insaneheadspace

I want..

2012-01-25T15:53:00.000+13:00

... Legoship of the Ring!

These little cuties are being released for real.

I admit a slight fascination with Lego minifigures (series 1 - 6; series 6 was just released last week here). And this set would fit in nicely with the *few* figures I own already...

Laneway 2012

2012-01-23T13:55:00.003+13:00

I'm super-excited for the Auckland Laneway Festival, 30th January!

Here is a helpful little guide I made for myself. I thought I'd share it here. It's missing a few NZ artists (Shane P Carter, Pajama Club). It's a basic note on each artist; their albums are numbered below. (Thanks wikipedia!!)

Links: Laneway Auckland, NZ | Venue and Map | Playing Times

~*ANNA CALVI*~
English musician who plays in the band of the same name.
1. Anna Calvi

~*AUSTRA*~
Canadian electronic band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2009.
3 Members:
Katie Stelmanis (vocals, keyboards)
her former Galaxy bandmate Maya Postepski (drums)
former Spiral Beach bassist Dorian Wolf
1. Austra

~*CULTS*~
Indie pop band from Manhattan, New York, 2010.
Members:
Madeline Follin – vocals
Brian Oblivion – vocals, guitar, percussion
Live Members:
Gabriel Rodriguez – aux, guitar
Marc Deriso – drums
Nathan Aguilar – bass guitar
1. Cults

~*EMA*~
Erika M. Anderson (EMA) is a singer/songwriter from South Dakota.
1. Little Sketches on Tape 2010
2. Past Life Martyred Saints 2011

~*FEIST*~
Leslie Feist, known professionally as Feist, is a Canadian singer-songwriter.
1. 1999: Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)
2. 2004: Let It Die
3. 2006: Open Season
4. 2007: The Reminder
5. 2011: Metals

~*GIRLS*~
Indie rock band from San Francisco, California
2 Main Members:
Christopher Owens, the main writer and lead singer
Chet "JR" White, who plays bass and produces
1. Album 2009
2. Father, Son, Holy Ghost 2011

~*GLASSER*~
Cameron Mesirow, USA (LA, NY). Mesirow's stage name was inspired by "a midnight vision of a figure hovering over water".
1. Ring 2010

~*GOYTE*~
Wouter "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), also known professionally by his stage name Gotye, is an Australian-Belgian multi-instrumental musician and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is derived from "Gaultier" (or "Gautier" or "Gauthier"), the French translation of "Wouter".
1. Boardface (2003)
2. Like Drawing Blood (2006)
3. Making Mirrors (2011)

~*HORRORS*~
English band formed in Southend on Sea in 2005
5 Members:
Faris Badwan - vocals; formerly known as Faris Rotter.
Joshua Hayward - guitar; formerly Joshua Von Grimm or Joshua Third.
Tom Cowan - synthesizer, bass (on Strange House); formerly known as Tomethy Furse.
Rhys Webb - bass, organs (on Strange House); formerly known as Spider Webb.
Joe Spurgeon - drums; formerly known as Coffin Joe.
1. Strange House
2. Primary Colours
3. Skying

~*LAURA MARLING*~
Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is an English folk musician from Eversley, Hampshire.
1. Alas, I Cannot Swim (2008)
2. I Speak Because I Can (2010)
3. A Creature I Don't Know (2011)

Laura Marling also has recorded various songs such as "Soulless Child", "Candlelight", "Karma", "Mexico" and "Nature of Dust" (all of which can be heard on YouTube but are not yet for sale) as well as "She's Changed" (of which a live version is for sale, but not a pre-recorded version) and "Such a Shame" (which is neither for sale nor available on YouTube).

~*M83*~
Musical act by French musician Anthony Gonzalez. It is named after a spiral galaxy, Messier 83. The band was founded in 2001 by Gonzalez and former member Nicolas Fromageau in Antibes, France.
5 Members:
Anthony Gonzalez
Yann Gonzalez
Morgan Kibby
Loïc Maurin
Jordan Lawlor
1. M83 2001
2. Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts 2003
3. Before the Dawn Heals Us 2005
4. Digital Shades Vol. 1 2007
5. Saturdays = Youth 2008
6. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming 2011

~*OPOSSOM*~ (NZ)
Kody Nielson (born Carl Kody Nielson 9 May 1982) is a producer, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the former lead singer and producer of the band The Mint Chicks and producer of Bic Runga's fourth studio album Belle[1]. His current project is Opossom, a psych pop group based in Auckland New Zealand.

~*PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART*~
Indie pop band from New York City
4 Members:
Kip Berman – vocals and guitar
Peggy Wang – keyboards and vocals
Alex Naidus – bass
Kurt Feldman – drums
1. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
2. Belong

~*SBTRKT*~
(Pronounced as "subtract") is the stage name of Aaron Jerome, a musician and producer from London, United Kingdom. SBTRKT began his career as a DJ in the east London club "Plastic People". SBTRKT refers also to the musical duo of Jerome and his frequent collaborator Sampha
1. SBTRKT (2011)

~*TORO Y MOI*~
Chazwick Bundick better known by his stage name Toro Y Moi, is an American recording artist and producer. His music has taken on many forms since he began recording, but he is often identified with the chillwave movement of summer 2010. As of 2011, his sound has struck out toward progressive rock, especially in a live setting.
1. Causers of This (January 2010)
2. Underneath the Pine (February 2011)

~*TRANSISTORS*~ (NZ)
The band is comprised of drummer/singer Olly Crawford-Ellis, guitarist/singer James Harding and bassist Colin Roxburgh. They play short catchy songs with an emphasis on super high energy that is powered by insanely fast drumming and loud guitars. The band’s sound blends 60s garage, 70s power pop and punk and 80s hardcore and alternative rock.
1. Shortwave

~*TWIN SHADOW*~
Twin Shadow is the stage name of American musician George Lewis Jr. USA (NY). Lewis was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Florida.
1. Forget (2010)
2. untitled (first half of 2012)

~*WASHED OUT*~
Stage name of the American chillwave musician Ernest Greene (born in 1983, Perry, Georgia).
1. Within and Without 2011

~*YUCK*~
Indie rock band that originated in London, England.
4 Members:
Daniel Blumberg
Max Bloom
Mariko Doi
Jonny Rogoff
1. Yuck 2011

Friday 13th

2012-01-13T15:21:00.001+13:00

Unfortunately, I will not be 'celebrating' Friday 13th by watching scary movies. I am however flying to Christchurch to see my good friends.

I thought I would add a quick note here that I have updated my 'Small Screen' aka TV page with shows and their statuses. The links is at the top of the page there... or here (aren't I helpful?!)

I know this page is going to help me remember (I watch too many shows), but maybe it will help a couple of like-minded readers out there :)

The 50 Big Films of 2012

2012-01-12T15:35:00.001+13:00

I love me some films - this list is from flicks.co.nz. For many reasons, these films are a 'don't miss list'. After reading through it, I want to see almost every film on this list!

In no particular order, with NZ opening dates:

Hugo, January 12. Genre: Family fantasy
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen
Don’t Miss Because: It’s Martin Scorsese doing a family film. Who thought they’d see that happen? Based on the much-loved book The Invention of Hugo Cabaret, the movie has a whimsical sense of adventure, accompanied by a truly delicious use of 3D and a couple of sincere nods to early cinema. This may help you prepare.

War Horse, January 12, Genre: War
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, Emily Watson
Don’t Miss Because: War Horse is a combination of two things Spielberg excels at: World War spectacle (Saving Private Ryan) and getting us to adore seemingly vulnerable creatures to eye-dribbling levels (E.T.). It seems like a typical Steven Spielberg film, and that’s ‘cause it is. And that’s just fine by us.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, January 19. Genre: Mystery thriller
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy
Don’t Miss Because: Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Benedict Cumberbatch (TV’s Sherlock), John Hurt (Alien), Ciarán Hinds (There Will Be Blood), Toby Jones (Captain America) and Stephen Graham (Snatch). How can you not be excited?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, January 26. Genre: Thriller
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer
Don’t Miss Because: The Millennium trilogy is awesome. David Fincher is awesome. That’s two times the awesome. Adding to that, Rooney Mara gives a performance that has been turning a number of critical heads, with some placing her embodiment of complex lead Lisbeth above and beyond Noomi Papace’s original incarnation. A bold statement indeed.

Young Adult, January 26. Genre: Comedy drama
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Oswald Patton
Don’t Miss Because: The last time director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody teamed up, they made Juno. And Juno was rad. They now shift from a coming-of-age story to a never-did-age tale, with Charlize Theron playing the grotty young adult who failed to grow beyond her high-school hey-days.

The Descendants, January 26. Genre: Drama
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Judy Greer
Don’t Miss Because: Old Georgie could be on track for his first leading role Oscar. Even if not, we're sure he had a great time filming this drama in balmy Hawaii, wearing his favourite collection of Hawaiian shirts and practicing his ukelele skills. Plus, few directors tread the bittersweet comedy drama line as adeptly as Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt, Election).

Like Crazy, February 2. Genre: Romance
Director: Drake Doremus
Starring: Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence
Don’t Miss Because: Much like last year’s Blue Valentine, this quiet indie film is a brutally honest look at how a tender romance can bloom into beauty and contort into misery. Critically adored at the Sundance Film Festival, this is a love story told with a sometimes sweet, sometimes severe simplicity.

Chronicle, February 2. Genre: Superhero found-footage thriller
Director: Josh Trank
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Dane DeHaan
Don’t Miss Because: The trailer sold it to us. Sure, we’re getting pretty oversaturated with the gimmicky use of found-footage (Apollo 18), but this indie film about cheeky mutating adolescents has made us believers again. Plus, if we had cell-phone cameras and telekinesis at that age, we’d fully be pulling the same pranks.

The Artist, February 9. Genre: Silent movie
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, Malcolm McDowell
Don’t Miss Because: This French black and white silent film has been munching on the critical praise like a kid in a candy mausoleum. Though cautious thinkers may wonder if its extreme retro style is merely an attention-seeking gimmick, rest assured that there’s an intention behind its madness, with an elegant beauty to match.

The Ides of March, February 16. Genre: Dramedy
Director: George Clooney
Starring: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Don’t Miss Because: George Clooney is so darn good at telling us what sucks about American politics (see Goodnight and Good Luck). As an Oscar-winking film, it’s ticking all the right boxes: stellar cast, intricate plot, rock-solid direction, all wrapped up in a governmental conspiracy. Prepare for more back-stabbings than a bed of knives.

Moneyball, February 16. Genre: Sports drama
Director: Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Don’t Miss Because: Although we’re not really a baseball-loving nation (let alone fantasy baseball), there are many enticing things about this true-story sports drama. The critical praise has been staggering, the acting talent serves quantity and quality and the script has been fine-tuned by screenwriting masters Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List).

Shame, February 23. Genre: Sexually-charged drama
Director: Steve McQueen
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, Amy Hargreaves
Don’t Miss Because: Michael Fassbender gives an award-winning performance as a compulsive sex addict in this drama from Steve McQueen (not THAT Steven McQueen, the dude who directed the excellent Hunger). This isn’t your light-hearted Tiger-Woodsian sex addiction either; this is a sad, gruelling and exhausting dependence that impedes our protagonist’s ability to function normally.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, February 23. Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Daldry
Starring: Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis
Don’t Miss Because: It’s a tender story about one boy’s love for his late father, and the lengths he’ll travel to show it. With heavy references to 9/11 and a young protagonist that may test your patience, the film has polarised critics; some love it, some ‘meh’ it. It’s intriguing, and a film you have to determine for yourself.

We Need To Talk About Kevin, March 1. Genre: Thriller
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Ezra Miller, John C. Reilly
Don’t Miss Because: The award-winning direction (British Independent Film Awards 2011) and Tilda Swinton’s Oscar-worthy performance should be reason enough to jot this grim drama on your must-see list. Adding the ever-increasingly excellent John C. Reilly to the mix as well as a musical backdrop by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood doesn’t hurt either.

The Grey, March 1. Genre: Survivalist Action Thriller
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, James Badge
Don’t Miss Because: It’s Liam Neeson in the Alaskan snow being hunted down by a pack of wolves and that just sounds plain awesome.

The Sitter, March 1. Genre: Comedy
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell, JB Smoove
Don’t Miss Because: It looks stupidly funny. Stupid probably being the key word there… The film has Jonah Hill staring as a guy who is – but really shouldn’t be - babysitting some kids. Sure, it sounds G-rated but believe us it’s not. With Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green behind it how could it be? Like that film, it’s foul-mouthed, drug obsessed, actiony and likely to be very funny.

My Week With Marilyn, March 8. Genre: Period drama
Director: Simon Curtis
Starring: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kennetg Branagh
Don’t Miss Because: Michelle Williams won’t give up her hunt for an Oscar, and she’s willing to impersonate the hell out of another actress to do it. Any obvious physical differences between Williams and Monroe are eradicated by her freakish performance. When it comes to impersonation, you needn’t the body of an icon; you need to embody them.

John Carter, March 8. Genre: Sci-fi-adventure
Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Hayden-Church
Don’t Miss Because: Disney has poured the big bucks into this sci-fi fantasy adventure, at times being accused of folly. But they’re right to believe in the film as it marks the live-action debut of famed Pixar director Andrew Stanton, the man who was in charge of Finding Nemo and WALL-E. Visually the film’s sure to astound and Stanton’s pedigree suggests that the importance of story won’t have been forgotten.

Martha Marcy May Marlene, March 15. Genre: Drama
Director: Sean Durkin
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes
Don’t Miss Because: Apparently there’s a talented Olsen sister, and she’s not a twin. That’s got to get you a little curious. This small film has been quite the buzz generator. After leaving an abusive cult, a mentally broken woman (Elizabeth Olsen) tries to re-assimilate with her family, but painful memories hold her back.

The Devil's Double, March 15. Genre: True-Story Drama
Director: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi
Don’t Miss Because: Our very own Lee Tamahori directs this ruthless based-on-truth tale set in late ‘80s Bagdad. Dominic Cooper (Tony Starks’ father in Captain America) plays a duel role: one as Saddam Hussein’s sadistic sex-crazed son Uday and the other as an unfortunate Iraqi army lieutenant ordered to be his body double.

Two Little Boys, March 15. Genre: Kiwi comedy
Director: Robert Sarkies
Starring: Bret McKenzie, Hamish Blake, Maaka Pohatu
Don’t Miss Because: Flight of the Conchord’s Bret McKenzie and Hamish and Andy’s Hamish Blake pair up in the Kiwi black-comedy as best buds Nige and Deano, caught up in the accidental death of a Scandinavian soccer star brought on by a policeman, a ginger cat and a hot meat pie. Curious yet?

The Hunger Games, March 22. Genre: Action thriller
Director: Gary Ross
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson
Don’t Miss Because: It’s based on Suzanne Collins’ much appreciated novel about a futuristic world where two dozen teenagers are rounded up to fight to the death, all in the name of televised entertainment. It also stars young Oscar-nominee and current Hollywood head-turner Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique from X-Men: First Class).

Attack the Block, March 29. Genre: Sci-fi
Director: Joe Cornish
Starring: Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway
Don’t Miss Because: Having been pushed around last year’s release schedule like an unloved ginger, hope still remains that this time the acclaimed British indie will actually get shown on a New Zealand cinema screen… This sci-fi action flick is about a street gang on a South London council estate battling it out with invading aliens and was the break-out hit of last year’s SXSW festival before going on to conquer many ‘Best Of 2011’ lists.

Carnage, March undated. Genre: Comedy
Director: Roman Polanski
Starring: Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz
Don’t Miss Because: Roman Polanski takes four incredible actors/actresses, puts them in a room and shakes it up like an ADHD kid holding a snow globe. Based on the hit play God of Carnage, Polanski’s take is bound to have the same level of humour, and he’s no stranger to one-room films (Death and the Maiden).

The Pirates! Band of Misfits, April 5. Genre: Family comedy
Director: Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt
Starring: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, David Tennant
Don’t Miss Because: Aside from being the year’s best excuse to bust out your Pirate impressions it’s also practically guaranteed to be a winner. Aardman Animations rarely muck things up and Pirates returns the studio to its dazzling hand animated plasticine roots after the CGI of their recent festive hit Arthur Christmas.

The Avengers, April 25. Genre: Superhero action
Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
Don’t Miss Because: This will be the first superhero collaboration to have actually worked, at least that’s what we’re hoping for. Given Marvel’s current track record and beloved comic geek Joss Whedon helming the director’s chair and writer’s pen, they’ve made optimists out of us all.

A Dangerous Method, April 26. Genre: Period drama
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley
Don’t Miss Because: David Cronenberg is superb at telling messed-up stories about messed-up people, or at least people who are about to get messed-up (The Fly, 1996’s Crash). Michael Fassbender’s looks set to further his current winning streak (Inglourious Basterds, Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class, Shame). And Viggo doing Freud? Uhh… hell yes!

Dark Shadows, May 10. Genre: Spooky soap opera
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz
Don’t Miss Because: The pairing of Tim Burton with cult gothic-horror TV series Dark Shadows is as fitting as a goth in a skin-paling convention. A powerful wealthy man, played by Johnny Depp, is turned into a vampire and buried. Jumping from the 16th Century to 1972, he escapes to find his once-thriving establishment in dismay.

The Five-Year Engagement, May 17. Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Alison Brie
Don’t Miss Because: The romantic comedy genre often gets a bum rep for peddling predictability and delivering cheesy schmaltz, but this looks different. This actually looks – wait for it – very funny. Co-written by star Jason Segel and director Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) the pair look to have injected some much need vitality and, more importantly, comedy into the stagnating genre.

Men In Black 3, May 24. Genre: Sci-fi action-comedy
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Jemaine Clement
Don’t Miss Because: This third outing for the MIBs involves a time travel plot so mind-boggling that production has been halted numerous times to allow the writers to sort it all out. Have they succeeded? We’re looking forward to finding out…

The Dictator, May 31. Genre: Comedy
Director: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Megan Fox, John C Reilly
Don’t Miss Because: It’s likely to be the funniest film of the year. Adapted from the romance novel written by Saddam Hussein (yes, that Saddam Hussein) by some of the top writers from sitcom classic Seinfeld, and starring the fearless Sacha Baron Cohen, you can be sure that The Dictator will be wildly askew, mercilessly offensive, contagiously funny and devastatingly intelligent.

Rock of Ages, May 31. Genre: Musical comedy
Director: Adam Shankman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, Russell Brand
Don’t Miss Because: It will be good fun. Sure, the story sounds plenty hokey but it’s a musical and we’re pretty sure that’s being hokey is the number one rule for musicals. So forget things like plot and well-rounded characters and just enjoy the clichéd characters rocking along the film’s clichéd plotline to a rocking soundtrack of glam rock classics. Afterall, it’s the music that’s the most important part of a musical and that’s where Rock Of Ages shines.

Prometheus, June 7. Genre: Sci-fi
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: (Flicks seem to have confused 'Bad Teacher' with 'Prometheus' here LOL - will post when they correct it, though I do know it stars Charlize Theron and Noomi Rapace)

Jack the Giant Killer, June 14. Genre: Fantasy adventure
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor
Don’t Miss Because: This is a revision of the classic fairy tale seen through X-Men director Bryan Singer’s retinas. The trailer promises a more adventurous fairy tale adaptation than the likes of the woefully tame Red Riding Hood. Plus, there’s gonna be a giant tearing shiz up. In 3D.

Brave, June 21. Genre: Family adventure
Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson
Don’t Miss Because: After Pixar’s misstep with Cars 2, they’re ready to remind the movie world why they are considered to be the top of the animated medium. The unique Scottish styling is exposed in full force, from the rich accents to the gorgeous jaw-collapsing vistas. Brave looks to be Pixar’s return to form.

Snow White and the Huntsman, June 21. Genre: Fantasy adventure
Director: Rupert Sanders
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron
Don’t Miss Because: Fairy tale remakes are going to be inescapable this year, and this is the one we’re giving the just made up Flicks Fairy Tale Seal of Approval too. More a reimagining than a straight reboot, here the classic tale’s tropes have been infused with a dark realism and some fierce swordsmanship. The first released picture showed star Kristen Stewart in full steel body armour brandishing a mighty sword proving that despite its namesake, this ain’t gonna be no fairy tale…

The Amazing Spider-Man, June 28. Genre: Superhero action
Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans
Don’t Miss Because: Like it or not, emo-Spider-Man is the Spider-Man 2.0 that’s here to stay for the next long while so you may as well get on-board early with it…

Ted, July 12. Genre: Comedy
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Mila Kunis, Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane (voice)
Don’t Miss Because: This is the directorial feature debut of Seth MacFarlane, animated comedy honcho (Family Guy, American Dad) and freakishly talented voice actor. Voyaging into the realm of live-action, Ted is a comedy about a man (Mark Wahlberg) and his teddy bear (voiced by you-know-who) who comes to life after a childhood wish.

The Dark Knight, Rises July 19. Genre: Superhero action
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy
Don’t Miss Because: Christopher Nolan’s final instalment in his Batman trilogy is arguably the biggest release of the year, and is definitely the most anticipated. The trailer is incredible, showing that the mumbling, near indecipherable villain Bane is both, a suitably badass opponent for Gotham’s caped crusader and a menacing enough follow-on from Heath Ledger’s definitive Joker. Let’s put it this way, if we could only see one film this year, it would be this one.

Rivals, August 9. Genre: Comedy
Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudekis
Don’t Miss Because: The idea of pitting two of this generations funniest man-childs against each other is an inspired one. Pitting them against each other in the juvenile world of politics and electioneering borders close to comedic genius. And that’s exactly what Jay Roach, the director of Austin Powers, has done. If you’re looking for a laugh this year, then this one gets our vote.

The Bourne Legacy, August 16. Genre: Action
Director: Tony Gilroy
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz
Don’t Miss Because: It represents another bold move by the Bourne franchise in its aggressive targeting of its super spy rival, the Bond series. Here, the filmmakers have taken a leaf out of the 007 handbook, by controversially replacing aging series star Mat Damon with spry young action-man Jeremy Renner (who is also being groomed to take over from Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible). Is Bourne bigger than Damon? Only one way to find out…

Total Recall, August 23. Genre: Sci-fi
Director: Len Wiseman
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston
Don’t Miss Because: Unlike Arnie’s stupidly fun yet stupidly stupid version, this retelling promises to be more faithful to Philip K. Dick’s short story. Expect an intelligent plot, a fully realised sci-fi world and the return of the infamous tri-boob hooker.

The Expendables 2, August 23. Genre: Action
Director: Simon West
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris
Don’t Miss Because: It stars practically every action hero of the '80s, '90s and today. The first one may have been a bit of a fizzer, but for the sequel the ante’s been raised and even more action stars have been enlisted, including perennial tough guy Chuck Norris. You’ve really got to give it up to writer, conceptualiser and star Sly Stallone for turning every action fans dream into one bullet ridden, explosion heavy, reality.

Neighbourhood Watch, September 20. Genre: Comedy
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Starring: Vince Vaughan, Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill
Don’t Miss Because: Vince Vaughan and Ben Stiller are a terrific comedy combo and this sci-fi laughfest from writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg promises to be ripe with Stiller’s snappy one liners and Vaughan’s fast talking snark. It’s about a group of dudes who start a neighbourhood watch group in order to get some 'guy time' away from their wives only to discover that aliens are about to attack Earth. And as they're the ones watching the neighbourhood, it's up to them to stop the attack.

Savages, October 4. Genre: Crime thriller
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch
Don’t Miss Because: It’s Oliver Stone doing something that doesn’t involve 9/11, American politics or the stock market. Two marijuana agriculturalists must face the Mexican Baja Cartel who kidnaps their shared girlfriend. A glut of A-listers fill the cast list: Blake Lively (The Town), Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek.

Frankenweenie, October 4. Genre: Animated Fantasy
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara
Don’t Miss Because: No-one does cartoonish macabre better than spider-haired director Tim Burton. Here he returns to the world of stop motion animation for this Frankenstein-inspired tale about a boy who reanimates the corpse of his beloved dog. Fans of Burton’s trademark kooky ghoulishness will not want to miss this one.

