TOTALLY MUNTED: LOKI'S EVERYDAY STATE OF BEING

CHALKBOARD STUDIOS ON MYSPACE

2007-04-18T00:17:00.000+10:00

that's right guys, you can check out sample pages and details of where to buy at:

www.myspace.com/chalkboardstudios

we'll be posting more on that site than on the blogger site in the future, so if you have a myspace account, just add us to your friends list and you'll be the first to know what goes on at chalkboard studios.

some exciting news, at last! VOLUME THREE will be out in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for it. but if you're on our myspace list, then you'll already know!

hope things have been well for everyone, till next time.

-LOki

UPCOMING MOVIE REVIEWS

2006-11-22T23:19:00.000+11:00

its also been a while since i did any real evaluation of what's been released at the cinemas or on dvd, but here's a quick run down of what to expect in the next few days.

EIGHT BELOW
stars paul walker, dogs
3/5

THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN
stars anthony hopkins
3/5

SHE'S THE MAN
stars amanda bines, channing tatum, laura ramsay
3.5/5

CLERKS 2
stars brian o'halloran, jeff anderson, ben affleck
4.5/5

DREAMER
stars dakota fanning, kurt russell, elisabeth shue
3/5

CHILDREN OF MEN
stars clive owen, julianne moore, charlie hunnam
3/5

GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS
stars elijah wood, charlie hunnam, clare forlani
4/5

THE CROW: WICKED PRAYER
stars edward furlong, david boreanaz, tara reid
1/5

SNAKES ON A PLANE
stars samuel l. jackson, nathan phillips
2/5

STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH
stars hayden christensen, natalie portman, ewan mcgregor
2/5

that's it for now, will elaborate on em later.

-LOki

IT'S BEEN A WHILE

2006-11-22T23:08:00.000+11:00

it certainly has.

not much has been happening really, with exams over and work beginning, there isn't much energy left to go out an do anything. but nevertheless, i have succumbed to the website that is known as myspace, and you can visit my site at www.myspace.com/moninandhistshirts.

enjoy your holidays.

-LOki

IT WON'T COST MUCH - JUST YOUR VOICE!

2006-10-27T17:10:00.000+10:00

it pleases me greatly to announce that VIENNA VOLUME TWO is now in stores. you can get yourself a copy (as well as a copy of VOLUME ONE if you haven't already) from the following stores:

MINOTAUR
121 Elizabeth Street
Melbourne, 3000
(03) 9670 5415

ALTERNATE WORLDS
76 Chapel Street
Windsor, 3181
(03) 9529 2255

thanks for reading!

VIENNA VOLUME TWO

full colour throughout, 46 pages.

-LOki

VIENNA: VOLUME TWO OUT THIS WEEK

2006-10-07T04:59:00.000+10:00

yep, that's right.

i'll keep you posted as to the exact date in the coming days.

also, if you still haven't gotten yourself a copy of VOLUME ONE, minotaur still have a few copies left or you can just post a message here and we'll figure something out.

also, if you read this in the next 24 hours and have read the first one, let us know what you think and your comments will be published in VOLUME TWO.

aiight,

-LOki

CHOKING ON APPLE

2006-10-05T22:07:00.000+10:00

apple, you always make me laugh.

want to know why? click here.

-LOki

PORCH MONKEY

2006-10-04T17:55:00.000+10:00

ok. it has been about an month and a bit since i last blogged, and seeing as i'm just sitting here killing time, i though i'd sahre a bit of light reading with you.

"Sandilands last month topped magazine Zoo Weekly's list of Australia's most hated identities, heading a line up of 50 of "our most loathed" including Osama bin Laden and the stingray which killed Steve Irwin." [click here for the full article].

i thought it was kind of funny... and if you have seen CLERKS 2 (4.5/5) and have read the entire article, you will understand the title of this post.

- LOki

WOLF'S RAIN

2006-09-11T04:07:00.000+10:00

Which Wolf's Rain Character are you?

Kiba
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

...AND THAT'S A WRAP.

2006-08-06T19:09:00.000+10:00

well its been fun guys, but i don't think i can keep it up.

the last few weeks have been a little up and down for me, and yet i haven't really botehred to write any of it down. i think uni is taking a bit of my time now and as well as comic stuff and other things going on behind the scenes, the blog has taken a backseat.

the last two years of ramblings were cool, but i'm getting tired now. who knows, i might come back for a third. but until then, thanks for those who came and had a read. i hope i helped you choose which movies to watch, or took some time out of your studies to have a break.

but anyways, i think it's time to go.

