Man-Sized Wreath - R.E.M.

Lots going on in the video for the new song from R.E.M.'s latest album. Enjoy.

The Dark Knight (2008)

"Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint."

The late Heath Ledger turns in a great performance as the Joker in what's probably the best Batman film ever made. However, it isn't quite the five-star masterpiece that some people have said it is. Maybe the next one will be. IMDB

A Good Year (2006)

"The house is falling apart and the vineyard makes undrinkable wine."

Russell Crowe is Max Skinner, a nasty city banker. Luckily for him, his uncle dies and leaves him an old French mansion and vineyard, where he can ponder the emptiness of his London lifestyle. Even more luckily for him, the woman of his dreams works in a nearby restaurant. IMDB

Beowulf (2007)

"I am Beowulf and I'm here to kill your monster."

Beowulf was probably the best of the Old English poems that I had to study at University and here it is in nicely rendered 3D animation. Ray Winstone plays the monster-slaying hero, though he looks much more toned here than he does in real life. IMDB

Brideshead Revisited trailer

Originally a classic book by Evelyn Waugh and then a famous 1980s TV series, Brideshead Revisited returns as a Hollywood blockbuster. Will it be as good as the Jeremy Irons/Anthony Andrews version? Almost definitely not, but here's the trailer anyway. It's out in September.

Does the world need another indie band?

The Independent has an interesting article on the sad state of today's guitar music.

You know who they are, these smooth-chinned strummers, with their smart-arsed, self-admiring band names almost invariably prefaced by the definite article: The Kooks, The Courteeners, The Holloways, The Rascals, The View, The Wombats, The Automatic, The Pigeon Detectives, The Hoosiers. Their turgid, tuneless banalities use all the oxygen between ad breaks on XFM; they mop up the soggy midday slot on the main stage.

Click here to read it.

Watchmen trailer

If you were worried about which films you were going to watch in 2009, worry no longer - the Watchmen movie will be out in March. For more info about "the greatest graphic novel of all time" click here. Or watch the trailer above.

879 photos from the USA

All 879 photos from our trip to the United States are now up on Flickr in full resolution - click here to see them. If you find so many photos a bit daunting, you can use the tags to sort through them - click here to see 31 photos from Death Valley, here to see 31 photos from Santa Cruz, and here to see 22 photos from the top of the Empire State building.

10 more photos from the USA - Las Vegas and New York

The view of our hotel from the pool.

Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas.

The fountain show at the Bellagio.

The view of the strip from the top of our hotel.

Big night in.

4th of July fireworks in New York.

Early morning in Central Park.

As close as we got to the Statue of Liberty.

Looking at the Empire State Building from the Rockefeller Centre.

The blue whale at the American Museum of Natural History.

10 more photos from the USA - Yosemite and Death Valley National Parks

Visiting Yosemite National Park.

Impressive scenery #1.

Impressive scenery #2.

Impressive scenery #3.

Impressive scenery #4.

Impressive scenery #5.

Impressive scenery #6.

Having a drink in California's oldest bar, the Iron Door Saloon in Groveland.

Stopping for a photo in Death Valley National Park.

The middle of the day in the middle of summer in one of the hottest parts of the USA.

10 photos from the USA - Los Angeles and the West Coast

A few pictures from the USA trip.


Standing on Santa Monica pier looking towards our hotel and the beach.


The famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood near the walk of fame.

"Point to your favourite part of Los Angeles."

On Mulholland Drive near Hollywood.

The Santa Monica pier.

Next stop Santa Barbara and the County Courthouse.

Looking down on the gardens at the County Courthouse.

Touring round Hearst Castle further up the coast.

Moving on to Santa Cruz, walking down the Beach Boardwalk.

Visiting the shops on the pier.

Into The Wild (2007)

"The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences."

Emile Hirsch plays the role of Christopher McCandless, who gave his life savings to charity before travelling around the USA and into the wilderness of Alaska. IMDB

My Only Offer - Mates of State

From the new album.