It has been a few years since I saw the film of History Boys, and although I thoroughly enjoyed it I was stupid enough to miss the last stage performance of History Boys in Christchurch. Therefore when Peach Theatre Company decided to put it on this season, I knew it shouldn’t be missed, particularly with such a stellar cast!
If you have seen the film, you’ll know History Boys follows a bunch of bright and energetic British boys in their last year of boarding school. While their teachers push the boys to succeed and get into the prestigious colleges such as Cambridge and Oxford, one teacher, Hector, strives to broaden the horizons of the boys. He teaches them other ways to think and learn about life which meets the disapproval of a new young teacher, Irwin, who has been brought on board the teaching staff to help the boys gain entry to the colleges.
I was impressed at how well the show had been put together. The sets were amazing; the set changes were quick and well incorporated into the show, and show moved fluidly. I did find the first act a little slow moving, however the second act made up for this as the pace quickened and action ensued. I felt Harry McNaughton, who played Dakin, was good in his acting, however it seemed he was trying a little too hard to shed the gay stereotype and be butch. This was conveyed in his voice which he had lowered significantly and was making it husky. As I was watching the show with two trained singers, they agreed that kind of voice manipulation can’t be good for the vocal chords. It seemed he has been working in television for so long that he is pushing his voice harder than necessary to project it. I enjoyed his performance though, and felt he did well in portraying the character.
George Henare played Hector, and did so wonderfully. His movements, body posture, facial expressions and tone of voice fitted the role perfectly and his character came across so clearly that it made it possible for the audience to engage in his performance. Annie Whittle was another great performer gracing the stage in History Boys, and although her role as Mrs Lintott was small, she still gave the performance everything and this consequently impacted on the success of the show. Andrew Ford as Irwin gave a fantastic performance as a stiff, awkward teacher who, whilst trying to help the boys with their future, was also intimidated by the brooding Dakin.
Overall the director, Jesse Peach, delivered yet another successful show. I would recommend the performance to others, and look forward to what Peach Theatre Company brings to Auckland next year.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Don't Hold Your Breath
I had never been to a semi-staged/workshop based performance before, however I thought it might be interesting to see what happens behind closed doors at the Auckland Theatre Company.
Don’t Hold Your Breath is a play with songs, written by Lisa Chappell of Gloss and McLeod’s Daughter’s fame. The actors had a week of staging and rehearsing the script under the direction of Ben Crowder and musical direction by Penny Dodd before performing it twice and receiving feedback from the audience on the storyline, music and staging.
The story follows Letitia Lush who aspires to become a famous singer of like her idol Frank Sinatra. After reading that Frank Sinatra attributes his success to his enormous lung capacity, Letitia begins experimenting, using her younger sister Rose, as a guinea pig by drowning her in the bath and training her to beat Sinatra’s record. Unfortunately for Letitia, Rose also has a brilliant voice, and the exploitation she suffers at the hand of Letitia assists in the training of her voice. When Letitia, and ultimately Letitia’s manager realise Rose can sing, jealousy takes over and old and new rivalries take the sisters to breaking point.
Watching this show be performed, it was obvious there was some work that needed to be done on the script, however it certainly has great potential. The ending that had been chosen for this version was a much lighter and happier ending than the one in the original script, however upon hearing of the original version (which ultimately ended in a death) I thought that would give the story more depth and intrigue although it may cause the show to lose its happy and comic genre rating.
The show certainly had some very funny parts, such as Letitia’s constant attempts at physically hurting Rose, which although it sounds quite nasty actually has a comic element to it. The set was well done, particularly with their use of styrofoam instead of water in the bath. The musical numbers were great and very well done and the acting was suburb, as to be expected from Auckland Theatre Company. It was a bit off putting to have Letitia using her script throughout the show, but given they had only been rehearsing for a week and the script had been changed numerous times, that could be forgiven.
It may be a while before this show hits the stages again, due to the desire of Lisa to work quite intensely on certain aspects of the script; however when it does come back to New Zealand stages make sure you go along. It’s a great piece of New Zealand writing.
Don’t Hold Your Breath is a play with songs, written by Lisa Chappell of Gloss and McLeod’s Daughter’s fame. The actors had a week of staging and rehearsing the script under the direction of Ben Crowder and musical direction by Penny Dodd before performing it twice and receiving feedback from the audience on the storyline, music and staging.
The story follows Letitia Lush who aspires to become a famous singer of like her idol Frank Sinatra. After reading that Frank Sinatra attributes his success to his enormous lung capacity, Letitia begins experimenting, using her younger sister Rose, as a guinea pig by drowning her in the bath and training her to beat Sinatra’s record. Unfortunately for Letitia, Rose also has a brilliant voice, and the exploitation she suffers at the hand of Letitia assists in the training of her voice. When Letitia, and ultimately Letitia’s manager realise Rose can sing, jealousy takes over and old and new rivalries take the sisters to breaking point.
Watching this show be performed, it was obvious there was some work that needed to be done on the script, however it certainly has great potential. The ending that had been chosen for this version was a much lighter and happier ending than the one in the original script, however upon hearing of the original version (which ultimately ended in a death) I thought that would give the story more depth and intrigue although it may cause the show to lose its happy and comic genre rating.
The show certainly had some very funny parts, such as Letitia’s constant attempts at physically hurting Rose, which although it sounds quite nasty actually has a comic element to it. The set was well done, particularly with their use of styrofoam instead of water in the bath. The musical numbers were great and very well done and the acting was suburb, as to be expected from Auckland Theatre Company. It was a bit off putting to have Letitia using her script throughout the show, but given they had only been rehearsing for a week and the script had been changed numerous times, that could be forgiven.
It may be a while before this show hits the stages again, due to the desire of Lisa to work quite intensely on certain aspects of the script; however when it does come back to New Zealand stages make sure you go along. It’s a great piece of New Zealand writing.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Couples Retreat
Couples Retreat is not a movie I would normally go to. Romantic comedies I can do on DVD when I have a boring night ahead or need something mindless to watch. Occasionally I enjoy them, but more the ones where Mr McDreamy rides up to the church on a big white horse to stop the wedding of the girl he loves. Comedies with Vince Vaughn I find generally try a little too hard to be funny and don’t quite make it, or put all the funny bits in the trailers.
Couples Retreat is a little bit of both. I read the synopsis before I went in so had a wee bit of an idea of what the movie was about. Basically one couple want to go to this retreat in the tropics (the movie is filmed in Bora Bora – you’ll want to go there once you’ve seen the backdrop!) to try and fix their crumbling marriage. The only way they can get into the island’s marriage counselling programme is if they take a package which another group had cancelled. This requires three other couples to go along also. Luckily this couple have three couples who are all good friends and before they know it they’re on the way to the tropics. However, they are all under the impression the couple bonding activities are optional. Well, you can see where this is going. The couples end up participating in the couple bonding activities to ‘rebuild and maintain the marriage’ and it is either going to make or break them.
Without giving the plotline away, although that wouldn’t be hard, these movies are generally rather predictable, what ensues is a vaguely funny, quite amusing scenario of what happens if you put a group of couples who think their marriage is fine into marriage counselling. I can’t really go into detail about aspects of the story that I liked or didn’t like because to be honest there isn’t that much of a story.