Gangster Squad, November 1. Genre: Crime
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Sean Penn
Don’t Miss Because: Round here we love a good gangster flick and this one from the director of the cult-fave Zombieland sounds like it’s going to be exceptionally good. Set at the height of the mafia’s power in the 1940s and starring Time Magazine’s ‘Coolest Person of the Year’ Ryan Gosling, the increasingly vital Emma Stone and the always on form Sean Penn, we’re expecting The Gangster Squad to be a hit – cinematically of course...

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, November 15. Genre: Romantic horror
Director: Bill Condon
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Don’t Miss Because: Whether you’re a lover or a hater, you should be excited (for one reason or another) about the last entry into the Twilight Saga. Similar to last year’s The Deathly Hallows Pt 2, this conclusion marks the end of a wildly successful film franchise.

Skyfall, November 22. Genre: Action
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench
Don’t Miss Because: This 23rd film in the franchise will largely ignore the intertwined plot of Bond’s last two outings and instead be a focused, stand-alone adventure that will see Britain’s super-spy blowing things up in exotic locales, pausing only for the occasional martini with a classy broad or to deliver a devastating quip…

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, December 14. Genre: Epic fantasy adventure
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis
Don’t Miss Because: Sir Pete’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy was such a towering achievement, the epic to end all epics, that having the chance to return to Middle earth under his careful custodianship is a real cinematic privilege. With Martin Freeman bringing his affable everyman shtick to author JRR Tolkien’s briskly paced, high-spirited adventure this is one journey we are very much looking forward too. Also, dragons.

Time Management Games

2012-01-07T17:47:00.000+13:00

WTF you say?! Yes, I looove time management games. So much so, that when I finish one I love, I google trying to find more like that one I loved.

I thought I would start this post for a couple of reasons: to remind myself which ones I liked and didn't like, and to help others out there, that may stumble on this post (due to their bizarre love of time management games).

First off, so far I like the games that involve food and food preparation. If anyone has any suggestions for me within this branch of time management games, or out of it, please comment!

My love started with Cake Mania, and the sequels. And as I have a PC, that is the platform I am most concerned with. I will only be posted names and a bit of info - NOT the games themselves (unless there is a link to a free web version).

+ Cake Mania is a name and also a series of cooking and time management video games developed and published by Sandlot Games in 2006. The Wii version is known as Cake Mania: In the Mix! (I haven't played the Wii version)

Cake Mania
Cake Mania: Back to the Bakery (the first spinoff)
Cake Mania 2 (sequel to the original. It has different features from the original one, like different locations, slightly different gameplay, new customers, and a new design)
Cake Mania 3 (New features include mini-games and power-ups as well as the introduction of voice overs for the different storyboards throughout the game)
Cake Mania: Main Street (New features include the ability to play as Jack, Risha, and Tiny in establishments other than the Evans Bakery. There are four Main Street locations, each with 25 levels)
Cake Mania: Lights, Camera, Action!
Cake Mania: To The Max!

+ Delicious is a series of time management casual games, developed by Zylom Studios, and published by Zylom. The games tell the story of Emily, a waitress who aspires to one day run her own restaurant, and who works in several other restaurants in order to earn the money to make her dream come true. These are listed in my favourites to play.

Delicious
Delicious 2 (released 2007. Offers players a number of new features, such as decorating your restaurant yourself, the possibility to put items on your plate ahead of time rather than when it was ordered, trophies for special achievements, and a storyline with cut scenes. Has five 10-day restaurants to play through)
Delicious: Emily's Tea Garden (released 2008. The game holds on to the solid basis of Delicious 2, and mainly offers a bigger variety in dishes, reservations and a mini-game in which you collect mice.)
Delicious: Emily's Taste of Fame (released 2009. The game takes the series to the next level by challenging players with special events that change daily, and need to be completed besides the normal time management gameplay. For instance, while running a restaurant, you will need to take packages from the postman, help a lady find her pearls, or keep the place clean while a car mechanic is fixing your car)
Delicious: Emily's Holiday Season (released 2009)
Emily's Childhood Memories (released 2011)
Emily's True Love (Alpha testing began June 2011. Beta to be released soon)

+ Turbo Pizza (my least favourite series - The food prep is done by another character, not by you - this makes it less fun in my opinion)

Turbo Pizza
Turbo Subs (follow up to Turbo pizza) Download the free 60 minute trial here

+Youda Sushi Chef (this is my FAVOURITE time management game, and I hope they make a sequel). It can be played online here. There are 6 different restaurants to complete, and a huge menu selection of sushi to create. I loved that ingredients had to be ordered in before they ran out (adds to the challenge).

+ Stand O'Food (Keep the line moving as customers and orders start piling up. Slap together burgers and cook up some bacon as quickly as you can! But it's not all about speed. You've also got to plan ahead). This game is fun, but different in that conveyor belts of ingredients must be picked from to make the sandwiches.

Stand O'Food (more than 100 levels, 80+ sandwiches to make) Try it for an hour here
Stand O'Food 2 (200 levels) Try it for an hour here
Stand O'Food 3 (more of everything hehe) Try it for an hour here

I'll try and add more as I find them and try them!

Concerts Rocked [2012]

2012-01-01T18:49:00.022+13:00

UPCOMING
27 Jan: The Dresden Dolls @ Powerstation
30 Jan: Laneways Festival @ Silo Park (FEIST, THE HORRORS, GOTYE, LAURA MARLING, PAJAMA CLUB, SBTRKT (Live), SHAYNE P CARTER, WASHED OUT, TWIN SHADOW, ANNA CALVI, M83, CULTS, GIRLS, EMA, YUCK, TORO Y MOI, WU LYF, GLASSER, OPOSSOM, THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART, AUSTRA, TRANSISTORS)
29 Feb: Death Cab For Cutie @ Wellington Town Hall (flying down for the gig!)
08 Mar: Ryan Adams @ Civic Theatre
28 May: Florence and the Machine @ Vector Arena

Movies Seen [2012]

2012-01-01T12:55:00.005+13:00

My movie consumption was lower than what it used to be, but it seems to be on the rise again...

2011 = 52 (!!! big increase) 2010=35; 2009= 39; 2008=35; 2007 = 31; 2006 = 23; 2005 = 56

...I still try to keep track by posting them here!

03 Jan: Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
10 Jan: The Adventures of Tin Tin 3D
23 Jan: Julia's Eyes
25 Jan: The Descendants

(On the down-low: Killer Elite, Midnight in Paris, Cedar Rapids, Catfish, I Love You Phillip Morris, The Trip)

Books Read [2011]

2012-01-01T12:55:00.001+13:00

30 Books Read in 2011

15-Jan: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5), by J.K. Rowling
31-Jan: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4), by J.K. Rowling
13-Feb: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6), by J.K. Rowling
20-Feb: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7), by J.K. Rowling
23-Feb: Beat the Reaper (Peter Brown #1), by Josh Bazell
27-Feb: The Sky Is Everywhere, by Jandy Nelson
3-Mar: Jubilee, by Eliza Graham
8-Mar: Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
10-Mar: If I Stay (If I Stay, #1), by Gayle Forman
13-Mar: Flirt (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #18), by Laurell K. Hamilton
7-Apr: A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark, #2), by Kresley Cole
5-May: Bullet (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #19), by Laurell K. Hamilton
14-May: No Rest for the Wicked (Immortals After Dark, #3), by Kresley Cole
21-May: Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (Immortals After Dark, #4), by Kresley Cole
31-May: Vampires: A Bite-Sized History, by Judyth A. McLeod
18-Jun: Dark Needs at Night's Edge (Immortals After Dark, #5), by Kresley Cole
21-Jun: Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark, #6), by Kresley Cole
12-Jul: Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark, #7), by Kresley Cole
21-Jul: Deep Kiss of Winter (Includes: Immortals After Dark, #8; Alien Huntress, #4.5), by Kresley Cole
23-Jul: Pleasure of a Dark Prince (Immortals After Dark #9), by Kresley Cole
27-Jul: Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark, #10), by Kresley Cole
5-Aug: One Day, by David Nicholls
6-Aug: The Warlord Wants Forever (Immortals After Dark, #1), by Kresley Cole
6-Aug: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1), by Suzanne Collins
8-Aug: Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Immortals After Dark, #11), by Kresley Cole
19-Aug: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, by Vicki Myron
18-Oct: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
24-Oct: The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
12-Nov: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1), by George R.R. Martin
11-Dec: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2), by George R.R. Martin

More TV shows!!

2011-09-11T14:02:00.002+12:00

I thought my list was long! Here's a list of new shows starting soon that my brother sent me (there is a few that overlap with mine)

Ringer (CW)
Premieres Tuesday, September 13, 9pm
What Is It? Sarah Michelle Geller returns to TV to play a poor woman who is on the run and starts impersonating her posh twin sister when she goes missing. Sounds confusing—and kickass.
Should You Watch It? Oh, hell yes!

H8R (CW)
Premieres Wednesday, September 14, 8pm
What Is It? A celebrity confronts a real life schmo who talked crap about them on the internet and makes him (or her) say it to his (or her) face. Snooki and Kim Kardashian are already on board.
Should You Watch It? This will probably get old fast, but it will be cute for a few episodes.

Up All Night (NBC)
Premieres Wednesday, September 14, 10pm
What Is It? Underappreciated comedic actors Will Arnett and Christina Applegate play new parents trying to balance their social and professional lives with a new kid. Maya Rudolph is part of a strong supporting cast.
Should You Watch It? Though the concept threatens to get staler than a 3-day-old used Pamper, Arnett and Applegate are always a treat.

Free Agents (NBC)
Premieres Wednesday, September 14, 10:30pm
What Is It? Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn play PR agents who have a drunken one night stand and then have to keep working together.
Should You Watch It? If you want to watch this then you've never had to deal with PR people.

The Secret Circle (CW)
Premieres Thursday, September 15, 9pm
What Is It? The Vampire Diaries with witches.
Should You Watch It? If you are under 18, it's social suicide not to. If you're older, well, there are a lot worse things you could be watching. Like Grey's Anatomy.

2 Broke Girls (CBS)
Premieres Monday, September 19, 9:30pm
What Is It? A rich girl has to get a job at a diner after her Daddy Warbucks is locked in jail and she ends up moving in with the poor girl she works with at the diner.
Should You Watch It? This has a laugh track and is written by Michael Patrick King, who we still haven't forgiven for Sex and the City 2: Menopause Never Sleeps. So, no.

The Playboy Club (NBC)
Premieres Monday, September 19, 10pm
What Is It? It's like Mad Men but with skimpier costumes, worse writing, and Eddie Cibrian. Damn, he's hot. But he plays some fancy playboy who helps a waitress cover up a murder after she kills a guy with her high heel in the first episode. Yes, with her high heel. That is a real thing. Watch the trailer!
Should You Watch It? Does Hugh Hefner have a smooth nutsack?

New Girl (FOX)
Premieres Tuesday, September 20, 9pm
What Is It? Indie movie vegan singer Zooey Deschanel gets dumped by her boyfriend and moves in with three bachelors have have to teach her how to find love again. No party animals were harmed in the making of this show.
Should You Watch It? This looks like it has the potential to be funny, but it also looks like you might want to claw Zooey's face off after 10 minutes.

Unforgettable (CBS)
Premieres Tuesday, September 20, 10pm
What Is It? Poppy Montgomery (NCISCSIBVD: Special Victims Unit New York) plays a detective who solves crime—with her memory. Yes, she's a crime solver with a photographic memory. Why not just make her a witch or something cool? Zombie? Vampire? No. She can remember things. Criminals beware!
Should You Watch It? You should forget it entirely.

The X Factor (FOX)
Premieres Wednesday, September 21, 8pm
What Is It? Simon Cowell gets the old gang together for this talent show, which is basically like American Idol: Original Recipe but with a few changes. Groups and old people are allowed and the judges coach the singers throughout the season. God help whoever gets stuck with Paula Abdul.
Should You Watch It? Did you like American Idol?

Revenge (ABC)
Premieres Wednesday, September 21, 10pm
What Is It? That girl from Brothers & Sisters goes to the Hamptons to get revenge on the woman she blames for tearing her family apart by becoming a part of her world and marrying her son.
Should You Watch It? We really need a new sudsy show to replace the over-picked carcass of Gossip Girl, but something about this just seems a bit off.

Charlie's Angels (ABC)
Premieres Thursday, September 22, 8pm
What Is It? Three hot chicks (this time Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor and Annie Ilonzeh) fighting crime, just like the original. Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle.
Should You Watch It? Sure, if you're a teenage boy who doesn't have Skinemax. Actually, this has a shot to be fun, but consider our skepticism high.

Whitney (NBC)
Premieres Thursday, September 22, 9:30pm
What Is It? Comedian Whitney Cummings plays an annoying girl with a boyfriend and she annoys people and its supposed to be funny like she's Larry David or something, but she's not.
Should You Watch It? Our enthusiasm is completely curbed.

Person of Interest (CBS)
Premieres Thursday, September 22, and 9pm
What Is It? Created by J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan (brother of Inception's Christopher) this psychic spy series follows a billionaire who developed software that can predict who is going to be involved in crime. He teams up with a former CIA agent to help prevent crime from ever happening again. As things usually do when Mr. Abrams is involved, mysteries will sprout from mysteries.
Should You Watch It? My interest is high.

Prime Suspect (NBC)
Premieres Thursday, September 22, 10pm
What Is It? Maria Bellow takes over the role of tough lady detective Jane Timoney that earned Helen Mirren an Emmy or two. She's fighting crime and a sexiest police department with her scowling ways.
Should You Watch It? The original series (a PBS staple) was great, but something about Bello in this role seems grating. Give it an episode or three before deciding if it sucks.

A Gifted Man (CBS)
Premieres Friday, September 23, 8pm
What Is It? It's Ghost Whisperer, M.D.Patrick Wilson plays a doctor who talks to the ghost of his dead wife and, I don't know, stuff happens.
Should You Watch It? If you do, I wouldn’t get too attached.

Pan Am (ABC)
Premieres Sunday, September 25, 10pm
What Is It? The lives and loves of a group of '60s stewardesses (we can call them that, right?) who work for the airline. It's Mad Men with more ladies, and Christina Ricci!
Should You Watch It? Simply, yes.

Terra Nova (FOX)
Premieres Monday, September 26, 8pm
What Is It? This much-delayed project from Steven Spielberg is about a family that leave a dystopian future to go back to prehistoric times to find a way to save their dying planet. Dinosaur chases abound.
Should You Watch It? It looks dramatic, expensive, and pretty damn cool.

Hart of Dixie (CW)
Premieres Monday, September 26, 9pm
What Is It? Rachel Bilson returns to TV (did we miss her or something?) as a fancy doctor who has to go down south and open a medical practice. It's called Southern Exposure.
Should You Watch It? Eh, just watch those ice cream ads Bilson made with Karl Lagerfeld instead.

Suburgatory (ABC)
Premieres Wednesday, September 28, 8:30pm
What Is It? A teenage girl has to leave her hip home in the city for the suburbs when her father finds a box of condoms in her dresser. Would he rather find that or a baby in her uterus? Hmm? Lots of jokes about how the suburbs suck ensue.
Should You Watch It? Those of us that wanted to escape the suburbs already have. Why go back?

How to Be a Gentleman (CBS)
Premieres Thursday, September 29, 8:30pm
What Is It? Bert's a man's man, Andrew's a gentleman. This fall they will teach each other a little bit about becoming a better man!
Should You Watch It? No.

Homeland (SHO)
Premieres Sunday, October 2, 10pm
What Is It? Claire Danes plays a skeptical CIA agent investigating the preternatural length of her eyebrows or some other sort of spooky CIA black-ops in Baghdad type stuff. Oh, Mandy Patinkin is there too. Maybe he'll sing some Sondheim.
Should You Watch It? I have a feeling this is one of those shows people will watch and I won't and they'll be all like "You have to watch Homeland," and their insistence will make me not want to so I'll never watch it and then like four seasons in I'll decide to watch them all on DVD and think, "God, you are such an asshole for not watching this show when it started." I have a feeling it will be like that. Or not.

American Horror Story (FX)
Premieres Wednesday, October 5, 10pm
What Is It? A couple (Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton of Friday Night Lights fame) move to L.A. and move into a house that is haunted by ghosts or something. Jessica Lange, Zachary Quinto, and Dennis O'Hare are also involved, so the cast is shaping up to be, uh, killer.
Should You Watch It? This was created by Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck, Glee), so it will be awesome for eight episodes, then start to suck and then there will be a serial killer and then we'll all roll our eyes and say, "Remember when American Horror Story was good?" That will all happen in season one.

Enlightened (HBO)
Premieres Monday, October 10, 9:30pm
What Is It? Screenwriter Mike White's comedy about a woman (Laura Dern, back from the dead) who has a spiritual reawakening in rehab and now wants to convert her intire family, including her mother (played by Dern's real life mother Diane Ladd).
Should You Watch It? Yes, but HBO on a Monday? Weird.

Last Man Standing (ABC)
Premieres Tuesday, October 11, 8pm
What Is It? Sitcom starring Tim Allen, previously titled “Man Up” and “Last Days of Man.” While Mike is king of the hill at work, he's the odd man out in a home that is dominated by women -- namely his wife, Vanessa, and their three daughters, 22- year-old Kristin, 17-year-old Mandy and 14-year-old Eve. After being a stay-at-home mom for years, Vanessa recently returned to the workplace and was quickly promoted (much to the dismay of her primarily male co-workers). As a result of Vanessa's increased work load, Mike is pulled into more hands-on parenting than ever before.
Should You Watch It? It looks like Home Improvement for women.

Man Up (ABC)
Premieres Tuesday, October 18, 8:30
What Is It? Three guys have to learn how to be men again. Yes, because that is the number one problem facing America today: how men aren't allowed to be fat and play video games and scream in public and slag off on their wives and kids. God, it is so hard to be straight, white, and male, isn't it? Assholes.
Should You Watch It? How many shows about learning to be better men do we need this season?

Grimm (NBC)
Premieres Friday, October 21, 9pm
What Is It? Some kid who used to be on MTV's The Gauntlet plays a detective who is the last in the long line of monster hunters and he has to hunt monsters with his magic powers. Well, it's better than being a detective with lots of memory power.
Should You Watch It? It's Friday, Friday, Gotta get down on Friday. Also, Friday night death slot.

Once Upon a Time (ABC)
Premieres Sunday, October 23, 8pm
ABC
What Is It? A town in Maine is actually filled with characters from fairy tales, and they slowly awaken and start to figure out who they really are.
Should You Watch It? This could be cute, especially if you have kids. But don't get too invested.

Allen Gregory (FOX)
Premieres Sunday, October 30, at 8:30pm
What Is It? The latest addition to their all-animated Sunday night features a super precocious millionaire kid who is forced to attend second grade with the rest of the plebs. Johan Hill does the voice.
Should You Watch It? This doesn't look half bad, and it makes it even better that you don't actually have to look at Jonah Hill.

Hell on Wheels (AMC)
Premieres Sunday, November 6, 10pm
What Is It? Cable's biggest prestige network (sorry HBO) goes all Western on our asses with this show about the building of the Continental Railroad. Because that is boring, there is also a story about a Confederate soldier out for vengeance against the Yanks who killed his wife.
Should You Watch It? If you don't then you hate the south and you hate America. Just remember that.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter (FOX)
Premieres Wednesday, November 23, 9:30pm
What Is It? Jamie Pressley and (Tony winner) Katie Finneran play two middle-aged mothers who hate the mean girls their bitchy daughters have turned into and try to reform them while also trying to befriend them.
Should You Watch It? It seems really stupid, but I said the same thing about Raising Hope last year, and was totally wrong, so, who knows, maybe it will be good. Also, Jamie Pressley.

September TV Shows

2011-09-01T14:35:00.000+12:00

A whole heap of new* and favourite TV shows start up in September in the US. Here is my list so far! (some of the dates might not be exact, as I have found different ones posted)

06 Sep: Sons of Anarchy (season 4)
13 Sep: The Ringer*
15 Sep: The Vampire Diaries (season 3)
15 Sep: The Secret Circle*

20 Sep: New Girl*
20 Sep: Glee (season 3)
20 Sep: Raising Hope (season 2)
21 Sep: Modern Family (season 3)
23 Sep: Supernatural (season 7)
23 Sep: Fringe (season 4)
25 Sep: Boardwalk Empire (season 2)
26 Sep: Gossip Girl (season 5)
26 Sep: Hart of Dixie*
28 Sep: The Good Wife (season 3)

October brings with it Dexter, Chuck, and The Walking Dead!

There is a rather comprehensive list here

RIP Blog, Long Live Twitter?!

2011-08-29T14:39:00.001+12:00

It has been aggggeesss since I posted anything good here. Over the years I have kept this thing going - posting random thoughts and tid-bits that amuse me. But lately I have been a bad blogger.

Social Media is huge now... except there isn't more time (just more ways to waste/spent time!). I struggle with Facebook (kinda hate it) - boooooy does it uber-time-suckage.

However, I love twitter (for those of you that still aren't on board, don't quite get it, and file it as narcissistic, read this awesome article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/weekinreview/03carr.html

I do twitter personal bits and pieces (to share with my friends), yet I get to follow news, music, TV, movies, shops etc that I like (plus @DeathStarPR = hilarious!) - all the info I am interested in, sent to me in 140 character bites. Then I can share that stuff with my followers!

I think my blog has been spluttering along due to my twittering; things I am excited about, I can instantly declare to twitter via my BlackBerry or desktop.

But, here I am, reviving it (slightly). This blog won't die (even if you want it to :P ), it's just sloooowed down!

I plan to write a (proper) post very soon. Just don't hold your breath (so far I have managed to update my movies and concerts).

NZFF 2011

2011-06-23T15:28:00.007+12:00

(Edited: Friday 24th June)
(Edited: Saturday 25th June)
(Edited: Monday 29th August)
It's been ages since I've posted, but: it's that time of the year again... the New Zealand International Film Festival (simply referred to as NZFF).

I thought I'd start a posting with my choices. There are usually at least 30 films I want to see, but alas, it's not possible! So, the painful prioritising process (PPP) has to start, including knocking off films that have a general release coming soon ('soon' being the opperative word; I don't want to wait a whole nother year to see a film I want to see NOW hehe).

I have a system (that involves different coloured post-it notes...) that takes me through the schedule about 10 times! But it takes time to make selections and then to fit them in, especially when most films only screen twice.

But, seriously:

(I wasn't kidding about the post-its!)

My initial run has seen me mark 33 films! ('+' indicate high interest lol - 19 of the 33)
+Melancholia imdb
+Arrietty imdb
+The Tree of Life (released in NZ 25th August) imdb
+Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horrors (original film with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra live)
+Elite Squad: The Enemy Within imdb (note: sequel to awesomeness!!)
Let the Bullets Fly imdb
Winter Vacation imdb
Incendies (I've seen the preview at the Rialto so must be coming here soon) imdb
The Round Up imdb
The Screen Illusion imdb (looks like this is from French TV)
A Separation imdb
Footnote imdb
The Solitude of Prime Numbers imdb
Gantz: Perfect Answer imdb
+Space Battleship Yamato imdb
The First Grader imdb (released at Rialto on 1st September)
+The Trip imdb
+Meek's Cutoff imdb
+Terri imdb
Beginners imdb
+Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey imdb
+The Guard (released at Rialto on 1st September) imdb
Heartbeats imdb
+Sleeping Beauty imdb
+Submarine imdb
Snowtown imdb
+Take Shelter imdb
+The Yellow Sea imdb
+POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold imdb (high chance of general release)
+Page One: Inside the New York Times imdb
+Jiro Dreams of Sushi imdb
+13 Assassins imdb
The Man from Nowhere imdb

Then, we start building the 'MUST see' list using PPP (in no particular order):
1. Melancholia
2. Arrietty
3. Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horrors (original film with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra live)
4. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
5. Space Battleship Yamato
~~6. The Trip~~
7. Meek's Cutoff
8. Terri
9. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
10. Submarine
11. Take Shelter
~~12. The Yellow Sea~~
~~13. POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold~~ (ended up giving my ticket away)
12. Page One: Inside the New York Times
13. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
14. 13 Assassins
15. Incendies (I was off work and the time was good - awesome film)
16. La Acacias (Had a 2 for 1 screening; glad I went!)

