When the Cheshire emerges...

WOW.

I've been watching Big Brother tonight in slight disbelief.

It's that time of year ALREADY. It's back. For season number 10 if you can believe it.

Last year's return of the best reality TV show around (sorry, I don't care for singing contests, that's not a social experiment) came off pretty brilliantly. I'd considered going for it but decided not to, and by the end of the season was so impressed I thought 2013 could be my year.

I did actually apply this year FYI, with a video audition because I live far enough from Sydney that I'm allowed to. In hindsight, I think I would have looked more reserved, and as a result didn't have that, ahem, x-factor.

***

This year's contestants really seem like a mixed bunch, different to usual. Ed's the hottie (and Adelaide born, woo!), Tim is going to rub everybody up the wrong way, I think Sharon's going to be a cooler 'older' person than previous counterparts, and this gay Ben is just so cuddly cute.

I can't believe how excited I was before on remembering Big Brother started tonight. It's going to be another three months of obsessing over people and their reactions to changes in their constrained environment.

I can't wait to see how it unfolds.

The Wolverine (M)

EXCLUDING vigilantes like Kick-Ass and The Watchmen crew, the X-Men are the outcasts of the superhero world. Superman might be an alien who grew up on Earth and Spider-Man a kid hiding in the shadows, but this class of A-grade mutation gives real reason to be disgusted with life.

Wolverine's a pretty angry guy, characterised by his claws and mean facial chops. His immortality makes for physical invincibility but emotions run deep within him for things he has failed to forgive or forget.

The ups and downs of Jackman's time fighting for justice have now been shown in six films, the most for a superhero in any single role. Wolverine's been through a lot, and his story is not near a closing chapter.

The second Wolverine stand-alone film takes place after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, which left him broken. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) still mourns the death of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and has removed himself from a life of fighting crime.

Yukio (Rila Fukushima) sees that hiding does him no favours; she finds him on behalf of Yoshida (Hal Yamanouchi), someone wishing to repay a debt for a favour given long ago. Wolverine's reluctance to face his demons is challenged as he goes to Japan to grant Yoshida a dying wish.

Photo: aceshowbiz.com

The story from Mark Bomback, Scott Frank and Christopher McQuarrie shows Wolverine at his weakest, a man fragile from his actions and unsure about the value of life. His immortality is an entrapment, a curse that a large part of him so dearly wants to be rid of.

Ridding himself of that immortality is a temptation Wolverine comes across, as is Yoshida's granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto). As Mariko finds herself in danger, Wolverine's questions about existence become more evident.

The Japanese setting lends itself nicely with themes of tradition, honour and respect. Wolverine, in his fight to protect Mariko, takes those all on board and tries to connect them with an angry soul.

As a stand-alone film, it's a story about a man reclaiming his purpose. Director James Mangold weaves a story that blends the past and present while questioning the future. Japan provides a beautiful backdrop to the tale at hand.

Within the X-Men universe, it's an important chapter. Wolverine, the most well-known character of the group, is presented at his most vulnerable. It's a common thread within superhero films these days, but to see one at their weakest is to appreciate their strongest attributes.
Jackman is the strongest attribute of all. His familiarity with Wolverine never lacks in intensity, able to give the outsider raw emotion and comedy without a hitch. Okamoto brings the beauty, while Svetlana Khodchenkova as villain Viper is sly, not entirely unlike Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy.

The closure for Wolverine is well crafted and should give fans what they were looking for. But a post-credits scene is just one thing which proves his story is not done with just yet.

Rating: 3.5/5

*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 27/7/2013

MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of This Is The End.

The freest people in the world are those who have inner peace.

Give love and unconditional acceptance to those you encounter, and notice what happens.

Both of these are inspiring quotes, and I'm still rather enjoying going through
Staying on the Path and seeing what is there for me to take in every day.

There are some though that I sometimes see and think it's so much easier said than done. Or a case of just shaking my head because it'll never really happen.


I feel ya Cas. Photo: sodahead.com


Take the second quote. I would say I'm nice to just about everyone I know - I certainly do my best to get along with people in all the different areas of my life.

There are some people that just don't want a bar of it though. People that perhaps have their own insecurities (everyone has those) but can't hide them other than by putting up a wall. Those who just have no sense of common courtesy, and those who are just plain rude and/or negative.

What happens? You try and be nice to people, be positive to people, but there will always be instances where it gets thrown back in your face.

