When the Cheshire emerges...

This morning's news was mindblowing. Mindblowing.

Darth Vader and the galactic universe of Star Wars has been acquired by Disney in a deal for $US4.05 billion.

Yeah, billion.

George Lucas remains a creative consultant on future Star Wars projects but gives the reins to Disney and new Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. There's Episodes VII, VIII and IX waiting in the wings with Episode VII slated for release in 2015.

WHY?


OK, so Lucas has always had multiple ideas for different parts of the universe, but he was panned over his control with Episodes I, II and III. He said that was it, done and dusted, but apparently he only meant that it wasn't him that would take it forward.

I'm excited about the prospect of a new Star Wars film as much as the next fan, and there's no doubt I'd go to see whatever they produce. But I'm just wary that it'll lose touch with the fantasy of it all in favour of even more commercialism than with the second trilogy. One comment I read online today was something like, "Disney does Star Wars... I can't even finish that sentence.". Doesn't sound good when you put it that way, even though I think Disney are fabulous.

The shaky part of this for me more than anything though is the idea that it might even go past nine films and do a Bond. With 007 it's about one guy who saves the world and most of the others involved flit in and out. More character-driven. Star Wars, while importantly full with lovable characters, has a bit more to it in terms of continuous plot. How could that be strongly sustained?

Am I too cynical? Or completely wrong - will the acquisition actually sustain the Star Wars love forever?

Give me a child until he is seven, and I will give you the man.

Over the last week I have immersed myself in the lives of 14 English children and their lives.

Of course, I'm talking about the kids from 7 Up, the Michael Apted series that began in 1964 and has since continued every seven years.

In the lead-up to the Australian premiere of 56 Up tonight on SBS, SBSTWO has screened them all in succession so I've made it a priority to watch each of them through for the first time.

I've loved it.

7 Up was the social experiment to begin all social experiments. A group of English 7-year-olds were picked from a range of socio-economical backgrounds and questioned on where they might be educated and what they want to do as grown-ups. For the more upper-class of the group their education was more or less mapped out for them, and it was only dependent on actual academic effort between them getting there or not.

 

A 7 Up reunion at 21

The 14 and 21 films were still a picture of how they were growing up, finding themselves. 21 would be the last where all participants would be involved.
Between 21 and 28, life truly changes every which way; subsequently 28 has so far been the standout of the series. For the university graduates, they had each forged on with careers, while others were still unsure of what life was for them.

It remains refreshing how one never achieved great heights or stuck with some of his ambitions, but he never felt anything was lacking. And that another really found himself after migrating to Australia.

Then with some brilliant editing, the most emotive part came as one revealed why he would never have children, putting his eccentricity and mood issues squarely at blame.

Wilcannia is the town at the junction of Barrier Highway and Opal Miner's Way leading to White Cliffs.

I only stopped for a few minutes on the basis that there were some nice buildings, but had heard it wasn't an ideal place to hang around.

Yes, the old post office building in particular was nice and for the most part I felt fine, albeit a bit deserted and not in a good way.

The pivotal moment was when I heard someone as I took photos of a damaged church. I turned around and there was no-one there. I continue to look at the building and then hear more audibly, "What are you doing, ey? What are you doing?"

I swear it was an old lady with a drawl. But I looked all around and no-one. No-one on their porch, or even in the backyards (there were low fences). I quick-footed it to the car, took one more photo on the main road and left. Freaky stuff.

This was one of the films of the year. I highly recommend you get your bum on a cinema seat for this one.

Argo (M)

WHILE much of the current focus on the Middle East remains on links within the US, an interesting sidenote remains that Canadian relations with Iran have not always been on positive terms. Their decision last month to sever all diplomatic ties with the country, not for the first time, has sparked political and international debate.

It's timely then that this film should be released, explaining for the first time on film some details behind their disagreements. The Canadians were responsible for harbouring six US embassy employees in Tehran during violent protests in 1979/1980, aimed at the US government for keeping their corrupt leader safe while on his deathbed.

Yes, the US is still involved. And here we see the story of how they were the unsung heroes of the operation to get the group out of the country. As cliched as it seems, this is very much a case of North American partners in crime, something rarely highlighted.

