Film Review: Your Name

As a Japanese sub-titled animation film, I expected to be watching Your Name in a deserted theatre. I duly turned up 10 minutes before the film and was told it was full. Okay I’ll have a ticket for the showing 2 hours later. Full. Okay let’s go for the late show. Full. Shocked I walked away even more eager to see what I was missing. I returned a week later and although a seat was available, I was left to sit right in the corner. This is a popular film in central London. The story tells how a rural girl, Mitsuha, goes to sleep and wakes up exchanging life positions with a boy, Taki, who like in Tokyo. Each time they sleep another swap occurs and confusion ensues as they re-adjust to the different life. Eventually Mitsuha and Taki work out what is happening and start to communicate through leaving messages for each other to read the next time they swap. This is an unusual story and as the mystery of a pending disaster unfolds there is increased tension. At times the audience are in intense silence, at other times laughing loud. Given the sub-titles and the volume of some of the laughter, either the comedy didn’t quite hit it with me or the translations were a little lapse. Either way it was always fun when the boy woke up as a girl, checked out his new breasts and was also inevitably caught out by the girl’s sister. The animation was generally good however there were definitely two different qualities. At times the image was fine detailed e.g. raindrops on a pavement, while other times it was closer to traditional cartoon drawings. It wasn’t a problem but it did break the moment as the scenes switched.

Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryô Narita Dir: Makoto Shinkai Genre: Animated, Drama

Film Review: A United Kingdon

Leading up to the independence of Botswana, an international scandal ensues following the British protectorate’s black Prince Seretse Khama's marriage a white woman, Ruth Williams. South Africa is in the process of implementing apartheid and a mixed race royal marriage on its borders is not seen as acceptable. The struggle between the various interested parties is told in A United Kingdom. This true story is centered around Ruth (Rosamund Pike) and the Prince (David Oyelowo), and sees their romance blossom while in London, their move to Africa and their forced separation. Although you see the affection at the early stage, and sympathise with the injustice of their separation, there is no great feeling for their actual separation. Things mainly appear to happily tick on except perhaps for a scene with his baby on the telephone. This is well scripted and acted with Rosamund Pike, as ever, great at playing this girl-next-door character. As the different parties manipulate each other, you start to appreciate the fine line that international diplomacy often walks. This is a great story and although liked by many, will be particularly welcomed if you enjoy period dramas about the British empire or a good old love story.

David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Jack Davenport Dir: Amma Asante "The true story of the love that shook an empire" Genre: Drama

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Event: Visit Edale

Twenty-seven years ago my brother Andy and I set out on a walk from John O’Groats to Land’s End. During that 73 day journey we experienced many adventures however nothing prepared us for our journey down the 267 miles of the Pennine Way.

A few days before we began at the top section near Kirk Yetholm, it started to rain. It then rained almost continuously for 21 days and it was during this period that we took on one of the most gruelling of the long distance trails. In those days the trail had very little care, and with the amount of water falling on it, the vast peak bogs and moorlands quickly turned into soft, sticky, and often hazardous walking conditions. Since I hadn’t seen Edale for at least 20 years, it was time to revisit a little of the easier sections.

In the previous few weeks I had a few false starts, but on this Saturday morning we not only had no pressing commitments but the weather forecast was fair with light winds. Perfect for a walk around Edale. Before long I had Sue and Adam loaded in the car and off we went.

Although I didn’t immediately recognise Edale, it wasn’t long before some flashbacks had me remembering some key landmarks. The day was glorious with blue skies almost horizon to horizon, but a heavy fog still lay settled in the valleys. This made the first part of the climb a little cool (2 degrees) but greatly warmed as we pushed through into the clear air above.

The last section was a bit steep and time was ticking on, so Sue and Adam returned back down and would warm up in the pub. I had hoped to reach Kinder Scout but with the short winter days, and some earlier traffic delays, I had to settle with just looping above Edale via Grinslow Knoll.

Rather more by luck rather than design, we had picked a day with the most stunning vistas. Frozen hills stretched their peaks up through the fog to be warmed by the sun. Even by the end of the day, the fog still sat determined not to dissipate. As the wind was almost totally absent, distant limestone works at Hind Low and power stations caused white plumes to form above the fog soup. All rather special.