There are of course those few moments that make you go ‘awww’ and those that make you think ‘that is how I want my story to end’ but if you want a decent movie that will make you really feel or think something, this probably isn’t the one for you. Go for something with more heart or real emotion, unless you’re in the mood to just watch moving pictures and not really process much, which let’s face it, we all have those days. It does have some decent acting in, and some parts that certainly had me laughing, although I think the movie was a little too long. If you’re into this sort of thing though, give it a whirl and enjoy.
Ciao.
Couples Retreat is a little bit of both. I read the synopsis before I went in so had a wee bit of an idea of what the movie was about. Basically one couple want to go to this retreat in the tropics (the movie is filmed in Bora Bora – you’ll want to go there once you’ve seen the backdrop!) to try and fix their crumbling marriage. The only way they can get into the island’s marriage counselling programme is if they take a package which another group had cancelled. This requires three other couples to go along also. Luckily this couple have three couples who are all good friends and before they know it they’re on the way to the tropics. However, they are all under the impression the couple bonding activities are optional. Well, you can see where this is going. The couples end up participating in the couple bonding activities to ‘rebuild and maintain the marriage’ and it is either going to make or break them.
Without giving the plotline away, although that wouldn’t be hard, these movies are generally rather predictable, what ensues is a vaguely funny, quite amusing scenario of what happens if you put a group of couples who think their marriage is fine into marriage counselling. I can’t really go into detail about aspects of the story that I liked or didn’t like because to be honest there isn’t that much of a story.
There are of course those few moments that make you go ‘awww’ and those that make you think ‘that is how I want my story to end’ but if you want a decent movie that will make you really feel or think something, this probably isn’t the one for you. Go for something with more heart or real emotion, unless you’re in the mood to just watch moving pictures and not really process much, which let’s face it, we all have those days. It does have some decent acting in, and some parts that certainly had me laughing, although I think the movie was a little too long. If you’re into this sort of thing though, give it a whirl and enjoy.
Ciao.
(500) Days of Summer - For Mindfood Mag
Note: This review was originally written for the 'reader review' section of Mindfood magazine.
The narrator of (500) Days of Summer told me from the start that the film was not a love story. I really should have believed him. The film doesn't start where one would expect (day one). Rather, it fast forwards into the film’s future and starts at day 488. I wasn’t a fan of this, as I like stories to proceed in chronological order. However, not too far in the film sped back to day one and the story truly began.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun, Stop-Loss) plays Tom Hansen, a greeting card designer who falls for a woman, Summer Finn (played by Zooey Deschanel of Yes Man and Almost Famous) who does not believe in true love. Tom believes Summer is the one. Summer, however, is quite content being a single and independent woman. The film follows the 500 days when Summer is part of Tom’s life, through the good times and the bad.
Tom’s relationship with his younger sister, often turning to her for love advice is a nice touch. I didn’t like that the film went back and forth in time, from day one to 488, day three to 276. Personally I would just prefer it to start at day one and go forward, however I guess this was part of what made the film special.
(500) Days of Summer is a cute wee film, and one thing that I really enjoyed about it was its sense of reality. It does not place unrealistic expectations on men and women about how relationships should pan out. It shows the troubles people face in relationships from the moment they meet someone they like, through to the process of beginning a relationship, addressing the speed bumps along the way. However, at times it was too real and although it is refreshing to see on the screen, it can be quite nice to escape reality with a sugar-coated rom-com every now and again.
Overall, the film was sad, but not in a reach-for-the-tissues kind of way. It was sad because I could really emphasise with the characters and feel the sadness and misery they were feeling. Then again, the narrator did tell me from the start that the film is not a love story...
The narrator of (500) Days of Summer told me from the start that the film was not a love story. I really should have believed him. The film doesn't start where one would expect (day one). Rather, it fast forwards into the film’s future and starts at day 488. I wasn’t a fan of this, as I like stories to proceed in chronological order. However, not too far in the film sped back to day one and the story truly began.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun, Stop-Loss) plays Tom Hansen, a greeting card designer who falls for a woman, Summer Finn (played by Zooey Deschanel of Yes Man and Almost Famous) who does not believe in true love. Tom believes Summer is the one. Summer, however, is quite content being a single and independent woman. The film follows the 500 days when Summer is part of Tom’s life, through the good times and the bad.
Tom’s relationship with his younger sister, often turning to her for love advice is a nice touch. I didn’t like that the film went back and forth in time, from day one to 488, day three to 276. Personally I would just prefer it to start at day one and go forward, however I guess this was part of what made the film special.
(500) Days of Summer is a cute wee film, and one thing that I really enjoyed about it was its sense of reality. It does not place unrealistic expectations on men and women about how relationships should pan out. It shows the troubles people face in relationships from the moment they meet someone they like, through to the process of beginning a relationship, addressing the speed bumps along the way. However, at times it was too real and although it is refreshing to see on the screen, it can be quite nice to escape reality with a sugar-coated rom-com every now and again.
Overall, the film was sad, but not in a reach-for-the-tissues kind of way. It was sad because I could really emphasise with the characters and feel the sadness and misery they were feeling. Then again, the narrator did tell me from the start that the film is not a love story...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Boat That Rocked DVD
I had to be convinced to see The Boat that Rocked. I laugh at that now as it has quickly become one of my favourite films. The film is an English comedy, which for a start is a good sign and is set in the 1960s, when pirate radio was taking over the airwaves.
The Boat that Rocked tells the story of a bunch of pirate radio DJs, broadcasting rock to the people of England from the middle of the North Sea. Tom Sturridge (who happens to be Robert Pattinson’s best friend) stars as Carl, a young boy who is sent onto the ship by his mother to curb his ‘partying’ ways, which we soon realise would do just the opposite. On board Carl meets Quentin (Bill Nighy), his godfather who runs Radio Rock; The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who is the only American on board; Gavin (Rhys Ifans) who is known by all as the greatest rock DJ in the UK and Angus 'The Nut' Nutsford (New Zealand’s very own Rhys Darby!!) to name but a few. My personal favourite is ‘Midnight Mark’ (Tom Wisdom) who sits, smolders and generally just looks hot while lurking in the background.
Of course as many movies do, there needs to be a ‘bad guy’ and in this film that comes in the form of the British Government who see Radio Rock as a threat and do everything in their power to shut them down.
I loved The Boat that Rocked. So much so that I went out and bought the soundtrack, which is fantastic by the way (very old school). Check out the song list here. There is plenty of chances in the movie to rock out to the songs the radio station is playing... you may even be tempted to stand up and dance. The movie although very funny has its sad moments, ‘awww’ moments and moments that make you angry but it’s a very fun movie and great to watch with friends. There are some nice little twists along the way, some that you may not have expected and some that you had seen coming from a mile off.
I guess if i'm being honest there could have been a little more story and substance to the film. More comedy and more fun... at times it was very much just looking into someone elses life ... big brother style. There were some awesome moments though, particularly the montages which show a variety of people -young and old rocking out to the tunes being played on Radio Rock and generally just enjoying life to this music. It shows how much difference music can make in someones life, and how the change of style from classical and jazz to pop and rock changed the world!
