Tuesday, February 11, 2020

JANUARY DIARY

Hello 2020 and to everyone who reads my humble little blog.

It's a new year and a new decade, so a little background information.


I started this blog back in late 2008 and it was a place to log all the cultural things I had done. Mostly as my memory was bad and I wanted to leave my thoughts on these things. I was also working on a A-Z project of my favourite songs from favourite artists. I got to C and never returned, lol!

It has evolved over the years...


Every month I do two entries, one is my reviews of books I have read, music and podcasts I have listened too, and movies and television etc I have watched. The other has been my Round Up or Diary of that month, things of note I have done, usually all things cultural, celebrations, eating out with family or friends or sometime just me. Over the years I have added things of a personal note, some work milestones, dating, and over the past few years my health, specifically mental health and my cancer journey. From this month I am renaming Round Up to Diary, because that is what it is.

Sometimes I do specialised entries, a long form review of a concert or show, a piece about an artist I like or something significant. At the beginning of the year I reflect on the year past with a few entries. My review lists of the past year. My reflections on the past yearAnd my hopes for the year ahead. Really it all comes down to time. I will admit my two regular monthly entries are more often than not simply second drafts bashed out quickly with a second look over for obvious mistakes. The more specific ones are looked over much more highly and slowly.

So the blog is for me, but if people get something out of it and enjoy it - and a lot of you seem to, that is fabulous too. Please enjoy!!

And so let's begin January 2020.


After a lovely laid back New Years Eve with my friend Alice, I had a lovely laid back start to the New Year with a lovely laid back sleep in. That first week of the year I was still on holidays, it was hot. I stayed in with the air con cranked up, sleeping, napping, reading, and catching up on television.

I went back to work after that feeling relaxed and fresh for a new year, a new decade.


It terms of being out and about, January was a quiet month. Mostly due to the weather, but also I was busy decluttering and saving money for my March holidays.

I caught up with Bobbie who I had not seen in a long while and we ate and toasted our single lives at The Mattara Hotel.

I caught up with a group of friends and we saw Fleabag on the screen at The Playhouse. This was my second viewing and it was even better, especially with a full house and close audience, laughing - or not - together. It made the experience more intense. She - Phoebe Waller-Bridge - is simply a genius, her observations of life, her humour, and her physicality. Especially her physicality, I lover everything about this lady! Afterwards we tried the new Chinese on Darby, Mr Rice, which has an amazing menu of Modern Chinese meals. Sooo very good.



Linda and I saw the wonderful French Film, The Truth, as part of the Six Summer Flicks. The Truth is about an ageing French Film Star (played by the magnificent Catherine Deneuve) who has released her memoir. Her daughter (the divine Juliet Binoche) flies in from the States with her husband (the always delightful Ethan Hawke) and daughter. Old niggles and issues rise from below the surface and drama ensues. It was superb, dramatic, funny, classy. The house it was mostly filmed it was something else too.

I ended up the month catching up with Mary for dinner on hot Friday night at Warners at the Bay. Good pub meal, and excellent company.

I did the usual markets this month.




I read and watched a lot, my reviews are here.

And I commenced my big declutter and deep clean of Club Cathy. For the past 2 years or so while I have been unwell, my cleaning approach has been a little lax. The place is of course clean and tidy, but it really needed a good go over. So I have been going over every nook and cranny and looking at all my stuff and getting rid of unnecessary items. I have been trying to recycle as best I can, but re-purposing some items, giving things away, and selling some things on facebook marketplace. As I go through my stuff, I am finding things I forgot I had and am now using. Rearranging spaces to make my life easier, find things easier etc etc. It is actually very cathartic. Also having the energy to get into spaces and scrub them clean means I am physically so much better which is also wonderful. I listen to my vinyl or podcasts while doing this, and time just goes. Not a bad way to spend time when you are trying to save money!

I am hoping to get it all done bar the garage and study before my trip. I will tackle those on my return! The garage isn't that bad, and the study is relatively tidy just holds a lot, so will take more time!

As usual here are some pics including one of me at work:







Monday, February 10, 2020

OSCAR WATCH 2020: the show, the winners, the fashion

Well, I came so close to beating my best ever score, but Parasite went and spoiled it all. I got 20 out of 24, which I have hit three times previously.

My predictions are here if you want to check.

But that is a-ok with me, it is nice to see Foreign Films getting some acknowledgement.

More on that later.

The Show

Earlier on facebook I showcased an article about the supreme reign of Gil Cates Snr as Producer of the show. His was the era of Billy and big show stoppers, as his son said, he loved a spectacle. So do I and he also really respected the history of the Oscars and the stars that came before us. His shows had all that and more, including humour and surprise.

Today, the show came close to that, not quite but better than it had in many years.

The opening number by the brilliant Janelle Monae (and Billy Porter) was a showstopper and fabulous. She is fabulous.

The pairings of Steve Martin and Chris Rock, Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Maya Rudolph and Kristin Wigg, and James Corden and Rebel Wilson were hilarious and genius.

