Be Kind Rewind

This is why I love YouTube and hate Yahoo Movies.



Whenever a new trailer gets released over at Yahoo I can never watch it, mainly because my shite Telecom broadband cannot even handle streaming an SD version of the trailer, so I have to resort to YouTube. Still, you can find pretty much anything you're looking for on that site and it only took me a couple of minutes and there I had the first trailer for Michel Gondry's latest flick, 'Be Kind Rewind'.

If I wasn't excited about the project beforehand.. I am wetting my pants with anticipation now! It looks to be a little bit more mainstream friendly than his earlier efforts yet still retains that bizarre and quirky artistry that has won him fans all over the world. Seriously - can a pitch get any better than this movie? (two video store clerks have to remake a bunch of famous movies because they accidentally wiped them all) Jack Black and Mos Def look like they might have some great chemistry together and I cannot wait for this one.

Sunshine

So I unexpectedly got a half day at work today - and what did I do? You bet, I watched a movie. Now while I have only seen one of the previous weeks releases I was far more interested in seeing the ones that came out today and one of them happened to be on my 'must see' list for the year. That movie is 'Sunshine', the latest feature from director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later). I have always been a fan of his - LOVE Trainspotting and like 28 Days Later so was intrigued to see what he would bring to the table for a sci-fi genre film.

After watching it, it's clear that Boyle has used his experience with 28 Days Later to give us a near classic sci-fi thriller that is let down by a preposterous third act. A lot of people have called it 'Alien meets 2001' which I think is pretty spot on. The whole way through the film you will be on the edge of your seat, always with a sense of unease that disaster is just around the corner. Not many directors can manage to create that nailbiting tension - the sort of tension that is still around even in the most banal of scenes and I applaud Boyle for his use of close-ups, blur effects and an excellent score.

With a movie about one object - you wouldn't think the imagery would be one of the best things about the movie but Boyle suceeds in showing off how truly magical the Sun's beauty can be. Take for example the scene where Searle asks to have the observation room filtered to 3.1% of the Sun's true brightness. He's only allowed 30 seconds before lasting retina damage but the beauty it brings has an almost ethereal quality to it. I can see why they named the ship Icarus, after the fictional Icarus who fell to his death after flying too close to the Sun in order to better appreciate it's majesty.

While the plot for his latest movie is lifted straight from your run-of-the mill disaster flicks (It's 2057 and the Sun is dying - fast. A crew of 8 have been sent on the Icarus II to re-ignite the Sun before it's too late) he manages to distinguish this sci-fi disaster flick from the rest of them by having an ensemble cast that actually works well together and speaking lines that don't carry A grade cheese with them. Boyle wanted the cast to act as if they had been crampt in with each other for a very long time (They have been away from Earth for 16months) and in order to achieve this he got the principle actors to spend a couple of weeks in almost jailcell like conditions with communal living quarters - the whole shebang. It definately shows in the performances, with Cillian Murphy as the physicist and Chris Evans as the engineer peforming particularly well. There's something about Cillian's eyes which are totally disarming - they have a piercing and unreadable quality to them. I must also single out Cliff Curtis as the ships psychologist - I didn't detect the grating kiwi accent once. Oh and there's always the delightful Rose Byrne, providing some eye candy as the mission's pilot.

The desire to have the cast act as a believable crew was part of a larger goal for 'Sunshine' to shy away from the Star Wars and Star Trek world of Sci-fi and portray a plausible fiction. For the most part Sunshine acheives this sense of reality but there is a major problem in the third act when we are greeted with a bizarre plot twist from way out of left field which will alienate a lot of viewers. I won't give it away but it involves the Icarus I (Their ship wasn't called Icarus II for no reason). For all the scientific plausibility of the film it gets shot down by this ridiculous conclusion. I also didn't really love the ending - I don't know whether it's just me but when I watch movies like The Core (god I can't believe I am referencing that movie in a review or even acknowledging I saw it) or Deep Impact etc I like my endings to be full of spectacle and this one was a bit of an anticlimax. I can see where the director was coming from with the shot he closed with but I was hoping for something with a little more spark.

Would I reccomend seeing it? Definately, it's the best sci-fi to come out this year by a long way - a lot better than The Fountain which was too pretentious for its own good. Just be prepared to be let down a little by the ending.

