Ashburton Grove

I apologise for the sustained hiatus from live journal, I will try to be a bit more involved from now on.

On Blogspot

I've just finished reading the seventh (and final) book of the Harry Potter series. I started it on Saturday evening after work so it took me just under four days (about the same as the sixth book). My thoughts under cut.

( MAJOR SPOILERS FOR HP7 )

I keep meaning to start writing regular reviews of tv shows and this episode just spurred me on to write a review, sadly not in a good way.

( 316 'Papa's Cabin' )

So we got the first proper snow of the season today and I decided to take a break from my revision and build a snowman. It took me about an hour but once I was finished I took some pictures that I thought I would share with you guys.

( My snowman )

( Torchwood 1.3 'Ghost Machine' )

( Big Map )

( Torchwood 1.2 Day One )

( Torchwood 1.1 Everything Changes )

A Beautiful Mind (7/10) - This one surprised me, I've heard some pretty negative things about this film but I felt it was enjoyable enough.
Hannibal Rising (8/10) - An impressive prequel to the series. I was impressed especially with Gaspard Ulliel's portrayal of young Hannibal.
The Sentinel (6/10) - A pretty dull film with Kiefer Sutherland being the only real highlight.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (5/10) - Definitely not as good as its predecesser, it was a nice surprise to see Richard Schiff (The West Wing) though (even if he does get eaten rather gruesomely)
Johnny English (6/10) - Funny in places, doubt it would hold up to multiple viewings though
Million Dollar Baby (9/10) - I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The acting was pretty superb across the board but I have to single out Morgan Freeman who was brilliant as always.
The Crow (8/10) - This film succeeds mainly in it's direction. I loved how highly stylised it was and the brilliant gothic feel it had.
Lost In Translation (6/10) - I think this film was a case of a lot of style but not enough substance. There were some really beautiful shots but I don't think the plot was engaging enough.
The Descent (8/10) - This was an expertly executed horror film. I loved it's style and felt that each of the characters had some really interesting flaws that the situation was able exploit. I did however have a slight problem with the ending though. I think it would have been best left with her out of the cave but having to cope with what she had done inside rather than her remaining there and waiting for almost certain death.
Hot Fuzz (8/10) - Well, what can I say. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright combine once again to give us another brilliant subversive comedy in the same vein as Shaun Of The Dead but at the same time totally different. There were laughs throughout the whole thing and the acting was perfect across the board!
Final Destination (6/10) - This wasn't as scary as I expected it to be. There was plenty of tension throughout but certainly not one of my favourite horror movies.
8 Mile (7/10) - A fairly solid film but there wasn't any outstanding aspects of it for me. Kim Basinger put in a much better performance than she did in The Sentinal, a film I watched earlier in my challenge.
Unbreakable (8/10) - I thought this was well acted and directed and was a very interesting take on the established superhero genre with a signiture M. Night Shymalan twist. Certainly one of his best.
Memento (8/10) - A unique and clever idea for a film and I think it was pulled off very well even if it is slightly hard to follow at times.
Harvard Man (6/10) - I wasn't too sure what to make of 'Harvard Man'. Good in parts, weird in others. I can't really say anything particularly negative about it but at the same time there wasn't really any parts of it that stood out for me.
The Terminal (8/10) - I was pleasantly surprised by 'The Terminal'. My expectations weren't especially high before hand but overall, I found it entertaining.
The Exorcist (7/10) - I didn't find 'The Exorcist' as scary as expected. A possible reason for this may be that it has been spoofed to death and by the time I came to watch it, the parts that were supposed to be scary just weren't. It was well acted and directed though so I have to give it props for that.
Armageddon (5/10) - Nothing special about this film in my opinion. It started off well but then just became another disaster movie.
Fight Club (8/10) - A brilliant satire of modern western society.
Trainspotting (9/10) - I really enjoyed this one. Ewan McGregor was impressive, I think Danny Boyle did a good job of directing it (especially the trippy scenes) and it was really fun to watch.
The Bourne Identity (7/10) - Not as impressive as I was expecting it to be. Good enough to make me want to see the second.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (9/10) - A brilliantly postmodern funny action film. There was just so much in this film and I think it was pulled off perfectly.
Mean Girls (8/10) - A very funny film that also had a good plot and a great cast.
Fracture (7/10) - A fairly predictible thriller but with great acting from Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling.
Spider-Man 3 (8/10) - I think this was the best of the 3. Great depth and a lot of nice links to Peter's past. Had a bit of a low point mid way through but other than that it was hugely enjoyable
The Constant Gardener (8/10) - A nice follow up to City of God by Fernando Meirelles. A really good plot with some nice acting from Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz
Pulp Fiction (9/10) - Tarantino at his very best. Add that to a brilliant cast and you get a hugely enjoyable movie.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (8/10) - Started slowly but ultimately, an improvement on the second film and close to the quality of the first.
The Godfather (9/10) - Hugely enjoyable film with brilliant performances accross the board.
Office Space (8/10) - A great ensemble cast make this film a very enjoyable experience. Not a particularly complicated plot but that isn't really an issue because the representation of the downtrodden masses in everyday offices is perfect.
Lucky Number Slevin (6/10) - A fun film with a clever twist at the end.
Domino (7/10) - An entertaining biopic with a great performance from Keira Knightley. I feel that it suffered in the end from too many twists and turns and a rather convuluted narrative.
The Lake House (6/10) - A good premise with some nice acting from Bullock and Reeves but was slightly slow getting to its rather inevitable conclusion.
Mission Impossible III (7/10) - I have to say, this surprised me. After a rather disappointing sequel to the brilliant original movie, this was closer to the level of the first one. There were also some nice noticible touches from director JJ Abrams.

