Round Ireland With A Fridge Book Review

Review: I was given Round Ireland with a Fridge as a gift from a friend, and after doing a little research, it appears that Tony Hawk, was not an American Skater but there was also a Tony Hawk in the UK, who managed to make one extremely good life through comedy.

As with all stories, which are non-fiction, the good ones originate from a few good drinks, a bad hangover and a drunken bet. Round Ireland with a Fridge, is no exception to this rule, where Tony Hawks woke up one morning after a not so rememberable night, with a bet scribbled on his pillow.

Simply put the bet that Tony decides to take on, is that he must try and hitch hike around Ireland with a fridge at his side. Sound strange? Well the book is near enough a journal of what happened, on such a trip.

As you read through this book, you will laugh and giggle at how absurd Tony's life quickly becomes whilst traveling, from sleeping with the fridge through to sleeping in the dog house.

The book itself has sold over 1/2 a million copies and is currently being turned into a movie, which is set for release in 2010.

Originally posted on Edd The Zombie

Princess Mononoke Movie Review

Review: Princess Mononoke, was release in 1997 to a world wide audience, and consists of 144,000 hand drawings, which alone, is worth some credit. 80,000 of these hand drawings where created by Miyazaki, who relates this movies scenery to an earlier series release that he had created.

As far as anime goes, Princess Mononoke is a classic. It contains all the violence that is embedded within movies such as Akira and the storyline involved in such movies as Spirited Away. Princess Mononokes plot is rather simple but that’s what makes all movies good, a simple story, that allows for less concentration to be required.

There are the two main characters within Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka is the first of the two that you are introduced to within the movie, who is chasing after a wild boar to protect his villige, but unexpectedly takes on the role of being cursed, through the beasts interaction. The curse takes form in the shape of a scare which evolves as the movie continues. With no hope of Ashitaka being able to save himself by staying in the villige, he aims to take an adventure through the great forests that surround him, in the hope that something may appear, that can save his life.

The second character starts to appear at around this point, which is San, a girl adopted by wild wolves, as part of their pack. She has grown up with them and been taught their ways, allowing her to understand the forests more than any of the humans who occupy the surroundings.

San has been trying to stop the never ending invasion of miners into the forest, in the search for Iron, and this has resulted in here continually attacking the a near by mining villige, and them retalliating, which is when Ashitaka gets stuck right in the middle due to the belief that both groups of life can adapt and live along side each other. Princess Mononoke, is a movie of Nature Vs Mankind, whilst set within a past history, where spirits, curses and deamons are not only believed in, but actually exist. This mystical world, of beautiful anime and exceptional storyline, conjure into what could be considered one of the best anime movies of all time.

I will leave the review at this point, because I believe you should watch Princess Mononoke, to discover what happens. Will the forest be saved? Will the minors stop? Will a war of Nature Vs Mankind take place? And most importantly will Ashitaka find the cure he is looking for?

Princess Mononoke gets a 4 out of 5 star rating from Edd The Zombie.

Originally posted on Edd The Zombie

Monster House Movie Review

Review: Monster house, what do you think of when you hear that for a movie name? My assumption was that it would be about monsters within an old house, and I was partially correct. It turns out that the house was in fact the monster.

Two of the very best things about Monster House, were the angle from which the story was told, because the developers/directors pinned down what appeared to be a solid idea of what a child’s view towards an angry old man and his old house could be. The other big bonus was the level of artwork and graphic development that had been placed within Monster House, although it did feel like I was watching the original toy story again, but with a new plot.

However, the story follows a simple idea of… It’s coming to Halloween and a few children (the main characters), have an over active imagination which oddly enough turns out to be the truth, when they discover their neighbour has a house that turns into a monster. Of course no body believes them and they have to investigate all by themselves, but through investigation they discover that giving a house a cold, will not quite destroy it.

I have to advise that you watch this movie to discover the ending of the story, but it’s a very simple plot and to be honest it’s not the world’s best movie for those of us who refer to ourselves as adults, but I’m sure the kids will enjoy Monster House.

Edd The Zombie rates Monster House 3 out of 5 stars.

Originally posted on Edd The Zombie

High Fidelity Movie Review

Review: Based off of the Nick Hornby book, this film follows the trivial series of events that happens in relationships as they end.

