Bionicmanenator

New Year's Movie Binge Clues 2011

2011-11-25T14:15:00.003+13:00

Vicious Pruning To Teh Blog

2007-06-18T22:27:00.000+12:00

Right, this is the last time I am logging in, damn you Blogger!! I resent the number of times you make me sign in and the loops I have to jump through to post (yes, I am a lazy son-of-a-bitch AND I probably have A.D.D, and no I do not want to give you feedback about it.).

So I am moving over here:
http://bionicmanenator.livejournal.com/
Not looking the greatest at the moment, but it will suffice for now to keep all and sundry abrest of my travels.

Yes, TRAVELS...

For I am off to Auckland to live.
Not sure where, how long for or if I will find a job (although I'm feeling uncharacteristically confident about them all), but the idea at this stage is to go up for Film Festival (and a couple of other things that are going on up there) and will just going to "forget" to return home.

Don't know when I'll be back in Christchurch permanently. Maybe never. But I'll certainly be back for holidays with the family now and again.

I've talked about this for so long. This time it's for real.

Bye for now. See you on the other side.

"V" 48 Hours Christchurch Winners

2007-06-09T17:34:00.000+12:00

Congratulations to all winners and good luck to The Outwits who now go on to the Live National Final on C4 on Sunday, July 1st, 8.30pm.

Winner
Carboys & The Indian – War/Western – The Outwits

Runner Up
Mondo Christchurch – Grindhouse – Visualeyes

Best Cinematography
Carboys & The Indian – War/Western – The Outwits

Best Damn Teen Team
A Tale of Tied Hearts – Puppet/Fairytale – Oldschool Cinema

“V” Most Manic Performance
Virgine le Brun in Bloody Vengeance 2 – Grindhouse – Frond Films

“Instant Kiwi” Most Thrilling Moment
“The Opening Sequence” from Memento Mori – Grindhouse – Spooce Media

Best Actor
Tom Trevella in Anyman – Religious/Educational – Volcano Café

Best Actress
Eden Canon in Reed Between The Lines – Crime – The Orange

Best Script
Mondo Christchurch – Grindhouse – Visualeyes

Best Original Score
Hamish Oliver for Carboys & The Indian – War/Western – The Outwits

Best Sound Mix
Bound – Horror – Witness Relocation Programme

Best Costume
Bloody Vengeance 2 – Frond Films

Best Art Direction
Reed Between The Lines – Crime – The Orange

Best Make-Up
Bloody Vengeance 2 – Grindhouse – Frond Films

Best Use Of The Line – “What Do You Call That?”
Biocab International – Religious/Educational – The New Embassy

Best Use Of The Character – “Jerry Reed; A Hypocondriac”
Painkiller: The Sick Sense – Superhero – TBALC

Best Use Of The Prop – “A Rope”
Bound – Horror – Witness Relocation Programme

Special Award – Best Single
Anyman – Religious/Educational – Volcano Café

Audience Awards
Heat One
Crime Stories – Crime – Burn The Dog

Heat Two
Bloody Vengeance 2 – Grindhouse – Frond Films

Heat Three
A Tale of Tied Hearts – Puppet/Fairytale – Oldschool Cinema

Heat Four
Humpty’s Return – Unnecessary Sequel – Roggley

Heat Five
Painkiller: The Sick Sense – Superhero – TBALC

Heat Six
Carboys & The Indian – War/Western – The Outwits

Heat Seven
Bound – Horror – Witness Relocation Programme

48 Hours Christchurch Photo Finish

2007-05-27T12:47:00.000+12:00

Some photos that were taken at the finish line of 48 Hours, last weekend:

To that kid that came screaming through the door with one second left on the clock (pictured in slideshow above): you made my fuckin year, dude! THAT moment is the complete reason I run this competition. To see a room full of people explode into spontaneous sustained cheering for nearly five minutes like that is one of the most awesome feelings I know of. I also totally get a kick out of knowing how much fun, anarchy and sheer creativity comes out of this single weekend.

Now, we await the judges decision.
Finalists announced on 3rd June - keep an eye on the countdown!
The Christchurch City Final is on 7th June, at Reading Cinema, where we announce all the prize winners and the film that will go head-to-head with the rest of the country's regional winners and Peter Jackson's Wildcards.

"V" 48 Hours - The Final Countdown!!

2007-05-18T09:16:00.000+12:00

Less than 10 hours to go before one of the biggest weekends of the NZ Filmmaking year!!

Good luck to everyone around the country who is competing this year.
There will be tears, heartache, rapture, frindships destroyed, gear broken, bones busted, sleep-depirved paranoia, crazy situations and more fun than infinite monkeys can shake sticks at.
I look forward to see some amazing (and some not so amazing!) results.

See you all at the starting line!!!
http://www.48hours.co.nz/

Park Thing

2007-05-05T11:38:00.000+12:00

Officially, my first appearance on YouTube.
I am such a goddamn bad-ass, if I do say so myself.

48 Hours 2007 Registrations Open!!

2007-04-06T21:37:00.000+12:00

48 HOURS FURIOUS FILMMAKING is back! Bigger and badder than ever.

It's all going down over late May to early June. With the Grand National Winner announced live on C4 TV in late June.

Registrations have opened on the website. Go sign up for what will be the most fun you can have with a video camera in a single weekend!

This years TV promo (made by last years winners): HERE

"Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash, we have very little reason to be interested in them."

2007-04-06T20:55:00.000+12:00

The above quote, from Pauline Kael, kinda sums up my mood at the moment...

I held a movie binge last night, to which ONE person showed up (he knows who he is, and can hold his head high) after I had gone to the effort of sending out invites to ALL of my friends.
A scant few people had said they were going to be able to make it and by the end of the day I had only one apology for non-attendance (get well, pharmacopaeia).
What happened to the rest of you pikers? Grrrr, I am not happy...
This has made me consider never doing this kind of thing again, or at least not inviting anyone I know will not show up or condemn me for trying to be a balanced film afficianado.

