It’s gorgeously filmed, and although it tries very hard never to criticize China (because of course we mustn’t criticize if we’d like the government’s cooperation), it does make some excellent points about modernization and China’s new-found environmentalism.

Plus – pandas! And alligators! And these weird noseless monkeys that look like Michael Jackson. (No, I’m totally serious. I think he tried to buy one, and they wouldn’t let him, so he turned himself into one instead.)

Go check it out.

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It’s a fun movie, and there’s something special about the portrayal of the women in it. Granted, only two (or maybe three) of them appear to have names, and a fair number of them are naked or nearly so whenever you see them – but they’re not helpless, these women. It was nice to see women in action scenes who didn’t need to be rescued by men, even if they didn’t much have personalities of their own.

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I wasn’t feeling social this morning, but I had a wonderful time tonight.

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My friend Oslowe pointed out today that the first of the month is when Netflix lists its new Watch Instantly films, so of course I wandered over to look.

“Ooh!” I said. And “Ooh” again. And then I realized something. Some of the films I was “oohing” over were films I’d tried to watch when I was a kid, and turned off because the effects were terrible. Stop-motion? Oh, ick. Giant matte paintings with thick black lines around the actors in front of them? Spare me. Guy in a rubber monster suit? Oh, God no. (Unless it was that one Italian horror flick where all you ever saw of the suit was a clawed, scaly hand, accompanied by a red flash and some heavy breathing. I was okay with that.)

In short, I missed out on a whole wonderful world of dreck, and another wonderful world of imaginative adventure, because I couldn’t get past the bad effects.

Flash forward a couple of decades or so, and I’m married to an Emmy-award winning visual effects technical supervisor, and I can’t wait to cozy up with Wes Craven’s Swamp Thing.

Go figure.

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The proceeds go to benefit Haiti. You can pre-order here, though the US purchase site doesn’t appear to be set up yet.

Incidentally, Christy Moore had something interesting things to say about benefit gigs in the Christy Chat I received this morning.

John Spillane and I have been putting a few chords together… “Haitian Girl” is the current working title of a song that is emerging. We will perform a gig in Vicar Street, Dublin on Tuesday, 23rd March. All proceeds will go to GOAL in Haiti. Ticketmaster have waived their commission and Vicar Street their rental fees.

An increasing number of people seem to be becoming critical of benefit gigs. They question the motives and claim that tragic situations are being exploited. One Dublin journalist wrote a scathing attack on those who do benefit gigs. (Presumably getting well paid for the piece) I have heard stories of NGO’s in areas of war and catastrophe, of aid workers behaving inappropriately … But I have also witnessed the courage and commitment of volunteers giving their time and sometimes their very lives to help others. I am in awe of their commitment. I believe that the courage and compassion of thousands far outweighs the errant behaviour of a few. Also I know that certain performers cannot resist any PR opportunity, sometimes cynically, more times unwittingly, but I believe they too are in a minority. Then there are the political arguments, the ethical dimensions, the opportunism of donor nations, the fashionable ladies and gents who lunch for charity … I simply don’t have the time to work it all out, I need to keep it simple. If I can give a dig out I will, and if some want to put a slant on that … so be it.

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