Sunday, July 13, 2008

Speaking of...

I'm sure you're all (yes all - my many readers haha) sick of my 2-week obsession with artist Denis Darzacq (I just set up an interview with him and SBS French and had to refrain myself from adding PS I'M A BIG FAN GIRL). Here is an excerpt from a documentary on his work I am dying to seet - next MIFF or G.R.? Lets hope so!



Better the Devil You Know


Another thing thats bugging me about this year's MIFF (besides the fact that mini-passes are too expensive and they won't tell you anything that doesn't already have a guaranteed general release) is that they are holding a single screening of the Robert Bresson film The Devil Probably and this is on a Friday at 12.15pm - I'm sorry but if you are holding one screening of a film as hard to find as this can you please at least hold it after 5PM or on a weekend? I mean honestly how good would this be as a late night feature? Its like if last year they screening El Topo only midday on a Monday. Ludicrous!

Its like they are just going 'oh no-one thats into cinema works full time!"

The worst bit is that its showing around the corner from my work at the Forum. So its so close yet so far AND theres no chance of sneaky sick day as I would so get busted!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Gimme a M-I-double F!


The MIFF (Melbourne International Film Festival) program was released on Friday a mere 14 days before the festival. I've pretty much spent this weekend agonising and research and re-reading and prioritising the 10 or so films I'm planning on attending this year (10 is the number on my mini-pass, I'm forking $135 over for!). Its important to start large and cut back I've come up with a list of 30 or so and culled back from there with filters such as a) no weekday films before 6.15PM, as I won't make them b) no weekend films before 12PM

as I won't make them c) anything that doesn't like mind altering amazing or like a really good "festival" film and is likely to get a general release later in the year I'm leaving off my list. Trust me this process is not easy, but a fun way to spend my weekend really.

I'm faced with some dilemma's such as - Kate Bush documentary?

Notes - This film is old and seemed to have sunk without a stone with no general cinematic release in sight and I hate talking head documentaries. Then again on the other hand so many gems sink without general release even to DVD and I LOVE KATE BUSH MORE THAN LIFE. See the dilemma? This could really be my only chance to further my Kate Bush obsession with intimate details of her career and personal life e.g. her no touring stance, as well as a variety of hair styles over the years, cute childhood photos and her almost career as a ballerina etc. Traumatic stuff - its so easy to live in regret with these choices - I've done it before.
Thus far I'm looking at
1. The Guitar (general release vs my obsession with "life after finding out your going to die films") - *

2. Kate Bush - Under Review (see above) - *

3. Son of Rambow (general release?)

4. In Search of Midnight Kiss (general release?) - *

5. Ben X - *?


7. Roman Polanksi Wanted and Desired - (I hate talking head doco's vs I F**KING LOVE POLANSKI) - *

8. Funny Games (Haneke is p. good vs I hate N. Watts and remakes? ew, plus general release fo sho)


10. Whose afraid of Kathy Acker (there is no way this is getting a g.r.) - *


12. The Wackness (general release?)


14. A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (this could be awful (misogynistic and blokey humour), but it sounds kinda like a Woody film which is cute)



17. Fox and His Friends - Fassbinder **

18. OTTO - Bruce La Bruce !! - **

21. Frontier of Dawn -I love Phillipe Garrel **

22. I Think We're Alone Now - (there is almost no way this is getting g.r.) - *
*? - want to see but not 100 % * - really want to see ** -must see!

Thursday, July 10, 2008



I'm on a big animation kick since Kung Fu Panda hit the top of my best films of the year list. Let me just say that Kung Fu Panda was one of the best-laugh-out-loud films of the year. Hitting under 100 minutes, featuring my faves Seth Rogen and David Cross and amazing animation - lets just say it was orsum (is there much more to say on "kids film" anyway?).

Best Films of This Year - No Country For Old Men, Kung Fu Panda, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Shotgun Stories, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Orphanage, The Savages, Step Up 2 the Streets, Pineapple Express,

Worst Films of This Year - Paranoid Park, Juno, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Baby Mama, Flight of the Red Balloon, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Sex and the City: The Movie, Fools Gold, Jumper, I'm not there, 2 Days in Paris, We own the night, Margot at the Wedding, Inside Paris, 3:10 to Yuma,

Can't Wait! - WALL-E, Cassandra's Dream, Son of Rambow, Dark Knight, Otto, Where the Wild Things Are, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, An Old Mistress, Boarding Gate, Love Songs,Tropic Thunder, Stepbrothers, Space Chimps, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, Dark Knight,

PS There were about 100 meh films in here like Mrs Pettigrew Lives For A Day, Hancock, Get Smart, Be Kind Rewind, The Other Boleyn Girl, You Don't Mess With The Zohan, Semi Pro, There Will Be Blood (despite the fabulous performance of Daniel Day Lewis), Iron Man, Lust, Caution, Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street etc

PPS I also saw a bunch of these films last year at MIFF so I'm not going to count them either.

Proving that the airbrush can be used for good as well as evil




Monday, July 7, 2008

Chute!









Denis Darzacq
Does urban landscapes from 2006 - obsessed with both of these series - below and here.
"Paris based photographer denis darzacq recently completed a new series ofphotographs entitled Ohyper¹ the series explores Othe place of theindividual in society¹ a common theme in his work. the series may seemsurreal and clearly a product of photoshop, however none of the works havebeen digitally manipulated instead, darzacq recruited young dancers andsportsmen to pose for the series using empty supermarkets as a backdrop."

Dream of Flying



Denis Darzacq

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Garden Mall


The Vertical Garden at Melbourne Central!

"A luscious man-made garden will transform Melbourne Central into a vertical, verdant field. Created by renowned French artist and scientist Patrick Blanc, the soil-less garden injects biodiversity into the built environment in a burst of beauty. Patrick Blanc will travel to Australia to celebrate the installation of the Vertical Garden"

From Thursday 17/8 at Melb Cent best of all its FREE!

So excited by indoor lush winter garden!