Most of the songs were great. Some great singers in there. Elton did look like he was possibly not playing the piano, but maybe I mistook that one. Cynthia Erivo's voice oh my, that gal can sing. Ditto for Chrissie Metz, it was a shakey, nervy start but she did well. Randy did well too, given he has just had a hip replacement. I love Randy so very much and still cannot even believe he never won one for You've Got a Friend in Me, seems ridiculous. I had to look up who won that year, some song from Pocohontas, anyone remember that, nah, me neither! Poor Randy.

I do not dislike Billie Eilish, but you need to be a really great singer to tackle The Beatles. I have seen so many good singers fall on their face attempting. Because we know their stuff so well, we (well, not me) think of it as easy. Their songs are complex and clever. You need to be great to do them justice, she was not great. It was a shocking version of Yesterday. But as someone said, it will bring The Beatles to a generation that may not (WTF?) have heard of them. So, fine by me. But go listen to the original.

Speaking of In Memorium, where was Luke Perry???

The surprise and highlight of the night was Eminem. Surprise because no one seemed to know this would happen and extra surprise to me it was my highlight. He killed and it was great, odd but great. This is what I watch the Oscars for, to be surprised.


I really loved the girl action love with new guard Gal Gadot and Brie Larson flanking a fabulous Sigourney Weaver to present a flag of awards. Go gals!

The Winners

The 4 actors who were predicted all won, giving great speeches, but Joaquin Phoenix was the stand out. He has been on track all season, using the platform for humble goodness, but my upset was him never mentioning his brother, I really thought he would. And tonight he did, I was sobbing before he mentioned River, he barely got it out, it was a thing of beauty.

The lovely lady who won Original Score for The Joker gave a great speech too, also wore a fabulous dress.

All the shorts and docos (got everyone correct!) gave inspiring speeches too.


I was happy to see Once Upon A Time IN Hollywood win over 1917 for Production Design, I had it in for winner all week and swapped it out after seeing 1917 at the last moment yesterday, bugger.

Sound Editing went to Ford V Ferrari not 1917, I had been torn against the two and went with 1917.

And I really did think 1917 would get Best Picture and Direction. I ignored the Guild Awards going to Parasite which are almost always an indication. POssible seeing 1917 on the day I solidified my nominations swayed me. But never mind, I was pleased Parasite won.


I really enjoyed Parasite, but I still rated Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Jojo Rabbit ahead of it. I think they were more deserved winners. I don't think 1917 was robbed, it was great and well shot, but war films, been there, done that.

What makes me most confused, is there have been so many amazing Foreign Films over the years that are far far far better films than Parasite, that only won Best Foreign Film (as they used to be called), some didn't even get that. None have ever won Best Picture. Think about the entire back catalogue of Fellini, Pedro Almodovar, Kurosawa, Bergman, Jeunet, Leconte, Kieslowski. And films like Cinema Paradiso, Amelie, Pan's Labyrinth, Downfall, I've Loved You So Long, Delicatessan, Incendies, Broken Circle Breakdown, Three Colours, The Lives of Others, Intouchables, All About My Mother, La Strada, Raise the Red Lantern, and on and on. I don't know that Parasite is a better film than them.


This is where The Oscars gets murky. 

But it was an important film, and maybe this was it's time to shine and I love an upset so I am pleased.


The Fashion

This year it was safe or bizarre, and not good bizarre.

Very few stood out as best dressed to me.

But here we go.




Penelope Cruz wins for her stunning Chanel gown.




Janelle Monae, my runner up




Olivia Coleman and Natalie Portman standouts for stunning and different. I love Coleman's style it is always authentically her and different yet stylish, and Portman for her lovely gown and cape/coat which had women directors' names embellished on the coat!










I loved all these, slinky and plenty of coats and capes!




These came close, but not quite



And these fall into the what were they thinking!?!?




And fabulous men, who went a little bit extra!

And so ends another year, 2020 you restored my faith a little, I'll be back next year.
Please let me know what I missed that you loved or didn't love, what you agree or disagree with.
I love to hear what others think!!


Sunday, February 9, 2020

OSCAR WATCH 2020: The Predictions

As always I try to see how many categories I will get correct. My best score is 20 out of 24 categories THREE times, in 2009, 2014, and 2018.

I always add in who I'd like to see win, as they are usually completely different.


I saw all of the 9 Best Picture films this year and you can read about that here.

Actor In A Leading Role

Who Will Win:
 Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
It is a great performance, simple as that.

Who Should Win:  Adam Driver, Marriage Story
I have not seen The Two Popes or Pain and Glory, but I thought Adam Driver was fabulous. I loved Leo too, if he hadn't won previously he'd edge Driver out in my estimations. I do love that Banderas got a nom, his early stuff was fucking amazing and groundbreaking. A lot of people only know him for his crappy action films but his early foreign film and indie film work is something to be seen.

