Charlogy Online

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

People My Friend Mark Looks Like #1
















And Phil thinks so too.

53 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Keep it blazin!

Holla!

10:41 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

If anyone's blazin' mate, you are!

10:45 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was thinking that there's a little Begbie of Trainspotting fame in there. What about Sid the Sloth from Ice Age?

5:10 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was thinking that it's a very apt description. They're both 'nuts'!

12:22 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

By the way Chas, do you have a 'nuts' theme going on at the moment?

12:24 am  
Blogger Charlie said...

Yes, it is a nice little follow-up on a nut-related theme isn't it?

7:42 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You go on holiday for a couple of weeks, then all of sudden you come back to a dubious web site devoted to finding look-a-likes! You can easily find pictures of Brad Pitt et al on the web if you wish to make a meaningful contribution.

5:20 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I had been wondering when Mark would come back to contribute to this discussion. Mark, care to do another "Langdown" and turn this into a discussion of dubious websites? (Well, I'm not discussing Brad Pitt!)

Hope all of you are well by the way. :)

9:35 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

Ha! Brad Pitt WISHES he looked like Hammy the squirrel!

Is it possible to 'pull a Langdown' on a post about the man himself? Well, we'll have to see...

5:54 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I actually think that Brad Pitt is an underated actor. If you look to his performaces in Fight Club and Seven then you can see what talent he has. He was good in Oceans 11 as well. I also think that Tom Cruise is underated - he was top notch in Jerry Maguire. Someone who is not overrated however, is Mike Myers. OK the 1st austin powers was good, but the follow ups are awful. Yes, there are some quotable lines and funny moments but the humour lies in the immaturity and it is something you quickly tire of. Go ahead, watch the sequals and see if you don't just get bored and even slightly embarassed "Shall we shag now or shag later?" asks a toothy powers, and you can only guess that he gets the women as they are so desperate the prevent more mind numbing, non-funny crap jokes. The same is true for Waynes world, some quotable lines, and some funny moments but watch it again and I guarantee you won't get further than half way before switching off.

6:15 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

A Langdown has been achieved indeed! Never mind climate change, here on the Charlogy we have subject change of almost cataclysmic proportions!

I think you mean to say that Mike Myers IS overrated and I take the point - it always irked me that in the first Austin Powers movie Austin's character has a nice little narrative arc where he goes from being sixties swinger to responsible nineties man, only for him to regress all the way back in the second one after Liz Hurley turns out to be a robot. (She actually is, I think).

But eventually I managed to enjoy the gags for the sake of them. 'My neck looks like a vagina' - 'it's a baby's arm holding an apple!' - 'On the (w)hole, Preparation H feels good.' How can you call that immature?

8:15 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In my not at all humble opinion, I concur that Mike Myers is profoundly overrated (The first Austin Powers being a blip of brilliance in an otherwise mediocre career).

I further concur with Mark, that Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise are extremely underrated performers, provided they are armed with a decent script.

I'd also like to add at this point that crap commercials for DFS - like cover versions, Hollywood remakes and flatpack furniture - are a sign of the end.

4:52 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

What about So I Married an Axe Murderer?

Simon, you haven't seen Taiwanese commercials - not only do DFS put their production values to shame, but they often air twice or even three times in an ad break, even cutting into other ads.

On the matter of cover versions I would like to take this opportunity to lay into Westlife, whom I have long held to be the most unoriginal group ever to have enjoyed completely unmerited commercial success. Their concept - Irish boy band - wasn't new, they have shamelessly embraced every cliche in the boy band repertoire - key changes, stools etc. Oh, what shall we do for our next video? I know - let's walk slowly down a street in long leather coats in black and white. Good idea, that hasn't been done before! ALL their songs have been covers and they don;t even choose good ones - they do ABBA, Billy Joel and Barry Manilow for goodness sake!

The final straw came last week when I went into a record shop and saw that they've done an album of Frank Sinatra covers. I may be mistaken, but I seem to recall someone else doing something slightly similar a couple of years ago...

I had to leave the shop before I smashed something.

5:12 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wayne's World wasn't bad either, I quite like Mike Myers.

I'm not too fond of Will Ferrell either, but Anchorman is a good effort.

7:05 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

Indeed it is - and I'll go further and point out that Ferrell has never made a bad movie. Except for Bewitched. And Elf. Oh alright, and Austin Powers 2

9:50 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A couple of comments ago you mentioned possibly smashing something in a music shop Chas. It reminded me of that Searchlight classic 'Smash or Grab' where CD singles were put to a smash or grab vote. More than one Celine Dion song failed to be grabbed and perhaps the idea should be incorporated into some sort of government legislation.

