Another one

On Saturday, I picked up this little guy from the airport who arrived from a country pound about 1186 kilometres away.

I'm terrible at picking the mixture of breeds in dogs like this (and most rescues are, you don't see a lot of poodles slumming it in the pound - unless they're from dodgy breeders, don't get me started) but he is very tiny and cute, only 8 weeks old.

I'm not sure if we will be fostering him full time as we both work full time and he is too small to be outside all day with our boofa of a dog Ebs. At the moment he is living in the bathroom while we're out with a few toys and comfy comforts.

But we do get to name him which I haven't done yet for any fosters!

Some possible names being thrown around at this stage: Panda, Rambo, Muscles, Newman, Danger Mouse.

We try and give unique and not the usual doggy names as most of the time there will be around 100 dogs looking for a family at any one time on our rescue groups books so if there are 5 Sams it makes things more difficult.

My kitten on the right there is Sabrina, a foster I decided to adopt and she is still only about 6 months old so he really is small.

We'd had a break from the fostering while I was away and we were looking after my mum's dog and I got used to not having the stress of wondering if cords were being chewed, the backyard destroyed, 4 hourly feedings, making sure the dogs don't get into the kitty litter etc etc.

I do enjoy the puppy cuddles though. And for the record that is not my arm below.

The Lovely Bones - film

Hey my 3 followers, sorry I haven't posted in a while, holidays happened, my first overseas flight by myself (don't laugh, I am not the best flyer) and then a lot of sitting around on the couch on my week off work.

One movie I finally managed to watch was the Lovely Bones. I just never got around to seeing it at the cinema which was odd because it is one of my favourite books.

In my book review I questioned the choice of Marky Mark (Wahlberg) to play the dad. At the time it was going to be Ryan Gosling which I now realise that while he is a better actor, that also would have been the wrong decision as he is too young for that role. While I'm still not entirely sold on Wahlberg being a great actor (have you seen The Happening? Scratch that, Zooey Deschanel was also terrible) he is serviceable in this.

Clearly though the show belongs to Saoirse Ronan who plays Susie, the girl who is murdered. I think she does very well, clearly she has proved herself in Atonement and is great at displaying all the emotional scenes.

A couple of things:

• While Susie did look like she was 14 (Ronan is 16), the character of Ray looked quite a bit older (24 in real life) and I found their kiss scene a bit pervish. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I am just glad they didn't make it a sex scene as in the book.
• As in the movie adaptation of Jaws, they left out an affair (between Chief Brody's wife and Matt Hooper character if anyone's interested). Susie's mother and the detective handling her murder case had an affair in the book and it just wouldn't have worked in the movie. They didn't develop the character of the detective enough for it to make sense as they did in the book. As it was, I don't think the film handled the characterisation of the mother well, it seemed quite abrupt that she left, but as in the book she was not a really likable character.
• Stanley Tucci was excellent at the killer (George Harvey), suitably creepy but not overly so.
• Peter Jackson as director was criticised for not including the rape or death scene, I think unfairly so. I don't think it would have added anything to the film, it was never a movie that focused on searching and getting revenge on the killer but rather Susie and her family letting each other go and the effect her death has.
• I thought Harvey's death was a little lame. Of course test audiences would want a brutal ending for a killer, nothing left to the imagination.
• While I love Susan Sarandon, I thought she didn't have much of a role and this could have been explored further.
• Being an animal lover and a bit of a sap about them in general, I quite liked in the book when she is reunited with her dog after years of watching her family. No dogs in the film. Thumbs down.
• Finally the film was always destined for failure in my eyes, it was never going to live up to the book no matter how much CGI was thrown at it. But you know points for effort.

Election

No, not the movie. So today we had congregate in our masses to our local primary school to vote.
In Australia it is compulsory to vote in the state and national election, and today we had to vote for which party we want in Parliament and essentially did we want a new prime minister.
I'll admit to not knowing a lot about politics so my question is do you think it should be compulsory to vote?

I know a lot of people who just vote for who their parents voted for; or who have not much of an idea like me; or those who have even less of a clue. Then is it better to make it non compulsory? This doesn't necessarily mean only informed people will be voting. I'm not sure myself and I also know a lot of people who really see no difference in the 2 front runners anyway, myself included.