To be continued...

Well, early bird tickets went on sale this morning. After a considerable struggle with the bloody ticketing site, I have booked in... 14 films. Excited (yet don't want to see my credit card bill!!!).

And, in the end I saw 16!!

15-Jul: Elmo
15-Jul: Incendies
15-Jul: Submarine
15-Jul: Meek's Cutoff
15-Jul: 13 Assassins
20-Jul: Take Shelter
20-Jul: La Acacias
22-Jul: Arriety
22-Jul: Jiro Dreams of Sushi
22-Jul: Page One (Story of the New York Times)
23-Jul: Terri
26-Jul: Space Battleship Yamato
26-Jul: Elite Squad 2
28-Jul: Gantz 2 (Perfect Answer)
29-Jul: Melancholia
31-Jul: Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horrors (original film with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra live)

Long time, No blog

2011-05-08T00:44:00.001+12:00

It's late/early, and I should be more than just in bed; I should be sound asleep. But I felt like writing a quick note - it's been such a long time since I last wrote! As I type this the wind is howling outside, and the rain is pouring. I love it when I am safe and snuggly inside, while the weather goes wild outside.

Tonight I baked my first ever Banana Cake... And despite a small baking POWDER, baking SODA mishap, it looks great... I just hope it tastes great! It's to be a team effort, as my brother is in charge of the icing. It's in celebration of Mother's Day and my Mum's Birthday tomorrow (well, her actual bday is 10th).

While I did this I watched a new Glee episode and a new Vampire Diaries episode. Both made me cry - one was because of Fleetwood Mac songs (WTF?!), and the other was because of deaths... Oh how it's awesome to be all emotional :P (I blame them for the aforementioned ingredients mishap).

Ok, I had planned to write more, but my eyes are drooping shut, and I can't be sure anything I am typing is actually English. So, bring on those sweet dreams...

PS: I saw 'Your Highness' last night. Funny, but not as funny as it could've been. They could've done so much more with it.

The Law of Friendship

2011-03-06T10:58:00.001+13:00

(Ed: Rant alert! Rant alert!)

I've been thinking about friendship a lot lately. Friends come and go in your life. In my experience, as you get older you have less friends - but they are closer friendships. When you are at school, growing up, you are surrounded with people you call 'friends'. But when you leave school, it's only the true friendships that survive that - the people that are still around when that same thing that throws you together is gone. I've found that it happens with jobs too - you have these 'friends' that you lunch with and email jokes to. But when you change jobs, how many of them do you stay in contact with? I admit, I tried to stay in contact with my ex-colleagues when I changed jobs more than four years ago. But my contact with them got less and less... Until now, when it is nonexistent. I regret this - they are great people. But by the same token, it takes two.

So, that got me thinking: when is a friendship not a friendship? Sometimes it's not just a 'drifting apart' thing. Sometimes there is conflict. I had a big emotional argument with a friend of mine back in 1999-2000. I can hardly remember what it was about now... But I remember we tried to patch it over - meet up with a party. When I arrived, I learnt she had left before I had arrived, even though she knew what time I was coming. Friendship death. There was a mourning period - and you start looking at the loss... and it was then that I realised I had finally seen the light; I was a better friend, and had been following in her shadow for so long.

I am not being egotistical here - it's just the truth. I was a better friend. If there was a contract that was entered into at the start of the friendship, she broke the terms by taking too much and not giving; the careful balance of friendship was destroyed. If only there were friendship lawyers...

It was many years later that I lost another 'friend' from more than just the drift from friend to acquaintance. This was an online friend. To me, friendship is friendship, whether you have met face-to-face or not. The friendship was balanced... Then things started to not add up. Lies?, I wondered. So, I started digging, googling, talking to others, asking her questions... She figured out something was up - I *knew*. It turned out this friend I had supported wasn't even the person I thought she was: she never lived in the place she said she lived, she was years younger than she had said, and she *never* had twins. I had no idea who this person really was - and she avoided me, then announced she was 'too much of a drama queen to be my friend'. That's one way to say it... In the end, I mourned. I was again hurt for being a sucker - but, it was her loss.

It is maybe fitting then, that the next causality of my friendship was a friend of hers. Another online friend. Another than broke the 'friendship contract'. No terrible lies this time, just white lies - but I *knew* they were white lies, and that still feels like a slap in the face. No, this 'friend' had their own issues, ones I tried to make allowances for - but, there is a point when even those don't fly. Because friendship is a balance, a seamless effort, a give-and-take flow... It all leads up to *caring* for someone - for their feelings, situation, opinion etc. You are in this relationship because you *want* to be friends. You *trust* them.

How do you know when someone doesn't CARE for you anymore? How do you know when they don't actually VALUE your friendship, or you are a human being? This is how I knew - what my 'friendship lawyer' would use as evidence in the hope that I should be given compensation (ha!) - First, they screwed up. Hey, we all screw up. Friends forgive. So, I gave my forgiveness, and they gave their word that things would change; that they would make an effort to make it up to me. They didn't. Not once. I sat, and waited, and watched. Nothing. Until I couldn't stand it anymore, so in my anger (because by this stage my hurt had bloomed into rage) I demanded to know what was happening with this friendship. Did they want to be my friend?? I got the same reply - apologies and promises... But, oh yes, they wanted my friendship... Trust had been broken and there was no effort to even try to build this back up. How can you be someone's friend if you don't trust them? (Answer: you can't).

How many false promises would it take for you to snap? To realise they don't care for you? They don't value you? Would it take two, three, four? How about then hearing excuses about not being online - but knowing that they were. How about then seeing them being friends to others - but not you. How about, against your better judgement, helping them make up with another mutual friend - but NOT YOU?

Would you snap then? Would you sue them in 'friendship court' for breach of contract??

I did. I snapped. Well, I said the oh-so-painful line: you are not my friend. For me it all added up - each time hurt more, made me madder. But the final snapping point was when they were MIA for a terrible week in my life - when every single one of my friends spoke to me at least once- online and real life friends. But not them. Not even to say 'hello' - because if they had, they could've then stepped in as a friend. Instead I watched and waited, their absence more telling than anything else - because it was only an absence towards me (they were there, just not for me, see). It hurts, doesn't it? It's more than being left-out. This isn't being picked last for a sports team. This is just needing your friends, because you have always been there for them...

Now I mourn I third time - made more painful by the fact that they really don't care. The loss of me isn't felt by them. Do you know how I know this? Because they said nothing - other than admitting to being a 'jackass'. No, there are waaaaay better words for what they are. It actually meant nothing to them that I am now officially gone as a friend. They didn't even NOTICE when I left - I had to tell them. Again, I *know* I am a better friend, and it's their loss once more. But when someone makes you feel like nothing, it makes you do THIS - write a huge ramble on what friendship is, so as to try and understand why... There are many whys - for all I know they are pleased to be free of me (no less hurtful to my heart). I guess a better question for me at this point is: HOW?- How can a person treat another 'friend' with so much... fucking indifference? It was a relationship between two people... It was never about me just giving and giving... But that's what happened.

I am no angel. I have been at fault. In all three cases there are things I could've done differently. I have learnt lessons now. And maybe it means I will give my friendship out more carefully - friendship pre-nup anyone?!

I don't want to lose any more friends. I feel I am at a place now where I have awesome friends - I value and care for them so very much. Do we need to take out 'friendship insurance' in the event it all turns to rancid custard?? I don't know what the answer is really, which is another reason I am writing this - in a hope that suddenly I'll be enlightened. Where's the light??

In these three unlucky cases something blinded me - Were they ever really my friends?? I know the first loss was - and that was hardest. It turns out I never really knew the second, so it was the lies and my gullibility that hurt me. And the third... that's still too raw. But I do feel lighter at having said what I wanted to them, even if no false promises were offered this time - even if they didn't say this time: no, wait, I will try harder, I'll be a good friend. Did they give up on me long before I gave up on them? And if that's the case, what was it that made me an undesirable friend?

Friendship is: trust, honestly, loyalty, unconditional acceptance, caring (and possibly even love), compromise, commonality (in something if not in many things - even when opposites attract there is at least one thing that brings you together), comfortable with each other, concerned with the happiness of each other, RESPECT, requires some effort and understanding, support... The list goes on. And just reading these words, when they start to go, it's when you know something is wrong with the friendship.

Trying to define it doesn't do actual friendship justice!

Friendship law is unwritten. There are no hard and fast rules. No contract, or lawyers. The reward for friendship is friendship itself. Unfortunately, the loss of a friend often punishes both sides, no matter who the fuckwit was.

DVD Collection

2011-01-01T14:32:00.000+13:00

I've been looking online for a while now for a website that allows users to manage their DVD collections. The functionality I want isn't complicated: I simply want a free, web-based organiser, that allows a detailed export, and the ability to mark DVDs as 'on loan'. I haven't found the perfect one yet, but I thought I'd share some of the sites I've looked at:

DVD Corral: I've helpfully noted this site as 'crap'.
Movie Collector Plus: The export function isn't great (it can export to Excel, but limited fields). Does have a nice 'loan' feature.
DVD Aficionado: No export function; Can't mark loans (if you have loaned out to friends).
Guru Lib: Nice little site that allows you to manage all collections (DVDs, books, games etc) - just not quite right for me.
Veedemus:Simple and effective. DVDs can be marked as 'on loan'; export is limited. You can add your own 'tags', which is cool. Not quite detailed enough for me.
DVD Count: System seems a bit buggy. Not right for me.
Chasing The Frog: Free; loads of adverts though. Can't mark DVDs 'on loan'.
DVD Crate: Again, lots of function; just not quite right.

Google 2011

2011-01-01T13:12:00.000+13:00

Movies Seen [2011]

2011-01-01T10:01:00.035+13:00

My movie consumption is much lower than what it used to be, but it seems to be on the rise again...

2010=35; 2009= 39; 2008=35; 2007 = 31; 2006 = 23; 2005 = 56

...I still try to keep track by posting them here!

18 Jan: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1.
02 Feb: True Grit
14 Feb: Charade (1963)
16 Feb: Unknown
08 Mar: The King's Speech
11 Mar: Blue Valentine
23 Mar: Red Riding Hood
29 Mar: Rango
30 Mar: I Am Number Four
02 Apr: Paul
04 Apr: Sucker Punch
20 Apr: Scream 4
22 Apr: Fast and Furious 5
29 Apr: Thor 3D
02 May: Source Code
06 May: Your Highness
03 Jun: Hangover 2
04 Jun: Pirates of the Carribean 4
05 Jun: X-Men: First Class
19 Jun: Barney's Version
21 Jun: Bridesmaids
22 Jun: Bad Teacher
26 Jun: Super 8
09-Jul: The Company Men
10-Jul: Transformers 3 (3D)
30-Jul: Mrs Carey's Concert

NZ Film Festival 2011
15-Jul: Elmo
15-Jul: Incendies
15-Jul: Submarine
15-Jul: Meek's Cutoff
15-Jul: 13 Assassins
20-Jul: Take Shelter
20-Jul: La Acacias
22-Jul: Arriety
22-Jul: Jiro Dreams of Sushi
22-Jul: Page One (Story of the New York Times)
23-Jul: Terri
26-Jul: Space Battleship Yamato
26-Jul: Elite Squad 2
28-Jul: Gantz 2 (Perfect Answer)
29-Jul: Melancholia
31-Jul: Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horrors (original film with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra live)

07-Aug: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (3D)
30-Aug: Priest (3D)
31-Aug: The Help
03-Sep: Crazy Stupid Love
08 Oct: Jane Eyre
26 Oct: Fright Night 3D (remake)
02 Nov: The Thing
11 Nov: Drive
23 Nov: Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part 1
10 Dec: Immortals (3D)

(On the darkside/down-low: The American, Black Swan, The Town)

Concerts Rocked [2011]

2011-01-01T10:00:00.022+13:00

13 Jan: The National @ The Powerstation
31 Jan: The St Jerome's Laneways Festival @ Aotea Square (YEASAYER - FOALS - LADYHAWKE - DEERHUNTER - BLONDE REDHEAD - CHILDREN’S HOUR - WARPAINT - BEACH HOUSE - ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFITTI - LAWRENCE ARABIA - HOLY FUCK - AN EMERALD CITY)
07 Feb: Sufjan Stevens @ Bruce Mason Centre
02 Aug: Modest Mouse @ The Powerstation
04 Nov: Naked and Famous @ Auckland Town Hall
10 Nov: PORTISHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @ Vector Arena

Books Read [2010]

2010-12-31T21:21:00.018+13:00

16 Books Read in 2010

01 Jan: Her Fearful Symmetry by, Audrey Niffenegger
07 Jan: The Host by, Stephenie Meyer
22 Jan: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by, Stieg Larsson
25 Jan: Keeper of Light and Dust by, Natasha Mostert
04 Mar: John Dies at the End by, David Wong
10 Mar: Angel Time (The Songs of the Seraphim, #1) by, Anne Rice
01 May: The Library of Shadows by, Mikkel Birkegaard
10 May: Shutter Island by, Dennis Lehane
19 Jun: The Summer Psychic by, Jessica Adams
07 Jul: The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium, #2) by, Stieg Larsson
08 Aug: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, #3) by, Stieg Larsson
24 Nov: The Villa in Italy by, Elizabeth Edmondson
25 Nov: Harry Potter #1 by, JK Rowling (again)
27 Nov: Harry Potter #2 by, JK Rowling (again)
15 Dec: Harry Potter #3 by, JK Rowling (again)
31 Dec: Harry Potter #4 by, JK Rowling (again)

Happy Holidays

2010-12-24T11:27:00.002+13:00

Love the Google 'Happy Holidays' icon today!

Best of Lists: Top Music Videos of 2010

2010-12-18T13:49:00.003+13:00

Pitchfork have compiled their top picks for best music videos of the year. There are a heap of great songs on this list... and I have NEVER seen the videos!

Challenge accepted (I will watch them all!).

Here is the complete list over at Pitchfork (with links to the clips themselves for your viewing pleasure)

I've simply listed them song/artist/director here, and my comments in italics. It looks like they've used alphabetical order (no preferential sorting):

Arcade Fire, Suburbs (Director: Spike Jonze) - loved the story telling of this clip; scary mix of innocence & sinister.

Baths, Lovely Bloodflow (D: Alex Takacs & Joe Nankin) - hauntingly beautiful.

Best Coast, When I'm With You (Director: Pete Ohs) - too cute!

The Black Keys, Tighten Up (D: Chris Marrs Piliero) - adorable kids & Black Keys. Love sucks hehe.

The Books, I Didn't Know That (D: Nick Zammuto) - cheesy fun, but not really a fan of the 'song'.

Caribou, Odessa (D: Video Marsh) - weird video. Shot really cool though, & I like the track.

ceo, Come With Me (D: Marcus Söderlund) - not bad. Concept not that original, but a nice watch.

Das Racist, Who's That? Brooown! (Thomas De Napoli) - again, not a fan of the song (rap), but the video was awesome - I used to play old school platform video games :) Fun to watch.

Die Antwoord, Zef Side (D: Seem Metelerkamp) - LOL

Duck Sauce, Barbra Streisand (D: So Me) - fun; amusing clip.

El Guincho, Bombay (D: Nicolas Mendez [NSFW]) - so much going on in this one; interesting to watch. I couldn't help but wondering why a topless girl would dance with sparklers so close to her nipples - but, hey, what the hell hehe

Fang Island, Daisy (D: Carlos Charlie Perez) - so much *fun*. Loved this - looks like it's all one shot too. There aren't enough capes in the world.

The Flaming Lips, Powerless (D: Wayne Coyne, George Salisbury) - visually done well, but a little boring I found.

Flying Lotus [ft. Thundercat], MmmHmm (D: Special Problems) - extremely trippy!!

Grinderman, Heathen Child (D: John Hillcoat [NSFW]) - wow... so crazy to watch. Cool bananas.

HEALTH, We Are Water (D: Eric Wareheim [NSFW])

Hot Chip, I Feel Better (D: Peter Serafinowicz)

How to Destroy Angels, The Space in Between (D: Rupert Sanders)

How to Dress Well, Decisions (D: Jamie Harley)

The Hundred in the Hands, Pigeons (D: DANIELS)

Insane Clown Posse, Miracles (D: Paul Andresen)

James Blake, Limit to Your Love (D: Martin de Thurah)

Janelle Monáe [ft. Big Boi], Tightrope (D: Wendy Morgan)

Jonna Lee, iamamiwhoami (D: Viktor Kumlin)

Kanye West, Runaway (D: Kanye West)
.
Klaxons, Twin Flames (D: Saam Farahmand [NSFW])

Lady Gaga [ft. Beyoncé], Telephone (D: Jonas Åkerlund)

LCD Soundsystem, Drunk Girls (D: Spike Jonze, James Murphy)

Liars, Scissor (D: Andy Bruntel)

Male Bonding, Year's Not Long (D: Vice Cooler)

Massive Attack, Splitting the Atom (D: Edouard Salier)

The Morning Benders, Promises (D: Aaron Brown, Ben Chappell)

Rihanna, Rude Boy (D: Melina Matsoukas)

Röyksopp, Senior Living (D: Noel Paul, Stefan Moore)

She & Him, In the Sun (D: Peyton Reed)

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Bottled in Cork (D: Tom Scharpling)

Vampire Weekend, Giving Up the Gun (D: The Malloys)

Wavves, Post Acid (D: Patrick O'Dell)

Yeasayer, Madder Red (D: Andreas Nilsson)

Zola Jesus, Sea Talk (D: Jacqueline Castel)

My Favs of 2010

2010-12-18T13:46:00.000+13:00

I've spent time sharing others opinions on 2010's music etc, so I thought it was about time I weighed in. I hate ranking, but I will give a list in no particular order.

Albums
Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Beach House - Teen Dream
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Sufjan Stevens - Age of Adz
The National - High Violet
Glasser - Ring
Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
The Black Keys - Brothers
Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast

Movies
The Fantastic Mr Fox
Kick Ass
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
The Social Network

TV Shows (not necessarly new to 2010, but what I think have been the best this year)
Sons of Anarchy - well and truly growing; S02 was great, S03 was awesome!
Boardwalk Empire - intriguing and dirty. Love it.
The Walking Dead - I'm not a zombie fan (vamps all the way!), but this show is about more than the undead.
Modern Family
Party Down
Weeds
Entourage
30 Rock
Bored to Death
How I Met Your Mother
(Dexter, Fringe - I am cheating with these ones, as we have yet to watch the latest season. I've been saving them up and I *know* they will be awesome!)
Special mention: Pillars of the Earth (mini-series)

I watch way too many TV shows; ones I didn't list here that I still watch religiously (like Gossip Girl, Cougar Town, Castle...), and ones that were a little disappointing (like True Blood, Lie to Me...). And people keep the recommendations coming (I've yet to watch The Good Wife, Mad Men...)

Flicks - Top 20 Films of 2010

2010-12-18T13:34:00.001+13:00

Flicks.co.nz's movie critics name their 20 favourite films of 2010:

1. Animal Kingdom
2. The Social Network
3. A Prophet
4. Fantastic Mr Fox
5. Toy Story 3
6. Boy
7. Inception
8. Shutter Island
9. The Ghost Writer
10. Winter's Bone
11. The Hurt Locker
12. Kick-Ass
13. The Secret in Their Eyes
14. A Single Man
15. Exit Through the Gift Shop
16. Monsters
17. Up in the Air
18. The Disappearance of Alice Creed
19. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
20. How to Train Your Dragon

(Updated: 27 Dec 10) I've still got to see: 1,3,5,13,15,16,18. I don't agree with: 8,9,17

The list, with comments is posted here.

Happy 235th Bday Jane Austen

2010-12-16T10:30:00.000+13:00

I used to swoon over igoggle, but I've been darn slack for the last couple of years. Today's igoogle icon made me post though. It's preeety!

Chicken Dance

2010-12-15T11:27:00.002+13:00

I heart 'Arrested Development'

Golden Globes 2011!

2010-12-15T09:19:00.000+13:00

All the nominations are out for the 68th Annual Golden Globes Awards! 'The King's Speech', starring Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Geoffrey Rush, leads the way with seven nominations. 'The Figher' and 'Social Network' sit just behind with six a piece.

The Awards will be held January 16.

Here is the complete list, with my comments in brackets:

Motion Pictures
Drama:
Black Swan (I am *dying* to see this)
The Fighter
Inception (I'm not surprised this was nominated, but I don't think it should win)
The King's Speech (Saw the preview for this and will definitely be going to see it)
The Social Network (I did really enjoy this film)

Musical or Comedy:
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque (WTF?! Well, it did pique my curiosity...)
The Kids Are All Right (My vote would be for this to win - it was a very good film)
Red (Seriously?! I mean, sure, it was enjoyable...)
The Tourist

Actor, Drama:
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network (He was pretty impressive)
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg, The Fighter

Actress, Drama:
Halle Berry, Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan (I haven't even seen this yet, but would love for her to win!)
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Director:
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David O Russell, The Fighter

Actor, Musical or Comedy:
Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp, The Tourist
Paul Giamatti, Barney's Version
Jake Gyllenhaal, Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey, Casino Jack

Actress, Musical or Comedy:
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right (I don't know how they could pick Annette over Julianne or vice versa in this category!!)
Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway, Love & Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie, The Tourist
Emma Stone, Easy A

Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Michael Douglas, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Jeremy Renner, The Town (I still haven't managed to see this film)
Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Supporting Actress:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom (Wow, nice nod to Australian cinema!!)

Foreign Language:
Biutiful (Mexico and Spain)
The Concert (France) (Want to see this...)
The Edge (Russia)
I Am Love (Italy) (...and this - both The Concert and I Am Love were on at the NZFF, but I missed them)
In a Better World (Denmark)

Animated Film:
Toy Story 3
The Illusionist
How to Train Your Dragon (I loved this! It's the only one I've seen from this category)
Despicable Me
Tangled

Screenplay:
Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David Seidler, The King's Speech
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Original Score:
Alexandre Desplat, The King's Speech
Danny Elfman, Alice in Wonderland
A.R. Rahman, 127 Hours
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Social Network (I'd love to see Trent win! I did love the score)
Hans Zimmer, Inception

Original Song:
"Bound to You" (written by Samuel Dixon, Christina Aguilera, Sia Furler), Burlesque
"Coming Home" (written by Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges), Country Strong
"I See the Light" (written by Alan Menken, Glenn Slater), Tangled
"There's a Place for Us" (written by Carrie Underwood, David Hodges, Hillary Lindsey), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," (written by Diane Warren), Burlesque

Television
Series, Drama:
Boardwalk Empire, HBO (Adore!)
Dexter, Showtime (Also adore)
The Good Wife, CBS
Mad Men, AMC
The Walking Dead, AMC (I am watching this at the moment - very good!)

Actor, Drama:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire (Adore!)
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (He is sooo bloody brilliant in this role)
Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Brilliant)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

Actress, Drama:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Piper Perabo, Covert Affairs
Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy (Please please please!!! She is incredible in this)
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Series, Musical or Comedy:
30 Rock, NBC (Love)
The Big Bang Theory, CBS
The Big C, Showtime
Glee, Fox (Enjoy watching this, but would rather see Modern Family win)
Modern Family, ABC (Love)
Nurse Jackie, Showtime

Actress, Musical or Comedy:
Toni Collette, The United States of Tara
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock (For the win!)
Laura Linney, The Big C
Lea Michele, Glee

Actor, Musical or Comedy:
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (For the win!)
Steve Carell, The Office
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matthew Morrison, Glee
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Miniseries or Movie:
Carlos, Sundance Channel
The Pacific, HBO
Pillars of the Earth, Starz (Only one I've seen in this category - was very good!)
Temple Grandin, HBO
You Don't Know Jack, HBO

Actress, Miniseries or Movie:
Hayley Atwell, Pillars of the Earth
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin
Judi Dench, Return to Cranford
Romola Garai, Emma
Jennifer Love Hewitt, The Client List

Actor, Miniseries or Movie:
Idris Elba, Luther
Ian McShane, Pillars of the Earth
Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack
Dennis Quaid, The Special Relationship
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie:
Hope Davis, The Special Relationship
Jane Lynch, Glee (Adore!)
Kelly Macdonald, Broadwalk Empire (She is very good in this)
Julia Stiles, Dexter
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family (Love the show, but I don't think Gloria can beat Sue!)

