Angels Cry

Mariah Carey cops a bit of flak sometimes but she can produce a corker of a song.
One such song is the ballad (she just doesn't get the ballads wrong) Angels Cry from the Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel album.
That album was a bit patchy but there are four or five excellent songs there. She's not as consistent as she used to be. I really think she needs to go back and listen to her Music Box, Daydream and Butterfly albums and go back to the future a bit.
This version of Angels Cry features Ne-Yo but it doesn't detract from the awesomeness of the song and perhaps adds a bit.

The Twilight Saga:Eclipse

There was a bit of pressure, for mine, on Eclipse , the third in the Twilight series.

I'd always thought it would translate best to the screen and it certainly lived up to that expectation and in many ways exceeded my hopes.

There are times when the makers have taken a bit of licence, like when they show you how Riley (Xavier Samuel) is created at the beginning.

If I have a criticism it is that they tended to rush things in the first 20 minutes. I thought they could have taken a bit more time to get to the realisation that Victoria was back and hunting Bella again.

It's also a shade disappointing that Alice didn't get to kidnap Bella, get her yellow Porsche and have Rosalie tell Bella her story in the right context. Her story was told well, I thought, but the context was wrong.

They don't take anything away from the film as a whole but as someone who has read the book it stood out quite a bit.

In Eclipse, Bella (Kristen Stewart) is caught in the tug of war between Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) until the two sides have to come to an uneasy truce in order to protect her from Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard, horribly miscast but what can you do) who is bent on avenging her mate's death.

She creates an army of newborn vampires to do her bidding so that Alice can't see when she's going to strike.

All this leads to a number of very well done scenes from the book, such as when the vampires and werewolves are chasing Victoria between their two territories, when Jasper is showing the wolves how to battle newborns and the fight scenes when they eventually attack.

Eclipse also features a number very excellently placed comic lines, including one crack by Edward aimed at Jacob (''don't you own a shirt''), and one back the other way (''I'm hotter than you'').

In all I thought this was easily the best of the three so far and now the 12 month or so wait until part one of Breaking Dawn begins.

They're going to have to be careful in making Breaking Dawn. There's some pretty controversial (for want of a better word) stuff in that book and they are right in splitting it in half. Anyway, an 8.5 out of 10 for Eclipse - but it's still preferred if you're a fan.

Ups and downs

Things have been a bit mixed of late.
I'm sure it is in large part due to the reduction I've undertaken in the medication department.
I certainly don't like it. I don't like feeling flat a lot of the time.
It takes me back a few years to when things were pretty awful and I really don't want to go back there either.
Being more positive is good in theory and I do try it, I guess I'm not as persistent as I need to be.
The best way to describe how things are overall is that when I feel like that, flat and not necessarily entirely happy, I'm an easy target.
Little things that you brush off I notice, whether it is an internal feeling or a reaction to an external event, something a friend says or just a random event.
I will admit I've taken a hit or two this week. As to what it was I think it's best to just leave it at that. Confessing to thinking things I shouldn't (just about disappointments really) aren't going to get me anywhere.
I just hope this acknowledgement is a start towards getting over this speed bump that is starting to look more like a crest.

MJ, a year on...

It's been 12 months since Michael Jackson died - can you believe it?
I still remember arriving at work and seeing the news that he'd collapsed and the disbelief. People like him, well, that doesn't happen.
It's quite ironic that his last album was called Invincible, isn't it.
Just caught a bit of a concert from the 1997 HIStory tour featuring Stranger In Moscow and Smooth Criminal. He was unique. There'll never be a musical artist with as much raw talent as him ever again, I'd say.
A year ago I listed My top 5 Michael Jackson songs on this blog. I think the list still stands but there are a heap of great songs that didn't make the top five.

Animal Kingdom

It's always hard to approach a film that has been given five star reviews with low expectations and this was the challenge ahead of Animal Kingdom .

Now I'm not going to give it five stars but I will say now that it is one very good film, and one that gets better the more you think about it.

The central character is J (James Frecheville) who is taken in by his grandmother Janine (Jacki Weaver) when his mother overdoses and dies.

The family he is thrown into is one he's had little to do with since his mother had a fight with his grandmother over a game of cards.

Janine's family is involved in various illegal activities and is often playing cat and mouse with the cops. Andrew (Ben Mendelsohn), Barry (Joel Edgerton), Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) and Darren (Luke Ford) invite J into their world and he finds that it is a survival of the strongest.

A shocking event changes the tone of the film early on and from there it doesn't let go of you, there's an intense feeling that carries on right to the end. Very unsettling.

Interestingly, Animal Kingdom is low on the swearing. That's something I was surprised about but I also think it is a good thing because unnecessary swearing often ruins a film. Don't get me wrong there are a number of profanities at times but it's not overdone.

I won't go any further into the plot but the message you get from the film is a clear one.

And it is interesting to watch as the characters turn on each other in order to survive. It took a while for me to work out why it was called Animal Kingdom but in the end it is obvious.

The acting is superb, especially Mendelsohn and Stapleton and Weaver is surprising as the matriarch who may not be everything that she seems.

One of the better Australian films in a long time. It has its flaws but it's a solid 8 out of 10 for me.

Same horse, different jockey

The best way to describe what happened today, i.e. our new Prime Minister, is simple.
It's the same horse but a different jockey. I don't see how it affects me at all at this point or changes anything.
But it sure made for an easy news day.

Sandown excursion

Another excellent trip south of the border wrapped up yesterday, this time the aim was to see some of the controversial hurdle racing.

Now, I love the jumps. But there are some people who think it is cruel or whatever and I am not going to debate the pros and cons of it here, or anywhere for that matter.

That is my view and it is not going to change regardless of what any anti-jumps campaigner will say or chant.

After the plane got me to Melbourne 30 minutes later than anticipated I was on the hop a bit for the rest of the day as I tried to do everything I had planned.

Friday night I was at the Gertrude Hotel in Melbourne, just off Brunswick Street. It was a fairly nice pub where there was a lot of talk about the soccer and the AFL.

Being a bit early, I sat there and observed a bit before my friends arrived.

On Saturday I caught a train to Sandown racecourse, which was about a 40 minute ride.

Being a big fan of the jumps racing I was keen to see two horses in particular - the champion 'chaser Mazzacano and the up and coming star Black And Bent.

Unfortunately the champ was off his game and didn't feature but the new star certainly proved himself with a huge win in the Australian Hurdle.

There was a reasonable crowd on hand and it was great to not be the only one applauding as he careered away from the pack in the home straight. In fact, there was quite a reception for Black And Bent (pictured).

The weather was a lot milder than I had expected and planned for (which is a good thing) and this time there were no hailstorms!

Melbourne is a great place to visit, but I don't know if I'd want to live there.

The A-Team

I'd say Liam Neeson sums up the remake of the classic 80s TV show The A-Team best when he remarks 'overkill is under rated' late in the movie.

As mentioned a week or two ago when I saw The Losers, the expectations for this action-comedy were high. Not to mention that the bar was set pretty high by said film.

Well, the verdict is - The A Team definitely match it.

Completely over the top, the makers have definitely retained the feel of the TV series without the 80s hanging over its head.

The casting is pretty good. Neeson is a solid leader as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper's Face is charming though not as much the chameleon as his TV predecessor. (Also, given the amount of times his shirt was off I don't think a lot of attention was being paid to his face). Sharlto Copley (from District 9) wasn't an obvious choice as Murdock but he was an inspired one. Quinton Jones had by far the toughest job trying to follow in Mr T's footsteps as B.A. Baracus and, I have to say, didn't do too bad.

We all know the story by now. They get set up, break out of jail seeking revenge on those who set them up. Along for the ride is Jessica Biel as Captain Sosa, a former flame of Face (of course) who is trying to haul them in.

The character I enjoyed the most was definitely the CIA agent Lynch (Patrick Wilson). He's hard to describe, but he's the kind of bad guy who you barrack for for a while then enjoy seeing him get caught out.

