Saturday 3 March 2012

Distractions: TV and Books

What distracts you from catching all the films you ever wanted to see?  Kids, social life, work, college, exercise, significant other wanting to do 'something else for a change'?  Why do I still have over 100 titles on my Lovefilm rental list?  How all you bloggers with kids manage to watch all these films and then find the time to blog about them, I will hopefully one day discover.  I am in awe of your good selves.

Well for me it's mostly work and the odd jog that get in my way but the real time consumer is the occasional TV boxset and the regular books that I get stuck into.

In February I only got through 18 films.  See the list of all of them here and here.  But this was due to ploughing through the third season of the wonderful Dexter and reading the first book in the Hunger Games trilogy.

Dexter season 3 was really just an obstacle to charge through in order to bridge the gap between the incredibly tense and brilliant second season and what I've heard is probably the highlight of the entire series, season 4 with John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer.  I'm really looking forward to this after hearing so many good things but am holding off on watching it until I've got through more of my list of 2011 films that I still need to see.  I've ticked off only three on the list I made back in January.


The Hunger Games book I need to highly recommend before I go any further.  Absolutely brilliant.  Unputdownable.  It's gripping with a fantastic female hero and a healthy feminist angle throughout.  I know the suits are desperate for it to be the new Twilight and it does feature a love triangle but this book is far from soppy.  Love is used, faked and lost in a desperate fight for survival where literally no character is safe. 

It's a real shame they've gone for a PG rating as it could have been a bloody nasty little shocker but I guess it's only right that kids should get to see this anti-violence, anti-reality TV, mix of The Running Man, 1984, Series 7: The Contenders and Battle Royale.  And the casting of Jennifer Lawrence after Winter's Bone and everything else I've seen her in is perfect.  Can't wait for this movie and glad I managed to stomp through the book in time for the cinema release.  Go read it before you see the film.  Just in case the movie turns out crap and at least then you'll always have the book!


One last thing that's been distracting the hell out of me the last couple of days is Flickchart.  I have to blame/praise Emil at A Swede Talks Movies for introducing me to this new distraction.  Well at least it's film related.  Go check out Emil's Introduction to the World of Flickchart if you haven't seen it already and get involved.  I'd love to have more friends on Flickchart to compare movie rankings with so if you're already on it, add me up.  If you're not on it, go sign up and start ranking films.  Worryingly I've completed 1324 rankings in the last two days, covering 502 different films.  It's fun but terribly addictive.  You've been warned.


So what's distracting you from all your film watching? 

Anyone else read The Hunger Games?

Is Dexter season 3 the low point of the entire series?

Anyone else on Flickchart and have advice for dealing with this terrible addiction?

14 comments:

  1. I think "Hunger Games" is the closest thing to a remake of "Battle Royale" Hollywood will give us. There is no way they will release a violent movie that has kids killing eachother.

    Nice post btw.

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    1. I suppose you're right so I guess we should be grateful they aren't remaking Battle Royale! Hunger Games should be bloody good if they stick close to the book! Thanks for reading The Vern!

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  2. The John Lithgow season of Dexter is easily the high point of the series. The previous seasons were strong and creative and I only have minor quibbles. However, the fifth season was just OK and the latest season - with Edward James Olmos and Colin Hanks - is by far the worst. The show has gone completely downhill last season. Showtime renewed it for two more seasons - here's hoping it picks up steam.

    I have the same problem as you - I'm catching up with Breaking Bad these days (only on season one) and its taking precious time away from movie watching and blogging. Damn you, good TV!

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    1. Oh that's a shame to hear that, I'd heard from some people that 5 and 6 were still very good. Well at least I have 4 to watch. To be honest I was always worried it might go downhill after the death of a certain somebody at the end of S2. I've got to get on Breaking Bad when I get caught up with Dexter. Looking forward to it! Thanks for reading Dave!

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  3. My distractions are live football matches and a few TV shows, although I've never seen Dexter.

    p/s: I'm finally able to get your blogs feeds and not the old "splitting ground" feeds, thanks for fixing that out...

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    1. haha I'm glad I'm not into any sports or I'd never have time to do anything except watch the screens! I recommend Dexter, it's a bit silly but very fun!

      Thanks for pointing that out, it took me awhile but I finally figured it out!

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  4. I don't have Flickchart but I'm on Letterboxd (which is in it's beta stage) and it sounds pretty similar! You need invites to get on that one right now, as it's not gone public yet - if they give me more invites to send out, I'll send one to you!
    I still have only seen season 1 of Dexter!! Argh! Should buy the other seasons on DVD or something...but I've read the Hunger Games and they are so good :D Not quite Harry Potter level for me, but really exciting, definitely worth it.

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    1. Somebody sent me an invite to Letterboxd already thanks Ruth! I'm on there but I haven't fallen in love with it as much as Flickchart!
      Yeah definitely give Dexter Season 2 a go, it's amazing, and 3's pretty good too!
      Harry Potter better than The Hunger Games? Wow kinda wished I'd read them if that's the case!

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  5. Recently my biggest distraction (aside from real world work and family things) has been reading and commenting on other film blogs. I like it when post interesting questions like this one, but I still need to find a way to balance that out so that I've got something interesting to say myself!

    Luckily for you, your distractions can probably count as research: Checking the source material for the Hunger Games, comparing the big and small screen experience with Dexter, the art of reviewing a film versus the science of ranking them, etc.

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    1. Oh good call! I spend bloody ages reading other blogs! I used to only read a few but I'm addicted to so many now!

      That's very true, I guess it all is kind of research! Thanks for reading!

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  6. I don't find Flickchart all that useful to be honest. It certainly is addictive to rate all of them movies but I stopped after a couple of days ahah ;)

    And right now is pretty hectic so I don't even have time for distractions...

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    1. Yeah I'm thinking I might have to put a stop to this. This morning I spent another bit of time rating on Flickchart. Then I thought, goddamit I could have blogged in that time. I'm going to have to get over this quick! Thanks for taking the time to comment, it is bloody hectic being a blogger with a job, family, studies and all the rest of the stuff that we do!

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  7. I have never heard of FlickChart, i will have a little look today!

    My main distraction at the moment is Community. I am addicted to that show, ans being only like 21 mins an episode we can get through quite a bit in a night... before that it was Breaking Bad... I lost my soul to that show.

    Now I have to set out my film watching like a marriage... Monday is Blu-Ray night, Tuesday is Documentary night... so on and so forth. Otherwise those Lovefilm disc get lost at the back of the drawer!

    Good post matey

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    1. Don't do it Scott, I take it all back!!!! I need to learn to manage my addictions before I go back on it!

      Nice I'll get on Community after Breaking Bad which I'll get on after Dexter. If I don't get stuck into Game of Thrones!

      I like the sound of that... perhaps I need a schedule!

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