You follow the life of Rob, the person we all would like to be when we grow up, a record store owner and ex-DJ who has an extensive record collection, but with a negative, he has just been dumped, by his girlfriend Laura, who is now moving in with the previous tenant from upstairs.

After the initial feeling of being dumped, Rob goes on what could be seen as a midlife crisis, where he lists his five worst breakups, and then goes for an adventure trying to find them, to see if he was doing something wrong. Whilst Rob has this little adventure, he also plats and schemes to get Laura back, through methods that most would only associate with stalkers, such things as 10 calls a day and standing outside her new flat.

The best way to summerise this movie, is simple, its about what goes through a mans mind when the partner he loves, disappears from his life, some will see this as the rant of a man, and others will view the movie as complete truth, the things which are insane, for a split moment in time appear as perfect clarity and we understand, but upon reflection make no sense.

It's a watchable movie, but when compared to the book, it suffers badly, because things are jumbled up, and although it portrays what the book is about, it is not the same.

Originally posted on Edd The Zombie

Fireproof Movie Review

Review: Fireproof was released in 2008, and it focuses on how a married couple discover that there are miracles in life, when you are willing to open up and take in new ideas, beliefs and traditions.

The movie starts with the couple being bitter and angry with a vast array of hurdles in the way of their relationship, trying very hard to make things go in the right direction, but upon a heated and raised argument the proposal of divorce creeps into the situation and at this point we enter the lives of Caleb and Catherine.

Fireproof, is any relation fireproof? At first Caleb doesn't think so much, and believes that a divorce may be the answer to all of the worries. His addictions and one way mind set are partially the reason why things are going so bad, and deep down he knows it. It's not until his father says give it 40 days and hands him a book, saying here's a dare for you.

Within this book, for everyday of the 40 that Caleb has to wait, he has been blessed with a challenge, something out of the normal for him, which later finds him not only changing his life but discovering that things can be fireproof.

The summery of this movie, is that it had a small budget but it has tied itself very well into the issues of self discovery, religion and relationships.

I wouldn't say its fantastic, but it's something to watch on a sunder afternoon if you're bored.

Originally Posted on Edd The Zombie

Catch and Release Movie Review

Review: Catch and Release, released in 2006 has an all star cast with actress Jennifer Garner and actors Kevin Smith & Timothy Olyphant. Usually when something has Kevin Smith involved you would assume it's to be an amazing comedy and with a title like "catch and release", it could have been just that.

However, catch and release follows the life of a near widower, who lost her fiancé a few days before their wedding. You discover a lot about Gray just as she learns about herself, as she goes through the discovery of who her fiancé actually was and his hidden secrets.

The uncovering of a secret relationship in another city, a child and a lot of money in the bank, are the remains of a man after his unfortunate demise, but how does Gray cope with such news? Well not in the way that you'd expect, at first she is a little bit hostile about the secrets, but within a short while she opens up to the child, the idea of the money and the relationship her fiancé had behind her back.

By acknowledging that she has lost him but also highlighted who he truly was, Gray starts learning alot about who she really is, and falls in love with a friend, which is where her new life starts and the movie ends.

Simply put, for a drama movie, this one kicks ass, and is one of my favourite movies of all time. It's well directed, nothing has been cut short and it's well thought out. If you watch it, I believe you will come to a similar conclusion and for that reason Catch and Release has been handed 5 stars by me.

Originally posted on Edd The Zombie

Review: The Boondock Saints

Review: With "The Boondock Saints" I have to admit a was reasonably surprised. This is because I'm normally a person who completely opposes violence and movies that involve the whole, gangsters/mafia and guns.

However, with The Boondock Saints, there is the age old question thrown into a modern day scenario, should violence be solved with violence? This idea is explored as the two irish brothers, Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy McManus (Norman Reedus), are thrown into an unfamiliar situation that they are fortunate to leave as the victors, within the urban rundown surroundings of Boston.

This unfortunate event leads both Conner and Murphy into a world that they had not imagined, turning them not only into a position that some would refer to as god, making the decisions of life and death, but also as angels for condemning those who desire to break the law repeatedly, with the cruel harsh punishment of death.

