Monday, December 31, 2012
As 2012 comes to an end, we often reflect on the highlights and low points. Yesterday was definitely a highlight, with my Twitter review of the past year.
London 2012 and Eurovision dominated conversation, while Luke, my Twitter BFF since January, was most involved in my discussions. Take a look if you like. It's a pretty graphic.
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It's the end of 2012, so I'm going to reflect a bit about what my year's been like in a nutshell.
January brought about the Australian Open and its frustrations, the beginning of my year-long shoe watch (still yet to be completed on here I realise) and I wasn't sure about definite locations for my New Zealand trip. I embarked on that trip at the end of February, beforehand having discovered I was falling in love with reading all over again.
March was mostly holidaying still, while April brought about the return of the mullet in my life, realising my social experiments for Dubbo had largely failed and beginning a trip down memory lane from my epic 2011 adventure.
May. Wow. Introducing Julia and Luke somewhat to Eurovision during my 10th year of watching, being chosen as the runner-up for the Dubbo Showgirl and dramas within Fairfax made it a crazy month.
June was when I discovered online streaming (hel-lo Euro 2012) but July was when I received a crazy amount of hits for a photo I used of Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker (455 at time of writing), The Dark Knight Rises happened and the Olympics had started while home for my birthday.
The end of August marked my time at cadet camp as well as the end of a crazy two months of sports watching, then September got crazy in another way as I travelled from Dubbo to Adelaide and back by car. There are still entries to come on that, again, a result of recent developments.
I was tired in October, but still felt plenty was going on as I found I was allergic to running and then sided with most of Australian AFL fans on the Kurt Tippett saga. Oh, and I was mesmerised by the 7 Up series.
November saw the end of Big Brother's return and Stereosonic (my first festival in more than 12 months), not to mention the beginning of my recent blogging decline with photo issues. December hasn't been without its moments though, namely the prank call scandal, the end of the world and my quest to become a professional blogger for Expedia.com.au.
It's been a pretty huge year.
I've been blessed with the opportunity for more travel, both domestically and the great time in NZ. I've spent time with family and friends well, seeing as it doesn't come around much with my current location, and while there's been turmoil in the company, work's alright. I'm constantly learning about myself and others and that's all I can ask for.
I think 2013 has the potential to be my biggest year yet. I just have to utilise it early. Happy new year!
*For the record, I don't know what my favourite film of 2012 was. I'm yet to see The Hobbit and haven't had time to really assess it. But I think The Dark Knight Rises would be up there.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
There was no new release for me to post a review up last week so I have a DVD review to eventually post instead. For now though, I have a favour to ask!
I'm currently involved in trying to become the newest blogger for Expedia.com.au and have to get the highest number of votes in order to get to the final round and be judged by an actual panel. I believe I have what it takes and if I can get there in a (massive) final surge it would make my holiday if not my year!
I've only got three days to go so please take two minutes out of your day to help me out! They will ask you to share information but if you say 'allow none' it will still let you vote... so no excuses!
If the link to my page doesn't work, try the button on the side of my blog.
If nothing else, you can watch the video I made, which is rather embarrassing but done in one take just the one time. I tried.
Peace out, and I wish everyone a happy new year. Here's to 2013!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Today marks the end of the world on the Mayan calendar, a day that has been talked about for centuries.
Now it is here, and I'm not sure what to think. I mean, there's a good chance that there is no reason for the world to end - just look at NASA's statement. If the smart guys are confident we're not going anywhere then we shouldn't be worried, right? But at the same time life often throws us a curveball, so there is that possibility.
More likely though, is that perhaps it'll be the end of the world as we know it in one way or another. Perhaps today a world leader will make an announcement to shake up a particular region. Or someone of significance may pass. Ha, maybe the Euro will finally collapse in a huge heap and Europe reverts to the currencies of old.
If I knew today was my last day and I had one day to do whatever I want, I'd probably fly home, get my mum and make her go to the beach with me. I'd be grateful for having the life I've had and the opportunities it's given me (not that I'm not every day anyway) and go knowing I've done a bit.
Any regrets? There are things I wish I had done or said differently at particular times for sure, and there are things I have so far missed in life, but no. Life is life and that's what I've had to accept.
I hope to wake up tomorrow and still be alive. I'm going home for Christmas damn it, and I want to be able to enjoy my holiday. Plus there's too much going on to start 2013 for the world to end!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Rise of the Guardians 2D (PG)
LORE to a child is one of the most prominent bases ((plural of basis)) of believing in life. While Santa Claus and the Easter bunny may be linked to religious occasions others like the tooth fairy are still just as revered by children. Yes, they might be inadvertently bribed by the promise of riches for that one, but the intent remains the same.
