1_man_army

I picked up The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (2 disk special edition) a while a go so I thought I might as well order; I love to watch a good western, it's a shame that they're not so popular now.

I always saw this movie while looking for The Killing (Stanley Kubrick), never really looked at it though. Might have to check it out... I haven't seen The Killing yet is it any good? I know Kubrick's film are usually pretty impressive but I never got around to seeing The Killing.

Seven Samurai(1954) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047478/ I really liked this film. I admit before watching this I was prepared to be disapointed considering that it's billed as a 3-hour samurai epic and that it's rated so highly by both fans and critics but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked how the film makes you feel sorry for then slightly dislike the villagers, I liked how you slowly got to know the samurai well as the film went on. It also met my criteria for long films - the 3-hours didn't feel like 3-hours, and I was left wanting to see more. Trainspotting(1996) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117951/ Trainspotting was entertaining as always. I like the fact that it un-flinchingly shows the downsides to taking heroin as well as trying to explain why people take it in the first place. The characters are interesting and relatively realistic (Begbie is slightly exagerated but not by much). I enjoy being able to see places that I pass or go to regularly in the film, it's interesting to see somewhere that is so fimiliar in such a major film. On top of that I like it because it's one of the few British films to be set in Scotland that doesn't follow the Ken Loach style of 'kitchen sink drama' and shows that we can make ambitious, exciting and quirky films. The Killing Fields(1984) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087553/ It's been a while since I had seen The Killing Fields but it never disapoints. I'd consider this a hard film to watch because it's not "entertaining", instead it's a very serious war film about a journalist covering the Cambodian War and his translator (Pran Dith) who are then trapped in Cambodia during Pol Pot's ethnic cleansing of his own country. It's based on a true story and it's a great film and a decent way to learn a little about the genocide in Cambodia.

Compared to the U.K, where everyone secretely wants him assasinated. I like George Galloway, he's an arse, but he's my kind of arse. I don't particularly agree with his views and he may be utterly incompetant but at least he says excactly what he believes unlike most politicians who seem to be pre-occupied with doing/saying anything they can to get votes.

Because we'll set off a FIFA/PES fanboy arguement of epic proportions. I don't like a lot of football fans at the best of times, but throw in a PS2 game and I'm running to the hills. I play PES6 online now and then already(it took me a while to realise I could play it wirelessly via my PS3). I don't get why people become so angry about what game/console is better than it's rivals, it just seems so pathetic to get upset over whether somebody prefers PES to FIFA or PS3 Xbox360. Some people seriously need to get a grip.

Anyone playing Fantasy Premier League this season? I just created my team and was wondering if anyone else played. http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ I'd post my team but I don't want to give you any tips :wink: .

I have a question, why does it have to be white rap particularly? What difference does it make what colour the rapper is?

Isn't there already a topic about you going to middle school? You could have posted this in that topic instead of filling up the board with every minor issue regarding you going to middle school.

1) I really don't want to take this post off-topic (which is why it was a single sentence in my first post) but what I will say without throwing the thread in another direction is that the independence movement isn't fundamentally about what is to gain/lose from being a nation, it's more to do with choosing completely our (our as in Scotland's) own in path in the world rather than being lead by what alot of Scots consider another nation. Calling independence an SNP gimmick is baseless when you consider that it is, and always has been the key principle of the party rather than a new flashy election-run policy. The economic issue is a rather contentious one, Labour lost alot of credibility during the election because of their 'creative' accounting and their innability to trash every SNP policy without making clear their own - politics should be about what you can do for the nation instead of blasting everybody elses ideas. 2) I think Brown is already somewhat distancing himself from the Bush administration. I noticed in his speech in Washington he said they had "full and frank discussions" which is diplomatic speak for "we had a disagreement." To be honest though there's no need to do anything drastic an relation to USA just yet as there will be a new administration in place in a while so it's probably best to just hold out untill then and not rock the boat too much. 3) The Tories are done, the 'Cameron Effect' was just a little honeymoon period for them while Blair was drowning in Iraq and the cash for peerages scandal, in that time they made gains because of Blair not Cameron. The problem for Cameron is that he is too like Blair, all PR and spin but with little or no conviction who the public will ultimately see as yet another cynical leader who will do all he can to get elected. What were the Tories thinking electing him, people are sick of Blair and the go and elct his clone. Cleaner, greener, caring, sharing Conservative Party - don't make me laugh. edit - I hate all this numbering rubbish but I needed to form my post so that it was clear what I was reffering to.

I'm being picky (and it's probably not your fault anyway) but that should be Pappy Mason; he was a big New York drug dealer who was put in prison.

