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The Contents of Trish's BrainYou know you're curious! November 17 "The Box" is Trashed I wasn't the only person who thought The Box was a bad movie. Check out the review that Yahoo!7Movies gave. If the site doesn't work anymore, I've saved a PDF copy of the review. I knew the movie was bad, but now I know that a lot of people feel the same way! The Tomatometer doesn't look too good either...  October 30 The Box Tonight I went to the cinema and saw The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, and Frank Langella.The movie is set in 1976, and is directed by Richard Kelly, who also directed Donnie Darko. The movie is based on a short story called 'Button, Button' by Richard Matheson.  A man leaves a package on the doorstep of the house of Arthur and Norma Lewis, an average middle-American couple. Inside the package is an ornate device with a red button on it. Accompanying this is a card declaring that Mr Steward will arrive at 5pm. Neither Arthur nor Norma know anyone by the name of Mr Steward. At 5pm Mr Steward arrives and offers Norma a deal. Press the button, and one million dollars in cash will be given. However, there's a catch. If the button is pressed, someone, somewhere, will die. Norma does not know who that person is. Arthur arrives home later, and the decision-making process begins. What ensues is a very poor emulation of a good old-fashioned thriller movie. The script is extremely loose, with parts of the movie seeming more like a 'fill' than an actual part of the storyline. There are a number of loose ends that are not tied up. The acting is a little wooden, and the music often detracts from the film, rather than enhancing it. At some points in the film I laughed, when clearly the action occurring in the scene should not have elicited such a response. Early in the movie I needed to go to the restroom, and instead of just keeping my needs at bay, I walked out of the cinema for approximately five minutes. When I got back, I hadn't missed anything important. This is a clear sign that Richard Kelly should've shortened the film and made the characters a little deeper than the shallow representations that ended up on screen. The storyline left me quite frustrated. I actually felt like I had wasted two hours of my life for a movie that I could definitely have missed, and would've been none-the-wiser. Indeed, the short story seems more appealing to me. However, fans of Kelly will see this movie. They will adore the cliched motifs. They will value the methods of suspense used to heighten the movie. They will marvel at the underlying themes of morality, guilt, justice, and life on other planets. This is the first film that I have seen under the helm of Richard Kelly. Perhaps it will be the last, if his latest offering is anything to go by. If you want to escape, and don't mind being frustrated at the outcome of the movie, then invest your hard-earned cash. At least I know that I didn't waste money on the tickets, as they were free. I'm not sure that I will want to give away my 2-for-1 coupon that came with the free tickets. That's almost as tough a decision as pressing a button on a box. October 28 Capitalism: A Love Story I've just come home from seeing a preview screening of Michael Moore's new film Capitalism: A Love Story. .jpg) This is the first film I've seen by Michael Moore. I had an inkling of what to expect, but I certainly did not expect the brusqueness of which Michael Moore points the finger at the U.S. Government for causing the financial demise of hundreds of thousands of Americans, and set in motion a global economic downturn. Capitalism is classed as an economic and social system whereby profits made from products are given to the private owners of a company. Labourers in the company are paid a wage, but do not share in the profits. Investors, usually by way of the sharemarket, benefit from a share of the profits also. Michael Moore's take on capitalism in America is somewhat more brutal than the above definition. In fact, the depth with which Moore illustrates the evils of capitalism, is nigh on the verge of causing a ripple effect. Perhaps this is what he had intended with this film. Moore uses archived footage, comedic voice-overs, interviews with victims, priests, members of the U.S. government, news footage, and other pieces to create a collage that combine to form a particular view on capitalism. That view is not a good one. Indeed, after seeing the film, I am more convinced of how the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. I guessed that the film was going to touch on the global economy, as this is the 'hot topic' of the media. What I hadn't realised was the benefits that some companies received even after making extremely bad decisions, which led to their company collapsing, stock values plummeting, and the stock market reaching an almost all-time low. What adds fuel to the fire here is the 'reward' that companies have gained for essentially being the catalyst for our current global economic situation. There are also glimpses of the pure evil of capitalism, where companies are benefitting from the deaths of it's employees. Jobs which should be paid a higher rate are not. Banks are foreclosing on loans which people cannot pay (often refinanced homes that were previously possessed in full by the owner/s), and so homes are being evicted, to embarrassing and shameful outcomes for those living there. The bottom line, for Moore, is that capitalism sucks. There is nothing good about capitalism. Money is god, and at the moment, there doesn't seem like much can be done about it. However, this is where Moore pulls his punches. He issues a challenge to viewers to stand up against capitalism. While this is indeed a movie made by an American, for Americans, we in Australia can take the message to heart. While our country has tighter regulations on banks and companies, there are still plenty of 'little guys' out there who are being shunted by big companies, so that those big companies can corner the market and thus have a greater hold on the profits that can be gained. We have people rushing out to get home loans that they usually cannot afford, because the new home-owners grant has been raised. Once they fall into the trap of getting a loan that they can't afford to pay back, their house is sold from under them, often to profit, due to the continuing price rise in houses despite the economic downturn, and the home owners are in a much worse position from which they started. One thing that Michael Moore fails to touch on in his film is the value