A weak 4/5.

Movie Update: WCS and Junebug

So I have finally got back into my more regular movie watching habits - none of this 1 movie a week rubbish. I admit I was a bit jaded and all movie'd out for a while but now I am right back in there and can't get enough - only the fact it costs $14 to see each movie is deterring me from seeing anymore than 3 movies at this years World Cinema Showcase.


On Wednesday night I saw Black Snake Moan, the latest movie from director Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow). Set in the deep South the movie revolves around a recently seperated black man, Lazarus (Jackson) who spends his days tending to his farm and listening to the blues. His routine is interrupted when he comes into contact with Rae who is left lying on the side of the road after being badly beaten by one of her lovers. Lazarus quickly learns the girl is deeply troubled, mainly with a rather bad case of nymphomania. He decides the best way to cure her of this dreadful disease is to tie her up to his radiator with a great big fuckoff chain. While she doesn't keep the chain on for that long it does make for some rather humourous scenes - especially when the local pastor comes round for dinner.

I didn't totally dig the film but I loved bits and pieces, like the scene where Lazarus plays the blues at the local joint to a rapturous crowd. Ricci gives an amazing performance as the nymphomaniac Rae, her Addams Family days are definately way behind her now. Also of note is Justin Timberlake, who gives a decent performance as her estranged lover/would be husband. It's not for everyone but I would encourage you to go see it when it comes out in a few months, especially if you liked Brewers first feature. Oh and you get to see Ricci in ALL her glory ;)


My next film for the Showcase was Suburban Mayhem - an Aussie film which stars talented local darling, Emily Barclay. She is unrecognisable from her role in In My Father's Den and her performance easily lives up to the hype her Best Actress award at the AFI's set up. The movie is part mockumentary and part dramedy, revolving around the aftermath of her father's homicide. The film opens with her talking to the camera and her penchant for fame and fortune is signalled to us right from the outset. As the movie progresses we learn even more about her fucked up pyschology - the fact her brother Danny chopped off a convenience store clerk's head, the accolade of having fucked a guy for every letter of the alphabet, getting her brothers mate to kill a friends dog - you get the idea.

The movie starts out as a very funny black comedy but ends up more on the drama end of things - which makes the eventual reveal of how her father actually died even more disturbing. I personally preferred it when it was content to laugh at the horrific nature of her personality, instead of confronting us head on with it. Later attempts at dark humour with her boyfriend Rusty didn't really work as well for me as the stuff at the beginning of the film. I guess the scriptwriters bust their wad a bit early. I really liked the movie though and you should definately try hunt it down - Emily Barclay is certainly our best actress working today which is more than enough reason to see it.


Lastly I finally saw Junebug, the acclaimed drama cum comedy that got critically praised throughout last year, ending up on a whole load of top ten lists. I can see why it got the praise but I didn't perhaps fall for it as much as others have. Don't get me wrong - Amy Adams is excellent in the movie, with scenes ranging from the hysterical to heartwrenching. The movie is based around Madeleine, an art dealer who comes to smalltown Southern USA to meet with an eccentric artist. It just so happens her partner's family live nearby so they figure it's as good a time as any to meet the parents. What follows next is a poignant look into the difference between how people live out their lives depending on their social circumstance.

It's clear that Johnny ( Ben Mckenzie - The O.C) is jealous of his brothers success, he has a beautiful partner, has a better sexlife and has had a good education. He is working at a run-of-the-mill job and living at home with his girlfriend and her parents. There is a really tragic scene between him and Madeleine when she trys to teach him about Huckleberry Finn to help him pass his English paper only to have her help misconstrued. Alessandro Nivola is good as her partner although half way through the movie I recognised him from Goal and then I kept thinking of him having a Newcastle accent the whole way through the movie.

It's not for everyone, while it's only 100 or so minutes the movie takes it's time in getting there and is punctuated by a lot of silences and shots of the landscape or various empty places around the house - I guess to signify the kind of stifling and isolated existance these characters live with. It's the whole ignorance is bliss thing I guess - I certainly couldn't live or relate to the people who live along the bible belt of the States but in their own way they do have a real humanity to them. Amy Adam's Ashley is testament to that.