My main hesitation with this movie was the ending. For those of you who have seen Rent, when Mimi comes ‘back to life’ and it is all very unrealistic... well it’s along those lines. The ‘that would never happen’ type thing. I'm really not a fan of that, at all. But it’s a movie, it’s not a historical recollection of what actually happened with pirate radio in the UK during the 60s. It’s a lot of fun and worth a watch, particularly for those who grew up in the 60s and listening to this music.
What Richard Curtis has created here is still something quite spectacular. Everyone will have their different opinions, but for me i'm still going to say 'rock on'.
The Boat that Rocked tells the story of a bunch of pirate radio DJs, broadcasting rock to the people of England from the middle of the North Sea. Tom Sturridge (who happens to be Robert Pattinson’s best friend) stars as Carl, a young boy who is sent onto the ship by his mother to curb his ‘partying’ ways, which we soon realise would do just the opposite. On board Carl meets Quentin (Bill Nighy), his godfather who runs Radio Rock; The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who is the only American on board; Gavin (Rhys Ifans) who is known by all as the greatest rock DJ in the UK and Angus 'The Nut' Nutsford (New Zealand’s very own Rhys Darby!!) to name but a few. My personal favourite is ‘Midnight Mark’ (Tom Wisdom) who sits, smolders and generally just looks hot while lurking in the background.
Of course as many movies do, there needs to be a ‘bad guy’ and in this film that comes in the form of the British Government who see Radio Rock as a threat and do everything in their power to shut them down.
I loved The Boat that Rocked. So much so that I went out and bought the soundtrack, which is fantastic by the way (very old school). Check out the song list here. There is plenty of chances in the movie to rock out to the songs the radio station is playing... you may even be tempted to stand up and dance. The movie although very funny has its sad moments, ‘awww’ moments and moments that make you angry but it’s a very fun movie and great to watch with friends. There are some nice little twists along the way, some that you may not have expected and some that you had seen coming from a mile off.
I guess if i'm being honest there could have been a little more story and substance to the film. More comedy and more fun... at times it was very much just looking into someone elses life ... big brother style. There were some awesome moments though, particularly the montages which show a variety of people -young and old rocking out to the tunes being played on Radio Rock and generally just enjoying life to this music. It shows how much difference music can make in someones life, and how the change of style from classical and jazz to pop and rock changed the world!
My main hesitation with this movie was the ending. For those of you who have seen Rent, when Mimi comes ‘back to life’ and it is all very unrealistic... well it’s along those lines. The ‘that would never happen’ type thing. I'm really not a fan of that, at all. But it’s a movie, it’s not a historical recollection of what actually happened with pirate radio in the UK during the 60s. It’s a lot of fun and worth a watch, particularly for those who grew up in the 60s and listening to this music.
What Richard Curtis has created here is still something quite spectacular. Everyone will have their different opinions, but for me i'm still going to say 'rock on'.
Australia DVD
I had one of those 'love-hate' relationships with Australia before I'd even watched it. I had wanted to see it since it was released in theatres but it received quite horrible reviews and some people had told me it was too long and boring to be worth watching, so naturally I avoided it.
When it was released on DVD I put it on my 'queue' list on fatso (if you don't 'do' fatso, try it out, it's awesome) and was recently sent it as one of my 4 DVD’s for September. When I was visiting my family for a week I thought it would be a good opportunity to watch it as I was sure at least one of my parents would be interested, even if I didn't enjoy it.
Australia opens with an Aboriginal 'half-caste' child learning lessons from his grandfather where we see a 'white man' shot with a bow, and dying in the billabong. This is where the story starts. Sarah (Nicole Kidman) is a prissy English aristocrat who inherits the only ranch in Australia not owned/run by King Carney. When Carney attempts to take her land, she fights back in desperation to protect the Aboriginal people living on the ranch, particularly the young boy Nullah who opened the film.
In short it is a film about love, loss and finding yourself. I loved it. I can understand how some may find the film a bit long, as there were parts which dragged on a little but it is a beautiful film, amazing imagery and some brilliant acting. I especially loved the reference of the Wizard of Oz which was a theme right throughout the movie and the importance of music in binding the three central characters together.
I especially commend Brandon Walters, who played young Nullah. Australia was his first film and he rose to the challenge of acting between Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. These three complimented each other well, making the climatic point of the film, the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese during WWII, heart wrenching.
I enjoyed the film, my family enjoyed the film and now that I think about it most people i’ve talked to have enjoyed it, just not the critics who reviewed it in the first place! If you’re put off by the length of Australia, wait until you’re in the mood and wait until you’ve got the time to truly appreciate it but don’t miss out! This movie deserves way more recognition than it received, although I should have known that from the start, Baz Luhrmann always seems to produce masterpieces.
When it was released on DVD I put it on my 'queue' list on fatso (if you don't 'do' fatso, try it out, it's awesome) and was recently sent it as one of my 4 DVD’s for September. When I was visiting my family for a week I thought it would be a good opportunity to watch it as I was sure at least one of my parents would be interested, even if I didn't enjoy it.
Australia opens with an Aboriginal 'half-caste' child learning lessons from his grandfather where we see a 'white man' shot with a bow, and dying in the billabong. This is where the story starts. Sarah (Nicole Kidman) is a prissy English aristocrat who inherits the only ranch in Australia not owned/run by King Carney. When Carney attempts to take her land, she fights back in desperation to protect the Aboriginal people living on the ranch, particularly the young boy Nullah who opened the film.
In short it is a film about love, loss and finding yourself. I loved it. I can understand how some may find the film a bit long, as there were parts which dragged on a little but it is a beautiful film, amazing imagery and some brilliant acting. I especially loved the reference of the Wizard of Oz which was a theme right throughout the movie and the importance of music in binding the three central characters together.
I especially commend Brandon Walters, who played young Nullah. Australia was his first film and he rose to the challenge of acting between Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. These three complimented each other well, making the climatic point of the film, the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese during WWII, heart wrenching.
I enjoyed the film, my family enjoyed the film and now that I think about it most people i’ve talked to have enjoyed it, just not the critics who reviewed it in the first place! If you’re put off by the length of Australia, wait until you’re in the mood and wait until you’ve got the time to truly appreciate it but don’t miss out! This movie deserves way more recognition than it received, although I should have known that from the start, Baz Luhrmann always seems to produce masterpieces.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Up 3D
So ever since i read the story about the dying girl's wish to see 'Up' before her death, I wanted to see Pixar's latest film. In my opinion, Pixar do the best films. Wall-E being the one that springs immediately to mind but of course they started with Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo... the list goes on. Their stories i find have a little more soul than say Dreamworks (Antz, The Prince of Egypt, Over the Hedge, Flushed Away) admittedly they did do Shrek which i like but they don't seem to put the same amount of heart into the stories!