Film Review: Indignation

Indignation is a coming-of-age movie where a Jewish student Marcus (Logan Lerman) moves to a college in Ohio to study and falls for Olivia (Sarah Gabon) who suffers from severe mood swings. As he learns about his sexuality through a growing affection for the girl, he also starts to understand how broken she is. His fondness for her, and risks he will need to endure to stay close to her, are the premise of the story. The script is often poetic, and when mixed with the fabulous acting from Logan, Sarah and the college Dean (Tracy Letts) then there’s plenty of scenes where you get so sucked in that you hope the words will run-and-run. Of particular merit was the standoff between Marcus and the Dean as the word gladiators try to outmanoeuvre each other. Although I mention these lead characters, other secondary ones, such as his parents, roommates or even the bit part of the Dean's secretary, are also great. There’s some great casting here. If you want a change from the big Hollywood movies, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Tracy Letts Dir: James Schamus Genre: Drama

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Album Review: Sting/57th and 9th

At the ripe old age of 10, I bought my first every single, Message In A Bottle by Police. I immediately became hooked on their white reggae sounds, with albums such as Zenyatta Mondatta and Synchronicity being amongst my favourites all time albums. While I followed Sting for many years after Police split I lost touch with him more recently. His latest, 57th & 9th, was due a good listen.

I Can't Stop Thinking About You   50,000   Down, Down, Down   One Fine Day   Pretty Young Soldier   Petrol Head   Heading South on the Great North Road   If You Can't Love Me   Inshallah   The Empty Chair

With I Can’t Stop Thinking About You we immediately know this is a Sting album with its fast drum and particular electric guitar vibe. His voice, at 65 years old, is starting to sound more gruff and lacks some of the punch his earlier works had. With 50,000 it seems Sting is anticipating his final years and ultimate demise with lyrics like “Rock Stars don't ever die, they only fade away.” Or even his fall from greatness with “Down, Down, Down” where he reflects on better times. The closing number “The Empty Chair” also continues this reflective viewpoint with his final passing. One Fine Day has a more upbeat rhythm and looks forward to the times when we have stopped destroying the planet. Petrol Head has the strongest beat on the album and would certainly work thumping out of your car speakers on an clear country road. The better tracks include Heading South On The Great North, an acoustic number with a slight haunting feeling which would feel very at home in a small fringe tent at a local festival. The strongest lyrics come from If You Can’t Love Me riding on a rising backing track. Overall this is an okay album but nothing special. Sting has laboured some of his melancholy views with some meandering lyrics which, while produced to be the main focus of the track, aren’t quite strong enough to pull it off.

Film Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

After J.K. Rowling sent Harry Potter off to pasture, the magic world movies went a bit quiet. However given the size of this cash-cow it was clear it wouldn’t be long before we were adventuring in its richness again, and so we now have Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. Set 70 years before Harry Potter, the story follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as he visits New York with a suitcase full of weird and wonderful monsters. The suitcase falls into the wrong hands and the monsters are released to cause havoc. At the same time we have the secret, and very strict, local magic community which has its own problems as it wrestles with possible exposure of their community to the No-Majs (muggles in English). From the very start, when the Harry Potter theme music strikes up, the movie feels and tastes of the same old magic world. Various name drops and references are clearly there to satisfy the HP fans without being overly reliant. Script is great and Eddie puts in a strong performance as the slightly dazed wizard. The film is clearly massive budget with exceptional special effects. If the team behind this 1920’s world populated with cute, and often brutal, creatures doesn’t bag itself a few awards then there’s certainly no justice. If you are a Harry Potter fan then this is a must see movie. The rest of us will certainly not be disappointed and may even come away being converted. Recently the J K Rowling announced that they were increasing the planned franchise from 3 movies to 5, and I for one am looking forward to the next instalment.

Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol Dir: David Yates "Explore a new era of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world" Genre: Adventure, Magic

Volunteer: Cinderella/Dragonfly Dance

This is a dance show organised by a local dance studio. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be very entertaining and greatly enjoyed it. Training tonight involved "in case the pyrotechnics go wrong, how do you evacuate 200 children off the stage area". Not exactly run of the mill exit plan.

