This philosophy however changed when I laid eyes on the bill, and now my apartment is quite close to the outdoors of Finland, where I come from. Aside from all the nostalgia, it really is cold in there, having to wear more layers indoors than out is a new phenomenon, and means that some sort of ingenious plan must be devised - I will have to turn the heater on and off. Clever, right?
16/11/2011
Gas Bill
So, I just recently received my first gas bill... and can I say, it was a pretty BIG deal. I've always had central heating, and haven't had to deal with boilers and such, so this was all new to me. You have to turn it on and off, or set it on a timer with a schedule, but of course when it's cold all day and night, I'm not turning it off.
09/11/2011
Movember
So we all know it is the month of Movember. I too have taken the liberty of growing out a moustache (if this poor effort on my face can be called that).
To continue on about Movember, I was really dissapointed when getting on the tube today and not spotting a single other fellow "Movemberite."
On that note, all of you who are participating in this charity event over the course of November. Don't be scared, go on, and respect to you. In the words of Gerry & The Pacemakers, "you'll never walk alone."
12/10/2011
05/10/2011
Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City - 27/09/11 (Live blog)
9:13
Sure to be a classic, Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City is about to begin, with commentators Alan Macinally and Martin Tyler.
The players are moving in and the crowd looks very excited
9:15
The teams walk on to the pitch, thousands of fans at the Allianz arena. Bayern is entering the battle as a Champions League veteran, with 150 games under their belt, whilst Man City is a new comer. Add this to the fact that Man City are playing in Munich, and it should get a little jittery for them.
9:18
Some key players seem to be on the bench, some from injury and others from outrageous behaviour (i.e. Balotelli the master of pranks).
The referee blows the whistle, it has started.
9:20
The game is being somewhat controlled by Man City, with them in position, however a clearance by Bayern shows just how dangerous they are, starting a counter attach but ending short.
Man City controlling it in the box, however Bayern manages to clear it again.
9:23
Man City's Silva is playing strong despite being tackled harshly by Bayern defense. Dzeko gets a shot off but Bayern's own Neuer saves the shot.
Finally Bayern is passing the ball around, with Lahm, Ribery and Schweinsteiger controlling the play.
9:25
Replay of the tackle in the Bayern box shows that the tackle on Silva completely missed the ball, taking only his foot - Bayern lucky to avoid the penalty there.
In just 7 minutes of play, Bayern has managed to turn the game and are now possessing the ball. Dangerous for Man City as Bayern forward Gomez is a strong scorer this season.
9:27
Manchester City now in possession, Aguero showing a promising attack with the help of Silva, however the control is a little bit rough and the attack is shut down.
Tables turns and Lahm gets near the Man City box, passes to Schweinsteiger who puts in a shot towards City keeper Hart. The shot is easily blocked by Hart.
9:30
The posession keeps changing and with each loss in possession, a counter attack is formed by the opponents. Both teams looking strong but not getting the final finish. Break in the play for the players as Hart takes a goal kick after a failed attempt at goal.
9:33
The game is relaxed with long passes in the Bayern back, but once again the veterans show their skills through quick through passes leading into rapid attacks against Man City. Bayern increasing pressure around the city box, however again shut down. The game is still unpredictable, with both sides showing promise.
Commentator Martin Tyler however explains much to my agreement that even though City has the money, they must play the games to get as much experience as Bayern, who have 8 final appearances in the Champions League.
9:35
Man City takes a corner, however the header is rather soft and easily stopped by Neuer.
Bayern quick to counter attack again, and now keep control on the city side. Luis Gustavo Dias pressuring the City side very promisingly.
Bayern have been controlling the ball for the past 5 minutes, pressuring city continuously. Schweinsteiger again with a long shot attempt, however once again over the goal.
9:40
Bayern defence is very effective, with Lahm, controlling the pace. Bayern has only conceded once this season, and Manchester City should be worried.
Commentators point out that there is "less discipline at City than at Bayern" - really, Balotelli can do what he wants?
Just then City's Nasri makes a quick strike through Bayern midfield, but is stopped by the veteran defense.
9:45
Bayern as the veteran should still be very careful, with their attacking combination of Silva, Dzeko and Aguero.
