Mobile Bloggage

Trying out another mobile blog client. It's an interesting experience. All of the functionality from a full web client appears to be here but it is quite compressed.

I guess it's good for doing small blogs rather than writing epic essays. It appears I can auto-tweet/post to Facebook. Well it says I can. We'll find out shortly.

I'll have to take a look and see what it looks like once posted. Hmmm trippy interweb shennanigans.


- Posted using BlogPress from my mobile t'interwebs

Pablo Cheesecake v Man v Food

As with most things I have eclectic tastes when it comes to food. I will try just about anything once. As an example I was recently in Wales on holiday and got the opportunity to try ‘laver bread’ which is made from seaweed and looks a bit like black/green snot. It’s really unusual to taste (tastes a bit like the sea) and not as unpleasant as it sounds. My convoluted point being that I enjoy trying new things when it comes to my gastronomic adventures.

Ensuring that I am kept bang up to date with all the latest taste sensations I have been doing my due diligence. I recently discovered the TV show Man v Food from the Travel Channel in the US of States. Check this out.

Adam Richman, the host, is a legend. He’s even on Twitter as well (@adamrichman). He dares go where other’s fear to tread. I want his job. Travelling from city to city trying out all the food challenges that the US has to offer. If they ever do a UK version of this I am going to apply for the job. Cheesecake v Food – I like the sound of that!

Mrs Cheesecake has been flexing her gastronomic muscles as well. She is has been working through the recipes on the Pioneer Woman website. This is gradually making me a larger but more contented Cheesecake. We haven’t had a bad recipe from this site. Please note butter and cream are your friend.

If that’s not enough Mrs Cheesecake has also started growing her own fruit & vegetables. Before you ask: apples, pears, strawberries, rhubarb, onions, carrots, potatoes and about a dozen different herbs. Damn we’re even reducing our carbon footprint by growing out own.

What’s next for this intrepid couple of gastronomes? Who knows. Stick around and you might find out.

Adios
Pablo Cheesecake

Wild Target

I consider Bill Nighy to be a masterful actor. Yesterday I sat down to view his latest film, Wild Target. Nighy plays Victor, a professional hitman whose life is turned upside down with the arrival of his latest victim a con-woman called Rose, played by Emily Blunt.

Trained in the art of murder since his 7th birthday Victor is a ghost. So good at his job that his peers are in awe of him even though they have no idea who he actually is. Privately he lives a lonely existence in a roomy house where the vast majority of the furniture is unused and covered with plastic sheets. He is so non-descript you would walk past him in the street without a second glance.

Enter Rose, a flighty con-woman who has duped Ferguson (Rupert Everett) into purchasing a fake Rembrandt. Keen for revenge Ferguson hires Victor to take Rose out. Victor follows Rose and as he tries, in vain,to murder her he is slowly charmed by her free spirit. In the spur of the moment he saves Rose, and stoner Tony (Rupert Grint), from a second hitman and ends up becoming their protector.

The rest of the film deals with the unlikely trio and their escape from Ferguson and his cronies. Victor comes to realise he is missing out and is just existing rather than living.

Wild Target is one of those comedy films that doesn’t make you laugh out loud very often but does ensure you are always smiling. It sort of reminded me of Saving Grace in that respect. As an aside if you haven’t seen Saving Grace seek it out it’s brilliant. I left the cinema feeling amused and up beat.

Bill Nighy is great at showing the inner conflict of this character. He lets Victor’s emotions dance across his face. Emily Blunt is quirky and Rupert Grint likeable. Rupert Everett is as sleazy as ever while Gregor Fisher and Martin Freeman get some nice screen time.

Check it out. You never know you might like. It’s ok I won’t tell.

Flash Ahh-Ahh - Another Old Skool movie blog

If Brian Blessed were a cake he would be fruit and nut. Now don't get me wrong I don’t mean that in a nasty way. He's is as mad as a bag of snakes and I love him for it. More on the King of Bellowing later, I just had to get that off my chest from the get-go.

There have been a number of attempts to bring Alex Raymond's creation to life. From the Buster Crabbe film serials, via Defenders of the Earth, right up to recent abysmal TV series (oh come on…it was shit and you know it). Hell there is even a 3D version in development right now. What I'm really interested in though is the 1980 film.

The Mike Hodges vision of Flash is deliciously camp. Rightly so in my opinion. Look at this example below of one of the original strips. Strewth he's got no strides on! That’s right Flash is all about no pants action. 

With this as the source material there is really no surprise we ended up here. Actually it's quite tame in comparison isn't it.

The Cast

Everyone is great in this. Max Von Sydow is the worlds greatest pantomime villain as Ming the Merciless. Having Peter Wyngarde as Klytus is inspired as well. I understand why he had to wear a mask though. Can’t have Jason King stealing all the limelight now can we.

 
(As an aside. When I grow up I want to look like this)

Topol, Melody Anderson, Timothy Dalton, Richard O’Brien, The dude from Blue Peter (yes I know it was Peter Duncan. It was a joke) they are all perfect. Damn shame Flash, Sam Jones, got dubbed but them as they say is the breaks. Even spotted a young Robbie Coltrane as a baggage handler near the beginning of the film. Though if you blink you will miss him.

Brian Blessed is brilliant as Vultan, King of the Hawkmen. His subtly nuanced shouting makes the film for me. He wanders around wearing a strange leather nappy/S&M outfit as though it is the most natural thing in the world. Why he is not playing Odin in Thor I will never know. He was robbed dammit.

