Saturday, June 30, 2012
As if Australia got this two weeks before the US. Random. Your bonus classic review this week is 1955's The Ladykillers. Enjoy!
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (PG)
IT’S been 10 years since we were first exposed to the lives of the oddball Paeolithic crew making their way through the Ice Age. Manny, Sid and Diego are all back in their fourth adventure, facing more grown-up problems than ever before – namely the continental drift of the title that will change their world forever.
The creation of Australia and the African and North American continents has been credited to Scrat in a revelation no-one saw coming. Yes, he’s back too, causing more trouble as he still searches for the perfect acorn. His turn of events lead to the gang being separated from the mainland as the Earth’s surface shifts, notably separating Manny (Ray Romano) from Ellie (Queen Latifah) and teenage daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer).
It’s up to Manny, Sid (John Leguizamo) and Diego (Denis Leary) to get back to shore as they’re washed away on a sheet of ice. With Granny (Wanda Sykes) in tow, Sid’s crazy grandmother in search of her invisible pet, they get on the wrong side of some mean pirates. Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage) and Shira (Jennifer Lopez) lead the baddies, the latter a saber that gets under Diego’s skin.
This is the biggest storyline change yet in the franchise; while following on from Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the notion of the shift in their existence into a world shaped something roughly like Earth is now is kinda heavy for a kids’ tale. But it’s dealt with using the same fight-back spirit of Manny and co. from their previous tales.
Heavier issues including the eventual extinction of smilodons and mammoths are ignored to focus on many of the same themes and issues already covered. Importance of family is largely utilised as a driving point for Manny to return home, while the brief appearance of Sid’s family even lets the gang themselves in on why he acts like he does. Things may have changed, but here family is forever.
Using a very simple, non-deviating plot, the story is most engaging when they go into action to defeat the bad guys and get themselves back home. The banter is still there although very kid-friendly, which at times is tedious for the adults, but there are still genuine laughs for everyone. Scrat’s desires come to fruition in one of the film’s funnier scenes. He’s one annoying rodent, but Blue Sky Studios knows as much as the audience does that they’ve still got a winner.
Romano, Leary and Leguizamo are comfortable as ever in their roles, Romano now reminiscent of his Everybody Loves Raymond days. Dinklage makes for an ugly baddie, while his Death at a Funeral co-star Alan Tudyk is again involved, the regular contributor this time two of the sloths. Aussie Rebel Wilson makes the cut too with an accent that can’t be missed.
There’s also a significant RnB influence this time around, with Jennifer Lopez, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and even Glee’s Heather Morris lending their voices to the cause. With the addition of Queen Latifah, it’s a nice group of A-list singers that just happen to sing a song together at the end. As if that was the primary purpose of casting... The official theme song, The Wanted’s Chasing The Sun, then happens to be a nice surprise.
This film will please most children because it’s playful and keeps potentially sad themes light. Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier have done well to keep it as such, in defying the animation trend of making adult innuendo a bigger focus. In saying that, parents and other adults will still find appreciation for it.
Rating: 3/5
*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 30/6/2012
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The Ladykillers (1955)
IN another Ealing Studios comedy to rise throughout the 1950s, Sir Alec Guinness returned to staging a bank robbery four years after The Lavender Hill Mob for this affair. It would also be his second feature with Alexander Mackendrick, a regular Ealing director.
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because the Coen brothers remade it in 2004 with Tom Hanks replacing Guinness as Professor Marcus, who moves into the house of Mrs Wilberforce. He then uses his new premises as a place to meet with four fellow bandits to plan the heist, posing as a musical quintet to avoid suspicion.
One of the studio’s darker comedies, there were claims from screenwriter William Rose that he initially dreamed the story from start to finish. It is definitely a clever script, with plot turns unlike many in the era to create a black comedy that still retains interest for those seeing the film for the first time.
Guinness is devilish as the ringleader in the seemingly simple robbery. Teamed with bandits including Herbert Lom and Peter Sellers (who would later work together in the Pink Panther films), it’s great casting and with entertaining direction from Mackendrick stamps itself as one of the smartest heist stories of British cinema, if not Hollywood in general.
*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) from Wednesday 27/6/2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
I'm off on a weekend road trip to the coast so I'm hoping to score some mid-winter shoe bargains somewhere... here's hoping. Meanwhile, Shoe of the week and the month for June goes to these.
