See what happens when you let me rant!! Anyway..... I think I'll start with The Big Blue.

It's a film centered around, but not based on, the most dumb-ass sport in the world "Free Diving". I'm not 'dissin' the people that do it, the control over their body is absolutely spectacular, but it's just the strangest thing to do. If you're not familiar with what this is, basically the concept is to dive as deep, and as for long as possible, with only the one breath you take as you plunge into the water off the side of the boat. A trolley thing takes you down as far as you can go, you pick up a marker to prove the depth, release a float on the trolley, and get taken back up to the top again. Simple idea, damn hard thing to do!

But, as I said, this isn't what the film is about. It's about a mans relationship and symbiotic connection to dolphins. I'm not going to go into a dissection of what this all means and represents - it would be like being back at college, but it's a more complex film than just a guy diving and playing with dolphins.

Why do I like it so much? I don't know really. I know for sure that the music is part of it. Luc Besson calls upon his friend Eric Serra to do a lot of the music for his films (He did the music for The Fifth Element too) and I can see why. It's beautifully atmospheric, swamps over you with feeling, and leaves you with a smile. This is why in the Diary of A Night page, I mention that I listen to this tape when I'm trying to chill after a nights work. It's not because it's just pretty tunes, it can really take you places. The kind of stuff that gives you shivers down your spine.

But that's only half of it. The actual filming of The Big Blue is fantastic. From the first shot, flying over the sea, to the actual diving scenes - it's very powerful, very pretty, and awe inspiring. I actually watch this film three ways. 1) Normally, 2) With the MUTE button pressed, while I'm sorting through new tunes etc and 3) With the TV off, but the music and dialogue still going.

It's a very gentle film, nothing too offensive in it (unless you find Rosanna Arquettes boobs offensive) great acting by the fore mentioned, Jean Marc Barr and the great Jean Reno and lot of dolphins too.

I've not done anywhere near the justice I could have by trying to explain this film to you, but it's one that has to be seen to be understood. My mum always liked the sound track, but it wasn't until she finally saw the film that she was completely drawn into the film - now I can never get hold of it to watch it myself. It's definitely not one for the Jon Woo fans among you, who like their films fast, obvious and in your face - the Version Longue of the film (the one I suggest getting, coz the other one is shredded to bits) is about 3Hrs long, and at times it can seem as though it's three hours long (if you get me) but the point is that it's such a good film you revel in the time it takes to get to the end. The sometimes slow pace of the film is there for a reason, and you should be so drawn into the film that it doesn't matter at all.

If you appreciate good film-making, are patient enough to watch a film that isn't obvious, and have the time to watch it - with the video hooked up to your stereo, at high volume - then get this one out. Not all of you will share my views on the greatness of this flick, but if even one of you watches it and comes away feeling the same way about it as I do, then my job is done.

Ok, now we can get onto some of my selected rants now. Don't worry, it's not something that will end up making you think I'm some kind of ass-hole, I hope it will raise you thoughts a bit, and make you think if what I'm saying is on the spot or not. (probably not).

1) Why don't people say "please" any more?

Ok, I was in the firing line for this one, because I worked in a bar. It doesn't just come down to saying please or thank you, it's a basic failing in manners among most of humanity nowadays. From not flashing a "thank you" in your car when someone waits for you to go by, to stepping on a drunk to get into the next bar, I think there's something going really wrong nowadays.

As I said, I worked in a bar. I could work a six hour shift behind that three foot of marble, and hear the word "please" twice in a night - and one of them was from the boss!! Maybe it's just because Britain was such a class dominated country for so long, that even though the governments claim it's a classless society, it's still in-bred into us that we talk down to people lower than us, and up to the people that can help us out.

There was a big thing with my pub being filled with wannabe's. Every now and then, a famous person popped into the bar - Ok, mostly footballers, but apparently they're well known (I'm not a footy fan - so I was always lost when they walked in). So, this means that the normal person likes to go into the pub to see these famous people, making them famous vicariously. It's the "If I'm around famous people, then I must be famous" school of thinking that goes on.

Now, what I've worked out in life is this:- People with no money are really really nice and friendly. People with lots of money are really really nice and friendly. People in between are bastards.

Ok, I know there's a lot of "in between" from nothing to lots, so it's a bit of a broad assumption. The people I'm on about are the ones who have some money, are hoping to get lots of money, but are REALLY scared about having no money. This fear (IMHO) causes them to talk down to the people who have less than them, so they can justify their position in life. It's like the bully thing. By beating up the kids weaker than you, you can pretend that you're a LOT stronger than everyone else - and to a point, it works. No-one messed with the bully, even if it was only the weak kids he beat up.

And conversely, these people are the ones that you see gathered round a celebrity. By hooking their claws into said celeb, they are trying to convince themselves that they are up there with the best of them.

In fact, the idea of fame is one of the best ways I can describe this - think of the three kinds of celebrity:-

1) Minor celebrity
2) Well known celebrity
3) HUUGELY famous.

The minor celebrity is going to do whatever it takes to get on, but in a good way. They'll talk at length to their fans, trying to get known as a nice guy. They'll attend everything, they'll do all the charity work possible, they'll work there guts out to get further on the ladder.

The HUGELY famous ones are secure with their fame. Most of their actions are the same as the minors. They'll spend lots of time with their fans, they'll do the charity thing, they'll do whatever they can to help out humanity.

The well known celeb is the one that could do with the humanity - or at least humility. These are the guys that you hear the "Don't you know who I am" stories about. The ones that will blag their way into anything, just to be seen. as I said before - they're so scared of losing their status that they lose track of why they got there in the first place.

I'm not saying I'm perfect. Hell, everyone has their selfish moments from time to time. It's the ones that think it's OK to be a bastard because of their position in life that you have to watch out for. The population is getting bigger, the world isn't growing with it, and the manners are dropping. What does it cost to be nice? Nothing. What's to be gained by being rude? Nothing. What's to be gained by being nice? Everything. You never hear someone saying "Oh, see that XXXX guy, he's going far - he's got that wanker thing down to a tee."