Film Festival reviews – second week
Double Take
A strange little film. It mashed up footage of Alfred Hitchcock with news reels, clips from his movies, adverts for coffee from the same time and new footage shot with Hitchcock lookalikes. I enjoyed it very much, but Lee was bored.
It was a kind of potted history of the cold war, but mostly it was about Hitch and it also told a story about what Hitch would do if he met his exact double. Hard to explain, really, but good.
The Black Pirate
A restored print of the 1926 Douglas Fairbanks swashbuckling action movie, accompanied by Neil Brand playing live on a grand piano. It was an awesome performance.
The movie itself was amazing, completely over the top and fun with impressive stunts and some incredibly camp moments from nowhere. Although I guess we might have brought that to it, with our modern sensibilities and knowledge of fan fiction.
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Dogtooth.
How do you describe a movie like this? It’s about a weirdly controlling family where the three 20-something ‘children’ aren’t allowed to leave the house or grow up at all. It was light and funny but also very dark and strange. There were some moments of shocking violence and some touching moments where the family showed real togetherness. I was surprised about how many people walked out of this movie, I mean, it was nasty, but it was no Piano Teacher
I’m glad I saw it, just because it was an experience. I’m glad that Lee didn’t choose to go, because he would have hated it.
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Animation for Kids
I enjoy seeing this animation collection because you know the shorts will have a story line to them, because otherwise the kids will get bored. Overall it was a great collection this year, and I really enjoyed several of them.
Here are my highlights that I could find on Youtube…
Catchy They Might Be Giants song (embedded in a podcast). “Oh no no, I never go to work!”
This is a sweet little song about how hard it can be to get a present for someone, gorgeously animated with paper and collage.
And the trailer for the 25 minute ‘Lost and Found’ about a boy who has his life invaded by a penguin. It was gorgeous.
The Artist’s Life
A French film about trying to make it in a creative career. There was a young girl trying to make it as a singer, an English teacher struggling with writer’s block for his second book and an actress who has become type cast after a stint voice acting for a long running anime. It was gentle and funny, with most of the frustration coming from the characters doing themselves exactly no favours. Lesson learned from this movie? You take any opportunity that comes your way and you run with it!
I love watching movies about the creative process though, it’s always so inspiring.
The Sky Crawlers
An anime movie about an alternate world where there’s a constant war going on. Over the course of the movie some strange truths were revealed, and it was very beautifully animated but overall I have to say it dragged. I was bored. Nothing much actually changed after two hours. Disappointing, but pretty.
Leonard Cohen Live – United Hearts tour
The crowd to get into the arena was huge and old and well behaved. Frank, my Mum and my Dad were quietly excited going in. The people at the door were taking water bottles off people, but my mum smuggled hers in. Our seats were in the back row of the upstairs seating on the right hand side of the building. We were about half way along, so we had a great view of the stage, completely unimpeded and not too far away.
Sam Hunt opened with some poetry recitations, his own and some famous Yeats and Baxter ones as well. He was unexpectedly funny and moving. He swore a lot too, I liked him.
There was a 15 or so minute break in which I purchased a programme and a United Hearts tshirt for an extortionate amount of money (well, not really, I was happy to pay for them after all) and some water. They took my water bottle cap away. The arena has a policy apparently that you can’t have bottle caps at concerts. If anyone can explain the reason for this please let me know. 
Leonard Cohen’s band took their places, the instruments assembled on different levels on a huge red Persian rug. There was a red velvet chair in front for the Spanish banjo player. When Leonard took the stage it was at a run, in his signature suit and fedora. The audience gave him a standing ovation before he’d done anything. He waited for it to die down, thanked us politely and then launched into ‘Dance me to the end of love’.
From then on I ascended into a kind of religious ecstasy. His songs are so important to me, so familiar and his voice was much better live than in the old recordings I have, and to see him start a song on his knees, bent forward over the microphone and then straighten up as the song went on. To close my eyes and imagine that it was me that he sang for…it was all quite overwhelming. Frank thought I was overheating, mostly I was overcome with emotion. He played every single song that I had hoped he would. He danced a funny little shuffle, his banter was humble and warm and funny. He mentioned a newspaper article that had mentioned his short stature. “I cannot always be seen by the naked eye. I’ve been offered a job, I’ll be the colossal shrimp and lie down next to the colossal squid.”
(more…)
a rock star made me do it
Best people to play eye-spy with, while waiting for a concert to start?
Sass and her sister Zippy.