I ended up throwing the whole program (bar 3 films) outa the window and allowing my guest to choose the line-up. It was pretty fuckin' entertaining all told.

1. Some Trailers for upcoming movies
2. BANILIEUE 13
3. THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED
4. A video mashup, provided by a friend.
5. LADY TERMINATOR
6. THE BEYOND
7. SOUNDSTAGE - THE ANDY KAUFMAN SHOW
8. NEGADON
9. BLACK DEVIL DOLL FROM HELL
10. THE THING

(#3 was one of the best docos about the movies I have seen in a while.)
(#6 was something of a revelation. Gory, surreal and completely jaw-dropping.)
(#9 killed us both, as it is designed to.)
(#10 never goes amiss in any circumstances.)

A shotgun full of handjobs

2007-04-01T23:22:00.000+12:00

So, having my weekends back is starting to bear many forms of fruit, like a higher creative time and general personal productivity. This weekend was particularly good.

On Friday night I went and saw PAN'S LABYRINTH
This is simply Guillermo Del Toro's best film and will certainly appear in my list of top 20 films of 2007. Beautifully shot, superbly written, perfectly rendered effects, with a stunning cast living their roles. This deserved the visual effects Oscars it won and should be recognised as a modern masterwork. My only complaint is that I saw it on a screen that was far too small to do it justice and with the sound at about half the level it should have been. I am looking forward to seeing it at a multiplex soon. (I never thought I'd ever find myself saying that!)
Walking home afterward, through the manic desperation that is the Christchurch Friday night "meat-market", I realised that what Del Toro has made is something that is woefully missing from the world, the wonder and imagination of childhood reflected through an adult sensibility. So instead of going and having a few drinks, I walked briskly home, content that I had seen one of the finest films of the year, while the rest of the world wallowed in its usual fetid state of decay.

Woke early Saturday morning with my day mostly mapped out, working on two short student films that I had been asked to do.
The first, BOGART MUTATIONS, by amphibious-one was shot about 15minutes north of Chch at her home and involved me (and a few other DramaSoc buddies) being various shifty FBI types (you know that we are coz we have "FBI" tags on our lapels) plotting the demise of an inbred family of crazies. A labour of love six years in the making, these shots are the final touches that shall wrap the whole piece together and bring it to its conclusion for the director's 20th Birthday, where it will be premiered. All good fun, with a director we all lovingly referred to as having a bit of an Ed Wood quality - gave us direction, set up shot, captured shot, "OK, great, let's move on!".

Finished filming there about 11.40 and got a lift into town with entomocephalous, the director of the second film of the day.

His was something much different.
As an assignment for his Uni Fine Arts Film Course, he had been given 100m of film stock, an Arriflex 16ST and told to put something on film. He got me, ambulans and searlo as his actors, trundled us down to a local park and improvised a short cyclic "annoyance on a park bench" routine. Being film, we rehearsed pretty rigorously (which was probably the biggest difference between the two films of the day) before commiting anything to celluloid. I never knew the sound of actual film running through the gate as it captures could be so exciting. We originally thought we'd only have just enough film for the rehearsed material, but by the time we were done there was about 20ft left, so we improvised a small fantasy sequence for my character.

After that we all had Popsicles and K-Bars, and the sun did shine and we were all happy children. :)

Headed back to Andrew's house to watch the rushes of the documentary we made while shooting. The small amount I used the camera made me realise just how heavily I have been influenced by the films of Russ Meyer - I certainly like my low angle camera and fast, flashy in-camera editing! The semi-voyeristic shot of two Asian schoolgirls didn't go unnoticed either!

Went home and spent the rest of the day chilled out - watched episode one of HEROES, about half of THE BODY BENEATH and did a bit more work on the trailer compilation for next weekend (a little more on that below). Then early to bed.

Sunday: pottered about most of the morning - getting supplies for the coming week (and next weekend), doing washing, usual mundane shit - then headed into town with some of the FilmSoc crew, making sure our flyers and posters were well spread around the central city.

Got home about 5pm and have been playing WoW all evening, not even stopping for dinner (ok, so there was that 15minute pause where I had to sign a bunch of cheques...). I finally managed to complete three quests that have been aching to get done and picked up the first fragment of my key to Karazan. The next two parts require a flying mount, and I am about 80 gold short, so all in-game time shall be devoted to making a bit more cash before finishing my full key. I'll hopefully have it by the end of Easter.

By god, it's been a well-balanced, fun weekend! And I'm looking forward to several more like this in the forseeable future! Time for bed...

Coming Up:
As previously mentioned, I'm having another of my famous all-night movie binges next weekend. If you're interested in having your mind melted by all manner of cinematic brain rot, message me and I'll send you more details.

GRINDHOUSE is looking like a 31st May release in this country, after its release in the US later this week. The only review you may ever need to read about it is HERE. Possibly the greatest review ever written. Period.

48 Hours registrations open sometime in the next 24 hours. Am busily getting prepped once more for the craziness in May/June. Have you got your team together? If not, why not? It's gonna be a super crazy funtime competition this year and bigger & better than ever!

Hobo With A Shotgun

2007-03-29T00:25:00.000+12:00

Winner of Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez' Grindhouse Trailer Competition at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. Great stuff! :)

ding!

2007-03-18T14:24:00.000+12:00

Omorimil (front) and some guildmates moments after my main character turned 70 in World of Warcraft. Happened a lot sooner than expected. So now I can really start playin' the game!

