House of Gerrish International » ricky

We should all wear Surgical Masks

ricky — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:47:17 +0000

The Chinese do it. And everybody knows they are on to something . The casual nature with which we in Europe and America treat everyday diseases, sharing them willy-nilly as if they were Christmas gifts, is somewhat worrying. Most Chinese wear surgical masks not to protect themselves from others’ communicable diseases, but to protect others from the disease they themselves have. This for me suddenly casts a much more noble light on the silly appearance they have as they go about their daily lives looking like a bunch of deranged surgeons.

Recently I worked on a film shoot at a…

So Fresh and So Clean

ricky — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:08:49 +0000

Until recently, I was never much of a shoe person. I prided myself on a fine DVD collection, yes, good taste in wine, women and culture…but not shoes. ‘Chumpy’ is a word that comes to mind when describing the shoes of my youth. I spent most of my University years watching close friends obsessing over and building up collections of trainers well beyond what could be considered for practical use. One such friend today has over 80 pairs, the only thing that he is insured for. [See above for the aforementioned individual]

Then suddenly, towards the end of last year,…

The Awkward Truth

ricky — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:45:22 +0000

In years of financial depression, people turn to the cinema as a source of diversion, and often what they are seeking most is a laugh. One need only look at Charlie Chaplin’s successes following the Wall Street Crash of 1929 in classics such as ‘City Lights,’ (1931) ‘Modern Times’ (1936) and ‘The Great Dictator,’ (1940) to see how when the wheels of despair turn, comedy shines its head and lightens the mood. Apart from anything, comedies are generally cheap to make. The 2008 economic collapse has called for a new wave of comedy. But modern audiences, more cynical and jaded…

The Third Dimension has arrived

ricky — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:21:56 +0000

My initial response to the 3-D revolution hitting our cinemas today was that it was just another money-making gimmick and inevitably would be a failure. If it’s been with us for such a long time, why hasn’t it taken off yet? Most film historians have wisely forgotten the 1960s ‘revolution’ of ‘Smell-o-Vision,’ the bizarre development by film producer Mike Todd Jr. which literally pumped different scents into the cinema via pipes installed in the back of audience’s seats in its attempt to ‘transport the audience to another world through their sense of smell.’ A 2000 Time magazine article listed it…

Wholefoods Let Me Down

ricky — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:21:24 +0000

by Ricky Lloyd George, CA Resident

I was recently deeply upset by the change in policy of the ‘Wholefoods’ on Lincoln Boulevard, in Venice, CA, which used to offer a 3-meat option at their crisp ‘Asian Counter’ but has now made the error of changing this to 2, with an over-sized helping of tasteless rice. The burly manager confronted me over my upset at this change, and aggressively told me that this was the new policy. He then proceeded to tell me to stop leaning on the glass counter, which I was using to attempt to charm the young server…