The six escaped to the Canadian embassy, where they stayed for more than two months before CIA exfiltration agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) came on board to create their escape plan. A preposterous plan for an extreme situation, he creates buzz for a sci-fi film that will never be made.

Getting producers, stars and Variety magazine on board are all part of Mendez's plan to have a viable excuse for getting into Iran for location scouting and smuggle the group out as the remainder of his production crew.

Unravelling elements of what those in the business think Hollywood to be as Mendez develops his plan, Affleck the director makes a statement to say he has earned his place among his sort of the day.
His attention to detail and style is remarkable, long shots establishing the story's slow process and effectively ditching the crisp picture we've come to expect for that of 30-year-old quality.

George Clooney and Grant Heslov join Affleck as producers, and together they make a film about a fake film big. John Goodman and Alan Arkin as Mendez's Hollywood contacts are wry and cynical but great assets, and Bryan Cranston again makes an important appearance as CIA buddy Jack O'Donnell. Victor Garber returns to his roots as Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor, while Affleck himself has no conflictions about moving between the front and back of the camera.

Tony Mendez is a simple guy who's having family issues, but the focus never remains on him. The story is well and truly everyone's, something to remember and be able to share. Taking information from Mendez's autobiography The Master of Disguise and article Escape From Tehran by Joshuah Bearman, the film is smooth and engrossing in entirety.

Unlike many other films involving espionage and rescue plots, this story has true heart.

The shoe below takes it out though. I feel as if it's a shoe that's come straight out of Spiceworld: The Movie. Remember that scene where they're at a boot camp girls? I can't believe I remember that...

White Cliffs is an extraordinary place. Said to be the final frontier before hitting the dust of the 'real' Outback, it's a ghost town like no other.

For 250 people, it feels a lot smaller. But there were still people as I spent a Saturday night and Sunday seeing what it had to offer.

An opal mining town that for some has brought riches and others bankruptcy, I was weirdly drawn to the almost-arid landscape and general peacefulness of it.

The woman at the general store was from Adelaide, who'd moved out there for that reason. She mentioned there wasn't any police (the nearest being at Wilcannia an hour away), and for the most part that there wasn't any trouble. A place without immediate law enforcement...

In short, I loved it. I felt really out of sorts actually leaving although I'd done all there really was to do.

A cute greeting into the town. For the record, those two buildings constitute the main street.

The White Cliffs Underground Motel has a map to help you navigate. All I needed to know was the bathroom.

Australia's first solar power station.

Turley's Hill, one of three that constitute the town.

One of the many crooks of Jock's Place, a private residence and treasure trove of pure junk.

One of the world's most unique views. I found myself in the middle of the area used for shafts for the opal mining. From above this looks like craters.

I mentioned in previous posts that I had recently been on a road trip, and now I'm finally ready to tell you about it!

The map's up again because it offers perspective. Two weeks, 3,000 kilometres.

First stop was Cobar, just for a couple of hours as I made my way to White Cliffs. Cobar's a three-hour drive from Dubbo and a strong mining town, particularly with copper.

There's not too much to say for not having stayed too long, except that I had a steak and mushroom pie from a good bakery (and felt real country-like), and did about half the Heritage Walking Trail where I saw a massive fig tree.


No mistaking where I'd driven in to.

The Great Cobar Copper Mine. Massive.

The Great Western Hotel, said to have the longest iron lace verandah in the Southern Hemisphere.

They like their beer. The Big Beer Can.

Like I said, they like their beer.

I embarked on a two-week road trip in the second half of September, the major purpose being for a trip home to Adelaide to attend my friend's wedding.

I dubbed it my On the road to nowhere trip because on the map, it's literally an (anti-clockwise) loop - leading me to no definite location.

Let's paint a picture. From Nyngan (2 hours from Dubbo) to Giles Corner (about 1 hour 15 mins north of Adelaide), the Barrier Highway is the major thoroughfare. It's mostly quite flat, but with a decade of drought behind it now looks fairly green. Plenty of Paterson's Curse lines the road's edge, and with blue skies manages to be picture perfect. On this trip, I of course did the entire highway route.

Before getting into the locations in detail, here's a photo essay of how the first half of my road trip looked purely along the Barrier Highway.