Actor In A Supporting Role

Who Will Win: Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Whilst he jokes that he was really just playing himself, Pitt still shone in this role and since Fight Club he has been making such fabulous character choices, the golden boy is his and deservedly so.

Who Should Win: Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

Actress In A Leading Role

Who Will Win: Renee Zellweger, Judy
A remarkable performance in a very unremarkable film. 10 minutes in I knew she would win.

Who Should Win: Renee Zellweger, Judy
Yes I would also love to see Johansson win, but Zellweger had me at hello!

Actress In A Supporting Role

Who Will Win: Laura Dern, Marriage Story
And deservedly so, she steals every scene she is in. A solid actress who has been great since her first nomination all those years ago for Ramblin' Rose. But her renaissance of late has been spectacular. 

Who Should Win: Laura Dern, Marriage Story
But I do have a soft spot for Johansson in Jojo Rabbit.

Animated Feature

Who Will Win: Toy Story 4
Total refresh of a beloved franchise, thanks mostly to Tony Hale's Forky.

Who Should Win: Have not seen enough to comment, so N/A

Cinematography

Who Will Win: 1917
This usually goes hand in hand with Best Picture and the one shot was spectacular, given all the action.

Who Should Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
It's my soft spot this year.

Costume

Who Will Win: Little Women
Everyone loves a costume drama.

Who Should Win: Jojo Rabbit
The clothes are part of the story

Directing

Who Will Win: 1917, Sam Mendes
It really was magnificently directed

Who Should Win: Quentin Tarrantino
Because is film is still outstanding and clever and nuanced.

Documentary Feature

Who Will Win: American Factory
I don't know or have seen any of these films. I did my usual research from the usual critics I respect and they ALL say this is the one. It is backed my Barack and Michelle Obama, so that should give it the edge...I think!

Who Should Win: N/A

Documentary Short Subject

Who Will Win: Learning to skateboard in a warzone
Again, purely from research but it sounds like something the Academy would vote from.

Who Should Win: N/A

Film Editing

Who Will Win: Ford V Ferrari
All those fabulous racing scenes bring this to the forefront.

Who Should Win: Ford V Ferrari

International Feature Film

Who Will Win: Parasite
It may pip 1917 but it will get this. It is a great film and well loved all round.

Who Should Win: Parasite

Makeup and Hairstyling

Who Will Win: Bombshell
This seems to be the hotshot all round, making the girls in the roles look like their real life counterparts.

Who Should Win: Judy
I really thought turning Zellweger into an older Judy (though they are probably roughly the same age)  was remarkable.

Original Score

Who Will Win: The Joker
I do remember how much the soundtrack added to the intensity of the film.

Who Should Win: The Joker
It was the one that stood out the most to me, although you cannot beat the iconic Star Wars music.

Original Song

Who Will Win: Rocketman
Hello, of course they want to give Elton another Oscar, especially as it will be with Bernie this time!

Who Should Win: Rocketman
It is a great song

Best Picture

Who Will Win: 1917
It is the kind of film that wins. Parasite seems to be the one that could take it away and as good as that was I loved others better. 

Who Should Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Or Jojo Rabbit or Marriage Story, those are my faves this year.

Production Design

Who Will Win: 1917
To design all that we saw to take one shot is quite remarkable.

Who Should Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
He recreated that era of Hollywood and it looked amazing.

Animated Short Film

Who Will Win: Hair Love
Huge love for this on the interwebs

Who Should Win: N/A

Live Action Short Film

Who Will Win: The Neighbors' Window
A lot of love for this too and it sounds great
Who Should Win: N/A

Sound Editing/Sound Mixing

Who Will Win: 1917
How can it not, so much going on, one shot, the sound was grating and intense and everything.

Who Should Win: 1917

Visual Effects

Who Will Win: 1917
How did they pull this off in one shot, freaking amazing

Who Should Win: 1917

Adapted Screenplay

Who Will Win: Jojo Rabbit
What a remarkable story, it is a holocaust story with Hitler as a main character and they pulled it off, the screenplay is why!

Who Should Win: Jojo Rabbit
Although I would be really happy to see Greta win this for Little Women

Original Screenplay

Who Will Win: Parasite
A truly original story, it has won a lot already

Who Should Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
QT has won twice already but this is a great story, so would be great to see him win again.

OSCAR WATCH 2020: the movies

OSCAR WATCH 2020

I've been a bit quiet with Oscar Watch this year. With every year, I find my love for the Oscars dimming. I think, for me, it is twofold.

Firstly and most importantly, for me The Oscars are about my true love, classic film. And there are very few people attached to that era left. Over the years you had those special moments where the true classic filmmakers would appear and it felt so utterly romantic and idyllic. Not to say the filmmakers today are not great, there are many I love, but because of the media today, we know and see them, they are not held at a distance. And usually these moments were unexpected. Nothing unexpected happens anymore, I want to be shocked and delighted, this is why we go to the movies. This of course leads me to the ceremony. It is stiff and way too scripted, not too funny and kinda perfunctory.

