Move over Peter Andre, there's a new jilted partner in town! The humble pig.

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Is it just me or has the constant barrage of "free-range" this/"organic" that been (unfairly) dominated by beady-eyed, clawing, flapping chickens? The GUILT(!) that comes with buying eggs from 'caged hens' is something that is now so firmly engrained in our collective conscience, that a trip to Tesco requires a detour via the pub, just to build up enough courage to perform such treason. And to a certain extent for good reason!

Now, I'm not suggesting everyone should join PETA, grab a chicken and get busy. Certainly, chickens can be a rather devoid of empathetic character traits – you can't really cuddle a chicken without fear of something sharp entering your eye - but my neighbours have chickens which sometimes overspill into my garden and they can be quite enjoyable. By this I don't mean I swiftly yank their heads off and fire up the oven; I mean that they are really quite interesting and impressive to get up close to. They're curious, amusing and pretty. So I say to myself - “You know what Hugh Fearnely Whittingstall, you're right. Free-range is a worth it.” I do not want to eat eggs from battery farmed hens.

So there I am, ready to purchase my breakfast; some exquisitely manicured eggs gathered from underneath a bowing Oak, some bacon, and a sickly shot of self-congratulatory smugness. But wait, the pig! I forgot about the darn pig!

Babe is an excellent film, Pork and human meat taste similar, and (apparently) pigs are incredibly expressive, endearing animals who are smarter than dogs. How can I possibly justify buying bacon intensively farmed by Peter Schmeichel in Denmark, whilst I'm still enjoying the checkout girl's 'good for you' nod in recognition of my super eggs? Arrghhhh! I have just spilt my smug shot all over my crotch – and what's worse it's scalding hot and suspiciously creamy looking.

So I have a decision to make. I'm broke. I can't afford to be spending an accumulative £7-8 on an organic breakfast just to clear my conscious. One of these animals is going to have to get fucked. The decision is obvious. Babe is a better film than Chicken Run and pigs are better than chickens. Put a big ol' pig next to a chicken and I'd chose the pig every time. If some portly pink porkers decided to infiltrate my garden I would no doubt toss my chicken aside with the same contempt I did my Tamogotchi.

(It is also perhaps worth noting that if either of these two species were to revolt then I'd prefer to have some bargaining material to use with pigs. I defy anyone to try and take-on three full sized, pissed off hogs!)

Yet alas, it is true that such a conclusion is only really the lesser of two evils; but what can one do? Organic sausage sandwiches? Sure! But, sooner or later you know you'll be craving a change and the old B&E will come back into the equation. Cereal or toast? Both not to be sniffed at. But, AGAIN (!) therein lies the problem. When you do indeed sniff the air in the morning, what is that delicious smell that has awoken you from your slumber? It ain't Special K! The minefield of breakfast politics raises it head once more. I don't want to even think about lunch.

Kick Ass is about a teen superhero wannabe, called Kick Ass, who tries to kick ass but often gets his ass kicked by dicks who kick more ass than he can kick 'cause he's a bit of a douche.

If you enjoyed the style of that opening sentence then you should have a romping good time watching the film. It's silly, bloody, popcorn goodness. Even Nicholas Cage manages not to embarrass himself - just!

The film unashamedly wears its cinematic references and borrowings (Spiderman, The Matrix, e.t.c.) on its sleeve, whilst managing to construct a fairly interesting new addition to the superhero genre. The perkiness and quasi-subversive elements of the opening half hour do perhaps get lost amongst the fairly formulaic bulk of the film, but who cares when you're having this much fun right? The film is called Kick Ass after all; not Watchmen .

The fight scenes and action sequences are suitably creative, dramatic and amusing. There is something really satisfying about watching children/teenagers fight adults on a level playing field and winning! Even better, this isn't some twee "Kidz vs Grown Ups" way of winning (like putting tabasco sauce in Dad's pie!); more an opening up a can of serious whoop-ass on those SOBs type of winning. The zingers come thick and fast Schwarzenegger style too. I really wish they made a film like this when I was 15!

Thankfully, the inclusion of Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka McLovin) does not lead the film into the often sexist/racist Jud Apatow/Seth Rogan school of teen comedy which can leave you feeling dirty for "enjoying." There are perhaps some unnecessary comments derogative of homosexuality but given that this is a film largely about heterosexual teenage boys, such comments are realistic and do prove amusing in context.

In general the film, for all it's apparent controversy, is reasonably inoffensive. (WARNING! Clicking on that hyperlink is likely to cause EXTREME annoyance) The gore is played for cartoon-like laughs; as is the language, and the inclusion of the deadly 11 year old 'Hit Girl' character can be seen as a positive role model for young girls everywhere. A passive disney princess could never slaughter a corridor full of murderous goons! As for the Daily Mail bollocks (an easy target I know BUT REALLY!) about the film being 'evil' and eroticizing Hit Girl; there is no need to waste time on such stupidity! Did they get a boner over Astro Boy too? Look he's got is shirt off and everything! Sexy Bitch!

So there you have it, Kick Ass is a film which knows its audience and gives them what they want and it's definitely better than Superhero Movie. If you don't like good natured, well-crafted comic action films then go and watch Becoming Jane again...."you cunts".

7/10

RANDOM FACT - Brad Pitt was one of the producers for the film

FOR ONE NIGHT (in Winchester) ONLY

GOMORRAH (directed by Matteo Garrone)

24^th February

20:45

Winchester Screen

Gomorrah is an acute example of the importance, power and necessity of cinema in contemporary society. Its representation of the various different facets of life in the world of organised crime in Naples, Italy is bleak, realistic and unsympathetic. This naturally makes for difficult viewing but it is precisely for this reason that Gomorrah is so admirable and essential viewing for anyone with an interest in film beyond mindless escapism. Such subject matter should make for uncomfortable watching because the corruption, murder and exploitation depicted in the film is really happening today. Indeed the author of the ‘based upon novel’ is now in hiding because a contract has been put out for his life due his uncompromised highlighting of such issues.

Comparisons have been made to City of God in the way the glamorous image of the gangster is de-romanticised and brought down to street level. However the absence of heavily stylistic movie conventions and characters to ‘root-for’ elevates Gomorrah above the former; by giving an added level of sincerity which the subject matter surely deserves.

Not a date-movie but there are few films nobler to devote a few pounds toward and which will inspire such raw admiration of cinema.

5/5

See this if you liked: La Haine, City of God.

the curios case of bejamin button

curios meaning less than interesting?

i love (the director) david fincher - 'fight club' was a good crack whilst 'se7en' and 'zodiac' are some of my ABSOLUTE recent favourites - but benjamin was actually a bit shit.

in a nutshell - it's a smug 'forrest gump' but not as enjoyably ludicrous.

it suffers from:

1. Brad pitt grows younger > big frickin' deal! it doesn't really affect the story in any meaniful way.
   
2. the characters have no depth > fair enough! but if your gunna have shallow characters you might as well have your lead character fighting in the vietnam war, playing ping pong in china, becoming a shrimp boat captain and then run across america a few times.
3. cate blanchett's character > snoooooooooorrrrrre! the love story is so empty
   

however:

1. there are some cool scenes when benjamin is out at sea which are almost worth the admission price.
2. it has a good joke in it but then they milk it for all its worth.
3. it does all look quite nice and Tilda Swinton's character is a nice little aside.

there's a whole flasback device going on aswell which seems clunky, as is the likening benjamin to a humming bird.

- before seeing this film i was looking forward to reading the short story on which it is based by f.scott fitzgerald. after seeing it i opted to read a french book about extreme sexual fetishes instead and i think i made the right choice.

2 1/2 out of 5