Wednesday 28 February 2007

Aarrrgghh!

I'm so annoyed! I just want to tell the whoel institution that is The Media to stick it. somewhere nasty.

Why, you ask? Well, of course, there are about a kazillion reasons for wanting the media to shut up, but the current one is the announcment I just heard on the news...

"Stripped bare... rave reviews for Harry Potter's daring stage debut."

followed by " Harry Potter is all grown up" and a couple of minutes talking about Daniel Radcliffe (yes they did eventually get around to using his actual name) in the play Equus,a dn how he smokes and appears nude. Not one mention of the other star of the play (Richard Griffiths), supporting castmembers, or even the plot!

Now I'm sure this was all expected and I'm sure Radcliffe and the cast are dealing with it graciously. But geez louise, I'm so sick of hearing "Harry Potter" this and "Harry Potter" that, as if he's not just a fictional character reappearing every couple of years. If the media keep up all this craziness, it's sure going to be painful when all the films are finsihed and Radcliffe et al start doing other films.

Craziness.

Blow

I watched this last week, so I shall try to remember what I loved about it.

I think this was one of Johnny Depp's best performances (well, of those I've seen which is probably just over half of his films). It's more of a typical-Hollywood-leading-man role than many of his other characters, and he does it so darn well. One of Depp's great strengths, I think, is his ability to move his character through time, to portray a long timeline of a character's life as they age - keeping the essence of the character but changing in those subtle and varied ways that people do as they age. And if you try to ignore the not-so spectacular old-man makeup, the last part, as an older George Jung is prison, is beautiful.

Penelope Cruz impressed me too. It's not easy to play someone who's always stoned with resorting to boring cliches, but she did it well. I really liked her character but I didn't feel sorry for her, which is good I think because it menas they just told the story as it is, without trying to impose feelings on the audience.

All the supporting cast members were great, the characters all played their part and all meant something to the story as well as emotionally.

Anyway, yes, I loved it.

Plus: Johnny with blonde hair. What is there not to like?

Sunday 25 February 2007

My Oscar Predictions

I honestly don't care much for the Oscars, but I have nothing else to talk about lately, so, just for fun... let's see how right or wrong I am...

Actor, leading role: Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Actor, supporting: Djimon Honsou, Blood Diamond
Actress, leading role: Penelope Cruz, Volver
Actress, supporting: either Cate Blanchett, Notes on A Scandal, or Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Directing: Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Best Motion Picture: either The Queen or The Departed
Animated Film: Happy Feet

Art Direction: either Dead Man's Chest or Pan's Labyrinth
Cinematography: Children of Men
Costume Design: Marie Antoinette
Best Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
Visual Effects: Dead Man's Chest

Adapted Screenplay: William Monahan, The Departed
Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga, Babel

The rest of the categories I don't know enough about to hazard a guess... but let's hope Saviour from AFTRS wins Live Action Short Film. That would be cool.

EDIT - Well, I got 8 right! (If you count the ones I had two options for!) Here is the list of winners. And check out the "Thank You CAM" where winners have to deliver their thank you speech - backstage I think it is, with dozens of people milling around getting in the way - how NOT classy is that?! Ah well... I guess the Oscars were classy once upon a time...


I saw Rocky Balboa last night. I was surprised by how much I liked it. It's a really great film and about so much more than boxing (which, I guess, all the Rockys were supposed to be...) Together with Million-Dollar Baby, which I watched a couple of weeks ago, it's made me want to take up boxing! (ok, well, not really... but I do sometimes really want to punch people and it would be cool to be able to do it properly, yes?) Anyway, Rocky sure is a great character and the film was an excellent "goodbye" for him.

Friday 23 February 2007

Romantic-esque-ness in Sydney

I went all the way into Circular Quay today to do a commercial proposal for a freelance director/photographer type person. It was fun. It was another montage type deal, so the scene was very quick but far more interesting than that last one I did. The theme was about Sydney being a romantic city and my scene was to laugh with and kiss a guy.

Yes, my first screen kiss. Oh the excitement. Ha ha. I was actually quite nervous and so was the lovely Josh, but once we started shooting it was easy and fun. We had to do, oh, at least 10 takes (director couldn't decide on angle and shot size) and after a few it was getting pretty funny. We both got the giggles at one stage - yes, terribly professional I know! Plus, I was taller than Josh, so I had to take my shoes off and bend my knees a little, so it was really quite funny. The concrete was burning hot so in between takes I was jumping up and down and running to stand on my shoes.

