Permutation City Blog

I have vague memories of watching this in the cinema when it was first released. (I definitely remember collecting Ghostbuster stickers that came free with Shreddies.) It was a great film at the time with lots of fun and action. I'm grown up now (and no longer collect free stuff from Shreddies) and it's still worth a watch.

And the cat came back the very next day... Everyone seems to like this. A catchy tune and an increasingly strange story to go with it. Do you want to know why a cow is tied to the railroad tracks? Watch it to find out.

Although my first viewing of this French film was without sub-titles it was still great. It all very visual and there is almost no dialog so English speakers will get along fine. Enjoy the unique characters of Madame Souza and her orphaned grandson, a cyclist, and a train obsessed pet dog. It's all very retro; indeed, the cartoon is entirely drawn in a 1930s style.

Does this fit under fantasy? This may not be a sophisticated film but it is a funny film. There are lots of excellent characters to enjoy. Most of them recognisable from your standard western but not quiet as you've seen them before. Really there are too many funny moments to mention. Towards the end the film drifts into the surreal and bizarre.

This was my first introduction to Shyamalan's work and I was impressed. Haley Joel Osment puts on a superb performance as Cole Sear, a troubled 9 year old. Bruce Willis was excellent as his doctor, Malcolm Crowe, showing that he is quite capable outside the action genre. I didn't pick up on the plot twist until just before the end. Re-watching it since you can see the fine balance between what you are meant to believe and what is actually happening.

For me this paints a bleak, if interesting, future in a world driven by advances in genetic technology. I wouldn't want to live there, not that I'd be allowed. The main character must struggle against this every day of his life. A world with similar regulation and divisions in society can be seen in Code 46.

I really enjoy this film. I like films with time loops but this does it best. Phil Connors goes through many emotional changes in the film: confusion, desperation, madness, indulgence, dispair, acceptance, and enjoyment. The early stages of the film are obvious but what would it really be like to live the same day over and over. Especially when you get to your 100th day or your 1000th. The end is a bit cheesy but I don't really care.

The promotional material sold this to me as a science fiction film or, at least, a film with science fiction in it. It told of a bluring between the real world and the fictional work of a writer. Much was made of a futuristic train run by robots on its way to a mysterious destination. A film didn't live up to its promise. There is a bit of science fiction but only in passing. However mostly it's a very confusing story about a writer living in Singapore and Hong Kong in the 60s.

It seems we were all fans of Doctor Who in our childhood. It was one of the few science fiction programs out there and it was great. Peter Davison was "my" Doctor and through the years I thought he was the best. Although I've seen Doctor Who on a large number of occasions since its first screening its not something that I've made an effort to do. Although there are good and bad stories it is fun to revisit them. In more recent years I really enjoyed the Paul McGann web cast based on a Douglas Adams script. I haven't enjoyed the return of The Doctor so much. It's ok but nothing special. Also I really don't like some of the characters, and why do they seem to spend so much of each episode running about? On the other hand I hear that the kids love it. I'm glad that the BBC decided to bring it back and I'm glad that it's popular but as for me I'll give it a miss.

I've been to a couple of the Ashoka restaurants and had a fairly unexceptional experience. It's an Indian restaurant and they serve exactly the sort of dishes you'd expect. It's certainly not as exciting as, say, the Shish Mahal but it might well be cheaper.