Stormy outside, so guess how I'm spending the rest of my day. ;)

[rant]

2007-03-18T14:05:00.000+12:00

[/rant]

From Gandalf to Lear... to Dr Who

2007-03-14T18:45:00.000+13:00

from this morning's issue of The Press:

"British actor Ian McKellen will lead the Royal Shakespeare Company, in two new productions at the ASB Theatre, in Auckland's Aotea Centre, in August.
The limited season of Shakespeare's King Lear and Chekhov's The Seagull (August 18-26) directed by Trevor Nunn...
Joining McKellen in King Lear is Sylvester McCoy (best known as the seventh doctor in Dr Who) as The Fool. In The Seagull McKellen will play Sorin, a role he will alternate with William Gaunt. The role of Arkadina will be performed by Frances Barber..."

This is so right on so many geek levels for me that I very nearly hyperventilated.
I know where I am gonna be one weekend in August!!

In other excellent geek news:
ARMAGEDDON POP CULTURE EXPO is coming to Chch!!! Finally!!!
Guests include John Rhys Davies (LOTR), Don S Davies (Stargate SG1) and Avery Brooks (Captain Sisko!!)

I hereby declare this the official Year of the Geek

Meme, Suckers!!

2007-03-06T21:48:00.000+13:00

I'm not usually into these, but it seems to be going round at the moment and seems to be pretty interesting way of getting those that read me (all 2 of you) to speak up and for me to get to know something about you both:

Meme o' the day:
reply to this post and...
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll challenge you to try something.
3. I'll pick a color that I associate with you.
4. I'll tell you something I like about you.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something I've always wanted to ask you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this in your journal.

Form Blazing Sword!!!

It's happened, hasn't it??

2007-02-16T17:40:00.000+13:00

...I've become one of those people that forgets to blog for months on end and then when I eventually return to it to update, it is embarassingly out-of-date. *sigh*

Will try to keep updated... no promises mind you...

So... what's been happening??

Lots...

1) I am in another show at the moment:

(click poster pic for further details, bookings, times, places, etc)
Am really enjoying this production, playing the blustery Col. Cathcart. Methinks a little typecasting going on though, coz last production I did for Dramasoc (Delusion of Darkness) I was playing another loud, abrasive American official type. Hmmm...

2) I am ringing in the changes at work, by being moved to the business section of the company. The same rate of pay, but a lot more potential to earn good money from bonuses, etc. Also means I will be getting my weekends back, which I am over the moon about - I can now try to regain a semblance of a social life. (did you ever have one to begin with? - Ed)

3) I've recently started a small collection of old school movie daybills. It's proving to be something of an obsession (as most things eventually become for me...) and heavy on the pocket, but I've managed to pick up some quote rare and amazing prints - some of which I am getting framed. A few of my latest aquisitions can be seen HERE

4) The new expansion of World of Warcraft - The Burning Crusade - came out mid-January. Every spare waking moment (which isn't that much, but still more than you'd think) since it's relaease has been devoted to getting my current main character (see previous post) to the new level cap of 70. Am a little "gamed out" at the moment though, getting most of the way to level 67, so have decided to take a bit of rest until the current show is over and I have my sociallife back under control again. Will post a "ding" when I do eventually hit 70...

5) Lots of new films I'm looking forward to (after the MAJOR disapointment that was SAW 3) opening soon, including:
Pan's Labyrinth
300
Zodiac
but this is the one that I am most hyped up for:

:)

Current Production

2006-11-22T14:59:00.000+13:00

Thu 23rd - Sat 25th November,
Tues 28th November - Sat 2nd December.
All performances 7:30pm except Tuesday 28th, 6.30pm at:

Elmwood Auditorium
31 Aikmans Road
Merivale

Book at the Court Theatre, phone (03) 963-0870 from November 1. Tickets $16, except Wednesday 29th November only $10!

I am stage managing.

Marathon Lineup...

2006-11-13T10:28:00.000+13:00

The Movie Marathon happened on the weekend, and it kicked some serious ass.

Here is what played:

LADY TERMINATOR
STREETS OF FIRE
BURIAL GROUND
CRANK
TROLL 2
BEHIND LOCKED DOORS
THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO
TV & THEE (Short)
THE HIDDEN
breakfast
ASTROLOGER (aka. SUICIDE CULT)
TO LIVE & DIE IN L.A.
THE HOLY MOUNTAIN
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

Life will never be the same again.

Will put a short(ish) review up HERE soon(ish).

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

2006-10-26T21:32:00.000+13:00

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...

Opening credits
King Kapisi - Saboteur

Waking up
Roots Manuva - Movements

First Day at School
Minuit - Soviet Airhostess

Puppy Love
Beyond The Valley of the Dolls [Movie Theme Song]

Fight Song
Ram Trilogy - Terminal 1

Breaking Up Song
Goblin - Buio Omega

Prom
Chris Bowden - Original Sins

Life is Good
Goblin - Wampyr [Finale]

Driving
Salmonella Dub - The Bromley East Roller

Flashback
Cinematic Orchestra - Channel One Suite [Four Tet Remix]

True Love
Kid Loco - Cum' On (!!!)

Wedding
Salmonella Dub - Problems

Moment of Triumph
Matthew Sweet - Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

Death Scene
The Nomad - Once Again

Funeral Song
Bad Company - The Nine

End credits
Beastie Boys - Body Movin' [Fatboy Slim Remix]

Some of those are highly ironic, others just plain weird!!
I really need to:
A) put some new tunes in my library;
B) get a life to match it all to!!

Crazy Night...

2006-10-25T01:09:00.000+13:00

Here's what I played for the few (read 3) friends that showed up on Sunday night:

KILL SQUAD
EVENT 16
THE DESCENT
YETI, GIANT OF THE 20TH CENTURY
THRILLER - A CRUEL PICTURE
MARS NEEDS WOMEN
MIRACLE MILE

It all went down well. Will do another when I feel up to it. Watch this space...

In the meantime, bring on the V 24 Hour Movie Marathon!!!