People kept stopping to watch (we were right near the Opera House so lots of tourists), and there was this one old guy that stood and watched the whole time. Weirdness.

Then there were a couple of shots for a different scene, just close ups of my face and hands. It was a good day, met nice people and it only took a bit over an hour. Plus, the director/photographer girl is going to give me a good deal on photography for my headshots (my mother in law has offered to help pay for them so I should be able to get them done in the next month or so. Yay!) and she's got other projects coming up that she might want me for.

So, let's hope that the companies involved love these ad proposals and decide to go ahead, PAY for them and put them on TV! *crossed fingers*

Wednesday 21 February 2007

New Template

A change is as good as a holiday!

Wuthering Heights

*sigh*

No, not one of the half-million Wuthering Heights films. I just finished reading the book. Goodness, it's a good one, isn't it?

I read it years and years ago and had forgotten most of the story so it was such a pleasant surprise to read it again. I was particularly surprised by how much I dearly cared for Heathcliff by the end. Just imagine a love so strong in a man so crazy!

In the various films' threads on IMDB there's endless discussion of which actor could play Heathcliff if they made it agian today. Suggestions range from Daniel Day Lewis to Orlando Bloom to Joaquin Phoenix... Johnny Depp... Colin Firth... Hugh Jackman... Heath Ledger... hmm, I don't know about any of those. I think Depp could have done it 5 or 10 years ago but he is starting to age a bit now (finally!). I think Orlando as Heathcliff would make me laugh (but you never know!). Heath Ledger's an interesting idea.

As for Cathy, apparently there are rumours around that Angelina Jolie was interested.... um, no. Not good. Besides, dear Cathy dies at about 19, so you need someone pretty young don't you. (I'll do it! Pick me, pick me!) I can't think of anyone.

Any ideas?

Thursday 15 February 2007

Ponderings on the future of film... etc...

I just read this post by John August (the screenwriter of Go, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... and I'm not sure what else...), about the new technologies in entertainment and the possibilities of writing films specifically for 2-inch screens such as iPods, mobile phones etc.

This comment literally brought anxious tears to my eyes. The idea that large-format film could fall by the wayside, cast off in favour of miniature technology and short attention-spans totally freaks me out. Not only because I want to make a career out of said film, but because... well, can you imagine *not* seeing movies at the cinema? Imagine the largest screen available being your own TV, imagine spending hours staring at a screen so small it might as well be Elmo's Let's-Pretend Movie Theatre.

Now, I am biased I guess because I dont have an iPod, never used one. I only use my mobile phone for making phone calls (oh and occasional photography when I've forgotten the camera) and YouTube actually kinda annoys me. But hey, I reckon there are plenty of people just like me who can't bear the thought of even fewer great films than we get now.

I am greatly comforted by the fact that live theatre still exists, and flourishes in some ways - in fact seems to be growing again in popularity, so it's fairly unreasonable to think that film as we know it would disappear completely. I can see it reducing somewhat to a more "arty" pastime, much as live theatre is now - for the more wealthy and/or artistically-minded people.... but that sounds good to me! I can live with that.

Saturday 10 February 2007

who needs guns...

Okay after my big rant in my last post about guns and children shooting each other with them... I suddenly remembered that this stabbing, with a small knife, happened at a high school near me this week. The 16-yr-old boy was not killed but required emergency surgery.

Wow. My brother and my husband attended that school.

See, these are the kinds of things about which Aussies say "only in America..." Whoops. No longer only in America hey. Scary stuff.

Bowling for Columbine

Sorry I haven't posted all week. I've been stuck in a bit of an "I'm such a failure and I'm not getting anywhere" kind of funk, so obviously I haven't had anything constructive to say.

On Thursday I went into Paddington for a "featured extra" role for a student short, and boy was that frustrating. 2 hours to get there, half an hour to park, 10 minutes doing make up for.... wait for it.... 2 seconds! of shooting. It was like a montage scene of various people wearing these certain t-shirts with slogans so each of us only had to stand and look at the camera for 2 seconds and that was it.

*sigh* Definitely no more freebies for minor parts.

