Cannabis – The marmite of the drug world.
Cannabis was reclassified from a class C to a class B drug in 2009. This means that the drug now holds harsher penalties for possession and dealing, but also means that the government has recognised it as a much stronger substance than originally thought.
The current law states that the maximum penalty for dealing, growing, supplying or trafficking can be up to 14 years imprisonment, and the maximum penalty for possession is 5 years imprisonment. Alternatively, if caught in possession of cannabis an immediate arrest could be made, or a warning and/or £80 on-the-spot fine issued, depending on circum stances.
(http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drug-law/)

So what is so special about Cannabis? Or more to the point – what is it?
Cannabis is essentially a herb. The drug comes from parts of the cannabis plant. The main chemical compound found in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC – this is the chemical that gives cannabis its effect upon users.
The effect of cannabis varies from person to person. Some people may feel relaxed, others very paranoid. Some many be giggly, other very hungry. Generally, the effects don’t last very long and addiction is very rare.
So what’s the problem with cannabis?
The problem is that although cannabis is a naturally occurring drug, dealers will do anything these days to earn a little bit more money from their supply – this often includes ‘bulking-out’ their supply with whatever they can get their hands on, for example crushed glass is frequently used, or just plain old kitchen herbs. Also, there have been more and more stronger strains of cannabis available, and as the strain gets stronger, the long-term effects become more likely. It is suggested that there is a link between long term cannabis use, and the mental illness schizophrenia.
Although it’s rare to become ‘hooked’ on cannabis, long term use of the drug can cause serious dependency.
(http://www.talktofrank.com/drugs.aspx?id=172)

Much like an addiction, along with a dependency comes withdrawal symptoms, and cannabis dependency is no exception to this rule. Cannabis dependency can have many psychological symptoms such as “Anxiety, depression, anger, confusion, irritability or the urge or craving to smoke” such as physical symptoms such as “Sleep problems, restlessness, loss of appetite, tremors, night sweats and diarrhoea.” According to “A Guide for Cutting Down and Stopping Cannabis Use” leaflet formed by the NHS and the drugs information site ‘Frank’ from 2004.

Now one of those symptoms really catches my eye – Depression.
How frequent is depression in those who smoke/withdrawal from Cannabis? Well according to http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/alcoholanddrugs/cannabis.aspx, “adolescents who used cannabis daily were five times more likely to develop depression and anxiety in later life”. Furthermore, the BBC reported in 2002 that Australian scientists have discovered that “girls who used the drug everyday were five times more likely to become depressed and suffer from anxiety compared to those who did not use the drug.” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2498493.stm) and furthermore that “A second study, by doctors in Sweden, confirmed previous research suggesting that cannabis can increase the risk of developing depression.”
We all know that depression is hitting an all-time low – literally. But did you know that statistically “Up to 15% of those who are clinically depressed die by suicide” (http://www.allaboutdepression.com/gen_04.html)

So I guess Mr Mackey was right… “Drugs are bad… Mmmmkay.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p004t688

Not only that, it also showed me who the production company were that worked on the film.

http://www.metfilmproduction.co.uk/

and furthermore, who the crew were that worked on the production.

Also, the website imdb.com informed me of who the actors and actress’ were that starred in the short film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298154/

Well, just before the festive season, I rented a book from the library entitled “Careers and Jobs in the Media” (Simon Kent (2005). Careers and Jobs in the Media. London: Kogan Page Ltd (UK). 1-128) to try and help me find a career I may be interested in, in the TV and film industries. It was – like so many other attempts to find a career I like in the TV and film industry – useless. But hey, I gave it a go.

So, I was sitting down one night, bored out of brain thinking about jobs I might be interested in, in the TV and film industry. Then I remember that one day during one of his infamous tangents that my tutor Steve had been talking about a Director of Photography he used in a past production. So I thought to myself… “What the fudge is a director of Photography?!”. Then it occurred to me. If I set Director of Photography as my career plan, I can also learn about the job role as well and expand my knowledge! As they say in the world of Xbox 360: “For the win.”

So, I did a bit of research on the ol’ internet and came up with an incredible website definition of a Director of Photography! (Director of Photography. Available: http://www.startintv.com/jobs/director-of-photography.php. Last accessed 17th January 2010.)

So I printed that off and gave it a good read. I decided that not only was this a career I wanted to research for my assignment, but also a career that I wanted to aim for myself.

Then I had to find a job advertisement for the position of Director of Photography. I eventually found a suitable advertisement, and I have pictured the advertisement below. I found this on 24th January 2010 for future references. (Click on the image to enlarge and read.)

Aren’t I great? So, I’m currently in the process of creating a successful presentation which discusses a hypothetical career plan for this job. Although it’s only hypothetical, I have a feeling I will use such as my actual career plan.

Peace out.

To be honest with you, I could debate this for hours in person – but finding the coherent written words is hard.
.

I’ve got to be honest… I’ve not been to the cinema much this year, for one reason… £7.50 a go! No thank you.
However, this year I went to see “The Boat that Rocked” and loved it very much. However, it was THAT long ago that I saw it; I don’t think I can review it as such. I remember the narrative, and the actors, and that’s possibly it.
But what interested me in “The Boat that Rocked” was that when I was growing up, I always listened to my dad’s old pirate radio CD’s, such as Radio Caroline, and I just fell in love with the music and the whole idea of going against the law for a love of music!

