Does anyone like Politics?

I don't know about you but I find politics completely boring. Now, I'm young and free (and single, so if you're looking for a good time call me) and politics have never really affected me, nor I to them. You see, I'm focused on what I perceive as more important things instead of being worried about rebates, reforms and recessions, in fact, you could say I loathe politics. Although loathe is a big word, the sort you save for people who chew with their mouths open, enjoy Nicholas cage films and hate ABBA.

So, with this knowledge, you will understand why I would be slightly insulted in this situation:

Friend: So what are you doing after school?

Me: Going to film school biiitch!

Friend: Really? I thought you were going into politics?

Me: What? Really?

Friend: Yeah, I swear you told me that once.

Me: Had you just seen me inject drugs into my arm because I don't think I would ever sanely tell someone that.

Friend: Hey, settle down, you'd actually suit the part.

Me: *slaps*

I didn't actually slap him (because slapping is weak and a punch to the mouth would have been more efficient) but I was unsure whether to be offended or complimented and I was also gobsmacked (in a completely over-the-top, jaw dropped, eyes wide, hands to the face, Home Alone sort of way) that he had thought I was going into politics.

I mean, I'm the freak who has a poster of the hookers from Sin City on his wall, not the election poster of John Howard from 1998! I'm the guy who quotes Kill Bill, who calls his friends padawan, who raves on and on about Emma Watson, who constantly drops uninteresting-but-personally-intriguing facts about films and whose freaking Myspace headline was 'I'm going to be the next Tarantino.'

I mean I see that and think immediately, 'He'll be a great politician.'

That was a lie. I know, I got myself there too.

Anyway, we never really finished the conversation which is a shame as I would have liked to yell all this at him but I guess then that it was a good thing that we were stopped. Back to the topic of politicians I believe I was told to mention Kevin Rudd in this blog, but I decided against it for three reasons; 1) I fear if I start on him Imay never finish as everything about him makes me angry 2) I really have nothing factual to say about him and 3) I don't like politics so why write a blog about them. Oh wait. That's right! I just did! To wipe your minds clean of this I will amaze you with something worth being amazed by:

So I spoke about this briefly a few entries back but I decided to elaborate as it really looks amazing. The film revolves around a new planet called Pandora where blue humanoid aliens (see below) roam peacefully. The human race creates a hybrid species called Avatars (half-human, half-cyborg) that are able to be sent into the planet and controlled by a telepathic link. But one of the Avatars (Sam Worthington, robot from the latest Terminator, born and bred in Australia) falls in love with an alien princess (Zoe Saldana from Star Trek) and my guess is some crazy stuff follows. It was written by James Cameron 14 years ago but the technology to make his ideas into a reality was unavailable so it was postponed. Luckily for us that technology is now in existence and after 4 years of hard work it is almost here. Avatar is going to be fantastic and it comes out on December 18th.

Let's just hope there is no mention whatsoever of that 90's song 'I'm Blue' otherwise I'll have to kill someone.

Cliches.

Isn't it annoying when you go to say something and then realise it's a cliche? That thousands upon thousands of people have used this line, have taken full advantage of it, so many times in fact that not only is this line treated as corny and overused but all meaning it once held has been lost?

I find this problem getting to me, more and more, recently. Call me sentimental but it's hard to accept the fact that this is my final year in school and that I may not be seeing a lot of the people I have come to know ever again. In light of this I have been trying to encourage those I know to actually do what it takes to get what they want instead of just bumming out, marrying young, birthing several annoying boys, getting divorced and retiring at the age of sixty, saggy, bitter and toothless, as is the custom nowadays.

Yet even I know it would be hard to take me seriously (and I can be serious) when I'm saying things like 'shoot for the stars!' and 'follow your dreams!'. This is because those things are said so much (normally by weird men with slicked hair, big glasses, shirt and tie encouraging us to go for gold and to touch them in their bathing suit areas) that they are rated as 'UNCOOL' instead of 'COOL'.

