december baking

over the couple of weeks leading up to the christmas break (yah) i've tied on the apron and baked a few delights for my colleagues at work (who double as my guinea pigs).

we started off with a lemon drizzle cake...

then an orange, ginger, almond fruit cake. gluten free so it was touch and go for a minute but everyone LOVED it. hmmm.. mooshed fruit cake really.

next up was the chocolate peppermint tart. quite delicious and extremely funny trying to remove rice from blind baking the pastry. glad no one was there to see the hilarity.

then chocolate coconut macaroons, which led to a discussion between macarons and macaroons. the world is crazy at the moment for the colourful macarons, but i quite like these.

 last night's effort took a little time as there were four trays of baking different sizes of stars before the piping and the stacking....

gingerbread christmas trees. fiddly work but fun as i was playing the stardust station on the radio and singing along. good times.

 this is the christmas tree i have again for this year, and the piles of presents i have to fit into a suitcase and carry safely to the west side of the country. in TWO sleeps time... wooohoooo! so excited.

i know... i know.. it's been FOREVER

but i've got important news to tell. i have a new niece. she was born early hours of this morning, so she's a december 6 baby. not at all monkey-ish like her sister was, and she is very, very cute. not biased as i have confirmation from a non-related source. i keep on calling her a she because i don't know her name.

there's three hours difference between melbourne and perth so i can't wake up the family to see if they've named her yet. so for the time being she's the newbie niece, she and her.

this photo was taken by my mum at some ungodly hour while i was asleep. mmm... sleep. anyway, hope my sister doesn't mind too much but i'm going to brag like i had something to do with the entire event. world, this is my new niece.....

(on other news, i might be back again - we'll see).

still love this site

while trawling through folders of sites i've collected, i came across xkcd. i've been an occasional stalker for years now. always makes me laugh. and think.

a friend's short doco

it's been interesting to watch the state of my country recently - how many industries are being affected by job loss, companies closing, community services cutting back. one such story was brought to my attention through a friend who lives in the area, she's a film-maker so along with another friend put a short documentary together. save the hope street bus is a fabulous doco that tells the story of a community looking out for it's own. take a look at SAVE THE HOPE ST BUS

one man's reminisces

(image sourced from malthouse theatre)
paul capsis' autobiographical piece of theatre, angela's kitchen played at the malthouse. i love this theatre for all it's surprises and oddities and i have seen some truly moving and awe-inspiring productions since moving to melbourne. angela's kitchen was funny, thoughtful, sad and made me long for the days when i was little and surrounded by my own eccentric family, around my nan's kitchen table talking and eating for days on end. this story travelled between malta and sydney and his grandmother's stories, to where his over-lapped. it was a real treat to be invited into capsis' memories of his family.

friday at the astor

i remember watching this film with my family when it first came out. it was the weekend family experience for the five of us. my early teen years were filled with weekend family dates. i kid you not, there were even occasions when we would all go roller-skating at the local rink, those were normally sunday afternoons for a couple of hours. how strange that may seem, it was pretty awesome seeing my dad and brother on skates. ha! my mum and little sister, who would've been about 4-5, also took classes to learn to skate at the same time.

anyway, back to raiders of the lost ark. love it, own it. and have seen it so many times i've lost count. but to see it on big screen at an art deco theatre was a treat i could not pass up. and yes, it was still awesome. and i can still hear my family (yes, in my memories) laugh out loud when indiana, after fighting so many men hand to hand, denies the large man brandishing a sword, takes out his pistol and shoots him dead. what an adventure.

funnily enough i still couldn't watch the ark scene where the "rays of god" struck down all the nazis - well, not the melty blowy up face bit at least. it's still gross. yep, still love this film.

another chat-fest

two days of sitting in the semi-dark of cinema nova, listening and talking with a variety of writers, producers, broadcasters, directors and even an actor. both interesting and frustrating but it's given me the impetus to get off my butt again and back to the page.

