All Consuming : elphboy

A story about "Beerfest"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 07:18:47 GMT

Beerfest

Perfect aeroplane viewing. You won’t have to think too hard and you’ll laugh no matter how hard you try not to.

A story about "PopCo"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:38:51 GMT

PopCo

by Scarlett Thomas

I really enjoyed the start but agree with chuhwi that it fell away a bit. I’d still recommend it though.

A story about "All Families Are Psychotic"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 20:27:07 GMT

All Families Are Psychotic

by Douglas Coupland

Just never grabbed me. I know the book’s pretty different, but I found myself wishing that I was reading Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen in order to read about strange people in Florida

Why I recommend "Nana"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 18:59:11 GMT

Nana

by Delacorta

It’s charming french fluff – even though the author is swiss born. Everyone’s crooked, the anti-hero so cool it hurts and his muse a mouth a gorgeous, shop lifting teen. I can’t remember but there’s probably a car chase involving a Citroen DS. Perfect reading over coffee on a Sunday morning.

A story about "Ignorance: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 11:44:14 GMT

Ignorance: A Novel

by Milan Kundera

This novel was over before I really got into it, perhaps I just rushed through it but I just didn’t care about any of the characters one way or another.

A story about "Berlin Blues"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 11:40:20 GMT

Berlin Blues

by Sven Regener

The perfect book to take with you on your trip to Berlin

A story about the last time I consumed "Goodbye Tsugumi"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 20:11:01 GMT

Goodbye Tsugumi

by Banana Yoshimoto

I hate to mark things ‘not worth it’, but this just never drew me in. I really enjoyed kitchen when I read it ages ago and maybe this just suffered in comparison. It’s a 4.9 on my worthiness scale.

Why I recommend "Watchmen"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 17:30:39 GMT

Watchmen

by Alan Moore

I just finished this and really didn’t want it to end. I’m pretty new to the whole graphic novel thing but the solid, believable rendering of the characters really drew me in. All of the masks seem flawed, neurotic and full of doubt – in short there like you, me and everyone else. I’m sure that there’s plenty I’ve missed so I’m definitely going to read this again sometime.

Why I recommend "Bullitt"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 23:21:51 GMT

Bullitt

by Peter Yates

This film is achingly cool. Worth watching for the title sequence alone, and then there’s that cracking car chase.

A story about "Chocolat (Miramax Collector's Series)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 22:47:18 GMT

Chocolat (Miramax Collector's Series)

by Lasse Hallström

I think this is the only thing that I’ve seen Johnny Depp in that I didn’t like, and that includes 21 Jump St.

I can’t help it, but I can’t be doing with these pseudo french films were they greet one another with “Bonjour!” and say “oui, oui monsieur!” every so often but 99% of the time everyone speaks english. It’s just too much like Allo Allo! I also found it trite and self satisfied but then I would say that. And I saw it on two separate really ill fated dates! No film can recover from that.

Fair play to just about everyone else who seems to have enjoyed it though, just ignore that foam around the corners of my mouth.

A story about "Iron Chef"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 21:17:59 GMT

Iron Chef

I’ve not seen this since leaving Sydney and without the lure of a secret ingredient, Saturday nights have never been so bland.

Why I recommend "The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 22:51:02 GMT

The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale

by Art Spiegelman

I really, really enjoyed this. it’s probably the first time I’ve read anything about the holocaust. I tend to not really want to immerse myself in that much misery. Besides, I think there’s a tendency to think that we know it all anyway.

I think the reason this really worked for me is that it’s as much about a guy trying to make sense of his relationship with his father as it is about the horror of Auschwitz and the like.

I didn’t even realise that it had won a little thing called the Pulitzer until I’d finished it…

Why I gave up consuming "Saturday"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 22:34:53 GMT

Saturday

by Ian McEwan

My father is forever passing on Ian McEwan books to me and insisting I read them. I confess that I’ve only read a couple but they’re just not my thing. Maybe I’ll read this eventually.

It could be worse, it’s not as though he gives me self help books or anything like that.

A story about the last time I consumed "Lagaan - Once Upon a Time in India"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 08:12:30 GMT

Lagaan - Once Upon a Time in India

by Ashutosh Gowariker

Look it was OK but I don’t know if any movie ever needs to be more than three and a half hours long….

A story about "Coffee and Cigarettes"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 23:05:16 GMT

Coffee and Cigarettes

by Jim Jarmusch

I love everything that Jim Jarmusch has done but I can understand that some might find this collection of vignettes a bit tedious. If you appreciate Jim’s wry and dry observations of the bits in between, you’ll like this, otherwise you might be better happier with something else.

Worth watching for the segment featuring Iggy Pop and Tom Waits alone.

A story about "She's All That"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 16:58:19 GMT

She's All That

by Robert Iscove

It’s hardly original but I do have a soft spot for this piece of teen fluff. Sure you know exactly what’s going to happen but the performances aren’t bad and I go weak at the knees over Rachel Leigh Cook.

A story about "Whit"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:32:41 GMT

Whit

by Iain Banks

An interesting look at personality cults/sects etc from the pesrpective of a 19 year old girl who’s grown up knowing she’s the chosen one so to speak. Really grew on me, it was a pleasure reading about places I know in Scotland too.

A story about "Adventures in a TV Nation"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:30:00 GMT

Adventures in a TV Nation

by Michael Moore

An alright read, broken up into a series of largely unrelated recollections of the author so good for those public transport moments.

A story about "Nymphomation"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:27:18 GMT

Nymphomation

by Jeff Noon

I didn’t enjoy it as much as Vurt but it was OK. I think I was maybe a bit frustrated by a few aspects which seemed a bit psuedo sciency (though I think that’s psuedo english). Still a good read though.

A story about "Faster, Pussycat! Kill!... Kill!"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 11:47:07 GMT

Faster, Pussycat! Kill!... Kill!

by Russ Meyer

Ahhh, sex and violence! Worth a look but I wasn’t blown away.

Why I recommend "New Rose Hotel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (elphboy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:49:18 GMT

New Rose Hotel

by Abel Ferrara

Moody, made on the cheap and a nice piece of atmospheric New York noir. Of course it’s not meant be New York, they’re meant to be all over the world. I think a lot of the bad reviews for this come from William Gibson fans who expected something that looked like the future. It’s not really sci fi in the spaceship way, it’s just about a deal going down. I liked it anyway.