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie:
Scott Caan, Hawaii Five-0
Chris Colfer, Glee
Chris Noth, The Good Wife
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family (Wow, Cam over the other cast - he is funny.. But, what about Phil!)
David Strathairn, Temple Grandin

Honorary
Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert De Niro

Salad Days: Top 40 Albums of 2010

2010-12-15T07:23:00.000+13:00

Best of... TV drama

2010-12-10T07:52:00.000+13:00

More lists! Eonline have posted their 'Top 10 TV Dramas of 2010' list, and here it is:

10. Mad Men (AMC)
09. The Walking Dead (AMC)
08. Fringe (Fox)
07. Grey's Anatomy (AMC)
06. Sons of Anarchy (FX)
05. True Blood (HBO)
04. Dexter (Showtime)
03. The Vampire Diaries (CW)
02. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV 101)
01. Lost (ABC)

I'm totally down with 9, 8, 6, 5, and 4. I *adore* Sons of Anarchy! Now, I watched Vampire Diaries, but I don't believe it should be at number 3 - that's just crazy talk.

I never got into 'Lost' - but one day I will start the process of watching the complete series. Maybe then I will understand what all the fuss is about.

The list is posted here, with photos and comments.

The Kids Are All Right

2010-12-09T15:32:00.000+13:00

I went and saw 'The Kids Are All Right' (IMDB) last night at the Rialto. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it (hence taking the time to note so here!). It stars Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, with Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson.

Brief synopsis: Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) are born via artificial insemination to lesbian couple Nic (Annette Bening as the doctor workaholic, wine-drinking "Gorilla" of the family) and Jules (Julianne Moore as new age hippy-esque landscape gardner Mum) respectively. Their donor dad is Paul (Mark Ruffalo as an easy going, serial flirter Restaurateur), making them half-siblings. After turning 18, Joni tracks down their Dad for her brother (who is clearly craving a male role model). After a nervy initial encounter, they grow to like each other. However, everything changes when Paul is introduced to Nic and Jules...

This is a small quote from a review at salon.com (by Andrew O'Hehir), that I agree with 100% about the film:

"This is one of the most compelling and rewarding portraits of a middle-class American marriage in cinema history, as well as one of the funniest. The fact that the people in this particular marriage are both women is important to the story, of course. But perhaps, Cholodenko suggests, it isn't all that important to the universe." Read the full review here

If you like family dramas, mixed with witty comedy, when you'll like this.

Stereogum’s Top 50 Albums Of 2010

2010-12-09T11:38:00.001+13:00

More music lists! I am a fan of the Stereogum blog, and those of you that are reading this who are also lucky enough (:P) to receive my mixed-tapes have their blog to thank for a few of "my" (aka their) finds.

I'm keeping the same comment colour code as previously (red: I'm there; green: maybe I should be there - although saying that, I trust Stereogum enough that I probably should probably give all the albums/artists I am unfamiliar with a try!)

I've summarised the list below, but if you check out their list at Stereogum there are mp3 downloads!

50 Emeralds – Does It Look Like I Am Here?
49 Small Black – New Chain
48 Sharon Van Etten – Epic
47 Baths – Cerulean
46 Frank (Just Frank) – The Brutal Wave
45 Perfume Genius – Learning
44 Field Music – Field Music (Measure)
43 Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
42 Lower Dens – Twin-Hand Movement
41 Oneohtrix Point Never – Returnal
40 Glasser – Ring
39 Gold Panda – Lucky Shiner
38 Avey Tare – Down There (I have heard a single that I liked, and I do love Animal Collective, of which Avey Tare is a founding member of)
37 jj – jj nº3
36 the morning benders – Big Echo
35 Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky (I keep hearing their name! I must listen!)
34 Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
33 MGMT – Congratulations
32 Twin Shadow – Forget
31 Warpaint – The Fool
30 Das Racist – Shut Up, Dude
29 Matthew Dear – Black City
28 Delorean – Subiza
27 Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid
26 Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
25 ceo – White Magic
24 Tamaryn – The Waves
23 SALEM – King Night
22 Marnie Stern – Marnie Stern
21 Liars – Sisterworld
20 Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
19 Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
18 Abe Vigoda – Crush
17 Owen Pallett – Heartland
16 The National – High Violet
15 The-Dream – Love King
14 Yeasayer – Odd Blood
13 LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
12 Crystal Castles – II
11 Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
10 Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
09 Wild Nothing – Gemini
08 Antony & The Johnsons – Swanlights (I have other albums, but not this new one! Must buy!)
07 Vampire Weekend – Contra
06 Sleigh Bells – Treats
05 Robyn – Body Talk
04 Sufjan Stevens – The Age Of Adz
03 Beach House – Teen Dream
02 Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
01 Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

BFI Top 12 Films of 2010

2010-12-09T11:23:00.002+13:00

The first end of year film list I have stumbled across so far: BFI (British Film Institute), Sight & Sound, Top 12 Films of 2010. I've only seen number one on this list - it always makes me feel bad when I haven't seen more, of what others consider to be, great films! I have heard of most of the others though and I will certainly be renting them.

"...What the most important films of the last year were depends on what you want from cinema in a time of austerity. That’s the conclusion we’ve drawn after canvassing 85 of our contributors for the top five new films they saw in the course of 2010, and their other highlights of the year. Some will argue that the phenomenal success of James Cameron’s Avatar (released worldwide in December 2009) shows that a big spectacle can be an effective antidote to hard times. Some will even reduce Kathryn Bigelow’s 2010 Best Picture Oscar win for The Hurt Locker (released earlier in 2009) to a mere snub to Avatar. But in this magazine, Avatar doesn’t feature in anyone’s list (our critics’ antipathy towards CGI spectacles is just as pointed in regard to that other huge box-office phenomenon, Christopher Nolan’s Inception, which gained just one vote). The Hurt Locker, by contrast, came joint second last year. The sort of cinema the wider public flocks to see, then, bears little relationship to what our 85 contributors want to celebrate..."

I've summarised the list below, but full details and introduction can be found at the BFI site here

1 The Social Network, David Fincher, USA
"Like Fincher’s most exacting film Zodiac, this is a forensic study of an enigmatic outcast remaking the world according to his own desires and specifications – and of the people left behind him to clear up or make sense of the mess." — Ryan Gilbey

2 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Boonmee raluek chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand / UK / France / Germany / Spain / Netherlands / USA
"Weerasethakul’s breakthrough smash has the uncommon virtue of trusting its audience to furnish its own commentary and explanations – a virtue made possible by its magical realism." — Jonathan Rosenbaum

3 Another Year, Mike Leigh, UK
"The latest of Leigh’s studies of happiness and the lack of it. Generous yet not indulgent to its characters, it’s a film during which one can find oneself changing one’s mind about which characters are most to be pitied and most to be admired." — Edward Buscombe

4 Carlos, Olivier Assayas, France / Germany / Belgium
"Assayas skipped the psychology of terrorism in favour of depicting the Marxist assassin-hijacker as the star of his own 21-year action movie – a man whose need for sex and liposuction confounds the notion of revolutionary asceticism." — Graham Fuller

5 The Arbor, Clio Barnard, UK
"A brilliantly inventive escape from the dead end of British social realism, Barnard’s film tells the tragic story of Northern playwright Andrea Dunbar and her children. Fortuitously, alas, it has also turned out to be the first real British film of the Cameron era." — Jonathan Romney

=6 Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik, USA
"Not least because of Jennifer Lawrence’s riveting lead performance, this was one of the best quest movies I’ve seen in years, its dark fairytale tests all the more compelling because they are faced by a 17-year-old girl in a dirtily real Ozark mountains setting." — Lee Marshall

=6 I Am Love (Io sono l’amore), Luca Guadagnino, Italy
"Guadagnino’s Tilda Swinton vehicle is the best portrait of crumbling aristocracy since Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard – and also has a delirious homage to D.H. Lawrence as the cherry on the cake." — Naman Ramachandran

=8 The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu (Autobiografia lui Nicolae Ceausescu), Andrei Ujica, Romania
"Ujica’s reconfiguration of archival propaganda material, quietly needling out its intrinsic irony and the seeds of its own unravelling, is stunningly innovative in the realm of documentary." — Carmen Gray

=8 Film socialisme, Jean-Luc Godard, Switzerland / France
"Like many friends, I’m still figuring this one out – and the effort has already been well worth the trouble. Even when Godard’s pet notions are unduly solipsistic, the work (and play) with sound and image are too dazzling to ignore." — Jonathan Rosenbaum

=8 Nostalgia for the Light (Nostalgia de la luz), Patricio Guzmán, France / Germany / Chile
"In Chile’s Atacama desert, astronomers examine the origins of the universe. Close to the observatory, families of the disappeared search for vestiges of their loved ones, victims of Pinochet’s regime. An extraordinary film about the unknown and the unknowable." — Maria Delgado

=8 Poetry (Si), Lee Changdong, South Korea
"The title tells all, evoking both the story (a woman takes to writing verse as her grandson is implicated in a girl’s suicide) and tone of Lee’s exquisite film. Seamlessly conjoining many themes, it benefits from one of the year’s best performances, from Yun Junghee." — Geoff Andrew

=8 A Prophet (Un Prophète), Jacques Audiard, France / Italy
"A Prophet has some of the virtues of the prison dramas Hollywood made in its heyday, like Riot in Cell Block 11, but updated to the present where the prison’s racial mix generates a particularly pungent aggression and tension. Tahar Rahim is brilliant as the young criminal who, through intelligence and grit, works his way up the criminal pecking order." — Edward Buscombe

The Tempest

2010-12-09T10:28:00.000+13:00

Across the Universe/Frida director Julie Taymor's movie version of the Shakespeare play The Tempest hits USA cinema's December 10, and the movie's digital soundtrack album, from composer Elliot Goldenthal, is out now via Zarathustra Music.

The soundtrack features contributions from the Secret Machines' Benjamin Curtis and Helmet's Page Hamilton, and final track 'Prospera's Coda' is a long, sprawling orchestral work with a haunted vocal from Portishead singer Beth Gibbons.

Across the Universe pleasantly surprised me - enough that I did get the soundtrack. Yes, the original Beatles songs will always be better, but I enjoyed his film as the musical it was. So it's not just that fact that grabs me about The Tempest - it was also the mention Beth Gibbons that grabbed me. I've been a Portishead fan for years.

And, to top it all off, you can stream the entire Tempest soundtrack, including Gibbons' appearance, at Goldenthal's Facebook page! Take a listen here

Rolling Stone mag - 2010 Singles & Albums

2010-12-08T12:07:00.002+13:00

Rolling Stone have posted their Top 30 Albums of 2010, and Top 50 Singles of 2010. I think the list is a bit 'meh'; I'd say: they've given us what they THINK we want... (My comments: red: the albums/singles I like too)

Rolling Stone: Top 30 Albums of 2010
30 Rick Ross – Teflon Don
29 The Roots – How I Got Over
28 My Chemical Romance – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
27 Peter Wolf – Midnight Souvenirs
26 Yeasayer – Odd Blood
25 Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
24 Maximum Balloon – Maximum Balloon
23 Elizabeth Cook – Welder
22 Spoon – Transference
21 Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
20 Neil Young – Le Noise
19 M.I.A. – Maya
18 Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown
17 Beach House – Teen Dream
16 Kid Rock – Born Free
15 The National – High Violet
14 Robyn – Body Talk
13 Taylor Swift – Speak Now
12 John Mellencamp – No Better Than This
11 The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards
10 LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
09 Eminem – Recovery
08 Robert Plant – Band Of Joy
07 Drake – Thank Me Later
06 Vampire Weekend – Contra
05 Jamey Johnson – The Guitar Song
04 Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
03 Elton John and Leon Russell – The Union
02 The Black Keys – Brothers
01 Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Rolling Stone: Top 50 Singles of 2010
50 Ke$ha – "We R Who We R"
49 Elizabeth Cook – "El Camino"
48 Das Racist – "hahahaha jk?"
47 Kid Rock – "Born Free"
46 MGMT – "Congratulations"
45 The Rolling Stones – "Plundered My Soul"
44 Neil Young – "Love and War"
43 B.o.B. (Feat. Bruno Mars) – "Nothing on You"
42 Surfer Blood – "Floating Vibes"
41 Junip – "In Every Direction"
40 Kanye West -"Power"
39 The Gaslight Anthem – "The Diamond Church Street Choir"
38 Spoon – "The Mystery Zone"
37 Lloyd Banks (Feat. Juelz Santana) – "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley"
36 Drake (Feat. Nicki Minaj) – "Up All Night"
35 Massive Attack (Feat. Hope Sandoval) – "Paradise Circus"
34 Gorillaz (Feat. Mos Def and Bobby Womack) – "Stylo"
33 Wavves – "Post Acid"
32 Die Antwoord – "Enter the Ninja"
31 Gil Scott-Heron – "I’m New Here"
30 Jakob Dylan – "Nothing but the Whole Wide World"
29 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – "The Trip to Pirate’s Cove"
28 Band of Horses – "Laredo"
27 The National – "Bloodbuzz Ohio"
26 Robyn – "Dancing on My Own"
25 Nicki Minaj – "Did It On’em"
24 Eminem – "Not Afraid"
23 Jamey Johnson – "Macon"
22 Rick Ross (Feat. Styles P) – "B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)"
21 Sleigh Bells – "Infinity Guitars"
20 Best Coast – "Boyfriend"
19 The New Pornographers – "Your Hands (Together)"
18 Jenny and Johnny – "Scissor Runner"
17 LCD Soundsystem – "I Can Change"
16 Cold War Kids – "Coffee Spoon"
15 Drake – "Over"
14 Big Boi (Feat. Cutty) – "Shutterbugg"
13 The Dead Weather – "Hustle and Cuss"
12 Mark Ronson and the Business International (Feat. Q-Tip & MNDR) – "Bang Bang Bang"
11 The Black Keys – "Everlasting Light"
10 Kanye West (Feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver) – "Monster"
09 Broken Bells – "The Ghost Inside"
08 Janelle Monáe (Feat. Big Boi) – "Tightrope"
07 Vampire Weekend – "White Sky"
06 Mavis Staples -"You Are Not Alone"
05 Arcade Fire – "We Used to Wait"
04 Katy Perry – "Teenage Dream"
03 Sade – "Soldier of Love"
02 Cee Lo Green – "Fuck You"
01 Kanye West (Feat. Pusha T) -"Runaway"

All and all quite an average list. There are a couple of entries I didn't highlight - good songs or bands I like, but I'm just not sure they really should've made it into the list...

Coldplay do Xmas too!

2010-12-02T18:00:00.012+13:00

Coldplay have called their's 'Christmas Lights'.

Stereogum comment: "The video is directed by Mat Whitecross and filmed in London on Thursday November 25th, 2010, a working day because British people don’t believe in Thanksgiving. Coldplay wrote the better song, made the better video (those violinist Elvises are delightful), but the Killers had the good sense to go the charitable route."

Yeah, I dig the Elvises too :) (And the popping fireworks at the end!)

Watch the video on YouTube

The Killers do Xmas again

2010-12-02T17:26:00.002+13:00

For the fifth year running The Killers have released an Xmas song :)

The clip for this year's, 'Boots', is directed by none other than, Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre). Starbucks will donate 5¢ for every time the video is viewed via the Starbucks Share program.

I think the song is actually really good! And the clip, sweet. Enjoy (and donate at the same time).

New The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

2010-12-02T15:22:00.000+13:00

A new single by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “The One”! Listen to it online here:

http://stereogum.com/589952/the-pains-of-being-pure-at-heart-the-one/mp3s/

I've really enjoyed their EP and LP. This new single is lovely :)

Best of Lists: Albums

2010-12-01T09:51:00.001+13:00

The first of the 'Best of...' lists - NME's. I've made some comments/highlights (red: I'm there; green: maybe I should be there; blue: really??!!!)

Top 75 Albums Of 2010 according to NME

75 The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – Blood & Fire
74 Sufjan Stevens – The Age Of Adz (Love this album - can't wait to see him live next year!)
73 Interpol – Interpol (I've not got my hands on this yet - must do!)
72 Male Bonding – Nothing Hurts
71 Field Music – Field Music (Measure)
70 Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record (I have a few albums, but never really got into them - will try this album...)
69 Happy Birthday – Happy Birthday
68 Edwyn Collins – Losing Sleep
67 The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
66 Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
65 Robyn – Body Talk Pt 1
64 Walls – Walls
63 Perfume Genius – Learning
62 Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here
61 Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
60 Belle And Sebastian – Write About Love (I have always liked them - another album to seek out)
59 Errors – Come Down With Me
58 Crocodiles – Sleep Forever
57 Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
56 Mount Kimbie – Crooks & Lovers
55 Ikonika – Contact, Love, Want, Have
54 First Aid Kit – The Big Black and The Blue
53 Kelis – Flesh Tone
52 Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be
51 Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM
50 Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks (I did start to get into them; must put back on rotation!)
49 Surfer Blood – Astro Coast (I've listened to this a few times & enjoyed it. Must put it back on rotation)
48 My Chemical Romance – Danger Days
47 Pulled Apart By Horses – Pulled Apart By Horses
46 Paul Weller – Wake Up The Nation
45 Four Tet – There Is Love In You
44 Manic Street Preachers – Postcards From A Young Man
43 Everything Everything – Man Alive
42 Mystery Jets – Serotonin
41 Steve Mason – Boys Outside
40 Sleigh Bells – Treats (<3)
39 Magnetic Man – Magnetic Man
38 Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty
37 Lonelady – Nerve Up
36 Hurts – Happiness (My brother actually got me onto this album; it's pretty epic; reminds me of a soundtrack)
35 Glasser – Ring
34 Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
33 Marina And The Diamonds – The Family Jewels
32 Islet – Wimmy
31 Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles (I've not given them much of a listen, but heard a track the other day that I love)
30 Klaxons – Surfing The Void (Yeeees... though I still feel the single/first track is the strongest... time for a relisten maybe)
29 No Age – Everything In Between
28 New Young Pony Club – The Optimist
27 Best Coast – Crazy For You
26 Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin
25 Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo
24 Vampire Weekend – Contra (<3)
23 Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
22 Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky (Curious to check out the Swans)
21 Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid
20 Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
19 MGMT – Congratulations (??!! Do I need to have this album another chance?)
18 Warpaint – The Fool
17 Factory Floor – Untitled
16 Grinderman – Grinderman 2
15 Yeasayer – Odd Blood (<3 - can't wait to see them at Laneways festival!)
14 The Fall – Your Future, Our Clutter
13 Gayngs – Relayted
12 Caribou – Swim
11 The National – High Violet (<3 <3)
10 The Drums – The Drums
09 Liars – Sisterworld
08 Salem – King Night
07 Zola Jesus – Stridulum II
06 Foals – Total Life Forever (I've been getting into them more in prep for the Laneways fest - surprised it made #6 though)
05 Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
04 LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
03 Beach House – Teen Dream (<3 dreamy; adore Beach House - again, seeing at Laneways fest next year!)
02 Arcade Fire – The Suburbs (<3 <3)
01 These New Puritans – Hidden

U2 Playlist

2010-11-30T11:26:00.002+13:00

The fab setlist for Friday night's U2 concert!

AUCKLAND SET LIST
Return of the Stingray Guitar
Beautiful Day
I Will Follow / New Year’s Day
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until The End Of The World
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
One Tree Hill
Pride (In The Name Of Love) / Angel of Harlem
In A Little While
Miss Sarajevo
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (Remix)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On

ENCORE
One
Where The Streets Have No Name

ENCORE 2
Ultraviolet (Light My Way) / Hold Me Thrill Me
With Or Without You
Moment Of Surrender

I have some twitpics from the night here:
http://twitpic.com/3a930t
http://twitpic.com/3ab4cb
http://twitpic.com/3agska
http://twitpic.com/3agt3j
http://twitpic.com/3agtil
http://twitpic.com/3agufg
http://twitpic.com/3agup9

The first of the LISTS!

2010-11-25T10:52:00.000+13:00

As we near the end of a year, and the start of another, the LISTS start a'coming. Even I start up with the lists!

Here's the first one I've stumbled across so far - Stereogum's 50 Most Anticipated Albums Of 2011

Click here for the full list

Otherwise, here are my picks:

Death Cab For Cutie – TBA (via Atlantic)
The Decemberists – The King Is Dead (1/18 via Capitol)
Fleet Foxes – TBA
The Go! Team – Rolling Blackouts (2/14 via Memphis Industries)
Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean (1/25 via Warner Bros.)
Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes (3/1 via LL Recordings)
M83 – TBA
My Morning Jacket – TBA (ATO)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – TBA
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Belong (March via Slumberland)
Panda Bear – Tomboy
R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now (2/07 via Warner Bros.)
Radiohead – TBA (via Teh Internetz)
Santigold – TBA
The Shins – TBA
U2 – Songs Of Ascent

Honorable mentions & Speculations 2011:

Bon Iver – TBA
British Sea Power – Valhalla Dancehall (via Rough Trade)
Coldplay – TBA
Deerhoof – Deerhoof Vs. Evil (1/25 via Polyvinyl)
Islands – TBA
Jane’s Addiction – TBA
Noah & The Whale – TBA (via Lost Club/Mercury Records)
Beth Orton – TBA
White Lies – Ritual (1/18 via Fiction)

Busy Weekend

2010-11-22T15:19:00.001+13:00

What a weekend! It was a good'un.

Friday night was dinner at my one of my fav local Japanese restaurents, Sakanaya http://www.sakanaya.co.nz/). Food and drink was divine as always, the highlight being the dessert we ordered - I hadn't tried it before: Chocolate banana spring rolls with Vanilla Bean icecream, and cream. Heavenly! I have added that to my fav must-orders!

That was followed by a trip to the cinema to see 'Red', which I thoroughly enjoyed; it was entertaining and funny. It was just what I needed after the week.

Saturday was Roller Derby with my bro - the final between Mascara Massacre and Dead Wreckoning. I am a complete fan now; I'll be following it religiously in the new season. The Auckland league here is the Pirate City Rollers (http://piratecityrollers.com/), but there are leagues spreading in other places: Northland Nightmares, HELLmilton Roller Ghouls (Hamilton), Mountain City (New Plymouth), Richter City Roller Derby (Wellington), Dead End Derby (Christchurch).
There were some exciting moments, and some really boring disappointing 'non-skating' moments - not impressed with some of the tactics at all.

Afterwards it was beer and delicious food-on-sticks at Ken's Yakitori (http://www.kenyakitori.co.nz/); great to hang with my brother too. We may flat together, but we hadn't been out like that for a long time.

Sunday I went shopping by myself; knocked a few things off my Xmas list. I had a lovely time browsing, though I bought something in the first shop I went into, and it was crazy heavy!! So I was stuck lugging it the rest of the time.

Today, I spent most the morning at the hospital - it was a follow-up to see if the treatment is working. The good news was: it's not worse than last week... Soooo... I get to keep up the treatment. Down to 15 pills a morning!

Lunch, Niwa (on Lorne Street); their Chicken Teri lunch bento box is fab!

Somewhere in there I've done some work...

Tonight I'm off to see 'The Social Network', which I am really looking forward to!

Not bad for a Monday, not bad at all.

PS: My goal is to be finished ALL Xmas shopping before December 1st

Movie Wish List #13

2010-11-16T16:49:00.004+13:00

I haven't made one of these lists in a while - thought it might be a good idea to look forwards 2011 and see what choice flicks are coming!

Last Updated: 12 January 2012

The Next Three Days [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Paul Haggis; Starring: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson
The Plot: A married couple's life is turned upside down when Lara Brennan (Banks) is accused of murder. Three years into her sentence, Lara's husband John (Crowe) is struggling to keep their family together and, realizing his wife's deteriorating condition, he decides to break her out of prison.
Comment: This is a remake of the French film 'Anything for Her' - I really liked it... I'm not so keen on remakes, esp when the original is on the money - I like the casting though.

Morning Glory [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Roger Michell; Starring: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton.
The Plot: An upstart television producer (McAdams) accepts the challenge of reviving a struggling morning show program with warring co-hosts (Keaton and Ford).
Comment: Again, it's the cast that's grabbing me about this one... And also the fact that JJ Abrams is the producer!