This year, I also went to see “Harry Brown”, a truly immense film. Michael Caine is a legend, and this role just took him to a whole new level. We saw a new side of Caine…. the fragile old man that he possibly, really is. It also bought awareness to me of the surrounding world, because although I was sitting there desensitized to all the violence I saw on screen, just thinking “Oh… it’s just a film”; once I got out of the cinemas, I realised, “No, it’s not just a film. That happens in real life.”

I am looking forward too 2010 in cinema, especially “Daybreakers” and Tim Burtons “Alice in Wonderland”.
I here make a pledge, that I will go to the cinemas more in 2010 than I did in 2009.

And on a final note… Screw Twilight.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FOTHER MUCKERS!

I personally love this film. Although when it was first released I was too young to understand the humour, now that I am older I cannot help but laugh uncontrollably. Sacha’s stereotype of the British ‘wannabe’ American gangster always makes me chuckle, as I can’t help but find many similarities in the stereotype of Ali G to those surrounding me. ‘Ali G indahouse’ has provided the nation with many memorable quotes such as “…quite nice actually” (in the appropriate high pitched voice), “You know you is me Julie” and of course the destruction of ‘street-cred’ of the much loved jungle song by Mc Vapour, “Jungle is massive”. The song was much loved by jungle fans across the nation before the release of ‘Ali G indahouse’ and is now seen as one of the most comical songs in cinematic history.

My main problem with horror films is the predictability of their story lines, and also how unbelieveable the ‘gore’ is.
For example, the ‘Saw’ films – they should have stopped making them after ‘Saw 1′.
I believe that the film tries to hard too ‘gross you out’ with fake blood and guts, to the point where it’s actually comical, not horrific.

What I find makes horror films so terribly predictable, is that you always know who will survive. The film will focus on ONE character mainly – this person will be the survivor. This survivor is usually a woman aswell, which I find incredebly unbelieveble. Yes, I’m aware I’m a woman, but I do hold some backwards sexist views – there is no way a woman would survie a serial killer attack. She’d be too busy screaming her lungs out and crying till she vommited.

Give me a horror film that doesn’t centre on any one person, every dies and the gore is left to my own imagination… then you have a winner.

Yes, I’ve read the novel. It’s the only novel I’ve ever read all the way through by choice.
I’m a big fan of the novel too. I knew there was a film based on the book, but promised myself I’d read the book first before watching the film. I’m glad I did so as it allows me to make comments like this…
WHAT A PILE OF ****!

I’m sorry, but this film infuriated me. There was HARDLY any portrayal of the novel in the film!
The director also felt compelled to add scenes in to the film that not only didn’t exist in the film, but ALSO changed the narrative!

The film was titled “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” when in fact it should have been titled “My own creation kind of based around Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but realistically, no where near.”

My favourite adaptation however, has got to be Christoph Gans’ “Silent Hill”.
Never have I fallen in love with a film so much. I just loved the costumes, the narrative, the actors… everything.
And it was as true to the game as I feel you can possible get!

Peace out.

Don’t even get me started on the fan-base of ‘Twilight’. I could rant for hours. OH, AND… Vampires DO NOT sparkle in the sun Stephanie Myer. No legends and myths passed down from centuries have ever mentioned any such nonsense and it is these myths and legends that are the basis of your novels. Berk. But that’s off topic…

Another film I have a slight problem with because of its trailer, is the recent ‘Bruno’. I feel that quite literally, all the funny aspects of this film were shown in the trailer. None of the humour was new to me as I’d seen it in the advert.

Epic fail.

The first real zombie film I ever watched was ‘Dawn of the dead’ , the 2004 remake. What I loved about this film was the fact that my mind had built this stereotype of zombies that was “Oh, they walk so slow, come on, it’s not really that hard to sneak up on them and whack them round the head…”, and then to watch this film and see that the zombie’s actually ran A LOT faster than I ever could was just scary.

However, one thing annoys me BIG TIME about zombie films, this being the fact that it doesn’t actually make any sense in my mind. For example, a lot of the films such as ’28 days later’ or ‘Dawn of the dead’ and even ‘I am legend’ suggests that the zombiefication (yes, I can make up my own words) occurs through a virus in their blood.
Right, now let’s think about it in terms of AIDs. So AIDs is a virus that lives in the blood, much like the virus in zombie films. If your body is exposed to AIDs infected blood, you’re very likely to become infected yourself. HOWEVER in zombie movies, you can stab a zombie through the head and let it bleed all over you, even into your mouth, and you won’t become infected unless it bites you!? What’s in a bite!? NOTHING! Just a bit of bone (teeth) and saliva… and it takes around 10 litres of AIDs infected saliva to infect the uninfected (I know this because I did an intense sex education class in year 11 with the family planning clinic. So don’t argue with me).
Flawed I say… Flawed.
When I said this to my boyfriend, he came up with some idea that maybe there was a venom in their teeth or something. I told him he was a fool and left the conversation there. He could be right… but why would I ever admit to him being right?! I’m the media student, not him.

So, enough about zombie apocalyptic films….
“The day after tomorrow”. Never seen it. Don’t plan on seeing it.
My view on apocalyptic films goes like this – “If it’s technically impossible that it will actually happen, I’ll watch it. However if it could happen, I’ll save myself the panic of worrying WHEN it will happen by NEVER watching it.”
Global warming is eventually going to demolish our planet. I don’t want to watch a film that could quite possibly show me HOW it’s going to happen and how agonising my death in it might be.

Peer Reviewed by: Tom Foster