Overall, The A Team was a great deal of fun, albeit over the top but you come to expect that. I gave the Losers 8 out of 10 and this definitely matched it. So, 8 out of 10 - not rocket science but high on enjoyment.

Now, for the sequel.....

Bring on August

Oh yeah! August 17 is the big day for season 7 on DVD.
It was an excellent season on the whole, a few teething problems but looking forward to the final season later this year.
And to think it's already the middle of June so this release is only two months away.

Acclimatisation

The cold snap has been interesting but in a way it's a good thing since I'm heading to Melbourne next weekend.
The weather there can be unpredictable but in all likelihood it is going to be colder than it is in Sydney. The last time I was there it was the weekend of the massive hail storm so who knows what I'm in for.
So this week's temperature drop represents a chance to acclimatise somewhat to the type of conditions I will experience down there.

More than just songlines

While a lot of today's popular music is vacuous and forgettable there are songs that really get under your skin if you listen to the words.
One such song, for me anyway, is the Lifehouse song Simon, from their No Name Face album of 2000. I've always loved it and been haunted by it.
The verse in italics is particularly poignant but the whole song gives me shivers.
I also changed the lyrics in my header for a while, ironically away from a Lifehouse song. The line is from the Savage Garden song 'I Don't Know You Anymore'.

Simon Lyrics

Catch your breath
Hit the wall
Scream out loud as you start to crawl
Back in your cage
The only place where they will leave you alone
'Cause the weak will seek the weaker
Until they've broken them
Could you get it back again
Would it be the same
Fulfillment to their lack of strength
At your expense
Left you with no defense
They tore it down

(Chorus) And i have felt the same as you
I've felt the same as you
I've felt the same

Locked inside
The only place
Where you feel sheltered
Where you feel safe
You lost yourself
In your search to find
Something else to hide behind

The fearful always preyed upon your confidence
Did they see the consequence
When they pushed you around
The arrogant build kingdoms made of the different ones
Breaking them 'til they've become
Just another crown

Refuse to feel
Anything at all
Refuse to slip
Refuse to fall
Can't be weak
Can't stand still
You watch your back
'Cause no one will

You don't know why they had to go This far
Traded your worth for these scars
For your only Company
Don't believe the lies that they told to you
Not one word was true
You're alright
You're alright
You're alright

Underestimation

I'm pretty sure I have underestimated how tough it would be to get off these darn anti-depressants.
Perhaps I've rushed it in reducing the dose because over the last few days I've had recurring headaches and a few other little things that lead me to believe I have been a bit hasty.
I'm actually just under two weeks ahead of the schedule so maybe I should try and stabilise for those couple of weeks and then look to reduce further.
It's frustrating because I really want to be not taking them, and that is over-riding the suspicion that I might actually still need them.

The Losers

The big question that The Losers was always going to throw up is just how high will they set the bar for The A-Team?

The answer - pretty darn high.

The Losers focuses on a five man team on a CIA mission in Bolivia who are left for dead after being betrayed. As you do they set out to seek revenge on the man responsible for them being abandoned, with the help of the obligatory beautiful mysterious woman.

Cliches aside, The Losers is still a pretty refreshing action-comedy. It features a cast of actors who aren't widely known (in the big-name sense) aside I guess from Chris Evans.

And it is Evans who steals the show as Jensen, the technical expert amongst the quintet. He's a bit on the camp side, wears outrageous T-shirts and has just about all the better scenes.

Leading the troupe is Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), there's Pooch (Columbus Short), Roque (Idris Elba) and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada), all of whom possess some special reason for being a part of the team.

One of the best things about The Losers is how it doesn't take itself seriously.

The bad guy Max (Jason Patric) is pretty standard spoilt brat rich guy trying to take over the world-type. But he does have a few moments of his own.

I think if you don't expect huge things then you're going to love this film. It's fun, there's plenty of action and it doesn't require a lot of hard work.

Clearly aimed at The A-Team market, as I said, this film has set a high bar for the 80s TV reboot and it will be interesting to see if it can match this. An 8 out of 10.

What, you've never seen a hypocrite before?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I caved.
I gave in to the facebook phenomenon today after a short discussion with a friend yesterday. But I hereby swear to delete my profile if I feel it is not useful.

* by the way, the header comes from an episode of The Big Bang Theory.

OK, I admit it

One for the 'guilty secrets' file.
I have to admit that I really enjoy the TV show Glee. It's really silly but for some reason highly enjoyable.
Perhaps it is the fact they drag out classic songs to cover each week, I don't know. But it is something I will casually flick over to from time to time.

Retro week

I had a fairly good time away but it did feel a bit like retro week at times.
On Sunday I went tenpin bowling at the old centre I used to go to when I was in high school - there's a swanky new one in town but I think proximity dictated where we went in the end.
I bowled two games with a very competitive eight-year-old who didn't really get the fact that him getting 82 to my 117 was a pretty good effort.
Later that day I was flicking channels and came across two classic films from the 80s. The first was Girls Just Want To Have Fun starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt, Shannen Doherty and Johnathan Silverman. I had this weird experience while watching parts of it because for some reason I knew the lines coming up even though I wouldn't have seen that film for 20 years at least.
Then came the Mel Brooks classic Spaceballs. Now this was a time, for those Gen-Y people, when parodies of films were done with class and tongue in cheek. It's a send up of Star Wars essentially and it's pretty funny even today.
A few days ago I played bingo to continue my retro week. I even won something! For such a simple game it can be very frustrating but it was a bit of a laugh overall.
Then to finish off was good old Hey Hey It's Saturday (on a Wednesday night). Talk about flashbacks, used to watch it religiously at home on an early Saturday evening.

Intermission

Off on a break and I've decided to ignore my blog until I get back.
It's just nice to get away from things from time to time.

Brothers

Any movie with Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman in it is going to come with pretty high expectations from me.

Sadly, despite it having some excellent moments, Brothers doesn't meet those expectations.

Sam Cahill (Maguire) is sent to Afghanistan leaving his wife Grace (Portman) and two young daughters and recently paroled brother Tommy (Gyllenhaal). When Sam is assumed dead Tommy takes over the role of father figure to his nieces, quite against his character.

In doing so Tommy earns the respect of his father Hank (Sam Shepard) and gets pretty close with Grace, so much so they share a kiss.

When Sam is found and returns home he's overcome with suspicion that Tommy has usurped him and is haunted by what happened in Afghanistan.

This all sounds really gripping and a good basis for a film but, for me, something went wrong.

It lacked tension for one thing.

When Sam and another soldier were held captive in Afghanistan there were some very amazingly harrowing scenes, in a bizarre way the highlight of the movie. It didn't transfer to the time when Sam came home and couldn't cope.

There were a few scenes depicting his struggle but you never really got into his mind. Tommy's transition to the perfect brother was a bit too easy and Grace was a bit too strong for my liking.

I know I'm being pretty critical here but with the three aforementioned actors all very capable, it's a shame that the story wasn't fleshed out more. It was far too slow for no reason, they took a long time to get where they were going then it ended abruptly and unsatisfyingly.

As much as I like Maguire as an actor I feel he may have been miscast. I couldn't buy him as an army captain.

Given I expected to be blown away by this movie I have to say I'm very let down. There were moments but not enough to have me captivated and moved, which is what the makers were going for I'm sure. A 6 out of 10.