The Way We Were

I'm not sure why, but I love Barbara Streisand. I know she seems to play the same character every time (from what I've seen anyway) but she does it so good.
I'd say my mum probably introduced me to this movie as it's not one I would have watched by myself as a teenager, but I now proudly own it myself.

Released in 1973 the movie is not without flaws, but please indulge me as I view it through my rose coloured glasses.

IMDB sums it up rather succinctly with the phrase: Two desperate people have a wonderful romance, but their political views and convictions drive them apart [although I'm not sure about the desperate part].

Streisand is Katie, a headstrong, determined young lass with rather strong political (and other) views.

Robert Redford plays Hubbell (what this name ever seriously popular?) a more laid back young man. The two went to college together and led completely different lives, but shared a few moments over a beer when Hubbell got some of his writing work published, a dream Katie also shares.

They don't see each other again until several years later where she is working on a radio show, and he in the navy. They meet accidentally at a bar one night, he is ridiculously drunk and tired and she puts him up for the night, where I believe sex happens but it is an oddly filmed and scripted scene where he collapses on her bed and she undresses and joins him.

The next day he doesn't seem to have a clue about what happened the night before and Katie acts quite needy and says anytime he's in the city to come stay with her. He goes away again, then comes back and takes her up on the offer of staying at her place.

Anyway they eventually get together and get married. He becomes a screen writer and they move to LA.

Now I know nothing about this part of American history so am referencing from the holy grail of wiki: "As the Hollywood blacklist grows and McCarthyism begins to encroach on their lives, Katie's political activism resurfaces, jeopardizing Hubbell's position and reputation."

Cracks are becoming more prevalent in the relationship and Hubbell has an affair with his friend's wife while Katie is pregnant.

They eventually part just after the baby is born. Hubbell can't handle how Katie idolises him and wants him to be a 'serious' writer, and they are just too different, with Katie never going to stop with her political causes and opinions, just to make life easier for Hubbell.

The ending has been referenced in Sex and the City and in the Gilmore Girls. I actually can't remember my true original feelings about it but when I watch it now, I don't long for any other ending. Neither one of them changes throughout the movie, they both retain who they are no matter how different that is from each other. But I guess what can attract a couple in the beginning of a relationship can also divide a couple. I will say that it is dated and sad that Hubbell never even gets to know his child, but I guess this does still happen today, so perhaps not so outdated.

I guess the reason I do like this movie is because of the character of Katie. While I don't relate to her in every way (it would be nice to be so determined) I relate to her in others. She is an outsider in Hubbell's world and her strong convictions are to be admired no matter how grating or abrasive she may get.

 

One other thing, I really loved a lot of Katie's costumes in this movie and I was really disappointed google images did not really give me much to show. Also Robert Redford was 37 when he made this - you can really tell when they flashback to their college years. But I still think he's swoon worthy. And it's his birthday today, Happy 74th Birthday Rob! You're just slightly older than my granddad.

I Am Legend

So I'm a bit slow in finally reading this one and I think the build up may have ruined it a little for me.
Also since the most recent screen adaptation I've viewed is Will Smith's I Am Legend which I've now realised is completely different to the book.

Written by Richard Matheson, published in 1954, I'm sure everyone knows the story.
Robert Neville is apparently the last man on earth after a bacteria plague sweeps across the US (we assume). Everyone else is infected with this bacteria which displays symptoms of vampirism. There are the true vampires (which are actually dead but the bacteria keeps them up and moving, searching for blood) and then the other vampires which are just infected but didn't actually die and rise from the dead.
There are lots of key differences between this character and the one Will Smith portrays. In the book he is a white, alcoholic non-scientist and lives day to day just trying to survive, eventually trying to find a cure but is unsuccessful.
The title also has a darker meaning than in the film and he does not find any other 'normal' survivors.
I found this book okay. It is not horror, more a study of one man's loneliness and his continual need for survival. I realise this sounds really underwhelming, I did enjoy the book but not as much as I thought I would.

I have also seen The Omega Man with Charlton Heston which was the second film adaptation, but not the first which was The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price. Maybe this version is the most faithful to the book because Omega Man also deviated from the source material. Although it apparently had the first interracial kiss/relationship on film. Score one point for Mr Heston for taking part in something progressive.