who needs a reason?

to take a day off to wander through a beautiful city and then sit and listen to a writer? not me. though i did indeed have one. my beloved niece has never mentioned an author to me before about a month ago. this got me excited. doesn't take much i know, only speaking books with my 14 year old niece. but not only an author but an australian author. wow! now i haven't read any of morris gleitzman's books yet, but hearing this i had to search him out and it just so happened that he would be one of the speakers at the melbourne writers festival. timing, never one of my strong points, seemed to be right on target.

so off i went to the bmw edge, along with a zillion school kids, to listen to gleitzman's tales of felix and zelda and why he wrote his trilogy of four. and as the good auntie that i am, lined up with said zillion school kids to get the fourth book signed for the niece.

by dickens

thursday evening at the melbourne town hall with simon callow.  he was the 2012 melbourne writers festival key note speaker and as timing would have it just happened to have a new book to sell.

never a fan of charles dickens, callow spoke so eloquently and passionately about his writings that i may just have to pick up a book or two, one of which needs to be callow's.

last line by line for 2012

the last meeting for the year of a bunch of writers that get together to motivate and inspire one another. the monthly meetings also have the good fortune of a "real" writer/ producer/ film-maker in attendance to relate stories of misfortune, comedy and overcoming the odds. this month was the director/ writer bobby galinsky and his next movie, dust and glory is in the process of casting at the moment. can i tell you how much i'm looking forward to this film? a lot. adapted from a novel by evan green, it's the story of the redex car trials that run all across australia in the 50s. an insane feat at the best of times but my interest was drawn because the radio master of the 40s-50s jack davey was a keen driver and i believe took part in all of the races, even when his doctor told him not too. so this film can't get to the screen soon enough for me.

26 and twenty seven films

this film made me damn hungry.directed by trevor graham make hummus not war asks the question "who owns the hummus heritage?" and he wonders if the love of chickpea eating could be the recipe for peace in the middle east. entertaining and morish.

we are legion: the story of the hacktivists takes an interesting look at the radical "hacktivist" collective anonymous. who, to be honest, i had not heard of before the doco. true, i had read about their world-wide exploits but this detailed the progress of the group from inception to world-wide notoriety. truly interesting times that we live in.

22, 23, 24 and 25

how much fun was paranorman? this much fun. again i'm completely over 3d and i don't think it really added anything extra to the mix but it was a film about not judging a person or zombie by their appearances. like i said, a lot of fun.

i expected something more from berberian sound studio, don't know what exactly but half way through i wanted something to happen and it just didn't.

okay, if berberian was just eh, sound of my voice was distinctly painful and self-indulgent. aarrghhh... i should've known what i was in for considering my dislike of marling's last film, another earth. it dragged.

this was loud and postering fun. the documentary something from nothing: the art of rap led us along the streets of american cities alongside ice-t as he conversed (and rapped) with the heart and soul of hip-hop. nice way to end a saturday night.

twenty and twenty one

okay, what initially sold me on this film was it's director, dexter fletcher, he of press gang fame. of course he has done many other things since then but wild bill is his directorial debut. i liked this film. it wasn't a big story, but one of family, redemption and trying to do the right thing. strong performances and comedy amongst the drama.

a love story that battles through an addiction. keep the lights wasn't really a new story, just that the lovers happened to be two men.

18 and 19

i really enjoyed the chilean film, no. shot almost in a documentary style, it felt like we could have been watching what really happened in the lead up to the 1988 referendum that ended the pinochet regime. all told from the position of a marketing campaign. the film was shot on 80s film stock which added to the authenticity of the story. a big NO (in that yes way) from me.

shutup and play the hits chronicles the final concert of the band lcd sound system. i was aware of the music but not a big fan at the time, it is definitely something to shake your booty too. well, not now since the band is no more but i hear there are still cds available. ha!