Film Review: Train to Busan

After commenting a few weeks ago that I almost never watch horror movies, I’m here again reviewing one. This one is South Korean, a very limited release and goes by the name Train to Busan. For this horror we’re back with zombies munching their way across the country. The story focuses on a dad and daughter, husband and pregnant wife, down ‘n out and a selfish bloke, who are all brought together on a train journey to (guess where?) Busan. Unfortunately a virus-infected woman gets on-board and before you know it the carriages are heaving with the flesh-eaters. The short is, this is a great zombie movie. Unlike Girl With All The Gifts, the story is beautifully paced with scenes which are truly thrilling. When the horde is found heaving against a window, and the window breaks, the pile-up and subsequent clambering over bodies is exceptional. Again, as the humans rush down a train carriage chased by the masses, you really feel the fear they are experiencing. A simple stumble will have you holding your breath until they are back on their feet although true scares are very limited. Of course, in this genre you also expect a few dumbasses that deserve to die, but Train to Busan does well to mostly avoid this lazy stereotype. People do sacrifice themselves however this is always motivated by love or logic. I’m not saying it’s perfect in this regard but it does better than most zombie flicks. Ultimately a great zombie film that deserves to be seen by more however the simple fact that its subtitled will unfortunately deprive many of a good night out.

Yoo Gong, Soo-an Kim, Yu-mi Jeong Dir: Sang-ho Yeon "Life or Death Survival Begins" Genre: Horror

Film Review: Nocturnal Animals

When Susan (Amy Adams) receives a novel manuscript, Nocturnal Animals, from her ex-husband (Jake Gyllenhaal), she starts to remember 20 years back at the better times she had with him. At the same time, as she reads the manuscript, we see this story also play out on the screen. Its very dark tale in which you see a family's vacation turn dark and deadly. The director (Tom Ford) has done an excellent job of mixing the different story elements and it felt very natural to switch back and forward. At one point you are mulling over how Susan feels about her ex, the next how the father is able to get out of the awful situation and take revenge on the crime perpetrators. Both stories move at enough pace to keep them interesting. The actors, including secondary parts from Laura (Isla Fisher) and the sheriff (Micheal Shannon), were all excellent and you could really feel the emotional tension thoughout. This is certainly a great drama, done is a slightly different way, which I’m sure most will enjoy.

Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon Dir: Tom Ford "When you love someone you can't just throw it away" Genre: Thriller

Film Review: Arrival

The Arrival is the story of how 12 large black, oval shaped spaceships appear one day scattered across the globe. The focus is linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) who is called upon by the US military to decipher the alien communications. She is helped by a scientist, Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), to slow building a lexicon of words and phrases. I wasn’t expecting too much from this however I’m pleased to report it was a very enjoyable movie. The key to its success was how it kept you guessing about the purpose of the alien’s visit. As Banks pieces together more of the language, the purpose slowly reveals itself. The acting and script are tight. The mental flashes Banks has with her daughter are carefully placed in the script so as to give just the right amount of distraction, reflecting the distraction she is experiencing at the time. And again the purpose of this storyline is not fully revealed and will keep you guessing. Ultimately a great film that won’t disappoint but instead leaves you feeling rather good.

Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker Dir: Denis Villeneuve "Why are they here?" Genre: SciFi, mystery

Event: Drift a Car

In the days before kids, apart from the occasional jumper or computer game, I would encourage all my birthday and Christmas gifts to be experience based. It could be anything from paragliding in the Pennines, formula 1 speedboat racing in Tamworth, quad biking in Wales, water skiing near London to flying a micro-light over a power-station at Lichfield. To name but a few. Every present came in an envelope and rarely involved wrapping paper.

For 50 Events I have re-initiated the challenge to my generous gift givers, experiences are the best presents ;)

My Mum and Dad kicked off the year by giving me an ½ day drifting cars around a track. Although I had previous practiced losing control of a car on a skidpan event, drifting is a little less about becoming a better driver and more about burning some rubber and just having a blast behind the wheel.

Sue and I arrived at the rundown part of central Birmingham in plenty of time for the Sunday 9am kick off. There are 9 others joining me but the place is full of families who have come along to watch. Mum and Dad were due to meet us there but were going to be a little late (although after getting seriously lost they don’t turn up until after 11am).

The cars are modified MX5s which have had their diffs welded so that they clunk and rattle every time you change direction. The drift company try to sell you some optional insurance for £10 but given the state of these cars I think bumping other cars is pretty much order of the day. I skip the extra payment.

