Hello everybody I hope you’re all marvellous this week.  Sorry for the late publishing of the blog this week but I’ve been In preparation to start a new acting job.  I’m about to start a 1-hour drama for BBC4 and will be travelling to Morocco on Sunday to film for 12 days.  I’ve never been to Morocco before so I’m really looking forward to the experience.  We’ll be filming at the foot of the Atlas Mountains about 45 minutes outside Marrakech so I think it will be a beautiful part of the world to be in.  This will sadly mean I may not be able to blog for a couple of weeks but I will see if I can post some stuff from there.  Not sure whether I‘ll get to see SCD either (what am I going to do?) so will be relying on the missus and the internet (if I can get it) to keep me informed.  Thanks for visiting and I’ll be back on soon, don’t forget you can follow me on twitter for more regular updates.
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There’s no doubt about it in the last few years cinema, the world of movies and how we consume them has changed beyond all recognition.  Big studio Movies have not only become more ambitious and technologically advanced, they have become a whole lot more expensive.  Indie films on the other hand have found money and cinema screen time harder to come by and the DVD market has bombed, this in the world’s current economic climate has forced production companies to re-strategize their business models thus changing the shape of the industry.  Having worked mainly in Independent film throughout my career I am a big supporter of the little man (as I like to call it) but over recent years I have noticed a lack of money floating around in this part of the industry for filmmakers and performers alike.  Not only is this due to the difficulties of film funding in this country but also due to access and awareness of the given film and the ever-changing trends of how we consume home entertainment.  Not so long ago production companies could make a film knowing that even if it had a limited shelf life on the big screen the rewards would be in the DVD market where 100,000’s of units could be shifted.  This however is rapidly becoming an obsolete model.  Even though in a recession, home entertainment has always been a resilient business, as people tend to stay in and watch TV and film but these days they are doing this through different means. Illegal downloads are still very popular as are companies like Lovefilm.  The Internet streaming rental market is growing by the day through iTunes and Internet enabled TVs.  People still want their film content but they have now grown used to having it instantaneously, the immediacy of being able to watch a film is paramount.  What I find slightly worrying though is that there seems to be a shift in what product is being made due to the state of the market.  Lets not deny the fact that the movie industry like a lot of other industries in the world today is losing money.  Piracy is a huge cause but lets not forget that the cinema was in free-fall before the introduction of 3D but even that I fear will only be sustainable for a short while.  I went to the IMAX last week to take my daughter to see Tin Tin, adult tickets were £16.75 and kids £14.50.  Popcorn came to about £13 so the whole trip was nearly £50!! Now I know that with IMAX 3D the experience is second to none but still its ridiculous.  I personally think that as the novelty of 3D wares off with consumers (who cannot afford the inflated prices), people will be happy with paying for good old fashioned 2D.  I mean its been fine up to now, hasn’t it? Or worse still not bother and stay at home.

So what is Hollywood’s answer to this crisis?  Create better and more original content? Why know let’s remake/hash/boot (whatever they want to call it) the hell out of any film or TV show that has been made within the last 50 years.  AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! It drives me mad, is anything sacrosanct in Hollywood anymore?? Simple answer is NO.  Hollywood seems to be systematically ripping up any memory or nostalgia that we may have for anything from our past lives.  What’s the point of even buying a DVD anymore? Or having a collection? If within 5 years the industry regards it as old hat and decides to make some pap 12D version of it with the next up and coming newbie ready to have their 15 minutes.  Can you imagine if the same thing happened in the music industry? That the industry decided that there was no room for any original content and everything had to be a cover version? Oh wait now comer to think of it that sounds a bit like Simon Cowell and the X factor! Our movie industry has officially turned into the X factor or at least that’s how the studios seem to view it.