I've met him twice actually; he gave a speech at my old school building for an event then a year later opened the new building (this was around 3 and a half years ago). In fact where I am he's about alot because he's our contituency MP and because he's from a town quite near mine. To be honest he just struck as a typical politician; quite controlled, somewhat defensive and evasive when cornered in debate but surprisingly affable and charming (which threw me offguard). So far though I'd have to say he's done quite well. He was thrown in at the deep end with the attempted attacks on London and Glasgow (which Alex Salmond dealt with well also) but he came out of it looking like a strong leader. He's been surprisingly frank in his foreign relations - there was a lot of strong 'diplomatic' speak with Russia over refusing to extradite Lugovoy and again that made him look good. That being said there are alot of things I disagree with him on; his stance on an independence referendum (which is inevitable), his attempts to re-classify cannabis (which I think won't help tackle drug abuse and won't hurt dealers) as well as his plans to re-evaluate the super-casino issue (which would mean that millions would now be wasted on a scheme that never makes it to fruition). I'd try to give a more comprehensive discussion of his policies and what I like/dislike about them but I only got 4 and a half hours sleep last night so I'm going to have a siesta(sp?).

India also has nuclear weapons so it would be un-thinkable for either Pakistan or India to push the button as they'd be killing themselves in the process. It may cause tension if Pakistan falls, and there will be alot of diplomatic efforts behind the scenes but declaring war against a nuclear power wouldn't be a truly winnable war for either nation.

You might carry a dagger but if you pull that (even in self-defence) on somebody who really knows what they're doing it's going to end up between your cheeks. It's all good and well to carry but if you pull it during a confrontation you better be prepared either for a little prison time or a trip to the hospital.

well, she's either changed her view also, or is just band-wagon against the war. Either way if the public aren't for the war it's a good 'view' to have, real or not. I'm pretty sure she justified her change of opinion by stating that she believed the intelligence that was put forward at the time (WMD's etc.) which has now been discredited. In short, she claims the intelligence was misleading. Whether you buy that or not is another thing entirely. Personally, I'm just waiting on this race getting ugly, thats when it gets interesting.

Screw Handel, he wrote a song glofying what the Duke of Cumberland (aka the Butcher of Cumberland) did in Scotland. It's fair enough to defeat and kill soldiers in battle but to kill civilians (including women and children) long after the battle to intimidate a nation into surrender is barbaric to the point of genocide, for Handel to glorify this is a crime in itself. Also, screw the BBC for using this very piece of music as the theme for its World Cup coverage.

The Third Man http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041959/ It was an enjoyable film, I liked it. The only criticism I have is that I wasn't surprised by the plot twists because the film has been referenced so heavily by pop-culture (although that isn't the films fault).

I would think it would depend on whether the person was born blind or had lost their sight after being able to see. Presumably, if your born blind you have no concept of sight and are unable to imagine sight as you've never experiences it. However, if you lost your sight after being able to see then at least you have memories of what it was once like to be able to see and hence have the experience to draw upon. edit - just realised that I basically repeated the post above mine (I didn't see it) #-o

Lauryn Hill - Everything Is Everything

2.9 - You are a liberal airhead.

Think of it this way; when you watch the news and you see reports of 'a 100 people dead here and 200 people dead there' you might be shocked maybe even moved emotionally for a short time but it's still incomparable to the pain you'd feel if it was 'you mother was killed.' Now you may not have the time to think all that through in a life or death situation but you'll still instinctively help a loved one first.

Kids will be kids. Everybody has treated somebody like dirt unintentionally when they were younger, and most people at some point will likewise be treated like crap. The important thing is when you start to get older, hopefully you can realise how you've been and treat people like how you would like them to treat you. I don't think children (for the most part) deliberately set out to treat people (and particularly school staff) badly. I think alot of it comes from being immature and self-centred (which I suppose comes from immaturity) but most people grow out of it as they get older - and the ones who don't end up being losers anyway :wink: .

Citizen Kane http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/ I was under-whelmed by Citizen Kane. I understand that at the time it was a technical achievement in terms of it's effects (use of deep focus etc.) and I might be judging it a litlle harshly since now as a modern movie-goer I'm so used to seeing the stuff that the film pioneered (to the point where you can't even notice the effects). To be honest though, I can't put my finger on one specific thing that put me off the film which is unusual so maybe there's something I've missed or something I haven't really appreciated that'll make a second viewing better.

I could not care less if they've smoked pot when they were younger. Everybody has a past and nobody is perfect. Anyway, it's not a particularly big deal if somebody has experimented, alot of people do but the way the media has treated it you'd think they had admitted being murderers. To be perfectly honest, when I'm voting, I'd rather vote for somebody who is willing to stand up and admit to their mistakes and show that they are mere humans like the rest of us rather than vote for some speaky clean "image" that has no personality and has strived to hide who they really are in order to get into power.

I'll just list of a few that are worth a listen; Nas Common Talib Kweli Public Enemy Lupe Fiasco Kanye West (not the greatest lyricist but he has his moments and is always very heartfelt) 2pac A Tribe Called Quest I can't think of any more off of the top of my head but that's a decent introduction for you.

Hard Boiled (Lat sau san taam) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104684/ Even better than I remember it being. If your looking for deep & meaningfull characterisation then it's most likely not the film for you but as far as action films go, I'd struggle to think of many that are this good.