and benefit of education. What needs to happen in order for capitalism to not take such a hold on people here in Australia, as it has in America, is for people to be educated on handling finances. In particular, the dangers of credit need to be revised. It is one thing to stand up against capitalism, it is another to shake the hold that it has on the common person. On a whole, this film has its merits. There are some biases in data representation, and a clear slant on the point of view of the victim, but the film still has validity. I would recommend this film to anyone who uses money. Ironically, after seeing the movie, a parking fee of $41 had to be paid, as the car was parked before 6pm. Capitalism wins the day. Dinner - $13. Movie - free. Parking - $41. The irony - priceless. October 10 10,000This blog has now received over 10,000 HITS!!!! Thanks for your continuing support. I'll try to keep things interesting. September 23 Never Mind the Dust I was just having a bit of a bludge watching an episode of The United States of Tara, when the light changed. I also noticed a very dry and dusty smell. Sure enough, I look towards the window, and find that there is an orange glow outside. I open the curtain, and there's a dust storm! I dare say that this is the very same dust storm that hit Sydney this morning. I was dubious about the pictures of everything being bathed in red, but after what I've just seen, the pictures are extremely believable. I decided that I wasn't going to just sit inside and wonder about everything. I put a bandanna over my mouth and nose (cowboy style), put a cap on, grabbed the camera, and went for a quick walk. It's quite amazing. Visibility is only a few hundred metres. Cars are driving slower and using their headlights. You can't really see the sun. I actually had difficulty locating it, until I stood in the backyard. .jpg) The orange glow outside reminds me of being on Mars. It is quite surreal. The wind is picking up and blowing around quite strongly. I walked up the road to see what the visibility was like looking out towards the bay, and it's like somebody has just dragged a blanket across the horizon. (check the picture below) .jpg) I'm wondering if I made a mistake going outside, as all I can taste in my mouth is dust. My throat is slightly sore, and my heart rate is up a little. All I can smell is dust. I've practically locked myself inside, to wait it out. I just hope that this doesn't last too long, otherwise there will be repercussions with traffic, the airport, and businesses. I can't imagine how much havoc this is causing for places that serve food! In a way, it's like there's been a filter put over everything. The colours have been muted. Everything looks quite dull. The poor sun hasn't got a chance of coming through (see next picture). .jpg) I'm imagining the difficulties that people with respiratory problems may be having right now. There are quite a few elderly people in the area where I live. The last time I can remember being in a dust storm was the 8th of February, 1983, when I was growing up in Melbourne. I vaguely remember my Mum telling everyone to get inside the house and shut the windows. I was only seven years old at the time. At the moment, I've drunk so much water to try and get this taste out of my mouth. This whole event just seems like something out of a science fiction movie. Maybe somebody will make a movie out of it one day. They should call it Dust. August 10 CoralineI've just seen the movie Coraline, based on the book by Neil Gaiman. I was only interested in seeing it for two things: animation and Jennifer Saunders.  I didn't go and see the 3D version, thanks to having eyes that do funny things when I'm looking at 3D images, but I was still quite impressed with the movie. Such fantastical imagery and great weaving of a story that, while meant for children, captures the minds of adults as well. The colours, animation, voices, and music all merge together to create such a great movie, that I'm just going to have to see it again. Coraline is a story of a girl who moves to 'The Pink Palace Apartments' with her parents. She is a world away from her friends, and only wants her parents to be involved in her life a little more. On the first night of sleeping in her new home, Coraline discovers that a door in the family room, that is normally a gateway to a brick wall, becomes a tunnel to another world. Without giving away any spoilers, this world mirrors Coraline's, but in a way that she does not expect. Coraline gets so caught up, that the enchantment becomes dangerous, and Coraline needs to find a way to bring things back to normal. The very end of the movie credits gives a little gem for those who love the internet. I'm not telling you what it is, as you will need to see the movie yourself. I must say, though, that the website is a nice addition to the movie, adding a veritable virtual playground for the young, and young at heart. I love movie websites that are interactive. I've already blogged about the Transformers one, and have played around with the Terminator Salvation website. The Coraline website also has an ability for cyber fiends to upload their photos and play around with button eyes. I've added a couple of photos for you to look at. The original is on the left, and then you can choose different frames and buttons for your eyes.    As well as playing around with photos, you can even visit the circus and a group of clever mice will spell your name!  Anyway, if you're interested in the movie, then you must go and see it. Coraline is fantastic! June 20 Murphy SucksI'm sick of Murphy! Murphy needs to get out of my life! Why? Here's why:
I hit a brick wall Monday night after getting the news about Robert. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I've been utterly exhausted from moving house and stressing about marking and reporting. As a result, I have taken four days off work. Not fun days, either, as I spent most of those four days getting six lots of marking done, then all of my reporting completed. I ended up getting it all finished a day late. I've had a migraine all day today, and it's supposed to be Saturday! Ugh! Still, one week to go... The only upside to all of this is that the next half of the year is going to be much, much, better. Let's hope Murphy stays away for a while. April 06 FinnI was going to blog some more about Supanova Day 2 yesterday, but while I was starting to put the article together, Finn jumped up on my lap. I decided that I was going to spend a little time with him, as Ben and I were at the decision that it was time to say goodbye to Finn.