Spock

Just a few post groomed pictures of Spock, he has had so many enquiries about being adopted (the little dogs always go fast) but he will go on trial to a lovely couple next weekend after he has a hernia removed on Friday.
I've always been a medium-big dog person but I think Spock was sent to me just to show me little dogs are great too. My boyfriend didn't even want to foster a little dog (sizeist!) but he has such a lovely personality and I love his little dance he does on his back paws when I get home! He totally prefers me as well.

Award!

Thanks to Fear Street! My first ever award, how exciting. And if being versatile means talking too much about old and daggy movies and books and also whinging about life occasionally and posting too many foster pictures than I'm your girl!

Award Rules:

Share 7 things about yourself.
Pass the award along to 15 who you have recently discovered and who you think fantastic for whatever reason.
Contact the blogs you picked and let them know about the award.
Thank the person who gave it to you.

7 Things:

• I hate peas and corn
• I don't like tea or coffee. I live on diet coke, even though according to Paris Hilton, only fat people drink diet coke
• I just can't get into the Harry Potter books, though my boyfriend has forced me to watch the films
• I work in the finance industry but I didn't enjoy or complete any maths units past the age of 15 (except for that maths unit in university but it was aimed at an early childhood education level)
• I attended my parents wedding. I was 8 months old.
• I follow my Australian rules football team religiously and am a member. They get mocked in the competition because they have purple as their primary colour. Also they have the most female members out of all the other teams in the competition. Coincidence?
• My first kiss was from a french schoolmate when I was 11. It wasn't a real french kiss, mostly I remember it being kind of slimy.

I haven't named any other favourite blogs as we all seem to run in the same blog circles (?) and I don't want to be doubling people up. If you're on my blog roll, feel the love.

Eh and I changed the blog name. Again.
And to keep up the trend of foster photos, here is Spock my current Maltese cross boy - about a year old. He's from a country pound and already been through 2 families who both had kids and didn't want him anymore. Obviously I'm trying to find a cheap groomer for him before he finds a new home.
And after being informed by the vet that he has tapeworm I now have the greatest of fun looking through his excrement for tapeworm which looks a bit like long rice! Don't tell me I don't teach you guys stuff.

Little Darlings

My introduction to this movie was on one summer day when I was home sick from high school, this was playing as the midday movie.

It is my opinion that they never play good movies on at this time but my mum said this was a good movie from her childhood (my mum was 17 when this came out, cool huh). I was intrigued. What kind of movies did my mum like? Guaranteed to have a happy ending I would have thought now, but if it was from her childhood it may be more interesting and teenage centred. And as I found out, awesome as it is set at a summer camp, the stuff Australian children dream of.

So I viewed Little Darlings (1980). The opening is a bit of a cracker, some random chick with major hair flicks, kicks some guy in the balls for harassing her. Okay with me.

Basic story:

Angel (ball kicker played excellently by Kristy McNichol) and Ferris (completely random character name, played by Tatum O'Neal) are two very different girls both attending summer camp. Angel is kind of a bad girl, wrong side of the tracks etc while Ferris is poor little rich girl who thinks it's beneath her to be attending the camp.

So early on the two girls clash and somehow a bet is formed: who will be the first girl to lose her virginity? The camp is divided on who it will be and place cash on the girls. The girls each choose their 'target'. For Ferris it is the swim teacher Gary (played by my old mate Armand Assante, he of the coolest alliterated name) and for Angel it is the random guy candy they meet at a public restroom while trying to score condoms, Randy (played by a floppy haired Matt Dillon). By the way Randy and Angel seem to have matching haircuts. Ahh the 80's.

Both have very different ideas of what their first time will be like. Angel sees it as "no big deal", presumably an attitude inherited from her skanky mother, while Ferris is all about the romance and the "making love". Unfortunately for both of them the reality is vastly different while Ferris learns the true repercussions of a 15 year old trying to seduce her teacher and Angel learns that sex is actually a big deal.

This film is different because so many of these types of movies about 'losing it' are based around guys. To show from a female perspective is interesting because of course they are going to approach it differently.

I think Ferris's attitude was a bit over the top but maybe the result of her upbringing. While Angel who is used to having guys in and out (insert obvious joke) at her mom's place is more cynical.

From discussions with my friends at that age, I don't think any of us were under any illusions that the first time would be any good/incredibly romantic but we weren't of that it's 'no big deal' mindset either.