I went to see Up on the preview weekend for New Zealand. To be honest I think this is possibly the first 3D movie i've been to in years! It was quite amusing to look around the theatre and see everyone with these multicoloured glasses on! At least they've progressed from the paper ones! I didn't find the 3D aspect made a HUGE difference to the film, although you couldn't watch it without the glasses as the picture was all fuzzy (duh.)
The story itself was very sweet. A typical grumpy old man who doesn't have too much left to live for meets an enthusiastic young kid who is trying to get his wilderness explorer badge for helping an old person. I'm not giving anything away by saying the old man ties a whole lot of balloons to his house to create his own hot air balloon! Naturally in the name of a decent movie, the kid ends up going along (completley by accident) and they set out on the adventure of a lifetime.
Having landed not quite where he intended, the old man and his trusty wilderness explorer companion attempt to walk the still floating house to the correct destination, where they meet a range of new characters such as a mythical rainbow bird (who likes chocolate) and not one but more than one hundred talking dogs. Cue the bad guy who attempts to foil their plan (of course every decent movie needs a bad guy to get everyone sitting on the edge of their seats). You'll have to watch the movie to find out where the old man is aiming to go, why and what happens along the way.... and why/how the dogs talk!
I really enjoyed the movie. I am, however, a kid at heart. It's a feel good, cute wee animation. I did find it a little slow in the middle where the story seemed to be going around in circles, and perhaps it could have done with a little more editing to speed it up a bit but otherwise it was something that will appeal to kids and kids at heart. Check it out, it's in NZ cinemas now! Let me know what you think :)
I went to see Up on the preview weekend for New Zealand. To be honest I think this is possibly the first 3D movie i've been to in years! It was quite amusing to look around the theatre and see everyone with these multicoloured glasses on! At least they've progressed from the paper ones! I didn't find the 3D aspect made a HUGE difference to the film, although you couldn't watch it without the glasses as the picture was all fuzzy (duh.)
The story itself was very sweet. A typical grumpy old man who doesn't have too much left to live for meets an enthusiastic young kid who is trying to get his wilderness explorer badge for helping an old person. I'm not giving anything away by saying the old man ties a whole lot of balloons to his house to create his own hot air balloon! Naturally in the name of a decent movie, the kid ends up going along (completley by accident) and they set out on the adventure of a lifetime.
Having landed not quite where he intended, the old man and his trusty wilderness explorer companion attempt to walk the still floating house to the correct destination, where they meet a range of new characters such as a mythical rainbow bird (who likes chocolate) and not one but more than one hundred talking dogs. Cue the bad guy who attempts to foil their plan (of course every decent movie needs a bad guy to get everyone sitting on the edge of their seats). You'll have to watch the movie to find out where the old man is aiming to go, why and what happens along the way.... and why/how the dogs talk!
I really enjoyed the movie. I am, however, a kid at heart. It's a feel good, cute wee animation. I did find it a little slow in the middle where the story seemed to be going around in circles, and perhaps it could have done with a little more editing to speed it up a bit but otherwise it was something that will appeal to kids and kids at heart. Check it out, it's in NZ cinemas now! Let me know what you think :)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Mamma Mia - Stage Show
Given i’m a big fan of musical stage shows I knew there was no way I would be missing Mamma Mia. Therefore it was a nice surprise when I flew home for a week to see my family and Mum had bought tickets to see Mamma Mia! So along we all went to the Westpac Arena which I must say was absolutely packed! We bought the programmes, as you do and of course some cocktails in flashing glasses – yum! Before settling in to see what I expected to be amazing. I wasn’t let down.
The cast of Mamma Mia is an English cast (to which my friend said, oh well that explains why it was so good!) It opened to a lot of similarities to the movie starting with ‘I have a dream’ and then onto ‘Honey, Honey’. Miria Parvin who plays Sophie Sheridan did a fantastic job as playing a young girl searching for her father, and her voice is truly something to rave about. I personally didn’t notice any off key or out of tune singing from her. Jackie Clune as Donna Sheridan was also fantastic, emitting a lot of energy and stage presence. I didn’t think, however, that she was quite so strong when it came to belting, however her voice was ideal for songs such as ‘Our Last Summer’ and ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’.
I was a little disappointed in ‘Does Your Mother Know’ as that is possibly my favourite part of Mamma Mia but I didn’t feel there was quite as much energy there. The choreography for the song was great but i’m not entirely sure the song was done justice. It is possible though that i’m a little stuck on how it was all done in the movie. I was also a little disappointed in ‘The Winner Takes It All’. In the movie Meryl Streep, while she may not be an amazing singer, she put so much emotion into that song that it was just so moving. In the show however, that is really a song that you need a talented actress to be able to sing. There just wasn’t the same amount of emotion making it drag a little and seem a bit flat.
The three men, John Alastair as Harry Bright, Michael Beckley as Bill Austin and Cameron Blakely as Sam Carmichael were hilariously funny and played their parts well. They truly added another dimension to the show.
I thoroughly enjoyed the show and would recommend to all who enjoy this type of thing. The finale was upbeat and they even added Waterloo into the finale. They had all the audience up on their feet dancing with hundreds of people waving around their flashing cocktail glasses which proved to be quite a sight! They got a standing ovation which they seriously deserved. I loved this show and would be keen to go back and see it again!
The cast of Mamma Mia is an English cast (to which my friend said, oh well that explains why it was so good!) It opened to a lot of similarities to the movie starting with ‘I have a dream’ and then onto ‘Honey, Honey’. Miria Parvin who plays Sophie Sheridan did a fantastic job as playing a young girl searching for her father, and her voice is truly something to rave about. I personally didn’t notice any off key or out of tune singing from her. Jackie Clune as Donna Sheridan was also fantastic, emitting a lot of energy and stage presence. I didn’t think, however, that she was quite so strong when it came to belting, however her voice was ideal for songs such as ‘Our Last Summer’ and ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’.
I was a little disappointed in ‘Does Your Mother Know’ as that is possibly my favourite part of Mamma Mia but I didn’t feel there was quite as much energy there. The choreography for the song was great but i’m not entirely sure the song was done justice. It is possible though that i’m a little stuck on how it was all done in the movie. I was also a little disappointed in ‘The Winner Takes It All’. In the movie Meryl Streep, while she may not be an amazing singer, she put so much emotion into that song that it was just so moving. In the show however, that is really a song that you need a talented actress to be able to sing. There just wasn’t the same amount of emotion making it drag a little and seem a bit flat.
The three men, John Alastair as Harry Bright, Michael Beckley as Bill Austin and Cameron Blakely as Sam Carmichael were hilariously funny and played their parts well. They truly added another dimension to the show.
I thoroughly enjoyed the show and would recommend to all who enjoy this type of thing. The finale was upbeat and they even added Waterloo into the finale. They had all the audience up on their feet dancing with hundreds of people waving around their flashing cocktail glasses which proved to be quite a sight! They got a standing ovation which they seriously deserved. I loved this show and would be keen to go back and see it again!
French and Saunders - Still Alive Tour
After reading Dawn French’s autobiography I knew the upcoming French and Saunders show was not something I could miss, particularly as it is their last ever tour. I even managed to convince my mum to come up to watch – not something she regretted doing!