Late in catching on? See the start of my shoe judging back in January, and look out for my shoe of the week every Friday.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I'm going to tell you a story that I find hilarious because it's about one of those blonde moments you have that are more ridiculous than your average slips.
I went to drive to soccer training last Wednesday night, and going out to the back where my car usually sits, I discovered it wasn't there.
I was dumbfounded.
What was more confusing was that none of the three cars were under the carport as they normally are so my brain was going into meltdown thinking there'd been a mass exodus by way of theft. But then I saw my neighbour's ute parked right on the space by the clothes line, and then my other neighbours happened to pull up in the driveway just as I thought to myself "OK, so maybe someone moved them all out for work out here or something". No-one else has a key to my car. Doiiiing.
Tense seconds pass as I ask my neighbour twice "Where is my car?" He's looking at me with a blank expression, jaw slightly open, and my brain's still mush.
Then I remember.
Instead of the regular walk to work the day before I'd decided to drive. And that's where my car had been for the last 36 hours or so.
Ohhhhhhh my gawwd. That's why I don't drive. I FORGET that I do and still walk home. And what was worse on realising that was that I looked like a fool with my dark blue Bruce Lee kung-fu shoes paired with my orange socks and shorts and I was NOT prepared to walk down the main street looking as I did. Luckily my neighbour offered to take me to my car and I got to training on time. Laughing my head off at the whole situation.
Damn shoes could've made me run late if they couldn't take me, I would've had to change.
***
And on that segue I'm giving you a terribly late Shoe of the Week. It's not the worst of them all, but it reminded me of Snow White, which was interesting because Snow White and the Huntsman was my review of the week.
Monday, June 25, 2012
A year ago today I was at Dingle Peninsula, Republic of Ireland, happily giving my soul to the Atlantic at Coumeenole Beach.
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The beach was pretty awesome actually. The Dingle Peninsula in general was freezing - wind, rain, you name it, it was shocking. In June. One girl on my tour managed to slip and get soaked in the tide when we got on the beach. I did not envy her. I considered just staying back and not worrying about it because I didn't want to have sandy feet (I know right? I'm ridiculous) - but I managed it with one foot and escaped with minimal sand. A triumph at the expense of some laughs, but I did it! The legend goes I have to return in 20 years to reclaim the part of my soul it took. I felt at the time as I still do now that it already had a bit of it anyway; the chill of the water was bearable and I savoured that moment.
That was day two of a three-day Southern Rocker with Shamrocker; yesterday a year ago was another major bucket list item ticked off.
Since I was able to string comprehensible words together (at the ripe old age of four, I had teething problems), I've been known as a loud and fast talker. I think I've mellowed in the last couple of years (although some may deny that), but kissing the Blarney Stone for me was about having that gift to pull out really good wit on the spot and improve my communication for whatever journalistic tasks I would face in my life. I was said to have given it a huge pucker smack in the middle.
The tour would also take me and at least 40 others through Killarney, Dingle, Ennis and the Cliffs of Moher before getting to Galway. A great few days; I hung out with a great bunch, met some interesting locals and got a real feel for regional Ireland.
I hopped off in Galway instead of returning back to Dublin (I'd spend two days there anyway) and met some great people on what I'd have to say was my best (travel) pub crawl. There were ones before and there have been ones since, but a small group in this instance worked a treat and everyone got along. And got sloshed. Good times.
My six days in the republic were the last of my nine-week solo voyage. I would next meet my family in Heathrow Airport, where I had time to think about how well (overall) it had gone, and what a perfect ending I'd had with Ireland. But that new chapter was about to crash through, and while I thought I was ready I had no idea what would hit me so suddenly.
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| Where those at the forefront at the Easter Rising were executed, Kilmainham Jail, Dublin |
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| Jonathan Swift's resting place in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin |
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| Me giving Blarney Stone a good ol' peck |
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| First ever pint of Guinness - look at the rings on that one! |
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| Cliffs of Moher |
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| Galway, looking from the Claddagh side of the river |
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Review of the Week: Snow White and the Huntsman (plus The Lavender Hill Mob)
0 comments Posted by Katina at 9:06 PMOK, I've been totally slack. Soccer's still making me hit the hay early every night. And with Wimbledon and Tour de France to come it's going to get more hectic. But here you go.