A bit of a stretch

There was a moment yesterday when I seriously thought I was, at best, going to throw up and at worst maybe pass out.
It was shortly after completing a pilates class, my first ever, something I think I seriously underestimated in terms of what it takes out of you if you haven't done anything like that in a very long time.
It took a little bit of time before I started to feel better but actually I was surprised how quickly I bounced back, especially after feeling quite shaky when the class finished.
So this morning I have fairly sore hamstrings but otherwise feel pretty good.
I'm not rushing out to do another class tomorrow but next time, which will probably be in a couple of weeks, I'll not only know what I'm in for but will be able to pace myself better.
I guess, as my friend Simon (who I do thank for encouraging me to go) pointed out, I did push myself a little bit more than I should have.
I do have to say that I find gyms pretty intimidating and that doesn't help!
Then last night I had an unexpected run in with the fuzz.
Driving home from dinner in Parramatta, I was trying to work my way through a few side streets when the lights began flashing above the car behind me.
For a few seconds there I was thinking, 'I didn't indicate at my last turn' and 'I hope this isn't a one way street'. Then I was randomly breath tested, my licence checked and I was on my way.
As someone who doesn't drink alcohol I've got to be careful what I say when they ask 'have you had anything to drink tonight' because I don't want to come across as smug even though I'm pretty sure I'm thinking that they're wasting their time testing me.
Anyway, a bit of R&R today after an eventful Saturday.

Eight and out

It's great news that One Tree Hill will get the chance to wrap up properly with a season eight.

Whether it is a 12/13 episode season or a full 22 doesn't really matter to me. I'd just like the show, which has been exceptional over the seven seasons so far, to end well and in a way that can be planned - not like the shooting of two season finals for this year just in case it was cancelled.

SPOILER ALERT

So the shooting scene at the end was one that I certainly didn't see coming. It was one of those special 'oh my God' moments.

But it's pretty easy to see that both Clay and Quinn will survive.

After what Haley has been through, the death of either character would just about destroy her so I think it's a safe bet.

Plus, Clay must have the opportunity to deal with his stalker who thinks she's his dead wife.

I'd like to see them get Lucas and Peyton back for an episode or two at the end, though their storyline was pretty well wrapped up in season six.

While I'm having a wish list, I'd like to see the return of the theme song for the final year.

Anyway, bring on season eight!

Circles

Ever get the feeling you're going around in circles?
For me, it happens just when I think I've got something worked out.
I performed a test today on a particular theory I have. Turns out there has been no progress.
Anyway, as far as things I might be able to change go I decided to take a break from my punting habits until I go to Melbourne in a month's time.
I think I need to do it to prove to myself again that I can. I also don't like the feeling I get if I've had a bad day.
I definitely need less negatives in life at the moment. Less negative relationships, less negative actions, less negative energy.
That's one thing I am positive about.

I Love You Too

One thing I can say about the Aussie romantic comedy I Love You Too is that it was a damn good try.

Without being too critical, it was the film's Aussie-ness that was its downfall as a successful film of the genre. The rom-com is not a genre attempted in Australia very much and what this film proves is that it can be done.

I'd just like to see the next attempt.

That out of the way there are some excellent things about I Love You Too, which was written by local comedian Peter Helliar.

Brendan Cowell is always good (I'm not just saying that because we were in the same year at uni) though he did look a bit uncomfortable at times. He plays Jim, a 30-something guy who has been dating Alice (Yvonne Strahovski) for over three years but can't say those three little words.

Of course, they break up and Jim sets out to try and get the magic words out of him before it's too late.

This leads him to Charlie (Peter Dinklage - easily the best thing about the movie), a short statured man who, despite Jim stealing his car, strikes up a friendship that ultimately helps them both.

Then there's Jim's best mate Blake (Helliar). A guy who seems to always be the wingman but who knows that Alice was the best girl Jim has ever been with.

Being a rom-com we all know where it's going to end but along the way there are some fantastic moments, again largely due to Dinklage (who was showstopping in Death At A Funeral).

I must admit to a soft spot for Yvonne Strahovski, who does a pretty good English accent as Alice. But to me she'll always be Sarah Walker, the CIA agent from the US series Chuck.

Megan Gale has a small role as an Italian supermodel and a touching scene with Dinklage, and even Hamish Blake (from Hamish & Andy fame) has a cameo.

You probably don't need to rush out to the movies to see this, it will transfer very nicely to the small screen, but it is worth a watch.

Just a shade too long, they didn't tie things up quickly enough, but it was a good effort for a rarely made type of film in Australia.

However, there was some crudeness there that I thought was unnecessary and didn't add to the movie, hence my comment about it being too Aussie. But, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

A 7 out of 10.

Go and jump

I'm getting tired of the anti-jumps racing people getting such a big run in the media, particularly on TV shows that don't understand racing.
Despite their vocality, these activists are very much in the minority yet because they are so loud they are getting far too much air time from everyone concerned.
Sure, I am naturally pro jumps racing.
The people who think it is cruel are being ignorant of the fact that this form of racing is saving horse's lives, not costing them.
Unfortunately, and I don't want to be negative, like most things in the world these days the minority will probably get its way. I sincerely hope it doesn't but if you scream for long enough someone is going to listen.

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 suffers somewhat from sequelitis but it is an enjoyable follow up to the surprise comic book adaptation of a couple of years ago.

I liken it a bit to Transformers 2 - good, some great action sequences, but not as slick and tight. There's a definite lull in the middle of Iron Man 2 that does make you tap your fingers waiting for them to get on with it.

We pick up the story in Russia where Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) vows to avenge his father's fate of banishment from the free world at the hands of Tony Stark's father. Vanko senior played a big role in developing the technology that has seen Stark create the Iron Man suit and Ivan gets to work on some electrics of his own.

We're also introduced to Natalie Rushman (the stunning in red hair Scarlett Johansson) who is selected by Stark to be his new assistant with the promotion of Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) to CEO of the company.

Robert Downey Jr is certainly revelling in playing such a narcissist and I think this is where things go awry in the middle.

The first half an hour is mind blowing. One of the great entrances of a villain belongs to Rourke's Vanko (also known as Whiplash). The last half an hour is similarly excellent.

So sit tight in the middle as we have to put up with the annoying Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell nails being a major tool here) trying to manipulate Vanko for his own gain. Idiot!

Rushman's connection with Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) is revealed also and the Avengers team is starting to come together.

(Just on the Avengers link, there's a scene at the end of the film, after the credits, giving us direction on where this is heading - next stop Thor.)

Iron Man 2 is enjoyable, great action sequences, some very good one liners and, did I mention Scarlett Johanssen kicking butt. There's also an almost unrecognisable Garry Shandling in there for good measure.

A 7.5 out of 10, but could have been better.

Hot Tub Time Machine

Here we go again. Another pretty good, if not new, idea that doesn't realise its potential.

Influenced I'd say by the success of films like The Hangover, Hot Tub Time Machine opted for crass over clever and instead of a witty, possibly black comedy, about the chance to revisit a time when you made choices and mistakes, we get a lowbrow (admittedly at times witty) comedy that really smacks of try hard.

It's got all the ingredients, including John Cusack, to be memorable but instead we get average.

Drawn together by an apparent suicide attempt by their friend Lou (Rob Corddry), Adam (Cusack) and Nick (Craig Robinson), along with Adam's nephew Jacob (Clark Duke from Kick-Ass) revisit Kodak Valley, a place they holidayed some 20 odd years earlier.

Finding it rundown and virtually deserted the quartet wind up in the hot tub which, as the name suggests, turns out to be a time machine and whisks them back to 1986 and a pivotal night for the three who existed back then.

They really didn't do enough with the 80s setting here. Crispin Glover plays the bellhop Phil and the writers missed a brilliant opportunity for a funny moment. Lou says a line about wanting to get back to the present - I would have certainly written it as 'back to the future' in homage to Glover's presence in the film (he played George McFly in BTTF 1).

I must admit I had reasonable expectations.

Based on Cusack's involvement with director Steve Pink who wrote the screenplay for and co-produced the wickedly brilliant Grosse Point Blank and High Fidelity. Of course both feature Cusack and I reckon if they aimed a bit for the former film then Hot Tub may have been a real winner.

Sure, if you like your humour crass, childish and obvious then this will be right up your alley. If you expect more from a team that has proven its ability to make standout films then you will just see this as a shade better than pedestrian.