Miyazaki's Latest Film Announced!

Had to post this, Miyazaki is one of my favourite directors so a new film from him sends me into a delirious state. The title of his newest film is 'Gake no ue no Ponyo' (Ponyo On A Cliff). The film is due out in Japan sometime in 2007 and is based on the story of the Princess goldfish Ponyo who dreams of becoming human and a 5 year old boy called Sosuke.

More info at Ghibli World

Can't Wait!!

World Cinema Showcase - March 15th - April 4th

For those of you wanting something a little different from what’s showing at the multiplexes at the moment and are hanging out for the annual International Film Festival that comes around each July, the World Cinema Showcase is here to help tide you over while you wait. In it’s ninth year now the showcase has built a reputation for screening movies that perhaps won’t get a proper theatrical release and giving audiences the chance to see some lost classics on the silver screen (this year it’s The African Queen). And if that isn’t your thing there is the opportunity to see films like Little Children and Black Snake Moan before they get a proper release.

This year has a particularly good lineup with almost 30 films showing. Whether it’s the American indie films, the powerful documentaries or European art house that floats your boat there is something to suit your tastes. The opening film this year is The Namesake, from director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair) – an adaptation of the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri. USA Today calls it ‘an engaging and moving film with a universal story about the bonds of family as told through two generations of a Bengali family.’

My personal picks for the fest include the 1951 classic, The African Queen – which was the first colour film for both Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. Black Snake Moan, from the director of Hustle and Flow has had some great reviews and fans of Samuel L. Jackson should definitely check it out. With a plot that includes nymphomania, the blues and interracial sex it’s certainly intriguing. Out of the documentaries, ‘Dixie Chicks: Shut up and Sing’ catches my interest – mainly because of the furor they caused when they stated on tour that they were ‘ashamed’ that President Bush was from Texas (their home state) and consequently lost half of their fanbase.

I don’t want to end up listing the whole line-up (it’s hard though – believe me) but briefly I also plan on seeing Infamous – that other Capote film and Little Children, a movie about what goes on behind the façade of the upper middle class. Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta and with a cast that includes Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly and child star come good, Jackie Earle Haley you should definitely take a look. If I still have enough money left over I might also check out Lemming – if only for the chance to see Charlotte Gainsbourg act again as she was amazing in The Science of Sleep.

On the New Zealand side of things, Suburban Mayhem shows that Emily Barclay’s performance in 2004’s In My Father’s Den was not a one-off, winning the Best Actress award at the Australian Film Institute’s most recent awards ceremony. Waves, a documentary about Chinese international students at a New Zealand high school is screening again on the back of it’s success at the International Film Fest so don’t miss it the second time around.

The Showcase runs from March 15^th – April 4^th at the Academy Cinemas with ticket prices varying from $10-$14 depending on what time of day you want to go. There are booklets dotted around town with details on all the films plus the schedule for the whole showcase but you can also access the information online at their website. As an extra incentive if you visit the website there is a chance to win one of ten double passes to a screening of your choice by answering the question on the homepage. No I’m not going to tell you the answer – it’s incredibly easy.

More info at:

The World Cinema Showcase Website:

www.worldcinemashowcase.co.nz

Academy Cinemas Website:

www.academycinemas.co.nz

The Good German

Never one to turn down a free screening (hell I'd see Norbit if it was for free) when Rialto offered their Film Club the chance to see The Good German a day early I wasn't going to turn it down! For those of you who have been wondering just what the hell Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Oceans 11) has been up to lately The Good German is the answer. In a true homage to classical 1940's Hollywood Soderbergh's latest outing is a noir murder mystery in the spirit of films like Casablanca and The Third Man. In a remarkable move Soderbergh elected to film his homage using only techniques available to 1940's filmmakers. Some people will call this arrogance. I call it a filmlovers wet dream.

If you like your movies action packed with frenetic editing and gravity defying stunts you're in the wrong place. If however you recognise names such as Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Marlene Dietrich and know Casablanca for reasons other than it being at the top of Africa then I have a feeling you will dig the movie as much as I did.