The second thing is the supposed controversy, and this will continue to happen until the main glut of the academy (old white men) die out. It is as simple as that. And also, films are just not as good as they were. True independent cinema seems to have died out. This could all be linked or just the torrid conservative way of the world since 9/11. The days of me heading to the movies every weekend and spending the entire day seeing three films back to back are over. A lot of films are churning out the same ole, same ole and it is boring. Television is where it is at unfortunately. I hope this will pass, I always have hope.

Anyway, let's look at 2020 and the films I did see.


Best Picture

A last ditch attempt on the day before Oscar Day had me ticking off all 9 of the Best Picture nominees. Here is a brief overview.

Ford V Ferrari - I missed this when it came out, but there was a re-run of Oscar nominated films last week so I caught it. I was so glad I did, it is a really great story and a true action thriller. I do love motor car racing, so it ticks my very brief, lol, action boxes. Christan Bale is always such a great character actor and he was outstanding as the cocky Ken Miles. Damon is always solid, he was born to play Shelby. The supporting cast was great, but the racing scenes were brilliant. Even though you know the outcomes, you are on the edge of your seat. Before seeing it I did wonder why it was here, but having seen it, it is worthy of being on this list. Is it a contender, of course not.

The Irishman - yes, this is long, and really did need an edit, but it was a great film. I do love Scorsese, and yes he has covered this ground before. The acting was great, that goes without saying. I loved seeing Pesci and Keitel (especially Keitel) again, I miss seeing them in movies. The set design fabulous and the story entertaining. It is a Netflix film, and I am not going to go into this in detail. I do not have an issue with films being released this way, but the academy will. This is certainly deserved but it does feel like old ground for Marty. 

Jojo Rabbit - this movie was quite the revelation and is soooo close to my favourite movie the list. I cannot stop thinking of it. It's subversive, it's funny, it  is original. Taika Waititi is a genius, I thought that before, I KNOW this now. His Hitler was note perfect, he could have overplayed or underplayed, he walked a fine line beautifully. Scarlett Johansson is everything, her performance is so beautiful, I can't even. The supporting cast are also great. But young Roman Griffin Davis is the best thing about the film. I am not a big fan of kids in films, but he is superb. This film IS a holocaust film and it does pack a punch, but the comedy balances the drama perfectly. If you haven't seen this film, you really must. This is why I still will go to the movies.

Joker - I still don't know what to say about this movie. Phoenix is outstanding, that goes without saying. However I did not love the movie. I appreciate it and I see what it was trying to do. I went in, having listened to the the podcast between Michael Moore and Todd Philips, wanting to love it. But that just didn't happen. It felt long, and it upset me deeply in the wrong kind of way. I thought it was too violent, and violence (used well) usually does not upset me. I can see that it is depicting our times and about mental health and abuse and so on. I totally get all of that, and appreciate it, but it still left me cold.

Little Women - I loved this a lot. I love Gerwig and was curious to see how she would present one of my all-time favourite books. It was wonderful, the Hepburn version is still number one for me, but this comes close. She nailed the characters, the story, the setting, everything. Saoirse Ronan was a formidable Jo. I was worried about Emma Watson as Meg, but she was solid. I knew Florence Pugh would be a fabulous Amy - she is an actress to watch for sure. The supporting cast were superb. The only thing with the time movement was that Beth's death lingered much more than it usually does so I cried a lot more than usual. Gerwig was robbed of a Best Director nom.

Marriage Story - this is another film I cannot stop thinking about. Baumbach always does that to me though. It was an interesting story told beautifully. I really feel for both Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, on any other year, they should have won. They gave such great performances. Driver's was showier but Johansson's was more subtle and nuanced which is difficult. Her face, sometimes she didn't need to say anything. This is my third favourite movie of the group.

1917- this is fresh and it was an extraordinary film. The 'one take' shot was something else but then so was the story. I do not think I have felt this tense in a movie for a very long time. I have to say I am not a fan of war films, but I understand why they are important. I've seen enough and read enough to know they are wrong, but when will the rest of the world (old white men...again) catch up. The mostly unknown cast were superb, and the cameos from Colin Firth, Sherlock and Moriarty (Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Scott aka Hot Priest) were lovely little moments. This will surely win Best Picture and Directing and other technical awards. I thought halfway a film of me watching this would be amusing, i jumped a lot and pulled a lot of faces. Damn you Sam Mendes.

Once Upon A Time in Hollywood - this is my favourite and possibly the best film Quentin has made. I loved it so very much. Brad and Leo were so very good, the whole cast was great. The story was a fabulous Hollywood one, and I loved it. Almost how I feel about The Oscars, the oldies being swapped for young 'ens. The attention to detail on the set design and cinematography was superb. The music perfect. This is pure QT. If any film deserves to win Best Picture and Directing it is this, but it won't. And that's a real shame.