(So excited, I can scarce contain myself!!!)

All-Night Movie Binge

2006-10-18T11:58:00.000+13:00

As a warm-up to next months 24 Hour Movie Marathon, I'm gonna hold one of my famous movie binges at my place this Labour weekend. From about 8.30pm on Sunday 22nd October well into Monday morning, and possibly further into the day if people can hack it.

If you're in Chch that nite, flick me an email and I'll give you further deatails.

V Movie Marathon

2006-09-21T17:14:00.000+12:00

The 6th Annual 24 Hour V Movie Marathon

It's happening again in early November.

I'll be there. Will You???

First title announced already:

This bad boy really needs no introduction. It's currently number 1 on the IMDb.com Bottom 100 and will blow the minds of all who have not witnessed its Nilbogian goodness before!!

2006-08-25T21:22:00.000+12:00

Snakes on a Plane

2006-08-25T00:54:00.000+12:00

I just saw SNAKES ON A PLANE... it rocked!! Well, my expectations were adequately low and I was determined to get my $13 worth. But I think, in years to come, it will be considered a staple of the b-movie canon, beside PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and MANOS HANDS OF FATE, as a benchmark film for the genre. Of course, it needs to be seen with a good crowd, plenty of popcorn and ones expectations considerably lowered (usually with the help of drugs and/or alcohol!!)

United 93

2006-08-25T00:50:00.000+12:00

Simply, superb cinema... one of the best of the year. A must see.

A Round Tuit

2006-08-23T15:09:00.000+12:00

As is usual for me, I started writing reviews of festival films I saw, with the intent of blogging them all.

I have other things of interest begging my attention and now that it's past history I can't really be arsed... maybe next year...

Suffice it to say that this year's festival was the best I have ever seen.

Highlights:
THE HOST
KEANE
SCIENCE OF SLEEP
BRICK

Lowlights:
THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUADIES ESTRADA
THE PASSENGER

SNAKES ON A PLANE opens tomorrow!! I can't wait...
(If you live in Chch, email me if you wanna come along.)

The Host

2006-08-20T23:32:00.000+12:00

C.R.A.Z.Y

2006-08-18T23:56:00.000+12:00

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

2006-08-16T23:25:00.000+12:00

Drawing Restraint 9

2006-08-16T23:20:00.000+12:00

The Waimate Conspiracy

2006-08-15T23:27:00.000+12:00

THE WAIMATE CONSPIRACY

No More Heroes

2006-08-14T22:43:00.000+12:00

Jonestown: The Life & Death of Peoples Temple

2006-08-13T22:37:00.000+12:00

TRAILER

Science of Sleep

2006-08-12T22:54:00.000+12:00

A Scanner Darkly

2006-08-11T23:25:00.001+12:00

Brick

2006-08-11T23:25:00.000+12:00

Factotum

2006-08-11T23:23:00.000+12:00

The Passenger

2006-08-09T23:52:00.000+12:00

TRAILER

loudQUIETloud: A Film About The Pixies

2006-08-09T23:46:00.000+12:00

Who Killed The Electric Car?

2006-08-09T23:43:00.000+12:00

Dave Chappelle's Block Party

2006-08-08T23:41:00.000+12:00

Keane

2006-08-07T23:37:00.000+12:00

As the film opens we meet Edward Keane (Damian Lewis) wandering around a subway desperately searching for his daughter who may or may not have gone missing at this very station over a year ago. He comes across as desperate, passionate, crazed and ever-so-slightly psychotic as he pleads with any and all that he comes acorss to help in the search for his missing child. It slowly begins to dwan on us that there is actually more to this guy than meets the eye and we are soon drawn into a tightly wound character drama with moments of sheer tension that would make Hitchcock proud.

The whole film is shot ultra-real, with the central protagonist almost always centre of frame (indeed, some shots look like they may have been achieved with the camera attached to Lewis himself) which gives the film its unnerving sense of claustraphobia that never lets up.

Lewis' performance in this film is so intensely real that we are treated to a character that is completely rounded and relatable. It would seem he has been given free-reign by the directors to explore the character to its fullest potential and then given situations to react to. His performance never slips and this is what makes the film so watchable.

The twists and turns of the plot are so well calculated that it seems the place where the true narrative is happening is inside the audiences heads. Indeed many scenes never seem to go where expected, as if director Lodge Kerrigan has crawled inside our psychies and tapped into our collective expectations. He does this to such an extent that when the film ends we are left almost abandoned at the completely abrupt ending and left to examine our own attitudes towards the potential situation. This is complete mind-fuck cinema of the highest order.

Beautiful charcters, brilliant acting, amazing direction, unparalelled tension. This is dark, dense, stunning, difficult cinema that should not be missed.

TRAILER

Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story

2006-08-05T23:31:00.000+12:00

Steve Coogan plays Steve Coogan portraying Tristram Shandy AND Tristram's father in this very funny, mind-warping adaptation of the quite unfilmable book.

The book itself is a series of footnotes, digressions and ramblings of a somewhat unfocussed mind. The director, Michael Winterbottom and Coogan have chosen to do the same thing with the movie, which means the finished product we get is a mostly behind-the-scenes expose on the creation of the filming of the book. This may sound completely off-the-mark in relating page to the stage, but here it works remarkably well to both great comedic effect and some genuine pathos and is still remarkably true to the source material.

Coogan is brilliant as ever, and here gives us a beautifully rounded performance as the three main characters. His performance captured for me the diversions, indiscretions and minutae involved in any production. He seemed to let his guard down in the scenes with his on-screen wife (Kelly Macdonald) and infant child. Coogan proves, once again, his genius both as a comic and serious actor.

As supporting lead in the film Rob Brydon shines as himself playing Capt. Toby Shandy and is the perfrct foil to Coogan. Their arguments are beautifully timed and it is clear they both had a ball on set improvising these.