The first Russian mob hit, is one that falls into their path by looting the Russian Mafia Soldiers that attack them, and receiving notification of where the next meeting will be. From then onwards, they rely on their good friend Rocco for information, a mob runner for a local gang.

The new found hope within Boston, is soon terrorizing the gangsters and striking fear into mobsters, whilst questioning the police force by performing their jobs but to the extreme.

Once of the most profound aspects of The Boondock Saints has to the be the depth of religion that the Mcmanus brothers follow, that portrays its way into The Boondock Saints very well through prayer and the few select scenes set within religious surroundings. The gangsters enemy, delivered from the hands of religion, through the desire to create peace with violence... is the best way to sum up The Boondock Saints.

Story line aside, the movie is set within urban surroundings and deals with situations that do not stretch your mind to far from what is reality, and this is possibly the reason why The Boondock Saints is so mind gripping.

My opinion is that The Boondock Saints will not only be very high on my favorite movies list for a long time, but that it will become/remain a cult classic for a long time to come. The Boondock Saints deserves all 5 stars.

Originally posted on Edd The Zombie by Sycrid

Review: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Firstly I have to start off with a completely opinionated point of view. Sid is awesome!

With that aside, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, was a very family orientated theme, about not only members born into a family but how families are created through morale points of view and variation. I believe that this alone to a young child is a very good influence.

The movie itself goes along the lines of, Manny having a child, and trying to create a safe harbour for the young one to be brought into the world, with the misconception that he is the largest creature walking to date. Ironically by doing this, he leaves Sid slightly jealous and results in him finding 3 dinosaur eggs within an undiscovered world below the ice. Sid appropriately names the eggs “Shelly”, “Yolky” and “Eggbert”.

Well, you guessed it, the creators chose the most typical of dinosaurs for Sid to become a surrogate mother to, T-Rexs. This leaves for an entertaining perspective because even though the baby dinosaurs wish to eat all the other children, Sid being stubborn continues to protect them, and even makes one spit out the other child animals he has swallowed whole.

One of the most enjoyable and movie focussed characters within Ice Age this time around is "One Eyed Buck", with the voice over being performed by Simon Pegg, who has managed to portray his comedy very well into the movie as he tries to help the bunch rescue Sid from the angry T-rex mother. One Eyed Buck, is like the animated prehistoric Indiana Jones, that works very well within a story of love, potential loss and fear within unfamiliar surroundings.

I believe that overall this movie, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a thoroughly enjoyable family movie with some good laughs for all ages, and worth the cost of a cinema ticket. Go see it!

Originally posted on www.eddthezombie.co.uk by Sycrid

Review: Shaun Of The Dead

Taking the zombie movie genre and slaughtering it with comedy, will only ever result in an enjoyable movie (unless zombies suddenly appear to be real, then it may be a little puzzling), however it will be hard to exceed the results of "Shaun of the Dead", where the genres are not only combined but have the addition, of two of potentially the most entertaining actors in the movie industry at the moment, "Simon Pegg" & "Nick Frost" covering the most important roles. Simon Pegg (Tim in Shaun of the Dead), being an electronics sales manager who has recently been dumped due to his life not being interesting enough, and Nick Frost (Ed in Shaun of the Dead) being a lazy bum, who shares a flat with Tim.

The story line for "Shaun of the Dead" pitches their friendship originating from University, but it's hard to believe that Ed ever managed to get into University with his childlike humor and relaxed attitude towards life. From that point onwards, Tim goes about his business in London, where throughout his daily routine he starts to notice un-nerving sights, such as a crazy woman chasing pigeons.

This then leads into Tim and Ed waking up the next morning and following their normal routine but within a nation filled with zombies, and the both of them being attacked by zombies. Tim comes up with the plan to save his ex-girlfriend, which he believes will help win her back.

To be completely honest, the plot for Shaun of the Dead is not very thick, and its rather how they try to fashion a defense against the slow moving, human craving zombies which make the movie a good watch. Good examples of this include throwing old records at two zombies found in their garden, Tim running around with a Cricket bat, and attacking a zombie with a washing line pole, pinning the zombie to the the pole itself.