Richards downed in the box and once again Bayern avoid a penalty. Seconds later Silva is tackled outside the box and a free kick is given. Neuer stops the effort confidently.
Bayern have a blizzard attack and open a situation for Kroos with great through passes, however Kroos as a young striker fails at this point to provide a goal.
9:48
Bayern once again seem to be controlling the game, passing through the City midfield, Ribery and Lahm taking the ball up to the City side. Ribery, the true veteran of the team, still able to bring it up to a cross.
The attacking efforts of City are being closed down, however Schweinsteigers questionable clearance straight to City forward Dzeko opens up control to Man City, who are now pressuring in the Bayern end. The Munich defense however refuses to give in, fighting for the ball and clearing it continuously.
Martin Tyler compares the game to a chess match, with both sides obviously searching for the best way to goal.
9:50
Micah Richards rises up from the City defence very well with the help of Nasri and could prove dangerous with in the game.
Ribery shows his true spirit once again stopping the efforts of City short of goal, and providing a fast counter attack.
The game still two-sided with both teams actively attacking the others' end. Bayern getting more shots, however goalkeeper Hart playing with confidence.
9:55
Munich defense doing a wonderful job of ending City attacks, and an even better job of providing Ribery the chance to take the ball up for a counter attack. Toure cannot keep losing the ball if City is to stand a chance. Ribery and Muller prove for a dangerous midfield connection, and continue to supply the attack with chances.
9:57
Bayern gets a 5-3 attack against city, with a through pass from Muller to Schweinsteiger, however 5 metres from the goal, Schweinsteiger misses. This could have been the chance of the game.
Schweinsteiger is visibly dissapointed in his failure to score in what could have been the best from the game.
Everything changes as Ribery once again proves dangerous, passsing to Lahm, who shoots, Hart trying his best saving two shots, but Gomez in the right place at the right time, puts the ball in.
Bayern lead 1-0.
10:00
Man City's careless midfield and defensive play cost them dearly as Bayern finally scored. It is imperative that City step up to control the ball, and play careful with the possession.
The Bayern crowd is very live with their chants, and what a demoralising blow this is for City. They keep attackign but the Munich defense is very strong, forcing City to put out the ball.
Aguero gets a yellow card when he takes down Schweinsteiger with a dirty tackle. A yellow card that City cannot afford but have taken.
10:05
City is getting frustrated with Bayern keeping control of the ball throughout most of the first half, with key danger Ribery. Rafinha keeps rising up from defence to bring the ball up to attack.
Muller fouled at the side of the box, giving Bayern a free kick, and they put it in. Joe Hart saves the first kick, but the rebound is put in by Gomez again, when Man City defence does not clear the ball.
The game goes into half time, with Bayern in the lead 2-0.
10:10 - half time report from other games
Napoli 2 - 0 Villareal
CSKA Moscow 2 - 3 Inter (final score)
Trabzonspor 0 - 1 Lille
Man UTD 2 - 0 Basel
Otelul Galati 0 - 1 Benfica
Lyon 2 - 0 Zagreb
Real Madrid 2 - 0 Ajax
10:15
The football studio says that the Man City teams conceded goals came from the City squad relaxing at key moments. As they are playing at the highest level they need to keep their concentration at all times.
At half time it can be said that there has been obstruction on both sides attacking, especially early on in the clear case for a penalty for Silva, as well as later on in Richards and then Bayern mid Ribery.
10:18
The second half is beginning with Bayern kicking off, able to continue possession again. However after the failures of City in the first half, they are sure to come in strong, proven by Clichy pressuring Bayern midfield, this time resulting in a foul.
Ribery proves to be the Bayern power player, only to be taken off the ball when he is fouled by Silva. He is proving himself as both the attacker and the defender in terms of midfield play.
Ribery and Lahm keep connecting, however this time thanks to an effort from Rafinha and Kroos, changing play from right to left.
10:23
Surprisingly the possession meter shows 50-50, meaning that City is doing something right. Bayern Munchen still keeps pressuring the attacks and look growingly dangerous. The City defense however keeping the attacks at bay. City's players getting frustrated and continue fouling Bayern more and more, this time Nasri taking down Muller.
At this point everyone is thinking whether the animosity between City coach and star striker and new acquisition Tevez is as important as winning the game. Tevez is clearly needed by the City attack, but the coach is not likely to step down from his views.
