Her

I have seen Spike Jonze's film Her described as a romantic comedy. But I didn't see it that way at all. I thought it was a good, serious, look at human relationships in a future where people communicate primarily via machines. After all isn't that where we are heading; with so many people glued to their smartphones all the time?

It was really well done. The setting is believably futuristic, without being obviously too sci-fi. The characters are complex and likeable. The plot evolves and we get to an acceptable conclusion.

Nice. Good film. I recommend it. (It's not a rom-com, guys)

And it set me thinking. What am I doing with my life, if not trying to communicate more and more via machines? And who am I communicating with? Nobody. Nobody, that I know at least.

I write this blog, post on twitter, comment on forums... I pretend that other people are reading what I write, but they aren't. Is anyone on the web reading other people's stuff? I don't think so.

It's like being in a world where everyone has their own radio station. We're all broadcasting, congratulating ourselves on being part of a great revolution that has democratised content creation. But no-one is listening to us, just as we aren't really listening to anyone else.

So I have made a decision. I am stopping this. Right now. I'm turning the computer off and going out to meet real people. From now on I'm going to talk to people face-to-face whenever I can. I'm going to do voluntary work. I'm going back to the real world. Goodbye.

Evil Dead

If there's one thing I tend to avoid more than sequels it's a remake. Although I sometimes go for a reboot. But, not knowing if Evil Dead (2013) was a reboot or a remake of The Evil Dead (1981), I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Having seen it I'm still not sure if it's a remake or a reboot. But it's quite a good film.

There are quite a few plot differences between the two films. Although the basic premise is the same. An evil force, a shack in the middle of nowhere, people getting killed.

What else is there to know? It's all done rather well. Quite scary. Towards the gory end of the spectrum, which isn't something I enjoy, but not too extreme.

Sin City 2 - A Dame To Kill For

I watched Sin City 2 as a double bill, following on from the first film. That probably inclined me to be a bit more critical of the sequel than I might have been if it had been longer since I watched the original. Because, all things considered, Sin City 2 just isn't as good as Sin City.

It seems more fragmented, with less pulling the pieces together. And the episodes themselves are all a bit less compelling than before. Because of the overlapping timelines with the first film, this feels more like a collection of out-takes than another instalment.

But, lets not forget that Sin City was a brilliant film. It was a big ask to expect the sequel to match it, and it doesn't, but it is still worth watching.