We could even use the photo of Simon swinging a baseball bat at an offending CD and the shattered fragments flying through the air. I think it would make for a very forceful arguement towards the like of Westlife!

4:17 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In fact maybe I should send you a copy of said photo and we can start our advertising campaign even before the legislation becomes law!

4:19 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Plenty to comment on here:

DFS: I'm not entirely sure why I have such an aversion to these commercials, despite their general crapness. Anyone got a theory? Perhaps I should see a psychiatrist and find out. After all I can't stand mobile phone or car commercials either, but they don't fill me with the same urge to shriek "No!" at the top of my lungs in the manner of William Shatner when he yells "Khan!" in that wonderful bad acting moment during Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. (NOTE: in fairness to old Billy, he's pretty good in the rest of the film, and so is Leonard Nimoy).

Westlife: As you know, I am a big fan of pop music, and have plenty of time for the likes of Girls Aloud, Sugababes, McFly et al but Westlife are at least three bridges too far even for me. Their success is sad proof that the world is full of stupid people, and I sympathise with Charles' urge to take action against this scourge.

As for cover versions, there are occasionally good ones - U2's version of Unchained Melody or Pet Shop Boys take on Always on my Mind for instance - but they are few and far between.

Oh, and So I married an axe murderer is quite good, I concede.

5:01 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ahh yes Simon, Unchained Melody by U2 is quite something from the Zoo TV/Zooropa tours and a highlight of the Sydney video I have.

An imperative here. If you haven't seen Cars yet, do so. It's another corker from Pixar, with some self-depreciating humour in the credits to boot. Thoroughly enjoyable and including a sterling vocal performance from Owen Wilson, a favourite actor of mine and proof that a wonky nose doesn't have to stop you making it big!

P.S. I didn't get the PhD funding I was going for, and little explanation was offered of the decision by the research council after my 3 month+ wait. Bwahahahahaha and pants.

1:01 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Concur completely with Chris on Cars. Check out my review here:
http://moviesforchristians.blogsome.com/category/simons-archives/

4:47 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

There's nothing wrong with cover versions per se - there are many good ones, some even surpassing the original recordings. But cover versions should never make up more than a small percentage of your output. But Westlife hardly ever do anything else and by that rationale they should be a small act doing the rounds of Dublin bars on karaoke evenings - AND NOTHING MORE.

Sorry to hear about your funding, Chris. If it helps, you could raise your fist to heaven and holler 'Khaaaaaaaaaan!'

5:49 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Agreed Chas, re: Westlife.

As for the second part...*Chris kneels to the floor, looks to the skies, raises his fists and draws breath...*

7:57 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I heartily endorse everything everyone has already said, even the stuff I don't agree with.

Will Ferril is a one trick pony, but he performs it with such enthusiasm it's hard not to warm to him.

Here's one for you: Jim Carrey. Undeniably hilarious in Dumb&Dumber, Ace Ventura, very entertaining in Mask and others and a great actor as demonstrated in the Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He is a man mountain of talent!

12:50 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Eternal Sunshine is utter genius, and even Winslett is passable for once.

Briefly turning back to me again, and doing a "Langdown" myself, said decision (above) really felt like a kick in the nuts, so the theme rolls on.

Oh, Tesco are selling Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong CDs for £0.97. If you're near one, that is. Discovered this on a pensively-driven late-night Tesco trip on Tuesday.

7:16 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Re: Cheap Louis Armstrong CDs. I seem to remember picking up a superb CD of Burt Bacharach originals for about the same price.

Oh, and Jim Carrey is an extremely talented actor with terrific range, agreed. Eternal Sunshine was very good, and The Truman Show is a monumental classic. In fact, its a strong contender for Peter Weir's best film. Weir should have won an Oscar at least three times already and is in my not at all humble opinion the most underrated film director in the world.

5:53 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

Jim Carrey is terrific in Eternal Sunshine - the performance is beautifully understated. Killer props as well for Charlie Kaufmann, surely one of the most innovative screenwriters around. In ES he showed a fantastic talent for exploring an individual's inner world in cinematic terms - as he did in Being John Malkovich and Adaptation.

Chris, do I take it that you're driving now?

