24 - Season 5

Hell Yes. I am SO amped. Jack Bauer is the man, not just the man but THE MAN. The James Bond movies could really learn a thing or two from the likes of him as it would give the series a much needed adrenaline boost. The last few bond movies have been dissapointments for me, I am still waiting for another Goldeneye.

Anyway 24, is there a better TV Show right now? I am kicking myself for not getting into it right from the start. It took my 7th form English History teacher of all things to get me into it! Thank god for him, i started with Season 2 and haven't looked back. Finally got around to watching Season 1 a couple of months ago which was pretty damn good. The show has come along way since then though. My enjoyment could have been lessened by the fact I already knew Nina was the one who killed Jack's wife. Still, i can't believe they managed to hold back that MAJOR twist until a couple of hours before the days end. Damn good scriptwriting. Thats what 24 is renowned for though, managing to keep every second of every hour of that single day so engaging.

My personal 24 highlight would have to be when Jack was ordered to kill Ryan Chappel in Season 3 (?) Man, that rivals anything i have seen on FILM. Period. Maybe this is why I am so excited about the return of 24? The only downside is that I will be staying in a lot more on Friday nights. In a way that is a positive though - less money spent on Shisha etc.

The only other gay thing is that the 2 hour Season Premiere starts Friday night, and guess what? It's the second day of the 38th International Film Fest. Ah well. Film fest comes first, as much as I love 24. I will just have to catch the encore screening on Saturday night after i come back from the Shortbus screening.

Speaking of the Film Fest, I cannot wait! It seems like aaages since last years one, by far the best two weeks of moviegoing from 05. The fact that i still play the Tarnation theme on a weekly basis over a year after seeing the film is just one example of how good last years selection was. This year promises to be almost, if not just as good as last year. The only downers being the absence of Volver and Babel. I am sure they will come out soon after though.

I have decided on the rather suicidal plan of watching 20 movies at the fest, 9 more than last year. How on earth am i going to get any university work done I wonder? I mean my devotion goes so far that I have even decided to skip a lecture to watch OilCrash. But I believe the information contained within that documentary will far outweigh any insight gained in a couple of hours of lecture time. Aint Peak Oil a bitch.

I am running out of things to talk about, aside from the sheer awesomeness of Jack Bauer. I mean the guy actually DIED and they still couldn't kill him. Thats right. DNT that shit mofo! Everytime the preview trailer gets shown on TV3 atm you will find me going Ooooorah! Yeaaaah! [insert any other appropriate aaah]

Only 14 hours 45minutes until the Film Fest 'opens' I put it like that because the official opener is The Wind That Shakes The Barley. The first screening however is The New World. I am seeing both. Aren't I cool? Other films i am seeing over this weekend include The Valet, a french farce from the master, Francis Veber. Dave Chappel's Block Party by Michel Gondry and Jet Li's last foray into martial arts - Fearless. That was just Friday. On Saturday I am also seeing Iraq in Fragments, a documentary on life in Iraq from multiple perspectives. Then Shortbus, possibly the most sexually explicit film to come out in a mainstream release, lets see how it compares to Baise Moi. Finally on the Sunday - An Incovenient Truth with Al Gore, showing just how periously close to devasting climate change and Brick - a neo-noir set in high school. Hows that for an original idea?

The next 2 1/2 weeks are a movie geeks wetdream. With the added bonus of 24 what more can I ask for? Well maybe Volver, come on organisers! please! please! I am begging here..