14, 15, 16 & 17

i honestly bawled my way through most of bully, a doco by lee hirsch. okay, maybe not bawled but silently wept. it was so hard to watch the specific stories of these children and teenagers and knowing that there are so many out there in similar positions. those a little different in the way they dress, or look, or behave. it was hard to hear the parents of those kids, not knowing what to do to help their child, and many not finding answers or assistance from the schools or legal system. is this getting worse or has it always been there? everyone should see this. i know it's a hard sell on the subject matter and the fact i cried so much my sleeves were damp when i walked out (didn't have tissues), but you should see bully.

chicken with plums is a film about memories, tying those memories to objects and what happens to your heart when you lose those objects. i loved the imagery of this film, directed by marjane satrapi and vincent paronnaud. set in the 1950s, tehran was depicted in a magical, dream-like manner with a parisian elegance and old-worldliness. a sweet story.

golden slumbers was a doco focussed on the cambodian film industry of the 60s and 70s, up until the khmer rouge took over the country and destroyed most of the country's history and art. only a small number of actors and filmmakers survived this period, no full length film did. liked the subject matter but the doco was not strong enough to support it. difficult to do when there is no visuals remaining from the golden era of cambodian film making, a few posters and leaflets. the bones were there but not enough substance for me.

seeking a friend at the end of the world was entertaining but nothing extraordinary. sometimes that's what you need so i didn't expect much from it, and received exactly that.

twelve and 13

a quiet and harrowing sort of story. shadow dancer, written by tom bradby and directed by james marsh (he of last year's MIFF project nim) looked at "the troubles" in the uk. specifically at one woman and how she's forced to choose between family and the British secret service. betrayal and loyalty of this kind is difficult to fathom until you walk a mile in their shoes. i can't comprehend it.

how to survive a plague - a documentary of activism in the face of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and 90s. using footage from the period that was shot by members of ACT UP and TAG (treatment action group), it is a heart breaking and inspiring story of how a group of people, many of whom were faced with a possible death sentence, fought to get government and pharmaceutical companies to hear what they had to say. they were fighting for their lives, the lives of their friends and the lives of people unknown. hard to watch at times but an amazing story.

eleven

the czech republic animation drama, alois nebel was really interesting. The story was set in the 1980s but the characters looked back on the period after the second world war. I liked the slow building story and the style of the animation suited the story perfectly.

7, 8, 9 & 10

billy bob thornton's latest film, jayne mansfield's car was really enjoyable. a southern usa tale set in alabama in 1969. three generations of men have gone or are going to war and the death of a mother re-married, that introduces the rival family from the other side of the atlantic - counter and cultural clash.

a fascinating doco for those interested in the business of film-making, side by side looks at film versus digital and the strengths and weaknesses of both. directors, cinematographers and editors feature heavily and there's a great conversation had. liked this, but i'm a bit of a geek with film.

south korean film, in another country was a bit of a mish mash for me. i liked the odd humour but couldn't get my head around not tying up the concept of the film student who was writing the three stories that were told.

definitely a crowd pleaser, people would have been squished in the aisles if they could have. the sessions, directed by melbourne bred ben lewin, was a really lovely film. telling the story of mark o'brien (played by john hawkes) who has polio and wants to lose his virginity. at 38 he makes it happen. the relationships between mark and his attendees, his sex surrogate (helen hunt) and his priest (william h macy) were heartfelt and funny and real. this one will definitely get a general release, so don't miss it.

