Boredom - the great creator

They say necessity is the mother of invention. I'm not sure who 'they' are, but when they said this they got it slightly wrong. Necessity is a more like the very helpful aunt of invention, but the true mother is boredom. This is true for myself anyway.

Since being relieved of my full time job I've found myself at rather a loose end a lot of the time. In order to fill up the surplus of free time I have had thrust upon me I have taken to doing things I normally wouldn't. I started learning the Harmonica; I started a new short story; I read a novel that has eluded me for a number of years; I actually finished writing a song, something I have attempted and failed to do on numerous occasions since I first started playing guitar. I even resurrected this blog. Lucky for all you guys then that this page is active again as I can now inform you of my latest projects as they come.

Over the past few days a very good friend and I have started work on a sitcom script. We have actually put effort into this (a new concept to me) and have arrived at a cast of characters and outlines for at least two episodes, and we plan to continue the way we have begun. For now I won't reveal any plot points out of an irrational fear that someone on the internet may steal it.

Most normal people wouldn't be excited about such a skeletal idea so early on, but the fact that I have returned to this and built on the idea so quickly after it was first conceived is rather uncharacteristic of me.

I'm under no illusions (yet) about being the next Simon Pegg or Graham Linehan. The finished project may very well be a stinking pile of shit with Phantom Menace-esque plot holes and cheesy dialogue, but for now I really like the ideas we have and believe it could actually be good.

Stay tuned for further updates, and if you know anyone who has a say in Channel 4's programming schedule please let me know.

What ever happened to real action movies?

Action movies these days are in fairly short supply. At least good ones anyway. Now, I know that there's a new comic book adaptation released nearly every other week, and for the most part they are action oriented, however I consider these more of a sub-genre. These are comic book movies, not action movies. There is a subtle difference. It's tough to define exactly what I mean. Lets just say for arguments sake, an action movies main protagonist can't have super powers or dress up in a funny costume. Different time periods, including the future (because Demolition Man is definitely an action movie), are allowed and the hero has to be a semi-regular guy. John McClane, Indiana Jones, John Rambo, Dutch from Predator...these are action heroes. Tony Stark, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker... these are super heroes. It isn't an exact science but you get the idea.

Now during the 80s and 90s Action movies ruled the roost. Die Hard, Total Recall, Terminator, Speed, The Last Boy Scout, Commando, The Rock - Just a few examples of the high quality of Action movie that are out there from this period. These were full of big guns, explosions and cheesy one-liners. These are the things that make action movies great. In the past 10 years however there's been a major drop in both the quantity and quality of proper actioners. Maybe it's because Nic Cage took over as main action guy after '96, or maybe it's down to Michael Bay trying to get some emotion out of Ben Affleck on more than one occasion. We'd need a lot of Bar charts and Venn Diagrams to figure it out for sure, but the fact remains that the classic movie about an angry guy with a gun is in decline. They've been replaced by the guy with inhuman strength and an inferiority complex.

We have been given some false hope in recent times by the likes of Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Alas, after flirting with the prospect of bringing action into the new millennium they quickly went the way of family comedies. Attempts have been made to breath new life into older properties. The latest Predator and Terminator films weren't too bad, but where they really failed was putting serious method actors into the lead roles. In the past there has always been a level of self-awareness about the best action movies. They don't quite break the 4th wall, but there is a wink and a nudge hidden in the script that lets you know it's all for shits and giggles. When you have the likes of Adrien Brody attempting to bring a bit of gravitas to proceedings it tends to suck the fun out just a little bit.

So what is the discerning action fan to do? Are we to just sit back and let Fox recycle the Spiderman series time and time again? Well we don't have much of a choice. Ever since X-Men was released way back in 2000 audiences have been lapping up the more 'serious' action films. They love to see the musclebound hero cry and talk about his feelings. Maybe people feel guilty about watching popcorn flicks all the time. Maybe when they watch the Likes of the Dark Knight or Casino Royale they can tell themselves they're watching something a little more intelligent. But lets face facts, everyone is there to see Batman beat the shit out of the bad guy, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. People just need to admit it to themselves. The real question is, how is going to happen. This trend of darker, more cerebral action movie doesn't appear to be going away any time soon. Well, never fear. There is hope, and that hope goes by the name of Jason Statham.

For the past decade Statham has been carving out a niche for himself in Hollywood as an old fashioned action star. The man is hard as nails, and knows his way around a fight scene. He can deliver one-liners like nobody's business too. His latest effort " the Mechanic" (a 'ahem' retooling of an old Charles Bronson assassin movie) is an absolute delight. For anyone who's unaware of The Stath up until now I urge you to hunt out everything that came before. Whether he's supporting in the likes of Cellular, The One, War, or taking centre stage in The Transporter, Death Race and Crank, you know shit's about to get real when he's on screen. Up until now the A-List has eluded him somewhat, but after starring alongside Stallone in the Expendables his stock should be going up. Hopefully Hollywood will take note. With a bit of luck we may have an action renaissance on our hands very soon.