I saw Brooke Fraser in concert last night. I originally said I’d go because Sass didn’t want to go alone, and I’ve been meaning to get to more live performances and Brooke’s music is very pretty.
Brooke is adorable. I love her singing voice and all, but her manner between songs was what really drew me to her. She’d tell weird stories and then get embarrassed about it. She talked about her ovaries. She sang us the song she sang on that same stage when she was nine and performing in the Buzz O’Bumble show. (“Greta Whetu Weta in the Macrocarpa tree”) She laughed and got overwhelmed by the home crowd and by the end of the night I felt like I was watching a friend perform a concert. I felt like I could go up and give her a hug afterwards and it wouldn’t be weird.*
I don’t really know Brooke’s music. I’ve heard both albums but never really thought about them, or listened to the words or anything. I liked hearing it live, although I found her Christianity a bit confronting. I liked hearing the lyrics and smiling and appreciating the power of the rockier songs and watching her move about the stage between instruments.
All of these things combined with the song “Albertine” and when Brooke asked me to sponsor a child via World Vision I found it hard to resist. After all, I am a bleeding heart liberal who is trying to save the world. When she mentioned we’d get a free signed album if we signed up at the concert she had me. Bribery works!
So. I have a Cambodian child called Net. He is one of six boy children and lives with both parents on a farm.
Like everyone, I’ve heard the rumours that most of this charity money goes to line the pockets of CEOs, but Brooke has been to Rwanda and seen the money make a difference. I also reason that if it were true and it was a rip-off, wouldn’t World Vision have been exposed by now?
So. I’m putting my money where my heart is. I’m giving it a go. It’s $18.50 per fortnight, which is not much more than I was paying my union. I don’t think I’ll miss that money, especially if I am very good and stop buying DVDs and books that I don’t really need.
I’ll keep you updated about Net. I am excited to see if he writes to me. I might write to him first, and make sure he’s real. Apparently I’ll get a Christmas card from him!
PoF: first Polar Fleece of the year
CO: Albertine
*I didn’t see her afterwards, so I don’t know if I really would have done it.
Lyrics to Albertine c/- Brooke Fraser’s official website.
I think of Angelique
Her mother’s voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill
I think of Albertine
There in her eyes what I don’t see
With my own
Rwanda
Now that I have seen
I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
Now that I have held you
In my own arms
I cannot let go `til you are
I am on a plane
Across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
And in the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda
Now that I have seen
I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
Now that I have held you
In my own arms
I cannot let go `til you are
And I’ll tell the world
I will tell them where I’ve been
I will keep my word
I will tell them, Albertine
Now that I have seen
I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
Now that I have held you
In my own arms
I cannot let go `til you are
I am on a stage
A thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine
Copyright Brooke Fraser
(It’s the “Now that I have seen, I am responsible” that really gets me.)
Frobble. Frobble on my Sctenker.
I’m in fine singstar voice tonight, topping my best ever scores in a few favourite tunes. Including Hoobastank which Sokky and Rachel hold the top three scores in. Damn singers.
Lee also turned in an awesome Robbie Williams in “our song” uhm, Kids. Well if Giffy and Beau’s one is Tricky, we don’t mind doing it for the kids. Come on.
Lee has given me his old creative nomad to use in the car, having modded his flash phone to hold lots of songs. I am deeply appreciative of not having the same song everytime I start up, even after just one day. I put all my Tori onto it, and got rid of some of the stinky stuff I don’t care for, although there’s more to get rid off. Stoopid Zwan.
I have Winds of Change by the Scorpions stuck in my head. In particular
“Let your balalaika sing what my guitar wants to say”
Such an awesome hippy power ballad. I really find myself liking it, it’s one of those weird ass songs I came to love during the 10-11pm Total request hour on 91am on what? Thursdays nights? As a moody 17 year old. I can thank that same hour for loving the following:
Devil Went Down to Georgia
Fire Water Burn (uncensored)
The Power of Love (Frankie Goes to Hollywood version)
Piece of Shit Car by Adam Sandler
…and a bunch of other things, I forget. You remember anything else in particular sok?
Anyways. An evening of wearing my sock garters and I love my super stripes more than ever.
Night all.
PoF: sock garters, super stripes and legwarmers over the top! I am teh Style Queen!
CO: Taaaaaaaaaaake meeeee! To the magic of the moment on a glooooooory night! Where the children of tomorrow dreeeeeam awaaaaeeeeey….
PS: OMG! New Lost! OMG! New Veronica!
Frivolity
Bought myself a plushie My Little Pony yesterday. Oh yes. The awesomeness.