~~Burlesque~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 13 February 2011
Director: Steve Antin; Starring: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Alan Cumming.
The Plot: A small-town girl (Aguilera) ventures to Los Angeles and finds her place in a neo-burlesque club run by a former dancer (Cher).
Comment: What can I say?! Burlesque is fun to watch - Christina and Cher seem perfect for this. Maybe more of a DVD renter though... We'll see.

~~Black Swan~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 27 January 2011
Director: Darren Aronofsky; Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel.
The Plot: While vying for the coveted lead roles in a production of Swan Lake, a veteran ballerina (Portman) enters into a twisted friendship with a promising new dancer (Kunis) that threatens to consume her.
Comment: I am *dying* to see this one! Cast, Director, the preview. I am completely sold.

How Do You Know [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: James L. Brooks; Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson.
The Plot: Feeling a bit past her prime at 27, former athlete Lisa Jorgenson (Witherspoon) finds herself in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis (Rudd) competes with Lisa's current, baseball-playing beau (Wilson).
Comment: Comparisons have been made to 'It's Complicated' for a younger generation. Once again, it's the cast that has me. Paul Rudd AND Owen Wilson?!

All Good Things [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Andrew Jarecki; Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
The Plot: A missing-persons case might spell doom for the heir to a New York real estate dynasty (Gosling), who fell for a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks (Dunst).
Comment: Intrigued. This will be a quality film for sure.

Frankie and Alice [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Geoffrey Sax; Starring: Halle Berry, Stellan Skarsgård, Phylicia Rashad.
The Plot: A drama centered on a woman with multiple personality disorder (Berry) who struggles to remain her true self and not give in to her racist alter-personality.
Comment: Lots of buzz around this. I'm not a big Halle Berry fan, but I do like Stellan Skarsgård

~~True Grit~~ [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen; Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin.
The Plot: A young girl recruits a tough U.S. Marshall to track down the man who killed her father.
Comment: *swoon*. They had me at 'Coen'.

~~Somewhere~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 26 December 2010
Director: Sofia Coppola; Starring: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning.
The Plot: A hard-living actor (Dorff) holed up in the Chateau Marmont gets a reality check when he's visited by his 11-year-old daughter (Fanning).
Comment: Love Sophia Coppola's films, and this one looks fantastic. Yay for a Stephen Dorff come-back.

Country Strong [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Shana Feste; Starring: Garrett Hedlund, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leighton Meester.
The Plot: A drama centered on a rising country-music songwriter (Hedlund) who sparks with a fallen star (Paltrow). Together, they mount his ascent and her comeback, which leads to romantic complications involving her husband/manager (McGraw) and a beauty queen-turned-singer (Meester).
Comment: Ok, I am a sucker for Paltrow and Meester. I haven't seen a preview yet, so again, this could be a renter. On a country music note - I did see 'Crazy Heart' - Bridges was great in it, but the movie itself didn't wow me (what the hell was Colin Farrell doing in it?!)

~~Blue Valentine~~ [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Derek Cianfrance; Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, John Doman.
The Plot: A look at the idyllic past and troubled present of working-class couple Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Williams).
Comment: More Oscar buzz over this one. I am a fan of both Gosling and Williams - I'm looking forward to this one.

~~Unknown~~ [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra; Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones.
The Plot: Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson) awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one -- not even his wife (Jones) -- believes him. With the help of a young woman (Kruger), he sets out to prove who he is.
Comment: Preview and plot sound a bit old hat, but I'm liking the cast. And the director did 'Orphan', which makes me a little excited (for a tense, dark movie)

The Roommate [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Christian E. Christiansen; Starring: Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester, Cam Gigandet.
The Plot: College student Sara (Kelly) finds her safety jeopardized after she's assigned to a dorm room with a new roommate, Rebecca (Meester).
Comment: Described as a 'camp-thriller', this makes my list because of Meester (I am hopeless 'Gossip Girl' fan). Perhaps another to add to the DVD list.

Gnomeo and Juliet [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Kelly Asbury; Starring: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Maggie Smith.
The Plot: An animated version of Shakespeare's play, where Gnomeo (voice of McAvoy) and Juliet (voice of Blunt) are would-be lovers from rival garden-based families.
Comment: This just sounds so cute - rival garden gnomes?! We all know how it will end... Or Will it be 'happily ever aftered' for the kiddies?!

~~I Am Number Four~~ [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: D.J. Caruso; Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron.
The Plot: Nine alien teens come to Earth after their planet is destroyed by an enemy species. But soon discover that their enemy is now after them on Earth.
Comment: Sounds very Disney (and it is). But the cast is looking really cool.

Happythankyoumoreplease [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Josh Radnor; Starring: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Zoe Kazan (Full Cast)
The Plot: A look at the lives and loves of six friends in New York City, and how their existence is changed when struggling writer Sam (Radnor) finds himself the unlikely guardian of a boy who becomes separated from his family in the subway.
Comment: Sounds right up my alley. Awesome buzz at Sundance. Gooooo 'Ted'! (also a hopeless 'How I Met Your Mother' fan).

Drive Angry 3D [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Patrick Lussier; Starring: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner.
The Plot: A felon (Cage) breaks out of hell for one last chance at redemption: to prevent the cult who murdered his daughter from sacrificing her baby in three days' time. He's aided by a young waitress (Heard) and her ex-boyfriend's muscle car, and together the duo will have to face down the leader of the cult, the police, and a killer known as "The Accountant" (Fichtner) -- who wants to return him to the Devil.
Comment: This sounds like cheese-on-toast fun. Parallels could definitely be drawn to 'Ghost Rider' though (not necessarily a good thing in my mind).

The Eagle [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Kevin Macdonald; Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland.
The Plot: In 140 AD, Roman soldier Marcus Aquila (Tatum) embarks on a quest to restore the reputation of his father, the one-time commander of Rome's Ninth Legion, who disappeared in the mountains of Scotland twenty years earlier.
Comment: Swords and sandals fun.

~~Rango~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 14 April 2011
Director: Gore Verbinski; Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant.
The Plot: The story of a chameleon with an identity crisis.
Comment: The trailer totally sold me. Looks cute and quirky.

~~The Adjustment Bureau~~ [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: George Nolfi; Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt.
The Plot: A rising politician (Damon) falls for a ballerina (Blunt), only to be stymied by mysterious forces keeping the would-be lovers apart.
Comment: 'Bourne Ultimatum' co-writer George Nolfi, and Bourne himself (Damon). This is a loose adaptation of a Philip K Dick short story. Sounds very promising to me!

~~Jane Eyre~~ [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Cary Fukunaga; Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell.
The Plot: A mousy governess who softens the heart of her employer soon discovers that he's hiding a terrible secret.
Comment: I know this has been told and retold - but the cast is great, and the director did 'Sin Nombre' (which I thoroughly enjoyed).

~~Red Riding Hood~~ [imdb] - NZ Release ?
Director: Catherine Hardwicke; Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Gary Oldman.
The Plot: Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl (Seyfried) falls for an orphaned woodcutter (Haas), much to her family's displeasure.
Comment: Yes, the director of 'Twilight', but this sounds *awesome*. Love the idea of a dark Red Riding Hood with a werewolf twist.

Paper Heart

2010-11-15T13:27:00.000+13:00

Personal Disclaimer

2010-11-15T12:44:00.006+13:00

-start of rant
So, there was this thing a while ago, and it made me think about warning someone - like: "hi, you might want to read this before you get to know me..." or "thank you for your inquiry re: friendship, but before you go any further you had better know this..."

I thought about disclaimers - on websites and with programs.... Why not with people?? so I wrote my own - the disclaimer on this disclaimer is, that it is a work in progress. Maybe.

Personal Disclaimer:
1. Very sensitive - this has pros and cons.
2. Can forgive, but will never forget.
3. Defensive; I get my back up for myself and others.
4. Emotional - the good, and the bad.
5. Stubborn and prideful.
6. Moody - my moods swing.
7. Insecure.
8. Low self-esteem.
9. Stress bunny.
10. Intense.

The Good:
1. Caring.
2. Great friend - I will always be there for you.
3. Thoughtful.
4. Creative/Imaginative.
5. Good sense of humour.
6. Fun, when I'm not being a drag.
7. Listener and advice giver.
8. Helpful, and Supportive.

I wanted to make it 10 all - balance out the bad with the good, but I just can't think of the final two...

When it comes to people, you can have a conversation for hours, but a lot can go unsaid. I've come a long way in sharing my thoughts and feelings - I have found that, depending on the situation or the person, writing is my medium; I can get it all organised on paper. I've done a lot of writing lately, to myself that is. I made the decision that even though I could share what I've written, that it was best kept just for me. Holding some of it back has been hard, but I am waiting (for what exactly I am not sure...)

I wonder how different things would be if we all carried a personal disclaimer... "ah, but you can't be upset - you signed a waiver when you read my disclaimer". Forewarned.
-end of rant

The Talk

2010-10-06T07:30:00.003+13:00

Ok, so balance has been returned to the relationship scale for now. We talked... I didn't say everything I was going to share, because I realised emotional and verbal vomit wasn't going to help here. And there will be time to drip-feed hehe
But I did say the important stuff. He listened and shared too. I don't feel completely ok. I feel better though. Things will be ok - if words were taken to heart.
Thank you for your support peeps - you know who you are ;)

Fighting

2010-10-02T16:42:00.002+13:00

It turns out you can't really cruise along... without hitting the rocks at some point. In this relationship we've never fought - we've snapped at each other, and had minor grumps that just fade. There was the One Year Anniversary debacle, but that wasn't a fight.

So last night we got to celebrate our first one (fight that is) - in the true tradition of fights it started with something small... almost a misunderstanding... that ended up opening a huge can of killer vipers (worms would've been a piece of cake!).

There was crying (by me of course, boy can I cry - even if I don't want to), shouting (also by me), storming off (yup, me again)... And, back at my place alone in my room I cried some more; until after 2am... Not much sleep was had, and it certainly wasn't sound.

Today, a continuation of the Talk went better - I managed to keep the crying, and extreme emotions, at bay. There were realisations, but no solutions or conclusions... because it isn't as black and white as that.

Now it's the "I need a few days" phase... who knows where that will lead?

All I know is I've been sporting for a mature discussion on our relationship for a few weeks now, but hadn't brought it up yet... I feel like that might have made the fight happen... Perhaps a bit of sub-conscience sabotage? It wasn't all me - it was a joint thing, but... I just can't help but wonder if my heart's 'solution' to the questions I've been having is just to ruin everything...

Because, I still don't know what I want, or how I truly feel. Who knows, I might not have a choice in the matter after a few days...

Why I should be positive

2010-09-26T16:32:00.003+13:00

1. I had a lovely Friday night with my honey - we went to Tanuki's Cave, then saw a movie in a Gold Class cinema.
2. I bought 2 tickets to go see Wolf Gang, for 7th October!
3. The National are coming in Jan 2011!!! I swear I have been listening to all their albums on repeat of weeks.
4. All my blood tests came back normal. That's right folks I am normal. (Which doesn't help answer why my eye is the way it is, but it's a relief nonetheless)
5. I am getting my haircut/styled at an *actual* salon this Friday!
6. My usual hair-guy is still going to do my cheap colour for me on Saturday - so my hair will be all pretty :)
7. My brother has been given my parents' old car, so now our household has transport again.
8. Donuts
9. Had a great Saturday night with friends - Project Runway marathon. The new series is great.
10. Daylight savings has started - losing an hour is horrid, but it means summer is on its way :)

It never ends

2010-09-12T19:09:00.003+12:00

I feel so let down. Why does it often feel that way? Is it my fault? Because, maybe time after time I have unrealistic expectations of everyone. Perhaps I put people high on a throne and then when I get disappointed, it's more my fault than theirs. I know I am too emotional most the time, but I don't think I can change that. Is it unfair to hope people care as much about you as you do about them? Maybe I am under the illusion they care more about me than they actually do...
It makes me so sad and angry at the same time... And I am sick of it - is the answer for ME to no longer care about them?! Honestly, fuck it all right now. I am over feeling this way.
That's all.

It's a triology of pain

2010-09-03T15:38:00.004+12:00

Well, I shouldn't be writing when I am in this mood - completely and utterly miserable and furious at the same time.

This is due to the fact that for the 6th since I've been at my job, I have been moved. I always go with the flow... This time the move made no sense, and I was/am unhappy. So, for the first time I put up a resistance. Despite knowing I was unhappy no one cared. So, I tried again - I wrote a logical and reasonable email to the two bosses concerned (not emotive at all)... And one of them sat down and talked with me... And it made no difference. None. I am furious and disheartened. And am now sitting in my 'new' seat. It's bullshit.

But that aside, I got out of Jury Duty - well I attended one half day (for the whopping payment of $32). But, I got out because I got a call from the hospital giving me an appointment for my eye at the retina clinic - I had been told I would have to wait 2 weeks, but this was 5 days later.

I went, my mum came too, and it made me feel like shit - my 'doctor' didn't even introduce herself (I assumed she was the name on my letter, but found out this week it wasn't her at all!). She hardly said I word. She didnt' explain what she was doing - not even a 'you are about to see a bright light' - nothing! When I dared ask a question she barked an answer, then turned her back on us... THAT was our signal to go.

2 weeks later I go for my next appointment - I get the doctor I was supposed to the previous time. He is nice, explains what he is doing, and gets his registrar to look at my eye too. Turns out I have something COMPLETELY different to what the previous 2 docs said (white blood cells in eye and inflammation). But of course HE couldn't help me, because what I have is not his specialisation. Sooooo now I have to wait for an appointment with a different doctor. What a fuck up. Let's cross our fingers I don't go blind in that eye in the meantime, ok?!

August was supposed to be the end of all this hell. But, September is brining its own pile of crap.

I'm supposed to go to a friend's tonight. I know it would make me feel better once I got there. I just don't think I can face it.

Whinge of Pain: The Sequel

2010-08-15T20:14:00.003+12:00

Ok, downer time again I am afraid.

I did go to the doctors and Optometrist on Friday. The doctor was a waste of time really - more blood tests, and I had to ask for antibiotics (I've been feeling yuck for a month; it's time for the drugs to do some work).

The Optometrists was... scary. My right eye has (and continues) to bug me - it had started to go blurry and there are a heap of floaters that I can see. Sure enough she could see the floaters, as could her colleague - suddenly she was on the phone to a private eye clinic, and when there were no appointments there, on to Greenlane hospital.

I was pretty much stunned as she told me to urgently go to the eye department there, complete with a referral letter, and 5+ hour wait. The fear was my retina was detaching - and this is serious. Here was me thinking the bad news would be that I needed glasses.

So, I ended up at the hospital around 2:30pm... and saw the doctor at 9pm (finally). After many eye-drops, and bright lights, and mirrored contact lenses so he could see further into my eye, NOTHING was found. No one can see anything but the huge amount of floaters (which must be coming from somewhere). He did see some jelly (ick)... but no tears, and no detachment... yet.

So, I was sent on my merry way with the order to come to the retina clinic in two weeks... or to call if I notice my vision going!

Thankfully, my wonderful wonderful mother cancelled her flight to Christchurch (Dad went), and came and waited with me from 5pm onwards :) And, I ended up staying the whole weekend with her, which was lovely - just want I needed in fact.

So, I just have to deal with a blurry eye that makes me nauseous, and in two weeks they look again...

And folks, tomorrow I report for Jury Duty.

Let's hope this doesn't turn into a trilogy...

Whinge of Pain

2010-08-12T14:52:00.000+12:00

This is a long overdue update – and one I didn’t really want to write, but might as well get it all out. Prepare for some major whinging!

Basically, August has been horrid. Though there has been a balance of the normal and the bad, the bad tend to outweigh and overtake the normal. It all started on 1st August; my first anniversary with my man. I’m not going to go into details, other than to note that I set myself up for disappointment (the day was a disaster; crushed). I was an emotional mess for a few days.

Not helping this was another long story that ended up with a broken-into car and vandals that might’ve had our house keys. Cut through the panic and frustration (and a visit to the car myself to try and see if the keys were still there), to the fact that the keys were handed in.

In the middle of all this stress was the Band of Horses concert on Tuesday 3 August – this didn’t suck at all – the opposite. It was a brilliant concert, and my first concert by myself. Still, I sang my heart out and had a blast. I am pleased I didn’t let being alone (or my emotional state) stop me from going.

On top of that has been some frustrations with work, namely people not following the data entry protocols (I know, it sounds wanky and stupid) – but it makes my job suck when people come and ruin the data that we all use. However, I have to say, other than that issue, work has been ok.

Via some well written email, my relationship was saved by around 4th... About when I started feeling really ill. Our work conference was held on 5th and I missed most of it (including the big booze-up 80s themed party due to all the stress and illness).

I should mention at this point, about 2 months ago I woke up and my right eye was funny – a bit blurry, like I needed to blink something away... It’s only gotten worse . I’m getting my eyes checked tomorrow for sure (I’ve had such great eye sight up until now).

Friday I went and got a follow-up blood test – my test from 2 months ago threw up a red flag around my thyroid (I was 4.0... and normal is 0.3 to 4.0, so I was right on the end of having an underactive thyroid).

Saturday 7th I finally got to see ‘Inception’ at the IMAX screen; movie = awesome... throwing up after = baaaad (attributed to me feeling ill and I *think* to my bad eye not agreeing with the huge IMAX screen).

Sunday I spent with my mum, which was lovely. I was still feeling sick – she arrived with a new box of tissues, grapes, mandarins, a calzone for lunch, and 2 bottles of V! We watched ‘Bright Star’ together while knitting and cross-stitching. Lovely.

Monday I stayed home sick. Tuesday I got my results back – 5.2, so I have to go back to the doctor (which I should be doing anyways with the way I am feeling lately).

The rest of the week has been quiet – quiet night at home last night with my man (who turned up with pink roses, which was sweet)... Tonight I am going to see the symphony orchestra play Mozart... But honestly, I just feel miserable.

I just hope that seeing the doctor and having my eyes tested tomorrow will help.

End of Whinge of Pain.

Last Week is over

2010-06-28T15:45:00.003+12:00

Last week was really horrible for me (just work, stress etc), and by Friday I just wanted to crash with some wine and my PJS...

BUT I went to this dinner at Rob's school (where he also lives). I warmed up once the stress started to melt away (but I wasn't in a good way when I arrived!). Rob had been involved in a Quiz since 4pm - I joined in for the dinner. I had a nice time there for an hour or so (his work colleagues seem nice - mostly outgoing and friendly English teachers), then back to his place for some 'Sons of Anarchy' (I've introduced Rob to the series, and am watching it again with him. We have ONE episode left in season one, before we can move onto the very awesome season two).

Saturday we had brunch together (Trinity of Silver organic deliciousness!), before he dropped me home - that's when all the fun cleaning, tidying, and cooking started! Because, at 5pm-ish, a crowd of four were to descend on Rich and me for nibbles, dinner, and old school vs. new school games :)

We all had a blast! (even if 30 minutes before they were due, the lounge was still a bomb site thanks to my two brothers assembling a TV unit and drilling on doors! Good work, but bad timing!). We played board games first: Cluedo (Mrs White, with the Candlestick, in the Billiard room if you will), Boggle, and Operation (though strictly speaking it wasn't 'old school' as it was the Shrek version!).

Then on to Wii Mario Party 8. I'd never played Mario before - I was more a Giana Sisters gal. We played four player Mario Party games- frickin random stuff!! I think the programmers were surely high when they thought up EVERYTHING! Lots of laughs though :)

Sunday was more of a chill out day - more Wii goodness (in the form of shooting zombies in a gore fest retro-esque game), and a drive over the Shore (it's like another world :P).

Also, it was self-imposed New* Music Sunday, with a heap of new tunes for my listening pleasure, including (*new to me, or new new): Frightened Rabbit, Passion Pit, Sarah McLachlan, Chemical Brothers, She & Him, The Black Keys, LCD Soundsystem, Karen Elson, and Dead Weather.

Anyways, happy Monday - I have a new conditioner to try out... yes folks, that's right - I am excited about this. But remember, it IS a Monday, and I am currently stuck at work... It's the small things...

Another Update

2010-06-18T16:30:00.005+12:00

I thought it's about time I wrote an entry. I'm just back from Rob's - he took me to dinner last night, bought me roses, and chocolates, and a bottle of wine :) Really sweet. So, I'm in a good mood!

It's been a busy month or so - obviously had my week away in Argentina. I also had a day trip to Napier for work (with my boss for the first time ever - it went well).

Even though it's felt busy, and the time has simply flown, I'm having trouble accounting for all the days!

There has been a lull in concerts - I've got a few bookmarked as ones I'd like to go to, but unfortunately my money tree still hasn't appeared (Band of Horses, The Temper Trap, Passion Pit, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club...). I believe I am getting a Florence and the Machine ticket for my b'day though, so yay! I didn't go to the Laneways Festival here, so I missed seeing her.

As far as new music goes, I've been a bit slack. I haven't managed to get the new Band of Horses, The Dead Weather, or ... goddamnit I can't remember the other new album... Anyways, I haven't got them onto my mp3 player yet. I've been listening to them a lot on my PC though - THE EDITORS!! That was the other new album - I really love their new album. It's awesome :) Out of the three aforementioned albums, I think I always end up back on The Editors.

I only just managed to listen to the new Trent Reznor EP, the 'How to Destroy Angels' project - I downloaded it free (thanks Trent!), then forgot where I saved it to. It's fab (I eventually found it) - I've listened to it four of five times; just keep hitting repeat.

I haven't updated my TV page, but I've chewed my through all of season 1 of Fringe, and most of season 2. I like it! Yes, it does have a distinctly 'X-Files' feel, but I liked the 'X-Files', so any comparison is a good one.

The short-lived, 10 episodes, show 'The Unusuals' was another I watched - I seriously dig Amber Tamblyn, and she was great (although always felt slightly too young...) as Detective Casey Shraeger

I've also clocked through a number of season finales lately (of shows that I follow): Glee, Bones, Gossip Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Breaking Bad, United States of Tara to name a few. I'll miss them, but it frees up my time to catch up on all the movies I've been missing.

Welcome back True Blood and Lie to Me - I've missed them both, so glad to have some new episodes to watch.

The 2010 NZ International Film Festival is just around the corner. I have only flicked through the first 20-odd pages of the guide, and I've already booked about 15 films!! I always get extremely over-excited about the nzff :)

Misc section
My favs: [Simunovich Olive products - the one and only hand cream I use is theirs (I have a tube in my handbag, one at work, and one at home!). I've moved onto their body lotion, and now their shampoo. I recommend it] [Dove Cucumber & Green Tea antiperspirant spray - just a brilliant subtly scented product] [St Ives Apricot Exfoliating Body Wash - delicious and a good price] [Elizabeth Eight Hour tube - every girl needs a tube on hand!] [Stoneleigh Sav Blanc - often on special, but a good buy regardless for a tasty Sav] [Russian Fudge - my fav kind of fudge. Chocolate fudge can go take a flying leap. The thing with russian fudge is, it is really hard to find a good one - the consistency needs to melt in your mouth, and the flavour has to have that golden syrup/brown sugar tang. Problem solved: 'The Sweetest Little Chocolate Shop' on Queen Street stocks the *perfect* russian fudge at 80c a piece. Needless to say I buy in bulk... but only as a special treat of course ;) ] [Scarves - one good thing about winter is its easier to wear scarves, and I don't just mean the warm kind, but all kinds. Mum gave me this gorgeous indian cotton type green scarf that has threads of silver, and other colours all through it. I love this scarf!] [Brand new flannelet PJs - I don't care how unsexy these may appear, but a brand new set of fluffy, cuddly, PJs are simply the best. I just bought a set for half price: white with coloured cats all over. I will wear these proudly. Tease away. It also means I can though away the now-stiff and thread bare old PJs, which are the opposite of awesome.] [Random on my mp3 player. For example: The View - Coming Down, Bodyrockers - I Like the Way, Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance, Fink - Six Weeks, Phoenix - Run Run Run, The Decemberists - The Crane Wife, Outkast - Hey Ya!, Bob Dylan - I Want You, M83 - Graveyard Girl, Ladyhawke - Danny and Jenny, Grizzly Bear - Colorado. I couldn't come up with such a playlist!] [Castle Age - wh-wh-what?! Yes, for someone as anti facebook as me, what the hell am I doing playing a facebook game. Unfortunately I like it... ugh.] [Twitter - I really like to tweet, no matter how geeky that sounds. I like it waaaaay better than facebook] [Hugs - can I say that hugs are often underrated? Going without a hug for 2 weeks sucks ass. I like a good hug, especially from my parents - it feels soooo safe. Cheesy I know. Bite me. Rob-hugs are pretty awesome too.]

