Birthday presents, video games, movies and rediscovering the joy of four strings

I intended to get a post in before my birthday, but other commitments have sadly drawn my attention away. So I'm going to condense all my recent thoughts/experiences into this post, as I can't say whether I'll get to write again before Christmas!

My birthday has come and gone once again, leaving me a year older but blessed with some really cool presents. Lauren covered all the bases by getting me Enslaved: Odyssey to the West on PS3, a Adidas/Star Wars T-shirt and the Lego Star Wars Visual Dictionary! If you can't be a kid on your birthday then what's the point of having a birthday? As we both had the day off, we went out and bought a Christmas tree, which was an interesting experience to say the least. When we got the tree out of the netting, we realised it's a little too big for our flat, and had to rearrange our furniture to accommodate it! It looks nice now it's decorated though, so I have no regrets.

I haven't played much of Enslaved yet, but my initial experience has been very enjoyable. Although to start with it seemed to lack risk (impossible to fall off ledges, low damage in battles), the difficultly/danger jumps up quite quickly after the tutorial sections are done, forcing you to use all of Monkey's agility and power, alongside Trip's intelligence and technical skill. The game's visuals are absolutely stunning, with vibrant colours and crisp detail. On the subject of striking visuals, I recently purchased Inception on Blu-ray. What a film. Like The Dark Knight, I think I'll be repeatedly watching Christopher Nolan's latest masterpiece, as its concept generates so much debate and split opinions. Is it all a dream? Does Cobb get back to his family? Am I dreaming right now? Of course not. I got out of the Matrix ages ago...

Over the past few weeks I've got back into playing the bass guitar, as my friend's bass was recently fixed, allowing us to use it for music at church. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to play the bass; it's been great to brush up on my Rage Against The Machine riffs! Having the bass for church has been very useful, because when I've played electric guitar recently its not worked very well with the other instruments (treading on the toes of the piano and acoustic guitar), where as the bass has really added some power and definition. Don't worry though, I'm not abandoning my six-string roots! Got a load of Christmas carols to learn for Sunday, so I'll leave it there. If I don't write again before the 25th, Merry Christmas!

My summer cinema selections

This summer has been a very good one for movies. There's generally quite a lot of turd on at the cinemas during the (supposedly) sunny months, but I've managed to see the big three I had down on my list, and enjoyed all of them thoroughly.

Inception was the first of trio which I viewed, and found that it lived up to the hype one hundred per cent. It was hard to see much going wrong when you've got Christopher Nolan directing and actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Cillian Murphy starring. The mind invasion driven plot was complex enough to keep you interested but pitched just at the right level so that the viewer doesn't get lost. The film works on so many levels, excuse the pun, that I'm sure I'll be watching it multiple times on dvd to pick up on all its hidden facets. My favourite scene would have to be the multi-leveled dream climax, which was paced to perfection, keeping the tension up right to the end. And speaking of endings, Inception's was just what I like: unresolved...

Next on the list was Toy Story 3. I remember going to see the first of the trilogy for my friend's birthday when I was at primary school, and it was amazing to feel the same giddy child-like excitement when watching the final installment as an adult. Although it is primarily a kids movie, Disney/Pixar haven't forgotten the big kids like me who feel like the film is really for them, and have made Woody and Buzz Lightyear's last escapade reflect this very well. The overriding response I had to the movie was laughter. Toy Story 3 is belly-achingly hilarious; the moment with 'Mister Tortilla-Head' had me it stitches. I don't know whether I would go as far as the film critic Mark Kermode and say that the Toy Story trilogy is the best movie trilogy ever made, but the third episode definitely doesn't let the side down. I'm still waiting for a bad Disney/Pixar movie, but I think it could be a long wait!

This last film was on my list of 'must-see' summer movies, but I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it. The film in question is Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Pros: directed by visionary genius Edgar Wright, responsible for Shaun of the Dead and Channel 4's Spaced. Cons: stars Michael Cera, high-pitched and highly annoying. However, Mister Cera totally makes up for everything previous with this film. Scott Pilgrim is one massive geek-fest; a turn-off for some, but the film rang true for me and my inner-nerd. The movie is very humorous, with snappy dialogue and brilliant gaming and movie references, and the fight scenes are full of high-octane action and amazing visuals. I loved the music too, and I think Sex Bob-omb may now be my new favourite band. I will add a disclaimer here: Scott Pilgrim is not for everyone. I think this film will generate a massive cult following, but also be hated and reviled by many. Definitely a Marmite thing. I say Marmite because it's a good 'love/hate' metaphor, but Bovril is a highly superior product. Anyway...

Not sure whether or not to trust my opinions? Check out the ratings for these films on Rotten Tomatoes, a website that compiles critic's reviews, and awards them a percentage rating based on the amount of positive and negative feedback. Post your favourite summer movies in the comments section!