In fact the whole cast look like they are having a blast making this and not being to worried about letting their personalities out "warts and all" - I suspect Winterbottom may have let cameras roll freely on several scenes long after they were supposedly finished to achieve much of the sponenaity evidenced here.

Winterbottom holds this film together well, and brings himself back up to speed after last year's terrible 9 SONGS. He paces the film at a pitch tht is always one step ahead of the viewer, but never alienating and always with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek.

Very funny, intelligent and well shot. I look forward to the myriad of Special Features that the film hinted at, that will open up an even wider world for both the film itself and give the book a whole new readership it so richly deserves.

TRAILER

Shortbus

2006-08-05T00:05:00.000+12:00

Touted in the film fest programme as one of the hottest films in the world today, direct from an amazing reception at Cannes, SHORTBUS certainly delivers the goods. Smart, sexy, witty and very, very New York post-post-9/11.

The opening five minutes of the film decide the audience. A surging collage of sex in all its forms: a straight couple fornicating on every concieveable surface in their house; a dominatrix with an attitude being mentally dominated by her client; a gay guy attempting to auto-fellate himself, while his obsessive neighbour watches voueristically. This scene seems to be calculated to sort the conservatives from the liberals in the audience early on, but the sheer good humour and carefree raunchiness of it all keeps even the most prudish glued to their seats.

What unfolds is a brilliant story of how these characters lives collide in a NY sex club where all of their desires and anguish are played out to the full. It is all beautifully linked together by some vibrantly observed animation of the New York cityscape by John Bair.

It's not all about great laughs in this film either. A well constructed scenario about New Yorkers surviving the post-9/11 maelstrom is given a minor acknowledgement and characters are constructed around their various sexual hang-ups. In lesser hands, the second of these would usually come across as angsty over-indulgence, but director John Cameron Mitchell gives us a cast of whole credible characters, free of pretension and open to the possibilities of change.

The film ends with a fantastic feeling of carnival, albeit slightly jaded, that is evidenced by a joyous scene of revelry and fornication that frees the characters from their self-imposed sexual restrictions, leaving the audience on the same high when they leave the theatre.

Festivals around the world have had quite a tough time getting explicit works like this screened. The New Zealand International Festival has in the past had as its bugbear Mr David Lane of the Society for the Protection of Community Standards, who has seen it fit to cause a lot of noise over various films of "objectionable" nature in the past. This film stands proudly head and shoulders above any of those that have gone before in its depiction of sex on screen and it was almost disapointing to find out that Mr Lane was out of the country during the festival. If he had been in the country, I'm sure some noise would have been made as SHORTBUS simply goes well beyond anything the European sex-films of the past few years ever would or could.

Excellent filmmaking, watchable performances and very very sexy. The porn film has come of age.

Matthew Barney: No Restraint

2006-08-04T23:33:00.000+12:00

Matt Barney, creator of the visually stunning CREMASTER series, documents the making of his latest work DRAWING RESTRAINT 9 (screening later in the festival) aborad the whaling ship Nissin Maru, made over something like a week with his celebrity wife (and soundtrack contributor) Bjork.

Barney always creates strong, yet perplexing images, but if you go into this documentary expecting an explanation of his themes or metaphors you will be sadly disapointed. Instead this is an examination of the construction of this particular work - the actualising of giant vaseline sculptures, some intricate prosthetic work, and the evolution of the "Drawing Restraint" series.

As a person, Barney seems quite grounded next to his rather outlandish work and the those film seems to enjoy this contradiction, and looks quite deeply into his early home life, growing up as quite a "normal" football plying adolescent.

While providing some interesting insights into the man and his world, I found myself quite often wandering mentally from this document as there was really not enough meat on the bones of this film to engage. I was expecting a whole lot more.

International Film Festival

2006-08-03T12:46:00.000+12:00

Am getting rather excited about the upcoming film festival, which opens tonight. I am going to see about twenty films over the next two weeks and my retinas will be near fried by the end of it all. (Not going to the opening night film tonight however, as Ken Loach bores me to tears.)

This year's is one of the strongest programmes I have witnessed in many a moon - it's always a smaller programme down here than that which screens in Auckland or Wellington - but I am confident that the cream of the crop is coming down here this year.

At this stage I am going to see:
A SCANNER DARKLY
BRICK
DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY
DRAWING RESTRAINT 9
FACTOTUM
THE HOST
JONESTOWN: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PEOPLES TEMPLE
KEANE
loudQUIETloud: A FILM ABOUT THE PIXIES
MATTHEW BARNEY: NO RESTRAINT
NO MORE HEROES
THE PASSENGER
THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP
SHORTBUS
THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA
TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK & BULL STORY
THE WAIMATE CONSPIRACY (World Premiere of a local film!!)
WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?

And that's just what I have tickets already booked for!!! I may go and see others in my spare time as my wallet, sanity and retinas allow.

Will post my thoughts on films seen here when I have the time and/or inclination.

(More of the festival can be found HERE)

Current Book To Hand (A Blog Game)

2006-08-03T11:21:00.000+12:00

"Yep, junk it. Do whatever you'd like. You don't really expect me to pay twice the amount of the car just to have it fixed, do you?"
"Well, now wait a minute, that was for a full warranty," he backpeadled. "I can do a limited warranty repair job for two hundred and fifty."
"Junk the car," I repeated emotionlessly. I wasn't acting, mind you, I was dead serious.
From: "If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor" by Bruce Campbell

The Game:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.

Confessions of a Young American Housewife

2006-07-24T20:52:00.000+12:00

...and if you reacted to that trailer with an "ewwww!!", just wait till you see the whole movie!!!! AWESOME!!!!!