The show began with a video of French and Saunders being driven around by a squirrel trying to find Auckland, New Zealand. They then crashed onto the stage and the madness began.
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have been on our TV screens for years, most notably in The Vicar of Dibley and Absolutely Fabulous, however this show was the first and last time the two have made it to New Zealand to grace us all with their comic talent. A real shame really as judging by the diversity of the audience, they are quite truly loved by so many New Zealanders.
The first sketch performed was a funny medical act which was performed with amazing comic timing and before you could blink it was all over and they were moving onto the next one. In between each sketch they would interact with the audience, with Dawn at some stage venturing off the stage with her chocolate-monitor in an attempt to confiscate any chocolate she could find in the audience (most likely so she could enjoy it herself later). During this time she would put the camera up skirts where she would find cobwebs, down cleavage where there would be a rodent hiding and into someone’s hair, where naturally there would be a collection of head lice!
The whole show was done very cleverly with some pre-recorded acts shown on a screen, one of which being a Mamma Mia act – copying as closely as possible scenes from the recent Mamma Mia movie. The costume changes were quick and funny, Saunders’ act as Madonna was highly amusing and both the Vicar of Dibley and Absolutely Fabulous were intertwined into the show.
Their skits also involved the old favourites, Edina Monsoon from AbFab, the fat, perverted bald old men and Jill and Jo who have moved to America to name but a few. I should issue a warning though for any wishing to view the ‘Still Alive’ tour on DVD – you may be exposed to plastic penis and balls.
Hilariously funny, and big ups to Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
The show began with a video of French and Saunders being driven around by a squirrel trying to find Auckland, New Zealand. They then crashed onto the stage and the madness began.
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have been on our TV screens for years, most notably in The Vicar of Dibley and Absolutely Fabulous, however this show was the first and last time the two have made it to New Zealand to grace us all with their comic talent. A real shame really as judging by the diversity of the audience, they are quite truly loved by so many New Zealanders.
The first sketch performed was a funny medical act which was performed with amazing comic timing and before you could blink it was all over and they were moving onto the next one. In between each sketch they would interact with the audience, with Dawn at some stage venturing off the stage with her chocolate-monitor in an attempt to confiscate any chocolate she could find in the audience (most likely so she could enjoy it herself later). During this time she would put the camera up skirts where she would find cobwebs, down cleavage where there would be a rodent hiding and into someone’s hair, where naturally there would be a collection of head lice!
The whole show was done very cleverly with some pre-recorded acts shown on a screen, one of which being a Mamma Mia act – copying as closely as possible scenes from the recent Mamma Mia movie. The costume changes were quick and funny, Saunders’ act as Madonna was highly amusing and both the Vicar of Dibley and Absolutely Fabulous were intertwined into the show.
Their skits also involved the old favourites, Edina Monsoon from AbFab, the fat, perverted bald old men and Jill and Jo who have moved to America to name but a few. I should issue a warning though for any wishing to view the ‘Still Alive’ tour on DVD – you may be exposed to plastic penis and balls.
Hilariously funny, and big ups to Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I’m a Harry Potter fan. I have been since my year 6 teacher read us the first book in class. I’ve read each book more than once and LOVE them. You have no idea how disappointed I was when the release of the sixth movie got pushed back since months. I watched the trailers so many times eagerly awaiting the movie’s release. Now i’m completely realistic in knowing that not every aspect of the book can be included in the movie, so I’ve accepted all the other movies as they were albeit a little disappointed at some things that were left out and I knew this would be the case with the sixth film.
I went into this movie bursting with excitement at what was to come. I have to say straight out that I LOVED the movie. But I only loved the movie because I love Harry Potter so much. At the same time I am hugely disappointed with how much they left out and wonder how they’re going to manage to make the last film when some important aspects that lead up to that were left out. For example the Fleur/Bill engagement – that is so important for the wedding part of the last book! And what was with having Harry in a train station at the start? In the book Dumbledore picks Harry up from the Dursleys’ and gives them a hard time about how they’ve treated Harry and most importantly talks about how the house will only give him protection until he comes of age. Umm correct me if i’m wrong but that is really quite important? Yes? Oh and I was annoyed they missed out the part with the Prime Minister/Minister of Magic – that was really quite amusing!
But the thing that annoyed me the most was how little emphasis they put on a) Harry and Ginny’s relationship. In the book it grows slowly and he begins to realise that he likes her and it happens over a period of time. In the movie it’s just... there! And b) the emphasis put on the horocruxes. They’re VITALLY important to the entirety of the Harry Potter series. They’re what the books have been building up to. They’re what the entire point of book seven is about!! But oh well!
Dan Radcliff, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Tom Felton do amazing jobs. It’s great to see how far they’ve come. Some people complain that they can’t act. I beg to differ. Go and watch the first film. They were what 10 and 11? They did amazing jobs then and they’ve just grown into themselves and I think they pull off the roles quite well with what they have to work with! It has to be hard living up to everyone’s expectations but I applaud them. I’m especially pleased Tom Felton got plenty of screen time, and I really do think he is turning into an outstanding actor. He’s cute too!
Anyway, although i’m a little disappointed at how much they left out and how it differs from the book I know there is only so much that can be put in and I guess we all just have to accept that. I still loved it and would encourage all, Potter fans or not, to go and see it. For those who are just watching the movies though, I would suggest you read the book also. It has much more substance and explains things much better.
I went into this movie bursting with excitement at what was to come. I have to say straight out that I LOVED the movie. But I only loved the movie because I love Harry Potter so much. At the same time I am hugely disappointed with how much they left out and wonder how they’re going to manage to make the last film when some important aspects that lead up to that were left out. For example the Fleur/Bill engagement – that is so important for the wedding part of the last book! And what was with having Harry in a train station at the start? In the book Dumbledore picks Harry up from the Dursleys’ and gives them a hard time about how they’ve treated Harry and most importantly talks about how the house will only give him protection until he comes of age. Umm correct me if i’m wrong but that is really quite important? Yes? Oh and I was annoyed they missed out the part with the Prime Minister/Minister of Magic – that was really quite amusing!
But the thing that annoyed me the most was how little emphasis they put on a) Harry and Ginny’s relationship. In the book it grows slowly and he begins to realise that he likes her and it happens over a period of time. In the movie it’s just... there! And b) the emphasis put on the horocruxes. They’re VITALLY important to the entirety of the Harry Potter series. They’re what the books have been building up to. They’re what the entire point of book seven is about!! But oh well!
Dan Radcliff, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Tom Felton do amazing jobs. It’s great to see how far they’ve come. Some people complain that they can’t act. I beg to differ. Go and watch the first film. They were what 10 and 11? They did amazing jobs then and they’ve just grown into themselves and I think they pull off the roles quite well with what they have to work with! It has to be hard living up to everyone’s expectations but I applaud them. I’m especially pleased Tom Felton got plenty of screen time, and I really do think he is turning into an outstanding actor. He’s cute too!
Anyway, although i’m a little disappointed at how much they left out and how it differs from the book I know there is only so much that can be put in and I guess we all just have to accept that. I still loved it and would encourage all, Potter fans or not, to go and see it. For those who are just watching the movies though, I would suggest you read the book also. It has much more substance and explains things much better.