Set in Berlin at the end of World War II we meet Jake Geismer (George Clooney, having no problems with looking like a 40's movie star) who is here to cover the Pottsdam Peace Conference. His driver Tully (Tobey Maguire - not so successful) is a typical product of the war, making the best of his situation by playing both enemies against each other and making money at every opportunity. We soon meet Tully's girlfriend Lena Brandt (Cate Blanchett - another amazing performance) who as the wife to an SS secretary is highly desired by both sides. When Tully claims he can bring the Russians her husband and ends up in the river with 100 grand on him and a bullet in the chest the film launches headfirst into a noir murder mystery of the highest order. Both sides want the whole thing to be forgotten but Jake is determined to get to the bottom of it, regardless of the cost.

The movie is, for the most part, a great homage to the 1940's noir and romance stories that characterised the golden age of Hollywood. The performances are solid - especially Blanchett as Lena Brandt, backing up an equally impressive performance in Notes on a Scandal. She is one of the few working actresses who have that classical beauty of the 40's and would have been right at home with the likes of Bergman and Dietrich. Soderbergh also uses Blanchett to remind us just how alluring black and white film can be. Clooney is very good too although his star status does make it a bit harder to maintain the illusion that we are watching a typical 40's film. Maguire was adequate but in my opinion it was a bad bit of casting, especially given the timing - Spiderman 3 comes out in May, making his spidey persona even harder to ignore.

The script doesn't help either - swear words which screenwriters of the time wouldn't have even dreamt of getting past the production code pop up far too often. This incessant swearing forced me out of the period illusion. Along with the swearing, the other major problem I had with the film was the sexual explicitness - which for most audiences probably won't matter as it is no worse than your typical Hollywood movie. However this is NOT your standard Hollywood movie and if you are trying to maintain the illusion of a 40's noir it would have helped to stick to the production code. Half of what made these films so great was the innuendo that you were bombarded with. With a far worse form of censorship than today, the Hays Production Code meant that screenwriters had to be increasingly cheeky and clever in getting across the same message without actually showing it on screen. When we see Tully straight out doggystyling Lena somehow the film loses just a bit of it's magic.

The Good German is not everyones cup of tea and if your film appreciation has a timespan that ends in the mid 80's you will find the pacing dull, the effects unrealistic, some of the acting melodramatic and the story increasingly hard to follow. For the rest of you - give it a chance, you might just discover the beauty of golden age Hollywood - believe me it gets much better than this one. And for the true filmlovers, you owe it to yourself to see this. Afterall unless you're very lucky it's the closest you will ever get to seeing Casablanca on the silver screen.

A tentative 4 stars.

Showing now at Rialto.

Best Week At The Movies In Ages!

Two main reasons:



1) The Science of Sleep finally gets a theatrical release after having premiered at the International Film Fest in July last year. If you missed it then you have no excuses - you owe it to yourself to watch this movie. If you loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind then you will totally dig it - Science of Sleep is easily on a par with that one. Not to mention it has Gael Garcia Bernal in one of his best roles to date :p Charlotte Gainsbourg (sp?) is also really good, I found her so damn attractive in this movie, I guess because she isn't what you would traditionally call attractive but I found myself drawn to her nonetheless.

I thought it was only going to come out at Rialto but it's actually showing at Queen St too so you you can't bitch about having to travel to go watch it. Watch it before Gael hits the mainstream and you can claim you owned him beforehand like I do with Scarlett hehe :p




2)The DESCENT!!!!! After what seems like an age it finally comes out in cinemas here. I saw it April last year when I was in England and even in broad daylight on DVD it was the scariest movie I have seen in a long, long time. I showed it to my friends at a movie night and they all agreed. If you want to see the first truly scary horror movie in a long time then go see it. I am tempted to actually watch this own again to see how an audience reacts to it - especially the viewfinder moment heh! Although the fucking advertising department had it in one of the trailers I saw recently before a movie - way to go ruin the best part of the movie nongheads.

Oh and it is the directors cut version not the stupid watered dawn typical Hollywood ending that US audiences got.