10:25
Dzeko fouled by Rafinha as he was on his way past him, however the City attack looked weak as they were 3 against 6 Munchen players. Bayern proving very efficient in defense, however with incredible availability in attacking as well. I wouldn't want my team playing them...
Mancini takes Dzeko off, and putting De Jong on. Dzeko was the productive striker, and was replaced with a midfielder, a choice the commentators surely are questioning. Dzeko looking very angry in the dugout, with his removal from the pitch being more than questionable.
10:28
Bayern again with absolute pressure on the City side, Ribery and Lahm once again in play, Gomez nearly putting the ball behind Hart for the third time.
City defence is failing to stop the Bayern attacks, with Munchen being awarded corners and free kicks after City is inconsistent with containing Ribery and Schweinsteiger.
Tevez is now involved in the arguments between Mancini and Dzeko, who was taken off in a strange manner - the commentators referring to the players' behaviour as mutiny towards their manager.
10:32
Ribery is "running the show" according to MacIllan, and I couldn't agree more. He is the sole most effective player on the pitch, playing left mid for Bayern, and paired with Lahm is able to bring the ball to the attack continuously.
The effects of Mancini's changes are yet to be seen, with the City squad still losing possession, forced to pass back to Joe Hart, the best player on the Manchester team up to now.
10:35
Like in the 5-0 win of Barcelona over Madrid a year ago, every Bayern pass is greeted by an 'ole'. I can't even imagine how demotivational this can be for City, especially as the Bayern crowd is not the 'quiet type.' Bayern on the contrary is being fueled by these chants, knowing they have the full support of the beer infused Munchen crowd, the Allianz arena fitting nearly 70,000 people.
10:38
Boateng closes down Aguero in a very skillful manner in the box. Once the ball is cleared however, Clichy tackles Muller from behind, only to receive their second yellow card. The Munchen players' are succeeding in controlling the ball and forcing City to foul them.
Bayern has certainly done their homework, continuously sending 2 players to deal with Nasri, making him a less dangerous player towards them. Ribery continues his strong performance, and Bayern playes a superb ball as a team.
10:41
Nasri taken off for James Milner, a first time for him in Champions league, I wonder if this is the right time for him to play, especially when looking at the caliber of players on the City bench.
Manchester City's pressure is dissapointingly ineffective, especially with Ribery and Schweinsteiger being 'untouchable.' Schweinsteiger gets a lot of time to put off a shot towards Hart, who once again proves himself as the key player keeping City in the game. Bayern gets a corner.
Barry taken off for Kolarov, a more logical change than the previous two, Mancini hoping this will cure his teams game.
10:45
Kolarov starts well, immediately earning a free kick for Man City from a distance of 29m. The shot is however taken into his hands by Neuer, continuing his strong performance of the night, even though he hasn't had a challenging night equal to Joe Hart's.
The City squad's 'body language' doesn't suggest a comeback, as Bayern keep pressure while City passes too slow and takes too much time. Mancini's changes prove fairly ineffective, even though Kolarov shows himself more eager to pressure than the rest.
10:48
Yaya Toure is booked with a yellow card, he is surprisingly weak in performance this game considering his champions league win with Barcelona.
Kolo Toure is quickly booked after this for a foul on Ribery, leading to a near miss by Bayern, Gomez's header blocked again by Joe Hart, and Muller late from the Rebound.
10:51
Bayern is very effective in opening up the City midfield, however the City defense is finally putting in some work. Munich is preparing for a substitution to bring in some fresh legs and a new defensive mid.
City finally succesful with passing but once again no match for the Bayern defence.
10:53
Toni Kroos taken off the pitch, serenaded by the fans. In goes Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, a good addition to the Bayern midfield.
Kolarov finally gets a shot off at the Bayern goal, but it is easily stopped by Neuer.
The possession finally shows an increase in Bayern, 54-46.
10:57
Munchen keeps attacking with Ribery, this time without a positive result. City is attempting to control the ball, and a nasty collision occurs between Richards and Boateng in the Bayern box. Both players get up and are alright, and the game continues.