Snow White and the Huntsman (M)
The fairest of them all is the one most desired in 2012, with Mirror Mirror and TV’s Once Upon a Time also highlighting the fascination we have with the Grimm Brothers fairytale. The two film adaptations were coincidentally in competition with one another, Mirror Mirror winning the battle for the earlier release - but it is this retelling that has had critics and curious moviegoers talking. And rightly so, for it has had to deliver on an enormous budget.
Snow White has in recent times been portrayed as a fierce warrior, but even here with a maintained innocence. There is not much to this princess-in-waiting with open thoughts but she is mindful in what she does and looks out for others’ interests. Kristen Stewart’s Snow White must run from evil queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) when her life is about to be ended for the sake of her stepmother’s desire for immortality and knowledge of being fairest.
This time around, Snow White has the choice to follow a different path to the end of the story. Her seemingly obvious Prince Charming is childhood friend William (Sam Claflin) but The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) steps in as an unlikely challenger when he refutes Ravenna’s request to have Snow killed and instead becomes her protector as she flees. Who she chooses is not immediately set in stone, and while there are only fleeting moments focused on the triangle we know that someone’s heart will be broken.
The title proves to be a misnomer when it comes to what we are shown of these characters. While it does bring a focus on The Huntsman that hasn’t been explored before, the more interesting revelations come from Ravenna. We know plenty about how twisted a character the evil queen is, but to even put a name to her gives her a more solid standing. She is a person, and one that was forced into believing that beauty brings power. There are some serious childhood issues that go with that, and Theron is uncomfortably terrifying in portraying the woman so conscious and determined to remain youthful.
The story from Evan Daugherty, whose screenplay was tweaked by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Hossein Amini (Drive), is clever. It incorporates elements of the fairytale deviously well and brings a threatening darkness to the story adults will enjoy. Disney-friendly this is not. From massive tragedy to (brief) moments of serenity, this Snow White sees the world for the first time as both an exotic and frightful place.
For a budget of $US170million you wouldn’t be wrong for thinking it has a Lord of the Rings-type urgency to it by the time the leading lady stirs her troops into the climactic battle. A hard task for first-time director Rupert Sanders, but the Scottish location is used beautifully with some great camerawork. The story flows well, although it follows a succession of quick encounters which becomes an annoyance.
Stewart fits the bill as a strong-yet-innocent Snow White, but an all-star cast of dwarves (and here there are eight of them) including Nick Frost, Ray Winstone and Toby Jones, don’t have a terribly strong impact. Only the all-seeing Muir, played by Bob Hoskins, adds to the story. The film’s biggest strength is revealing the inner evils beauty can lead us to believe, and as such is an effective retelling of the struggles that fairest dame faced as she became of age.
Rating: 3.5/5
*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 23/6/2012
***
Holland (Guinness) spends 20 years of his life in London as a bank transfer agent for gold bullion. He dreams of taking it all for himself before new neighbour Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway) provides the key to actually pulling a heist off. They team up with professional crooks Lackery (Sid James) and Shorty (Alfie Bass) and have three days to succeed.
The film is extremely short at 77 minutes but it packs a lot in, and all for the better. In planning a heist film, Ealing Studios asked the Bank of England to form a plan of how a million pounds could be stolen from themselves. A special committee did and it became the plan used in the film.
Charles Critchton handles the fast pace well to reflect their frantic planning. Guinness and Holloway are a great duo, complimenting each other’s awkwardness as they’re forced to bond quickly. The twists and turns hold sixty years later and the film provides a great amusement fix.
*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) from Wednesday 20/6/2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
A year ago today, I was at Belfast, Northern Ireland, opening my eyes to the turbulent history of its people through a Black Cab tour.
I wrote a bit about my time in Ireland at the time, but this day's a standout because I never knew the extent of the battle between the Protestants and Catholics. If my time in Granada was personal grieving, this was definitely grieving for others. I felt lost for much of this day.
I cried for a good half of the few hours the tour took, including as I took the above photo. We went through the 'Peace Wall' to the Protestant-dominant residential area, saw murals with who they idolised and then got taken to areas that showed us the other side. I was with a woman from Brisbane who was as speechless as me - and our guide laughed as he asked us why we were a bit quiet. What could be said?