-LOki

VIENNA: VOLUME ONE ON SALE NOW

2006-08-03T01:50:00.000+10:00

at long last, the first issue of the long-awaited VIENNA is on sale now.

you can go through the website www.chalkboard.com.au and get your hands on a copy that way, or you can get down to MINOTAUR (on elizabeth street, melbourne) and get a copy there.

ALTERNATE WORLDS on chapel street are also stocking copies.

thanks to everyone who has continued to support us and be very, very patient! also, a huge (like really huge) thanks and kudos to vito for his tireless effort in completing the first volume literally cover to cover. also, our crazy gang of ideas people and marketing guys, hayden, christian, and mark. omer as well for taking time out of work to help us put together the best looking comic out there! and of course, our fearless leader who put us on this path in the first place, thanks jase.

the lauch was the other night and i have to say it was so much better than i expected. honestly i was kind of dreading the night, but an hour in, the revolver upstairs was packed and everyone was in good spirits and having a kick-ass time. awesome stuff. i hope the launch for the next project will be just as successful, if not even moreso.

aiight, i'm working in 5 hours so i'd better piss off.

night.

-LOki

COMIC BOOK LAUNCH @ REVOLVER

2006-07-19T21:02:00.000+10:00

howdy all.

i'm not sure if i've mentioned a great deal about Chalkboard, but now the time has finally come!

here are the details:

date: AUGUST 1, 2006
venue: REVOLVER - 229 Chapel Street, Prahran
time: 8.30pm - midnight
dress: smart casual
rsvp: july 25

you can let me know if you're interested by posting a comment here, or sending me a sms or msg over msn.

hope to see you there.

-LOki

SUPERMAN RETURNS

2006-07-01T04:43:00.000+10:00

4/5
stars brandon routh, kate bosworth, kevin spacey, james marsden

to be honest, i'm not a huge superman fan. but like many, its easy to jump on the band-wagon and get caught ip in the hype that surrounds the return of the man of steel. but for me, it was more than just another movie made about the ultimate super-hero, but it was new territory for awesome director bryan singer to prove yet again why he kicks so much ass. also, it was barndon routh's time to step into those red boots and behind the thick-framed glasses to become both superman and clark kent.

the film is about superman's return to earth after a five-year absense. in that time, the world has learnt to live without the help of superman, and lois lane has learnt how to live without him completely. upon his return, he finds that thigns are a little differnt - lois has moved on with her life and is in a long-term relationship with richard (marsden), and has a kid.

one thing that hasn't changed though, is lex luthor's insatiable need for power. following on from the first superman film, luthor's (spacey) obsession for land takes him to the north pole where he finds superman's refuge from the world, and information on 28 galaxies along with it.

what ensues of course is the typical good versus evil kinda battle so i won't go on about the details.

the film looks amazing; sleek, elegant, and colourful. the only problem i had with it was the editing, which seemed a little disjointed and accidental. other than that, bryan singer proves yet again that he can take on board the big projects and make them great. performance-wise, routh is hauntingly a perfect image of reeve as both the man of steel and the bumbling clark kent. his mannerisms, speech, and facial expressions all mirror what reeve brought to the screen in the previous superman films. kevin spacey is geunuinely a criminal mastermind as lex, whereas kate bosworth as lois lane is still something i need to get used to.

the guy who plays jimmy olsen deserves a mention too for his goofy and slightly timid portrayal of the daily planet's (seemingly only!) photographer.

all in all, the movie kicks ass. it took me a coupld of days to come to my final verdict, but here it is. the film really focusses on the relationship between lois and superman/clark, rather than his powers or how great he is. it shows us that on the other side of the coin, there's more to being a superhero than the costume and super-powers.

-LOki

"...WHICH BREAKS MY HEART, I DON'T KNOW WHY." - SAM MENDES, DIRECTOR.

2006-06-14T21:18:00.000+10:00

well its been a long few weeks, and it feel like i've been disconnected from the outside world while being stuck in text-book quicksand. but tomorrow is my last exam and already i'm feeling the sand pissing off. its a funny thing 'exam period'; every one knows they're coming, and most of the time we get through them unscathed.

yet somehow, we always forget how we did, so when we're faced with them again and again, we freak out. well, i do. not so much"holy shit i'm going to fail," kind of freak out, but more a "my life will be on hold for three weeks." and it sucks i suppose when you can't go out or waste time or sleep in, because of the guilt of not studying, or going over notes you had forget you'd even written.

though a couple of things have been keeping my company over this time, and helping me keep my sanity. here they are, and in no particular order, have gotten me through (soon to be) four exams that i can't wait to be over.