Cirque du Soleil – Dralion
I, as everyone else I know, have heard of Cirque du Soleil before. I’d seen it advertised all around Auckland and been desperate to go, but knew there was no way i’d possibly be able to afford it. Just before it started its Auckland season I drove past the tents and decided I couldn’t miss this opportunity. I got some of the cheap tickets, which turned out were not too bad since the inside of the tent is actually small-ish so everyone can pretty much see!
The first thing I did when I got there was go crazy in the ‘gift’ shop. I meant crazy. I bought Mum a handbag which has the Cirque du Soleil lining – she now uses it every day! I bought myself a hoodie and I got my sister’s birthday present there! I then made my way into the big top! Exciting much?! Ah yes! I was seated on the side, but it really didn’t matter at all, I still had a great view of the stage!
The pre-show entertainment started with two comic guys running round, telling jokes, doing little acts, humiliating people in the audience and generally just getting the audience excited!
The show started with a spectacular bang as performers came out, dancing around, balancing on one hand, twirling from the ceiling and doing some seriously impressive flips. I am not pushing the truth when I was Cirque du Soleil is one of the most visually incredible things I have ever seen. And I have been to a lot of shows. Everything from the music, the singing, the costumes, the way the stage was laid out and each individual act took my breath away.
My favourite would have to be the synchronised trampoline act - that was really quite amazing. As were the guys who jumped through hoops, some of which were so small and so far off the ground. It was quite an amazing spectacle.
The whole family is going to love what Cirque du Soleil has to offer. It is really quite special and well worth the ticket price. Seize the opportunity and have a magical night out.
The first thing I did when I got there was go crazy in the ‘gift’ shop. I meant crazy. I bought Mum a handbag which has the Cirque du Soleil lining – she now uses it every day! I bought myself a hoodie and I got my sister’s birthday present there! I then made my way into the big top! Exciting much?! Ah yes! I was seated on the side, but it really didn’t matter at all, I still had a great view of the stage!
The pre-show entertainment started with two comic guys running round, telling jokes, doing little acts, humiliating people in the audience and generally just getting the audience excited!
The show started with a spectacular bang as performers came out, dancing around, balancing on one hand, twirling from the ceiling and doing some seriously impressive flips. I am not pushing the truth when I was Cirque du Soleil is one of the most visually incredible things I have ever seen. And I have been to a lot of shows. Everything from the music, the singing, the costumes, the way the stage was laid out and each individual act took my breath away.
My favourite would have to be the synchronised trampoline act - that was really quite amazing. As were the guys who jumped through hoops, some of which were so small and so far off the ground. It was quite an amazing spectacle.
The whole family is going to love what Cirque du Soleil has to offer. It is really quite special and well worth the ticket price. Seize the opportunity and have a magical night out.
The Midnight Youth – The Brave Don’t Run
If you’re a Kiwi and haven’t heard of these guys yet then you have clearly been living under a hole. After forming in 2006 and breaking onto the New Zealand music scene in a big way in 2008 these guys are taking over! Their first single ‘The Letter’ was met with widespread acclaim across New Zealand in 2008 followed by ‘All on our own’ in 2009 which reached number 6 on the New Zealand charts. Their latest single ‘Learning to Fall’ is just as popular and their video for this song was filmed in New York and has been a hit across the country.
All of these songs, plus seven others, are on The Midnight Youth’s debut album ‘The Brave Don’t Run’ – a line taken from the first track on the album, Cavalry. My favourite thing about this album is that there is something for everyone. It’s not one of those albums where all the songs have the same sound with similar subjects. All the songs are different and have completely different sounds than the other. Golden Love is a winner with its soft lullaby-type tune and Tijuana contrasts this nicely with a more upbeat sound. My favourite song, however, is by far Benjamin, which is totally different than anything else on the album, perhaps part of the reason I love it! It’s catchy and a great tune to dance to in the comfort of your own room where no one else can see you.
Lead singer Jeremy Redmore has one of the best voices I have heard come out of New Zealand in a number of years and his voice is accompanied by the skills of Simon Oscroft, Nick Campbell, Matt Warman and Aidan Bartlett. One thing I love about The Midnight Youth which you may not find in that many bands these days is their sound is not computer altered. All they need is their instruments and they’re good to go. They sound just as good live as they do on the CD unlike other artists (cough, Lady Gaga, cough)
This album is good from track one through to track ten. If you buy it on itunes you even get a bonus track, their first single ‘Supernatural’ which I personally think is a great song. If you buy the CD you get the awesome artwork that comes in the booklet. Tough decision, but whatever you do, get yourself a copy. This is an album not to be missed, these guys are great, and if I do say so myself they’re New Zealand’s next big thing.
All of these songs, plus seven others, are on The Midnight Youth’s debut album ‘The Brave Don’t Run’ – a line taken from the first track on the album, Cavalry. My favourite thing about this album is that there is something for everyone. It’s not one of those albums where all the songs have the same sound with similar subjects. All the songs are different and have completely different sounds than the other. Golden Love is a winner with its soft lullaby-type tune and Tijuana contrasts this nicely with a more upbeat sound. My favourite song, however, is by far Benjamin, which is totally different than anything else on the album, perhaps part of the reason I love it! It’s catchy and a great tune to dance to in the comfort of your own room where no one else can see you.
Lead singer Jeremy Redmore has one of the best voices I have heard come out of New Zealand in a number of years and his voice is accompanied by the skills of Simon Oscroft, Nick Campbell, Matt Warman and Aidan Bartlett. One thing I love about The Midnight Youth which you may not find in that many bands these days is their sound is not computer altered. All they need is their instruments and they’re good to go. They sound just as good live as they do on the CD unlike other artists (cough, Lady Gaga, cough)
This album is good from track one through to track ten. If you buy it on itunes you even get a bonus track, their first single ‘Supernatural’ which I personally think is a great song. If you buy the CD you get the awesome artwork that comes in the booklet. Tough decision, but whatever you do, get yourself a copy. This is an album not to be missed, these guys are great, and if I do say so myself they’re New Zealand’s next big thing.
Madame Butterfly in Concert
After seeing Miss Saigon earlier in the year I was keen to see the Opera version which tells a similar story. The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra were involved in this ‘opera in concert’ performance for one night only. The Auckland town hall was packed with people of all ages all eager to see the performance. The cast members stood at the front of the stage singing into microphones while a small chorus sat at the back of the stage. The cast were fantastic, and for those of us who don’t speak any language than English and weren’t entirely sure what was going on the translation was put onto a screen for all to follow the story.
Although I enjoyed the concert as a whole, it was Svetlana Katchour playing Cio-Cio-San that really took my breath away. From her first entrance in a wedding dress right through to her suicide at the end, her stage presence, her ability to act the part wholeheartedly while standing on the spot and most importantly her incredible voice made the concert something truly memorable.
The only thing I could really comment on is that I feel they could have used a real child to be ‘Madame Butterfly’s’ son. Instead they used a photo and pretended the child was there before them.
