cyberspace junkyard

Just visiting

:) :) 1/2

Okay. This was the strangest movie I've seen in a long time. We spent the first 5 minutes wondering if the person in the projection room had accidently put in a video of some late night, B-grade horror schlock he'd accidently taped thinking it was the World Cup or something.

Then, while shaking our heads in mock disbelief, we started considering tha fact that it might be a spoof. The more we watched, the more likely it was. Then when the lead villain bumped his head on the door frame, it was confirmed. We were watching a Princess Bride wannabe.

The strange thing was all the "serious" actors who must have gotten the script, read it and thought - this is going to be one of the amazingly clever little movies that takes off every genre and is going to garner critical acclaim and professional notoriety. Unfortunately, the vision got lost somewhere between reading the script and making the movie.

It was funny in parts, bittersweet in parts and just weird in others. Princess Bride owns the self deprecating comedy and Kate & Leopold handled the time-travel romantic comedy bit much better, so on both those counts, it was nice try but no cigar.

Still, it was only 88 minutes and at the end of the day, it just added to our whole drive-in experience. I'll be going again once I stop laughing about my mum telling me about how she and dad used to go to the same drive-in when they were in college.

Spiderman

:) :) :)

Well, 22 hours after walking into Burwood Greater Union to see the Hard Word, I found myself at the gates of the Bass Hill Drive-In for the first time. How ironic that I drove 30 minutes to get there a mere 12 days after I moved out of the house that was 2 minutes away from the drive-in. Life is strange.

In any case, we tossed up the idea of seeing the Minority Report combo but instead opted for the Spiderman combo. It was coupled with a movie we'd never heard of called Just Visiting. (see the next review for more info)

The drive-in is such an experience! We had no idea what we were doing (we were, like, the 4th car to get there and were aimlessly following signs and maneouvering the car between the speaker posts trying to figure out which one was Field One and where the best spot to position the car was.

We happily settled into the 4th "row", then bundled ourselves out of the car to get some dinner from the snack bar. Bargain burgers. And soggy hot chips with gravy. Tre cool.

Anyway, when we got back to our car, the stunning realisation hit us that we couldn't get reception on the radio to hear the soundtrack (the antenna was locked and we couldn't get a strong enough signal). Back to the drawing board re positioning the car. We drove around to one of the spots that had the old fashioned speakers that you put in your car. It was actually great to do the authentic experience, and hooking up a 2nd speaker in the back meant that we simulated the surround sound effect. We considered stretching yet another one from the car space next to us, but thought that would be going a bit far. Anyway, we finally got sound about 15 minutes into the ads and previews. Bliss.

Well, the movie itself was okay. It was trundling along nicely (very comic book like and cliched - and enough with the Superman innuendos already) but the last 20 minutes just felt so rushed and dissatisfying. It seemed like they had to throw in all these incidental scenes to explain the need for a sequel that just jarred with the flow of the rest of the movie. A bit of a let down though you have to tip your hat at the S/FX.

The scene that cracked us all up? Spiderman learning to use his web. Just hilarious.

I can't believe this was the top grossing movie of all time in its first weekend in the US. It was good, but not that good.
Then again, this is a nation that has the Titanic as its top movie of all time. Please.

The Hard Word

:) :) :) :)

I'll never get sick of clever Aussie movies. In a country like America where low-budget independent flicks still cost a tidy sum somewhere close to a million, a movie made for under a hundred thousand just wouldn't exist.

Anyway - if you get a chance and don't mind a touch of excessive violence, (I'll never look at a lava lamp the same way again...) then you have to take yourself to see this movie. The cream of Australian acting is represented here with Rachel Griffiths, Guy Pearce, Joel Edgerton and the like. The story unfolds with a comfortable number of twists and turns along the way. About 5/6 through the movie, the tone changes and then it's ouch with the killing already. But overall, it was an entertaining and gripping 2 hours, if not particularly thought provoking. (which could also be explained by the fact that this was only the first of 3 movies I saw this weekend, so I'm completely movied out!)

Aaahhh!

At last... the deed is done!

Once upon a time, in a far away realm there lived a fair princess with her kindly parents and younger brother. Amidst the turmoil and chaos of an era gone by, they received the startling news that their castle, of which they had grown rather fond, was to be inhabitated by a neighbouring family and all their prized possessions were to be relocated to a grand estate in a distant land.

Overcome with emotion ranging from joy to sadness, they packed up their belongings and started into the wide world to see what fortunes and adventures would befall them.

Time passed, and they soon arrived at their new abode. With initial trepidation, they examined their unfamiliar surroundings but when they were once more ensconced among their possessions, a warm sense of welcome enveloped. They were home.

Ahem.

Yes.

Well, we've moved home! After weeks of planning, packing and now the dreaded unpacking, we have happily settled in and hope that many more memories will be created in our new house.

Footy Fever

I don't know what's wrong with me!? Every year, I experience a strange sense of deja vu. I spend most of the year with the part of my brain that goes crazy over rugby league, rugby union and AFL safely hibernating.

Then suddenly, midway through the season, all my team sport fanaticism takes hold and I'm getting emotional over a missed goal kick 30 metres out from the posts, directly in front at the Swan's 5th loss this season. I spend lunchtimes discussing the merits of union vs league and all other sports vs AFL with my male colleagues. I push my brother aside on Saturday nights to get prime TV watching position when the game's on. It's like most of the time, I'm Dr Jekyll - cool, calm and collected, and the remaining few nights during the season, I mutate in Ms Hyde - a screaming, clapping, shouting, raging lunatic who would think that the Blues inevitable thrashing the Maroons in the next State of Origin game is a mere formality and the next best thing to the Swans finally winning a well-deserved game!

Oh well.

Off to check the weekend's results on the Internet.

Oh, the embarrassment

Why is it that every couple of years, I get an irrepressible urge to write down all my thoughts in a diary?
Good intentions don't always end the way you planned, though, so I now have about 6 (and counting...) half finished books full of useless ramble.

Rather like this blog, actually.

Some of the diaries have been truly dismal attempts, not making it more than a handful of pages (burying my head in shame).
Some of them have started well (about a quarter of a book) then strangely skip forward about 12 months, picking up with "Gosh - I haven't written in this diary for ages". (most common phrase running through all the diaries, other than AARRGGHH!)

The things that diaries reveal about yourself are not necessarily flattering and are, in fact, downright embarrassing.

What did I realise about myself?

1. I did not handle stress well
2. I really was a rather pompous goody two shoes
3. I wanted to be a physicist for four long years of my schooling life
4. I discovered the 4th time in my entire life I've cried about something that happened to me - when I lost the Year 8 Archdale Debating Cup (as opposed to a movie / book, where I cry at the drop of a hat)
5. I was fifteen the first time a guy told me he "wasn't ready for a relationship"
6. I had a strange thing about silk pajamas

Good golly.