Ok, enough gratuitous random ranting for one blog entry! What I should be doing is cleaning the house... which is why I am here doing this hehe

My Travel Journal - Buenos Aires

2010-06-18T15:08:00.003+12:00

I've been meaning to post my notes on my recent trip to Buenos Aires for a while now (I was awarded the trip from work, and went with a group of staff and their partners). They are brief, but go with my facebook photos nicely.

Thursday 20th May
Flight from Auckland to Buenos Aires, 6:30pm. Airline generally bad – rundown look about seats etc. Air Hostesses more like guards – lucky to get fed!
Plane seats were in this formation mostly: (window) two seats, aisle, four seats, aisle, two seats (window). Rob and I had a seat of two seats both ways, which was great.
No real in-flight entertainment – a couple of screens did show our flight plan, and a couple of movies (which were dubbed to Spanish, with no English subtitles. One was ‘Avatar’).
I didn’t sleep much at all on way over.

Landed 5pm, Thursday 20th. Bus took us to the Plaza Marriott hotel in the Retiro neighbourhood (big for leather goods, and near shopping). We checked in, then all Colliers staff and partners met for cocktails at one of the hotel’s bars at 7pm (keeping in mind I am running on little sleep and it's approx 10am in Auckland - great time for Vodka hehe).
All rookies on the trip (first-timers) were then invited out to dinner at a grill/streak house called ‘Las Navarenas’. Locals eat late (after 9am, and tend to head to work at 10am). Always start with complimentary baskets of bread/crackers. Tried my first Empanada (yummy meat pies that are look like turn-over pastries), and steak (HUGE!). Rob and I left around 11pm, as I was exhausted!

Friday 21st May
Breakfast at the hotel (great buffet: pastries, hot food including a chef to make you an omelette to order, fruits, yoghurt, bread, cheese, meat etc).
Brief wander around the local shops. Hotel is super close to Florida Avenue, which is lined with shops.
Half-day tour at 10am – small cost, but only our staff on two buses. Mostly driving, with a couple of stops. Drive past Plaza de Mayo (famous square, with government buildings around it, including Casa Rosa – the Pink House), 9 de Julio Avenue (widest Avenue in the world, also home to the Obelisk), Recoleta Cemetery (stop to see Eva Peron’s tomb), La Boca (with a stop at its famous Caminito Street).

Staff group dinner at ‘La Estancia’. Dinner and a tango show until midnight.

Saturday 22nd May
Took a van with a four or so other staff couples to a leather outlet store. Rob bought a leather jacket and shoes. I bought a pair of green leather ankle boots. While waiting for the van to take us back, we played foosball in the back court yard of the building with one of the shop's staff/owners (he was VERY competitive!).

Back to the hotel for a brief coffee break, then more shopping down Florida Street. Lunch at Galleria Pacifico (fancy shopping mall – shops too expensive).

Back to hotel around 5pm, then off to dinner at ‘Broccolino’ (just the two of us). Great Italian food.

Sunday 23rd May
8:25am – Staff “conference” breakfast (aka informal gathering to allow tax benefits).
9:10am – Partners joined us for breakfast.
10:15am – Full day Gaucho Fiesta tour. Rob and I were the only staff to go on it, and the only non-Spanish speakers in the tour van (made us feel like a hassle, but oh well).
We made our first stop in the San Telmo neighbourhood to spend ½ hour at the famous Sunday markets (antiques and flea market).

Then on to Santa Susana, in the district of Campana. 1200 hectare farm, originally started by an Irish Argentine. Homestead and Chapel (now a museum of how they lived 200? years ago), horses, park, and main tourist centre.
Big dinner for all the different tour groups (more grill), dancing/music/tango show, then outside for a horse show. There were two different horse shows: Tropilla – mixed and matched horse herds (gauchos herds them), and Carreras de Sortijas - ring race (Gauchos on back of horses race towards/under arch, from which hangs small rings. They hold a small stick between their teeth and have to get the stick through the ring to pull the ring off. The ring is then given to the girl they want to marry). You'll be happy to know I was given a ring by one of the Gauchos.

Started to rain! It ended up pouring by the time we were back into the tour van to head back to the city by 6pm.
I went for a walk by myself and got soaked (also tried a McPollo – McChicken. Not as yummy as in NZ).

Monday 24th May
9:15am – Half day Tigre (river) tour. Bus through the suburbs of Vicente Lopez, Olivos (where the President’s residence is), to Maipu train station for a scenic ride to San Isidro. There we had ½ hour of so look at the shops, Cathedral (neo-gothic), and flea markets (where I found this jewellery stall that I WISH I had bought more from. I bought myself a ring and bracelet).
Back in the bus (which met us there) through San Fernando to Tigre. From Tigre we got on a tour boat (with many other tourists) for an hour cruise of the Parana River Delta. Awesome sights – no roads on the delta (all houses use river/boat access).
Back home along the Panamericana Highway.

I went for a wander alone (browsing shops), then back to hotel where the pair of us went to ‘Las Nazarenas’ for dinner (again). Around 10:20pm we walked to 9 de Julio Avenue for some of the bicentennial celebrations (which had been going on for the last few days – 25th May is a public holiday to celebrate independence). We went to the Obelisk (big concert going on around it, along with fireworks), and past the Colon Theatre, which was having its grand re-opening – exclusive inside, but all opera/ballet etc, going on inside was played live on big screens outside. Home around midnight.

Tuesday 25th May
Checked out at noon, and moved our luggage into one of four rooms work kept for us to share. Walked to MNBA - Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (the National Fine Art Museum). Stopped at a flea market along the way. Spent the morning browsing the gallery (first floor has international artists, including pieces by Monet, Picasso, Pollack, Modigliani... Second floor is Argentinean or South American works). Lunch at the gallery restaurant.

Back to the hotel to sort ourselves out for the flight (shower, hotel bar of drinks, dinner). Then a bus came to take us to the airport at 10:30pm for our 2:15am flight. BA departure lounge – lots of duty free stores.

Rob and I got a two seater again (I had the window seat this time). We were served dinner at 3am-ish, then I slept (thank you sleeping pills!). Breakfast served around 2 hrs before landing. In-flight service just as crappy (no movies etc).

Thursday 27th May
Landed back in Auckland at 7:30am (13-14 hr flight).

~

All in all I (we) had a fabulous time. It was a long way to go for 5 days however - I really wish I could've afforded to stay a little longer (though, time of work etc would've been more of an issue, esp for Rob).
BA is a wonderful city, and I really hope I get to go back and travel to all the places in that neck of the woods that I didn't get to see this time.

Whinge in a-minor

2010-05-12T13:01:00.003+12:00

It never fails to surprise me, how I can travel around to all the same offices, and train most the same people, and surprise THEM with the same things I showed them last time...

That's my minor whinge - obviously I smile and nod and say "Your welcome... isn't it great?!", while my brain is actually going: "You're kidding me right?! It's the SAME thing I showed you?! I'm a frickin broken record!!"

Anyway, it's only 1pm, but with the early start and taxis and flights, it feels like my day should be over... instead I have two large training sessions to go! At least I have a great view of the Wellington Harbour, complete with giant container ships coming and going. The weather is much better here than in Auckland... though I hear it's due to turn to custard too.

BIG Update

2010-04-22T07:13:00.005+12:00

I actually started this entry a while back... saved it as draft and didn't get back around to it. So, here goes my how-ever-many-th attempt to get an update online.

And when I did start this, it was Earth Day - awesome igoogle logo:

TV Shows
Keeping up to date with: HIMYM, Castle, Bones, Glee, USOT, Vampire Diaries, and Gossip Girl. Have to admit the second series of USOT is not grabbing me as much as the first did - Toni Collette is still awesome, mainly as Tara or Buck so far... but it just doesn't have the oomph it of the first season. Rich is keeping up with Nurse Jackie - I did like the first season, but it was kinda take it or leave it for me. I'll catch up with a marathon session I think.
Speaking of marathon session, over the weekend I watched the first season of Starz 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand' (13 episodes). After spotting familiar faces and accents, a trip to IMDB told me this series was shot in Auckland, NZ. The pilot was cheese-on-toast, complete with '300' knock off effects... but I kept going. Something about it was strangely compelling or addictive (and no, it wasn't the extreme nudity, violence, or language!). Lucy Lawless is deliciously devious, as is John Hannah. Anyways, marathon viewing allowed me to almost complete a cross-stitch of Jane Austen's house (for my mum, who bought the kit in the UK for me to do for her. Side note, she also bought one of Wordsworth's house, so I am going to be sick of stitching houses very soon!).

Movies
I have been very lax with movie going. Whether it a time or cost issue, I just haven't been as much as I normally would. It hasn't been for lack of good movies - I've missed some goodies! I'm doing my best NOT to miss 'Kick Ass', 'Iron Man 2', and 'How to Train Your Dragon 3D'. I fear it's last days for the third listed, but where there is a will, there is a way.
The last movie I did see was 'Date Night' - Rob's choice. I had read some mixed reviews, but you know what? I enjoyed it! Last thing on a Friday night, after a long week, watching Steve Carroll and Tina Fey improve it up was fun (and I didn't have to think! Plot definitely is secondary). And just that fact that Rob still chuckles at the mention of robot sex made it worth it!

DVDs
Though it did made me squirm, I really enjoyed 'The Informant!' (discomfort/embarrassment on screen, makes me anxious too). It was really well acted and funny. Go Matt Damon.
Also watched lately, quick fire: The Edge of Love (ok, but meh), The Duchess (more Keira Knightley. This one was better, but sad), White Noise 2 (Not even Nathan Fillion could save this one), The Thing (I was REALLY enjoying this, then the DVD crapped out - I've yet to see the end of this John Carpenter classic), and The Visitor (great film - bitter sweet and touching).

Books
I FINALLY managed to finish my overdue library book - I'm not talking 30 cents fine here, I'm talking over $10. Yeah, I know. Why the hell didn't I return the book and get it out again (or just buy the book!)? My answer to that is: I'm lazy and now I must pay the price. Anyway, it was called 'The Library of Shadows', and it was ok. Yeah, I know, for that much fine I should've been in love with it. It was enjoyable and interesting.
I'm now onto 'Shutter Island' (one of the movies I missed and wanted to see). So far (and we're talking a few pages) I really like it!!

Concerts
I've come to the end of what was a hoard of gigs. Last week I knocked off the last two (I'm getting old - two in one week was hard work), Wilco and Vampire Weekend. Both were lots of fun, but Wilco wins - incredible!! What a performance.

Theatre
Well... it was IN a theatre - SkyCity Theatre that is. A friend decided she wanted to go see 'High Tease', a show with a selection of kiwi burlesque performers, for her birthday. So we all bought tickets (a very reasonable $38) and enjoyed a 2 hour show. It was titillating, funny, full of talent, and entertaining. We all had a FAB time, then headed to Ponsonby afterwards for some drinks.

Improvements
Or Added Value... or maybe not added, because I am referring to a hair cut... Anywho, whatever the subheading, I got my hair done last week. It was long overdue, but the ultimate reason was for a pick-me-up. And it worked (even if only one or two people noticed!). I had been growing it - I can never stick it out. I had the longest layer chopped off (above my shoulders), and some colours put through - including 'chestnut' (aka red!). It looks good though IMO (and really, that's the most important one right?).

Food
I've been eating out a bit lately - I blame the concerts (yay concerts!). Last week I managed Japanese twice (at the same restaurant - Sakanaya is awesome), Italian once (Gina's), and Thai (take out, thanks to Richard).
However, I did cook for Rob for the first time the other week. It wasn't anything special, just a simple Monday night dinner that I whipped up (no recipe required). It was received well by all (Rich ate with us) and seemed to go down a treat (fresh ravioli and tortellini, with a tomato sauce that included mushrooms, 3 kinds of capsicums, egg plant, garlic, onions, herbs, 2 kinds of pesto, courgettes... Simple but tasty).

School
Yes, I've been doing a short database course. The course itself has three parts - I signed up for the first part (and plan to take up the second after a wee break). It's based around Microsoft Access, and is run just up the road from my work. The database at my work isn't Access, but the fundamentals of the course - basic understanding of DBs, and DBMS, data types etc - can be applied in many DBMS, not just Access. The easy access of Access just means I can practice what I've learned on most PCs.
Basically you log in hours (this course allows 50 hrs) and work at your own pace from a work book. This has pros and cons, one of the major cons being I never met anyone else doing my course! It's graded on a project (worth 30%) and a three hour exam (worth 70%). I passed with flying colours, and with eight hours to spare.
It was great to be back learning again - some parts were challenging, others easier.

Travel
I haven't been on many office trips lately (had one a week there for a while), but I am off to Wellington overnight next week. Seeing a heap of people in different divisions, so hopefully I have enough steam to stay awake for all.
And of course I have Buenos Aires on May 20. Can't believe it's almost here. I have done no preparation, other than getting a new passport (essential).
A few weeks ago I took a Monday and Tuesday off work so I could go away up North with Rob (he had two whole weeks school holidays). We drove up to Baylys Beach to stay with Rob's friend. As well as us, another friend was staying, along with his four year old daughter (who attached herself to me from the get go). After a night there, Rob & I headed to Paihai - caught the ferry to Russell, walked around - ferried back and had a divine meal at a restaurant called 'Only Seafood'. Tuesday before driving back to Baylys Beach, we went to Waitangi. Then headed back to Auckland!

People
Well, trying to stay in touch! Got to catch up with Mel (over from the UK) briefly, along with Evette, which was lovely.
Rob and I have made it through nine months together. Nothing to do with a baby.
Mum and Dad had a fab time in England. They missed Paris due to ash cloud, but still had an awesome time. Great to have them home though!
While returning my overdue library book I ran into my old boss - almost literally. We had a five minute catch-up in the library's lobby; he is still the same old flamboyant character.

Music
There are some great new albums out there. I am digging the Fatboy Slim and David Byrne 2CD album 'Here Lies Love'. Also enjoying the new Yeasayer, Turin Brakes, OK Go!, and Broken Bells.
I've put together my latest mixed-tape, but have yet to send it out to many of you (ha, many...). The track listing follows. All are tracks I've been really enjoying (some aren't particularly new):

1. Doubt ~ Delphic
2. Radd Pitt ~ Egyptian Hip Hop
3. When I'm Small ~ Phantogram
4. Ambitions ~ Donkeyboy
5. No Fucking Around ~ Rafter
6. WTF? ~ OK Go
7. Something I'm Not ~ Penguin Prison
8. The King & All of His Men ~ Wolf Gang
9. Angel ~ Mr. Little Jeans
10. Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
11. Don't Really Know Me ~ Snowden
12. The High Road ~ Broken Bells
13. Hide it Away ~ Retribution Gospel Choir
14. Stranger ~ Dr Dog
15. Red River ~ Rocky Votolato
16. False Alarm ~ The Wooden Birds
17. Here Lies Love ~ David Byrne & Fat Boy Slim, feat. Florence Welsh (Florence & The Machine)

I am itching to get the new The National album - I've heard great things about it, and I really like the track 'Bloodbuzz Ohio'.

In Summary...
Busy busy busy. Seriously, how did it get to May already?! Generally, it's all 'good busy', not 'bad busy', though I could use some more sleep! Lot's to look forward to (Mum's B'day, Rob's B'day, Buenos Aires, the weekend!). Many books to read (stack on my floor), DVDs to watch (there are never enough hours), cross-stitches to do (while watching the DVDs), and lists to complete (one list has the three things I just listed on it).

Where did Easter Go?

2010-04-07T21:56:00.002+12:00

The long weekend is long over. It felt too short. Not that I achieved much!
I lost a day to sickness, and the rest was spent in a laze. I did manage to see 'Clash of the Titans' 3D, have two dinners with Rob, watch a few DVDs ('Wake up Ron Burgundy', 'Land of the Lost', 'House Bunny' ((Yes, really)), and 'Law Abiding Citizen')... Somehow I didn't eat even *one* easter egg!

This week has blurred - yet at only Wednesday night it feels like it has dragged at the same time. I've been busy at work, and had class after - 2 practice exams (97% and 76%), and my project back (100% whoot whoot!!). Rob had lunch with me today (school holidays for him) - great to hang out, but sucky to have to go back to work afterwards!

The rest of the week is looking as busy - work is crazy, lunches planned for tomorrow and Friday. Off to Howick on Friday night, a Burlesque show Saturday night, then away with Rob for a few days on Sunday - back Tuesday. And six or so weeks until Buenos Aires!

Briefly

2010-03-28T21:50:00.002+13:00

This week has been long. Monday = class; Tuesday = class; Wednesday = Alice in Wonderland, 3D IMAX; Thursday = Massive Attack concert; Friday = dinner with Parents (who left for the UK Saturday, for a month); Saturday = Dinner and 'The Men Who Stare at Ghosts'; Sunday = RIP! (ended up nipping out for some food, then consuming while watching the new 'Vampire Diaries' episode, followed by old eps of 'HIMYM').

Other snippets: My Destiny's chocolate on Saturday night said 'A special someone will bring excitment into your life'. Old eps of 'HIMYM' are still hilarious on the second or third etc watching. My library book is extremely overdue - I think my fines are past $10 now... I tried to hang up my dressing gown the other night, only for one of the two hooks on the back of my wardrobe door to break. Last night the second hook on the back of my wardrobe door broke when I tried to hung up my dressing gown. I have no hooks now. Bastards. Pafu pafu is not *that* funny... ok, it is, especially when someone else is laughing their asses off over it. My own brother thinks I am 'amazing' - that's pretty cool (but then I had just bought him back a coffee, a giant can of V, half a muffin and half a pecan slice, as a breakfast surprise - yes, I had the other halves! They only had one muffin left - crazy! But then Berry/cream cheese muffin is darn tasty). I'm almost finished my newest mix-tape - its more eclectic than ever I think.

Bedtime now. Night.

Happy St Patricks Day

2010-03-17T07:30:00.001+13:00

Yay Google

I'm going to celebrate by going to see 'The Dead Weather' live at the Powerstation tonight!!!!

Battlestar vs Beastie Boys

2010-03-13T11:14:00.000+13:00

Love it!

Cyanide & Happiness

2010-03-11T22:47:00.000+13:00

Really really ridiculously good news

2010-03-05T18:25:00.002+13:00

... a sequel to Zoolander is underway!

"Yes, it is true," said Ben Stiller, star of the 2001 original, when MTV Movies quizzed him on sequel rumours. "The beginning of the [sequel] is [set] 10 years later, and Derek and Hansel are literally forgotten. Nobody even knows who they are, so they have to re-invent themselves."

Stiller added that he's keen to get Will Ferrell — aka flamboyant villain Mugatu — back on board. "If Will says yes, he definitely has to be a part of it... Mugatu is one of the classic screen villains of all time."

SQUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'm just slightly excited about this news.

Sounds like Justin Theroux will direct and co-write the script with Ben Stiller (they worked on 'Tropic Thunder' together). There are some rumours that Jonah Hill is going to play the villian, but I'm hoping for a return of Will Ferrell - maybe we'll get both!

IMDB have started a page up - looks like Zoolander 2 will have a 2012 release (let's hope the world doesn't end before this screens :P )

Post Script

2010-03-05T18:05:00.004+13:00

Ok, I totally forgot to add this. Yesterday I was on twitter (I really like twitter)... more correctly I was on Hootsuite, which I use to tweet (for both my work's twitter and for personal - it's a great management tool; online/web-based and free). What Hootsuite can make very obvious to you, is people 'mentioning' you who you DON'T follow (so you might not see it directly on twitter).

This is how I realised I had been 'mentioned' by Mr Texas Cowboy's wife! For those of you who don't know the history of my penpal, too bad. It's, like a 10 year on/off debacle. I can point you to these previous posts: Social Networking, I Hate (very ominous - it's quite possible I had watched 10 Things I Hate About You just a few too many times...), and Prose or Something Like It. There may be more posts, I don't know.

Anyways, I don't 'follow' Him or Her - but both of them do 'follow' me (on twitter, remember?!). But, because I was using Hootsuite I saw She had mentioned me with this tweet - '@insaneheadspace who wants visitors from houston tx in october?!'

WTF?!

He hasn't even bothered to talk to me or communicate in anyway - when He first found me on twitter I sent him my email address- cos it was too weird just getting 140 snippets of his life after not hearing from him for years. When I heard nothing further, I decided not to 'follow' Him. If you don't have time to email me, or give me your own email address so I can email you, then what kind of friend are you? (keeping in mind, our previous friendship was based on IM, email, and the occassional long-distance phonecall). Let alone my rel/ship with Her - which was sketchy and, at the best of times, 'civil'.

Well, I replied - gave Her some tips on NZ etc... Still, WTF?! Am I something They remember when They are bored?!

Over and Out.

TGIF

2010-03-05T16:42:00.003+13:00

It's been a long couple of weeks. Today, TGIF, I'm feeling progressively more on the border of a bad mood. I'm trying very hard not to get grumpy... but the tiredness is getting to me.

But enough of that!

Last week I was in Nelson. This week was Palmerston North. Both trips went well (but have added considerably to my exhaustion).

I finally finished a book called 'John Dies at the End' - one of the weirdest books I've ever read. Not sure whether to tell you if John actually dies at the end or not... It was more than 2 weeks overdue from the library. I'm too scared to check what the overdue fees have amounted to. Also overdue, 'Angel Time' by Anne Rice - so far it's lame.

I've had The Pixies on high rotation the last few days - I have their concert next Friday! Other than that, I have been really enjoying Portishead's Trip-Hop Reconstruction, which friends gave me, and I *completely* forgot was on my player. Also, I have the next four or so tracks for my latest mix-tape picked out - they are wee gems from bands I had never heard of before.

Our landlady took a potential buyer through our place... again. At least she said she was going to... We cleaned and tidied like crazy Wednesday night (at least the place is neat for the weekend). We've been there three years though. Let's hope moving out isn't in the near future.

I watched 'The Hurt Locker' - I've not watched a film as tense as that for ages. It was brilliant though. It deserves to win over 'Avatar' as far as story goes. Yes, 'Avatar' was incredibly visually, but its story? To quote someone else (who I can't remember): it's Pocahontas with smurfs.

Things with my man are going well. I met The Mother last weekend for lunch. Rob and I drove out to Bombay (great drive in gorgeous weather) - his mother lives out that way. We all met at Bracu Restaurant (check it out here), which is part of the Bracu Olive Estate (and it turns out the source of my FAV hand-cream from the Simunovich range). The most awkward moment was the hand-shake-or-hug-kiss-dance I did with his mother when meeting her (we finally settled on the hug/kiss). The food was delicious (I had the lamb), the conversation un-stunted (great company), and the setting glorious. In my opinion, it went well, and I think she liked me! I've not had this confirmed however...

I also received a semi-surprise parcel from Mel (UK goodies). Thanks for making my day! Mel, I've already used the wee bag - in fact I used it today; it's sitting at my feet full of my shopping :)

I've raced through 'Sons of Anarchy' season one and two. Frickin awesome show. I have to wait until September 2010 for the start of the third season (in USA). I'll tell ya, it brings out the bad-boy love: Charlie Hunnam as Jax teller is just... yum. (Photo below)

I'm also enjoying 'Big Love' season four, no matter what others say. We watched episode seven last night - what a stunner! When that machete came down... *shudders*

Check out my TV page (which I try to update), for other shows

This weekend - my diary is blank; not an entry. This may change of course (already have a potential, but undiaried, dinner with mum and dad on Sunday). But if it doesn't I won't be cut up. As a typical girl I will however be cut up if Rob doesn't ask me to do something. Now you're asking: Why don't YOU ask him to do something if you want to do something? Well, the answer is: I am happy to mooch at home the whole weekend... but it would make me feel good inside if he asked me out (I've called; voicemail. And texted 3 or so times the last few days. I haven't really had anything back - nothing to worry on. I just miss his sweet 'I'm thinking of you' texts).

