I just finished watching Spider-man 3, so here are my initial impressions:

Wow! Spectacular!

A lot of people (including George Lucas, surprisingly) had problems with this film, but I enjoyed it more than the second one and about on-par with the first. The second film had a much more serious tone, but here Sam Raimi gets to have some fun, balancing the light with the dark with ease.

A lot goes on, but everything in the plot has a purpose, so there’s no real clutter. Plus, we get the best Bruce Campbell cameo out of all three films.

Just fantastic, and a great end to the trilogy.

Here’s a great interview with Storm Thorgerson, the man who designed some of the greatest album covers of all time, including the cover art for the majority of Pink Floyd’s albums.

Bonus! He slags-off Nickelback:

Sun: Have you ever had anything rejected? Have your dreams turned into a nightmare?

Thorgerson: Oh God yes.

Sun: What was a good example?

Thorgerson: Nickelback are a good example.

Sun: You did a Nickelback cover?

Thorgerson: No we didn’t, because they turned us down.

Sun: Really?

Thorgerson: I’m not very pleased about it.

Sun: They’re from here, actually.

Thorgerson: I know they are. I said this on radio this morning, I’m hoping I bump into them so I can give them a piece of my mind.

More details in the article.

We plant the seed
Nature grows the seed
We eat the seed

So said Neil to Rick in The Young Ones. Obviously someone forgot the final line.

I live on a dead-end street (not a cul-de-sac) where there’s some bushland leading towards a valley. Nothing much is unusual down there, except for the odd snake or the remains of the occasional German backpacker, but today I did find something rather unusual while scouting around there with a friend: fresh vegetables.

Now, I’m not talking about scraps, or even some private vege garden — I mean whole carrots, potatoes, capsicums, etc., as well as whole chunks of broccoli, just dumped beyond where the road ends. It’s like the local fauna went to the green grocers and then later realised they didn’t have a fridge to store the groceries in. What the hell?

I’m simply baffled.

First I dreamt of meeting Robert Fripp, then Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, then Cliff Richard and Jeff Lynne.

Last night I dreamt that I met Gavin Harrison, the drummer for Porcupine Tree — this is possibly the apex of my geeky dreams.

Harrison, I must say, is fast becoming one of my favourite drummers, alongside Bill Bruford (of Yes and King Crimson), Phil Collins (of Genesis and Brand X) and Stewart Copeland (of The Police).

Drummers — really gifted drummers — don’t get the credit they deserve: people all too often think of the drums (along with the bass) as the least interesting part of a rock band, and truth be told, in most cases it is. But a good drummer adds interest and unexpected twists, holding back when need be as well. Have a listen to even something as simple as “Walking on the Moon” by The Police and you’ll hear Copeland’s personality shining through.

Gavin Harrison has been a member of Porcupine Tree since 2002’s In Absentia, and he’s added a lot to their sound. I recommend that anyone interested seek out “The Start of Something Beautiful” from their album Deadwing.

I finished watching David Lynch’s Inland Empire only minutes ago, and I’m really not quite sure about what I just saw.

This is possibly his most challenging feature to date. Forget Lost Highway or even Eraserhead — those look like mainstream Hollywood blockbusters by comparison. This film’s length (180 minutes), combined with its handheld digital video aesthetic, creates an experience that is somewhat akin to a claustrophobic endurance test.

The themes presented in Lost Highway and Mulholland Dr. reappear — Hollywood, fluid identities — but even more so, Inland Empire blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Imagine being trapped in Club Silencio for three hours.

Okay, that’s all I’ve got at the moment…

According to Uncut.co.uk, Peter Gabriel has scored the new IMAX film, Sea Monsters.

You can see the trailer at the film’s official site, and it sounds like they’ve used Gabriel’s music in the trailer itself — his style is quite distinctive.

The only thing I thought was cooler than dinosaurs when I was a kid was dinosaurs in the water, so this film looks right up my alley. Hopefully Gabriel will also release his soundtrack on CD, however.

UPDATE: Turns out the soundtrack is a collaboration between Richard Evans, David Rhodes and Gabriel — the other two are excellent musicians who’ve worked with Gabriel for many years, so it’s still very much a project of interest.

Here’s a great interview with Mike Rutherford on the Genesis reunion:

Rutherford has not ruled out Gabriel returning to the fold at some point. Gabriel is currently touring on his own.

“Who knows?” Rutherford said. “It’s a project idea, which is out in the ether. In a sense, no one’s pushing anyone to do it — (that) sort of thing.”

Ah, one can dream…

Anyway, kids, don’t forget that I’m writing for Bleat! as well. Check it out some time.

Finally!

That means that it’s time for a spring clean, which includes organising my blogs.

Stay tuned, Whim-kateers!