The simple reason why Hollywood is doing this is because with a remake or idea based on a TV series they already have an audience before the movie is even out.  Its safe for them, with an original story there are no guarantees that people will even buy into it so why bother?  This means that drama is moving into TV (and why the US output is so huge).  On the big screen it’s all about remakes, sequels, kids animation and 3D of course.  Rather than believe in originality and art, the movie industry has to play it safe and regurgitate ideas that would be best left alone.  Don’t get me wrong some have worked and deserve their place, take The Departed or even Inglorious Bastards but did we really have to have “Clash of the Titans” or even the upcoming plan to remake “Scarface” again? Unfortunately the industry has found itself in a catch 22 and with up to a 100 remakes in development and pre-production I don’t think its going be changing anytime soon.  Shame.

The other day my daughter and myself went to Escapade in Camden (a costume shop) to buy some stuff for Halloween.  My daughter is staying with me for the week and Halloween is her favourite time of the year, in our area of North London the kids really do make an effort and everybody gets into the spirit.  When we arrived the queue was out of the door and around the block! I couldn’t believe it, is Halloween really that popular? I thought it was something the Americans like to celebrate, I mean Halloween for me as a kid was either a bag of penny chews or a firework up my parents exhaust, has things really changed that much?  Well it seem they have, Halloween is now as popular as ever, in fact its an booming business around £10 million will be spent this weekend on Halloween apparently which is more than Valentines day! The big change I see is that people really like to dress up.  Years ago you’d be lucky if you had a cheap plastic mask or witches hat but these days the costumes are spectacular both for kids and the adults.  I was DJ'ing on Saturday night and the effort that people made was amazing, one guy came in a full Ironman outfit?!?! Where the hell did he get that? As you can see myself and tony were masked up accordingly.  What I love about Halloween Is the ceremony around it all especially carving pumpkins, check out mine and Elin’s I even made a tasty soup with the flesh which you’ll find later in the blog.  Above all lots of fun was had and unlike the exploitation of Christmas which is hitting new heights this year (John Lewis covered in xmas decorations) I think everyone likes dressing up and having a laugh…or cackle should I say!

This is one of my all time favourite albums and reminds me of when I was 17 and coming to London for the first time.  I used to come down to audition for Drama schools all bright eyed and bushy tailed and remember thinking how scary the city was but inspiring at the same time.  The first time I auditioned for drama school I went to Swiss Cottage, I remember nervously waiting by the library with Blue Lines on my Walkman watching the city go by with anxious thoughts knowing I was about to start an important stage of my life; Adulthood.  That was 20 years ago and I now find myself living 5 mins around the corner, funny how life turns out.  Where does all the time go?

The critical and commercial triumphs of Portishead, Tricky and Roni Size have established Bristol as a centre of slow-burning creativity, but it was the staggering impact Massive Attack made with their debut album which first put the West Country town on the musical map and made reluctant superstars of Mushroom, 3-D and Daddy G. Blue Lines provided a blueprint for the sound which would become known as trip-hop, combining the raw soundsystem vibe of the Wild Bunch parties with immaculate production and the distinguished vocal talents of Tricky, Nelson and Horace Andy. From the understated beats and deftly-arranged ensemble rapping of the title track to the smokey paranoia of "Five Man Army" and the unrepeatable melancholic splendour of "Unfinished Sympathy", the album is a modern classic through and through. It won the Mercury Music Prize in 1992 and remains the finest work of a frighteningly talented group. 

Haven’t not been an avid reader of Herge’s books as a child I was coming to this rather cold, unlike my daughter who had read all of them.  We went to the rather spectacular (and expensive) local IMAX to watch in glorious 3D and sat in my usual seats.  From a cinematic point of view the animation is pretty spectacular.  Up to now motion capture has been developed and used in films like the Polar Express but without resounding success.  Inanimate objects or animals fair well but humans have never really worked due to the complexity of the eyes. That however is rapidly changing.  Although I wouldn’t say the animation in Tin Tin is perfect, it gets pretty close as the characters look so real!  Will they ever need actors in the future?  The story is fast-paced like you would expect from a Spielberg romp, performances from Daniel Craig and Jamie Bell are good and serve the story well but its Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock that excels. This film is by no means perfect and is a tad too long but ticks all the right boxes for a fun family trip to the cinema.  Take note that IMAX is not cheap, I would recommend seeing the film in standard 3D or 2D as you will enjoy it just the same.
Rating 3.5/5

Elin (my daughter) choose the video this week and I’m still not sure what to make of it.  It’s quite extraordinary but I dread to think what she will be like in her teens.  Pop stardom or the Betty Ford Clinic beckons.