That always hurts.

They try and teach you the concept of giving love/politeness/positivity to others to receive it, and I'm very much a believer in karma. Unfortunately, I finally have to face the fact not everyone grasps this. And I'm trying to deal with it.

At this point in time that quote really reads as "Give love and unconditional acceptance but don't waste your energy or expectation on getting the response you (think you) deserve".

It's still important to radiate positivity in life even if not everyone agrees with your view. For sanity of the soul.

Now that I'm 24, so therefore a little bit older and a little bit wiser, I've been thinking about a few things. Namely my acceptance of going through periods of self-pity.

The severity of these periods do vary from instance to instance and between individuals. But it is something just about everyone experiences.

Thinking about it in hindsight, I sometimes hate myself for it. I don't want to feel like I've stuffed up, or that no one cares. Though this happens, it's also important to think in hindsight that it's just how we're made.

Photo: 8tracks.com

Often this self-pity can centre around the home or workplace. This came to my attention when reading about how a study confirmed that, on average, one spends 14 hours per day trying to figure out how to "take sweet revenge" on people.

Yes, you read that right. We spend 80 per cent of our time awake plotting against others. In hindsight, you would surely hate yourself for that (there's so many other things to think about!), but it's just how our brains work to make ourselves feel better. I find it, and the article, rather hilarious - I have certainly been there.

A big case of self-pity (that I did, and do still, relate to) was a Generation Y journalist's rant - that led to job offers. It rubbed off on me - I think the knowledge that she got recognised for having a whinge put me in a bit of a dark place that particular morning. Seriously, who does that happen to? I eventually pulled myself together though and started focusing on the rest of my day.

That's when the reality of reality sunk in and I remembered that nothing comes without hard work.

***
Enlightened people have perfect love in them just like everyone else does; the only difference is that they have nothing else in them.
Why?

If you slip, it doesn't mean you're less valuable. It simply means you have something to learn from slipping.

Fear of failure becomes fear of success for those who never try anything new.

To not forgive is to fail to understand how the universe works and how you fit into it.

An invisible intelligence suffuses all form in the universe, and allows flowers to grow and planets to align and the whole thing to exist.

The more you understand as a human being, the more you realise that you can either flow with life or fight it. And every time you fight something, you become weaker.

Plus one I had sent to me for good measure:

Photo: The Hindu

KATE!

You were meant to hold out for an extra seven hours. What happened? You were SO close!

Oh. I really hoped your son would be a July 23 baby like me. But I liked waking up to the news on my birthday, so thanks and congratulations.

***

Ah yes, today's been my big day for the year. I saw my family on the weekend and took in the Manchester United game against the A-League All Stars too, so that was enough. But I feel rather spoiled with a few little things since then from friends here and back home.

I feel I've forgotten what it feels like to really be happy about celebrating my birthday, but today has brought a bit of it back. I may be a tiny bit older, but celebrating my life should still be a great thing!

While on the subject of today, the best photo to come out of the Royal Baby coverage was clearly the Lion King mock-up...


I'll end it there.

This Is The End (MA 15+)

NOW seemingly embedded into the consciousness of Generation Y is the sort of comedy to come from the mind of Seth Rogen and his comrades. An expectation of crass language and sexual innuendo hangs high over any of their material.

The success from a series of films that started with Judd Apatow’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin back in 2005 has rarely waned. Moviegoers have flocked to see their crazy, unrealistic-yet-still-relatable stories.

We’ve also been receptive to watching films about the end of the world - the threat of it or what happens afterwards. Cinema has been obsessed with the idea before the Mayan calendar’s 2012 prophecy, but this year we’ve received nothing less than a steamroll of ideas telling us how we might all go.

It’s no surprise that Rogen and regular partner in crime Evan Goldberg wanted to get in on the trend. They had already toyed with the idea on the short Jay and Seth versus the Apocalypse (2007).

It should also be no surprise that Rogen’s success is enough to warrant a film about him and his friends. In this case, reacting to news of the apocalypse as comedic actors would - by locking themselves inside James Franco’s fortress of a Hollywood mansion.


Photo: media-feed.com

Jay Baruchel would much rather be in Hell to begin with. Dragged along to Franco’s house for a typical Hollywood party by Rogen, he feels removed from Rogen’s new set of friends, who also include Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson.