A few more reasons why this week rocks:



The Good German is out - Steven Soderbergh's homage to 1940's noir in the spirit of movies like The Third Man and Casablanca. Shot only with 1940's technology this is a filmlovers wet dream and the closest most will get to seeing Casablanca on the silver screen. Not to mention Cate Blanchett looks absolutely GORGEOUS mmmm. Black and White really does bring out some beautiful results. It's not perfect but I definately recommend it to most audiences. (Full Review forthcoming I think :p)

NEW Spiderman 3 footage - thanks to AICN and NBC you can watch an 8minute sequence of the upcoming film which features a kick-ass fight between Spidey and Harry Osborne (James Franco)

Link here:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31776

or direct download (be warned its 200+MB)

http://flash.sonypictures.com/video/movies/spiderman3/Spiderman3_480p_4000kbps.mov

Not sure if that link still works though, Sony might have taken it down already.

Only 1 WEEK till Hot Fuzz and Miss Potter come out!!!

Less than 1 MONTH till 300 and Pan's Labyrinth!!!

The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepard is the second effort from Robert De Niro as director (his first being 1993's A Bronx Tale). Combined with a talented screenwriter (Eric Roth; Munich, Ali) and an awe-inspiring cast including Matt Damon, William Hurt, Michael Gambon, John Turturro, Alec Baldwin, Angelina Jolie and even Joe Pesci in his first appearance on screen in eight long years the film announces its lofty intentions early on.

The movie opens in 1961 just after the Bay of Pigs fiasco where we meet Edward Wilson (Damon), a high ranking official of the CIA which was set up after World War 2 to do what the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) did in wartime. The movie is framed from 1961, taking us frequently back through Edwards past, from his formative years as a talented poetry undergraduate at Yale to his recruitment into the Skull and Bones secret society and then from there to working as a secret service agent for the OSS. Most of the movie is viewed through Edwards eyes, as we see his experiences working as a secret agent and the effects it has on his family, forcing him to make great personal sacrifices in order to serve his country. Damon gives another solid performance, capping off his excellent turn a few months ago in The Departed. His character Edward is the perfect spy - 'a serious S.O.B with no sense of humor' and it is his determined isolation from any real emotion that makes him so valuable to the C.I.A even if it means sacrificing his relationship with lovers, his wife and even his son.

At 167 minutes the film certainly isn't lightweight and while I never really felt the running time drag out I don't think that will be the case for everyone. It's a slow burning thriller without the frenetic pacing of other spy movies. Those going into the movie expecting massive pyrotechnicss and grandiose action sequences will be dissapointed as the movie is much more in the vein of a cold war spy novel with double crossings and cat and mouse games at every turn.

Another dissapointment is for all the big name cast half of them might not have even bothered to turn up. Joe Pesci, in his first screen role since Lethal Weapon 4 gets one scene, and it's only a couple of minutes long. Call me greedy but I wanted to see more from the guy who gave us the infamous 'Funny how?' in Goodfellas. De Niro too only gives himself a few minutes but then I don't begrudge that considering he was directing it. Angelina Jolie does an adequate job but she doesn't really have much to do either, just mope and whinge about her husband never being there (He leaves for London one week after their marriage and comes back 6 years later) At least William Hurt (on form as usual) and John Turturro (such an underrated actor) get decent supporting roles.

If you can get past the hefty running time and don't go in with the wrong expectations - (no Angelina Jolie is not going to get her kit off no matter how alluring she might be) then you will enjoy it. There are some great performances, even if some characters didn't get as much screentime as I would have liked. Overall The Good Shepherd is a decent thriller worth watching, although I wouldn't rush to the cinema to see it. Perhaps leave it for a lazy Sunday afternoon on DVD.

7/10

Australia Trip January 2007: Sydney

So having just got back from Brisbane a couple of days ago and with nothing to do for a couple of days before work starts again on Friday I thought I would do a couple of blog entries about my first holiday overseas without the parents (woohoo!!) to alleviate my boredom - I mean it's not like I am going to be doing much for the next month or so when my bank balance is $1500dr heh. So first up on my holiday was one of the most beautiful cities in the world - Sydney, It isn't beautiful in the classical sense like say Athens or Rome but the geography of the place and some of it's buildings like the Opera House make it absolutely worth visiting.