JARHEAD
i bought the dvd the other week and have been watching it everyday since. there are a two scenes which make this film really worth it, and if you watch the movie or have seen it, and if you know me, you will also know which two i'm talking about. the performences by gyllenhaal and sarsgaard are perfect in these scenes, and listening to the director's commentary, its amazing to think how the fim could have taken a completely differnt direction had these scenes been done differently. its a movie about the marines deployed to fight the good fight in iraq without the political bullshit. its about marines in a situation they have no control over, and in a war that really doesn't make sense. watch it!

EGG DRINK
when i was a kid, my mom concocted this 'egg drink', which is pretty much just water, condensed milk, egg, and heaps of sugar. during this exam period though, i had consumed so much coffee, coke, and red bull that i thought i needed something esle to keep me awake. my sister has been stuck home too with study, and ended up making one of these thigns and now i get her to make em all the time (thank you!). although tonight we're out of eggs, so its back to the coffee and red bulls for me.

JUST FRIENDS
another movie that has been playing on my laptop constantly the last few days. i'm not much of a ryan reynolds fan, but anything anna faris is in i'll watch. and this movie, although made when a whole plethora of romanic comedies are, is genuinely funny and really does give you that "feel good" feeling that seems to be the goal of the entire genre. though the real highlight in this film is faris' character is supremely unhinged and just down-right crazy.

CAPTAIN PLANET
i d/led an episode of captain planet the other day where one of the bad guys uses drift nets to catch fish, and kill anything else that happens to get caught in them. as childhood kick-ass cartoon, as soon as i heard the theme song play i was immediately drawn into it. the concept of the idea alone was something just short of revolutionary, using the after-school cartoon medium as way of communicating to kids that the environment was worth protecting. ted turner, the guy who created the cartoon, believed in this so much and took a hug risk, but networks took up the idea and made it a hit. but remember, the power is yours!

COMEDY INC. THE LATE SHIFT
the series return of comedy inc was on a couple of weeks ago, the perfect way to take a breack from study on tuesday nights. of all teh comedy sketch shows out there, i think this is the best in recent times. there was skithouse which was also shithouse, then the big bite on channel 7 that didn't even last one season. i think there was another one that was made which went no where, and now there's "the wedge" on channel ten that i don't bother to watch. nope, comedy is th best out there in the sketch show landscape, with special mention to geneve morris, who i reckon is awesome.

MY MACBOOK
intel has gotten into bed with apple and their offspring is the new intel-powered apple laptops. apparently more kick-ass than the old processors, the intel macbook is supposed to be pretty damn good and can even run windows properly. i spent the better half of a day transferring files from my powerbook g4 (which i still love), but have been using the macbook to type up exam notes since the monitor is bigger and brighter. woohoo.

alright this post is long enough. one more exam and i can sleep easy. and for those who have still got them for a week or two, it's almost over.

-LOki

I STILL FUNCTION!

2006-06-10T14:27:00.000+10:00

i still don't know what to expect, but with michael bay directing, at least it'll look awesome.

-LOki

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND

2006-06-01T18:39:00.000+10:00

2.9/5
stars hugh jackman, famke janssen, patrick stewart, ian mckellen

ok, so there was the phoenix saga, arguably the biggest storyline of the cartoon series, a whole bunch of mutants that were introduced in X2, all the original cast returning, a bigger budget than the first two films, and a legion of film and comic book fans with $14 ready to go. so what the hell went wrong?

the story does follow on from the second film with the return of jean - and something else. from here on, there is not only a battle between mutants and humans, but also a battle of loyalties within the x-men as well as magento's brotherhood of 'evil' mutants. through all this, we are introduced to a some new characters such as kitty pryde, collosus, and juggernaut.

with such a rich story and controversy, you'd think a decent director would create an end of a trilogy of epic, if not monumental proportions. but alas, that was the only thing X3 lacked - a good director. and what flowed from that was poor editing, hampered story, and just all-round unsatisfaction (the movie was that average that i had to make that word up).

the characters in the film are portrayed in a completely differnt light from the first two films, making the audience try to figure out what the hell is going on. xavier's character is the most frustrating, alongside the way the film deals with cyclops. not to metion i keep forgetting that rogue is supposed to be able to fly and super-strength. and doesn't the name "phoenix" bring to mind a bit of fire? i mean, a flint at least would suffice. oh, and mystique! the list could go on.