2006-07-19T13:09:00.000+12:00

2006-07-09T21:59:00.000+12:00

"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as
kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic
pills and listening to repetitive electronic music." - Kristian Wilson, Nintendo, Inc. 1989.

Taming of the Shrew

2006-07-07T13:10:00.000+12:00

Thu 6th - Sat 8th July, Tues 11th - Sat 15th July
Tues 11th July at 6:30pm, all other performances at 7:30pm.
Elmwood Theatre
31 Aikmans Road
Merivale
Tickets $16. Book through the Court Theatre website, or booking office phone 963 0870.

Current production I am in.

Playing Baptista.

Hurra Torrpedo - TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART

2006-07-07T12:55:00.000+12:00

You Cannot Fuck Around With Love

2006-06-30T16:04:00.000+12:00

2006-06-25T23:19:00.000+12:00

48 Hours Grand National Winner

2006-06-23T22:30:00.000+12:00

The Super Secret 48 Hours Quality Control Process

2006-06-10T18:01:00.000+12:00

48 Hours Chch Final

2006-06-04T09:58:00.000+12:00

Well, the competition went off with a bang in Christchurch this year, the shoot weekend saw teams all over the city frantically dashing around town to get their short completed on time and the premiere heat screenings of the films were well recieved.

The City Final is just around the corner.

It was a really tough choice for my judges to select from all of the high quality shorts in this years selection, but they managed to find 12 that truly stood out from the bunch. All finalists are listed HERE.

Come along to Reading Cinemas, The Palms Shopping Centre, on Thursday 8th June for all the excitement.
Tickets are $12 (Door Sales Only). Get in early, before it sells out!!!

There you will see who wins prizes and which short is chosen as the best in Christchurch and will be going on to the Natiaional Live TV Final on C4 on the 23rd of June!!!

NO MORE ROOM!!!

2006-05-12T13:24:00.000+12:00

48 Hours Christchurch is now COMPLETELY FULL, two days out from close of registrations!!!
If you REALLY want to be a part of it down here, either pop onto the discussion forums and find yourself a team to join, or register a team and hope that someone pulls out at the last minute!!
Auckland & Wellington are chocka as well...
this is going to be simply AMAZING!!!!

Get your ass to the website to follow all the action as it unfolds:

48 Hours... The Countdown Has Begun!!!

2006-04-27T17:50:00.000+12:00

Less than 10 spots left in the Christchurch competiton!!!
Auckland is completely full!!!
Get your ass over to the website and enter NOW!!!!
See you at the starting line...

"Worst Music Video Ever"

2006-04-23T22:29:00.000+12:00

Sparks (Moving this week...)

2006-04-18T21:05:00.000+12:00

I am in the throes of moving house... *bleargh* ...not feeling particularly motivated to do so, and the fact that I have several days to get it done doesn't help my lack of drive...

While I'm busy doing other things non-web related, I will leave you with this, the best clip I have seen on YouTube in... forever!! (and I watch A LOT of YouTube!!!)

Flatmate Wanted

2006-03-31T11:06:00.000+12:00

Have just found out I have been accepted to move into a new flat!! Joooy!!!! :o)

Very nice 3-bedroom place with decent sized lounge, good kitchen and all the mod-cons. About 5mins walk to the centre of Christchurch.

Am now on the lookout for a flatmate - if interested, or know anyone who might be, drop me a line.

Ninja Hacky-Sacking

2006-03-12T21:41:00.000+13:00

"...the diffinitive cinematic statement about hacky sacking can be found in the early eighties character study masterpiece American Ninja.

John, the James Dean-esque rebel of an army platoon is standing around by his truck when a spontanious game of "sack" arises amongst some other officers. Suddenly the hacky sack is kicked to him! The group all turn their eyes to him. His eyes look to the ground, studying the object at his feet. The tension mounts. Join in? Stand his ground aloof? Give them the cold shoulder? The intertextural narrative of the scene perfectly sets up the later exposition of existential searching John must do as he tries to bridge the gap between his identity as an American and his powers as a Ninja. Seldom has film so eloquently used the past time of a leather pouch of sand being kicked to comment upon the duality of spirit amongst our brothers and sisters torn between social acceptance and their closet skills as stealth Ninjitsu.

Masterful."
(Recently posted on a chat-board I lurk on.)

The most eloquently, piss-yo-pants-funny comment I have read in ages!!! I was almost literally rolling on the floor!!!!!

Klaatu Barada Nikto

2006-03-06T23:04:00.000+13:00

Tonite was first nite of FilmSoc, which we opened with a science-fiction double feature of:

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

and

BARBARELLA

I've witnessed Ms Fonda strut her "innocent" stuff many a time on the big screen (and it's still a great campy giggle), but this is the first time I've seen TDTESS. I now truly understand why this is regarded as a classic of 50's sci-fi cinema and has endured so long. It is a near perfect time-capsule of American culture at the time and is one of the best commenatries of media-induced atom-age paranoia in the history of film. Great performances, beautifully framed, and it still carries the power to unnerve even the most jaded viewer after all these years.

Dropping like flies

2006-03-04T23:04:00.000+13:00

Further to that previous post, quite a few other big(ish) underground stars have passed away recently as well:

Don Knotts
(which you probably already knew...)

Al "Granpa Munster" Lewis

Peter Benchley
(writer of JAWS)

Jack Wild
(Artful Dodger in OLIVER! and Jimmy in HR PUFNSTUF)

Walerian Borowzyk
(director of LA BETE, EMMANUELLE 5, IMMORAL TALES)

All will be sadly missed by those who know... and can be bothered remembering...