The story overall was heartbreaking, more so than Miss Saigon (as Kim is truly loved by Chris in Miss Saigon), however Madame Butterfly is never truly loved by her ‘husband’ and despite her waiting year after year, he does not care enough to return until the knowledge that a child exists. There were times that I had to blink back the tears due to the harsh reality that everyone knew Madame Butterfly was about to meet.
This concert was a one night only event, however if you ever get the chance to see the opera performance of it, don’t miss out, particularly if you’re an opera lover.
Although I enjoyed the concert as a whole, it was Svetlana Katchour playing Cio-Cio-San that really took my breath away. From her first entrance in a wedding dress right through to her suicide at the end, her stage presence, her ability to act the part wholeheartedly while standing on the spot and most importantly her incredible voice made the concert something truly memorable.
The only thing I could really comment on is that I feel they could have used a real child to be ‘Madame Butterfly’s’ son. Instead they used a photo and pretended the child was there before them.
The story overall was heartbreaking, more so than Miss Saigon (as Kim is truly loved by Chris in Miss Saigon), however Madame Butterfly is never truly loved by her ‘husband’ and despite her waiting year after year, he does not care enough to return until the knowledge that a child exists. There were times that I had to blink back the tears due to the harsh reality that everyone knew Madame Butterfly was about to meet.
This concert was a one night only event, however if you ever get the chance to see the opera performance of it, don’t miss out, particularly if you’re an opera lover.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time By Mark Haddon
I bought this book after seeing the controversy it caused on the Trademe message boards one day. One mother was up-in-arms about the fact that her 14-year-old son had been given this book to read at school simply because the cover has a dead dog with a garden fork through its stomach on it. If the mother had taken the time to read the book herself she would see that (well in my opinion) it is perfectly okay for 14 year olds to read. It is quite a simple book and didn’t take me too long to read but I found it quite interesting. Although it doesn’t have a clear story it still managed to suck me in and I was desperate to find out what happened next.
The story follows 15-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone, who suffers from autism yet has a brilliant mind, particularly when it comes to mathematics. Christopher comes across the dead body of his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, who has been stabbed with a garden fork. After being blamed for the death of the dog, Christopher embarks on a quest to discover who is responsible for the crime.
Although the story itself doesn’t sound that riverting, which I suppose it really isn’t that interesting, what sets the story apart from other books I have read is the way the author has shown how Christopher’s mind works. You see the way Christopher works through the problems, calms himself down, sticks to what he knows and even how frequently he uses math problems as a way of passing time. You begin to understand the reasons why those with autism may avoid eye contact, not wish to be touch and being unable to read other people through their facial expressions and eye movements. Behaviour such as hand flapping, rocking, head banging are all symptoms that you would regularly see in autistic people yet it is not until reading this book that I began to understand just how ingrained this behaviour is into those suffering from autism.
If you are interested in all at getting into the brain of an autistic person at all, give this book a go. I really enjoyed it, it is a little strange but very informative.
The story follows 15-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone, who suffers from autism yet has a brilliant mind, particularly when it comes to mathematics. Christopher comes across the dead body of his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, who has been stabbed with a garden fork. After being blamed for the death of the dog, Christopher embarks on a quest to discover who is responsible for the crime.
Although the story itself doesn’t sound that riverting, which I suppose it really isn’t that interesting, what sets the story apart from other books I have read is the way the author has shown how Christopher’s mind works. You see the way Christopher works through the problems, calms himself down, sticks to what he knows and even how frequently he uses math problems as a way of passing time. You begin to understand the reasons why those with autism may avoid eye contact, not wish to be touch and being unable to read other people through their facial expressions and eye movements. Behaviour such as hand flapping, rocking, head banging are all symptoms that you would regularly see in autistic people yet it is not until reading this book that I began to understand just how ingrained this behaviour is into those suffering from autism.
If you are interested in all at getting into the brain of an autistic person at all, give this book a go. I really enjoyed it, it is a little strange but very informative.
Fearless - Taylor Swift
I bought this album, Fearless, on a whim. As you do sometimes. I enjoyed her song Love Story which had been bashed to death on the radio by that stage and i’d heard a lot about her (mostly due to her relationships with Joe Jonas) so when I saw her album I decided I might as well give it a listen! The first time I played it, I felt that all the songs were rather similar, of course all were country but they all seemed to have the same sort of beat, more or less be about boys/relationships/love. After listening to the CD a few times I was able to appreciate each song for itself and decided although it all is very ‘country’ the songs are quite distinguishable from each other.
My favourite song is still ‘You belong with me’ but I also love ‘Love Story’ and ‘Teardrops on my guitar’, although you may not want to be in an upbeat mood when you listen to that one. ‘Our Song’ is quite catchy also and good for an upbeat tune. I’m not a HUGE fan of ‘The Best Day’ or ‘Fifteen’ but overall I really like this album. The songs are catchy, the lyrics are good and it’s easy to sing along to. It’s also a bit different to the pop songs we’ve become accustomed to on the radio. This girl is bringing country back in a big way. Not since Billy Ray Cyrus have I really been interested in country songs, and even then I was only about six, doing some country dance with my school friends to Achy Breaky Heart!
If you haven’t listened to Taylor Swift yet (apart from her songs on the radio), give it a go. She’s got some talent and I applaud her for singing country songs in a world which is usually interested in completely different genres.
My favourite song is still ‘You belong with me’ but I also love ‘Love Story’ and ‘Teardrops on my guitar’, although you may not want to be in an upbeat mood when you listen to that one. ‘Our Song’ is quite catchy also and good for an upbeat tune. I’m not a HUGE fan of ‘The Best Day’ or ‘Fifteen’ but overall I really like this album. The songs are catchy, the lyrics are good and it’s easy to sing along to. It’s also a bit different to the pop songs we’ve become accustomed to on the radio. This girl is bringing country back in a big way. Not since Billy Ray Cyrus have I really been interested in country songs, and even then I was only about six, doing some country dance with my school friends to Achy Breaky Heart!
If you haven’t listened to Taylor Swift yet (apart from her songs on the radio), give it a go. She’s got some talent and I applaud her for singing country songs in a world which is usually interested in completely different genres.
Wall-E
By the time I got around to seeing Wall-E (only five days after its release) all the small children I know had already seen it, so I couldn’t use them as an excuse for going to an animated kid’s movie. Not that it mattered. The majority of people in the audience were over 18. Wall-E is about a time in the future where the earth has become so overrun by un-recycled waste and pollution that it can no longer support life, causing all humans to evacuate earth while a group of Wall-E robots would clean up the toxic waste. 700 years later, the humans are still living aboard their cruise ship in space, however on earth only one Wall-E robot remains.
Wall-E continues cleaning up the planet, but during the past seven centuries he has developed a personality and human-like emotions, including loneliness. Then he meets Eve, another robot sent to earth in an attempt to find plant life on Earth. Wall-E falls in love with Eve and does everything he can to protect her from the harsh conditions on earth. When a ship comes to collect Eve from earth, Wall-E’s love for her is put to the test and we see him go to the ends of the earth (and the universe) to protect Eve and recreate the love he had seen in old movies.