Parasite - this is a tight social drama/thriller, showing light on the privileged in a country where so many are not. The vacuousness of the privileged is ripe for satire. This is very black comedy and much more a drama than anything. When "Kevin" a smart kid from a poor family scores a gig teaching the daughter of an uber rich family English, he manages to whittle his way into the family with his own in a very clever and underhand way. But will he get away with what he has done. This is a great film, it could win Best Picture but I am not so sure it should. International Feature Film absolutely, and Original Screenplay most probably.

But we will know in less than 24 hours.

Saturday, February 1, 2020

JANUARY REVIEWS

What I've Been Reading


Me by Elton John  - I really enjoyed Elton’s autobiography. A mix of personal, musicality, excess, drugs, recovery, and a whole lot of name dropping…as only Elton can. Some beautiful stories about Freddie, Versace, Diana, some rough ones about Tina Turner, Billy Joel, John Reid, and his family. Lots of lovers, lots of scandal, but told with clarity and honesty and humility. Totally worth a read.


There was still love by Favel Parrett – The story of two grandchildren telling the stories of their grandparents, their grandmothers are sisters. One family is in Prague and the other in Melbourne, it is 1980, there are some flashbacks to the 30s and war. The story is about immigrants and grandparents and no matter where you are in the world and what your life is, there is always and still the love of your grandparents. This is written so beautifully and evocatively by Favel Parrett. She is a master of imagery, words, and suspension. Like the rest of her books, I loved this a lot.

No one is too small to make a difference – Greta Thunberg – this is a cute little book full of Greta’s speeches. It is wonderful to read them all in one place and think about how ground-breaking and amazing she is, in terms of spreading light onto what should not be a controversial topic. It is a very clear and simple representation of what is going wrong and how we can fix it! Everyone should read this


Beauty by Bri Lee – this is a small self-help book to follow-up Bri’s best-selling autobiography (that I have not read). It goes into body image and the obsession  of being thin. It is rather disturbing and it goes into how we (well, not me) have been taken for a ride as a sex in terms of advertising over things like appearances and beauty and  sexuality etc. To be honest this is nothing I didn’t know already, but upsetting to read and see examples of how many get upset about such things. We need to stand up as a group and say enough already! I’m keen to read her autobiography now.


The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie – you can see why this has won so many awards, it is a fascinating read. The story of two girls and their utterly bizarre and horrid parents. Well, at least their mother. Vicki, now living in Australia, gets a call from her sister in Canada that their estranged parents need help. Their mother has broken her hip and their ageing, frail father is at home on the Mid-US property by himself. The girls suspect their mother is slowly ‘killing’ their father and don’t want her to return home. The arrive to sort out the situation and put to rest the ‘stories’ their mother has been telling the small time about her family. Told almost backwards, this is quite a harrowing but also incredibly funny story of families. If you are ever feeling crappy about your family, read this, you will feel perfectly fine.  


The Red Hand Files – This is a website where Nick Cave answers fan mail. But oh my, how he answers the mail is to be seen to be believed. Although completely and utterly unsurprising. This is a man who knows how to articulate what he feels. He can write, we know this through his lyrics. But he has never really given this much of himself out there before and it is a thing of beauty, something to behold. The questions range from deep and traumatic, to religion, to music, to writing, to family, to the humourous and vacuous and he answers them all with aplomb. Sometimes he runs a few in a thread, some are long, some are short, they are humourous and also will bring you to your knees with tears. Mostly he is generous – with his time and insights. Someone asked did he have any spare lyrics lying around they could use for a song, he generously popped up a few paragraphs of something he was working on, but it is all yours now! Imagine!!! I find it such a comforting read, I hope it continues for a long while.

What I've Been Watching
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel S3 – I love this show so very much, whilst S3 is not as great as S1 or S2, it is still heads and shoulders above most other television you will see. Mrs Maisel is a divorced mother of 2 in the late 50s who is a stand-up comedian, much to the horror of her Jewish parents. The dialogue and story is sharp, fast paced, and witty thanks to the Marvellous Palladino’s (writer/creators, formerly of The Gilmore Girls) and the set design and costumes (especially the costumes) are to die for! This season Midge (Mrs Maisel) is on the road touring with a well known singer, her parents are trying to manage without a home or money, and her ex-husband is opening a night club in a dubious neighbourhood. This is so thoroughly entertaining, it is the pure definition of must watch television.

The Crown S3 – Straight off the bat of bingeing S1 and S2, and hearing others didn’t rate this season that highly, I was concerned. I need not have been, I loved this as much as the other 2 seasons. It didn’t take long to get used to the acting changes, Olivia Coleman and Helena Bonham-Carter are a formidable pair as The Queen and Princess Margaret. Charles, Anne and Prince Phillip are also beautifully portrayed. I guess not a huge lot happens in this era and it is more the politics of the royal family and Britain, but it is still interesting and beautifully shot. Now the wait until S4!!