I had a few laughs but the bigger, and slightly ignored, stories of friendship, destiny and putting the past behind you would have made a better film. Not to mention all the time travel paradox stuff about changing the past to affect the future.

A 7 out of 10 - but they could have easily made a 9.

Anatomy of a good handshake

If there's one thing I appreciate it's a good solid handshake.

That may seem a strange thing to appreciate, but a person's handshake can tell you so much about them.

A few people I know have amazing handshakes.

They convey a lot of unspoken things.

There's a guy I know called Murray.

The first time I met him I was taken aback by his handshake because it was so different. It was firm, but not hand-breaking, and it gave me a very positive feeling. I actually mentioned to him how I appreciated his handshake and he said having a good handshake was something he was taught as a younger person.

Now, that was more than a year ago so my comments come from hindsight as I now know a bit more about him.

With the carnival being on for the last few weeks I've seen him every week and when I was leaving on Saturday we got into a conversation about a few things, football, plans for the rest of the weekend, etc.

After a rather ordinary first attempt at a farewell handshake we got it right, and I actually commented to him that I'd miss our weekly handshakes!

I don't know what it is but if I get a handshake that feels forced or doesn't encompass the hand properly it makes me wonder. I do get a few that make me wonder from time to time.

So I'd say next time someone shakes your hand have a think about what it is telling you, you might discover something you didn't realise before.

Coming Down

Later this week I'm starting the process of coming off the anti-depressants I've been on for the best part of three years.
I have tried once before but it was an ill-conceived attempt so I'm taking a much more methodical approach to the reduction. My long term aim is to be completely off them by the end of the year.
I know that is pretty long term, and I may actually achieve it sooner, but that's the realistic goal.
The next six weeks will determine whether it will happen faster or not.
I'm reducing by one-third over the next six weeks. If everything works well then, after a short period of stability, I'll try for a further reduction.
Maybe once I'm completely off them I can have a glass of wine to celebrate!

Kids caught up in the Storm

Aside from all the legal and moral implications of the Melbourne Storm's salary cap rorting, there's a big problem facing thousands of people across the eastern seaboard.
How do you explain this to the kids out there that run around in their Storm gear?
My eight-year-old nephew almost lives in his Storm jersey, he loves Billy Slater and follows the team closely.
How is he expected to understand why his team won't be able to win the premiership this year, why the 2007 and 2009 premierships have now been stripped and the intricacies of the matter.
Hopefully, if anything, he can be taught a lesson in cheating and in fairness and the consequences of what happens when you do wrong.
It's a pretty heartbreaking way to learn them though, to have a team and players you idolise now internationally embarrassed and their name, if not branded, associated with cheating.
For me, I'm a bit of a fan of the Storm. They're my second team after the Knights and one of my favourite players in the game is from Melbourne. I hope he's not one of the players who was receiving whatever bonuses were handed out.
I'm sure we'll find out in the coming days. It doesn't take long for the media to name names.

Thought for the day

It's been a pretty big day, so here's some timely perspective from Michael J. Fox I came across in an article in the paper today.
We all know his story by now.

''I have to tell people, if you live long enough, something bad will happen to you. No matter what it is, loss of job, economic downturn, major illness, it will happen. You can see it as a calamity or you can own it and absorb it and accept it. Then allow time to pass and then view it for what it is, an opportunity.''

Some wise words I reckon and I'd like to think I can take it on board myself when I've had a hard day.

Bazinga

If you're up for a good laugh check out this clip from The Big Bang Theory featuring one of the funniest characters in a sitcom for years - Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons).
If you already watch this show then you'll know all about Sheldon. If not then let's just say he's incredibly smart yet very naive, a bit playful and a bit psycho.
The best way to describe him though came on the show, 'he's one lab accident away from being a super villain'.
Enjoy.

Truth is a double-edged sword

If I learned one thing this week it is this.
You can portray the truth (or honesty) as being something that is crucial in any relationship, be it with a work colleague, friend, partner, whatever. But if you do you have to be prepared that the truth might not be what you thought it was. Or what you'd hoped.
I learned a few truths this week and, fortunately, they were learned somewhere in the middle of the 'easy way' and the 'hard way'.
I learned one particular truth about myself. Well it was something I kind of already knew but tend to fail to acknowledge most of the time.
As always there is damage when you're honest and upfront. It's just a matter of whether the wound was just superficial, if it will heal or if it will bleed.

Kick-Ass

This wickedly ridiculous but hugely entertaining film has certainly caused some controversy. Should pre-teen girls be encouraged to become foul mouthed, knife-weilding/gun toting vigilante super heroes?

Certainly not.

But in sending up the super hero genre Kick-Ass has raised that debate.

Anyway, geeky teen Dave Lizewski decides he should be the world's next superhero and dons a remarkably superhero like scuba suit and becomes Kick-Ass following an attack by a couple of thugs.

With no obvious super hero, other than nerve loss due to the beating and a heap of Wolverine-like steel plates and invisibility to girls, Dave takes on the task of cleaning up the streets.

Soon we meet Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) and her father Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage channeling as much Batman as he can), who are much more experienced at being super heroes than Dave due to Big Daddy's desire for vengeance towards the man who put him in jail.

As I've said this action-comedy is ridiculous but I think it means to be.

It's so over the top. There's the teenage angst and masturbation jokes, the comic book super hero spoofs and adages - 'with no power comes no responsibility' - and I reckon Dave's house looks a lot like Aunt Mae's from Spider-Man.

The conclusion with the super hero Red Mist (Chris Mintz-Plasse) is similarly ridiculous and leads us to the disturbing thought that they are thinking sequel.

I certainly hope not. This wouldn't be as funny the second time around.

Other than that thought, Kick-Ass is high on entertainment but also high on profanity. It gets pretty silly but Dave is a pretty good wannabe superhero and that helps.

An ass kicking 8 out of 10.

Star struck

Derby Day at Randwick is usually a pretty big day and today was no exception.
Then midway through the afternoon I was standing in the enclosure and Shannon Noll walked up near me as he waited to sing the national anthem.
Being one of my favourite singers I took the opportunity to go over and shake his hand (good handshake too, which I like).
In the end I had about a five minute chat with him while suppressing the excited fan inside me. I'd have just been happy with the quick hello! I also had a photo taken with him but I'll keep that to myself.
I have to say he impressed me. I told him about how much I loved a few of his songs in particular - notably his cover of What About Me and also the song Lift - and how the latter came around a time when I needed to hear it.
It's a shame my nephew wasn't there today because he could sing What About Me before he could talk coherently, or close to it.
Hopefully I didn't babble too much. He said there is new music coming soon from him, which is great. I'm not usually so star struck but it was great that he came across as 'normal' in person as he does in interviews.
While the work side of my day was a blur I have to say meeting Shannon was a massive highlight.
Randwick got an awesome day for once for their big race meeting and it was really a pleasant day out there. Aside from meeting and 'idol' I caught up with a couple of friends I haven't seen for a bit. So a memorable day all around.

Why is it a Bunny?

On the way to the shop to grab the newspaper this morning I came across a rabbit.
He or she was just minding its own business on the side of the pavement in front of an area of scrub and trees. It was pretty tame, or at least not jumpy at all, and I stood there for a few minutes watching it.
As I went on my way I wondered why is a rabbit, or bunny, the symbol of Easter?
And why do they deliver eggs? Rabbits can't lay eggs, chickens do. So why isn't it the Easter Chook?
I consulted the all knowing Wikipedia for some answers.
Apparently bringing eggs is a tradition that began in Germany in the 1600s. Because Easter falls in the spring in the northern hemisphere the rabbit, or hare, became a symbol due to its prolific breeding habits. Just like at Christmas, apparently only good children received eggs at Easter.
Of course these practices have become commercialised to the point that Easter Eggs are available for purchase shortly after Christmas.
I'm not entirely sure I'm satisfied with the origin of the Easter Bunny and it's actually quite disturbing that a rabbit delivers eggs for you to eat.
It's a good thing that they're generally pretty cute creatures - but, still, it's a bit icky.