The game is slower in tempo than before, however Bayern continues attacking, this time with new addition Tymoshchuk feeding Muller and Gomez through balls . The Bayern squad is playing well, but their energy doesn't seem enough for a third goal. They however continue to pressure the City team, and pass the ball in the City half.
11:00
Bayern is taking Ribery off, after a splendid performance, everyone celebrating his efforts. He has been "outstanding". In his place Bayern places Arjen Robben, an equally as skilled midfielder, who proved especially dangerous in the 2010 World Cup.
The Munchen crowd is singing songs of victory.
Man City makes what could be their last effort to goal, and Milner brings the ball up on the right side, but without help from the others is stopped by Neuer. Kolarov gets one more attempt, but Bayern continues to defend well.
Nils Petersen is put on as two goal scorer Gomez is taken off.
The final score of the game is 2-0 for Bayern.
Game Summary:
The game started off very equally, with both sides having 50% possession and showing promising attacks, but by the end of the first period, Manchester City was struggling to keep up with Bayern, who with the help of Lahm, Ribery and Schweinsteiger, not to forget Gomez, put 2 goals behind Hart and took the game for Munchen.
Manchester City showed a disappointing display of football as they failed to contain the Bayern attacks, and with through their defensive mistakes allowed the strong Bayern front to sink in 2 goals at the end of the first period.
Bayern Munchen on the other hand showed a strong team performance with extensive support from the defense and midfield for the attackers. They were able to keep the possession and pressure up on the City side, and managed to exploit Man City mistakes and score two goals.
Mancini's substitutions were questionable, taking off attackers when goals were needed, especially when talking about a quality footballer like Dzeko. Tevez stayed on the bench throughout the game, even though he is possibly what city would have needed to have a chance against Bayern.
The men of the match were Ribery, who orchestrated all of the Bayern sides play, not stopping his efforts until he was taken off the pitch. On the City side, goalkeeper Joe Hart gave an astounding performance, and was conceded twice even though his performance was impeccable, he was simply not supported enough by his defense.
If you have anything to add, or would like to discuss the players' performances as well as the strange decisions by Mancini, please feel free to comment.
28/09/2011
Why I love Curzon
If you have read my three latest movie reviews (Kill List, The Skin I Live In, and Drive), you will have noticed that I like to praise Curzon Cinemas. Personally I have only been to the one in Soho, for convenience reasons, and I love it. It has to be my favourite cinema in London, maybe even in Europe.
"We are five cinemas across London, specialising in arthouse and independent film. Join us for exclusive events and the best in world cinema." - Curzon
Here are my reasons:
They play amazing films. All the films I have seen there have been great, even though the genre has varied. They play lots of art films and independent films, along with the more special films coming from bigger producers. They also have question and answer sessions with many people involved with the making of the films, and show selected series of documentaries.
It is small, or smaller than your average cinema. This makes it have a cozy and homely feeling to it, you can go in and enjoy the warm colours of the rooms and feel like you are watching a movie at home with your family, just on a much bigger screen. The upstairs area is a bar, serving the small foods and drinks, and downstairs there are lots of sofas, on which you can enjoy wine or beers with your friends, waiting for the movies, or discussing them before or after you've seen them.
To add to the cozy feeling of the cinema, everyone is friendly. The people working there are very nice and helpful, giving you top service, but without the unauthentic feel.
The food. I love the food, the sandwiches and cakes are delicious. They also have frozen yoghurts and ice cream from smaller producers. It is something else being able to eat delicious cakes whilst watching a movie, instead of just loading up on lots of candy.
The drinks. They serve beer and wine that you can bring into the cinema. In my opinion this is amazing, as adults don't always feel like having soda and candy when in the cinema, but might enjoy, especially during more serious or more meaningful and artistic films, a glass of wine, or a cold beer.
The next film I will be seeing at the Curzon in Soho is Lars von Trier's Melancholia. I look forward to enjoying the film with some beer, or maybe even some wine, who knows?
Links:
Drive
Last Friday I went to the Curzon cinema, my new London favourite. I went to the cinema for the purpose of seeing the new movie Drive, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, and starring Ryan Gosling.
What originally intrigued me about the movie was the trailer (click here), which was in a genre of it's own, with the music, the imagery and it's overall style.
The movie looked very cool.