RIP Kolchak

2006-02-26T19:10:00.000+13:00

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Darren McGavin at
approximately 7:10 A.M. Pacific time today, Saturday 25, 2006. Darren was
just three months short of his 84th birthday. While we suspect none of us
can imagine a world without the beloved, feisty little red-head, it is time
to reflect, give thanks for his life and hold in reverence his memory.
Darren is gone, but in many respects he will always be with us: as Carl
Kolchak, fighting authority and battling monsters; the grumpy Old Man
sending curses over Lake Michigan; as David Ross, the outsider, Grey Holden,
captain of the Enterprise, the irascible detective Mike Hammer or any
number of memorable guest star appearances, most notably as Joe Bascome on GUNSMOKE and as the washed-up old actor from "Distant Signals."
From http://www.darrenmcgavin.net/

One of the worlds most underrated, prolific actors. Not many people will mark his passing, but I have a lot of respect for the man that bought the character of Kolchak to life. One of the most magnificently impressive resumes of any American actor of the era.

The Best Musical Ever Written

2006-02-18T23:12:00.000+13:00

I'm not a big fan of Musical Theatre at the best of times, but without a doubt, the title has to go to Ragni, Rado and McDermot's

HAIR...

This was proved to me this evening by an absolutely stunning, raw, powerful production from the University of Canterbury Musical Theatre Society (MuSoc), directed by Mel Camp.

I haven't been to much theatre lately (at least not as an "audient"), but this is EASILY the best piece of theatre I've seen in quite some time...

If you are in Christchurch while it is playing, see it.

(Oh, yeah... I'm in a play as well at the moment, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, for Elmwood Players, opening next week... come and see it... if you must...)

Fuck Christchurch Sunday Night Closing Times (a post gig rant)

2006-02-12T22:47:00.000+13:00

I have just been to see Hexstatic live at the Dux de Lux this evening.

They were awesome. Everything I expected them to be. Brilliant old school mash-ups, funky dancy beats and deep soulful downbeat grooves. They are the masters of VJ beat-mixing par excellence. Their mash of Kriss Kross' Jump with House of Pain's Jump Around was masterful and their breakbeat mix of Led Zepplin's Whole Lotta Love was truly inspired...

HOWEVER...
(and it's a biiiiig HOWEVER)

I have GOT to make some noise here about the waaaaay too short gig, caused by the early Sunday closing time at the Dux.

Honestly, if the organisers of this gig had known the closing time restriction from the start, surely they would have realised that this would have been the wrong venue to host these guys, whose visual style needs to be seen in decent darkness for the style of visual/cinematic madness they create and therefore enough time deep into the night, as well as a decent venue, should have been allowed for them to play a full gig .

I realise that the event was based around more then just the gig (it started at about 5.30, with general DJs and brewskis a-flowin'), but for those of us who were only able to make it for the main act itself (damn working weekends!!!) which started at about twilight it was a bit unsatisfying to only have the main act onstage for little over an hour.

I find it extremely disrespectful to Hexstatic, who I consider to be pioneers in their particular area of electronica (hell, they held Ninja Tune together in the early years!!!), to cut them short by giving us such a bite-sized show...

Surely the bar could have foregone its (extremely narrow-minded) closing time of 10.30pm (gosh!!! what an un-godly hour!!!) and kept things running maybe another hour-&-a- half or so. That would have kept us all from feeling a bit cheated.

I don't mind shelling out $20 to see them, I just hope most of my cash goes to the "band" rather than lining the pockets of the bar or the un-insightful organisers of this event...

This kind of middle-of-the-road, conservative, cash-cowing of audiences like this is pretty typical for Christchurch, and is another nail in the big "fuck you" coffin of reasons I am finding to find a new home city...

I hope everyone who is heading to Splore in Auckland next weekend enjoys what should be a much better set from them... the little that we were treated to down here looked to be leading into something quite deep, mind-bending and groovy - they are just as good as ever.

(I am listening to my copy of their single Timber - which was conspicuous by its absense - as I write this, to try and make up for the disapointment... it would be nice to have had some new visuals for it though!!!)

Marathoning...

2006-02-09T23:40:00.000+13:00

Well, my all-night movie marathon happened, with about a dozen people turning up on the night.

Here's how it all went down:

1. WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER
2. STEWIE GRIFFIN - THE UNTOLD STORY (aka THE FAMILY GUY MOVIE)
break (REJECTED)
3. OH! MIKEY
4. MAN WITH THE SCREAMING BRAIN
5. HAUTE TENSION
break
6. MR T'S BE SOMEBODY OR BE SOMEBODY'S FOOL
7. DARK SIDE OF THE RAINBOW (1st play-through)
break
8. FASTER PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!

About half of the audience stuck it out and I felt pretty satisfyed about the way it all went. A nice mix of my own personal indulgence and giving my "target audience" what they wanted.

Things I Learnt:
- Don't play the loudest stuff at 4-5am. DARK SIDE needed to go a little higher in the programme for full appreciation of Waters' rockin guitars. I think I may have bled a few eardrums there.
- Keep an eye on sound levels. Especially when shouting Asian maniquiens are involved...
- There must ALWAYS be a horror film at 2-3am. (HAUTE TENSION was an awesome choice, if I do say so myself!!)
- Ending on a classic keeps everyone happy.

I may do another one of these sometime in the future, but I'm certainly gonna start doing semi-irregular screening nights now and then. Watch This Space...

I am having...

2006-01-31T22:47:00.000+13:00

AN ALL NIGHT MOVIE BINGE!!!!

at an undisclosed location

this Sunday night (5th February)

from about 8.30pm

until the wee small hours of t' morning.

If you want more information and/or an invite feel free to msg me (or email me)

An image from my childhood...

2005-12-30T20:29:00.000+13:00

...and one that, I believe, is partly responsible for my arrested development...
(I'm sure my parents know what I'm talking about here!!!)
isn't it strange how things that frightened the child are now quite banal and meaningless???

[/auto-psychoanalysis ends]

L'il Markie

2005-12-08T19:56:00.000+13:00

This is amazing:
http://www.5minutestolive.com/quicktime/lmarkie.mov
and people wonder why 9/11 happened... is this not reason enough???