Oh, by the way this was my 800th post. Can't believe it.

Alice In Wonderland

We all know the story, now Tim Burton has given his dark and quite out there version of Alice In Wonderland and it is exactly what you'd expect from him - dark and out there.

Despite my earlier post complaining about the 3D prices I have wanted to see the film for a while so ended up going anyway. However, I did take my own 3D glasses which I had, happily, kept from seeing Avatar.

Burton's Alice is a 19-year-old girl who is about to be forced into a marriage she doesn't want - until she spots the White Rabbit and follows him into the woods and eventually down a hole.

Once in Wonderland, which is apparently actually called Underland but Alice (Mia Wasikowska) when she was a child at her first visit had given it her own name.

The characters are all there - Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Tee, the Cheshire Cat, the March Hare and of course Johnny Depp's demented Mad Hatter. There's also the wonderful Alan Rickman as the Blue Caterpillar - seriously, Rickman is marvellous as always despite the smallness of the role.

The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) is wonderfully wacky and has a very short fuse. I have to admit to loving every time she screamed 'off with their head!'

Far less animated is the White Queen (Anne Hathaway who again proves herself a weak link).

Given all the hype surrounding Alice In Wonderland, expectations were high. I have to surmise that on that score it was a shade disappointing. However, it was still a worthy attempt. I think Burton just tried a bit too hard to give the classic tales (both Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass) too much of the Burton-weirdness.

It was an enjoyable movie, brilliant at times, but overall left me feeling that he could have made an absolute corker of a film, but didn't. The 3D was well used but I get the sense that it doesn't really matter whether you see it in the enhanced version or not.

Next time, maybe, Tim. A 7 out of 10.

My '16 Candles' moment

If you've ever seen the classic 80s film 16 Candles, you'll recall that Molly Ringwald's character Sam's 16th birthday is overlooked by her family.
This leads her to exclaim - 'I don't believe it, they f***ing forgot my birthday!'.
Well it was my birthday earlier this week and my housemate forgot. He was tipped off around the 8.30pm mark by another friend but I couldn't help but recall the 16 Candles moment.
Granted, my milestone was far less significant than a teenage girl's 16th. Still, it was a shade on the disappointing side that someone you've lived with for more than half a decade could be unaware of your birthday.
On one hand, though, it wasn't surprising and a shade amusing in a way.

The 3D rip-off

Being cheap Tuesday I thought I'd head off for a movie after work.
I'd decided on Alice In Wonderland in 3D and when I went to get the ticket I was confronted with 'that's 20 dollars''.
20 bucks! Movies are supposed to be half that price on a Tuesday.
Upon registering my disgust at the ticket price I was told that 3D movies don't come under the cheap Tuesday banner.
Now that might be fair enough if they didn't already charge you extra for seeing a 3D film.
So instead of 10 bucks for the movie and 2 bucks for the 3D glasses (or so I thought) the cost was going to be the usual 17 for the movie, 2 for 3D plus and extra dollar for the glasses.
The only 3D films I've seen have not charged the 3D surcharge and just 2 bucks for glasses.
I decided in protest I wouldn't go today because it's ridiculous that they are already charging extra for the 3D movie so why can't the ticket price come down for cheap Tuesday?

The last ten years

I'm not going to attempt to sum up the entirety of the last decade here but I've been thinking a bit about what has happened since 2000.
In chronological order (to the best of my memory) this is a rundown of some events that are notable for various reasons.

I bought my current car
I watched a number of events at the Sydney Olympic Games
I started working at my current place of employment
I appeared on a TV game show
I went on a holiday I won to Moreton Island
I watched in horror on TV as the World Trade Centre came down
I held my nephew on the day he was born
I went to my 10 year high school reunion
I had a job on radio
I moved in with my current housemate
I had my car stolen
I met Andrew Johns
I was diagnosed with a chronic illness
I changed jobs within the company
I made several trips to Melbourne for the races
I met a heap of awesome people, some of whom have had a significant impact on me

It's amazing when you think of ten years as around 3650-odd days. A lot happens in that time - a lot happens in one day sometimes. Friends have come and gone, some are still around, I'm not sure how much closer to understanding myself compared to 2000.
It's safe to say I have learned a lot, had some highs and some pretty major lows.
In some ways I haven't changed much, in others I'm not the same person.

We Belong

Yesterday when I woke up I had this song in my head and it stuck with me most of the day. I'm not complaining, though.
A classic from the 80s, it's Pat Benatar's We Belong .
Always liked the song.
It popped up in a recent episode of One Tree Hill where the character Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) performs it as part of her concert, intertwined as the show does with other scenes. See that one here .
Funnily enough I didn't recognise it until it hit the chorus. She can sing and I thought it was a pretty good version.

Lights, camera, imagination!

I'm annoyed at the lack of imagination shown by film makers these days.
In reading through the latest Empire magazine I noted rumoured or confirmed reports that there could be a remake of Jaws, Fast and the Furious 5 (I do own all four so far but, come on), a Bourne prequel, Avatar 2, Mission Impossible 4. I could go on.
Seriously, where is the originality?
Now I know the reason we are getting so many sequels and remakes. It's because they are almost guaranteed to make money. And that is really all that matters to the studios.
But how many inane comedies, alleged romantic comedies and send-ups can we stand? How many more times must we watch the same predictable films?
Thankfully, if you look hard enough, there are some gems out there with an actual story to tell.
Over the last few years my top films each year have been the likes of Lars And The Real Girl, Reign Over Me, Brokeback Mountain, Into The Wild and Up In The Air is the front runner in 2010.
Personally, I'd rather be challenged by a well acted drama or laugh along with a deftly scripted comedy than all the trash we're getting.
Sure, I'll eat up the Hollywood blockbusters and I'm into the Twilight series (I'll be there when Eclipse opens in a few months). I am aware of some hypocrisy on my part but at least I'm aware of it. That doesn't mean I can't decry it.
Over the coming weeks I'd like to see movies such as Brothers, A Single Man and The Blind Side and hopefully I will get around to it.

The Men Who Stare At Goats

If you've got a proven cast and a good story then you're more than half way to making a good film. The Men Who Stare At Goats has an excellent cast with the likes of George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey and it has a story that's quite out there.

Thankfully the script gives the strong cast plenty to work with.

McGregor plays journalist Bob Wilton, a small town reporter who decides to ship himself off to Iraq when he is heartbroken by his wife leaving him for his editor.

When he arrives in the Middle East he is stranded in Kuwait until he meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney). The mention of a name from Lyn's past uncovers the story of a lifetime for Wilton.

Lyn is a member of a rather odd section of the army involved in psychic warfare. He believes he can manipulate people, animals and situations with his mind.

This leads to a number of hilarious situations as Lyn and Bob travel to Iraq. They are kidnapped, saved by a security service at war with another security service and other odd occurrences.

Along the way Lyn tells the story of how he came to be recruited into the New Age Army, led by a very hippy Bill Django (Bridges), and learned the power of the mind. Among the things he learned was how to kill a goat by staring at it and willing it to happen.

Spacey emerges as Lyn's nemesis, Larry Hooper, who has his own hilarious story involving his experiment with another officer using LSD.

Look, overall this is a really fun movie. It's well acted, as you would expect, and the references to the New Age Army as Jedi Warriors are marvellous when you consider McGregor's casting (in case I have to point it out, McGregor played jedi master Obe Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels).

A very clever comedy. A 7.5 out of 10.

A week after the storm

Last weekend I went to Melbourne for what is known as 'Super Saturday' at the races but as it turned out it was memorable for completely different reasons.

What is strange though is that when I arrived back in Sydney on Sunday how little some people knew about what happened in Melbourne the day before.

Despite the predictions of showers all weekend I didn't take an umbrella with me. Some may call that a rookie mistake when you're planning to go to Melbourne.