So where then does Jack Frost fit in? A relative loner who wanders around the world creating cold weather, he’s not often a storytime favourite or really at the hearts of most children. To base him as the central character for this kid-friendly venture is risky, but the support of the perennial favourites promotes a universal idea that everyone deserves to be seen.
Being known and cared about is something that Jack Frost (Chris Pine) is desperate for. Here he’s portrayed as a teenager, using his days to observe children while wishing he could play games himself and have a real purpose.
His true calling comes soon enough when the man in the moon appoints him as the fifth guardian of the world’s children, joining North (Alec Baldwin), Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Tooth (Isla Fisher) and the Sandman.
Jack Frost’s appointment is a response to the imminent threat of Pitch Black (Jude Law) – the Boogieman, who is staging a coup and taking the happiness and safety away from children to replace it with fear and nightmares.
It’s a scary world to see the lights of Earth go out, and it fast becomes a dire situation for the guardians. Jack Frost is a lost soul as he begins his crusade with them, still unsure of his place.
There’s some tension with Bunny that gets him going, but Jack Frost takes time to settle into his newfound position. Chris Pine voices him with slight frustration and wrangled tension, a teenager unsure of his place and whether he can shoulder some of his new responsibility.
In his directorial debut Peter Ramsey uses the content of William Joyce’s The Guardians of Childhood in a fun manner as Baldwin, Fisher and Jackman get their crazy on with some varied portrayals of the guardian poster kids.
Scarier elements will take adults as captive as the children, Law holding a subtle dominance as the baddie amid seamless animation that draws you in. Also in cinemas in 3D, the film holds true with a moral message to believe in bigger things. Nice for the kiddies, still a fun watch for their guardians.
Rating: 3.5/5
*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 15/12/2012
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The Nutty Professor (1963)***
Anyone from Generation Y is likely to know the story of one nutty professor through Eddie Murphy from the mid-90s, but true credit for this story of multiple personalities falls squarely on the shoulders of Jerry Lewis.
Of course, he was inspired by works of the horror genre before him to concoct the story of university professor/scientist Julius Kelp, buck-toothed and the scapegoat for everyone’s jokes. Only Stella (Stella Stevens) has respect for her teacher, and he in turn is revealed to have hidden feelings for her.
Kelp’s frustration at being unaccepted culminates in a potion that turns him into Buddy Love, a good-looking, smooth and talented alter-ego. But his hopes at gaining Stella’s affections turn sour as he can’t stop himself from being one of cinema’s most arrogant characters, not to mention the effects taking the potion is having on him.
As Julius, Lewis is as whiny as a spoilt five-year-old, but for some will still manage to delight with his wise-cracks; alter-ego Buddy is irritating enough to make you wonder just why Stella sticks around. But Lewis gels it together nicely to create an ending unexpectedly sad, metaphorically speaking out for all those who are bullied, young and old, as he realises his lesson.
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS? See what I thought of Pitch Perfect and A Nightmare On Elm Street.
Monday, December 10, 2012
I have to make a comment on the A Current Affair interview with the 2DayFM DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian.
Did anyone else think that they were choosing their words a little TOO carefully? Or even not being expressive enough?
As a journalist, I'm on their side - prank calls are not uncommon and I don't believe for a second that the one call was the only reason for Jacintha Saldanha's death. There's much more that goes on within a person before they choose to end their own life.
But watching that, with full discretion on the conditions from ACA well presented may I add, I didn't really believe all of what they were saying. Well, not so much that, it's just that they skirted Tracy Grimshaw's questions.
 |
| Photo from AdelaideNow |
They're obviously under legal advice, and I get that, I understand in part how that works. But Tracy was clear in her questions - what harm will it do now if they had actually said whose idea it was? They don't know anything about the process to get a segment on air? And why beat around the subject when asked if they thought they'd scored a coup after the call?
Of course they freakin' did. They would've been jumping for joy in the studio.
I just think this has been spun so far out of control, particularly by the British media - who themselves are at one of their lowest points with the Leveson Inquiry (hel-lo News of the World), so can't really talk.
There was no malice in this, and for these guys to be distraught in such a way is really unsettling to see. I'm glad they had the courage to front up to the media because it would've been so hard, and it's clear they are genuinely distraught.
Unfortunately, I just think it didn't shed much light elsewhere on the situation. Especially if Southern Cross Austereo are keeping them tight-lipped for fear of a lawsuit.
What did you think?
Sunday, December 09, 2012
It may appear that I've been neglecting my blog the majority of the time lately, save for the film reviews.
But I haven't, I promise!
A couple of weeks ago I ran into a dilemma where my free Picasa photo storage had run out... it's still the same situation.
***
Now, I have done some research. Forums are a great place to discover whether or not it's just you or others with the same problem. Turns out there is someone who is in the same mess as me. Unfortunately there has so far been no solution to the issue.
