A little more than three weeks have passed since I set of Iceland and I’ve been back more than two, but still I can’t say the diary is complete.

You’ll have seen plenty of photos of the Blue Lagoon lately and probably doubt that it really looks like that. Well, as these snaps show, it does.

In what’s otherwise a strangely attractive volcanic landscape of black lava rock and snow, you suddenly happen across this oasis of warm milky water. All around the place are pots of silica with which you’re encouraged to mask your face for a few minutes to reveal the younger self beneath. With a 200ml of pre-packaged (and watered down) mud mask likely to set you back around £45, you’ll want to make the most of this opportunity.

But does it work? Well take a look… I’m 72 next birthday.

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‘We reckon this would fit in with your blog,’ said the ad agency pushing Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms. ‘Oh,’ thought I, hoping for a couple of free tickets and a train fair to London. ‘Yes it would.’

Sadly, the tickets and train fair haven’t arrived, but a few quid has been promised in return for my distributing this message.

Think you know him? Think again.

Until 18 January 2009 at The Hayward, Southbank Centre. No artist living in the second half of the 20th century has made a deeper impression on popular culture and consciousness than Andy Warhol (1928-87).

The Hayward presents a major exhibition that brings a fresh perspective to his work, showing works from the 1950s through to the 1980s.

Everyone from Lou Reed and Dennis Hopper feature in Warhol’s television shows, screen tests and rarely seen Factory video diaries. Together with extraordinary archive material from his time capsules and graphic design work in the shape of LP sleeves and wallpaper designs, this exhibition explores his creative process and the world he called his own.

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A disposable romantic comedy, Audrey Tautou’s Irene is the Priceless daughter to many a sugar daddy. Her irredeemable character makes it hard to believe anyone would chase her, but some poor sap does. She trains him to find himself a sugar mummy and therein lies the comedy.
A competent 5 out of 10 romantic comedy to get you through the popcorn.
Director: Pierre Salvadori……Starring: Audrey Tautou…… Gad Elmaleh
Mad Detective

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Mad Detective is just what it says on the tin and the tin contains all you might expect from a Hong Kong cop thriller; ultra-violent set pieces, lots of running around and general weirdness. But is he mad? And isn’t everyone unhinged in a Hong Kong thriller? Mad detective is a psychic who solves his crimes with the help of the multiple personalities nobody else knows they’ve got.
A good fun, but nothing new, 6 out of 10.
Director:Johnny To……Starring: Ching Wan Lau……Andy On
The Tattooist……Priceless
Mad Detective is available on DVD from Amazon.co.uk from 3 November 2008 and special features include a couple of Q&A style interviews. Also included in the package is a lengthy essay by David Bordwell, author of Planet Hong Kong: Popular Cinema and the Art of Entertainment; sycophantic, long on detail and short on analysis Hong Kong film geeks will love it.