EDIT: Want more of this goodness??? http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2005/10/the_secret_of_l.html#more
Enjoy!!
16/12/05 8.55am

2005 Magic World Championships

2005-11-30T23:13:00.000+13:00

The Magic The Gathering World Champs are on in Yokohama, Japan this weekend. Keep an eye on the details of it all here:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgevent/worlds05/welcome

Marathon Review

2005-11-25T10:57:00.000+13:00

is here:
http://vmoviemarathon.blogspot.com/

not much there yet, aside from titles... being worked on slowly, as I find the time...

My latest favourite thing...

2005-11-11T22:31:00.000+13:00

this is brilliant, I could watch it repeatedly all day:
http://www.ps260.com/molly/SHINING%20FINAL.mov

V Movie Marathon 2005 Line-Up (Auckland)

2005-11-07T12:45:00.000+13:00

Here are all of the films as they unspooled in all their insane glory:

(1) The Descent (2005)
(2) The Devil's Rejects (2005)
(3) The New Adventures of Snow White (1969)
(4) Saw 2 (2005)
(5) The Christine Jorgenson Story (1970)
(6) Confessions of a Young American Housewife (1978)
(7) Breakdance (1984)
Breakfast
(8) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
(9) Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1969)
(10) Fight For Your Life (1977)
(11) The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
(12) The Thing (1982)

The best marathon run by these guys yet!! The Wurlitzer at the start was a major highlight too!!! :o)

I might write a full review when I get back from Melbourne (more on that soon too!!), fully documenting the complete anarchic fun of the weekend.

can this beggar be a chooser???

2005-10-27T21:31:00.000+13:00

work, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to change my shift...

I will now be working Sat-Tues as of mid-Nov...
remaining 4 10-hour days per week and working over weekends...

not sure if this is a blessing or a curse...
half of me says this will hopefully give me a bit more "social" time...
the other half says it's still not the kind of hours I actually want to be doing...

will see how it pans out when I get back...

3 SLEEPS TO GO!!

2005-10-26T14:29:00.000+13:00

<=...such will be the state of my head this Sunday 6pm, once I've sat through the entirety of the V 24Hour Movie Marathon... will post details of my adventures in the *ahem* screen trade once my mind regains lucidity (and if I'm near an Internet cafe with a little time on my hands)

Have also just found out I'm on the judge team for GP Melbourne... Joy!!!

I'm all packed for my holiday and ready to go. Just need to survive 2 more days of work...

Omorimil's Birthday!!!

2005-10-17T10:41:00.000+13:00

After nearly a full year of playing World of Warcraft, my main character - a dwarven priest by the name of Omorimil - has finally hit level 60 (the highest level a character can attain in the game at this point)!!!

Here he is pictured the moment that milestone was achieved. There's still so much more to do in the game and it never seems to get boring (and I tire of computer games quite easily!!)... more of his adventures to follow...

Them there Nobel peeps sure do rock!!!

2005-10-15T21:13:00.000+13:00

First Dario Fo, now Pinter??? WOW, someone certainly knows their stuff!!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051013/ap_on_en_ot/nobel_literature

...and about fricken time too...

...zzzz...

2005-10-07T22:46:00.000+13:00

...what's that they say about "all work and no play"???

I'm in a play AND working (10 hour days) and am feeling completely dull-ed

...muh...

Madcap thoughts...

2005-10-05T15:52:00.000+13:00

Well, the dust has well and truly settled, the bits of paper have been handed out to signify who won and at the end of the day are we any wiser or happier?

Results are HERE
Erin summed it all up brilliantly HERE

Yeah, I'm a little peeved that I didn't get nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but the fact that we won Best Special Effect for my spontanious combustion must be some kind of testament to my performance, surely??? But really, at the end of the day the bridge was built long ago...

Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cups... my taste-buds are lovin me!!!

Numero Uno

2005-10-04T22:20:00.000+13:00

First post. A little unsure of what to say without sounding trite. (and saying that may sound so... err... postmodern...)

I'm in the middle of the season of a show at the moment.

'ALLO 'ALLO

By Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft

(Based on the TV series of the same name)

At Elmwood Auditorium

Aikmans Rd

Merivale

Runs until Sat 8th October

(that's this Saturday, so hurry!!!)

Tickets $15

I'm playing the German Army General who yells a lot in a stupid accent... go figure... if you are in town come see it... I'll say zis only once...

I bought my first piece of art today... a work from a stencil exhibition run by a friend of mine... the piece is called THE SMOKING GUN by Per. I think it's very cool and hope to acquire more once I move to a larger place.

(please excuse the rather sad photo... taken on my mobile... but you get the idea...)

I'm also getting very excited about the upcoming vacation that I am taking soon.

Firstly, I'm heading to Auckland on the weekend of the 29th/30th of this month for the V 24 Hour Movie Marathon, a weekend full of cinema - premieres of new blockbusters balanced with a whole bunch of crazy explotation oddities from the 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s - which looks set to be a total blast. Two of the titles have already been confirmed - the Hollywood cult hit KISS KISS BANG BANG and a brand spanking new Aussie thriller that looks mighty creepy, WOLF CREEK.

I'm going to spend a few days in Auck following that (note to any friends up there, get in touch for a coffee, if I haven't already!!), and then I leave for Melbourne the following Thursday.

Five nights in Melbourne relaxing and enjoying the sights, the weekend of which I will be in attendance at GP Melbourne (a Magic The Gathering card-gaming event, for those of you not in the know...)

Then I return to work (and normalcy) on the 10th of November...

I'll try and post as many of my adventures here while I'm away.

I also hope to do an extensive review of the marathon (and all of the films therein) shortly thereafter.

Must go now before I link myself into oblivion...