This upsets me because there are so many entries I've been meaning to make - there is more to my On the road to nowhere series for one thing, and obviously life and tacky shoes haven't stopped for this.
The easiest thing for me to do would be to get on a plan, where I get oodles of storage for a small monthly fee. But I don't need the space they're offering so I feel it would be somewhat wasteful.
I will keep working on it.
Sorry folks.
Saturday, December 08, 2012
Pitch Perfect (M)
BEING part of a school choir was once limited to a select few, those who wanted to really to strengthen their singing abilities and be part of a non-contact team effort. It wasn’t cool to most, but the popularity of student singing competitions had a turnaround to go on to reach those with different ideas.
Entering the new millennium, musical styles changed. Rap became steadily mainstream with the likes of 50 Cent and Eminem; Pink had a problem with their style but gave her own attitude. Then a few years later came a television show that arguably revolutionised the musical for the new age.
Glee is a love-it-or-hate-it program where the characters will break out into song to carry the story several times over any given episode. The loose adaptation of Mickey Rapkin‘s novel offers none of that, but the material still draws from Glee’s success at making something once judged cool.
It does manage to separate itself though, insisting that joining one of Barden University’s a cappella clubs is not about discovering your sexuality or working through other differences. That was high school; this is “the real world”.
Beca (Anna Kendrick) knows how different styles of music mesh and blend, but puts her dream of scoring a record deal as a DJ on hold to try out getting a tertiary education for her father’s sake. She soon joins the Barden Bellas after being hounded by Chloe (Brittany Snow); the reveal of her good singing voice mixed with a group desperate for members makes for an easy story progression.
Her relationship with new Treble Makers member Jesse (Skylar Astin) is not as clear-cut in figuring out. The rivalry between their a cappella teams doesn’t help, particularly creating uneasy tension from Bellas leader Aubrey (Anna Camp) on the rest of the group as they focus for regional and then final competition.
It’s a new, scary universe for Beca, who before the Bellas shut everyone out from her life. If high school had taught her how to survive, university definitely loosens her up. It’s hard to avoid when surrounded by other misfits including Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), whose honest nature precedes any underlying issues.
With a cast of relative unknowns, Jason Moore in his first feature as director handles the groups accurately to the point of near annoyance – the girls focused on the task at hand, the guys much more relaxed for having extreme confidence in their abilities.
Predominantly likeable characters make for easy viewing as Beca tries to find her way. The songs arranged early are successfully made to sound dull, but overall prove part of an inspired blend of sounds.
The biggest influence of all, musically and personally, is The Breakfast Club. Moore unashamedly uses the coming-of-age classic film as a turning point for Beca in standing up and walking against the crowd. Well played.
While the Beca-Jesse relationship ultimately plays second fiddle to the competition, Wilson’s comic edge comes as redemption. Wilson’s turn is the best of her five films to release in 2012, pulling off some ridiculous statements to lighten the film’s tone.
Rating: 3/5*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 8/12/2012
***
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Modern cinema has a lot to thank Wes Craven for if it finds horror an exciting niche. His creative control over many interesting ideas not previously explored in the genra opened eyes of generations to reveal what we most fear.
Craven preys in teenagers in this game-changing nightmare after Tina (Amanda Wyss) and then Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) see burned man Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) in their dreams and feel they are close to death. Reassurances from Nancy's boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp in his debut) and her mum Marge (Ronee Blakely) come to nothing as they find themselves in an impossible situation.
How to fight a monster in a dream is in a way a perennial question; how do we fight demons in our minds? Craven plays on that idea of life to turn it into something horrific, that our minds can see their end almost effortlessly while we're at our most vulnerable. He uses the idea of vulnerability further with the twist of a nursery rhyme, in turn creating one of cinema's most memorable songs.
Some effects don't look as dated as they should, and with a score that creeps along with the general dread of the events it deservedly gained cult status among both horror buffs and Depp lovers.
*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) on Wednesday 5/12/2012
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS? See what I thought of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and The Seventh Seal.
Sunday, December 02, 2012
I surprise myself sometimes - a review I still thought I hadn't saved onto my USB was sitting there all pretty and waiting for me today. So here you go.
The Accidental Tourist (1988)
IN author Anne Tyler’s world,
businessmen who loathe travelling are serviced well in the United States
through Baltimore travel writer Macon Leary. His books on how to minimise the
experience are meant to be how to best avoid people politely but equivocally
undermines social interaction.
Lawrence Kasdan’s adaptation has
William Hurt as Macon, whose marriage to Sarah (Kathleen Turner) falls apart a
year after the death of their son. Keeping their dog after the divorce, Macon trains
him with the help of Muriel (Geena Davis in an Academy Award-winning role).
