Chernobyl Diaries (film review)

I watched this  a few days ago, while an original and clever idea I found it disappointing.  The locations were stunning, looking a lot like Pripyat (may have been filmed there?) the film was let down by the acting and the fact it was mostly filmed in gloom-vision (bloody darkness)  The characters with the exceptions of the Russian tour guide were one dimensional and unconvincing, to be honest I didn't really care they were getting killed.
Much of the film is at night so it was actually hard to see what was happening, people screaming and flashing torches at camera don't really add much tension, which was a shame because the story had such great possibility.
Plot holes.   
Why would the tour guide a one man business (his words) have a walkie-talkie, who is he going to call? and beside as ex special forces he'd know the radio only has a range of about 2 or 3 km, and with the nearest checkpoint 22km away why try to contact them
Why would a simple town have such an elaborate underground system, at one point I did wonder if they were on the way to the centre of the earth they went so deep.

Waynes rating 5/10 worth watching for the scenery and the original concept.

Waterfalls shoot 2

Waterfall shoot 1

I had a waterfall shoot with a few models recently, so I thought I'd post a few of my favorites.

Home made night vision goggles

Well perhaps goggles isn't quite the right word, but night vision scope is.

Now I've looked a few times on google about making a night vision device, trouble is most seem to involve either a silly kids toy thing with coloured gels or the much more complicated build your own type that uses a low light camera, IR leds and the viewfinder of an old camcorder

Now I wanted something both cheap and simple to make, that didn't need an electronics engineer to build, and curiously I found the answer over Christmas.

The device consists of a car dashboard camera which cost about £30 from ebay new and a lupe from a photographic shop that I paid about a £5 for.  The camera has built in infrared and all you have to do is add the lupe (a sort of posh magnifing glass) to the viewing screen of the camera with either tape or glue (mines taped) so I can use it as a dashboard camera as well.

The lupe makes it easier to hold up to your eye for close viewing.

In use the camera works quite well, the built in ir leds will give you a range of about 20-30 feet in total darkness, but you could easily increase that by using a torch with an ir filter taped over the front, it would also be easy enough to mount the thing to a bike helmet or similar for hands free use (might try that myself.

Rear view of camera showing lupe in place

 Shot taken from the camera in total darkness

 Front view of camera showing lens and IR leds surrounding it.

The Hobbit (film review)

I saw the Hobbit today, here's a brief review.

I won't try to explain the story, but the Hobbit is a sort of prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Stunning visual effect and scenery,  great acting and cracking fight scenes, coupled with just the right amount of humour make the film a winner all round.  I saw the normal version but I'm told it's even better in 3d.

Wayens rating   9/10  worth every penny to watch it on the big screen.

Happy new year!

Well, what a year!   It was supposed to end in December but curiously I'm still here, maybe the worlds ending is a late starter?  Who knows, and frankly who cares.

BBC radio 2 listeners (yes both of them) have voted "Shaddap You Face" by  Joe Dolce as the nations favorite number one.  Now what they were drinking or stuffing up their noses the night before the vote is anybodies guess, but Shaddap You Face?  Of all the wonder full songs, they picked about the worst, even the "I've never met a nice south African" by spitting image was miles better.

Time to wish you all a happy healthy and prosperous new year.  Good luck and God bless.