34/100

28 Days Later Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston and Brendan Gleeson; Directed by: Danny Boyle
About A Boy Starring: Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz; Directed by: Paul & Chris Weitz
Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery Starring: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York; Directed by: Jay Roach
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Starring: Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Michael York and Elizabeth Hurley; Directed by: Jay Roach
Austin Powers in Goldmember Starring: Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles, Seth Green and Michael Caine; Directed by: Jay Roach
Bend It Like Beckham Starring: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Juliet Stevenson; Directed by: Gurinder Chadha
Blade Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson; Directed by: Stephen Norrington
Blade II Starring: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman; Directed by: Guillermo Del Toro
Blade Trinity Starring: Wesley Snipes, Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds; Directed by: David S Goyer
City Of God Starring: Matheus Nachtergaelle, Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino Da Hora; Directed by: Fernando Meirelles
Closer Starring: Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen; Directed by: Mike Nichols
Crash Starring: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon; Directed by: Paul Haggis
Cruel Intentions Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Reese Witherspoon; Directed by: Roger Kimble
Da Vinci Code, The Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen with Paul Bettany and Jean Reno; Directed by: Ron Howard
Deep Impact Starring: Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood and Morgan Freeman; Directed by: Mimi Leder
Face/Off Starring: John Travolta, Nicholas Cage, Joan Allen; Directed by: John Woo
Fever Pitch Starring: Colin Firth, Ruth Gemmell, Neil Pearson; Directed by: David Evans
Garden State Starring: Zach Braff, Ian Holm , Natalie Portman; Directed by: Zach Braff
Girl Next Door, The Starring: Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant; Directed by: Luke Greenfield
Grudge, The Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, Kadee Strickland with Clea DuVall and Bill Pullman; Directed by: Takashi Shimizu
Harry Potter & The Philosophers Stone Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson; Directed by: Chris Columbus
Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson; Directed by: Chris Columbus
Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson; Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron
Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson; Directed by: Mike Newell
Hole, The Starring: Thora Birch, Desmond Harrington, Keira Knightley and Embeth Davidtz; Directed by: Nick Hamm
I Know What You Did Last Summer Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe; Directed by: Jim Gillespie
Island, The Starring: Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou and Steve Buscemi; Directed by: Michael Bay
Jacket, The Starring: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson and Daniel Craig; Directed by: John Maybury
King Arthur Starring: Clive Owen, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd; Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
King Kong Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody and Andy Serkis; Directed by: Peter Jackson
Leon Starring: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman; Directed by: Luc Besson
Lord of the Rings Trilogy Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen; Directed by: Peter Jackson
Matrix, The Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishbourne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano; Directed by: The Wachowski Brothers
Matrix Reloaded, The Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishbourne, Carrie-Anne Moss; Directed by: The Wachowski Brothers
Matrix Revolutions, The Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishbourne, Carrie-Anne Moss; Directed by: The Wachowski Brothers
Men In Black Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino; Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Men In Black II Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Lara Flynn Boyle and Rip Torn; Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Mummy, The Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah; Directed by: Steven Sommers
Mummy Returns, The Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and The Rock; Directed by: Steven Sommers
Oceans Eleven Starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts; Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley; Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Ring, The Starring: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson and Brian Cox; Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Runaway Jury Starring: John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz; Directed by: Gary Fleder
Serenity Starring: Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau and Chiwetel Ejiofor; Directed by: Joss Whedon
Shaun of the Dead Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis; Directed by: Edgar Wright
Sin City Starring: Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen; Directed by Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller
Shawshank Redemption, The Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton and James Whitmore; Directed by: Frank Darabont
Stargate Starring: Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson; Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Terminator, The Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton and Paul Winfield; Directed by: James Cameron
Terminator 2: Judgement Day Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick; Directed by: James Cameron
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken; Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
Top Gun Starring: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer; Directed by: Tony Scott
Underworld Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy; Directed by: Len Wiseman
Underworld: Evolution Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran and Bill Nighy; Directed by: Len Wiseman
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Starring: Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter; Directed by: Nick Park & Steve Box
War of the Worlds Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto and Tim Robbins; Directed by: Steven Spielberg