Because I'm a student we got the cheapest flight possible over which was a $212 LAN Chile flight - not bad for the money considering they gave us breakfast and we got in-flight entertainment, even if it didn't work properly compared to the $300+ we paid for the return trip from Brissie where you had to pay $ to get water let alone movies. Flight left at 5.45am so we had to be up really early in order to get there on time - I almost ended up going back to sleep because the website was saying the flight had been delayed - good thing Richard persuaded me that we should head in anyway otherwise we would have missed the flight - not cool.

Arrived at Sydney around 8am and got picked up kindly by Richard's old friend Reese. Dumped our stuff at Richard's rellies in Forrestville and then headed out to Blacktown for some breakfast - got some yummy pancakes with maple syrup for a decent price. After that we headed into Darling Harbour because as it was Australia Day we knew the place was going to be packed out beforelong - walked around there for a bit then caught the train to Circular Quay to perv at the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge before having a couple of beers by the water. Hung around and watched a jet cane around the harbour which was impressive and then watched some parachutists jump out of a plane a few thousand feet above and then land in the middle of Circular Quay - not the sort of stuff you see on Waitangi Day thats for sure. It was amazing the amount of flag-waving and general cheeriness that was around during the day, that sort of nationalism is part of why they are so damn good at sport but it has it's downsides too.



People by the Sydney Harbour Bridge watching all the boats go by - Australia Day 2007.










Headed back around to Darling Harbour and watched all the boats parading around even some older 17th century ones - would have loved to go on one of those but ah well. Then we headed back out to Blacktown and grabbed some beer - A 24 pack of Pure Blonde. I have no idea why they don't sell 12 packs over there much really - it's either a sixer of you have to go all out and get 24 - what about the people who just want to have 6 each?! 24 is a bit exessive but even so we got through them all well before we left Sydney. So yeah had a barbie on the rooftop of Reese's apartment then headed back into town for the fireworks - which we kind of missed because we were too late for getting a park so had to content ourselves with watching from the car - got a decent video of it though. We were thinking of partying it up but both me and Richard were too tired so ended up falling asleep before midnight! shh, don't tell anyone!



Saturday we slept in and had bacon and eggs for brekkie then Reese picked us up again and we went to the Beach although it was really windy and a bit overcast so didn't go for a swim - did get some cool pictures of the swimming pools they have by the rocks on most beaches and of the view near Bigola Beach. Stopped off at Wahroonga mall for lunch then headed home for a few hours before going out to Darling Harbour - we went to a really nice cocktail bar and had a couple of caipirinhas and a zulu warrior which was very fruity but very nice then headed to Pontoon and then Pier 26 before eventually heading home around 2am. It wasn't a huge night (that was to come when we got to Gold Coast heh) but it was an enjoyable relaxing one.


Sunday we pissed around at Richards Aunt + Uncles for far too long - probably because we were playing Topspin on Xbox trying to get our ranking to number 1 before we left the next day (We ended up at number 3 - Pete Sampras was just too damn hard). Eventually we got around to leaving the house and headed out to Dee Why beach - the weather was better but the swell was still a bit rough so I didn't bother hiring a board, instead just went for a bodysurf in the reforms. Was a nice little beach but next time I head out to Sydney I am definately making sure I get to Bondi. Got back to Forrestville at 7pm and then headed over to the local RSL (Equivalent to NZ RSA) which make the ones over here look like tinhuts - they have really cheap beer, pokies, big screen tv's playing tennis, cricket, football, rugby etc and a buffet to get decent priced food from. Unfortunately we got there too late for a feed but did take advantage of 4 person rounds costing $15 heh. Grabbed Dominoes for dinner and then watched the cricket where Jacob Oram almost pulled off an amazing run chase against Australia. In the end we lost by 8 or 9 wickets but it was a good effort.