Lee and I also succumbed to the lure of DVDs at the Warehouse. He bought Hero, I bought High Society.
I am listening to Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds Rock Opera from 1978. Richard Burton’s voice over is spookily haunting. The music is great, sorta reminds me of ‘America’:
“The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one he said
The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one….
but still they come!
I love it.
Yesterday I saw two Documentaries: A Decent Factory which follows the efforts of Nokia to bring a factory into ethical compliance. It was amazing how obvious it is when people are lying. Simple misunderstandings too, like when an inspector expressed concern about chemicals being stored near drinking water in the bathroom the manager said ‘yes yes, we’ll move them’ and then turned to a lackey “Move those into the kitchen RIGHT NOW!”
Grizzly Man is pretty cool. I could have done without Warner Herzog’s sometimes purple narration but the subject matter of Timothy Treadwell was so compelling…he’s a real character as my Mum would say. His footage of grizzly bears didn’t disappoint, but I think I hold the belief that the native Alaskan expressed: By getting to close to the bears he has habituated them to humans. This makes them more vulnerable. Worth seeing although a little overlong.
Dracula ballet on Saturday was fantablulous. Everything I had hoped for. Loved it to bits and had fantastic company to enjoy it with.
Lessons I have learned at the ballet: Boys are Sexy. (I actually learned this one at the ballet years ago, but it was positively reinforced on Saturday.)
Working late tonight, so starting late. I wish I could be on holiday forever.
I don’t care
Still feelin’ Christmassy.
Went to quiz night tonight and could only remember one of Roseanne’s kids from the show. I remembered Darlene.* Came home made a bit of a tidy up and wrapped some gifts. Trying to use fabric instead of paper where possible as it’s pretty and easily recycled!
Tomorrow and the next day I have Treaty Training, so I won’t be near a puter during the day. Tomorrow night I get to play Inspectres, so yay!
Today was a crazy busy day but it started with a lovely work breakfast and a talk from author Kate De Goldi who is both charming and lovely. She is a very good and funny speaker and I would recommend seeing her if you ever get the chance. Also she has a new book aimed at 9-12 year olds called Clubs which is super awesome and I want.
Current Music: the “hidden” track at the end of Throwing Copper by Live.
She rode a horse into my head,
she won’t discipline the children,
now they’re running wild on the beach,
but I don’t care, no I don’t care..
.
.
.
*The other two are Becky and DJ if you were wondering.
Underland
…is a fantastic ballet. I just loved watching them dance to the dark sinister Nick Cave songs. Giffy: it was the most extreme version of Aliens-trying-to-communicate ballet ever!
It was preluded by part fo a different ballet called Ellipse, and I really liked those dances too. It was three seperate dances that you were supposed to make up your own story for. That suited me just fine.
The first one was about a lady who had a demon possessed arm. She met another woman with a possessed arm and they had a lovely romantic relationship. Then a man turned up and the girlfriend was attracted to him. The man wanted her but not her lover. The girlfriend wanted both of them but it wasn’t to be. She left with the man and the original possessed arm lady was left alone in the swamp. (This whole thing takes place in a magic swamp.)
The second one didn’t really have a story but was my favourite of the three. It was a truly joyful dance with two sets of partners. They did lots of silly dances like “I’m going to hop back and forth over your outstretched leg” and “Billy-Bob dancing” (heh, some people know what I mean there…) The dancers for this one looked like they truly enjoyed themselves and that joy wa somewhat contagious. There were high fives and bottom slaps and it was awesome.
The third one was about an order of monks. They were living in happy seclusion with their rituals until their white goddess showed up in the flesh before them. One monk was immediately attracted to her and she eventually picked him over the others. They were lovers and he was granted mystic vision powers for being the Goddess’s consort. Eventually he tried to break away from her and return to the order, she didn’t want to let him go but he fought his way free, forsaking the magic vision and leaving her alone in the dark.
Then it was Underland and I fell in love with the songs “The Weeping Song” and “Stagger Lee”. I also loved “Prelude to Death” although it was pretty darn spooky and “Wild World” which had some awesome lyrics.
I was sad they didn’t do “Wild Roses” but not that surprised. They seemed to shy away from using his really famous stuff. (No Red Right Hand, sob!)
Anyway now I need someone to choreograph and perform ballets based on the works of these musicians: Leonard Cohen, Tori Amos, Tom Waits (Heee! Singapore!) and more Nick Cave I think. The show was only 41 minutes long, so I think they could do more right?