Danny McBride makes up the six who survive the panic and quickly manages to make himself the unpopular one as they fight for survival on rations of food, drugs and alcohol.
It seems nearly too... normal for much of the first half - the natural disaster, taking refuge in shelter, attempting to work out personality differences.

But of course, the comedy we expect rears its head as they ponder the chances details of the Bible’s Book of Revelations have come to pass.

It slips into ridiculousness with a supernatural villain and threats involving semen before the realisation that their end is based on basic human values.

The ability to parody oneself is admirable though, and Rogen and Goldberg stretch that successfully further by focusing on the relationships between the six men, particularly Rogen’s relationships with Baruchel and Franco.

The bromance is well and truly prominent, and while girl power gets a look in thanks to Emma Watson, this is another episode of The Boys Club. Thankfully, that’s not an alienating element. This unique look at the end of the world has enough laughs to sustain the story’s slow pace and proves for Rogen and co that playing their most comedic selves is most effective.

Rating: 3.5/5

*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 20/7/2013

MISSED THE LAST REVIEW? See what I thought of Pacific Rim.

For anyone who believes in astrology, you'll know that these cycles are a bitch.

But as this Mercury retrograde cycle comes to an end tomorrow, I can't remember a period where I've felt the effects more.


I love my car.

Two weeks ago I was on the road for an interview in Wollongong. Six-and-a-half hours there and back, going through the Blue Mountains.

It's not ideal starting a new job under retrograde, and I didn't get it anyway. But I came back with car problems. My car has handled a 2700 kilometre trip among countless drives on country roads and it decides to go half kaput on a single trip in Mercury retrograde. Go figure.

I should also mention it was the first time the trip took LONGER than the Google Maps estimate.
When does THAT ever happen?!

***
A few days later I was off to Sydney - my taxi was late at 5.30am and I went to a nearby rank to be safe. Then my (6.30am) flight was delayed nearly two hours - because of a de-icing issue on a surprisingly unfrosty morning.

Then my friend's flight in from Melbourne was cancelled and she was put on a flight about four hours later.

And then dinner plans that night went awry because of Facebook miscommunications after a couple of people pulled out.

And THEN the same group flying back to Melbourne had their flight cancelled AGAIN and waited for three hours to board.

My point? Not all coincidence.

On a global scale there was the San Francisco plane crash. Also the big Canadian train explosion.

'Nuff said.

Have YOU ever had a bad Mercury retrograde experience?

***
When you're told that you have some kind of physical affliction, you can either prepare to suffer or prepare to heal.

The more you let go of people and things, the fewer obstacles you will have on your life's journey.

The most effective weapon you have in banishing neurotic behaviour from your life is your own determination.

Schools must become caring places full of teachers who understand that teaching students to love themselves and feel positive about their natural curiosity ought to be given as much attention as geometry and grammar.

Your emotions shouldn't be immobilising. They shouldn't be defended. They shouldn't keep you from being all that you can be.

These are the good old days.

Enlightened people move away from conflict and confrontation.

Develop an inner candle flame that won't flicker even when the worst situations befall you.

If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will change a past or future event, then you're residing on another planet, with a different reality system.

How harmony gets inside you is through your thinking.

My apologies for not getting this up in the regular timeframe - happy reading!

Pacific Rim (M)

Rating: 2.5/5

*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 13/7/2013

MISSED THE LAST REVIEW? See what I thought of Man Of Steel.

The way you change your behaviour is to look at the source of strength that you are.

Feelings aren't emotions that happen to you. Feelings are reactions you choose to have, and they show up in your body as physical reactions to your thoughts.

A child is a wonder to behold.

Behaviour is a much better barometer of what you are than words.

If you practice maintaining your composure, and remember that someone else's behaviour belongs to that person and cannot upset you unless you allow it to do so, then you will not become an unwilling target.

Photo: fanpop.com

The only difference between a flower and a weed is judgement.

The opposite of courage is not so much fear as it is conformity.

You cannot always control what goes on outside, but you can always control what goes on inside.

Thoughts are ways in which we can make virtually anything happen.

Your form will simply pass along, but you can't kill thought, so you can't kill who you really are.

If you don't have confidence in yourself, get off your rear end and do anything that will make you feel better about yourself.

If you believe that this book will liberate you, then you're already a victim of your own illusions. You and only you must decide to take these suggestions and turn them into constructive, self-fulfilling behaviours.