Regardless this is a good movie with like able leads (and a cute early role for Cynthia Nixon as hippy girl, Sunshine) and a somewhat realistic view of sex and teenagers. Also some good (not stereotypes) supporting characters who actually look like teenagers. It's no American Pie for hilarity or hi-jinks but it has some nice moments.

Mel hath no fury...

Mel, what the hell has happened to you?

Remember the good old days, when you still sounded kind of australian even though you were only ever partly ours, and you were in awesome movies like Mad Max 1, 2 and not so much 3? Plus Gallipoli, the Lethal Weapon movies. You used to be charming and have a sense of humour. And remember that glorious day when I blogged about your young hotness? Truth be told you're still not bad for a 54 year old.
When did it all go so wrong? Also food for thought: maybe playing an anger management therapy patient in an uncredited role in Paparazzi in 2004 was not the best move due to your now apparent issues (and how you're "...capable of it.")
You should never have left your adopted homeland. Or like divorced your wife and started screwing around either.
"When all's said and done, I did a pretty good hatchet job on my marriage. I'm to blame, if you're inclined to judge." Heh just found this quote, maybe all is not lost completely.

At least Whoopi still loves you.

Boy Crush #2

'As you wish'. Spoken by the irresistible Cary Elwes as Westly in The Princess Bride, never has my heart fluttered so much as to words spoken by a lowly farmboy.
Seriously hot. I don't know what else to say, just look at the picture a bit more. Elwes was 25 when this movie came out, so totally age appropriate for me right now, but in real life, he's the same age as my dad. Why, why did I have to work that out?

You know Robin Wright as Buttercup was luminous in this film too.

Basic plot line if you haven't heard of this movie: Westly is a farmboy who works for Buttercup. Just as they realise their love for each other, Westley decides to leave for the seas to make his fortune and news comes back that he is killed by the Dread Pirates. Buttercup is heartbroken, but 5 years later decides to marry Prince Humperdink but she does not love him.

While out riding one day she is kidnapped by 3 outlaws, the boss -Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), Fezzik a giant (Andre the giant) and Inigo Montoya - a fencing master (Mandy Patinkin, his full name will be become important in the quotes section).
They are tracked by Prince Humperdink and a mysterious man in black. And I won't say anymore in case there are people who haven't seen this marvellous movie. In short it is funny, dramatic and romantic all in one and features many great characters and one liners my family will quote for days after watching the film.
Wallace Shawn is one crazy little man, while not having a huge role, he makes his memorable.
Andre the giant's thick accent sometimes makes what he is saying incomprehensible but it adds to the fun (fun personal fact, he was only 13cm taller than my boyfriend).
I love Mandy Patinkin in this, I'm not even sure why but he does have a good role with the most meat (he is trying to avenge his father's death by a 6 fingered man).

Favourite quotes:
Inigo Montoya: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

[Vizzini has just cut the rope The Dread Pirate Roberts is climbing up] Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Vizzini: I can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for my brains. Man in Black: You're that smart? Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates? Man in Black: Yes. Vizzini: Morons.

Buttercup: You mock my pain.

Man in Black: Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something

Prince Humperdinck: She is alive, or was an hour ago. If she is otherwise when I find her I shall be very put out.

Girl Power

So it's all progressive, historic and what have you, that Australia now has their first female prime minister. It's just too bad it had to happen like this.

As usual the media has focused more on her hair (and the fact that she is unmarried, no kids and has a hairdresser for a boyfriend) than any other aspects but it doesn't help when she also proclaims to be the first redhead prime minister. Double standards for women sucks.

By the way the woman on the left is Julia Gillard the new PM, the one on the right is Quentin Bryce the governor general of Australia and she has the power to fire the PM*. It's only happened once. How fricken weird is Australian politics?

*simplified version, I may or may not know what I'm talking about.

On the Beach

So in between all the ups and downs that goes with fostering animals I was also reading this depressing book (Neville Shute) I've been wanting to read for some time. Why? I'm not sure, doesn't everybody like to read about humanity's untimely end? The way disaster movies gross millions of dollars maybe they do.

Basic plot line without giving too much away:

Set in the not too distant future (for the time) the world has been rocked by some kind of war where nuclear weapons were used in the northern hemisphere. The last few countries with the population still alive is Australia, some of South America and Africa, but the global air currents are slowly sending the fallout down to the southern hemisphere.