The Music

It’s Queen people. Come on with this and Highlander they rocked the 80s movie soundtrack scene. Ok I’m not sure if there was actually a scene but lets just imagine there was. Just sit back and enjoy. Go to your happy place and let this nonsense just wash over you.

The film never did particularly well it the box office. Sam Jones even won a Golden Raspberry for his acting but personally I think this masterpiece needs your love. This is a pulp hero made flesh in the campiest manner available and it rocks.

All together now, FLASH….AHH…AHH…He’ll save everyone of us.

Flash Cheesecake

Pablo Cheesecake v The Internet Connection of Much Crapness

I think it’s fair to say that everyone that reads this blog will be connecting to it via the technological wonder that is the Internet. I think it’s also fair to say that the speed at which you are able to access this content plays a large part in your enjoyment of said content. Recently my home interweb connection and specifically the ISP that provided it have been fucking me about in a grand old fashion.

Wait I’m getting ahead of myself here. Lets go back in time and I can explain from the beginning.

Since I have been using the internet at home, roughly since the mid 1990s, I have been using BT as my internet service provider. They have proven to be historically reliable and based on that I started to grow ever complacent with their diminishing service. Recently I checked the contract I had with them. It read something like this

“Dear Complacent Ass we have promised you up to 20MB broadband speed. We are now sat in our ivory tower quaffing champers and laughing at you. You are only getting 1.5MB. Ignoring your existence love and hugs BT”  (I may have paraphrased slightly there).

Turns out you can only mess me about for a few years before I finally get the hint. Another well known ISP *cough* Virgin Media *cough* were able to offer me up 50MB for an additional fiver a month. The best part about it is, and this is the kicker, I’ve run a speed test a couple of times since changing supplier and I am getting at minimum 30MB. So even at worst the connection speed it is still nearly 30x faster than before.

**SPLUT** Sorry that was the sound of my head exploding like a ripe melon as I try to get my brain around that number.

If the story has an moral, and I’m not sure it has, its that BT can take a long jump of a short pier. I wouldn’t piss on them if they were on fire. They relied on my customer loyalty and when it came the the punch provided to little to late. I called them today to cancel my account. First question I was asked
“Is there anything we can do to stop you cancelling your account?”
“Can you provide up to 50MB broadband speeds?”
“Erm…..no”
“Then I guess there is nothing you can do”
*resigned sigh* at other end of phone.

Gosh I feel better I’ve go that rant of my chest.

Later Peoples

Pablo VirginMediacake

Testing, Testing, 123...is this thing on?

I have been messing about with a MacBook for the last week and I thought it might be a good idea if I tried a blog to see how to experience compares against blogging on my PC. I've downloaded a trial version of the bit of software called Blogo and thought I would give that a whirl.

I have to say I am suitably impressed. The user interface is very clean and simple to use. There is no great difficulty figuring out all the formatting options. I should stress that I am still finding may way a bit when it comes to using the MacBook but I am sure this was exactly the same back in the day when I first started using PCs.

Hmmm not a long blog but I like to think at least a little bit educational.

I am curious to see what this looks like when it's posted.

Laters
Pablo MacCheesecake

Calling all the Heroes.....

When it comes to film there is nothing better than sheer unadulterated escapism. I want, nay demand, the following: flying people, explosions, cunning stunts and superpowers. Over the last couple of years it seems that the big movie studios are starting to get my none too subtle hints. Comic book movies can be cool. Iron Man worked well. The Dark Knight was epic in scope. I am, and probably always will be, the eternal optimist so I’ve decided to take a look forward at what’s on the horizon when it comes to comic book adaptations.

The Green Lantern

I have high hopes for this. I like Ryan Reynolds and I reckon he can pull off Hal Jordan (oh that just doesn’t sound right now that I’ve typed it). If Ryan happens across this little blog I have but one thing to ask (ok two). Can you reign in the zany about 70% ?. While I’m making demands would like to see Kilowog in the mix as well. Ohh check out this most decent fan art I found on the interwebs.

Deadpool

Gosh it’s that chappie Reynolds again. This time as the merc with the mouth, Deadpool. Again Ryan if your reading this please feel free to go entirely the other way with this one. In fact the more batshit insane the better I think.

Captain America  - The First Avenger

I saw The Losers (another comic book inspired movie fact fans) at the weekend and I enjoyed all the performances. Chris Evans did his usual charming goofball shtick. I’ve seen the concept art and he certainly looks the part but again like Reynolds in Green Lantern dial down the sass (good word there from Mrs Cheesecake).

 

The Avengers

We have much love for Iron Man here at Casa de Cheesecake. Judging by the pics seen so far The Mighty Thor will indeed rock. The Hulk will most likely be back and if rumours are true we’ll see Hawkeye and possibly Ant Man/Giant Man. Throw the First Avenger into the mix and it’s all good. I’m sure Joss Whedon can do the business. I always enjoyed his TV shows, even the ones that were cancelled way to soon.

Actually that reminds me. I was once in Belgium and saw an issue of The Avengers in Flemish. De Vergelders (who knew Marvel published in Flemish. That’s pretty cool.)

Rumour- Monger

There are loads of other adaptations we are likely to see soon as well. More Batman, unlikely it will be The Dark Knight Returns but we can live in hope. More Spiderman, a shame they are going for a reboot I enjoyed Raimi’s take. 

One final thought. If anyone out there wants a cracking comic that would make an excellent film you could do a lot worse than Alien Legion. Consider yourself told.

Direct from the Cheesecake Cave

Captain Cheesecake