So I decided to try and find some new phrases to use that would see me getting happy, excited faces instead of shut-the-hell-up faces. But, alas, it didn't work. Instead I came full circle and realised, to my annoyance, that they are cliche's because they're all we have. 'Try hard you little Trooper!' just doesn't have the same ring to it as 'Go for gold!' and 'Make sure you do what you really want to do because if you don't you'll die a slow, painful death to the hands of the Japanese Yakuza!' just doesn't feel as light and fluffy as 'Only you can make your dreams a reality!'.

So what to do in this conundrum? Well, we already have the answer. Because of this situation (and due majorly to the fact that we are so unoriginal we can't even produce new phrases) we created the line 'It sounds stupid (or dumb, or cliched, or overused, or hilariously lame) but seriously....' This phrase is used to keep us safe from those shut-the-hell up looks (god damn them) and the ratings of 'UNCOOL'.

It works. I use it. 'It sounds stupid but seriously, you have to follow your heart.' - Quote me. Yesterday. So perhaps we need to embrace the cliche instead of hating it or putting it in the bad ratings box (alongside anything on Channel 9, southern cross tattoos and gossiping middle-aged women with coffee breath and bad smoking habits). Perhaps the cliche just needs some loving.

In other news director Robert Rodriquez who is sometimes in my list of favourites and then sometimes not is releasing Red Sonja next year based on the comic series and starring his fiancee (and mega babe) Rose McGowan.

Admit it, it looks awesome, let's just hope Rodriguez is in a Sin City mood while making this and not a Planet Terror mood, or worse, a Spy Kids 3.

PS: Check out the awesome flashing Che pic!

Glee.

Next up on my list of things to see is this:You may have seen the add or two for it on TEN, and it looked rad so I decided to put a little research in. This show is a comedy about a high school glee club (like a drama club but with songs) and revolves around the two main characters (the modest, talented but innocent performer and the apprehensive, torn jock who loves to sing!) and is created by the dude that made Nip/Tuck (can't say I've ever watched an episode but meh). Anyway the makers of the show originally wanted it to be a film but the idea behind it was workable ("Its a movie" "We'll give you 100 million dollars to make it TV show" "Okay") so they decided to make it into a show. Now this is the exciting part (other than all the stuff I've just said), because of the grand scale of every song in the show some episodes can take up to 10 days to film and cost over $3 million dollars. Yeah. I'm pretty sure the budget for a Neighbours episode is around $3,000 (that includes every actors salary) so as you can see this show is going to be epic. Exhibit A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akr9fRajrKM and Exhibit B: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzWrnsASi3c&feature=fvw .

In other news, filming for The Room is going awesome. We're getting into the juicy stuff though so it is getting a little intense and I am beginning to understand the term 'holy mother of god I am so stressed!' but it is all good and I mean, I have time to blog right, so it can't be that bad? Next time I will have some lovely screenshots of the project that you can gleefully drool over.

Finally, prepare for Harry Potter. Emma Watson is coming. And oh my she looks fine.

Singing Cats.

So if you didn't know I'm kind of obsessed with musicals. I love the fact that in a musical not only can you have all the awesome elements of a film but also all the awesome elements of the stage with singing, dancing and all that spectacular creativity. But I'm not so much a fan of those boring musicals like the Mikado or Peter Pan but of the huge extravagant ones like Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Wicked, Across the Universe and, I'm just putting this out there, Mamma Mia.

So in light of this confession I want you to watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_5_lzags3I. Its called Nine and it comes out in November. I'm very excited for this as its being directed by Rob Marshall, the dude who brought Chicago to the cinema (and trust me, I saw the Sydney production and it was a let down, purely, I deduced, because of Marshall's amazing version), and it stars Judi Dench, the lovely Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Daniel Day Lewis, Marion Cotillard (academy award winner and serious babe from La Vie En Rose and upcoming Public Enemies) and Nicole Kidman (hopefully putting her back in the good books after Australia). This film centres around an Italian film director who is surrounded by all these beautiful women and must deal with them through the art of song and dance!

Check out those honey's (bar scary looking Fergie at the front. Hide your children. Seriously.) So I don't know if that makes you as excited as me but keeping in mind my last blog revolved around my weakness for badass babes and the fact that I love musicals I'm pretty sure this film was made for me. Definitely have tickets to this premiere.