Rebecca and I ended up finishing the day with a tour of the Titanic quarter which was cool, but we couldn't believe what we saw. Pictures can not convey the sadness I felt as we were taken to these such significant areas.
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I also went to Derry where we stood on the street where Bloody Sunday happened. There's not as much tension there now as Belfast, but that was still so sad and had similar murals. Otherwise, my Northern Ireland experience was great.
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| One of the Peace Wall's checkpoints, only a select few are open at night. |
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| My contribution to peace |
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| They even have their own Berlin Wall of sorts. |
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| Carrick-a-rope Bridge |
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| Giant's Causeway |
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
I haven't had as much time to blog during the last week or two because my work routine's changing all the time and Euro2012 is messing with my sleeping patterns. But anything goes for some high-end football. And what a great topic for post #200!
I've been let in on a little secret by a friend of mine in the States that has changed the way I watch sport forever.
ATDHE.
The guys at this directory website offer online live sports streaming for international sports matches through heaps of links. All for free, and only some with really annoying ads (like, popping up exactly when a goal's scored - twice - annoying).
It all started with my frustration at the crap highlights at 12.30am that Nine were showing of the French Open. They didn't even show Sam Stosur when she got to the semi-final. Booo. And unfortunately, although SBS are showing their hour-long highlights at a better time, their efforts at showing full replays come two whole nights after they've played which is really rather pointless if you've watched the highlights the night before.
So through this wonderful portal I saw all of Greece's group games - I was shocked to see we now have our own Cristiano Ronaldo in half-Uruguyan Jose Holebas. He's alright on the pitch though, and not irritating me like the prince does.
Actually, I'm also a bit surprised to see the amount of sleeves in the world game now. And no, I don't mean long sleeves on guernseys. Gross random tattoos yes, but the sleeve trend is obviously fast become a worldwide thing. I've been annoyed with this in sport before, but I just hope it doesn't totally take over the world game because then I'd just be really shitty. One must remember that it isn't a look for everyone.
A real highlight was Germany against the Netherlands. It was a great game, plus it was a chance for me to actually see Mario Gomez in action. The guy's a gun! And has totally great hair, I must say. I am a fan. There were a few good lookers in both sides, so that's always a bonus from a female perspective. Looking forward to the finals!
But there's so much I can see now. I saw the Socceroos draw with Japan - I can see our boys qualify on my own terms again! There's Wimbledon, although I think 7Two's going to be okay because the shift from Nine is promising, and the Tour de France if SBS for some reason fails with their broadcast. The possibilities are endless!
Monday, June 18, 2012
There's a bottle of wine I bought last year with the intention of cracking it open with Mum and Dad at Christmas, but they brought their own up so I never opened it. One of this week's shoes has reminded me so. How this manages to happen, I don't know. By that I mean the reminder and how this shoe even saw the (production line's) light of day.
But it's not the worst of the week. A pole dancer would not even wear these platforms.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 16/6/2012
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Saturday, June 16, 2012
A year ago today I was in Edinburgh, Scotland, sitting in the spot JK Rowling did to write much of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
*Review's tomorrow night folks :D
As well as excitedly writing about how inspired I was, how cool The Elephant House is (you can really see the castle from there), and how incredible their hot chocolates were, I was busy revisiting the events of yesterday when I'd been on top of the world. I'd climbed 250 metres to the top of Arthur's Seat - that trek took me over an hour because I think I went from the back way. It took an age and I questioned my motives for doing it, but after crawling on hands and knees for the last part of it, the view and the sense of achievement were totally worth it. Plus not having done exercise for two months, I needed it.
I missed out on a ghost tour because I misjudged the time, but I did reward myself by buying an expensive meal of haggis, mash and neeps. It was really good actually, I just managed to eat it all. Big serve.
The next few days would see me take in Edinburgh Castle as well as the Highlands on a day-trip where I was picked up by a Scotsman. After that was Glasgow, where like Edinburgh, had some amazing vintage. I loved Edinburgh in particular so much, I got an immediate feeling of the 'it' factor, which only London has reeeally given me before. The 'I could live here for a bit' factor.
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On entering the UK after Spain, I was so relieved I was in an English-speaking country once more.
The wave of relief that washed over me as I flew into Gatwick Airport was ridiculous. I actually laughed out loud as I walked towards the luggage collection area. People were going to understand me.
