R.I.P Chris Marker

 This Sunday we sadly lost artist and filmmaker, Chris Marker. Marker was a key figure in the French New Wave film movement in the 1950s and 60s. Best know for his films La Jetée and Sans Soleil, both pf which experimental in their use of narrative and aesthetics. La Jetée is told entirely through still images and was remade by American/British filmmaker Terry Gilliam as 12 Monkeys in 1995.

 Marker is a figure of importance to students of film not only as a filmmaker but as an essayist. I have been personally influenced by Chris Marker as a filmmaker. In fact in college I made a ten minute film based on his works.

 Marker was a remarkable man, but he was also a reclusive one. He rarely did interviews and there are very few photos of him.

 He died on July 29th 2012, his 91st Birthday, in Paris. He remains one of film history's greatest arthouse filmmakers and one of it's greatest enigmas.

 R.I.P.

New Blog

Don't freak out over the title,I'm not closing this blog down or stopping writing posts for it, I'm still going to be using this at my usual infrequent style.

 Those who know me know that I'm a relentless cinephile. I've just finished a two year media course at college and I'm hopefully moving on to study film at university in September. Something I've been contemplating doing for a long time is setting up is setting up a second blog exclusively for film reviews. The other week I decided that in this threshold between college and uni and I have off, I'd do something productive and finally went ahead and made my film blog.

If you follow this like, It will take you to it: http://atpeterblakemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/       

I post on that a lot more frequent than I post on here, about three times a week. I hope you read and enjoy it, and keep on checking this blog out, too.

3 Minutes of Fame.

In the latter half of this January, I signed up for the First Light project, which is a lottery funded project that gives thirteen to nineteen year olds involved in making their first short film.

I know, I've made short films before. I'll be honest, I pretty much only enrolled as an easy way of filling my Work Experience quota for college. I was getting bored of emailing production companies and getting no reply. And I'm too awkward and shy to use a phone.

It sounds bad, but I probably gained more experience and skills than I would have if I was just some runner on a set, making coffee for people. I can already make basass coffee.

The project lasted for 8 weeks, with 7 hours every Saturday at FACT, Liverpool. If you don't know FACT is an Art Gallery, Cinema and all around awesome place, that you have no excuse not to visit if you can.

The sessions were led by filmmaker Jacqueline Passmore and fine-artist Adam Cain, who passed on their knowledge and experience, as well as their amiable dispositions

I was part of a group who collectively produced a short film called The Guardian. I won't bother with a synopsis, because frankly, I'd rather you just watched the film. The link to which is at the bottom on this post.

My main contribution was acting... yeah, that thing I said earlier about being shy and awkward, that still stands. My idiosyncrasies don't allow me to feel comfortable in front of a camera unfortunately. But I did it anyway, the same reason I've acted in other films before; because I can't say no if I think it could compromise the making of a film. Dedication to the medium.

Acting is horrible, if you didn't know. It makes you really self-conscious and forgot how to do basic things like breath and walk. Which is why when you watch the video you'll see it looks like I have a limp.

I did however enjoy everything that comes from being a star: getting complimented by strangers on my acting and not having to queue for nightclubs. Well I don't know about that last one, I don't go to clubs, but I imagine that's what would happen now.

So in conclusion: This was awesome, acting is horrible and fame is sweet. And the film's only three minutes long, so I'm entitled to another twelve.

It's Not Easy Being Me: My Affinity With Samantha Brick

On April 3, Daily Mail columnist Samantha Brick wrote an article titled: ''There are downsides to looking this pretty': Why women hate me for being beautiful' this article begotten so much ridicule and anger that the general response to the name Samantha Brick went from '...Who?' to 'Who? Oh her, yeah, stupid bitch'.

Here it is if you want to read it (I suggest you do): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2124246/Samantha-Brick-downsides-looking-pretty-Why-women-hate-beautiful.html?ito=feeds-newsxml ,

Read it? Cool. Ready to hear me rip to into her on an unprecedented scale? Well you're expectations might be about to take a blow.

You see, I actually empathise with Mrs Brick, as I too am far too attractive for my own good.

Many a time have I been short 5 pence when I'm in the shop and the busty brunette behind the counter lets me get away with it.

On several occasions the bus driver charged me for a child, when I'm clearly not one.

And the guys in Subway will always give me extra fillings (Not an euphemism).

And I know why this happens, it's not because in the sea of malice there are still pockets of kindness and good will. Not at all. It's because they all want to get in my pants.

And who can judge them? Not me, I know I'm too beautiful for them to help it. And neither can you, after all why are you reading this? I have no notable intelligence and I certainly can't write worth a darn. You're here because you want to understand me better. Understand my political views, my social views and my spiritual beliefs. And by learning this you can try to articulately lore me into bed.

And I'm not shallow, or self centred or solipsistic. I wouldn't even consider my self to be overly attractive if it wasn't for it being that I so obviously am.

I don't pat myself on my back for being this stunning. I'm aware it's luck. I didn't order my slim physique or untameable brown locks. Beauty is a lottery, and I hit the jackpot.

But being good looking, like Samantha Brick so touchingly expressed, is not without it's plights. When you're beautiful, the rest of the world has trouble with being inferrer to you, and they take it out on you.

My male friends never want to go out with me because they know that my charm, charisma and knock-out good looks will have a magnetic affect all females in the bar and their mediocre faces wont even pull the fat chicks.

I know what you're thinking? 'Oh Peter, if you're so aware of your demi-god like features; how do you explain you being single?' Well, it's really quite simple. No women thinks she's good enough for me. And despite this only being a half-truth, there's no way I can stop them from thinking this. Thus, I remain single. This is why I envy normal looking people, like you.

I hope this blog-post taken with Samantha Brick's heartfelt declamation helps you better in understanding what it's really like to be one of the beautiful people. If it helps think of us like the X-Men - The same as you... just genetically superior.