the mentality that the makers of this film had would have been something like this, "put in as many action sequences in as possible, regardless of how they punch holes in the story". i admit some of the action sequences were pretty impressive, but there were just so many that they all just compete with each other to say "hey, i'm the better action sequence!". the film, in both its story or special effects, never peaks or makes you think "holy shit!" like nightcrawler's intro in X2.

i think its fair to draw an analogy with the terminator series, where the first two kicked ass and the third - with a different director - was shit. after the trailer, i had a bit of confidence in brett ratner as a director but like a lot of good trailers, it showed all the good bits and that was about it. and no matter how many times storm uses her powers (finally), the film flatlines the whole way through.

it pains me to give such a dismal rating to one of the best franchises out there, but i can't justify giving it any more. i don't think i'll even see it a second time.

hopefully bryan singer returns to make the next triology, and brings back the elegance and just plan kick-assness of the first two. i hope superman returns was worth it!

oh, and one more thing: DAMN YOU BRETT RATNER!

-LOki

"MAN, I SAW A DOLPHIN!" - VITO.

2006-05-29T23:56:00.000+10:00

this past weekend me, pete, maher, jove, vito, and nicole went camping at a place near lake eildon, about 250km out of melbourne. it was the middle of winter and a week before exams, but we were all determined to brave the weather and just gut it out. it was a funny kind of story as to how we got there; through bad timing and other stuff going on, it had taken us four months to finally tell the world to get stuffed for a weekend and off we finally went.

i guess when it boils down to it, it was pretty much the same kinda thing we usually do (which is drink and goof around), but in a differnt place. but at the same time, it was more than that. it had been a while since we'd all hung out, just the five of us, and it was cool to just be in the middle of nowhere with good mates, a roaring fire, and some smooth booze.

heh if you recall, pete and i had made a trip to eildon for em's twenty-first last year, and our journey there was both death-defying as well as testing the limits our of sanity (and sobriety). so with the benefit of hindsight, we were able to get to the campsite with relative ease and set up the tents with the help of mr. landcruiser lights.

from then on we jsut drank and hung around, caught up with what was going on in each other's lives and just enjoyed doing nothing. so much had been happening back home that it was a nice releif to sit back and listen to the wind.

so thanks guys for making it a great weekend.

-LOki

JUST LIKE HEAVEN

2006-05-22T23:28:00.000+10:00

4/5
stars mark ruffalo, reese witherspoon, jon heder

i was supposed to go see this film at the cinemas, but due to constant timetable clashes and just general laziness i never got round to it. so when it came out on dvd last week i decided to hire it. after "suddenly 30" i was a fan of mark ruffalo, and i do like reese witherspoon in small doses.

if you hadn't already gathered, the film is about a elizabeth (witherspoon), a young doctor who spends so much time at work that she doesn't realise her social life has been put on hold - not until she's in a car accident that renders her once perky body into nothing more than a weightless spirit.

in comes dave (ruffalo), a bummy kind of guy who moves into elizabeth's old apartment. after the initial encounter with the 'spirit', dave sets out to find out what happened to her and where she came from, and from then orwards the film takes some nice turns and funny experiences that eventually lead to the climax.

i had read a little about this film, and a lot of critics said this film was like a modern(er) day version of Ghost (with that peadophile guy from Donnie Darko) but i fail to see how they even make that comparison. no one was murdered, there was no conspiracy, nor was there any love triangle. ba-bum, sorry, no dice.

instead the film, much like all good romantic comedies mixes the perfect amount of light-hearted cheese, genuine funny bits, great line of supporting characters, and the tender ending where you just can't help by go, "Awwww!". mark ruffalo's performance is awesome; he looks genuinely disoriented, much like the persona of his character. reese witherspoon, while letting some of her "legally blonde" through, was a character which was hard to dislike. and as mentioned earlier, supporting cast provided a believable, yet irreverntly humours backdrop for the story.

i give this film 4/5 because it was one of those films that got more than a "Awwww!" from me. it made me think more about the nature of life and love and all that, and how sometimes when unexpected shit happens, you just have to go with it. if you remember i wrote an article on the "romantic comedy formula", and therefore its not that hard to know where things will end in such films.

but even with the said, the conclusion isn't what really matters - its how the characters that get there that counts.

-LOki

"AWW, I WANT A SHARK!" - NICOLE.

