The Bourne Ultimatum

Dermo, Mark and I headed to the cinema on Friday night to catch the third instalment of the Bourne series.

With a lot to live up to after the first two outings, 'The Bourne Ultimatum' did not disappoint. Some good action sequences, especially the one on one fight scenes and car chase.

Just be careful with how close to the screen you sit. The camera does not stand still. This does give it a more of a gritty reality but made me slightly queazy during some of the quieter parts! Probably best viewed from a little further back than we were.

Also, you gotta love that Moby track at the end. You can get Extreme Ways by Moby from iTunes.


Moby - 18 - Extreme Ways

My New Camcorder

Finally, after many years of wanting one I got a camcorder.

Firstly, I was really impressed with the service I got. I got it from UK Digital Cameras but ordered it through Amazon. I placed the order on Sunday afternoon, the camera was dispatched on Monday and it arrived at around lunchtime today!

Second, the price was excellent. Constrained somewhat by a self imposed budget I was keen to get as much bang from my buck as possible. The Canon MVX450 I got was as much as £305 on Pixmania but I got it for £235 delivered!

Thirdly, its a dandy we camera for the money. It uses MiniDV (none supplied) but I discovered I can also record to the SD Card (not supplied either) - with cards available up to 4GB! I can plug a powered condenser style mic into it too which helps eliminate the tape hum you get when the in-built microphone is used - something unavoidable in my price range.

There are lots of other features that I'll not bore you with. But I will, for Dermo's interest, point out where it differs from the MVX460. It doesn't have the wide angle feature and it doesn't allow analogue-digital conversion. The digital conversion is something I would have missed a few years ago but given it has been so long since I even saw a VHS I'm not too bothered. Mind you I would still like to get my Pirate of Penzance performance in the digital can at some stage!

Amazing Grace - music from the film

No its not the Chris Tomlin one, which I also like.

I thought this was a fantastic version of the well known tune. Traditional sound with the bagpipes but also very moving. I love how it builds with the drums then finally with the brass section.



This is not present on the soundtrack album - disappointing, especially given its centricity to the story and title!

Some of you may prefer a Tomy Emmanuel take on things.

Amazing Grace

I watched the movie tonight and to be honest was moved to tears.

William Wilberforce worked for decades before his calls for the abolition of the slave trade were finally heeded. Those who lived in slavery waited during that time, hoping and praying for deliverance.

Their freedom was finally granted 1807. How did that feel for Wilberforce after many years of pain staking efforts? How did it feel for those enslaved to be finally set free?

Then I thought of this:

"So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." Galatians 5:3-7

I was reminded that as hard as Wilberforce worked for the freedom of the slaves in the plantations, there is One who worked so much harder and paid so much more to free me from my sin.

In the movie Oloudaqh Equiano said that when sold into slavery he was branded by the person who purchased him. This he said was to show that he was now owned by a man and not by God.

But the Bible says:

"because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:4-10

The fact is, our sin condems us. But God in his mercy offers us freedom from sin that was purchased when Jesus died.

I'm that undeserving wretch that was saved by God's amazing grace!

Transformers - less than meets the eye

Citroen set the bar quite high for this movie!

The special effects were great. The story, not so great. But I did get a strange combined sense of awe and fear as we shared in the young lads first encounter with Bumblebee in stand up robot form. And I do still secretly want a car like that! Quite a stupid statement to put on a blog on the world wide web. Think its time for bed.

Still haven't see The Simpsons but its next on the list.