The only hope the navy is clinging to is that there is some unexplained Morse code transmitting from Seattle. The Australian navy organises for the American submarine to go and check it out. In the meantime people are coming to terms (or living in delusion land) about the nuclear fallout reaching them and the end of life as they know it.

I wanted to read this book ever since I saw the telemovie when I was in high school, according to IMDB it came out in 2000 so I must have been 16/17 which seems to be the age I view dooms day films (I must do a post on Threads sometime, that film will scare the shit out of any 14 year old). 

The things I remembered from the telemovie:

• some guy kills himself driving really fast and crashing in his Ferrari instead of waiting for the radioactive sickness
• the lead guy played by an American had a really cool name (Armand Assante)

So based on these observations from a decade ago, I'm still not sure why I wanted to read this. I know I am a sucker for post apocalyptic books/films (don't judge, there's a lot of us) but this one just really depressed me. Also the females came across as none too bright, seriously living in la-la land about the future and the possibility of having to murder a child with a government issued suicide pill or injection. I know I'd rather watch my daughter get slowly poisoned to death! I realise it is a coping mechanism to continually think ahead and just avoid the harsh reality but seriously? I think I would have just took a pill as soon as I found out instead of just sitting around waiting to die. But that's the human spirit isn't it?

My god even this review is depressing. I did like some things: the way it makes you question your own behaviour in a similar situation and the way that the dialogue in all old Australian novels still always sounds vaguely English.

My apologies for the sombre post, our latest foster puppy has just gone out on trial and I'm feeling a mite sad.

For the record the original movie came out in 1959 (2 years after the book was published) and had Americans playing Australians (Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins). Slightly worst than watching the dubbed version of mad max. Don't buy old Australian films in Bali, children.

My Brilliant Career

My Brilliant Career's (1979) heroine is Sybylla (Judy Davis) an outspoken independent young woman living with her family in Australia in the early 20th century. As she is now of a certain age, her mum wants to send her out to work as a servant much to Sybylla's disgust. She longs to be a writer and experience life outside of their home on the farm.
Fortunately for her it doesn't come to that and she is shipped off instead to her grandmother's to live there with her mother's brother and sister as well.
They live in relative luxury and it is here where she meets Harry Beecham (Sam Neill), a friend of the family's son. They share chemistry and though Harry has a reputation with the ladies it is Sybylla he wants. Sybylla won't commit to his marriage proposal though at the moment as she still wants to write and experience herself alone, which is the opposite of what her family want for her. They want to tame her wild side and make her a proper lady.
Unfortunately her father's bad business dealings lead her to move to a tiny house on a farm where she is working off his debt as a governess to 6 unruly children.
Luckily due to a misunderstanding with the eldest son and his parents (they think she's after him but as she owns no property they can't let them marry even though Sybylla had no intention to) Sybylla ends up home again with the debt lifted until they're in better circumstances. So she is back at the family home and helping a calf out of the mud when Henry shows up again and still wants to marry her. In a move which shocked me (surprisingly) she turns him down, at least for the moment. She still hasn't found herself and wants to keep writing. It's a bittersweet moment when Henry professes he still wants her but Sybylla explains she would 'destroy him.'
Henry leaves and Sybylla sometime later posts off her manuscript. The credits begin with the sentence that Sybylla's novel was published in 1901. And us true romantics can cling to the hope that maybe they will meet again and be together at a later time.

I always considered myself kind of a feminist, but I was surprised when the two didn't get together in the end. That damn film cover seduced me with it's picture of Henry and Sybylla embracing!
In the special features section there was a interview with Gillian Armstrong the director and she explained how back in 1981 this was particularly shocking and strange that the female lead turned her suitor down and that she's glad it is not so shocking anymore. I disagree to an extent not just from my own reaction but other movies I have seen recently, that don't seem to challenge this stereotype.

Okay characters: Judy Davis is perfect as Sybylla and I read somewhere that she actually can't stand to watch this movie anymore. Say it aint' so...she has this perfect flyaway frizzy hair and a great spirit that matches her character to the T.

Sam Neill's career I believe was also launched by this film, and he is pretty dashing in the film. One complaint was that I thought he should have had more character development although it is a testament to Judy and Sam's chemistry that they display so much just through facial expressions and their actions.

The scenery and set direction is really great, half the time I thought I was watching a period English film - the costumes were excellent.The contrast between the relative ease Sybylla finds herself living in, in her grandmothers house compared to the shanty little house when she is a governess is astounding.