I arrived the Friday and it was very humid but no real signs of rain. I met up with a couple of friends for a drink (after overshooting my tram stop by one) and then headed for Crown Casino. That was mainly because I hadn't been there before and I thought I might as well check it out. I chatted to a guy called Bobby on the tram on the way (initiated by the need for some direction on my part) who was off to watch the AFL game on that evening.

Crown Casino is something else. It makes Star City look like a backroom poker lounge. It's also quite mesmerising and it's very easy to get disorientated. I suppose that's one of the tricks of casinos.

Anyway, the next day I headed off to Flemington for the races.

It was an awesome day weather wise and I arrived there on the train. If anything it was a shade on the hot side. I met up with Luke, a guy I work with (sort of), for a bit and settled in to watch the Newmarket Handicap.

You could see a storm coming. It came up a lot faster than anyone expected and five minutes after the race it started to rain. No more than five more minutes later it started to hail and we're talking golf ball size at least.

Flemington was virtually covered in darkness as the sheer volume of hail that was falling turned the setting from lush green grass to appearing to be covered in snow.

As a result of the freak storm the racecourse was flooded, the trains were knocked out and the races called off. I had to line up for a bus for about 40 minutes and ended up at Footscray train station to catch a train into the city.

Flinders St Station looked like a tidal wave had run through it, sections of road were covered in water and debris littered around town.

Quite an experience. Of course I was sheltered from the storm in more ways than one - I was under cover when the storm hit and of course had nothing valuable unprotected, unlike some whose cars were either covered in water or damaged by hail or both.

I have to say I've seen some big storms over the years but never anything like this. Lightning strikes that seemed to cut the sky in half, thunder that would put God's tenpin bowling team to shame and hail that left piles of ice everywhere.

Won't be forgetting that weekend.

It Is What It Is

I made reference to the fact in my previous post that I felt the new Lifehouse CD was a grower.
Well, I totally missed what is now clearly the best song on Smoke & Mirrors.
It Is What It Is contains all the emotional aspects, regarding sound and voice and lyrics, that set Lifehouse apart from most bands I've been a fan of.
Worth checking out, if you like your songs with lyrics you can understand and relate to and music that is played on real instruments.
Clearly this is a song about relationships hitting a hurdle and not knowing where to go.

I was only looking for a shortcut home
But it's complicated, so complicated
Somewhere in this city is a road I know
Where we could make it
But maybe there's no making it now

Too long we've been denying
Now we're both tired of trying
We've hit a wall and we can't get over it
Nothing to relive
It's water under the bridge
You said it. I get it.
I guess it is what it is

I was only trying to bury the pain
But I made you cry and now I can't stop the crying
Was only trying to save me but I lost you again
Now there's only lying
Wish I could say it's only me

Chorus

Here it comes ready or not
We both found out it's not how we thought
That it would be, how it would be
If the time could turn us around
What once was lost may be found
For you and me, for you and me

Chorus

I was only looking for a shortcut home
But it's complicated, so complicated

As I said I reckon Jason Wade is an awesome songwriter and he always seems to strike a chord with me, whether he is writing about love, loss or life.
I just keep coming back to it when I listen to Smoke & Mirrors, despite how much I love the album as a whole. From past experience this means it has really resonated.
Thanks for another classic, Jason!

Smoke & Mirrors

It's been a long time coming but the new Lifehouse CD Smoke & Mirrors was worth the wait.

The fifth album by the under-rated Americans, best known for their debut hit Hanging By A Moment, is another testament to Jason Wade's ability as a songwriter.

(As most people will be aware, I recently wrote about how crap music is these days so this is a welcome change from the trend).

Just like the previous album Who We Are this one takes a couple of songs to really hit its straps with Had Enough, the Chris Daughtry collaboration the first highlight.

The single release Halfway Gone isn't the greatest Lifehouse song out there but it has had this knack of sticking in my head lately.

The supreme moment on the album comes in the special song From Where You Are, released in the US as part of a safe driving campaign. It's a touching song about the time 'erased' when you lose someone through a road accident.

It deserved to be a massive hit.

The title track Smoke & Mirrors is a real grower. I like the analogy about a relationship once all the illusions are gone (the 'smoke and mirrors').

There's one song that is on the deluxe version of the album but because that wasn't available I downloaded it. The song is called Crash And Burn and it shouldn't be confused with the Savage Garden classic.

The Savage Garden song was an ode to friendship, Wade's song covers the topic from a different perspective. He sings about the comfort of knowing he has support.

Lifehouse don't disappoint despite the fact they rarely trouble the charts. And this is the fifth time they have released a listenable album and importantly one that grows with you.

It's at least as good as their fourth and better than their second album and the fact I added 10 songs from this one onto my ipod shows how much it appealed on first listen.

The Hurt Locker

I've got to start with this, I can't wait until the end - I'll be very disappointed if The Hurt Locker wins Best Picture at the Oscars.

It's not that it isn't a good movie - it is a good one - but it's just not 'Best Picture' good in my opinion.

Having said that I'm not sure Avatar is worthy of the gong either and I wonder if this is the one that has been picked to prevent the over-hyped film from winning the award (much like Crash in Brokeback Mountain's year).

That rant aside, The Hurt Locker is an interesting look into the lives and minds of men sent to war in Iraq.

After a cameo from Guy Pearce at the start we focus on Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner). On the surface he is a cavalier bomb defuser who seems unaffected by the trauma of going to war and the fact that he's risking his life every day.

His team members JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are acutely aware of the dangers involved, particularly Eldridge who is suffering severe emotional strain and wants to give in more than once.

This is a war film but above all else it is a film about human emotions, how we deal with extreme situations and the different ways we deal with them.

The two standouts are Renner and Geraghty. They have very polarised takes on their jobs with James not really affected by war, in fact he's hooked on it, until faced with a tragedy that is a little personal while Eldridge falls apart a number of times but dusts himself off when he's called on.

I must admit The Hurt Locker was a bit slow to begin but once the characters were given time to develop it really picked up. There are a number of disturbing scenes and a number of very powerful scenes and there is a level of tension at times though not a consistent one.

I am not a film maker, certainly not a director, so I don't want to knock anyone's achievement in making the film but I don't see what is so exceptional about this that warrants the hype (again, I say the same about Avatar aside from the groundbreaking effects and use of 3D - the story was very pedestrian) for both director and the overall film.

If that sounds negative towards the movie I don't mean it - I'm merely pointing out that, away from all the hype there is a good film in there with some excellent performances. But's that's all it is, a good film, a 7.5 out of 10 for me.

It's not a film you can say you 'enjoyed' but it is worthwhile, though I don't need to see it again.

The week that was

Where to start....

My first week back at work after holidays went pretty well, aided in part by starting the week on a Tuesday, and it was good to be back.

It was a pretty standard first couple of days then things got interesting (outside of work that is).

On Thursday evening I ventured up to Akuna Bay in Sydney's north for a boat ride.

Now I had been hesitant at times about heading out on the water, for reasons I don't need to go into, but it was an awesome time. While I didn't venture into the water it was just great cruising around and doing something that is out of the normal routine.

After a couple of hours we had to stop play because of bad light and headed in for a barbecue. One thing that was lacking was lighting but we made do. After a while we had a few visitors, some very cute possums came to check out what we were up to. If it weren't for the sharp claws I'd have wanted to grab one and pat him.

Anway, Friday arrived and I was invited to a special luncheon at Luna Park (pictured). A number of well known sporting stars were there and it's nice to see them in a different light.

Cricketer Stuart Clark was most impressive, his affable personality is something we don't see so much when the cameras are rolling.

There were plenty of stories told and I'll leave it at that - what happens at Luna Park stays at Luna Park!

Saturday I went to the races and today I enjoyed the day hanging out with a friend near the city.

