SKA Rules

A few years ago, while shopping in Kingston, we stopped to watch some buskers doing their bit outside the Bentall shopping centre. Usually we give a couple of quid to the kids to throw in the hat and hurry on our way but this particular day we all stood and watched the act for quite a while and even bought a couple of CDs.

Kingston has quite a few regular buskers and a couple of them stand out from the rest. One is a band called the Huckleberries who play traditional Irish folk tunes and the other is a couple of brothers called The Dualers who play old skool SKA.

Simon and Tyber Cranstoun better known as The Dualers have a kind of infectious enthusiasm that radiates out across the crowd. And they draw a big crowd each and every time I've seen them. Whether they are singing covers or their own material, it doesn't matter because they put the same amount of energy into every track they perform.

Over the years they have played clubs and festivals, released singles and albums (with limited success), supported Madness and UB40. Last week we went to see them play at the Indigo rooms at the O2. Seeing them play with a full band is a totally different experience to seeing just the brothers out on the street. It was a real party night filled with a selection of vintage and contemporary. Their love for their music and their appreciation to their fans is undeniable. These boys are not pretentious or arrogant. They seem genuinely surprised and humbled that they can sell out a venue like Indigo2. I like that!

The Dualers continue to take their act out on the streets as well as playing their regular club night called Ska-bida at The Amersham Arms, SE14. They also have some largers gigs lined up including an October date at Kingsmeadow, Kingston which we will be getting a large group of friends together for. They are even back at Indigo2 next April. Not too shabby for a couple of Croydon lads!

More information on The Dualers can be found at http://www.thedualers.com/

Eighties Child

Okay, I'm actually a seventies child but the eighties is my comfort zone. My teenage years were some of the best and some of the worst I can remember. I had great friends and great plans. Too bad I didn't hang on to either of them!

I am enjoying a quiet night in. Clint is at work, the kids are at their mum's, the housework can wait. I have a glass of Rum & Diet in one hand and the DVD remote in the other. It's time to get lost in some eighties nostalgia. I have rifled through the DVD collection and lined up a few eighties classics to keep me entertained this evening. Footloose, Flashdance and Lost Boys.

For me, eighties films were all about the music. It was the decade of music and dance. The storylines didn't have to be thought provoking or inspiring. They just had to fit well with the music. Watching these films again, it's hard to tell what came first, the screenplay or the soundtrack. Nearly thirty years on, when I hear one of these tracks on the radio, the scene from the film plays in my head and a smile appears on my face.

The Lost Boys soundtrack is usually one of the first albums to be uploaded onto any music player in this house. It is still my favourite and probably the least embarrasing when you pull up at traffic lights with the windows wound down.

Finishing What I Started

It's been an interesting couple of weeks to say the least. Plenty of upsets and drama. Talking of dramas, I have very nearly finished the screenplay I have been working on. It had been put on the back burner for a while but I was suddenly inspired to continue. Obsessing over it at every spare minute for the last fortnight has paid off and it is almost there. For the first time ever I am actually going to finish something I started! I still have a fair bit of editing and rewriting to do but essentially all the scenes are laid out. I even took a big chance and asked a friend to look it over and give me her opinion. The feedback was positive and has given me the boost I needed to continue. I'm even going to let Clint read it.

I don't have any illusions that my little story will be appearing at a Vue Cinema near you any time soon. Just the fact that I finished it and am proud of it is enough for me. I have a friend of a friend that works in film production but whether I'll be confident enough for her to see it, I don't know yet. I think I'd better just concentrate on one hurdle at a time.

The Twilight Saga - Eclipse

It is not a secret that I am a big fan of all things supernatural, from Vampires to Werewolves, Witches to Dragons, I like it all. In all it's media forms - films, books and art, I have a fascination with all things mythical.

SPOILER ALERT

This week saw the premiere of the latest film in the Twilight series, Eclipse and I have already seen it twice. First at a special midnight showing and then a few hours later with my ten year old stepdaughter. I love the audiences at these films. The fans are called Twihards for a reason. They are so serious. The funniest thing at the midnight showing was when the gay guy behind me shouted out "You Bitch" when Bella accepted Edward's marriage proposal! It was hilarious.

There is a lot of Vampire literature out there, book stores are full of it. Stephenie Meyer's series is not the best or even the most original but it is the most popular at the moment and the films are a phenomenal success. Let's be brutally honest, it is all a little twee and sugar-coated though, even for teen fiction.

I am a fan but I am still able to remain objective, unlike some. I was looking forward to the latest film as Eclipse is my favourite book of the series. The love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob intensifies but more importantly Victoria returns with her army of newborn vampires. As the Twilight saga progresses there are potentially bigger and better action sequences. Twilight - the showdown in the ballet studio with Edward and James. New Moon -introducing the wolves and the Volturi. Eclipse - the battle with Victoria's Newborn army. Breaking Dawn - the war with the Volturi. I understand that filmmakers aren't able to keep everything from the books in the film but I saw a serious flaw in David Slade's interpretation. In all the books, we are told again and again how hard it is to kill a vampire. They are incredibly strong and fast and almost impossible to hurt or maim. The only way to kill them and keep them dead is to tear them apart and burn the pieces. Catherine Hardwick's portrayal of this in the first film was totally consistent with the books and the lore Stephenie Meyer had created. Chris Weitz's interpretation of the Wolves and the Volturi in New Moon was excellent. However, in this third film it seems the vampires are now able to be killed by single blows to the head! Instead of limbs being torn they appeared to be snapped with glass shattering sound effects and visuals which looked like silver painted polystyrene! I appreciate that they are targetting a young audience and were aiming for a 12A certificate or similar but WTF!

I left the midnight showing feeling seriously disappointed but then thought maybe it's just me. All the waiting, hype and expectation might have clouded my judgement. However, the second viewing did nothing to allay my feelings. In fact I saw lots more to criticise. A word to the wise Mr Slade, extreme close ups on actors wearing an inch of make up and a bad wig is not a good look. It might be okay when it transfers to DVD but on a cinema screen you can see every clogged pore and hair root! In general the hair and make up on this film is awful. The wigs are obvious and instead of the vampires being drop dead gorgeous they all looked sick and grungy. Poor Esme (Elizabeth Reaser) looked positively bizarre in all her scenes like she was in constant shock. The wolves in their human form looked just human instead of pumped. Even the general lighting seemed wrong with Forks being sunny and bright instead of grey and wet.

I hope Bill Condon does a better job with Breaking Dawn.