Kasdan puts one of cinema’s most awkward characters to screen with Hurt exuding the socially inept writer. The comedy emerges from this particularly as we’re introduced to his kooky family post-divorce. But Davis’ happy-go-lucky Muriel is just as effective as Macon’s polar opposite, helping him find a new side to himself both personally and professionally.
The film has a sense of great
attitude about it, serious but comical in concurrence. Opposites really do
attract in this instance, and mixed with a story that travels in all sorts of
directions before reaching the final destination, you do feel like you’ve been
on a journey with them.
*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) on Wednesday 21/11/2012
Saturday, December 01, 2012
I've been lucky to have had a good run of films across the last few weeks. This film saddened me! But it was really good. Enjoy, and remember to share if you like it :)
The Perks Of Being A
Wallflower (M)
NO matter what era adolescents face, being a teenager
sometimes sucks. Not all the time if you have friends who ‘get’ you, but there
are always bad days. However, many are in worse situations, finding themselves
at the lowest of points because they don’t have that particular support.
Teens at life’s lowest point often arrive at that stage
because of things like social awkwardness, or general repression from
experiencing a traumatic event during childhood. Charlie’s (Logan Lerman) issue
with both hasn’t worked in his favour before his transition from middle school
to high school.
Not wanting to only make friends with awesome English
teacher Mr Robinson (Paul Rudd), Charlie digs deep and approaches Patrick (Ezra
Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson). To his surprise, Charlie’s burgeoning friendship
with the duo extends to their group of misfits.
It’s not so different from the late 80s-early 90s era to now
in that teenagers so desperately want to be different. They wish everyone had as
good a taste in music as them, they’ve done a few things they may regret and in
the end just want to feel free.
The freedom Charlie craves surrounds the guilt over the
death of his aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey) and through this story he struggles. Charlie faces the things most teenage boys do – crushes,
unrequited love and self-uncertainty, and it’s awkward as he tries to push past
his naivety and develop through his adolescence.
Stephen Chbosky, writing and directing the adaptation of his 1999 novel, retains that awkwardness well. The script is exaggerated and full of curiosity for Charlie, Sam and Patrick as they try to figure out where they fit in within the food chains of school and life. Chbosky weaves a tale about concerns for the future, homosexuality in a less accepting time and characters with more to them than meets the eye. It’s not something we haven’t seen before but definitely keeps its own wits about it.
Best appreciated by those knowledgeable of the likes of
Dexy’s Midnight Runners and David Bowie, the soundtrack is a large carrier for
the story. It’s an effective form of escape for Charlie and his friends, and
provides a healthy dose of nostalgia for us watching. Chbosky uses that nostalgia for lighter moments before daily
life begins to weigh heavier on Charlie’s shoulders. The film switches between
Charlie’s happier days and saddening flashbacks regarding his aunt like mood
swings, making the film increasingly sad.
The supporting cast is smartly chosen in appealing to
television fans with the likes of Kate Walsh (Private Practice) and Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries), and they all remain above high water to help
deliver a story emotionally challenging and rewarding. Miller and Watson are melodramatic as Patrick and Sam;
Watson not yet losing the sly grin the world came to love in the Harry Potter films. Lerman plays a
helplessly confused boy with integrity, Charlie doing all he can to just be a
normal kid.
Chbosky’s soft touch with the camerawork and his heartfelt
story make the film one not so predictable; something to saviour for the young
(and young at heart) generation.
Rating: 4/5*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 1/12/2012
***
The Seventh Seal (1954)
Ten of Swede Ingmar Bergman’s
films are in the 5th edition of 1001
Movies You Must See Before You Die, the book on which the choices for this
column are based. A master of European cinema, his works talk of life and its
questions, asking for truth to what should be believed.
Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) has
returned home with Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand) from their service as knights in
the Holy Land crusade when Death arrives. Antonius, not knowing enough to have
faith and believe in a higher order, challenges Death to a game of chess to
stall his life’s end.
Drawn out in between Death’s other
reapings, Antonius has time to seek answers by visiting churches and closely
observing life and its minute happenings. Antonius and Jons meet travelling acrobats Jof
(Nils Poppe) and Mia (Bibi Andersson) along the way, and the four travel
together through dangerous woods to avoid the Black Plague spreading along
coastal areas.
Bergman shines a light on what is
otherwise a gloomy world through von Sydow, whose Antonius is hopeful and
protective of those around him as his life comes to an end. His answers come in
the way they don’t expect – an appreciation of surroundings is painted as most
important to overshadow what we fear. An eerie use of music adds to a constant
uncertainty as the story unfolds, unsettling but ultimately vital.
*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) on Wednesday 28/11/2012
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of Skyfall.
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