Hoddy

I saw it on Saturday. Thought it was absolutely harrowing. I want to say it was 'awesome', but how can you describe that as 'awesome'? I go for a really well-made, well-handled account of what could have been nationalistic guff (as it was made by a Brit, this may have been more difficult). As for why was it made? Well I guess it's a case of showing the true fear, blindness and human reactions of what these – mostly ordinary –*people were feeling. I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't full of macho, Hollywood mechanism bullshit, but instead was full of real people acting like real people do. The passengers didn't attack these men with their bare fists and brawn, they went with weapons, they went with whatever they could get their hands on, they went primeval, animalistic. I'm one of the most placid, pacifistic people I know (even if I wasn't, I wouldn't argue about it), but I said to my girlfriend that I hoped to God they killed that guy with the bomb. It's what I would have done. At least what I hope I would do.

DVD release is sometime in September. It's like being in prison waiting for it to come out. My bedroom is covered in little tally marks. Pisses my girlfriend right off.

It's ok. I've watched the first three, and all have been fair to middling really. They're watchable, without being anywhere near gripping. The next one you're due to watch (about Broadbent's character) is worth watching for the Man Utd monologue alone.

Is this not the same list every year? Keep it and save it for next year's nominations. Name's more imporant than performances it would seem. It's bollocks.

'Walk the Line'. I spend my days subbing TV pages, and anything with the words 'the line' in them (and there's a lot) just sets me off. And it's got worse in recent weeks, cos his film's all over the pages - in premieres, prog detail, etc. I don't give a shit, cos it fucking rules, but my colleagues are kinda bored. Between that and my sudden eruption into der-der-der-der-der-der-der-deeeeeer… everytime I see the word 'fire', they pretty much want me dead.

Class moment the other week against Man United when Pako (I think that's the right one) came charging onto the pitch to have a go at the ref with his clipboard in hand. I had visions of him slamming it across the ref's back, wrestling-style.

'Carwash cunt' is an insult laid down right at the end of the third series. Excellent episode, and easily the best of that particular run.

I've just finished the third series now, and one or two episodes and situations have started to become just a little bit irritating and a tad contrived. The first two series are brilliant though. Best comedy I've seen for years.

Will do mate, definitely. Providing I'm not writhing around on the floor on the other side of the road preparing my litigation case against Rick Parry.

I'm there.

Very true. I've been one of his biggest fans from day one, but can still see that his recent performances have been nowhere near as good as they were in his first few months. And it's not cos he's shit, cos he's shown how good he can be. It shows how important he is in our current set-up that his loss of form seems to have gone hand in hand with the team's.

Yeah, with a huge ***spoiler alert for 'The Descent*** I think it was an illusion that she escaped – apparently it's a common factor in those conditions. A character had made reference to that fact sometime earlier in the film.

I was reading an article which a referee had actually written, saying that raising a hand isn't actually an automatic red these days. It's more a case of what the ref deems violent conduct. I don't know if anyone else has seen that, but under those rules, surely Reina shouldn't have been sent off. His action was hardly violent was it?

It's not just about improving the team though, it's about getting a wealth of players who can step in when needed. And right-wing is an area in which we're quite sparse at the minute. And Defoe/Owen for Cissé would improve the team.

I think he'd be a decent shout. I'm sure the fact he's English would mean his asking price would be silly shit, but from what I've seen of him it seems there's a lot there with which Benitez could work. From all accounts he gave Gallas a decent game the other day, which is no mean feat. I read a broadsheet piece on him the other week an all, and he comes across as being very dedicated to the profession and a lad with both feet firmly grounded - which would give him the 'attitude' edge over Pennant.