Oh, highlight of a boring day: calling our Director of Research and Consultancy, a 'Media Mongol'. Seriously. He'd just been interviewed for TV, and his quotes were used on the radio news. After I said it, my brain ticked over for a few seconds... and I realised my mistake. I bit my tongue a moment longer, then out loud said: 'Of course I MEANT to say Mogul' - and by then everyone had puzzled looks on their faces (they had also just clicked to my stupidness). Laughter ensued. I wonder if my slip-up will come back to haunt me.

Loving: Yahoo IM for BlackBerry (way to cheat the system - my work's IT system that is), Pepsi Max (better tasting than Diet Coke IMO), Girl Guide cookies (Yes it's that time of year again - bring on the chocolate coated ones!!), and Fanfarlo (the album is FAB).

Hating: My bank (where is the replacement card for the one that got wiped on YOUR ATM weeks ago?!)

Also Loving: this picture. Had to include the caption too (another Topless Robot gem)

If a picture had 1,000 thousand... my guess is that for this picture, 500 of those words are "fucking" and the other 500 are "rad."

Dawn of the Dreadfuls

2010-03-05T15:37:00.002+13:00

The prequel to 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' is out this month!

Read the review at Topless Robot

I've read 'P & P & Z' - it was amusing, but a bit of a novelty. It seems the prequel will explain the history of the Bennett sisters (their ninja training and such), but it will not follow Jane Austen's prose style. I'm in!

Ok Go!

2010-03-03T13:56:00.003+13:00

BAFTA Winners Announced

2010-02-22T14:30:00.003+13:00

The winners are in bold

BEST FILM
AVATAR
AN EDUCATION
THE HURT LOCKER
PRECIOUS
UP IN THE AIR

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
AN EDUCATION
FISK TANK
IN THE LOOP
MOON
NOWHERE BOY

ANIMATED FILM
CORALINE - Henry Selick
FANTASTIC MR FOX - Wes Anderson
UP - Pete Docter

LEADING ACTOR
JEFF BRIDGES - Crazy Heart
GEORGE CLOONEY - Up in the Air
COLIN FIRTH - A Single Man
JEREMY RENNER - The Hurt Locker
ANDY SERKIS - Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

LEADING ACTRESS
CAREY MULLIGAN - An Education
SAOIRSE RONAN - The Lovely Bones
GABOUREY SIDIBE - Precious
MERYL STREEP - Julie & Julia
AUDREY TAUTOU - Coco Before Chanel

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ALEC BALDWIN - It’s Complicated
CHRISTIAN McKAY - Me and Orson Welles
ALFRED MOLINA - An Education
STANLEY TUCCI - The Lovely Bones
CHRISTOPH WALTZ - Inglourious Basterds

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ANNE-MARIE DUFF - Nowhere Boy
VERA FARMIGA - Up in the Air
ANNA KENDRICK - Up in the Air
MO'NIQUE - Precious
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS - Nowhere Boy

DIRECTOR
AVATAR - James Cameron
DISTRICT 9 - Neill Blomkamp
AN EDUCATION - Lone Scherfig
THE HURT LOCKER - Kathryn Bigelow
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - Quentin Tarantino

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
THE HANGOVER - Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
THE HURT LOCKER - Mark Boal
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - Quentin Tarantino
A SERIOUS MAN - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
UP - Bob Peterson, Pete Docter

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
DISTRICT 9 - Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
AN EDUCATION - Nick Hornby
IN THE LOOP - Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
PRECIOUS - Geoffrey Fletcher
UP IN THE AIR - Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
BROKEN EMBRACES - Agustin Almodovar, Pedro Almodovar
COCO BEFORE CHANEL - Carole Scotta, Caroline Benjo, Philippe Carcassonne, Anne Fontaine
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN - Carl Molinder, John Nordling, Tomas Alfredson
A PROPHET - Pascale Caucheteux, Marco Chergui, Alix Raynaud, Jacques Audiard THE WHITE RIBBON - Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka, Margaret Menegoz, Michael Haneke

MUSIC
AVATAR - James Horner
CRAZY HEART - T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton
FANTASTIC MR FOX - Alexandre Desplat
SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL - Chaz Jankel
UP - Michael Giacchino

CINEMATOGRAPHY
AVATAR - Mauro Fiore
DISTRICT 9 - Trent Opaloch
THE HURT LOCKER - Barry Ackroyd
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - Robert Richardson
THE ROAD - Javier Aguirresarobe

EDITING
AVATAR - Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron
DISTRICT 9 - Julian Clarke
THE HURT LOCKER - Bob Murawski, Chris Innis
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - Sally Menke
UP IN THE AIR - Dana E. Glauberman

PRODUCTION DESIGN
AVATAR - Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair
DISTRICT 9 - Philip Ivey, Guy Poltgieter
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE - Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS - Nominees TBC
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds Wasco

COSTUME DESIGN
BRIGHT STAR - Janet Patterson
COCO BEFORE CHANEL - Catherine Leterrier
AN EDUCATION - Odile Dicks-Mireaux
A SINGLE MAN - Arianne Phillips
THE YOUNG VICTORIA - Sandy Powell

SOUND
AVATAR - Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson, Addison Teague
DISTRICT 9 - Brent Burge, Chris Ward, Dave Whitehead, Michael Hedges, Ken Saville
THE HURT LOCKER - Ray Beckett, Paul N. J. Ottosson, Craig Stauffer
STAR TREK - Peter J. Devlin, Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Mark Stoeckinger, Ben Burtt
UP - Tom Myers, Michael Silvers, Michael Semanick

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
AVATAR - Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones
DISTRICT 9 - Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros, Matt Aitken
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE - John Richardson, Tim Burke, Tim Alexander, Nicolas Aithadi
THE HURT LOCKER - Richard Stutsman
STAR TREK - Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh, Burt Dalton

MAKE UP and HAIR
COCO BEFORE CHANEL - Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen, Jane Milon
AN EDUCATION - Lizzie Yianni Georgiou
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS - Sarah Monzani
NINE - Peter ‘Swords’ King
THE YOUNG VICTORIA - Jenny Shircore

ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD
JESSE EISENBERG
NICHOLAS HOULT
CAREY MULLIGAN
TAHAR RAHIM
KRISTEN STEWART

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
LUCY BAILEY, ANDREW THOMPSON, ELIZABETH MORGAN HEMLOCK, DAVID PEARSON, directors and producers of Mugabe and the White African
ERAN CREEVY, writer/director of Shifty
STUART HAZELDINE, writer/director of Exam
DUNCAN JONES, director of Moon
SAM TAYLOR-WOOD, director of Nowhere Boy

ACADEMY FELLOWSHIP: Vanessa Redgrave

Awards Cocktail Function 2010

2010-02-22T13:04:00.005+13:00

Friday night was my work's annual Awards night. Previous years it has been a formal sitdown dinner (post here). This year, in light of cutting costs, it was an Awards Cocktail Function (still black tie, no cocktails, no dinner, but free bubbly/wine/beer and nibbles).

Leigh and I decided to get ready together like last year. She had her make-up done by MAC, then we went to my place. I got mine done at D'aguiar across the road while Leigh did her own hair (bless ex-hairdressers). When I got home, she wacked the hot rollers in my hair, while we both sipped bubbly. She did a lovely job on my hair once again *smiles*.

Then it was into our dresses (Leigh had bought a beautiful olive green long dress, while I wore my bridesmaid dress from D's wedding). Once Rob arrived we all departed for Hopetoun Alpha.

The place was packed - everyone looked so glammed up! We mingled, had some bubbly, checked out the nibbles. Around 8:30pm the official awards part started. They kept it moving pretty fast - no long speeches. I was so proud of all the winners (especially for Admin and EA/Support - they're my peeps).

The last award of the night is the Director's Award, which can go to anyone in the office. Like some of the other awards, nominations are put forward and then the Director's discuss. The difference with this award, is the winner gets to go on the 'Club Trip' with all the brokers (If a broker earns $300,000 in the year, they get to take their partner with them on the 'Club Trip' - a most-expenses paid trip to a predecided destination).

So, one of the Directors gets up and starts talking... without further ado he says that this person organised the Xmas party (hmmm.... I get a puzzled look on my face... cos, I organised the Xmas party), she saved us $60,000 on postage last year with the NZ post statement of accuracy (ohhhh shiiiiiit... I'm having a mini panic attack, cos that was ME too), and I don't even remember the last thing... something about the database being awesome or whatever.

So, everyone cheered and clapped... and I tried not to cry, while I walked up to the stage and got my award. Most the night is a blur.... and I'm still stunned, because the destination this year is Buenos Aires!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to fricken South America in May for a week give or take, with Rob, pretty much on the company!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did escape soon after winning - went outside and called my Mum. As soon as it started ringing I burst out crying... which didn't help as my Dad answered and thought I was in trouble or something!! I blubbered and drunkenly babbled for a bit, before hanging up to fix my makeup (it would be the night I have the blackest eye makeup! Not good for crying).

Anyways, a couple of snaps below, and I'll keep you posted on the Buenos Aires adventure planning.

V Day

2010-02-17T10:39:00.010+13:00

(Ed: forgot I had this in draft, but might as well finish it off even though I started it a week ago!)
I am sitting in the Queenstown office - and have been for half an hour or so... My training was booked for 10am, but most the staff are in a meeting (and not with me!). And I've been going since 5:30am this morning *yawns*.

Anyway, thought I'd use this time to write a wee post, since the oh-so-auspicious Valentine's Day has just past. It was Sunday for those of you who missed it. For me, it's been creeping up for a few weeks now... ever since a certain special somebody sat down to dinner with me and said: "So, this Valentine's Day thing is coming up, right? What date is it?". I tested this by promptly saying: "It's the 12th Feb...." All I got was a nod! So, I added: "Dude, are you serious?! It's 14th. Everyone knows that!"

We then had a discussion about if I wanted to do something on that day etc... I stopped it, and said, "Surprise me."

Later the next week I got a cryptic voicemail from said special somebody telling me that we were booked in somewhere lovely for dinner at 6:30pm 14th Feb, and that we were also booked in for a night somewhere - I was instructed to pack a bag, but not to worry, as I could walk to work the next day...

The mystery unfolded once he got excited by the set-menu at our restaurant and emailed it to me! So, I knew it was 'Orbit' for dinner (awesome, never been)... my next deduction was a night at SkyCity Hotel (I was right).

For the next week or more I started to get organised (I know, crazy woman! But I like being organised, and since *he* had gone to so much trouble and expense I kinda wanted to too). I think, like my Dad, that every day should be Valentine's Day with those you care for - but it can be fun to take the time to celebrate on a certain day (I'm not religious, but I celebrate Xmas as time with friends and family). I'm even fairly sure you'll find my poo-poohing V Day in previous year's posts...

Anyways, Sunday came - dinner at Orbit was wonderful (a rose, the slowly revolving view and the food), and our room was lovely! I even gambled for the first time (I put down $20, won $100, then lost it all - bugger! If I hadn't been quite so tipsy I might've come to my senses!). And I dressed up too, which was fun (and it gave my last year's work awards dinner dress it's third ever outing).

It's just a shame we couldn't hang for longer in the room (Monday morning coming around fast, and both of us heading to work bright and early). We had a great time, and it was a special night - we both got spoilt by each other *smiles* (I did kick up a tiny stink at no V Day card - a man of action is awesome, but I like the words too hehe).

Unfortunately, I was like a zombie on Monday.... and didn't sleep well. In fact I got 5 or so hours of sleep, and here I am in the Queenstown office for a full-on day. I'll probably get home at 7:30pm or so *yawns*.

I hope everyone else's Valentine's Day was special in some way. Let me know *smiles*

Music. Exciting. Oh my!

2010-02-10T10:01:00.003+13:00

I've been in a wee music ball-of-heaven lately, thanks to all the fab concerts news.

Unfortunately I missed a few (Laneway with Florence and the Machine, and The XX; Big Day Out; Lo Ye Tengo; The Dodos...).

BUT there are a couple I vow not to miss. Yes, a vow.

1. Holy Shit, Massive Attack are coming. I know they aren't quite what they were at Mezzaine, but I still love'em [link]

2. Vampire Weekend wadddddup! Hells YEAH! [link]

3. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Awesome [link]

Please just let me roll around in bliss a bit longer; cocooned from the harsh reality of the world today...

Sunday Funday

2010-02-07T22:31:00.003+13:00

Hello - just me checking in again. Another week gone - a 'short week' for us Aucklanders, after Auckland Anniversary day on Monday. I have to admit I haven't achieved much this weekend... That said, I did write more than 5,000 words. But that doesn't really count.

I did go see 'It's Complicated' with Mum. If you've seen the trailer, then the movie and its plot won't surprise you. It was enjoyable though, and I did laugh a lot. Plus, hey, hanging with Mum rocks (no, I'm not being sarcastic).

Friday night I dinnered with my Honey (yummy Thai takeout at mine), then headed to his for a DVD ('Adventureland' - fun. Jesse Eisenberg is a dude). That night, and the movie with Mum, were pretty much the highlights. For a large chunk of the weekend I mooched around: writing, and watching a couple of episodes (new Bones, Vampire Diaries, and Big Love)... Considering that's all I did, I can't work out how I didn't fit more sleep time in! I'm really not sleeping well just in case you wanted to know.

My picture is now on the screen of my Honey's phone... *coughs* Is that, like, another marker in a 21st century relationship? Step one, facebook status is changed to 'in a relationship with...'. Step two, your photo is made the home page of his cellphone? Am I supposed to put his on mine?! I know a certain person, who will remain nameless, who has RPattz on her phone... My Mum has her cats on hers... And I have a blurry photo from the Muse concert I went to.

Anyways, enough! It's sweet! I do wish I hadn't been eating breakfast at the time... But it does prove that I do eat breakfast sometimes, and don't just consume a 'V'...

This week: Yo La Tengo gig is tomorrow night (I'm not going :( ), I think I'm in Hamilton Tuesday for work... But, Sunday is Valentine's Day. Yes, that stupid smile you're imagining on my face is in fact on my face right now as I type this.

Night all!

One month down...

2010-02-01T11:41:00.002+13:00

You know how you sometimes have those days when you are just sad? There isn't a real reason for it - if you really wanted to, you could think of many things you should be grateful for, and therefore cheer up. But it's not like that. That would be too logical.

Instead, you get the Blues - perhaps they start off as the Pale Blues, but before you know if you've sunk to the depths of the Navy Blues.

I woke up this morning already in a bad mood - there wasn't even a chance to step out on the wrong side. It just went downhill from there. I did my best not to take it out on others... But it seems *something* was against me today, because these little things kept happening - the kind that drive you crazy. Inconsiderate behaviour, bitchiness... it didn't take much to make me sink lower. It's a holiday today - I should be dancing on the ceiling!

It just went from bad to worse... It's your reactions that matter too. It's hard not to act like a baby or even just hurt, when you are in fact hurt. I can take critism, I really can. But when you are Blue and the wrong person says something, well, dot dot dot.

I'm trying to pull back now - swim to the surface. I've realised a few truths and am dealing with them. Some people can just be so... mean. Yesterday I would've handled things differently; better maybe. Who knows about tomorrow...

Half the day has been swallowed by the Blues. The rain may still be hitting the windows (really?! In February, on our holiday, you decide to rain?!), but I've got to let some sun in (yeah, cheese analogy - it really is raining though).

Sorry for the cryptic. It's not even a big thing - but when you have the Blues even the smallest thing can feel like the apocalypse.

Attack, Massive Styles!!

2010-01-21T07:42:00.002+13:00

OK, I am trying to calm down after *just* finding out that MASSIVE ATTACK are playing in Auckland NZ, March 25th at Vector Arena. No words... I have no words!

(Except) Last time they announced a show I got tickets, but it was postponed... then cancelled. I got to see them in London at a festival, but FINALLY, FINALLY we get a Massive Attack Concert.

Surely today can't be bad after this news :)

Iconic British dub-dance act Massive Attack will play a single New Zealand show in March.

The band, known for bass-riddled albums like Mezzanine and 100th Window and helping to pioneer trip-hop in the '90s, will perform at Auckland's Vector Arena on March 25.

Martina Topley-Bird will also be performing.

Pre-sale tickets are released on January 22 and come with a digital copy of the band's new album Heligoland.

They then go on sale to the general public on February 4.

Stuff.co.nz

Coachella 2010

2010-01-20T07:22:00.001+13:00

A line-up from heaven! Oh to be going *sigh*...

FRIDAY APRIL 16: Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, Them Crooked Vultures, Vampire Weekend, Deadmau5, Public Image Limited, The Specials, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, Benny Benassi, Fever Ray, Grace Jones, She & Him, Erol Alkan, The Avett Brothers, Calle 13, The Whitest Boy Alive, The Cribs, La Roux, Yeasayer, Lucero, DJ Lance Rock, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Proxy, Ra Ra Riot, Deer Tick, Wolfgang Gartner, Aeroplane, Iglu & Hartly, Sleigh Bells, P.O.S., Baroness, Hockey, Little Dragon, White Rabbits, Wale, Kate Miller-Heidke, As Tall as Lions, Jets Overhead, Alana Grace, Pablo Hassan.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17: Muse, Faith No More, Tiësto, MGMT, David Guetta, The Dead Weather, Hot Chip, Devo, Coheed and Cambria, Kaskade, 2Many DJ's, Major Lazer, Dirty Projectors, Gossip, Z-Trip, The xx, John Waters, Les Claypool, The Raveonettes, Mew, Sia, Camera Obscura, Tokyo Police Club, Porcupine Tree, Old Crow Medicine Show, Aterciopalados, Bassnectar, Frightened Rabbit, Dirty South, Flying Lotus, Corinne Bailey Rae, Pretty Lights, Shooter Jennings, RX Bandits, The Almighty Defenders, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Craze & Klever, Zoe, The Temper Trap, Portugal. The Man, Band of Skulls, Girls, Beach House, Steel Train, Frank Turner.

SUNDAY, APRIL 18: Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom Yorke????, Phoenix, Orbital, Spoon, Sly and the Family Stone, De La Soul, Julian Casablancas, Plastikman, Gary Numan, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sunny Day Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, MUTEMATH, Deerhunter, Infected Mushroom, Club 75, Matt & Kim, The Big Pink, Gil Scott-Heron, King Khan and the Shrines, Florence and the Machine, Yann Tiersen, Little Boots, Miike Snow, Talvin Singh, Ceu, B.o.B., Babasonicos, Owen Pallett, The Glitch Mob, Mayer Hawthorne, Local Natives, Rusko, The Middle East, Hadouken!, The Soft Pack, Kevin Devine, Paparazzi, Delphic, One EskimO.

Tickets are on sale Friday 1/22 at 10AM for the 4/16-18 event. Three-day weekend passes are $US269.00, plus surcharges.

Check out all the details at the official Coachella website

Golden Globes 2010

2010-01-18T09:06:00.001+13:00

Updated with winners (in bold): 18 Jan 2010
I love the hype of the Golden Glodes, Emmys, and the Academy Awards. The nominations for 2010 67th Golden Globes are out! They will be held Jan 17th.

Movie leaders: Up in the Air (6 noms; 1 win), Nine (5 noms; zip), Avatar and Inglourious Basterds (4 noms each; 2 and 1 win).

TV leaders: Glee (4 noms; 1 win), 30 Rock, Damages, Dexter and Big Love (all with 3 noms; 1, zip, 2, and 1 win).

The awards will be handed out on Jan. 17. Here's the complete list of contenders:

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious
• Up in the Air

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
• Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Tobey Maguire, Brothers

BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
• (500) Days of Summer
• The Hangover
• It's Complicated
• Julie & Julia
• Nine

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
• Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
• Marion Cotillard, Nine
• Julia Roberts, Duplicity
• Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
• Matt Damon, The Informant!
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
• Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
• Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• Coraline
• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Princess and the Frog
• Up

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
• Baaria (Italy)
• Broken Embraces (Spain)
• The Maid (Chile)
• A Prophet (France)
• The White Ribbon (Germany)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
• Penélope Cruz, Nine
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Mo'Nique, Precious
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

BEST DIRECTOR
• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar
• Clint Eastwood, Invictus
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SCREENPLAY
• Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
• Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
• Nancy Meyers, It's Complicated
• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
• Michael Giacchino, Up
• Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant!
• James Horner, Avatar
• Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man
• Karen O and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
• "Cinema Italiano," Music & Lyrics by Maury Yeston (Nine)
• "I Want to Come Home," Music & Lyrics by Paul McCartney (Everybody's Fine)
• "I Will See You," Music by James Horner, Simon Franglen; Lyrics by James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell (Avatar)
• "The Weary Kind," Music & Lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart)
• "Winter," Music by U2; Lyrics by Bono (Brothers)

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
• Big Love
• Dexter
• House
• Mad Men
• True Blood

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
• Glenn Close, Damages
• January Jones, Mad Men
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Anna Paquin, True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
• Simon Baker, The Mentalist
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Bill Paxton, Big Love

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
• 30 Rock
• Entourage
• Glee
• Modern Family
• The Office

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
• Toni Collette, United States of Tara
• Courteney Cox, Cougar Town
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Lea Michele, Glee

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Thomas Jane, Hung
• Matthew Morrison, Glee

BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
• Georgia O'Keefe
• Grey Gardens
• Into the Storm
• Little Dorrit
• Taking Chance

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
• Joan Allen, Georgia O'Keefe
• Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
• Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
• Anna Paquin, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
• Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
• Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
• Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
• Chiewetel Ejiofor, Endgame
• Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm
• Jeremy Irons, Georgia O'Keefe

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
• Jane Adams, Hung
• Rose Byrne, Damages
• Jane Lynch, Glee
• Janet McTeer, Into the Storm
• Chloë Sevigny, Big Love

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
• Michael Emerson, Lost
• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
• William Hurt, Damages
• John Lithgow, Dexter
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage

Update

2010-01-10T17:35:00.003+13:00

I can't believe the last day of my holidays is over. I spent it pretty much sitting on my butt: I watched the rest of 'Nurse Jackie' season one, then 'Inkheart', 'The Strangers', and 'Paranormal Activity'. While doing that I surfed the net, managing to buy ahead bday presents for three friends with upcoming bdays. Now I'm fighting with a goddamn headache thanks to the handheld shaky camera work on 'P A'.

Anyway, the last week of my holidays have been quiet and relaxing. Last Sunday I caught up with Alex and Mark again, which was great. Monday I did some shopping at the sales with Mum (and actually bought quite a few bits and pieces), then went over to Rob's to watch a DVD (we settled on 'Big Trouble in Little China' - awesome!). Unfortunately he was/is still feeling off-balance and a little dizzy from his ear infection, so we decided to cancel our holiday up north.

Tuesday, Rich and I went and saw 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' then visited the library (where I finally got said movie's book - at one point I was 400th in the queue!). Wednesday I caught an afternoon movie with Rob ('The Lovely Bones' - it was ok). Thursday a group of us went to Awhitu Regional Park for a picnic lunch (fantastic, relaxing day!). Friday I couched: finished The Host by Stephenie Meyers (finally!), and watched some DVDs... Actually, that was pretty much how Saturday and today went i.e. watching stuff and reading.

All and all it's been a lovely break. I'm not looking forward to being back at work, though I am looking forward to catching up with my friends there. Hopefully Monday will be a chilled day of catching up and getting slowly back into the work-groove.

Looking back, this time last year (Saturday I think), I was a witness at Dione and Luke's marriage... one year ago man!

Anyway, better go. I am wondering if I can still salvage my last holiday evening - perhaps a drive and some legen--dary Panmure chicken on rice kebabs...

Later xo

Meow

2010-01-09T14:28:00.002+13:00

(Translation: Happy New Year, from Phoebe, and also stop taking photos of me you stupid human)

Cocaine... the drink!

2010-01-02T19:57:00.000+13:00

Holy crap. It's back on the shelves with its original name. 3.5 times the caffeine of Red Bull! And the flavour??! “Highly carbonated, roughly cherry-flavoured, with a slight burning sensation in the back of the throat”. Mmmmm burning sensation LOL!