Well I was hoping to publish this blog in time for Halloween but a pumpkin ain't just for Halloween you know!.  As I said earlier with the carved pumpkin flesh I decided to make this delicious soup.  The golden colours and sweet flavours of pumpkin are wonderful in all kinds of autumnal dishes and make a cracking soup.  Pumpkins also contain a high level of betacarotene. This important antioxidant is converted to vitamin A by our bodies, and helps to prevent degenerative disease.  Pumpkin goes well with coriander, sage, thyme and rosemary, crumbled blue cheese, ricotta or goat's cheese, shavings of parmesan, and cured meats. In sweet dishes, try pumpkin with brown sugar or maple syrup, grated lemon or orange rind, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cloves.  As you may know I like to make soups so here’s a recipe that a friend gave me not along ago.  Rather than use just pumpkin flesh I like to add that extra bit of flavour by adding potatoes and carrots.  Seasoning is important to, if you like your soups with a kick give it plenty with the pepper to give it a nice bite, the soup has a sweet undertone so can take robust flavouring.  All pumpkin seeds are edible too and highly nutritious. For a snack, dry seeds on paper towels then toss 2 cups seeds with 2 tbs olive oil and sea salt (or tamari). Roast, stirring, until dry and golden.

Well it’s that time of year for the freaks to come out and they certainly did on this years Halloween edition.  I thoroughly enjoyed doing last year’s show with the MJ eyes who could forget them? Well it seems that the BBC may of taken note as many of the cast this year ramped up the theatrical element and acted their little socks off.  The opening number with all the cast coming out in character was a surprise but kind of worked, I just don’t know how they are doing it all to be honest, I remember being up against it last year time-wise but this year the celebs are having to work a lot harder with all the extra group numbers and VT’s.  That’s another thing, for me personally I’m not a fan of the scripted VT’s, I can see why they are doing it. Watching people train can become a bit monotonous but I feel that by using scripts you don’t really get to see the chemistry or the personality of the celebs come through.  As an actor I would of found this “acting” element hard and probably wouldn’t have been too comfortable about doing it, it also makes Brucie’s line “here they are in training” slightly redundant.  Overall though its all working in the right places, the judges seemed to be kinder this week and praised some of the choreography, which made a change, but I’m still not sure what the rules are with regards to what content is required in the routines.  Anyway it scored highly on the entertainment factor and trounced X factor in the ratings, so I’m sure the powers that be and the TV audience are happy.  Also has anyone else noticed they have started referring to the pro dancers simply by their first name..? Wonder why?

Flavia looked stunning, very few ladies can carry that kind of outfit off and Russell looked all devilish and horny.  Didn’t hit the heights of previous weeks but I think a mixture of Knee issues and going out first played their part.  Russell did seem a bit out of sorts for the whole show and didn’t seem to be relishing the dance that much.  He still performed but made mistakes, you have to give it to him though he’s dancing a lot of content and that isn’t easy.  Hope the knee holds out.

My Score 6

As I said last week this girl is a natural and they are both becoming a formidable partnership.  Pasha and Chelsee have a great understanding together and whatever he’s doing, it’s working.  She is building on the massive impression she made last week but the wardrobe malfunction caused her some distress, although it wasn’t as bad as she thought.  If that hadn’t happened I would have expected the scores to be higher.  Good job again.

My Score 8

Well out came Audley again with that great smile and boundless energy, he really loves his dancing and it’s a joy to watch.  This dance is not suited to him and I think everyone including himself knows that, its just not physically impossible.  But the Story was great and was full of colour, he’s a natural performer and seems to be free of nerves.