Monday was the last full day in Sydney and as Richard had to go to a lunch thing with a prospective employer I headed over to the cbd to see my first movie of the holiday, Breaking and Entering a drama starring Juliette Binoche, Jude Law, Martin Freeman and Ray Winstone directed by Anthony Minghella - also scripted by him for the first time in ages. I enjoyed the film but wasn't awe-struck. Pacing was a bit off and the overall story was too generic - it has been done better in other films eg Dirty Pretty Things for the whole immigrant struggle in 21st century London thing etc or Closer for the whole relationships falling apart thing. So yeah after that I met up with Richard at Darling Harbour and we went to the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife World where we saw all sorts of species local and exotic - from Moon Jellyfish to Koalas it was certainly better than Kelly Tarltons thats for sure. The only let down was the penguin exhibit because our aquarium over here does that one better. Headed back out to Parramatta after that to see Reese one last time before we left for a meal. Went to Hooters which is a massive restaurant chain over in America and other parts of the world - in fact I hear one is opening in Newmarket fairly soon. Really though it's just a glorified Dennys with chicks in hot orange shorts. Was a decent meal though and good to eat out for a change.


Tuesday was our last day in Sydney - had to get into town around mid-dayish to put our baggage away intime for the 4.20pm departure to Gold Coast. A word of warning to anyone thinking of taking the train up to Brisbane - never ever take it at night - it was one of the worst journeys I have taken, especially the time from around 10pm till getting off at Casino at 3.45am. The seats are really uncomfortable and it is really hard to get any sleep with all the stopping and people hitting you as they walk past in the aisle. The first few hours were alright though as we got to see some pretty scenery. So after a 16hour coach and train journey from Forrestville in Sydney we arrived at the Gold Coast - which I will blog about soonish - complete with more pics and maybe a couple of youtube vidoes hehe.

Oscar Nominations Out!!

Ok so the Oscar nominations have finally come out and I am a hell of a lot more happy with them than the Golden Globes (for the most part) I mean come on, what were you thinking putting both Clint and Mel's pictures down in the best foreign film section - they are fucking American backed, American made movies - just because they speak a different language it doesn't make it a foreign production. Grrr. Ok mini-rant over - here is the full list of nominations complete with my picks. I can hardly do any worse than I did for the Globes (7/24) but you never know.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

Has to be Forest Whitake for this one, that is where all the buzz is going. Although Leo could win it now that he isn't competing against himself with two nominations like in the Golden Globes. Last King of Scotland has been getting rave reviews and everyone has been saying what a powerhouse performance Whitaker gives in it so I am going with the hype.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED

Oooo, nice list. So great to see Alan Arkin there, he was absolutely hilarious in Little Miss Sunshine and Mark Wahlberg was wicked in Departed, kind of chanelling his I Heart Huckabees persona. I actually thought Alec Baldwin was just as good but ah well. I am picking Eddie Murphy for a comeback award - the man has been doing some seriously bad movies over the last few years and finally it looks like we might be seeing the Eddie Murphy of old. Djimon Hounsou was really good in Blood Diamond - definately one of my favourite actors. This one is actually really hard to pick aside from Eddie Murphy, could go to any of them really so not going to pick a second most likely winner.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN

Awesome that Meryl Streep got nominated, she lifted that movie from the same mindless pap to something pretty damn good. If it wasn't for her performance Devil wouldn't have been half the movie it was. Saw Volver last week and Penelope definately has given her best performance in ages - she should do more native speaking roles. Plus Almodovar is TOTALLY in love with her cleavage - and I ain't compalining :p However Helen Mirren is the obvious front-runner for this one so I am picking her, with Penelope Cruz as number 2 and Meryl an outside chance.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL

Rinko Kikuchi - damn straight, that was an amazing performance. Haven't seen Notes On A Scandal or Dreamgirls yet (seeing it tonight) but Jennifer Hudson seems to be the early favourite. I would love Abigail Breslin to win too though, best child performance since Freddie Highmore in Finding Neverland (didn't beat that one though) I am picking Jennifer Hudson and then Rinko Kikuchi.

Best animated feature film of the year

CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE

Has to be Monster House. Was the only decent animated feature to come out last year and for a childrens film it had a lot of pace and intensity, it was even pretty scary! Lots of voice talent too and it showed that performance-capture animation can actually work.

Achievement in art direction

DREAMGIRLS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
PAN'S LABYRINTH
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
THE PRESTIGE

Hmm, I am hoping Pan's Labyrinth wins judging by some of the promo stuff I have seen - looks so fantastically beautiful.

Achievement in cinematography

THE BLACK DAHLIA
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE ILLUSIONIST
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE PRESTIGE

Children of Men. Hands down. That single tracking shot around the seige of Bexhill was amazing. Best peice of camerawork I have seen all year. Maybe Pan's.