After some classroom instruction, we are all sent outside and attempt donuts, figure-of-eights and finish with a controlled drifting competition. It’s a nice Autumn morning and watching others practice is entertaining so the waiting around is not in any way tiresome. It’s always fun when someone loses control and sends the hose reel flying as their car wipes out the water sprinkling systems.

Somewhat depressingly, the drifting competition Silver trophy goes to a kid who is barely old enough to go to school. It seems that Playstation driving games really do help in honing your skills.

Before we finish, we all head over to the main racetrack and have a ride with a professional drifting driver. Just putting the helmet on, ducking under the roll bars while getting into the bucket seat and then being crushed by the 4 point harasses brings home how serious this is. Smoke pours off the back wheel, and you are soon doing serious speed. Then the car goes sideways. All the time you are praying “Don’t roll over! Please don’t roll over!”

I was certainly not the best but I did manage to successfully drift 360s on several occasions. However it’s more about the fun and on that account it was definitely a success. The joy when you manage to twitch the throttle just enough, for just long enough with the right steering lock on and send the car sideways is a real buzz.

Volunteer: Al Murray

Al Murray was on top-form although too blue for many of the other volunteers. Personally I enjoyed him particularly his audience interactions. Al also posted a picture of me on Twitter, which was picked up by Stafford Express and Star. Well when I say 'picture of me' I really mean 'picture of my feet'. Check out the very right side of this picture.

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Event: Watch a Ballet

While touring Europe 25 years ago, Sue and I caught some ballet in the National Theatre of Prague. It was a wonderful experience and it was time to try it again. As luck would have it, The Russian State Ballet and Opera House were touring with Swan Lake and dropped into Stafford Gatehouse Theatre for the night. With over 30 musicians and a similar number of dancers, this was surely a spectacle not to be missed.

For me, ballet is a strange dance genre. There are clearly skills required to balance on your toe tips but why? Most classic dance movements came from the people for the people, while ballet has a high entry criteria and hence rules out most people.

It is also seems quite limited in the variety of movements that an expert ballerina might undertake. There’s the toe thing, a bouncy thing, a foot switchy thing, a leg backward thing and the lunge. Arms have also a few limited positions. And then when dancing with a partner we have a waist lift, leg lift, lean one way, then lean other and lots of spinning. There’s probably a couple more but I think that’s about it.

It's perhaps because a traditional ballet group follow a strict set of classic poses, but by today’s standard this seems very limited especially when you compare to what people like Michael Flatley has developed from limited Irish dance moves. Don’t get me wrong, it was still pleasant to watch however the dance did appear somewhat repetitive in places.

The highlight however was the orchestra and Tchaikovsky’s haunting music. At times you can just close your eyes and enjoy while the strings take you far away to another time and place. And I think this is ultimately my conclusion with ballet. Leave the dancers out and just go and listen to an orchestra playing some great music.

Film Review: A Street Cat Named Bob

A film about a recovering druggie and his struggles with a demon addiction, a cute ginger cat who gets into trouble and an unstable relationship with a hippy chick is order of the day for A Street Cat Named Bob. With this line-up of ingredients it’s set for at least a couple of tear-jerk moments, but is it able to deliver? Well not quite. The story, based on an international best seller, left me broadly indifferent about all the main characters, even the cat. The story is reasonable but it just left me looking for the real substance in the story which makes it stand out. If there is one, then it’s the fact that a recovering drug addict finds a cat and his fortunes turn a little better. Luke (James Bowen) can both sing and play the acoustic guitar while be busks around London. We watch his progress from a bottom feeder, sleeping on the streets until he is a successful author. However I think the premise of a feel-good movie is that there is something uplifting and you come out with a spring in your step. The little guy has stuck-it-to-the-man and now he has a rosy life ahead of him. I didn’t quite feel that rosy although he is obviously in a much better place now. He still seems unsettled in this new world and in many ways was more at home when at the bottom. On the point of cats, in fairness, they don’t work for me and I find them generally more annoying rather than cute. So when the majority of the fun scenes involve Bob doing some dumb cat stuff then it lands pretty flat with me. If however you are different and either liked the book, or love cats then you will probably enjoy the film. I’m sure there are many who will even love it.

