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.