Anyway. Watched Bowling for Columbine a few nights ago. I'd seen bits and pieces of it before but not the whole film through. It's a powerful documentary because it raises questions, offers *possible* answer, but hinestly doesn't answer them. Michael Moore is seemingly left with no idea why the USA has so many more gun-related deaths than any other country and he's happy to admite he really doens't know. I think he just wishes some more people in power would try to figure out the answer.

The opinions of the gun owning people were pretty frustrating. It seemed that their only reason for owning several guns (as opposed to one for self defence) was "it's my right". Whcih is a really stupid reason. Of course it's your right. It's also your right to do handstands on your roof and eat your dinner off the floor... and any other number of ridiculous things, but you don't see people doing all that just because they can, do you? Nutters.

I was particularly unimpressed with Charlton Heston. The man has the sensitivity of a lump of dirt. He held NRA gun rallies in the Columbine area and in Flint, Michigan, both within weeks of very disturbing gun deaths in both places. He didn't apologise for that, nor would he admit that it was an insensitive way to treat grieving local people.

I just don't know how you can hear about a 6-year-old boy shooting one of his classmates (that's what happened in Flint), and still think that it's okay to have guns in a family home. The idea of everyone having a gun is just so foreign to me that I can't comprehend the thinking behind it.

Anyway sorry, I wasn't going to start ranting about guns n stuff.

Bowling for Columbine was an awesome doco and I'm glad Moore made it. I only wish someone could find the sense and the answers in all those questions.

Monday 5 February 2007

Back online.

I've been absent in the Land of Broken Computer. Sorry. But it's all better now. I haven't been up to anything exciting anyway so nobody's missed anything.

While the computer was off, though, I read Shantaram, and about half of Wuthering Heights. I LOVE Shantaram. I can't even describe it; it's just beautiful, beautiful writing and such a compelling story. I thought at first it was an actual autobiography but apparently it's a fiction based on Gregory David Roberts' real life. Brillliant novel. Definitely read it if you can.
I've been wondering, though, how they'll get it into a film. It's 930 pages and I can't easily think of which sections they could leave out... but I'm sure they'll manage. GDR is co-writing the screenplay himself so I'm sure he'll figure out which parts are most important.

Acting-wise I haven't done anything lately. I've applied for a role in a film (not sure if it's a short or a feature) in Sydney but the auditions haven't been announced yet. I helped at a playreading as "stage manager" on the weekend for a group who want to put on a musical. They're hoping to sell to somewhere like Riverside or Glenn St for their subscription seasons. If that gets off the ground it'll be proper paid work so hopefully it will.

I've been applying for millions of part time jobs, waitressing and housekeeping and such. No luck so far. *sigh* REALLY need some cash.

Okay, to make up for the week's lack of posting, here's a really long (potentially very boring but hey, I like weird details about people, so why not...) questionnairre... got it from Connor...


1. Is your second toe longer than your first? nope

2. Do you have a favorite type of pen?nope

3. Look at your planner for March 14, what are you doing? taking T to preschool.

4. What color are your toenails usually? toenail colour.

5. What was the last thing you highlighted? ads in the positions vacant section of the local paper.

6. What color are your bedroom curtains? we have awful apricot-ish holland blinds.

7. What color are the seats in your car? grey I think.

8. Have you ever had a black and white cat? nope.

9. What is the last thing you put a stamp on? a letter to the debt recovery office! (for noel's parking fine)

10. Do you know anyone who lives in Wyoming? Not that I know of.

11. Why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time? groceries.

12. Who is the last baby that you held? If two-year-olds count as babies, then my daughter B. If not, I can't remember... I don't tend to hold other people's babies.

13. Do you know of any twins with rhyming names? Nope.

14. Do you like Cinnamon toothpaste? Never had it but I think I would hate it.

15. What kind of car were you driving 2 years ago? none. I'd just had an emergency caesarean.

16. Pick one: Miami Hurricanes or Florida Gators. Are they sports teams or ways to die?

17. Last time you went to Six Flags? I wonder what Six Flags is.

18. Do you have any wallpaper in your house? Nope.

19. Closest thing to you that is yellow: stripes on my shirt and beads on my bracelet.

20. Last person to give you a business card? Real estate agent. Ages ago.

21. Who is the last person you wrote a check to? I don't think I've ever written a cheque.

22. Closest framed picture to you? a picture with two people drinking tea with text: "Friends. Hold a true friend with both your hands".