5:18 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No sorry Chas, it was a figure of speech. I was pensive and therefore went to Tesco, hence "pensively-driven". If I get funding to go somewhere I'll probably learn to drive soonish.

Chris

6:05 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

Ah, so you were describing your state of mind rather than the manner of your driving, understood.

And now a view which may not be popular, but hey, it's my blog after all.

The Big Lebowski is overrated.

There, I've said it.

12:31 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I guess this blog can now go in any direction it likes. With that in mind, I feel more confident to do a 'Langdown' so here is my attempt:

I have had a comment printed on The Times' website about the state of British Athletics in the run up to the 2012 Olympics. Here's the link:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7713-2293662,00.html

There's a slight mistake in it on my part as I was restricted in writing length, but I was pleased that my contribution to the debate was accepted.

And seeings as lowly Finland (population 5 million) are currently ahead of Britain (close to 60 million) in these European Athletics Championships means something is not working with British athletics....

By the way I can't remember The Big Lebowski, and I once read that muffins are highly overrated!

I have no comments to make in either case.

6:05 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have no interest in British athletics, so will not participate in Sean's attempted Langdown.

That said, I am pleased Sean's comment was duly noted. There is something very satistying in having one's comment published by a bona fide media organisation like the Times. It makes one feel - if you'll forgive my use of an obscenity - "validated". I have several published comments on the BBC "Have your say" page, normally regarding the Muslim community and their incessant whinging about not feeling "engaged", how those nasty police keep persecuting them, etc when they should be unambiguously condemning the terrorists that are springing from their midst. Anyway, that's a Langdown within a Langdown. I wonder if courtrooms will one day be filled with lawyers shouting "Objection: Langdown!" whenever the prosecutor attempts to stray from the point?

On the Coen Brothers front, I thoroughly enjoyed The Big Lebowski, though I prefer Oh Brother Where Art Thou, Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Man Who Wasn't There, Fargo...

Actually, now I think about it Charles might have a point. Still, the Coen brothers have never made a bad film (except the mediocre remake of The Ladykillers - what were they thinking?)

On a more sentimental note, I must add that I am thoroughly enjoying these discussions. Charles blog seems to have become a kind of "Searchlight reunited" forum. We may have been scattered to the four corners of the Earth, but still the relentless tide of scathing tirades, amusement, opinion, wit and invention continues unabated.

5:36 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Proof that the internet has at least done some good (no Langdown intended, just a nod)!

I agree Simon, these discussions are entertaining (always), informative (often) and topical (sometimes). They have allowed me the chance to keep up with long established friends in a way I never thought would have been feasible given how long it has been, for example, since I saw Sean face to face (I'm sure Marks and Spencer had something to do with it). I look forward to this continuing for some time, until I am rich enough to travel the four corners of the globe (hang on...corners?....globe?...umm...) and visit you all!

P.S. I have no interest in seeing it, but I hear Lady in the Water is pants, as I absolutely expected it to be.

6:35 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

Muffins are overrated. They are difficult to eat because of their inconvenient shape. They are also overpriced and bland. Maybe that's why americans call them called english muffins?

Well done for getting your comments posted Sean, I agree. It's one thing blagging a committee into thinking you have the proper civic infrastructure to hold an Olympics, but if athletics itself has no infrastructure, then frankly what's the point? The only chance we have of winning anything is if everyone else gets disqualified for doping. It could happen...

A new post is well overdue and will be forthcoming. Although I do like seeing Mark's face every day I must say. Watch this space...

2:01 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Chas, you forget but one man...Dwayne Chambers. Our only potential medallist since Christie, and he's out of Olympiuc contention for doping. If others give us a chance, we can only take advantage by breaking the rules ourselves, it seems!

7:26 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! as a famous pastor once said.

7:55 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I read an interesting statistic the other day. Apparantly 1 out of every 3 Americans are as heavy as the other 2. boom boom!

My solicitor will be in contact with all you very soon regarding the overuse of the now copywrited phrase "Doing a Langdown" (C)(TM) 2006

8:30 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

I assume boom boom is the sound of the one American pushing the other two over.

Mark, have you also trademarked the auxiliary verbs pertaining to the act of the Langdown? To my knowledge, a Langdown may also be pulled, cracked, and drilled home. It also functions as a verb in its own right, as in: 'He langdowned wildly but to limited effect.'

9:34 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What about:

He langdowned too soon!

2:05 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hereby announce patent pending on the adjective "Langdownesque", and the third person plural future tense "we shall langdown later".