We watched a movie, had some interesting and at times animated discussion and were rained on while walking back from the cinema. This friend has fast become a very good mate, and I feel fortunate to have met them.

So it's been a top week, and with a trip to Melbourne on the horizon for later this week there's plenty to look forward to.

Howzat

With a lacklustre cricket season out of the way I have to say I am looking forward to the start of the footy competitions.
While I follow rugby league more than AFL I do enjoy seeing how Victorians really love their game. Next weekend I'm heading to Melbourne (for the races) but the AFL's pre-season competition will be nearing its end and I remember last year being amazed at seeing the semi-finals of a pre-season comp airing on prime time TV.
That's how much they love it.
I think that the people who run cricket really ought to look at rugby league, and AFL to a lesser extent, and see that people enjoy a competition. Sure, some people go to or watch the cricket because they love it but, really, nobody enjoys a one sided game and that's what we have had this summer aside from one test match that Pakistan somehow managed to lose when they had it in the bag.
So, bring on the footy!

Holding The Man

A couple of weeks ago I came across a book that really floored me.
I don't recall being as engrossed and as traumatised by something since I saw the film 2:37 a few years back.
The book is Holding The Man by Timothy Conigrave. It was released back in 1995, not long after he died from AIDS related illness some three years after his partner John Caleo also succumbed and the book is the story of their relationship.
I guess it's a touchy subject with some and I've found it tough to discuss.
In one way it is a very easy read, I love things written in the first person because it's more like someone is telling you a story rather than you reading it. (I think that makes sense).
But in another way it is incredibly difficult. It's a bit on the graphic side at times describing Tim's journey of self discovery and, even worse, it's pretty graphic when it comes to charting John's deterioration.
Holding The Man begins in the 70s and we meet Tim in grade four. He's your average Catholic kid growing up in Melbourne, he doesn't stand out and he's trying to work out where he stands in the world.
A few years later, in an all-boys Catholic senior school, he meets John, the captain of the footy team and seemingly your everyday jock. By this point Tim has realised that he's gay and, to his surprise, he strikes up a friendship with John that, to the casual observer, is a very odd one.
And I think that characterises their 15 year relationship that would follow.
It's as if Tim went his whole life thinking he either wasn't good enough or wasn't experienced enough for John. Sadly, it is this insecurity that ultimately led him to contract HIV (in my opinion) at a time when the disease was really only becoming known.
I won't go further into the book's story, you know where it heads.
It didn't take me long to read, partly because I couldn't put it down plus it's just under 300 pages.
Holding The Man is heartbreaking.
That's the main emotion I came away with. I was shattered, even though you knew exactly what was going to happen (hey, it's a true story), and I still really don't know how to process it.
One thing really stood out. Tim was the type of person who needed validation, whereas John was someone whose actions did the talking. He describes a conversation with his counsellor about it.

'' I wish John would tell me he loved me. 'Have you discussed it with him?. I said I had. 'And what does he say?' 'Words are cheap. Can't you see I love you?' I told him it'd be nice to hear it now and then. Mark (the counsellor) smiled. 'It's a classic case of different communication systems. You use lots of auditory words. 'Tell me. Nice to hear it'. John says 'Can't you see?'. He processes things differently. No doubt he shows he loves you. Maybe all you need to do is look around and see what kinds of things he does'.''

It got me thinking that I'm a bit on the auditory side. I believe it is nice to say things like I love you or I think you're awesome but it really hit me that at times I don't notice, and give enough credence to, the things that my friends do that show they care.
The devastating thing about Holding The Man is the realisation that Tim comes to once John has died.

'I guess the hardest thing is having so much love for you and it somehow not being returned. I develop crushes all the time but that is just misdirected need for you. You are a hole in my life, a black hole. Anything I place there cannot be returned. I miss you terribly.'

Genders aside, I can't imagine what that feels like. Just reading about it was hard enough, let alone having to go through watching the person you love fade away in front of you.
Sure, we only get to hear Tim's perspective and because of that it may be a somewhat romanticised version of what happened (in some aspects). It would be interesting to have heard some of the story from John's side but that will never happen.
Still, it's a story that's going to stay with me for a while.

One Hit Wonders

Craig's list got me thinking about my favourite one hit wonders - we all have them.
They are the songs that, for the most part, are a shade on the embarrassing side and normally hail from the late 70s to the 80s.
So, while I'll probably look back in a month and wonder how I forgot certain songs, here goes:

10. Sunglasses At Night (Corey Hart)
9. Come On Eileen (Dexys Midnight Runners)
8. Tainted Love (Soft Cell)
7. I Can Dream About You (Dan Hartman)
6. No Myth (Michael Penn)
5. Walking On Sunshine (Katrina & The Waves)
4. Video Killed The Radio Star (The Buggles)
3. Believe It Or Not (Joey Scarbury)
2. Take On Me (a-ha)
1. Break My Stride (Matthew Wilder)

Shutter Island

I have to admit I didn't get what I was expecting from Shutter Island.

That can be a good thing in a movie and one thing I could say is that it wasn't predictable (at least from where I was sitting, a few others thought otherwise).

Set in 1954, US Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives at Shutter Island, a mental hospital for the criminally insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient.

His arrival, along with fellow Marshal Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), is met with a rather frosty reception from those in charge on the island.

On the surface they are pleasant enough but once Daniels starts asking questions they shut him down fast, particularly the leading physician Dr John Cawley (Ben Kingsley) who is very reluctant to pass on information.

As he investigates the facilities Daniels is haunted by dreams of his dead wife (Michelle Williams) and suffers debilitating headaches.

Things take a turn when he discovers a note that asks 'Who is number 67', referring to the fact there are 66 patients on the island but an extra, secret, patient is suspected.

Overall, the feel of the film is tense and no doubt Martin Scorsese put a lot of effort into creating that feel. I must add thought that a few scenes were pretty poorly shot, particularly involving the scenery behind the conversations during car travel.

The actors are solid and I thought Leo held the film together pretty well (I'm not a massive fan).

As I said I left having seen something I didn't really expect.

It was a shade slow to start off but once the film hit its straps it was very engaging but I can't go any higher than 7 out of 10. It was interesting but could have been a bit better.

Road's end

Just 19 episodes were made of October Road and I finally got around to finishing off this hugely promising series that was cut down before it could get going.

What keeps me coming back to a TV show are the characters. If the characters are interesting and ones you can relate to (in some ways) it's a huge start.

October Road, set in a town in Massachusetts, was filled with 'people' you cared about and a few you despised (there always has to be villains!).

The basic plot is that Nick Garrett (Bryan Greenberg) returns to Knights Ridge 10 years after leaving town to go backpacking for six weeks. He left behind his girlfriend Hannah (Laura Prepon), his dad (Tom Berenger), brother Ronnie (Jonathan Murphy) and his friends.

In the 10 years since he left he has written a book, basically fictionalising his friends and family in less than a positive light.

Upon returning the reception is cold from his best friend Eddie (Geoff Stults) and he discovers that Hannah has a 10 year old son called Sam. So, the show delves into Nick's readjustment and the lingering question - is he Sam's father?

As I said the great thing about October Road is its characters. There's Physical Phil, who hasn't left his home for five years and has become the town 'crazy man' (according to the kids), the barman Rooster, the insecure Janet and the under-rated Ronnie Garrett.

I enjoyed every minute of the 13 episodes in series 2 that I watched this week and it's just sad that the show had to end abruptly. Fortunately, among the special features is a 10 minute series wrap up where we find out what happened to the characters and the identity of Sam's father.

October Road is just another example of a fine show that was well written but not given enough time to find its audience. I'm just happy that I saw it.

Valentine's Day

It's a case of too many stars and not enough character development in the Love Actually clone Valentine's Day .

There's so much going on and so many characters to acquaint yourself with in the end you don't really care. What the film is trying to show, and it succeeds in some areas, is that Valentine's Day is experienced in many different ways.