I was pleased to read Davis was born and raised in my home town so maybe next time I'll review a movie with fellow Perth ite Melissa George. This may be a struggle, the only one I've seen lately was 30 Days of Night.
My Brilliant Career is definitely another Australian gem with a great central performance and not your usual ending or heroine.

Vote again...if you want

It's been a week so if you voted last week and don't mind doing it again please please click here on Ben's kitchen sucks. I promise I'll maybe only ask one more time!

Tomorrow My Brilliant Career and a dishy young Sam Neill.

Friends with Money and a cheap shameless self promotion

Did anybody ever actually see this when this came out (2005)? It seemed to slip under the radar and does actually have a few decent female actors in main roles. Christine (Catherine Keener), Franny (Joan Cusack), Jane (Frances McDormand) and Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) are good friends all with money quite obviously, except for Oliver who gave up her job as a teacher in a private school for a new job as a maid. While at first Olivia seems to be the screwed up friend who all the others want to help, they all really have all their own problems.

Christine's husband is a bit of a shit really, who doesn't ask her if she's ok when she hurts herself and she has to learn to not get worked up about the things he does. Yeah. Franny is the really rich one of the group (all her own money I forget why/how) but she needs to talk to her husband before she spends any of it and he comes across as judgemental about her friendship with Olivia.

Everybody thinks Jane's husband is gay (not that they say it to her face) and she has taken to not washing her hair and thinks it feels like she is just waiting to die (she turns 43 during the film) even though she has a successful clothing line.

Olivia is calling up some guy she had an affair with for a couple of months, smoking pot and using her client's vibrator. All we know about her previous job is that it wasn't her calling. During the course of the film she dapples with the idea of becoming a personal trainer, even though she is apparently the only one in the circle of friends who doesn't enjoy exercising.

I found Jane's story to be the most interesting, she also had the most understanding husband, gay or not (he probably was just a metrosexual-English combination) who handled all her suppressed rage and annoyance nicely. I found the scene where she gets angry at the store and runs into the glass door interesting and plausible. And McDormand is great actress who can express so much with facial expressions.

The casting of Aniston was interesting as she is about 10 years younger than the other actors. She is not bad in this, kind of similar disinterested longing as in The Good Girl but I enjoyed this movie more. I found the ending a bit annoying, the running time was only 88 minutes long I thought they didn't need to end it so abruptly and I am also not sure what it means that Aniston's new boyfriend also has money? Would she have not lasted much longer in the group without being well to do? Anyway if you feel like watching a vaguely entertaining film starring some talented actresses rent this one. And if that wasn't the lamest recommendation I don't know what is.

Because I know anyone who reads this blog is supremely nice for no good reason, could you please follow this link and vote for our kitchen to suck the most? Go to the link, clink on Kitchen Sucks and then it should come up as Ben's Kitchen Sucks and then you can vote for it. We entered this competition through Ikea to win a brand new kitchen for our very outdated house (hopefully they do a My Bathroom Sucks next!) and since we started late into the competition we need all the help we can get. I just don't have that many facebook friends people. Also there's the cheap thrill of seeing how crappy our kitchen is. Thanks!

The Year My Voice Broke

This is the film I should have watched before seeing Flirting. But for some reason (probably because Nicole Kidman is in the sequel) this movie completely flew under my radar and Flirting is what I bought.

Noah Taylor (18 at the time of filming) is Danny, local awkward outcast, his best friend is Freya played by Loene Carmen (17) a somewhat free spirit adopted to a local family. To complete the love triangle is Trevor played by Ben Mendelsohn (18) who is a regular feature in many Australian shows, and movies.

Danny and Freya are in high school, she is 16, he is 15 and have been best friends since they were little kids, he has always had a crush on her, which she acknowledges but doesn't really encourage. She then falls for local popular rugby player and small time criminal Trevor, much to Danny's disgust.
The story tells of their relationship progression, how she and Danny drift apart and as Freya is adopted, the story of who her parents are and what is the connection to the house on the hill which everyone believes is haunted by the prostitute who used to live there.
This is all set in 1962, but it doesn't style it as such in such an obvious way. Sure some of the songs are old  but it's the small town mentality which really gives the film character. Even if this was set in present time, the small town issues would still be there.