Aside from the love story between the two robots, and the antics they get up to on Earth and in Space, there is another story in the background. This is the story of the humans and the pollution that has made life on earth impossible. In the time this story takes place, humans have lost all dependence. They have become obese, are transported around the spacecraft in automated chairs, have face-to-face conversations with others via a screen, have their meals in liquid form and are extremely unaware of their surroundings. I’m pretty sure this was Disney Pixar’s way of saying ‘humans are pretty lazy and if we don’t get any better at looking after the Earth this is what is going to happen to us’.
The story had some tense moments which caused me to bite my nails, had some teary moments, and some very sweet moments. I did notice the second half of the film was pretty much overrun with the ‘Go Green’ message, but there isn’t any harm in that, so why not eh!
I really enjoyed this movie, not just because of the awesome animations but also the way the story progressed. Not only was it a love story between two robots and the extremes one of those robots would do to protect the one he loves, but it is also a story with an important message in it. Go and see it, it’s totally worth a look. It’s definitely a heartfelt movie, not one of those recent Disney movies that don’t have much of a moral to it, but almost like one of the original ones where you can leave feeling good about life. And you may also leave having a slight crush on a certain little robot. All good.
Wall-E continues cleaning up the planet, but during the past seven centuries he has developed a personality and human-like emotions, including loneliness. Then he meets Eve, another robot sent to earth in an attempt to find plant life on Earth. Wall-E falls in love with Eve and does everything he can to protect her from the harsh conditions on earth. When a ship comes to collect Eve from earth, Wall-E’s love for her is put to the test and we see him go to the ends of the earth (and the universe) to protect Eve and recreate the love he had seen in old movies.
Aside from the love story between the two robots, and the antics they get up to on Earth and in Space, there is another story in the background. This is the story of the humans and the pollution that has made life on earth impossible. In the time this story takes place, humans have lost all dependence. They have become obese, are transported around the spacecraft in automated chairs, have face-to-face conversations with others via a screen, have their meals in liquid form and are extremely unaware of their surroundings. I’m pretty sure this was Disney Pixar’s way of saying ‘humans are pretty lazy and if we don’t get any better at looking after the Earth this is what is going to happen to us’.
The story had some tense moments which caused me to bite my nails, had some teary moments, and some very sweet moments. I did notice the second half of the film was pretty much overrun with the ‘Go Green’ message, but there isn’t any harm in that, so why not eh!
I really enjoyed this movie, not just because of the awesome animations but also the way the story progressed. Not only was it a love story between two robots and the extremes one of those robots would do to protect the one he loves, but it is also a story with an important message in it. Go and see it, it’s totally worth a look. It’s definitely a heartfelt movie, not one of those recent Disney movies that don’t have much of a moral to it, but almost like one of the original ones where you can leave feeling good about life. And you may also leave having a slight crush on a certain little robot. All good.
Fig Jam - Comedian
They say laughter is the best medicine. In that case I have your prescription. One word, FigJam. Fig has been doing stand-up comedy since 2005, and trust me when I say, he does it well. His act at The Classic began with some incredibly amusing stories about previous girlfriends, complete with near perfect impersonations of how each situation played out. When someone says they’ve lost sixty kilos, would you expect it would be sixty kilos of girlfriend? Not so much! Fig is witty and clever in the way he brings these stories to life, playing off audiences’ reactions and using their input to sharpen his act. These stories were highly entertaining, and judging by the reaction of fellow audience members, I was not the only one enjoying it!
Fig was the second act of the night and having listened to MC Brendhan Lovegrove, also a very funny comedian, and the previous act Jesse Mulligan, Fig was able to incorporate aspects of the previous acts into his own. There was an older woman, from Kerikeri, sitting at the front of the room. Brendhan Lovegrove was thrown slightly off track by her responses to his banter about Kerikeri. Who would expect an older woman to tell a comedian they have great ‘red lights’ in Kerikeri!!? Fig played off this woman skilfully using not only the fact they both are from up north, but also from her outrageously funny responses to Kerikeri jokes.
Although the audience were what could be called ‘a tough crowd’, Fig’s jokes, stories and impersonations about his life, other countries and people in the audience were certainly crowd pleasers as he managed to bring the room to life. After a long and busy week my usual routine is to curl up with a blanket, hot chocolate and DVD. I am so pleased I broke away from my usual way to chill out and got along to watch some stand up comedy. Stand up comedy is not particularly for the sensitive or easily offended, particularly if you’re going to cry in the bathroom as soon as you get picked on by Fig, or whoever is performing, for the colour of your hair, occupation, clothing style or most common excuse to pick on someone, your country or city of origin. I’m quite glad I kept to myself the fact i’m from Christchurch, i’m sure the German and Australian up the front wish they had kept their mouths shut also! However, if you have friends and relatives visiting from overseas, particularly Australia, it would be a great place to take them, especially if you tell Fig where they’re from!
I truly believe we’re going to see great things in the comedy world from FigJam. After all, he’s only been doing stand up comedy for four years and has already been nominated by the comedy guild for the best newcomer award! He’s one to watch! Go follow him, get to his shows. Laughter really is the best medicine after a long, busy or downright bad week and Fig is the one to give it to you. Get down to the Classic, check out a show! I sure will be! Follow him here; comedy.co.nz, myspace.com/kiwifig or search Fig Jam on Facebook!
Fig was the second act of the night and having listened to MC Brendhan Lovegrove, also a very funny comedian, and the previous act Jesse Mulligan, Fig was able to incorporate aspects of the previous acts into his own. There was an older woman, from Kerikeri, sitting at the front of the room. Brendhan Lovegrove was thrown slightly off track by her responses to his banter about Kerikeri. Who would expect an older woman to tell a comedian they have great ‘red lights’ in Kerikeri!!? Fig played off this woman skilfully using not only the fact they both are from up north, but also from her outrageously funny responses to Kerikeri jokes.
Although the audience were what could be called ‘a tough crowd’, Fig’s jokes, stories and impersonations about his life, other countries and people in the audience were certainly crowd pleasers as he managed to bring the room to life. After a long and busy week my usual routine is to curl up with a blanket, hot chocolate and DVD. I am so pleased I broke away from my usual way to chill out and got along to watch some stand up comedy. Stand up comedy is not particularly for the sensitive or easily offended, particularly if you’re going to cry in the bathroom as soon as you get picked on by Fig, or whoever is performing, for the colour of your hair, occupation, clothing style or most common excuse to pick on someone, your country or city of origin. I’m quite glad I kept to myself the fact i’m from Christchurch, i’m sure the German and Australian up the front wish they had kept their mouths shut also! However, if you have friends and relatives visiting from overseas, particularly Australia, it would be a great place to take them, especially if you tell Fig where they’re from!
I truly believe we’re going to see great things in the comedy world from FigJam. After all, he’s only been doing stand up comedy for four years and has already been nominated by the comedy guild for the best newcomer award! He’s one to watch! Go follow him, get to his shows. Laughter really is the best medicine after a long, busy or downright bad week and Fig is the one to give it to you. Get down to the Classic, check out a show! I sure will be! Follow him here; comedy.co.nz, myspace.com/kiwifig or search Fig Jam on Facebook!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)