Bob the Cat, Luke Treadaway, Ruta Gedmintas Dir: Roger Spottiswoode "Sometimes it takes nine lives to save one." Genre: Biography, Comedy

Film Review: The Light Between Oceans

It’s post Great War and an Australian town needs a keeper for their remote lighthouse. Tom (Michael Fassbender), a war veteran, takes up the post and eventually marries Isabel (Alicia Vikander) from the local town. A boat washes up near the lighthouse and they rescue the baby on-board. This is the love story between Tom and Isabel, and their raising of the child. Much of the story orientates around various dilemmas from the basic ‘should I take this woman as my wife’ to the more complex ‘should I take this lost baby as my own’. Each dilemma has you thinking for a minute then you will have reached a conclusion on what you might do, however the film continues to drag the point well beyond the point of interest. Dilemmas also work particularly well if the film can persuade you to change your mind as more information is revealed. However A Light Between Two Oceans fails to get the balancing factors just right and your first thought never changes. Acting is reasonable however Michael Fassbender comes across overly wooden in a couple of the scenes even allowing for the character he is portraying. Although perhaps not a terrible film, this is not a film I can recommend.

Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz Dir: Derek Cianfrance "Love demands everything" Genre: Drama, romance

Album Review: Robbie Williams/The Heavy Entertainment

Robbie William has had 9 of his 10 previous studio albums reach number 1 on the Official Albums Chart. Add to this his 2 greatest hits compilation and you have the most successful British solo artist in the chart’s history. So can he do it again? In fairness of full disclosure, the Official Chart Company have just press released a statement to say that Robbie is well on his way to grabbing yet another number 1 album this week. So in answering my initial teaser I’ve probably got somewhat of an advantage. Let me then predict that he will be able to do it again with The Heavy Entertainment Show!

The Heavy Entertainment Show Party Like a Russian Mixed Signals (with The Killers) Love My Life Motherf***er Bruce Lee Sensitive David's Song Pretty Woman Hotel Crazy (with Rufus Wainwright) Sensational

So the real question is it because of the weight of his middle-aged followers or because his music reaches out to the new generation? His 1st single from the album, Party Like A Russian, effectively flopped when it was released last month. Not a good start. Well the album is very well produced. The layering of sound is complex and there’s lots of stadium fillers that you can see Robbie belting out in his future tour (even if his knackered back will stop him bouncing around about). Tempo and volume swings from the heavier tracks such as The Heavy Entertainment Show and Motherf****r to the dance numbers, such as Sensitive. David’s song is much slower and offers a brief relief from the heavy beats, while Pretty Woman breakaway guitar work will soon have your foot tapping. The album does enough for his loyal fan base and it’s pleasing to see the aging singer (now with wife and 2 kids) still able to create something new without sound too rehashed from his earlier work.

Recipe: Chicken Biryani with Tomato Chickpea Curry

As anyone who’s been with me on a beer ‘n curry night, my first port of call is a Lamb Sag.

However on occasions I will spice it up (pun intended) by having a biryani. In all my years I’ve never tried to make one so here was my chance.

As per many restaurants, I decided to also create a vegetable curry side dish. My choice, a Tomato and Chickpea Curry used coconut milk and probably was more from a Farern Eastern background but I didn’t think that would overly matter given its job is to moisten the biryani rice dish.

Boy what an epic meal to make. I spend a couple hours on Sunday putting the curry together, then another 90 minutes doing the biryani. I could prepare a Christmas meal in less time. Most labour intensive was cutting 6 large onions and 12 shallots, but every step seemed just to take more time.

Verdict: Ultimately the meal was a bit disappointing for a few reasons:

1. The volume of food was insane. The original recipe was for 2 people however I can only think they must have man-versus-food appetites.
2. Spices didn’t cook long enough. I think with the large amount of food some of it didn’t quite cook adequately. It might have been better to finish the last 20 minutes in the oven.
3. The rice was still sticky even though I washed the rice many, many times.
4. Curry was, apart from the coconut, a bit tasteless. The chickpeas however had a good texture.

When I eventually get through the mounds of left over food, I will not be trying this one again.