Things I loved (without giving much away)

• The 3 leads are so natural and cast to perfection. I have not seen Carmen in anything else but she is so earthy and just freaking great in her role. And the fact that they were all pretty close to the ages of their characters.
• Trevor's crazy little laugh he uses throughout the movie, you can just imagine the other cast members trying not to laugh
• not having a happy ending as much as I would have liked one
• the honest dialogue and Danny's struggle with his desire for Freya
• the scene at the dance and Danny in his Marlon Brando look. Just because I thought his and Freya's interaction was so sweet
• the scene where Trevor and Freya stick up for Danny in their own separate ways while he is being bullied
• the Australian scenery seems to be it's own character similarly to Picnic at Hanging Rock

I don't want to give more away as I really think it is a great film which should be seen by as many people as possible (I had to join Quickflix to watch it).
This film is part coming of age (although how I loathe that phrase) part drama, little drabs of comedy and a really great indie film.

It was released in 1987 and Noah Taylor reprises his role for Flirting in 1991 as do the actors who play his parents. Both were also written and directed by John Duigan who stated in the bonus feature of the DVD that he intended the story of Danny to be a trilogy and would like to make a third with Danny and Freya at the ages they are now which would make them early 40s and set in about the late 80s. I have no idea how he would do it but I'd love to see it.

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) are high school friends who have been living together since they graduated.

Their ten year high school reunion is looming and while planning to go, they realise their lives (dead end job, no boyfriends) aren't looking too impressive.

After some half hearted attempts to find boyfriends, and find a job in Michele's case, Romy decides to just lie and say they are successful business women who invented post its. Yes, post its.

Things go awry on the way when they have a huge fight in the car about who is cuter out of the two of them.Then when they arrive at the reunion, Romy goes with the post it story and gets ridiculed by the horrible 'A' group. Michele comes to the rescue and they decide they don't care what anyone else thinks because they always have fun together. Or something. And then Sandy lends them the money to start their own clothing shop (Romy makes and they both design their own clothes).

The film includes a very long dream sequence, a completely random but I think hilarious 3 way dance between Sandy (Alan Cumming), Romy and Michele at the reunion, and some nice flashback scenes where the obviously 30 plus aged actors play teenagers.

Most of the movie is filled with overacting, some cliched characters (particularly the A group) but it's all done in such fun that it's enjoyable to watch. The bright clothes! The music! The 80's, ah it was my favourite decade. And they really are good friends to each other.

Lisa Kudrow is basically just reprising the role of Phoebe from Friends which isn't surprising as it was at the height of popularity at the time and she does it so well. Interesting side note, according to IMDB, Lisa was a virgin until she married her husband at the age of 31. How…refreshing is that?

Mira Sorvino, who I really only known as Paul's daughter and seen her in Mimic and At First Sight (sadly), also does a great job and for some reason I really love her voice. I wish I had that kind of raspy, gravelly quality in mine. Is that weird? For some reason I get her and Bridget Fonda mixed up..maybe it's the having famous fathers syndrome?

Alan Cumming plays Sandy Frik, the dork who loved Michele in high school and became a millionaire discovering some kind of rubber (used in tennis shoes not in condoms as Michele thought). I thought Alan Cummings was so cute in this and didn't know why Michele didn't like him. Granted the whole giant erection whenever she's around would get a bit annoying but that's just how he rolls in high school.

Janeane Garofalo plays Heather Mooney, the outcast who had a huge crush on Sandy. I just love her sarcasm, she has some classic lines:

Heather: Why don't you tell everyone I said to go fuck themselves for making my teen years a living hell?

Romy: Well, anyways, are you going? [to the reunion]
Heather: [referring to her cigarette] I'd rather put this out in my ass

Romy: [reading the customer paperwork] Heather? Heather Mooney? From Sagebrush High in Tuscon?
Heather: Yeah?
Romy:  It's Romy! Romy White!
Heather: You're shittin' me.
Romy: No! This is so weird - I didn't know you were living in L.A.
Heather: Well, now that you know, will we be getting together a lot?

This is such a frivolous fluffy movie that I can't help but like it. Released in 1997, I have fond memories from year 8, having slumber parties, eating junk food, talking about boys and thinking a high school reunion was a long time away.

Honestly watching it now, the idea of my ten year high school reunion scares me a little.

It will be ten years since I graduated next year and it's not like I have an awesome job/know what I want to do with my life, so I relate to the story in that way.

