The Green Hornet (3D) - Forced to watch it in 3D as the 2D version isn't available here. Superfluous and I don't even notice it after a while. Seth Rogan is just dreadful - unfunny and overactiing. The visual effects revolutionary? Multi-layering cars for a comic book effect? Split screen for "spreading the news"? You have to be forewarned that this is a Rogan movie and not a Michel Goundry movie - there's none of his quirkiness except for the strange poetic justice. The rose in the bed of thorns is Jay Chou - restrained, very funny and cool as ice. Thank God they didn't cast haggard washed-up Stephen Chow as Kato. As for Van Johnson's degrading of this movie, yes, you can say bad things about Rogan, but you need a seance to ask Bruce Lee what he thinks of the new Kato. 6.5 out of 10

Black Swan - I like it and all but feels it is overrated. Basically a grandiose reworking of the themes in the French The Piano Teacher, which was explored better there anyway, but it does have its share of good ideas. I suppose the concept of duality is analysed pretty well here but there's not that much here to separate it from most of the crazy people movies out there.

A Hard Day's Night (rewatch) - my fave of the Fab 4 movies and also a portend of things to come - Ringo was the first to quit the group after all and there are signs of John's darker personality. And personally, I find Paul's granddad more irritating and annoying than "funny".

True Grit (original) - can't help feeling this is nothing more than a John Wayne vehicle but what really drives the movie is the girl. I would like it more if it was structured like a comedy as in the first quarter (but I guess that what's the Coen Brothers did with it). Anyhows, a really rip-roaring finish to it as befits a true Western. I like it. Can't wait to watch the remake.

Simple Minds - Life in a Day

Completely different from the Sparkle in the Rain onwards albums. Eno-ish glammy as in early Ultravox! with John Foxx before Hiroshima Mon Amour.

Simple Minds - Empires and Dance

A bit like a more melodic PIL. When it grooves, it really grooves. Can get a bit repetitive, though.

Janelle Monae - The Archandroid (Suites II and III)

Cool! Not as much variety as Plastic Beach but still enough. Hankering for Metropolis. my fave song is 57821 - she sounds like an angel there. Strong contender for my best of 2010 (I bought like three).

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

finally got it on DVD, and is it worth the wait? hell yeah... probably the funniest movie last year and just the kinda thing for us video junkies. it leaves out a lot of the minor details of the comic but the fight scenes live are well, more kinematic. only really have a problem with the lead actor cos he looks kinda faggoty, and Knives Chau is prettier than Ramona Flowers so why not be with Knives, instead?

Institute Benjamenta (Or this Dream we People call Human Life)

somebody on Babble (think it was Tamarah P) recommended me Svankmajer and the Quay Brothers. Svankmajer was good (The Principles of Pleasure) but I really don't know what to make of this, my first Quay Brothers, instead of animation, it's an arthouse flick shot in staggered motion, while it looks great - dense and immersive, the elements are quite pedestrian - a man seeking a life in servitude looking for a deeper meaning to life and finding none, caged lust which cannot be unbridled, a tyrant wishing his reign would end - in fact, the short The Comb. the surrealistic feature which led to this movie looks far more promising. but good performances all around from Mark Rylance, Gottfired John and Alice Krige.

John Cale & His Band - Live

Recorded in Germany in the mid 80s. Disc 1 is a raucous rock and roll rapture, with performance art and Cale channelling David Byrne. Disc 2 is a cosier examination of his singer-songwriter aspirations.