As I walked out, I thought to myself, "my god, I need a toothpick", all the while chanting the words of the final song of the film, 'A Real Hero' by College. Needless to say, the first thing I did when I got home was download the soundtrack for the movie. The soundtrack was amazing, composed by Cliff Martinez, starting with electronic heroes such as Kavinsky and Lovefoxx, traveling towards beats from Chromatics, tracks composed by Cliff Martinez himself, and gentler electronic music from College, one of my personal favourites. It is what you will imagine when I say the words "driving music," thumping inside your head, reflecting the different tensions that you feel inside your body.
The movie itself was a whole new twist to driving movies. Forget about Fast and the Furious, you need to see Drive. The driving stunts were incredible, with the cars movements documented accurately and the stunts themselves executed to perfection.
Ryan Gosling is the definition of cool in this movie, and by the time it's over, you'll be searching the internet for driving gloves and a sating scorpion jacket. He's simple and quiet, saying only what is necessary, otherwise only reacting through strong body language, however without being pompous and cocky. He stands his ground, and protects the people he cares for. He plays a man only known as "Driver", who is hollywood driving stuntman by day, getaway driver at night.
The plot itself makes the character of the Driver grow second by second, as he takes on responsibilities that are not his, and comes out on top. The film is basically about a driving job gone wrong, with Gosling behind the wheel needing to step up and take care of the situation. The action that follows is nothing short of awesome, including more driving, high aggression, fighting, forks and even shotguns.
IMDb rates the movie at 8.6/10, but I would say overall, the movie is at least a 9.5. This movie is incredible, you should grab some candy and possibly a Brooklyn Lager from Curzon, and go see it.
There is a lot of violence, but it is necessary. I will be seeing this movie for a second time soon.
Links:
21/09/2011
The Skin I Live In - could it be a masterpiece?
Last week I went to the Curzon cinema in London's Soho area. Whilst a week or so before going there to see the film 'Kill List' by chance, this time I had chosen to go there specifically for Almodovar's 'The Skin I Live In.'
This is a review to an extent, however I will not reveal the most significant elements of the film. I will however tell you what it does to your mind, and why you should go see it.
My expectations were met, as the reviews praising Almodovar's newest work were quite accurate, and the film was, something in the region of spectacular.
"A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession." - IMDb
There is sex, there are drugs, and there is definately no end to surprises.
The plot was twisted and unbelievable, with the story starting slowly with Vera (Elena Anaya), seen by the viewer as a patient or victim of cosmetic surgeon Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas). Around this we learn that Robert's wife had burnt to death in an accident, and that Vera has a strong resemblance to her. However, Vera is not an ordinary patient, but as said in the IMDb review, a test subject for the new and stronger, burn resistant artificial skin that Robert is trying to perfect.
From this point onwards, the story travelled backwards in time, and revealed a chain of events that would produce gasps from the audience accompanied by the odd few viewers looking to their side in disbelief. The film skipped from new to old sequences to introduce new characters, and to further the plot, and by this, furthering our insight into the crazed mindset of Robert. The events in the film make you change who you sympathise with, seeing a victim first in Robert and then in Vera.
The twists in the plot, brought in by the changes in time are simply incredible. Your mind will be in overdrive with curiosity throughout the film, with every narrative choice made by Almadovar, drawing you deeper into the film.
If you have any interest in film, or even life, you should see 'The Skin I Live In." I also recommend seeing it at Curzon, with delicious baked goods, and a beer in your hand. YES, I SAID IT - you can bring a beer into the cinema.
Links:
11/09/2011
10/09/2011
KILL LIST - short review
Kill List is an English thriller directed by Ben Wheatley released September 2011.
Now when you normally imagine a thriller you think of something with twists and tension, however most thrillers produced these days are fairly predictable, and do not have a genuine scare in them. I went and saw Kill List yesterday night, and I can tell you, it is genuinely one of the scariest and psychologically and physically intense films I have ever seen. There is a very real sense of confusion and psychosis in the film, and it all builds up towards the end, leaving the audience completely unprepared for the events that are to unfold.
I will not go into the plot, as this can be found anywhere on the internet, however I will tell you that you should see it. It is a unique English thriller, and will raise emotions in you that you will possible not have felt before, at least not often. You will be confused, disgusted, and scared, but somehow will remain with your eyes fixed on the screen.
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