We went to see Yes Man last week. As I mentioned in a post back in 2007, Danny Wallace’s book was made into a Hollywood Movie starring Jim Carrey. Well, that’s not strictly true. They have actually made a film that is inspired by Wallace’s book. The story is completely different. The book is based on a year in the life of Danny himself, and the consequences of him deciding to ‘yes’ to everything after a mysterious stranger on a bus suggested he should simply say yes more! In the film, the protagonist is Carl Allen, played by Jim Carrey. Carl decides to say yes to everything after attending a “Yes Man” seminar hosted by General Zod (actually a character called Terrence Bundley, played by Terence Stamp who played Zod in Superman). The essence of the film is the same of the book: look at what can happen if you start saying yes to life rather than saying no! But the book does it a damn sight better. Wallace’s story is more compelling, and has the added advantage of being true. The only thing the film has over the book is a score c0-written by Eels frontman Mark Oliver Everett and a soundtrack that features several Eels songs. Which is nice.
Showing posts with label Mark Everett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Everett. Show all posts
Friday, 16 January 2009
Yes Man
We went to see Yes Man last week. As I mentioned in a post back in 2007, Danny Wallace’s book was made into a Hollywood Movie starring Jim Carrey. Well, that’s not strictly true. They have actually made a film that is inspired by Wallace’s book. The story is completely different. The book is based on a year in the life of Danny himself, and the consequences of him deciding to ‘yes’ to everything after a mysterious stranger on a bus suggested he should simply say yes more! In the film, the protagonist is Carl Allen, played by Jim Carrey. Carl decides to say yes to everything after attending a “Yes Man” seminar hosted by General Zod (actually a character called Terrence Bundley, played by Terence Stamp who played Zod in Superman). The essence of the film is the same of the book: look at what can happen if you start saying yes to life rather than saying no! But the book does it a damn sight better. Wallace’s story is more compelling, and has the added advantage of being true. The only thing the film has over the book is a score c0-written by Eels frontman Mark Oliver Everett and a soundtrack that features several Eels songs. Which is nice.
Monday, 26 May 2008
What you readin' for?
Bill Hicks used to talk of a time he was eating in a waffle house ("I'm not proud, I was hungry...") on his own reading a book. The waitress comes over, chewing gum, and asks "What you readin' for?". "Wow, I've never been asked that", he replies, "Goddang it, you stumped me. Not what am I reading, but what am I reading for? I guess I read for a lot of reasons but one of the main ones... is so I don't end up being a f**king waffle waitress."
I often find that I read several books at once. That's because I'm not very good at actually finishing books and so I start reading another book before I finish the first one. At the moment, I have about 4 or 5 books on the go. I think the one I started reading first (I can't be sure as it was a while back!) was Bill Hicks: Agent of Evolution by Kevin Booth and Michael Bertin (hence the recent Bill Hicks references, though I've been a Hicks fan since I was a student). I then picked up, and started reading, a book called Profound Simplicity by Will Schutz from a second-hand book shop in Devon. Half way through that I borrowed The Never-Ending Days of Being Dead by Marcus Chown from my dad. This one is a library book so I'm feeling that it's this book I should aim to finish first but, as it tries to explain quantum vacuums and gravitational mass, it's taking me a while. Dad's had to renew it three times already.
The other books on my bedside table, with bookmarks indicating where I'm at, are Flow: The Classic Work on How to Achieve Happiness by Mihaly Czskiszentmihalyi (that's got to be a made up name, right?) and New Age Living: A Guide to Principles, Practices and Beliefs by Paul Roland (another library book). For the record, just to prove that I can actually finish a book occasionally, I've just read (to the end!) Things the Grandchildren Should Know by Mark Everett (frontman of the Eels rock band and son of Hugh Everett III who was the quantum physicist who came up with the idea of Parallel Universes!) and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, a novel written from the perspective of a boy with Asperger's Syndrome. Both highly recommended.
I'm hungry. Waffles anyone?
I often find that I read several books at once. That's because I'm not very good at actually finishing books and so I start reading another book before I finish the first one. At the moment, I have about 4 or 5 books on the go. I think the one I started reading first (I can't be sure as it was a while back!) was Bill Hicks: Agent of Evolution by Kevin Booth and Michael Bertin (hence the recent Bill Hicks references, though I've been a Hicks fan since I was a student). I then picked up, and started reading, a book called Profound Simplicity by Will Schutz from a second-hand book shop in Devon. Half way through that I borrowed The Never-Ending Days of Being Dead by Marcus Chown from my dad. This one is a library book so I'm feeling that it's this book I should aim to finish first but, as it tries to explain quantum vacuums and gravitational mass, it's taking me a while. Dad's had to renew it three times already.
The other books on my bedside table, with bookmarks indicating where I'm at, are Flow: The Classic Work on How to Achieve Happiness by Mihaly Czskiszentmihalyi (that's got to be a made up name, right?) and New Age Living: A Guide to Principles, Practices and Beliefs by Paul Roland (another library book). For the record, just to prove that I can actually finish a book occasionally, I've just read (to the end!) Things the Grandchildren Should Know by Mark Everett (frontman of the Eels rock band and son of Hugh Everett III who was the quantum physicist who came up with the idea of Parallel Universes!) and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, a novel written from the perspective of a boy with Asperger's Syndrome. Both highly recommended.
I'm hungry. Waffles anyone?
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