2:45 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

First person plural, that is.

2:46 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just don't let Mark hear you say,

'He langdowned the ball into row z!'

2:35 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

Ah, but you make a Langdown sound like a random, uncontrolled action, rather than the exquisitely planned and executed diversion that it is.

2:45 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Langdowning is a technique often employed by preachers when their sermons are interminably long. It is ironic then, that when Mark used to preach at Hope House, his messages were succinct and with no irrelevant bits whatsoever.

5:32 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

True - they were lean, mean, incisive and you'd be down at Jonny Ringo's before you knew it, not like many a bloated rambling I've had to endure.

If it doesn't smack of faint praise, I'd like to compare them to Reader's Digest Condensed Books - classic works with all the waffle taken out, so you're just left with the pure pared-down classic.

I also think we're making good headway with defining just what the Langdown is. I would add in response to Simon's comment that the Langdown must be considered a welcome, rather than annoying, distraction.

5:51 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Indeed. Just like the Doctor Who discussion was so much more interesting than the one about the world cup.

9:18 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dare I push this comments tally past fifty and mention that I watched The Godfather Part 2 last night for the first time?

...and that I found it about as good as the first one?

I'll leave that to you guys, shall we say as a gift, paesani i Don Storrar?

9:18 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

Heresy! Surely it is gospel that Godfather Part 2 is THE ONLY sequel to be better than the original (although I privately include Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey).

I hold to this orthodoxy even though (don't say it too loud)... I haven't actually ever seen it...

2:13 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well if we're defining what 'langdowning' is, let's avoid using 'pulled durham' in the same sentance!

3:51 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, it is a while since I've seen the first one but I remember feeling the same sense of awe as after watching Part 2, especially when Kay tells Michael about the abortion.

Watched part 3 last night, good film except for Sofia Coppola. Such a shame she got shot eh? :P

6:36 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello, thank you for your kind but probably mistaken recollections of the 2 minute ramblings I forced on everyone on the odd sunday!

On Monday I went to see snakes on a plane and very much enjoyed it. It's a leave-your-brain outside kind of film but sometimes that's exactly what you want! It must contribute to the all time greatest check-list for film cliches. Lady with a baby - check! two brothers flying together for the first time - check! gay steward - check! Steward who is on their last flight before retirement - check! Honeymoon couple - check! Arrogant nasty man who you hope gets eaten first - check! etc etc

The only annoying thing was those people who probably believed that they contributed to the internet surge of influence behind the making of this flick and therefore decided that they had to cheer the "motherf****" line as if they had written it in themselves, or force laughter to demonstrate that they really got the jokes - even when there wasn't a joke! I experienced a similar group of peopl when seeing Serenity. Again, the original tv series had a large internet following so the dweebs felt it necessary to show their understanding of the plot/characters by laughing and commenting on EVERYTHING.

I find this kind of behaviour even more annoying than people randomly gossipping through the film.

Footloose, footloose, shake off your sunday blues!

7:43 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah yes, the hoary old sequels question. Let me lay it on the line again for those who have forgotten:

1. The Godfather Part 2 is actually not the only sequel better than the original. Toy Story 2 also falls into this category.

2. Only sequels to genuine classics can count in the above category (so please, no one moan about how Waynes World 2 is better than 1 - same with Bill and Ted although I happen to think the first film is better).

3. The Two Towers and The Empire Strikes Back do not count as sequels.

4. No matter what anyone says, Aliens, Superman II, Terminator 2, and Lethal Weapon 2 are NOT as good as the originals.

5. Speed 2 is the worst sequel of all time.

5:21 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, and I concur with Mark. Don't, for the sake of your children and children's children, miss Snakes on a Plane. Here's my review:

http://moviesforchristians.blogsome.com/category/simons-archives/

5:23 pm  
Blogger Charlie said...

Fine, let us all rake ne'er more over the ashes of the sequels discussion. Very much looking forward to Snakes on a Plane, I also recently enjoyed My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Luke Wilson is altogether more charming and less cheesy than his brother - Fact. The major flaw with this was that Eddie Izzard's character doesn't get enough screen time, and I don't just say that as an Eddie fan - his character's arc is treated almost as a subplot when it's crucial to the story. But don't want to spoil it - go and see.

12:43 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Charles, my dear chap, you cannot be more mistaken! Luke Wilson is a fine actor, but the cheesiness is his in the utmost!

You mentioned new material Chas, où c'est ?

6:03 pm  

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