Friday. Ended a gruelling week in fine style by going down the Marble Arches pub down Rochdale Road, just outside the city centre, to meet Martin Smart and his missus Melaca, who’s just moved up to Manchester from Essex to be with Smartin (arr). Buoyant from finishing off my first ASP.net web app (its finally clicking kids!!) and surviving a week of cold crap without taking a day off to be feeble, had too much Cold medicine in the form of the cider and real ales on offer. Got home after Rach who had just done a long day and who wasn’t impressed with my inebriated state.
Saturday. Didn’t wake up with the hangover from hell as expected. Obviously God was smiling on me for this one. Did some tidying of the house and watched two films that were shown on Film 4 as part of the Korean season.
Brotherhood, was an epic in every sense of the word three hour war movie. About two brothers who get drafted into the Southern Korea army at the beginning of the Korean war in 1950, it follows their fortunes. This is probably one of the most grittiest and intense war films I have ever seen. All the battle scenes are as intense and omfg as the Omaha landing scene in Saving Private Ryan ( a film that allot of reviews compare it to). The character scenes didn’t let up either, as the relationship between the two brothers becomes increasingly frought. This film really hit me in the gut to be honest. Having a younger brother I could really relate to the central dilemma of the two main characters. Also the Korean war itself is treated in a no holds barred manner, with the savage injustices and killings inflicted by both sides of the conflict on the civilian conflict being shown in all its grotesque detail. I enjoyed it but I’m in two minds whether or not to record it onto DVD to keep. Defiantly one to show any future Newtlets if they get any daft ideas about signing up to join the Armed Forces.
R point was a change of pace, being a ghost story set in the Vietnam war. A group of nine Korean soldiers head out to an deserted island, referred to as R point on the maps, were even the Viet cong won’t venture in search of another platoon that went missing there. Its fun and predictable, and very well done.
In the afternoon had a nice walk in the sun to Royton town centre to pick up some provisions at the Co-op. Concillitory chocolates were bought for the good lady wife.
Sunday. Started sorting out the office/middle bed room which over the last three months has become a dumping ground. This led to some sorting in the garage, which has also become a dumping ground. The triumph of the day has to be that I started the autumn prune in the back garden. What jolly fun, hacking back the bushes and shrubs that make up the front bed. Also got a good feeling that this was my garden, and some idea of how I would like the garden to develop, rather than just keeping it as it is. Still a work in progress since I’ve got the other three beds to do and a spot of lawn repair. Then over the winter I am going to sort out the Jungle which is the back of the garden.