Upright – we don’t do a lot of good television in Australia these days, but when we get it right, we really get it right. Upright is a short but wonderful drama/comedy series from Tim Minchin and Chris Taylor (The Chaser). It is a road ‘movie’ of sorts. Tim plays Lucky who seems to be anything but, he is on a vague trip across Australia to WA to deliver an upright piano to someone. Not long into the show he has a car accident with Meg and writes his car off, they continue on the journey together, finding bits and pieces about each on the way. Both are running to/from trauma. It gets dark, it makes you cry, it is absolutely hilarious, and there is music. And it is completely unlike anything you will see which makes it so very fresh and appealing. Milly Alcock as young Meg is a star in the making, to hold her own (and then some) against Tim Minchin is pretty extraordinary. Tim Minchin is at the height of his appeal here, weirdly lovely, beautifully annoying. This is really something special.

Broad City S5 - this is sadly the final season of this great show. I have loved these gals since they bounded onto the screen in a show based on their popular Internet show. BFFs who love themselves and each other having adventures in New York. It is real and funny and fabulous. Abbi and Ilana are gifted physical comedians and write and act as 'themselves' in the show. it is glorious, feminist, hilarious (you will actually laugh out loud), inclusive, and fun. This final season is not only a love letter to their relationship but to New York City. I still think S4 is their best season, and has a great ending. Despite it being a comedy, I shed a little tear at no more shenanigans from these fabulous gals!

Miracle Worker - this is a cute little series starring Steve Buscemi as God and Daniel Radcliffe as an angel. It is like a weird cousin to The Good Place, things are a bit cray cray in heaven with Buscemi as a bumbling bum of a god who is fed up with the dodgy Earth he has created, maybe he will just blow it up and start again. But his workers, all angels working in various departments (Dirt, Earthquakes, Penises, Walruses etc), watch each of these areas closely and you will see so many superb sight gags, aren't so sure about the impending doom of the planet they oversee. Three angels decide to save Earth by challenging God that they can solve an impossible request, by placing two inept humans together who like each other but not likely to follow through with anything. This is clever and funny and a bit silly but ultimately great to watch. S2 is coming up sometime this month.

Mrs Fletcher - really enjoyed the comedy starring Kathryn Hahn in the lead role. Mrs Fletcher, from the book by Tom Perrotta, is about a divorced Mum, who's son has gone to college, and her sexual awakening. It is hilarious and glorious.

The X-Files – continuing my journey, I’m halfway through S7, and still enjoying them, but this is where things started to slip if memory serves me correct. It will be interesting to see how things hold up from here. 

Big Bang Theory Final Season – this is ok, it was never great but it was simply nerdy fun, nice to watch it to the end, but time for it to finish I think.

Documentary Now S1/2
 - catching up with this comedy series about documentaries starring Fred Armisen and Bill Hader. Each documentary is a riff on an actual documentary and presented by Helen Mirren (as herself). They are presented seriously, but absolutely hilarious. Sandy Passage is a dark take on Grey Gardens, Gentle and Soft about a yacht rock type group from the west coast, The Bunker from The War Room, and my personal favourite, Final Transmission, a great send up of Stop Making Sense. Armisen’s ability to chameleon like channel just about anyone is to be seen. A lot of laughs here.

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman S1/2 – First up, I love Dave, I miss his late night show so very much. Yes he is flawed, and yes he is cantankerous, but he shaped the course of late night television, pushed boundaries, and when he is engaged he is a superb interviewer and brilliantly funny. Dave has handpicked the top of the top for this show and it shows. He is at the top of his game, interested, wonderful, funny, empathetic and caring. This is a man who has done a lot of self-reflection in his downtime and it shows. His guests are Barack Obama, George Clooney, Malala, Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen, Tina Fey, Lewis Hamilton, Melinda Gates and so on. And if you think you’ve seen it all when it comes to these people, think again, this is interviewing as you have never seen it in front of a live audience with some special add ins. Each episode Dave travels to meet family of his interviewer, or someone of interest, their family home, their school etc etc, little insights only someone with cred would be allowed. The Ellen one had me in tears, Hamilton had me almost liking him, Seinfeld was divine as Jerry – clearly a fan – tries to turn the tables on Dave and interview him! I hope there will be more.

Comedians in Cars getting Coffee S 10/11 -
Up until S9 you could watch these short bursts of a show online, but after that Netflix took over. This means more episodes which is great. Season 10 and 11 have a great long list of comedians including Dave Chapelle, Ellen, Dana Carvey, Alec Baldwin, Eddie Murphy, Ricky Gervais, Matthew  Broderick, and do on. The premise is simply, Jerry – a car buff – picks a car he thinks suits a comedian, gives them a ring, and then picks them up and takes them for coffee. Simple! The 20 minutes or so are usually hilarious and fairly straight forward, not too deep but a different insight into the person you think you know and of course, Jerry himself. He is on remarkably good terms with everyone he interviews, but the better interviews are those where he interviews someone he knows especially well or for a long time. And you’d be surprised who he is buddies with. My favourite bits is when they are driving and they pull up next to someone at the lights and they did a double take to see Jerry with say Ferris Bueller, it is great.