What gives Shaun of the Dead the appeal of being watched, is simple, it's the comedy that its enthralled with zombies. From the one liner jokes through to the sheer impractical defense methods creatively thought of to stop the never ending zombie attacks. The greatest way I could ever think of summerising this movie is the quote that follows.

"Wouldn't he? Lizzy, how can you put your faith in a man you spectacularly binned for being unreliable? A man whose idea of a romantic nightspot and an impenetrable fortress are the same thing? It's... This is a pub! We are in a pub! What are we going to do? "

Just after breaching into the pub, for safety from the zombie horde.
"David: We're in a pub! What're we going to do now?
Ed: We could get a round in? "

Originally posted on www.eddthezombie.co.uk by Sycrid

Tecknet M958 TV Mobile PDA Phone Review

Well after having to experience Virgins epic failure for insurance cover with my mobile phone, I decided I would venture into the idea of buying a new handset. After a few hours of trawling across Amazon.co.uk I stumbled on the Tecknet M958 and decided to try it out, a mobile phone you can watch TV on for under £100? That just seemed unreal. From the reviews people had given, and the review by PDA Reviews, I thought it seemed like a real thing.

** 2 weeks later, it arrived and here's Sycrids review of the Tecknet M958 TV Mobile PDA Phone **

TeckNet M985 Review
- Box contents

First of all the TeckNet M958 is a UK development but be warned the manufacturing of the phone looks like it was done in China, Japan or Korea, because the box is riddled with a none Latin based language. The contents consisted of 2 Batteries, the phone, a USB cable, a USB plug and earphones.

USB? Well due to the extensive amount of things which can charge a USB connected device, the TeckNet M958 has the option of being charged via a USB port or plug the USB cable into the plug, and there you go. Ive tried the charge via my laptop and to be honest that was a few days ago and the battery is still saying its sufficiently charged. The battery length seems very good.

Handset:
Well the handset is a nice crisp and stylish design, I believe my friend replied with "ooohhh shiny", which implies it goes down nicely with people. The stylus is multi functional, it is both the pen for the interface but also it converts into an arial for the television and radio.

Multimedia:
Well the TeckNet M958's camera is only 2mp, which would be sufficient for that last minute snap, but I have yet to locate any form of auto focus, and as a result it is very difficult to use. The television aspect of the TeckNet M958 is great, it has a built in channel searcher and allows you to set the location for signal, so if you where to change country, you will be able to locate local channels. However, this is an analogue signal, which means more often than not, the signal is very weak and within the next two or three years the signal will be terminated as we all switch to digital. The video watching features are not so good either, for example the preview videos that it comes with appear pixelated when you watch them, so I can only gather it will be the same with your own media, but I have yet to test recording my own video for the TeckNet M958.

MP3's:
Most phones come with an MP3 player now and just like most, the TeckNet M958 does come with one. Which is just as good if not better than any which are on the market. It plays, and it even allows you to switch the sound settings from dance to rock, which as some of you may know, can make a huge difference.

The Operating System:
Ive looked through the TeckNet M958 and it seems like a good buy, which explains why I bought the phone. Never the less the operating system is very functional but you will discover that there are a few things missing, just small shortcuts, example... When viewing an image you cant set it as wallpaper, but rather you have to go into settings, display and then select wallpaper, select your storage location, locate the image and then select as wallpaper.

Conclusion:
The TeckNet M958 it self is a good phone, even though what I've highlighted above could be seen as negatives. Simply put, its a phone, what do you want it to do? It rings, with customisable ring tones and it sends and receives messages. With the addition of a television signal receiver, radio, mp3 player and a camera, plus its touch screen. All of that for £89 is a bloody bargain!

Be Warned: The only issue I have with the TeckNet M958 so far is that it does not automatically store the text messages you send. I still believe it was an excellent purchase though and recommend it as a first touch screen phone.

If you have any questions or wish for me to test something on the TeckNet M958 for you, then just post a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can. Photos coming soon and I will likely need to update this article as I discover more about the TeckNet M958.

Resources:
http://www.pdareviews.org.uk/pda-phones/tecknet-m958-tv-mobile-pda-phone/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TeckNet-Mobile-Screen-Camera-Bluetooth/dp/B000YJAKSO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=officeproduct&qid=1239503838&sr=8-2