So I've got two more films to talk to you about and coincidentally they both have the number 9 in their titles. The first is 9, produced by Tim Burton and directed by Shane Acker (basically a nobody) and Timur Bekmamsetov (Wanted) and starring Elijah Wood, John C.Reilly and one of the many women blue-tacked to my wall Jennifer Connelly. The animation looks awesome and it looks like the next Wall-E, meaning take some tissues and your youngest relative as not too look like a total idiot and prepare to be blown away. Here is the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnoJecu9e7c&feature=fvst .

Last but not least is District 9 Set in South Africa after an alien race has landed and been enslaved by the government. It looks like a cool take on the documentary style films of late ( see Cloverfield and Quarantine) and should be worth $13 to go and see (or $40 if you're going to Greater Union). Brought to us by Peter Jackson check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZnpzfcMheA. I'm pretty sure that spaceship would be my weapon of choice in any knife fight.

One last thing, it's holidays soon, and we all know what that means, no, not 2-for-1 Tuesday's at the local brothel, it means I have more free time! So comment below and tell me how much you want me to blog every single day and I will।

Yes, that was a ploy to get you to comment. But do it. It makes me happy.

Happier then the person who invented viagra.

The amazing effects of puberty.

Once again my attention is brought to the amazingly beautiful and eternally awesome Emma Watson. I don't know what happened to her but why don't we all turn mega hot when we hit puberty? Reading the Sunday magazine I became aware that, not only is it the greatest weekend paper lift out IN the world, but that I have a serious weakness for babes doing awesome stuff in films. Emma Watson as Hermione is one example of this. Liv Tyler in the Strangers. Rosario Dawson in Death Proof. Alexis Bledel in Sin City. Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. And yes, I have to put this out there, Isabel Lucas in Transformers 2.

I don't know what it is but there is something very appealing to me (and not just physically) of seeing a girl kick ass. Or perhaps its when a girl breaks the perceptions we have of her. Yes, that sounds about right. I can't actually pinpoint it, but I feel elation when a girl does something unexpected and seriously hot in a movie. And I won't lie to you, there will always be hot babes in my films. And they will always do something amazing.

So I saw Transformers 2. I don't know how I feel about it. On one hand, I can see the awesome CGI, the big battles and the mega honeys in the forms of Fox and Lucas but on the other hand I can see the plot-holes, useless characters and then I can't see anything on account of the cameraman seemed to have an intense strain of arthritis resulting in blurred battle and chase sequences. I wanted more amazing slow-mo battle shots like in the first film and less annoying minor characters ie. those two gangstabots.

Oh well. We can only hope they will get new writers for Transformers 3 (already in development) and 'deal' with the old writers appropriately. Perhaps their families too.

In other news James Cameron (Terminator, Aliens, Titanic) has a new film coming out in November this year. Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and mega-honey Zoe Saldana and revolves around a new planet, an alien race and a love story. Check out the teaser here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGs3_1qKl34.

Cameron has said it will be a mix of live action and CGI effects like never before although Im sure they said that about the Polar Express.

And we all know how that turned out.

Varla, my beloved.

Perhaps the most glorious thing that has happened to me all week was the discovery that Quentin Tarantino will be remaking the Russ Meyer classic Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! Yes. For those who know not of this film I will fill you in.

Basically this film revolves around three strippers who get sick of men and their woman-related obsessions and after an extended dancing scene (that even includes the 60's rendition of the "crump") they leave their club, hopping in badass convertibles (because every stripper could afford a convertible) and speed off to wreak havoc. They do. And they do it better than Demi Moore in Charlies Angels 2. After they come across a young couple in the middle of the desert (mind you, they have just been wildly drag racing so the audience is so shocked and aroused that the reason why they are in the desert is unimportant) and the feisty leader, (imagine sexy black hair, dominatrix style catsuit and dialogue to match) Varla, kills the male by doing a series of intense judo-like moves and eventually karate-chopping his throat, they then proceed to drug, gag and kidnap his girlfriend. The sexy, blonde (Billie) and the exotic Indian (Rosie) are forced to follow their leader and while they fill up at a gas station, the helpful attendant tells them that those two buff men over there live on a deserted ranch that has a huge stash of money hidden in it. Well Varla, being the minx she is, hatches a plan to steal the money and basically murder every character in the film.