Their city isn't a shithole. There's pockets which are, but then which city in England hasn't areas like that? The buffoons comment is spot on though - they were genuinely befuddled when Liverpool won the City of Culture thing, and it typifies the small-minded attitude you get from 'the city that loves its football'. I'm sick of hearing how much they love their football, and how they never stop talking about it up there. That may be so - the problem is however, that most of what they talk is complete shite; they haven't the first clue what the fuck they're on about. You get one or two fans who can see past the bullshit and the fact their chairman is one of the most despicable (looking and acting) people involved in the game right now, but the majority just get swept up in delusion. There's a difference between caring about your football and having unbridled passion without actually knowing fuck all of what you speak. I remember a bus banner that went by when I was up there. It read 'In Black and White, everyone is a hero.' Apart from being the most tanked-up heap of shite I'd ever read, the banner included a few pictures of players behind the writing. Two out of the three were Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer, and some other big-name 'legend' who'll no doubt be loathed up there a few years from now. I'd say it was Titus Bramble, except I remember that the bus was actually mobile at the time. I said a few years ago they will be the next Leeds, and nothing I've seen recently has done anything to change my mind on that.

Brilliant post.

Hey Paul, am typing this while trying not to read what you wrote; I'm a DVD guy, I haven't got Sky and so have to wait until Season 3 is released in the shops. Don't think I'll be waiting long though as they were ultra-quick with Season 2. Am particularly looking forward to this one as, although I enjoyed the insight into the white man's travails in this whole war and the piercing social commentary on a dying trade at the docks, I was itching for more Barksdale storylines as there's so many more places they can take it. I realise that the show is not as reliant on plot twists to shock people with, but I'd still rather not know anything about Season 3 either way. I still remember, for instance, how shocking De Angelo's death was. Compare this with anything that happens in '24' and 'Lost' and it's truly a case of less is more. On The West Wing - sad but I'm quite glad. It was Sorkin's baby and without Martin Sheen (I'm no Season Five, Six, Seven expert but surely they couldn't realistically write him back in), and of course without John Spencer, I fail to how it could continue. Sorkin's addiction problem has been fairly well-documented over the years, but I wasn't aware that was the reason he left – thanks for that. I remember talking about him to my dad, asking the question whether true genius (as I believe in this arena Aaron Sorkin has) can be attained without the aid of certain mind-enhancers. What do you reckon? Adds an extra poignancy when you bear in mind how many screen minutes were dedicated to a war on drugs.

So did Michael Owen. Then he goes gets a bad injury and suddenly £17mil is looking like a very poorly played gamble. Sometimes you don't always get what you pay for.

Sorry to keep agreeing with you Paul, but you're right. Lost sucks balls. Fucking big massive cock and balls. I watched the first couple of episodes and then the last - usually, if I'd have done that I'd have been asking a shitload of questions about characters and plot, but it seemed that absolutely nothing had happpened here from episode 2-23. And, after watching that pitiful excuse for a final episode, if I'd have stayed with the show and watched it for 20-odd weeks and they'd have thrown that sack of shit at me, I'd have thrown my TV through the fucking window. It's complete and utter shite - hype TV is Lost.

Sorry, but I disagree. The worst chant would be a racist one, and not far behind that (and not dissimilar to) is the one where 'supporters' continually chant 'Freeeeeaaaaak' everytime a certain player sets foot near the ball. What would would the uproar be if it was 'Blaaaaaaaaaack' everytime Momo got possession.

That's correct. Can't blame the ref for that one, as I thought it was a stonewall penalty on first viewing. Stu's right though (and Rafa was wrong at the time), the defender who pushed Gerrard shouldn't have gone. If Gerrard had have kept the ball in, he'd have had to turn, and by that time there'd have been a few defenders back. It's just a shame that the commentary team couldn't distinguish between the two (need for a penalty and need for a red card). As the ball wasn't going anywhere near goal, they just assumed it wasn't a penalty. Like a lot of things those dickheads said and did on Saturday night, they were wrong.

Fucking unbelievable, pathetic prick. Why, rather than acting like a six-year-old (my apologies to six-year-olds) doesn't he try and prove Alan Green wrong by having his team play some decent football? Cos he knows he can't.

Mary Poppins bemoans the theft of his umbrella as Dick Van Dyke starts pelting him with footballs.

The finish itself was instinctive. It's not like he was running towards Martyn from the half-way line with only the keeper to beat. His immediate thoughts were to beat Weir… which he did, albeit somewhat fortunately. Once he'd done that he immediately (without thinking) curled the quality finish past Martyn. That was instinctive, simple as.