24 Season 1-5
4400, The Season 1-2
Angel
Arrested Development Season 1-2
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dark Angel
Dead Like Me
Doctor Who Season 1-2
Fawlty Towers
Firefly
Friends
Futurama
The Grid
How I Met Your Mother Season 1
Huff Season 1
Joey Season 1
Little Britain Season 1-3 + Live
Lost Season 1-2
Animatrix
Roswell
Scrubs Season 1-4
Simpsons Season 1-8
Stargate: Atlantis Season 1-2
Stargate: SG-1 Season 1-9
Veronica Mars Season 1-2
West Wing

If anyone wants me to upload anything for them, this is the list of my collection. Just reply to this post with your request.

24
Season 1 Eps 1-12, Season 5 Eps 1-24

4400, The
Season 3 Eps 1-13

Angel
Complete Collection

Big Love
Season 1 Eps 4 & 10

Blade
Season 1 Eps 1-12

Buffy
Unaired Pilot - pretty poor quality file, Season 4 Ep 20, Season 6 Ep 7, Season 7 Ep 22

Cats & Dogs
Unaired pilot of a sitcom starring Charisma Carpenter - pretty poor quality file

Class, The
Season 1 Eps 1-9

CSI Miami
Season 2 Ep 14

Dark Angel
Complete Collection

Dead Like Me
Complete Collection

ER
Season 8 Ep 4

Firefly
Complete Collection

Heroes
Season 1 Eps 1-9

House
Season 2 Ep 9

How I Met Your Mother
Season 1 Eps 9, 10, 12, 17-22, Season 2 Eps 1-9

Huff
Season 2 Eps 1-13

Jericho
Season 1 Eps 1-10

Lost
Season 1 Eps 1-24, Season 2 Eps 1-24, Season 3 Eps 1-6

Robot Chicken
Season 2 Eps 8, 13, 17-19

Scrubs
Season 5 Eps 1-24

Simpsons
Season 17 Ep 17 (The RDA Ep), Season 18 Eps 1-6

Six Degrees
Season 1 Eps 1-6

South Park
Season 9 Ep 12 (The Scientology Ep)

Spin City
Season 4 Ep 5

Stargate Atlantis
Season 1 Ep 4, Season 2 Eps 4, 11, 16, 17-20, Season 3 Eps 1-11

Stargate SG-1
Season 1 Ep 3, Season 5 Ep 12 (100th ep), Season 8 Ep 12, Season 9 Ep 1-6, 10, 13, 17-20, Season 10 Eps 1-10

Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip
Season 1 Eps 1-9

Supernatural
Season 1 Eps 1-22, Season 2 Eps 1-8

Til Death
Season 1 Eps 1-14

Tru Calling
Complete Collection

Veronica Mars
Season 1 Eps 1-22, Season 2 Eps 1-22, Season 3 Eps 1-8

If you want a chance to rate and discuss tv shows, come over to thedailytvshow