Finn was extremely sick early last month, and after much testing, it was found that he had kidney disease and was operating on 10% of kidney function. I cried at the news, as I knew that there was nothing that the vet could do to help Finn. It was just a matter of making his life bearable. The clincher was that the vet told me that the moment that Finn stops eating, that I need to start thinking about euthanasia.
That moment came yesterday. When I got home from my second day of Supanova, Ben said that Finn had not eaten all day. I tried to get Finn to eat, as I had been feeding him by hand for over a week, but he wouldn't eat.
This morning we tried again, but Finn just licked at the juices of the food, and then walked away. Ben and I made the decision this morning to say goodbye to Finn, and to have him humanely euthanased.
We said goodbye to Finn at approximately 4pm today.
At the moment I've stopped crying. I know that I'll probably have a few more bouts of tears before the night is over, and I will need to take tomorrow off, as I don't think that I could handle being in front of a class with the way that I feel.
Ben and I will really miss Finn. He was the most lovable cat that we could ever want.
Our last farewells to Finn before taking him to the vet this afternoon. April 04 Supanova Day 1 - Hayden PanettiereI got to Supanova at around 9am, today. I was flustered from all sorts of things going wrong, so I was expecting to be a little out of sorts. As soon as I left my car in the carpark, I was great! After all, it was Supanova time!
I was dismayed to find the line to get in was already enormous, even though there was another hour to wait. Luckily, the line for those people wearing wrist bands (like me), was a lot shorter. The doors opened a little late, but by the time I got inside the place, it was 10:15am.
The first thing I did was line up and pay for a couple of autographs and a photo with Hayden Panettiere, the actress who plays the cheerleader from the TV show Heroes. I then lined up to wait for when she came out and did the signing.
The wait was a lot longer than expected, but worth it. There were some ground rules that had to be followed when dealing with Hayden P:
I had a feeling that Hayden was going to be untouchable, so just took it with a grain of salt, and being very thankful that I was not famous. So, I got two trading cards autographed and a portrait photo taken with Hayden. The card that I'm keeping is the one that contains a piece of Hayden's costume from the first season of Heroes. After she signed it, she remarked at how her costume in the first show was fire retardant, and that she remembers how the costume felt. She touched the material and said that it definitely felt like her costume from the first season. I laughed and told her that I was glad that it was authentic! I did have a bit of a heart attack before I got the autographs and photo, as I had lost my ticket. I had a second heart attack when I found that the person who served me the ticket misunderstood and thought that I was going to take a photo of Hayden while she autographed my stuff. So, after the autographs, I got shuffled back to pay another $10 and then was shuffled promptly to the front of the line for getting a photo taken. (This was after the VIP people got their photos taken.) I didn't touch Hayden. However, I did feel sorry for her. The poor girl had done this already in Melbourne, and now was dealing with horrible humidity and smelly fans in a place that did not have air conditioning. She looked a little tired, but at least Hayden was extremely gracious. Even though I was a little put out by the rules, I understood why they were there. The camera rules didn't really stop me though, as I handed my camera to a nice lady further down the queue, and got her to take photos while Hayden autographed my cards. Hayden about to sign my trading cards
Costume card chuckle Heart attack 2 facial response It was nice of Hayden to ask me if everything was sorted out when I was ready to take a photo with her. You can see from the third photo above that she was genuine about this question, as she looked interested in what was happening. A few things that I learnt about Hayden P today:
Later on I snuck a few photos of Hayden, and got told off for it. So I guess what I've got is pretty good! The rest of the day I wandered around looking at stalls and talking to the people. I got a bit worn out from having to dodge so many people, so I decided to have an early day and left at 2:30pm. I'll be going again tomorrow, and will be staying until closing time, to see if I can get any last-minute bargains. I've saved a fair bit of cash for the weekend, so I might as well enjoy myself! It's On Again...Yes, it's on again! Supanova!
I went there last night, for the Friday night preview screenings and welcome. The best part was having Richard Hatch on the microphone, talking about Battlestar Galactica. The rest of the night was ho-hum, but that's because I'm not a huge anime fan. I did want to see The Watchmen preview screening, but they were going to show it on a very small screen, so I didn't bother.
Richard Hatch, writer of Battlestar Galactica novels, original star, and current star. (Stock photo) The highlight of the night was by far the bravest. I saw Richard Hatch about to get into a car to be driven away, so I quickly went over to him and said, "Richard, just a moment." I then put out my hand, and he shook it. I told him that I was really impressed with Battlestar Galactica, and that I was glad that he kept up with the show. I also told him that I hoped there would be more to come.
Richard was quite gracious, and didn't let go of my hand until I stopped talking. He is certainly a very humble man. I'm sure that he was quite chuffed that there was a sensible, non-squealing, fan out there. It certainly made my night!
Now I'm off to get ready for today. I'm very, very, very excited. But, you'll have to wait and see why... |
My favourite movies that I'll watch over and over again!
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