Read about it here

I know where to buy some if anyone is curious enough!

Over New Years we sampled 'Cocaine' ourselves... Verdict? The taste was ok. The caffeine seemed to pack no more punch than 'V'

2010

2010-01-02T13:06:00.006+13:00

Well, here we are. Another year. I'm just enjoying being on holiday - no work for 2 weeks = bliss!

The weather has mostly been good to us in Auckland - today is gloriously sunny (though hot hot hot; skin blisteringly so!). I'm just fine sitting with the doors open, a cool breeze blowing through the house (I might have to brave the sun soon though - need to hunt & gather some lunch up!).

Xmas was lovely - great start, middling middle, and nice ending. The five of us had a family champagne brekky at the homestead and opened presents. Everyone seemed to be super-happy with their gifts, and we had a relaxing and fun time just hanging out.

We all headed out west for Xmas lunch - that was ok... but the least enjoyable part of the day (we're all trying to plan an Xmas this year that doesn't include the middle meal - honestly, who needs all that food?!)

For the evening we we went from west to north for dinner with Mum's sister - I got detained by my cousin to play Wii... which I think we did almost the whole time (pausing briefly for a BBQ, then pavlova dessert).

Boxing Day and a day or two after gave us a reprieve from all the food and drink - I spent it mostly watching DVDs (and caught up on all of Californication season 3), a brief shopping trip, and catching up with friends (hung out talking with Alex and Mark for 5 hours!!).

Angela and Paul have been up from Christchurch staying since 29th (they go home tonight). We've had a pretty quiet time - dinners, a trip to the movies; just chillaxing.

New Years Eve was low key - the four of us, plus Mum and Dad dropped in to watch the fireworks (at the Sky Tower, which we can see from my place). Unfortunately Rob has been sick the whole time, so no time with him (and no kiss at New Years midnight :( ). It's quite possible that A & P think he is a figment of my imagination!

On that note, Rob and I were supposed to go away 4th Jan, home 8th, but it will probably be more like 5th or 6th now, as he needs to get better. Hopefully we can get away for a couple of nights (planning on going up north).

Anyway I guess that is all for now - just a quick summary of the last week or so.

Happy New Year!

Movies Seen [2010]

2010-01-01T11:12:00.048+13:00

My movie consumption is much lower than what it used to be, but it seems to be on the rise again...

2010=35; 2009= 39; 2008=35; 2007 = 31; 2006 = 23; 2005 = 56

...I still try to keep track by posting them here!

01 Jan: Sherlock Holmes
05 Jan: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
06 Jan: The Lovely Bones
12 Jan: Fantastic Mr Fox
15 Jan: The Time Travellers Wife
19 Jan: Whip It
07 Feb: It's Complicated
24 Mar: Alice in Wonderland, IMAX 3D
27 Mar: The Men Who Stare at Goats
01 Apr: Clash of the Titans 3D
23 Apr: Date Night
04 May: Kick Ass
05 May: How To Train Your Dragon 3D
31 May: Iron Man 2
03 Jun: Sex and the City 2
05 Jun: Boy
08 Jul: Micmacs
10 Jul: Predators
21 Jul: Twilight Sage: Eclipse
26 Jul: Cemetery Junction
07 Aug: Inception
31 Aug: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
14 Sep: Going the Distance
24 Sep: Grown Ups
27 Oct: Buried
03 Nov: Resident Evil 4 in 3D
19 Nov: Red
22 Nov: The Social Network
05 Dec: The Girl Who Played With Fire
08 Dec: The Kids Are All Right
12 Dec: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest
13 Dec: Love Crime
15 Dec: Tron Legacy 3D
22 Dec: Winter's Bone
27 Dec: The Tourist

(On the down-low: Paranormal Activity, Up In The Air, The Invention of Lying, The Hurt Locker, Law Abiding Citizen, The Blind Side, Precious, The Expendables, The Ghost Writer, Triangle, Splice, Machete)

Concerts Rocked [2010]

2010-01-01T10:52:00.020+13:00

12 Mar: The Pixies @ Vector Arena [link]
17 Mar: The Dead Weather @ PowerStation [link]
25 Mar: Massive Attack @ Vector Arena [link]
27 Apr: Wilco @ Auckland Town Hall
29 Apr: Vampire Weekend @ Bruce Mason Centre [link]
29 Jul: Florence and the Machine @ Trusts Stadium, Waitakere
03 Aug: Band of Horses @ Powerstation
07 Oct: Wolf Gang @ Bacco Room [link]
26 Nov: U2 @ Mt Smart

Under Great White Northern Lights

2009-12-21T18:15:00.003+13:00

O.M.G. I want!

UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS chronicles the Stripes’ Canadian tour that took place over two years ago. Jack and Meg did it up right – they played every province and territory in the country, and not just in traditional venues. They played in a boat! On a bus! In a park! The results were all captured by a film crew for the documentary.

The Stripes are now issuing a massive box set to be released on March 16. The limited edition set will include UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS on DVD, along with a DVD of the Stripes’ 10th anniversary show in Nova Scotia, a 16-track live album from one of the dates on Canadian tour (in both vinyl and on CD), a live 7”, a tour book clocking in at over 200 pages (with photos by Autumn de Wilde and a foreword by the incomparable Jim Jarmusch), and a silk screen print. The DVD will also be available separately on March 16.

Box set at The White Stripes website here!! It's only... 110 pounds plus postage *gulp*

Movie Wish List #12

2009-12-21T15:54:00.011+13:00

There are so many cool films coming out I actually had to stop listing them all here! (I'll save them for a later post e.g. Kick Ass, Clash of the Titans etc). These will keep us going for a long while:

Last Updated:24 March 2011

~~Avatar~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 16 December 2009
Director: James Cameron; Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
The Plot: A band of humans are pitted in a battle against a distant planet's indigenous population.
The hype for this film is crazt. The 3D is meant to be awesome.

~~Sherlock Holmes~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 26 December 2009
Director: Guy Ritchie; Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
The Plot: Detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

~~The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 26 December 2009
Director: Niels Arden Oplevc; Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Peter Haber
The Plot: Swedish thriller based on Stieg Larsson's novel about a journalist and a young female hacker.

~~Whip It~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 7 January 2010
Director: Drew Barrymore; Starring: Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Marcia Gay Harden, Shannon Eagen, Zoe Bell, Juliette Lewis
The Plot: In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin.

~~Fantastic Mr Fox~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 7 January 2010
Director: Wes Anderson; Starring (voices of): George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Jarvis Cocker, Wes Anderson
The Plot: Angry farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with a sly fox, look to get rid of their opponent and his family.

~~Up in the Air~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 14 January 2010
Director: Jason Reitman; Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Melanie Lynskey, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis
The Plot: Ryan Bingham (Clooney) is a corporate-downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he's met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

Nine [imdb] - NZ Release 28 January 2010
Director: Rob Marshall; Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson
The Plot: Famous film director Guido Contini (Day-Lewis) struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother.

~~Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 4 February 2010
Director: Lee Daniels; Starring: Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz
The Plot: In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen (Sidibe) who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.

~~Edge of Darkness~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 4 February 2010
Director: Martin Campbell; Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston
The Plot: As homicide detective Thomas Craven (Gibson) investigates the death of his activist daughter, he uncovers not only her secret life, but a corporate cover-up and government collusion that attracts an agent (Winstone) tasked with cleaning up the evidence.

~~The Book of Eli~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 18 February 2010
Director: Albert Hughes Allen Hughes; Starring: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Michael Gamb,on, Jennifer Beals, Gary Oldman
The Plot: In a post-apocalyptic United States, a lone man (Washington) fights his way across the country in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind.

~~Shutter Island~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 25 February 2010
Director: Martin Scorsese; Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams. Patrica Clarkson
The Plot: When a psychotic killer (Mortimer) disappears from a mental institution on Shutter Island, a pair of U.S. Marshals (Ruffalo and DiCaprio) race against the clock in order to track her down.

~~Alice in Wonderland~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 4 March 2010
Director: Tim Burton; Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Matt Lucas, Marton Csokas
The Plot: 19-year-old Alice (Wasikowska) returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

~~Daybreakers~~ [imdb] - NZ Release 11 March 2010
Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig; Starring: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill
The Plot: In the year 2017, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher (Hawke) works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.

~~MicMacs~~ [imdb]
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet; Starring: Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Nicolas Marié, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Yolande Moreau, Dominique Pinon
The Plot: A man is accidently shot in the head, survives due to a medical miracle, but ends up homeless. He is befriended by an eccentric bunch of misfits, who help him plot to take down the weapons manufacturers responsible for the bullet used in his shooting.
From the genuis director that gave us Amelie, The City of Lost Children, and Delicatessen - I'm *really* excited to see this film. I hope it gets a NZ release soon, or I might be tempted to buy the DVD from overseas.

~~Armored~~ [imdb]
Director: Nimród Antal; Staring: Columbus Short, Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne, Jean Jeno, Skeet Urlich
The Plot: A newbie guard for an armored truck company is coerced by his veteran coworkers to steal a truck containing $42 million. But a wrinkle in their supposedly foolproof plan divides the group, leading to a potentially deadly resolution.
'Vacancy' wasn't bad (also by Nimród Antal). I am guessing this will be full of action. Plus I am bias towards Jean Reno (Matt Dillon and Skeet Urlich help too!).

Brothers [imdb]
Director: Jim Sheridan; Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire
The Plot: Sam Cahill (Maguire) returns from being held as a prisoner-of-war in Afghanistan to find that his ex-con brother (Gyllenhaal) has become the man, of sorts, of the household where Sam's wife, Grace (Portman) had been living under the assumption that she was a widow.

The Last Station [imdb]
Director: Michael Hoffman; Starring: Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti
The Plot: The Countess Sofya (Mirren), wife and muse to Leo Tolstoy (Plummer), uses every trick of seduction on her husband's loyal disciple (McAvoy), whom she believes was the person responsible for Tolstoy signing a new will that leaves his work and property to the Russian people.
A total of 5 Independent Spirit Awards nominations greeted the period piece a few days before its U.S. release. Will it be matched (at least) by its Oscar tally?

~~Youth in Revolt~~ [imdb]
Director: Miguel Arteta; Starring: Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Ray Liotta, Steve Buscemi, Jean Smart, and Zach Galifianakis
The Plot: Like most teens, young Nick Twisp (Cera) is ruled by his libido. And from the recesses of a trailer park in Northern California, Twisp concocts a plan -- make that multiple schemes -- to lose his virginity to a local girl, the precocious Sheeni Saunders (Doubleday).

~~Legion~~ [imdb]
Director: Scott Stewart; Starring: Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton, Lucas Black
The Plot: At a remote truck stop diner, in the wake of a biblical apocalypse, a group of strangers unwittingly become humanity's last line of defense when they discover the diner's young waitress is pregnant with the messiah.

~~When in Rome~~ [imdb]
Director: Mark Steven Johnson; Starring: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Angelica Huston, Will Arnett, Jon Heder
The Plot: Beth (Bell) is a young, ambitious New Yorker who is completely unlucky in love. However, when she impulsively steals some coins from a reputed fountain of love during a whirlwind trip to Rome, she finds herself aggressively pursued by a band of suitors.
Cos I am a sucker for Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell), Will Arnett, Jon Heder, and Rome.

A Couple of Dicks [imdb]
Director: Kevin Smith; Starring: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jason Lee, Sean Williams Scott, Adam Brody, Kevin Pollack
The Plot: A comedy about two cops (Willis and Jordan) whose adventures include locating a stolen baseball card, rescuing a woman, and dealing with gangsters and their laundered money.
This cast directed by Kevin Smith - how could it go wrong?!

Japanese Tarantino!

2009-12-21T07:31:00.000+13:00

Auction for Audrey Hepburn Dresses

2009-12-21T07:29:00.003+13:00

Waaaaah! Wish I had a spare 60,000 pounds!

Link at stuff.co.nz

Best of Lists: Albums

2009-12-11T22:06:00.003+13:00

NME's 'Top 50 Albums of 2009'. I've listed the top 10 here, and bolded my favs:

10. Jamie T 'Kings and Queens'
09. Fever Ray 'Fever Ray'
08. Fuck Buttons 'Tarot Sport'
07. The Big Pink 'A Brief History of Love'
06. Grizzly Bear 'Veckatimest'
05. Animal Collective 'Merriweather Post Pavalion'
04. Wild Beasts 'Two Dancers'
03. Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'It's Blitz!'
02. The XX 'The xx'
01. The Horrors 'Primary Colours'

(4 of the top 10 I have never heard of!)

The full list is at NME

(Special Mentions: 34. Phoenix 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix', 26. Florence and The Machine 'Lungs', 23. Doves 'Kingdom of Rust', 22. Bat For Lashes 'Two Suns', 16. Mumford and Sons 'Sigh No More')

Best of Lists: Albums

2009-12-11T07:44:00.002+13:00

NME have compiled 'Top 100 albums of the Decade'. I've listed the top 20 here. My favs are in bold:

20. Blur 'Think Tank' (2003)
19. The White Stripes 'White Blood Cells' (2001)
18. The White Stripes 'Elephant' (2003)
17. Sufjan Stevens 'Illinois' (2005)
16. The Streets 'A Grand Don't Come For Free' (2004)
15. Queens of The Stone Age 'Songs For The Deaf' (2003)
14. Radiohead 'Kid A' (2000)
13. The Shins 'Wincing The Night Away' (2007)
12. At The Drive-In 'Relationship of Command' (2000)
11. LCD Soundsystem 'sound of Silver' (2007)
10. Radiohead 'In Rainbows' (2007)
09. The Streets 'Original Pirate Material' (2002)
08. Interpol 'Turn On The Bright Lights' (2002)
07. Arcade Fire 'Funeral' (2004)
06. PJ Harvey 'Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (2000)
05. Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'Fever To Tell' (2003)
04. Arctic Monkeys 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' (2006)
03. Primal Scream 'XTRMNTR' (2000)
02. The Libertines 'Up The Bracket' (2002)
01. The Strokes 'Is This It' (2001)

See the whole list at NME

(Special Mentions: 87. Bon Iver 'For Emma, Forever Ago', 79. Kings of Leon 'Youth and Young Manhood', 75. The Shins 'chutes Too Narrow', 70. Glasvegas 'Glasvegas', 65. Muse 'Black Holes and Revelations', 49. Muse 'Absolution', 43. Wilco 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot', 42. Vampire Weekend 'Vampire Weekend', 40. Ryan Adams 'Gold', 38. Bloc Party 'Silent Alarm', 37. The Knife 'Silent Shout', 33. Arcade Fire 'Neon Bible', 32. Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'Show Your Bones')

Best of Lists: Songs

2009-12-11T07:38:00.003+13:00

Tis the season for Top/Best Of lists. NME announced their 'Top 100 tracks of the Decade'. Here are the top 20. My favs are in bold:

01. Beyonce Knowles - Crazy In Love
02. MGMT - Time To Pretend
03. The Strokes - Hard To Explain
04. MIA - Paper Planes
05. OutKast - Hey Ya!
06. The Rapture - House Of Jealous Lovers
07. Klaxons - Golden Skans
08. Blur - Out Of Time
09. Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
10. Arctic Monkeys - A Certain Romance
11. The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now
12. The Streets - Dry Your Eyes
13. The Walkmen - The Rat
14. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Bang
16. Rihanna - Umbrella
17. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
18. OutKast - Ms Jackson
19. Radiohead - Reckoner
20. Hot Chip - Over And Over

See all 100 here

Best of Lists: Movies

2009-12-11T07:33:00.004+13:00

Flicks.co.nz released not a 'Top Movies of 2009'; they went whole hog, and announced their take on 'Top 50 Movies of the DECADE'!

I've bolded my favs. There are only two I haven't seen ('Grizzly Bear', and '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days' - I have the latter at home to see though)

50. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
49. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
48. Whale Rider (2002)
47. Sunshine (2007)
46. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
45. Pineapple Express (2008)
44. The Descent (2005)
43. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
42. Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (2003)
41. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
40. Grizzly Man (2005)
39. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
38. The Pianist (2002)
37. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
36. Memento (2000)
35. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
34. District 9 (2009)
33. The Science of Sleep (2006)
32. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
31. The Incredibles (2004)
30. Amelie (2001)
29. A History of Violence (2005)
28. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
27. Irreversible (2002)
26. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
25. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
24. Apocalypto (2006)
23. Spirited Away (2001)
22. Battle Royale (2000)
21. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
20. Wall-E (2008)
19. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
18. Pan's Labyrinth (2007)
17. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
16. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
15. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
14. The Lives of Others (2006)
13. Let The Right One In (2008)
12. Zodiac (2007)
11. Adaptation (2002)
10. Children of Men (2006)
09. The Dark Knight (2008)
08. Lost in Translation (2003)
07. Donnie Darko (2001)
06. City of God (2002)
05. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
04. Oldboy (2003)
03. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
02. There Will Be Blood (2007)
01. No Country For Old Men (2007)

Check out the list here at flicks.co.nz for full reviews.

Wednesday Squee!

2009-12-10T08:00:00.002+13:00

Chocolates were delivered to my work for me (yes, from Rob). So sweet.

Exhausted

2009-12-09T07:57:00.001+13:00

The Animal Collective gig Tuesday night was fairly epic. I had a great time, but only wish they played a little more from their latest album. Blurry mobile phone pic follows:

Animal Collective Tuesday

2009-12-08T09:51:00.004+13:00

Animal Collective Tuesday! (also, yay Google - celebrating E C Segar's, creator of Popeye's, Birthday)

Where the Wild Thing Is...

2009-12-07T15:09:00.000+13:00

Bit & Bobs

2009-12-05T09:57:00.003+13:00

Back in August I blogged about Steven Spielberg's remake of the film 'Harvery' (which I love!). I was a little horrified to think of it being remade, so I am pleased to say I just read this: Spielbery Dumps 'Harvery'. Apparently there were problems with the script (the original is just fine!) and he couldn't find a star to take on the role of Elwood P Dowd (he approached Tom Hanks, then Robert Downey Jr). Unfortunately, Fox 200 Studio is still working on the project.
It's too soon to go on a Movie Wishlist, but I've been reading about 'Hesher', which is screening at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. It's written and directed by Spencer Susser, and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson, and Natalie Portman. The plot sounds intriguing: A mysterious, anarchical trickster descends on the lives of a family struggling to deal with a painful loss.
We (Jo, Becs, Rich, and I) had our last 'Project Runway' marathon for season 6. Not my favourite season I have to say, but we had fun. This morning I was shocked to learn that Bravo (that used to run 'PR') has it's own fashion challenge show called 'Launch My Line'. How can this be?! No Tim, no Heidi... no "make it work". However, I am disturbed and also curious to read that some reviewers are saying its "fiercer" than 'PR'. I'm skeptical. Read about 'Launch My Line' here.
Rumours are around again about an 'Entourage' film, with executive producer Mark Wahlberg saying: "We’ll see; there could be more, but then a movie." In the meantime I am just happy that there will be more of the show - it's a huge hit and there are at least 2 more seasons in it's future (being worked on now).
Another film that is a little while away is 'Master'. The religious drama, set in 1950s America, will be fifth collaboration between director of 'There Will Be Blood' and Oscar-winning actor. Hoffman acted in Anderson's debut feature 'Hard Eight' back in 1996 and took supporting roles in 'Boogie Nights', 'Magnolia' and 'Punch-Drunk Love'. The film will star Hoffman as an intellectual in the mould of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, who sets up a successful faith-based organisation. Variety reports that the tale focuses on the relationship between "the master" and his pupil – a young drifter who joins the group and then starts to doubt its ideals and ambitions.
'The 40 Year Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It' is an actual movie. Straight to DVD. It's going to suck. I don't think I've heard of even one of the cast. And no, this isn't a Wayans' brothers movie.

Difficult Difficult Lemon Difficult

2009-12-03T13:45:00.003+13:00

The office is almost empty. It's rainy and grey outside, but today is our charity golf day. I'm not involved (a blessing), which leaves me at work, surrounded by 30-odd empty desks. There are perhaps 6 people on this floor.

I'm a little off task (due to the general ghost-town feel of this place). I kinda wish I could just skive off home (I'll probably leave early), but it's nice to be able to just do my own thing in the office, without being interrupted (I get to blog etc, which is completely unwork-related!)

Due to dead office, I did get to go through my BRAND NEW 2010 diary. I took quiet-bliss in filling in all the birthdays, anniversaries, concerts I have so far, and holidays (I'm a geek).

This week has been generally less busy, though I have been roped into organising the staff xmas party (STRESS!!!).

I managed to see 'New Moon' again (with a twihard friend, and a friend who hadn't seen it yet). We had fun hanging out, and seeing it a second time wasn't so bad.

Last night Rob came over for dinner. We got Thai take-out across the street, drank wine, and watched 'In The Loop' ("It's going to be easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy" "No, it's going to difficult-difficult-lemon-difficult"). It was nice to have a lowkey night. Really nice :)

Unfortunately I was super-stressed and tired yesterday evening before Rob arrived, and I had a meltdown :( Went into crazy-lady tidying and yelling at poor Rich. Then there were tears! Talk about irrational female behaviour (although some of the reasons I was upset were completely valid). Everything is sorted for now though.

Tomorrow night Rich and I are hosting the last 'Project Runway' watching marathon (to the end of Season 6). In addition to great viewing, fun company, and alcohol, we have planned a great menu (aka Rich has planned a great menu. It's not that I don't cook; it's that he loves to cook so much he mostly does it).

I am hoping to catch 'Where the Wild Things Are' at the cinema on Saturday sometime (already saw 'Zombieland' - it rocked!!). I also need to make this years Xmas cards (big job), tidy our under-the-stairs-cupboard (bigger job), read library books, watch some DVDs that need to be sent back, and hopefully finish off the last of my Xmas shopping.

Next week is looking CRAZY; something every night! Movies on Monday ('Valentino: The Last Emperor'), Animal Collective concert Tuesday (YAY!), Dinner with Danielle Wednesday (yum), Dinner with Rob's work Thursday (*gulp* and *eek*), and a work lunch on Friday (which will no doubt lead into afternoon drinking...).

That's all for now I think. Should really get back to work.

Happy Birthday Guadalupe

2009-12-02T09:48:00.003+13:00

New Killers track/video (starring Luke Perry hehe!).
It's The Killers annual Xmas song, but also for (RED), the organisation that raises $$ for the Global Fund through the power of good music.

WTF

2009-11-29T10:01:00.001+13:00

Weird... to me anyway!

Summertime Clothes

2009-11-29T09:28:00.000+13:00

So excited about seeing them 8th December!

Forces of Nature?!

2009-11-28T22:46:00.001+13:00

Ok, I am easily amused. Found this error on the RealGroovy website. I am sure Tarantino would be horrified!

Pearl Jam Afterglow

2009-11-28T12:53:00.006+13:00

(Updated 28 Nov - Photos added)
The concert last night was legen--dary! Bloody awesome. Pearl Jam played for 2.5 hours, with Liam Finn, and Ben Harper playing an hour each beforehand. One of the highlight for me was during the Ben Harper set - Eddie Vedder came on and they played a cover of 'Under Pressure' together. It was incredible.

Setlist
01. Daughter
02. Severed Hand
03. Corduroy
04. Hail Hail
05. Faithfull
06. Hold On
07. Even Flow
08. Johnny Guitar
09. Unthought Known
10. Unemployable
11. Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
12. Black
13. Given To Fly
14. Amongst The Waves
15. Got Some
16. Grievance
17. Wasted Reprise
18. Better Man

Encore:
19. Just Breathe
20. Red Mosquito (with Ben Harper)
21. Love, Reign O'er Me (The Who cover)
22. Do The Evolution
23. Why Go
24. Porch

Encore 2:
25. Not Given Lightly (Chris Knox cover) (with Neil & Liam Finn)
26. The Fixer
27. Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young cover)
28. Yellow Ledbetter

Video (more for the music than the picture)

Review [stuff]

Photos

(ed: the only beer available to buy?! Westie Lion Red! Made me feel slightly sick, and want to put a rusty car with no wheels on my lawn!)

Muppets

2009-11-26T14:04:00.001+13:00

This is classic!