The World According to Jeff Goldblum – this is a great half hour series where Jeff Goldblum explores certain themes, eg coffee, tattoos, Pools, Bikes and so on. With his own special bent on these things and eager to give all things a, this is pure entertainment and very amusing. My favourite one so far was Pool, this included Jeff joining an elderly ladies synchronised swimming team. He was so charming with these ladies, who you realise actually aren’t that much older than him!


Kusama Infinity: the life and art of Yayoi Kusama – I came across this documentary at work and the cover of an ageing Japanese artist in a bright red bob wig and a white dress with bright red dots was very striking and took my attention. I had not heard of Kusama, but in those weird ways of synchronicity, seem to be stumbling across her ever since! Kusama’s art, like her, is striking, modern, edgy and early on, a little controversial. She left Japan, after experiencing WWII, for the US to make her mark artistically. She was a Japanese woman in the art world, unheard of at the time. But she was strong and refused not to be listened too, and forged her way ahead. Her work was ground breaking, sexual, unusual; she worked in multiple mediums. Her work with dots and then mirrors are what she is well known for. This documentary tells her story, with plenty of interesting footage from over the years. I loved this, always nice to find new art, especially but a woman!


School Life – I loved this documentary so very much. Filmed in Ireland in a Primary School Aged Boarding School. It focuses around a married couple, John and Amanda Leyden, in their last year of teaching before retirement. They met as young teachers, fell in love, got married, and live on the property; teaching for 46 years. They are very laid back in their teaching style, beloved by fellow teacher and students, and often collaborate and can be described as ramshackled yet inspirational! Watching John put together a band and Amanda do Shakespeare with her group is the highlight. I cannot rave about this enough!!

Marriage Story - wow, I just loved this. it was absolutely devastating and yet so beautiful simultaneously. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are absolutely brilliant as a couple heading into and through divorce. I have been such a fan of Noah Baumbach's writing and directing, since seeing the fabulous The Squid and The Whale years ago, which is really the precursor to this tale. The earlier based on his parents divorce and this his own. I love how it depicts the intimacy and beauty of a relationship, and also the mundane and the awful. Because you really cannot have one without the other. There were moments watching this where I felt like I held my breath, the rawness
felt so real. Driver is - as always a tour de force. He can do loud and he can do subtle. I doubt he will win the Oscar, but geez he should, and I am certain it will be in his future. He had the showier role, the meltdowns and that 'arm' scene. Scarlett's role was more subtle and I think about it more than I do anything else. Those quiet subtle moments of being female and carrying the weight of decisions made, maybe not in your best interest but for the best and the regret and sadness that can incur. If you didn't think she was amazing, go and watch again, closely, you'll see it all. Fuck, she was good. The supporting cast, especially Laura Dern, were outstanding. There are a handful of actors I think make every movie fabulous, no matter how small their role, Merritt Weaver and Alan Alda are two of them. Dern will most certainly win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this tour de force and deservingly so, she is having a renaissance of late, but has always been a remarkable actress. Go and see one of her earlier roles, which I love, Ramblin' Rose. Marriage Story will stay with you and haunt you, in the best way. It tells you to remember the good even though it may have disappeared, it was there, it is worth celebrating or at least remembering. And in this strange old world, that is a great thing indeed!

The Irishman - I love Scorsese, he can do no wrong. I loved The Irishman, it is one of those amazing, rambling tales of the past he loves to tell. Set around the world of Jimmy Hoffa, it is brutal and rough and long. Clocking in at 3.5 hours, it probably needed an edit, I watched it over one day in 70 minute installments which kept it fresh. The cast is outstanding. I miss seeing Pesci and especially Keitel in film. Adding them to the Pacino/De Niro 1-2 was certainly fabulous casing. The set design, as always meticulous and to be seen. The cars, the street-scapes, the club sets, all quite transporting. I guess this seems like terrain he has traversed before, and he has, but that doesn't mean it is not worth seeing, it really is. I just don't think he is going to win anything for it. 

Ad Astra – I really enjoyed this film about travel in space starring Brad Pitt. I was never much of a  fan of Brad in his younger days, he seemed to rely on looks rather than talent. But as he has aged he has taken on some great character roles and whilst still good looking, he shows he really is a great actor. Brad is Roy an astronaut who is brought in for a mission when an explosive event threatens Earth. It is set somewhere in the future where travel to the moon is as simple as travelling to Europe and travelling further as simple as travelling to the moon. Years ago a team had been sent to the further reaches of the universe looking for life, his father was in charge. No one came back, but these explosive events seem connected to that voyage. And maybe they were still alive. Roy goes off in search of his father, with catastrophic findings as he progresses. Beautifully and realistically filmed, I found it a fascinating look at the possibilities of the future. It is a thriller and obviously sci-fi, Pitt gives an outstanding performance.