23. Last time you had someone cook for you? Ha! Mum cooked for B's birthday last week.

24. Have you ever applied for welfare? I've been on Austudy when I was at uni and now that I have kids I get family tax benefit. Is that welfare?

25. How many emails do you have? Who would know that sort of thing?

26. Last time you received flowers? Last week. Mum brought them.

27. Do you think the sanctity of marriage is meant for only a man & woman? Honestly undecided but leaning towards no.

28.What happened to #28?

29. Do you play air guitar? Nope. But I play air piano, saxophone, drums and microphone. Not all at once, that would look weird.

30. Do you take anything in your coffee? Coffee is evil.

31. Do you have any Willow Tree figurines? No but Noel has "Father and Daughter" and B has "angel of prayer".

32. What is your high school's rival mascot? Whaddya think I am? American?

33. Last person you spoke to from high school? Jocelyn!

34. Last time you used hand sanitizer?About 6 years ago when my American friend M brought some to uni.

35. Would you like to learn to play the drums? Oh yes.

36. What color are the blinds in your living room? Same horrible apricot-ish as the bedroom one.

37. What is in your inbox at work? Work? huh?

38. Last thing you read in the newspaper? Positions Vacant.

39. What was the last pageant you attended? see question 32.

40. What is the last place you bought pizza from? Macquarie Pizza.

41. Have you ever worn a crown? Yes. I played the Queen of he Night in Snow White once.

42. What is the last thing you stapled? goodness knows.

43. Did you ever drink clear Pepsi? huh?

44. Are you ticklish? Yes. You seriously don't wanna go near my feet!

45. Last time you saw fireworks?Last week, at the school across the road.

46. Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut?at least a year ago.

47. Who is the last person that left you a message? My Avon region manager.

48. Last time you parked under a carport? years ago.

49. Do you have a black dog? nope.

50. Do you have any pickles in your fridge? nope.

51. Are you an aunt or uncle? yes. my nephew is one week younger than my B.

52. Who has the prettiest eyes that you know of? my daughters.

53. Last time you saw a semi truck?My husband drives one.

54. Do you remember Ugly Kid Joe? I remember the name.

55. Do you have a little black dress? yes.

**Fav-ology**
What is your salad dressing of choice? anything'll do.

What is your favorite fast food restaurant? Well, the best of a bad bunch would be Macca's I guess.

What is your favorite sit down restaurant? I dunno.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? chocolate.

What are your pizza toppings of choice? chicken, mushrooms, pineapple, spinach, cheese, tomato.

What do you like to put on your toast? margarine, vegemite, jam, peanut butter, creamed honey.

What is your favorite type of gum? Extra spearmint.

**TECHN-OLOGY**
Number of contacts in your cell phone? heaps.

Number of contacts in your email address book ?heaps.

What is your wallpaper on your computer? Photos of Noel riding his mountain bike through a stream.

What is your screensaver on your computer? basic black.

How many televisions are in your house? Two, but one is under a pile of stuff and not plugged in.

What kitchen appliance do you use the least? electric juicer.

**BI-OLOGY**

Are you right handed or left handed? yes.

Do you like your smile? I like all smiles.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body? My babies. By caesarean.

Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? touch. or smell.

When was the last time you had a cavity? Never.

What is the heaviest item you lift regularly? my 4-year-old.

Have you ever been knocked unconscious? Yes. by a telegraph pole, it jumped out in front of my bike.

**MISC-OLOGY**
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?No.

If you could change your first name, what would you change it to? I wouldn't, but I would change my surname if it wouldn't upset people.

How do you express your artistic side? I just do.

What color do you think you look best in? Blue or yellow.

How long do you think you could last in a medium security prison? As long as I needed to.

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item? Probably.

How often do you go to church? every few months.

Have you ever saved someone's life? not that I know of.

Has someone ever saved yours? Well the doctors who recommended my first caesarean thought they were, but I beg to differ. I think I've saved my own life once.

**DARE-OLOGY**

Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000? yep.

Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? yep.

Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000? don't think so.

Would you never blog again for $50,000? definitely.

Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000? Yes, in certain contexts.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? I would try. Not sure that I'd manage it though.

Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000? no way in the world.

Would you run over a dog or cat for $1,000,000? My initial respone is yes, I would. But maybe I couldn't. I would if I could give most of the money to children's charities.

Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000? Yep.