Some people adore it and revel in the sending and receiving of flowers and valentines while others, quite hilariously, despise the day.

A Who's Who of Hollywood's B-List (with a few notable A Listers) line up in Valentine's Day to bring us stories of a guy who proposes to his girlfriend (who says yes, sort of)only to have her leave him, of teenage love, of love lost and love remembered, of boyhood crushes, infidelity, of anti-love, the obligatory gay storyline (between two very mismatched actors I must say) and of finding true love.

Without going through everyone's storylines, the ones I liked were as follows.

Ashton Kutcher, who played flower salesman Reed, seemed to hold the film together and I have to say he was very solid.

I enjoyed the story around Kara (Jessica Biel), a sports agent who loathes Valentine's Day and holds her own I Hate Valentine's Day party each year. The smashing of the pinata was a highlight for me.

Queen Latifah was quite funny as powerbroker Paula and her storyline intertwining with Anne Hathaway's Liz, who moonlights as a 'phone entertainment worker' was great. And I liked Topher Grace's character Jason.

I didn't think much of the teenagers, particularly the Taylor Swift-Taylor Lautner segments.

I have to say this was pretty poor when you consider that the likes of Julia Roberts (who had a great role and a bit surprising), Shirley MacLaine and Kathy Bates were involved.

Despite liking parts I can only give a 5.5 out of 10 and say that if you're going to do a romantic comedy then try not to stack the deck too much, because it doesn't work.

That, and Love Actually did it better.

Daybreakers

I read somewhere that Daybreakers is the vampire movie that we had to have to counter all the Twilight romanticising of the genre.

And, happily, it isn't bad.

Set in 2019 in a world where vampires are the dominant species and the human population is down to 5 per cent. This means there is a blood shortage and the vamps are getting desperate.

Charles Bromley (Sam Neill) is the boss of the world blood suppliers and his team, led by Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke), is working on finding a blood substitute.

Dalton is something of a vegetarian (in the Twilight sense) vampire in that he doesn't feed on human blood and he is sought out by a small group of humans looking for a sympathetic vampire to help their cause.

The group's leader Audrey (Claudia Karvan) takes Dalton to meet Lionel (Willem Defoe), a man who claims to be a 'cured' vampire.

So you can see where this is heading.

In the first few scenes it leaves you in no doubt that this is not one of the vampire stories we are fed these days. It's brutal, there's a lot of things jumping out. And then there are the underlings, vampires starved of blood that go feral.

I'd say about 95 per cent of this film is excellent as far as the genre is concerned but the writers did sell out a little toward the end with a bit of gratuitous gore. I enjoyed the largely Australian cast though it is disappointing that they had to put on American accents - the always excellent Claudia Karvan tended to struggle at times with that.

Overall it is well worth seeing, and while I'm only going 6.5 out of 10 I did enjoy it and hopefully it can signal a return to the classic depiction of vampires. But with two more Twilight films to come I highly doubt it.

A story worth hearing

When someone who has battled cancer for their entire life says there's no point in being unhappy then you should listen.
When they are just 18 you can't help but pay attention.
I have to say I was taken aback by the story of Samuel Symons, which was told tonight on Australian Story on the ABC.
The story told by the teenage son of well known musician and TV personality Red Symons should serve as a wake up call to us all. Don't take life for granted and enjoy what you are given.
He said he has no time for death and never will and added that by being unhappy you are preventing yourself from living.
I won't go into his details, I'm sure they'll be well published in the coming days - if they haven't already.
But I will say that I did get a little teary-eyed near the end, such was the power of his story, his words, his courage and his outlook.
We all see Red Symons as a funny, if brutally abrupt, person largely from his years on Hey Hey It's Saturday. It's amazing that he was able to perform a comedy show while his son was battling cancers at such a young age (Hey Hey finished in 1999 or thereabouts).
If you missed this episode of Australian Story try and catch a repeat. It's worth 30 minutes of your time, believe me.

Up In The Air

If you take the time to sit back and watch a film that is high on dialogue and low on effects every now and then you can find a masterpiece. (Possible spoilers)

Well, Up In The Air is one such film. Make no mistake, this is one outstanding example of movie making and how a story can move you without having to resort to CGI or other technology.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is the man companies hire 'when they don't have the balls' to fire their employees. He lives his life out of a suitcase and revels in the lifestyle of no commitment and high privilege.

When the company he works for decides to embrace new technology to fire people by video hookup Bingham, the expert and not getting personal, goes into bat for the people who need the personal touch when being told they are out of a job.

The ripples are caused by Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a naive young woman whose ideals clash with Bingham's comfortable life. When Bingham goes on a crusade to prove that people shouldn't be fired by video link, Keener's eyes are opened to the real world and how you can't simply treat people like cattle.

Complicating matters is Alex (Vera Farmiga), a beautiful executive who seems to be the female version of Bingham. And they hook up whenever they can.

The irony of these characters is magnificent. Bingham, who gives what amount to be anti-motivational speeches about how we all carry too much stuff in our backpacks, thrives on the personal touch his job allow yet is happy living in his own little world. Natalie's irony is brilliant, here's a woman who champions the human touch, the need to have people around you, yet she is masterminding the very non-personal method of doing her job. And Alex, the woman who maybe without knowing it drags Bingham into considering a normal life and not one devoted to frequent flyer miles, before she cruelly crushes him.

There are two endings to this film and I think Jason Reitman has done this so well. We're given our Hollywood ending in the shape of Natalie's character but Ryan Bingham's fate is not according to the way we'd all like to see things end. (Don't worry he doesn't die).

We're all afraid of change in some way and we're all naive when it comes down to it. Some people just hide it better. Clooney proves this through his character, a man who on the surface has the world worked out but in reality is just as confused as everyone else.

I could go on and on. This is one of the best films I have seen in a long time, it's funny at times and it is a story that will affect you long after you've seen it - if you really think about it. Clooney is excellent, best performance from him since Good Night And Good Luck and I thought Kendrick was a revelation here.

She's known to most as Jessica in the Twilight series and her fellow castmates should take plenty of note of her performance here. She can act and if she takes more roles like this in the future we'll be talking about her long after the Robert Pattinsons and Kristen Stewarts are reduced to typecasting.

A very solid 9 out of 10 and early contender for film of the year.

The decade the music died

I've been trying to come up with the number of CDs I bought last year and I can think of a total of seven.
They are Mariah Carey's Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel, John Mayer's Battle Studies, Rascal Flatts' Unstoppable, The Script's self-titled album and U2's No Line On The Horizon. Plus two CDs by Ryan Adams that were released in 2001 and 2004.
Probably as recently as five years ago I'd buy maybe 20 CD's a year but I think it's a reflection of the lack of really great music around these days that I haven't bought much at all.
I have got the odd free one from work here and there and there has been the occasional surprise but on the whole, unless it is a new CD from an artist I already like and have a collection of, music has entered a new decade for the worst.
I'm convinced that the 2000s, the Noughties as some call them, was the decade the music died.
We've been over run by dance and hip-hop crap which all sounds the same, nonsensical lyrics and forgettable songs.
When I look at the top 50 singles, which I used to do on a regular basis, I see few songs that I like and quite a lot that I've never heard of (and when the artist has dollar signs or exclamation marks in their name that doesn't attract me to listen).
The sad thing is that some of the better music I have heard lately has been country music and that's scary because I've spent more than half my life declaring I hate it so either I'm getting old and soft or country is getting better (therefore pop/rock is getting worse).
So far in 2010 I'm looking forward to getting the new Lifehouse album Smoke & Mirrors which comes out in March. And Mariah is releasing a remix album of her last CD and given its pedestrian nature (aside from a few crackers) I don't hold out much hope for it.
By the way, I'm not saying there hasn't been great music in the 2000s because there has been a heap of it. I'm arguing that in the last few years the quality has dropped off alarmingly and if it wasn't for Pink, who continues to surprise me, pop/rock music would hardly get a look in.