Yesterday – I initially didn’t mind this premise – imagine if The Beatles never were – until someone said then music really wouldn’t be as we know it at all. This movie isn’t that clever, but it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be too. It is full of lovely Beatles music, but sung by someone else – some of it good, some of it not so good. The story itself is a bit hallow. The acting ok. And there are a lot of things that no longer exist in this weird universe, eg Oasis…well played…and Coke. Though what the later has to do with The Beatles, who knows. About halfway through I had a thought – HUGE SPOILER ALERT – if the dude was such a Beatles fan and they didn’t actually exist, why doesn’t he go and find Paul McCartney. And he does…about 20 minutes after I had the thought…but he doesn’t go looking for Paul McCartney. And I wasn’t prepared for how sucker punched I felt when he finds who he was looking for. Thinking about it now just about brings me to my knees. For that scene alone, this film is worth 5 stars, but the rest a basic 3.

Rocketman
– I didn’t mind this when I saw it at the movies, but didn’t love it. I thought it was a hodge podge of different styles of film and a bit messy in its execution. It played around with facts and left a lot of interesting bits out. The costumes and music were superb and the acting of Taron Egerton great. So I thought I would give it a re-watch, but felt much the same. It is a really really good movie, but it is no Bohemian Rhapsody.

American Animals - this is based on a true story of a failed rare book heist. It is shot like a documentary with actors in the roles showing the action and interviews about the action AND sometimes the real life people being interviewed. The style of the filming stops it from being just another heist film. A group of privileged young white men (natch) decide to rob rare books from a university library. The heist was ill planned and went horribly wrong. These are not spoilers, watching the film shows how stupid people can be, especially when motivated by money. Absolutely fascinating stuff.

What I've Been Listening To

Dummy by Portishead – This is a re-issue and sounds as great as it did 20 years ago. It will always remind me of Milly languishing in the tub, with Egg lurking outside the locked bathroom door on This life.

Lust For life by Iggy Pop – another re-issue, again fresh and jumpy. Aided by David Bowie, this is one of the great pop-punkish albums out there. Includes the jaunty and brilliant The Passenger, my personal fave from Iggy.


NFR! By Lana Del Ray – very laid back album of pop/ballads. Quiet relaxing and enjoyable.


Inferno by Robert Forster – Forster is surely a National Treasure by now. This is his latest, another beautiful pop album, with funky pop, laid back pop, and haunting pop. He sounds great and has a tight band. This was just perfect.

Hall and Oates - I'm such a fan. I didn'
t always realise this. Friends were seeing them in Sydney some time ago and invited me. I was not sure, but looked at their back catalogue and recognised enough tunes to say yes. Thank goodness, what a fab show and I knew soooo much more than I thought and realised I was actually a fan and have loved them ever since! Collected a few of their albums on vinyl lately and love spinning them. Great, upbeat blue eyes soul!!!

Conversations with Richard Fidler Podcast -  I always keep a stick loaded with this in the car and finally ran out and had to reload, so I have 2017 onwards! Nearly caught up. So many great conversations, he really is the best.

Dolly’s America Podcast – This started so fabulously. A podcast all about Dolly Parton, including lengthy interviews with her about anything and everything. The guy doing it met Dolly through his Dad and he asked is she would be interested and she said yes. The research is meticulous and the information fascinating. From her roots to starting out in the music business, the Porton Wagoner show, the stardom, Dollywood, feminism, politics, it had everything and was very popular. But about halfway through it is like they knew they were on to a good thing and started stretching the episodes with too much filler, it got a little tired. But in all, it is still pretty amazing. The episode about I Will Always Love You is exceptional.

Last Seen Podcast –
This is a short series podcast about the Gardiner Art Heist from the Gardiner Gallery in Boston in the early 90s. This is a famous art heist and the biggest in history. The art stolen was irreplaceable and never found. There has been many suspects and suspicions but no one ever found for the theft. I have read a lot about this fascinating case, but not for a while, so I had hoped there was new information, but there was not. This is a great intro into the famous story, if you don’t know a lot about it.

Rumble with Michael Moore - I cannot believe he hasn't attempted this before. His politics are perfect for a podcast and the few I have listened to so far have been utterly brilliant. The thing about Moore is he really has a lovely, soft, thoughtful voice and that is perfect for audio. And whilst he seems like a bombastic type, he actually isn't really and comes across so sweet. His interview with Todd Phillips made me really mad I missed The Joker and super keen to see it. Got total insight into what the intent of the film was and why those that have actually seen it love it. This is worth checking out.

Series Regular - found another new podcast, oh vey! It is by the peeps at Hollywood Reporter, and has television critics following the genre series each week, so I went back at listened to the one on Watchmen, was fabulous to listen to their thoughts and theories, knowing full well how it ended myself, when they did not. But I also picked up some bits and pieces I didn't pick up on. I have been thinking I want to rewatch it all again and now I simply must. I have Game of Thrones final season loaded next.