3, 4, 5 & 6

so the doco, room 237, claims to dissect stanley kubrick's the shining in "amazing and unexpected ways". i guess that's true when the interviewees seem to be completely off the planet, one believing it's kubrick's confession to faking the moon landing, another the holocaust and yet another links it to the plight of native americans (because of the tins of baking powder that happens to display the head of a 'red indian' on it's label). played from a scratched dvd and the last couple of minutes was white snow. still don't want to watch the shining.

definitely hoping for something more than the documentary shock head soul offered up. based on shreber's autobiography of madness, i was expecting more from the slow moving and really, uninteresting facts divulged. i cat-napped through the 86 minutes.

then it was onto acmi and a couple of early french silent films, one being the fall of the house of usher. the second film was directed by jean epstein from a tale by edgar allan poe. interesting watching 20s silent films. i think we still have a lot of re-learn from the days of silents.

the world premiere of ian darling's documentary, paul kelly: stories of me. i was amazed at how many of his songs i actually know. yes, the soundtrack to many australian lives.

1 & 2 of miff 2012

the new wes anderson film, moonrise kingdom was just lovely. a lot of quirky moments, sublime colouring and it was beautifully filmed as one now expects from anderson. a great way to ease myself into two weeks, three weekends of movies.

"wanted: someone to go back in time with me. this is not a joke". safety not guaranteed, written by derek connolly, again was a nice film. it tempted me with it's sci-fi label but this was only evident in the last 30 seconds of the story.

another night in the audience of the 'house

(Source: Malthouse Theatre photo)

i loved how blood wedding was staged. directed by marion potts and written by frederico garcia lorca, it's gathered a lot of critical success but i wasn't too enamoured. maybe it was my mood, i don't know. the story of bad blood and betrayal between two spanish families and the fall-out at a wedding. i was entertained but not enthralled.

a sleep in....

i had a lost weekend - three days off with not much planned. those sort of days are usually mornings of writing and afternoons of watching a movie or dvds. i watched a heck of a lot of tv this weekend, box sets. jb hifi had it's mad july buy 2 get 1 free deals so i did go a little berserk. maybe a little more than berserk, mental maybe.

anyway... a sleep in was had. i told myself it was in preparation. of MIFF. yes, the melbourne international film festival starts this week, for me on friday and runs through three weekends. i have booked 40 films for the 17 days, with two days off for other planned events. i believe i chose well, and even with 40 films on my passport it doesn't feel as hectic as the years previous. but we'll see how i fare through MIFF 2012.

loosely based on a real story

a freebie film at nova. it was nice, nothing special, just nice.

a tv industry forum (i'm not an insider yet)

in my time in melbourne, film victoria have put on some fabulous seminars for practitioners and emerging film-makers/ writers alike. yesterday's offering connect with subscription tv included 200 attendees, 17 speakers, 5 panel sessions and a networking session. so all in all a pretty useful event for the low cost (including lunch and snacks) of $25. met some interesting people, had a laugh, almost a snooze and kind of felt like i almost belonged.

it seemed mostly a foxtel plug but there were some interesting speakers, though not all stations commission local content and are seem unlikely to in the future. but it gets one thinking at least. options are always good.

time to lift-off

another year's MIFF program launch. i trammed along to the forum theatre last night to see the clips picked to illustrate the quality of films we will be seeing at this year's melbourne international film festival. i trammed home again clutching the program and flicking through the pages to see what caught my eye.

i'm booked in to see 40 films between august 3 - 19. yes, i should see someone about my problem.

to the border and back again

took a drive up to the north border town of mildura. it was a nice drive - except for ivy's flat tyre. first one i've had with her so i guess i can't complain too much. mildura is larger than i imagined, and kind of reminded me of bunbury/ mandurah in w.a. - though of course they're beach towns and mildura is situated by the "mighty" murray river. i explored the town and some of the smaller communities nearby. went to the sunday market at red cliffs and also drove across the border to n.s.w. didn't even need a visa. ha!

the below photos are from the mungo national park - it's about an hours drive north from mildura, most of it off-road. i did think that my little car might shake herself apart at some stages of the drive, but she made it through.

she was parked up against all these big 4wds - the little car that could.

i took the trip because i was looking for a location to set a tv series that i'm developing, but it's not what i imagined. pretty amazing but not what i've got in my head. i see the towns that i used to drive through in w.a. so maybe i'll just use one of those for a setting.