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, there’s none with Heath Ledger. The fact is that a month ago he was alive and well, with Hollywood and a gorgeous little two-year-old toddler at his feet. Now he’s gone.

I don’t think anyone will ever really know for sure how or why he died. And I guess it’s probably just as well. Hollywood and the the film world loves ambiguity in the death of its children. But rest assured the rest of us have missed out on seeing some of the finest performances in film history with the death of Heath Ledger. Vale indeed.

Until next time…

Well it’s been almost a week since I posted. I really am incredibly slack, and for that I apologise. However, there is much news, and only ten or so minutes to tell it, so here goes nothing.

I’m back doing work experience with Manic Times, which is very very exciting.

I also just recently purchased a new bed for my room, a super-fantastical bunk bed with a single mattress on top and a futon lounge/bed underneath. Most spectacular considering the lack of space in my shoebox.

I’ve been playing an awesome game called Endless Ocean, where you are pretty much let loose in a fictional archipelago with a boat and scuba gear, free to explore whatever and wherever you like. From underwater caves, ruins and shipwrecks to coral reefs and seal-infested inlets, you can go anywhere and do whatever you like. Once you finish the non-compulsory ’story’, the game is far from over, as there are hundreds of fish species to discover, seals, dolphins, octopi, whales. The game is incredible, and really shows off what the Wii can do as far as graphics are concerned. I give it 4 stars. How about you, Margaret?

Speaking of movies – I’M GOING TO SEE GRINDHOUSE TOMORROW!

Yes, that’s right, Grindhouse, the double-bill, as it was originally intended to be released, combining Tarantino’s ‘Death Proof’ with Rodriguez’s ‘Planet Terror’, intercut with the original trailers made by people like Eli Roth.

Oh, like, my god. Can. Not. Wait.

I’m also in the middle of downloading LEGALLY ACQUIRING ‘I’m Not There’ and Season 10 of Top Gear. Should be tres awesome. Also, check out ‘Shoot Em Up’ if you get a chance. Terrible, yet oddly fantastic.

And Quentin and Stanley are happy now they’ve got fresh water in their tank, a new filter sponge and a new air hose for their filter. Oh, and a new plant. So they’re in seventh fishy heaven at present.

Anyway, despite all this gaiety I must now be off to work, which is incredibly depressing. Not to worry. Blog more later maybe.

Until next time…

There must be a hack sensation sweeping the Interwebz.

In the space of a month, both my Hotmail and Gmail accounts were hacked, the latter so much so that I had to delete it this afternoon. This is rich for Google, who claims to have the tightest security network in place for its email system.

More on this later.

Until next time…