Also the whole facebook thing seems to make a reunion a bit pointless in some ways. On one hand it's not like anyone makes friends with people they once knew a long time ago old high school buddies other than to check out their pics (see how fat they got), and see how many kids they had with different fathers they're doing in their life.

Then again it would be interesting to actually have a conversation with some of these people instead of occasionally just laughing at their status updates. I'll be hoping for a contemporary dance off between some old classmates that's for sure.

New foster

Sabrina is our latest, completely different to Gizmo, she was only 7 weeks old when we got her and so tiny.
She took a couple of days to come out of her shell not like Mr Independent Gizmo but she's getting along with Ebs now too which makes it easier. I also got a nice email from Giz's new owner saying that he has fit in well in their home which makes the fostering easier.

Fingers crossed I do not get too attached...although I have already entertained thoughts of keeping her (again) as she doesn't seem to mind being an indoor kitten as much as Giz. Speaking of outside, my boyfriend went crazy with a chainsaw and our backyard now looks like this:

Just because I can

When I was little and being looked after by my grandparents predominantly since my mum went straight back to work, my grandfather nicknamed me Batfink. I wasn't sure what to think about this but I believe it was an affectionate term for when I was being a bit naughty. To this day my granddad doesn't really remember why the nickname started, I just looked like a batfink. Apparently at the time (mid-late 80s) Batfink the cartoon was pretty popular even though it was originally released as a spoof on Batman back in 1966, with memorable catchphrases. Anyway guess there are worst things to be nicknamed after than a superpowered crime fighting grey bat with wings of steel and super sonic sonar radar.

Now just to find my own vaguely racist Asian stereotype depicted muscle man Karate to get me out of trouble just in the nick of time. And drive me around in a cool batmobile-esque cars but that are pink naturally.

Logies

If you haven't heard of the Logies I wouldn't blame you. Sorry the 'TV Week' Logies, because we can't have an award show not sponsored by someone. I suppose the American equivalent would be the Emmys, as it is the Australian television industry awards and has been going since 1959, renamed the logies after Scottish man John Logie Baird who invented television as a practical medium. Who knew?

There is the coveted gold logie (amongst many other categories) for the most popular personality on television (how ambiguous is that?) and also the silver logie which to be honest I'm not entirely sure what that is for. The second most popular personality?

The reason the logies are a joke is that Australian television is generally not that great. We have great actors, writers and directors, but they generally work in film and/or overseas. There has been some past good television shows but we have nothing of the calibre (in my humble opinion) of some great American or British shows.
The unique thing about this awards ceremony is that the public vote on who wins. Hence the 'TV Week' logies as they distribute the voting coupons.
So not only do we have Joe Public voting for the 'best' shows in Australia, they're also the slightly dumb people who read a magazine devoted entirely to fictional TV characters.

Generally we also get an American or British singer/actor to be a special guest, as you can tell we need all the entertainment we can get, because obviously people aren't interested enough in the Australian guests and presenters. This year KD Lang did a few songs presumably (I watched about 10 minutes in total of the whole ceremony so I'm guessing), John Mayer was there (hurrah) and Johnny Galecki from the Big Bang Theory was a guest presenter. I heard an interview with him this morning and he seems like a really nice down to earth guy but it needs to be looked at why we need these special guests at all. Isn't that saying something about our industry?

There was a few Australian celebrities who were mobbed by reporters though and one of them was little Bindi Irwin. She cops a bit of flak, many think she was pushed into the limelight but seems to enjoy it a bit too much and doesn't have a normal childhood. Well when your dad was Steve Irwin you're unlikely to be normal in any conventional way and whether you agreed with him or not, he did do a lot for nature conservation.

Anyway back to Bindi. In the end I don't like mocking her - she's only 12 and she's a poor fatherless mite. Anyway she was at the logies (think she has a childrens program) and I thought she looked very nice without the khaki for a change.

But you know who won our gold logie this year: an old codger from Home and Away, our second longest running soap. I'm guessing it was a bit of a pity win for him as he's the last remaining original cast member. Think I'm getting harsh in my old age.

One of the parts I did see during the night which was Shaun Micallef's speech which he self proclaimed stole straight from Sir Lawrence Olivier. Amusing. Rebecca Gibney telling everyone she was pre-menstrual was not. Ew.