Its truly awesome. Here is the poster (Varla is the hot one in black):



As you can see, it's splendour is immeasurable.

I'll be off now. Possibly the shortest blog in history (although I spent a lot of time on that blurb so deal with it.)

R.I.P Michael and Farrah.

Where are those Wild things?

So I filmed the first scene of The Room today. The aim of this scene was to pass through (in slo-mo of course) the life of one my characters and to show his life as it spirals out of control. To do this I needed several extra's to be his class/detention mates and a teacher to abuse him. NOTE: Teachers aren't good actors.

Or so I thought. It turned out my selection of Mr.Ringer was awesome and he came ready for action. After setting the shot up (taking in the fact that Mr.Ringer is the half-brother of Hagrid) we took 5 or 6 takes and then proceeded with close up's.

I can't properly describe how much relief I feel to know that 1) my ideas don't suck and work out like they should and 2) I have it in me to be a good director. Of course, if I'm going to destroy the world with my films then I will have to be more than a good director but at the moment, that is great.

To awake you from the slumber I have probably bored you into here are some things I think you may need to see:

Pics from, Where The Wild Things Are, written and directed by Spike Jonze (Being John Malcovich, Adaptation) have been released and it looks amazing. The animation looks like nothing I've seen before. So this is on the list of things to be excited for.

Check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NOkQ4dYVaM . Also, Transformers 2 is out today and as soon as I have observed its beauty with my own two eyes I will report back and give you my thoughts (I promise no spoilers).

Let's just say that Isabel Lucas might have another stalker in the very near future.

Mac vs. Windows

Okay, so whats with the Mac/Windows battle? I have a friend who is about to buy a Macbook and countless times I have now heard comments like 'Why a Mac? They suck,' or 'Mac's are a waste of money' to which the replies are 'Windows is easier to use' and 'Mac's are like navigating the Pacific Ocean without a pair of oars, or a boat, or a face.'

Now, I happen to have a HP laptop, with Windows, in fact, I've always had Windows, so of course when I use Mac I find it foreign and hard to use but aren't there more important things to fight about ie. The war in Iraq, If Miley Cyrus is a boy, If Gingers are actual people?

Let me illustrate my point with this forum debate.



Mac vs. Windows: Which is better?



Stefan: I have become seriously disappointed with my Macbook Pro at the moment.

Gatekeeper: Thats because Windows takes a huge dump on Mac.

Lady_Veera: That was rough.

Stefan: Yeah Gatekeeper, watch what you say.

Flashback: He's right. If Windows and Mac were in battle Windows would use its lightning sword to obliterate Mac. Mac is a sissy girl computer.

Stefan: WTF?

Lady_Veera: What's wrong with being a sissy girl?

Flashback: Macs.

GregM: Its basically choosing between Windows which are safe and reliable and Macs which are neat and clever.

Gatekeeper: Whatever Dick Smith. Windows wins forever times infinity.

GregM: Are you 5?


The conversation then continues into a series of completely explicit and outrageous obscenities that become progressively less coherent in each post (mainly thanks to Gatekeeper's lack of spell check, or, eyes). The point is, why do people care so much? Its like the Holden vs Ford battle. Or the Today vs. Sunrise battle. Everyone knows our trivial bickering's will have no effect whatsoever on the group of billionaire designers who sit on the top floor of those huge skyscrapers stroking their chins and discussing gold shoes while deciding the fate of the earth as we know it (I mean, I've heard they can breathe fire) so why do we bother?

NOTE: I'm not actually going to propose an answer to that as I have just remembered something much more important. Check this out:

Check out the trailer on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPErY-0YNeA . Yeah. Consider my pants officially wet. Did you see the girl fight like I saw the girl fight? Hopefully the plethora of B-list actors in this film won't let it down. Either way this is a film worth getting excited for.

In other news official photo's of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland have been released and it looks positively amazing. Check out Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen:

As much as I love her I don't think Mizz. Carter would have a job if it wasn't for her amazing husband. Although she is pretty damn awesome as Bellatrix.

I'd marry Bellatrix.