Achievement in costume design

CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE
THE QUEEN

Oooooo now this is a toughie!! Zhang Yimou has always had gorgeous costumes - just look at Hero and House of Flying Daggers although those dresses in Devil Wears Prada were delightful. But then Marie Antoinette - damn those were some impressive costumes. I don't think enough people have seen Curse of The Golden Flower yet so I am going to pick Marie.

Achievement in directing

BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
THE QUEEN
UNITED 93

Another toughie. I will be pissed if Clint gets it again for Letters instead of Scorsese for Departed but I doubt he will. Although out of all these the one I most want to win is United 93. Second only to Science of Sleep last year. I feel it might be a bit too much of a political choice though. Would love it if Babel or Departed won too. In order of preference: United 93, Babel, Departed, The Queen, Letters From Iwo Jima.

Best documentary feature

DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

Iraq In Fragments was pretty good but this is really all about An Inconvenient Truth. No question.

Best documentary short subject

THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT
RECYCLED LIFE
REHEARSING A DREAM
TWO HANDS

No idea.

Achievement in film editing

BABEL
BLOOD DIAMOND
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
UNITED 93

Some people hated the disjuncture of the editing in Babel cutting away from the Moroccan story when it was at its dramatic climax to the subdued Japanese won but personally I think some of the edits worked in perfect counterpoint. Ah well. This is a hard one as I loved the editing in all of them. United 93 was by far the most intense experience I have ever had in a movie theatre so thats my pick.

Best foreign language film of the year

AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER

Ok, the only nomination list I am pissed off with. Ok sure Volver wasn't Almodovar's best but it was damn good. GRRRRRR. Without Volver I am left to choose Pan's Labyrinth although I hear Water is really good too.

Achievement in makeup

APOCALYPTO
CLICK
PAN'S LABYRINTH

Click? lol. Pan's Labyrinth but I wouldn't be pissed if Apocalypto won as that had awesome makeup too.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

Gustavo Santaolalla, BABEL
Thomas Newman, THE GOOD GERMAN
Philip Glass, NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Javier Navarrete, PAN'S LABYRINTH
Alexandre Desplat, THE QUEEN

I think Gustavo won (rightly) for Brokeback so can't see him winning again this year. I have heard the Pan's Labyrinth score is really good so picking that one.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS
"Our Town" - CARS
"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS

Haha, 3 songs for the same movie! Well I will get back to this one tonight after having seen Dreamgirls.

Best motion picture of the year

BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE!!!! I would love it if it won but I don't have the balls to go out there and say it will. Babel, or Departed with Little Miss Sunshine an outside chance. If Letters wins... @$!!

Best animated short film

THE DANISH POET
LIFTED
THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL
MAESTRO
NO TIME FOR NUTS

No Idea.

Best live action short film

BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)
ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)
HELMER & SON
THE SAVIOUR
WEST BANK STORY

No idea.

Achievement in sound editing

APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Great sound in Apocalypto and Blood Diamond has to win something it was pretty damn good.

Achievement in sound mixing

APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
DREAMGIRLS
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

ditto.

Achievement in visual effects

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
POSEIDON
SUPERMAN RETURNS

This one isn't hard - POTC:DMC - the first time in history where I could no longer tell the CGI join. Took me ages to figure out it was Bill Nighy behind that amazing CGI work.

Adapted screenplay

Sacha Baron Cohen and Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham and Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips, BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN

Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, CHILDREN OF MEN

William Monahan, THE DEPARTED

Todd Field and Tom Perrotta,LITTLE CHILDREN

Patrick Marber, NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Borat got an Oscar nomination!!! Result!! I reckon it will go to The Departed though. Possibly Children of Men.

Original screenplay

Guillermo Arriaga, BABEL

Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

Michael Arndt, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Guillermo del Toro, PAN'S LABYRINTH

Peter Morgan, THE QUEEN

Ooh thats tough. Has Guillermo won before? He has done some great screenplays although they all follow the same fractured narrative format. Little Miss Sunshine was an awesome script. Paul Haggis got it for Crash I think. Would lovei if Sunshine got an upset but don't think it will ultimately.