My Score 6

I thought this was a good week for Alex.  She looked absolutely stunning and it makes a big difference when she feels comfortable in what she is doing.  The choreography and staging was terrific and perfect for this Halloween special.  At times Alex looks a $1,000,000 and looks the consummate performer.  Must be a great confidence boost after last weeks knock and that’s great.  James kept quiet this week.

My score 8

More bad VT’s but I'll leave it there.  Entertainment wise this was a real treat and played to Holly’s strengths.  As we said before Holly has fantastic arms and moves them like a Ballerina so the Black Swan theme was a stroke of genius.  Not sure how much of it was an American Smooth? But it was stunning to watch and a good week for them.

My score 8 

Well they have become somewhat a sideshow haven’t they and this was no exception.  It wouldn’t be so bad if there were signs of improvement but there wasn't and this was more of the same.  I thought the judges were cruel to her, she has become a laughing stock and she is worth more than that it goes to show how thick-skinned she really is because that couldn’t of been easy to take.  Even Anton looked rocked, I am now hoping she gets to leave to restore some dignity.  Big Shame.

my score 5

Here’s a great example how the performance element has been ramped up this year.  Harry is a natural and his performance through the dance was top class.  As far as entertainment and show numbers these guys have it and from the audience’s point of view it’s a real treat.  Not sure the dance purists will agree though, I'm no expert but didn’t seem to be much tango going on?  Another annoying VT.

My Score 8

Last week I said that I was really looking forward to seeing Robbie perform this dance as I thought this would suit him down to a tee.  Aggression, power and good posture would all seem to be qualities that would suit him as a performer. What we got though was a dance that won on entertainment value but not so much on technique.  Lets not beat around the bush, Ola is doing a top job with Robbie and has carved a character that is unique in this years show like Gavin last year.  Gavin took his top off and Robbie grabs his groin, rock and roll ballroom.  I don’t blame them, a strong character gets you far in this competition, as much if not further than technically good dancing.  I secretly would of loved to see Robbie perform a classic Paso though as I think he would have been rather good.  Good to see MJ back.

My Score 7

This dance just goes to show that you can have entertainment and lots of ballroom content.  What a performer yet again, and great choreography from Robin.  I would much rather see and applaud a celeb who tackles a ballroom dance rather than flounce around the dancefloor with less content.  Not only did she dance the tango but she acted her character superbly aswell. I think that Robin's approach to the choreography and the way that Anita performed it is a great example for what this show stands for.

My Score 8

I think Lulu is starting to really bring her natural showmanship to the series this year, I mean what an entrance!!! Takes real guts to fly on a high wire I wouldn’t be able to do it! Full of tricks but then again its Halloween after all!! Doing much better than I thought after the first week, it's more entertainment than anything else but she seems to be having a degree of fun considering they are not the chummiest of couples.

My Score 7

After last weeks slaying they would have to come back with a stonker this week and they surely did.  I have to say this is the first time I’ve truly enjoyed watching Jason dance, he seemed so much more relaxed and at ease with himself which resulted in himself coming across much more natural than he has before.  To be able to pick yourself up after a dodgy week and execute it with such panache takes some talent.  I also loved the routine, very inventive and the idea at the beginning when he was dancing on his own was very clever.  His best week for me and I enjoyed it a lot.

My score 9

Well as I said earlier in a way I’m glad that Nancy left this week to save some dignity.  I think she is a better personality and dancer than the programme allowed her to be and it was obvious that she was fast becoming the joke act of the series.  Anton did his thing and Nancy tried her best but something was missing between them and there was never any great improvement in her dancing.  Some of the routines were hilarious but I think for the wrong reasons. I couldn’t bear to see her being ridiculed anymore.  Bit of a shame really.

Well that's it for another week, if you liked please spread the word, tweet, facebook, etc etc...as I said I'm off to Morocco on Sunday for a couple of weeks filming so may not be able to report at my usual frequency but we'll see how things pan out.  Thanks again and see you all soon.
adios
j㋡☆x