The recipes can be found here: Chicken Biryani / Tomato and Chickpea Curry

Film Review: The Accountant

If you’re a mobster and need to launder your ill-gotten gains then you need someone with a head for numbers and an ability to turn a blind eye to how you obtained it. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is exactly that person in The Accountant. Christian suffers some form of autism and is a numeric savant. While reviewing an engineering company's tax returns he finds some entries which indicate something underhand is happening. Bad people then start to come after him. At the same time there appears to be a 2nd story going on about Christian’s work with gangsters. There’s a weak link through the some FBI investigators but it feels like a different story. Further, there is a 3rd story of Christian and his lost daughter who clips the edges of the other two stories. While trying to pick up a relationship with her, she becomes the target of baddies and needs to be saved. Of course the focus is always centered around him however it feels like the film’s confused about what it’s about. Each storyline would be strong enough on its own however throwing them together somehow breaks the coherency. And who the heck is the ‘friendly’ contact that we keep hearing on the phone? A muddled role except perhaps to throw the occasional tip bits to keep the story moving forward. It’s not all bad and there’s some good action scenes on offer however don’t expect any great acting from a deadpan Ben Affleck.

Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons Dir: Gavin O'Connor "Calculate your choices." Genre: Horror

Film Review: Ouija: Origin of Evil

Horror films are not my thing. However in the same way that I might leap headfirst off the top diving board or jump my bike off a shear drop, I’m not adverse to the occasional scare. It’s never about enjoyment but more to prove to myself that I’m not a wuss. Only on one occasion have I stopped watching a horror due to it screwing with my mind – Woman In Black. I found zero pleasure in sitting through that psychological rollercoaster and ultimately stood up and walked out. Ouija: Origin of Evil is my first horror for about 6 months and I found it a gentle ride. It tells the story of a mother and two daughters making a living by conning punters with séances. In order to expand their ruse they invest in a Ouija board however it turns out that their home has lots more secrets to reveal and before long everyone is seeing ghosts. As expected, lots of jumpy moments particularly loud noises in the dark with people being startled awake by some poltergeist or other. The acting and script were fine and ultimately provides a reasonable movie but nothing here to cause you to have a sleepless night.

Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso Dir: Mike Flanagan "No telling what you'll see." Genre: Horror

Film Review: Jack Reacher

First an admission. When I sat down to write this review 3 days after watching the film, I couldn’t remember Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. I could recall a few key facts about it, for example, Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) is trying to investigate why some US soldiers have been killed by US guns, but the rest was a blur. And I think that just about sums up the story. The problem is we have seen this tale many times before. The key elements are identical to other films and this leaves you rather indifferent. To be clear, I enjoyed the film and rated it very watchable because it’s well made with plenty of action scenes. As in the first film, Jack Reacher is quite a likeable character and helps to carry the audience along. But once you leave don’t expect to recall what it was all about.

Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Aldis Hodge Dir: Edward Zwick "Never give in. Never give up. Never go back." Genre: Action

Event: Celebrate Launch Of A New Computer Game

For years I’ve enjoyed computer games, and will frequently devote significant time completing the tasks and challenges presented in these virtual worlds. However I have never fully embraced the launch-day excitement until now.

The plan was to start playing at 00:01 on the day of launch and play for 24 hours. Of course I would need to allow for some sleep so the whole event would last longer. Unfortunately with 2 hours until kick off I was already knackered after a hard day’s work, so I decided get to bed early and start first thing the next morning.

So at 05:30, fresh coffee by my side, I started up the latest Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. It immediately crashed on the menu screen! Restart and it crashed again. Ahhhh! Thankfully a full reboot sorted it out.

My brother Mark and I had challenged each other to see who could complete the single player campaign first. I was confident my early start would ensure the lead I needed.

By 08:00 I had the fried bacon/eggs sandwiches consumed just in time to see everyone off to work or school. I had a free house so nothing stood in my way.

Word comes in from Mark that Amazon Prime is not too prime this morning, and he’s still waiting on his COD delivery. Hehe. Even with his better game play, I was surely getting too far ahead for him to catch up.

12:00 and a sausage sandwich tops up my fat levels ready for the afternoon session.

By 15:30 Mark has the game installed and he begins his epic task of catching up 8 hours of game play. No chance. I complete the challenge a mere 75 minutes later and send a SMS taunt. When it comes to gaming, Mark may have the edge however when coming to organisational skills I think I might have the edge.

My hands are holding up against RSI however the fact I lose 17 deaths to 0 kills in my first multi-player match shows that tiredness is setting in. Down the kebab shop for a break and some more saturated fats.

By 02:30, some 21 hours after I started, I eventually accept that exhaustion has got the better of me. Micro blackouts, perhaps only for a second, repeatedly got me killed and I was being thrashed every which way.

It was a fantastic day, just totally bumming out and enjoying the day for what it was – a total waste of life – but boy was it fun.

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