I learnt a big lesson in Spain about communication barriers and subsequent hostility. I wasn't so understanding at the time and still feel I wasn't wrong to be angry, but even then it washed away as I once more entered a city that I was starting to feel rather familiar with.
While in England, I went to Bath for a full day and saw a smidgeon more of London, hung out with friends new and old and just had a nice few chilled days before heading to Birmingham, where a daytrip included Cadbury World. Leeds came with daytrips to York and Hebden Bridge, where the rain began and wouldn't stop for some time on my travels. This time with more friends was nice, just the familiarity of seeing faces I knew was a relief at the right time.
My time in England and Scotland in a nutshell:
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| Apple pie icecream made on the spot with liquid nitrogen. OMG. |
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| The Cadbury gorilla! He even performed 'In The Air Tonight'... I believe I reverted back to being a five-year-old in excitement. |
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| One of Leeds' many arcades |
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| Hebden Bridge: the third best hippie town in the world apparently. |
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| This was the Yorkshire pudding I had - not the norm apparently. But still really good. Was pining at the chips the people next to me had left behind though, there was no side! |
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| 250 metres. You can tell I was impressed with myself. |
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| One of my favourite shots actually, just the early-morning bustle amidst such an olden setting |
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| Thought I saw Nessie! The home of the sea monster in the Scottish Highlands |
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| See? Picked up by a Scotsman! My tour guide Andy. |
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| Glasgow: great vintage. A jacket I scored for 2 pounds is sitting on the top of that tub on the floor. |
Monday, June 11, 2012
I was watching Prime7 News just before and the newsreader distracted me from writing this because he was cracking jokes while reading out the weather. Ah, Daniel Gibson...
"And at Lithgow, it's so cold that the number dropped off... see that red square there that's empty (on screen with number not put in). Actually, that's not why, that's a lie." AHAHAHAHAHA.
Some might say "That's what I have for local news.". But it's actually not that bad, you can't help but laugh. It's just hilarious that he can get away with it. I found out that before last year he was only a weatherman, which explains a bit.
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Anyway, what I wanted to write about is that now the weather is taking a turn for the worst, I'm taking part in a library reading program for the first time! There's at least 1000 people doing it, how exciting.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
That's how I should feel today, for more reasons than one. Triumph has been so close to my grasp for some time, and that momentous day has come. But at the same time I have just as many reasons to be shitty.
First things first. I cleaned the unit today. I went all out. I even changed a toilet seat (the old one had served its time, now I have a shiny brand spanking new one). The only thing I didn't get to is the shower, but I did that last week anyway... the point is, I spent five hours doing that. For a one-bedroom unit. I have NO idea how it took me that long. There goes my morning.
So that's good right? Something that has to be done, yada yada. But taking that long put me in a shitty mood - I missed going to a friend's birthday barbecue and felt terrible for it too. The worst thing of all though is that during the process my bathroom developed toilet leakage problems. Flushing does not bode well for my bathroom right now. Luckily I bit the bullet and went straight to calling a plumber. Good thing I did (he's coming tomorrow morning before I go to work - yes, I work public holidays), my agent's mobile is apparently disconnected. That's such a help.
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But in happier news: I FINISHED MY EUROPE 2011 DIARY.
In April I wrote about my procrastination of filling in the blanks after returning from New Zealand. Unlike there and my 2010 Europe trip where I finished them relatively quickly, there was a lot more for me to do. Relative to the amount of time I spent there of course, but still. Writing it out is how I process. And it's done. Months of chipping away... thank goodness for photos. That's a huge weight off my shoulders! So therefore I should feel on top of the world. Or on top of Edinburgh as the photo shows. I'm going to end this on that thought.
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Um, wow. I'm putting it out there to say I'm totally loving Michael Fassbender just a little bit right now. I hadn't caught on to the Fassywagon yet (to be fair, Hunger is taped on my DVR waiting to be watched), but I get it now. I sat through half of Prometheus just marvelling at him. He was the best thing about this film. And then I find out he's Irish/German. Enough said.
In my excitement for the lead-up, I also did mini-reviews for the Alien quadrilogy. Man, Ellen Ripley is a champ.
Prometheus (MA15+)
*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 9/6/2012
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*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) from Wednesday 6/6/2012
Friday, June 08, 2012
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