TV Party!

bbSome monumental lifestyle changes were afoot this week as i commandeered my first working digibox, in one fell swoop expanding my channel range tenfold and consolidating my power. I won't forget in a hurry that first golden night when, giddy with excitement i left the side of a slumbering Duchess and after a quick and suprisingly uncomplicated set-up, devoured a Father Ted and double Curb, basking in the digital light that had entered my life.

By fated coincidence, however, i had spent earlier that night in the company of one of the old guard, BBC 2, and the ominously titled TV Junkie, the video diaries of American journalist Rick Kirkham chronicalling a decade or so of crack addiction and family disintegration.

Compiled from thousands of hours of footage, the programme presented a seamless and self shot account of Kirkham's battle with drugs and alcohol. Aside from a few background titles at the beginning and end, the video speaks for itself, allowing the viewer to piece together the story and draw their own conclusions.

At times, Kirkham uses the camera as if he's making a special report, leading to bizarre "I am now using a makeshift pipe to smoke the cocaine" type pieces-to-camera, and at other times he uses it as a confessional. At other moments it becomes clear that the camera is another addiction, as he keeps it rolling through some excrutiating moments.

I genuinely did not know where this was heading, and was somewhat surprised when it finished with him making an emotional speech to a group of whooping graduating students after six clean years. A cheeseball to the very end, his boys and ex-wife joined him on stage for a group hug.

TV Junkie was good, and at times harrowing tv, and although Kirkham never really inspires feelings of like or sympathy, you had to admire his courage for sharing his lowest points.

Still running high on my Monday night fix, i spent the next few days content with a Mighty Boosch DVD and a rare mid week trip to the cinema. I'd watched a few Mighty Boosch episodes when they were on TV but the DVD really helped fill in the gaps. Having been beseiged with references and quoted out of more than a few conversations, some vital viewing was necessary - if only to wind people up by finding (and loudly declaring) it to be shit.

Fortunately this wasn't to be as i found the Mighty Boosch to largely hit the mark with its fantastically original plots, characters and sets. The bits with the moon let it down slightly, but other parts, such as old gregs "Do ya love meh?" have entered into the dailylexicon of my existence.

Dragging myself away from DVD and digital delights, I actually left the house to see The Simpsons movie on Wednesday night, adding another medium to my seemingly endless capacity to stare quietly at a screen with my mouth open. Reports from the front line had been that the movie was ok, suprisingly funny but nothing amazing, and i found this to generally hold true.

The movie comes in at a higher level than the latest from the TV series, which having been dismal for some time is starting to improve slightly, but is lacking in alot of the intellectual weight of the earlier episodes.

In saying that, there are still alot of good jokes in there, and it explores some darker territory when dealing with Homers familial neglect and poor parenting. All in all, it is a good way to spend a few hours (though i did fade a little in the middle) and i would watch it again quite willingly.