2006-05-17T17:41:00.000+10:00

today was a little different.

i went fishing in the morning with vito, nicole, vito's brother, and two of nicole's friends who were visiting from singapore. vito had sms'ed last night around 10ish and asked if i wanted to go, but having a constitutional law tutorial later that day and it being close to exams, i wasn't sure if i should.

but alas, i decided to go anyway and had an awesome time. i thought i'd get to sleep early so i could get up at 5am and head to frankston, but that was never going to happen. instead chow came round and while he did his carbon fibre ladder proposal, i did some equity readings - and realised that i've got plenty more to do.

so anyways, it hit around 4am when i decided to stop, but by then that only gave me an hour to sleep before having to get up again. so i didn't sleep.

i drove round to vito's then to frankston and got there around 7am with the sun just starting to creep over the horizon. our skipper (Frank?) then took us 20 minutes into port phillip bay where we started to fish. the morning started slow and as the sun came up there were still no fish in our buckets. then nicole caught the first, and second.... fourth and so on. by the end of it all we had all caught our fair share of fish; vito even bagged a gummy shark, and i caught a 'schoolie', which is about the same as a gummy but with teeth.

the sea air made a me a little nauseous but i managed to keep my lunch in my stomach.

so anyway, it was a different kind of day and right now i'm at uni in a corps lecture. its actually one of the few lectures that i look forward to every week.

i'm gonna go home and crash and prob wake up at 10pm.

point being, do something different. it helps with the monotony of the everyday.

-LOki

RETRO CARTOONS - THE POWER IS YOURS!

2006-05-15T03:18:00.000+10:00

it's been a while since i've posted, and i've yet to finish my previous one about the lion king. but here's something that's been on my mind for a while - old-school cartoons. that right, captain planet, widget, voltron, he-man, thundercats, silverhawks - all that.

i've been listening to the captain planet opening theme for a few days straight now, and i think my family are getting quite pissed off. but hey, screw em. i've decided to try and come up with a script/story for a movie of captain planet, but we'll see how far that goes.

i remember a while back vito and i were talking about something along these lines.

in other news, i've added a link to my flixster site, brought to my attention by sandra. its basically a place where you can post movie reviews and rate them in a few easy steps. to check it out, click on the link and it'll take you there. woohoo.

i should be sleeping.

-LOki

LIKE 1995 ALL OVER AGAIN

2006-05-04T18:44:00.000+10:00

on wednesday i went to see the broadway musical of THE LION KING and it was amazing. it was like watching that film for the first time again, seeing the same kind of story but from an entirely new perspective.

my favourite scenes were the stampede (which i had my doubts about its translation for the stage, but it was executed perfectly), and the scene where mufasa appears in the clouds and speaks to the grown up simba.

special mention goes to the kids to who played the young lion cubs who really put that innocent liveliness into their performances. the guy who played the lead role had a suprisingly awesome singing voice, and rafikki was a woman!

i'll be going to china at the end of the year and hopefully seeing it again in their shanghai performances. there are still tickets for sale at the box office of the regent theatre. check out their website for more info.

-LOki

PAIN, IT DEFINES OUR EXISTENCE.

2006-04-29T02:01:00.003+10:00

i saw a videoblog the other day and i have to admit my life hasn't been quite the same ever since.

you can check it out here and while you're waiting for it to load, keep reading this post.

it was amazing; she was going on about pain and suffering and all this other bs and i seriously questioned what the world was coming to. if you've seen the video by this point in this post you'll know what i'm talking about. so i set out to find this person's videoblog site, maybe try talk some sense into her. i dunno what i was hoping to acheive, but i pressed on.

so then i found this.

in fact, i felt really uplifted. i was genuinely impressed at how well she captured the whole 'emo' persona, as well as her counter-part and founder of this whole scheme (there's a link to his videoblog somewhere on there). it guess it just got me thinking really, that i) there are really poeple out there who think dead birds are a sign of entropy, and ii) there are some really talented people out there. fuck, if i could pull off something that believable i wouldn't be studying law.

so anyways, kudos to you guys for providing tens of thousands of internet users with priceless entertainment, and in this time of exam prep for uni and so on, it really does help our procrastination! a particular favourite of mine is here.

so here's to EmoKid21Ohio and EmoGirl21.

"I MEAN, BIRDS ARE DYING!"

-LOki

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

2006-04-25T00:08:00.000+10:00

3/5
stars daniel radcliffe, emma watson, rupert grint, robert pattinson

after much dodging, i finally saw the movie on dvd. i admit that it was better than i expected; from the hype for the movie, as well the huge popularity of the books, i was understandably sceptical. i had seen the first film and thought it pretty dry and then didn't have much hope for the subsequent ones.

so anyway... for those who haven't seen it or read the book, the film takes a more serious approach to what goes on at hogwart's. the triwizard tournament is the sort of thing you'd want to put your worst enemy through, but at hogwart's its all part of inter-wizard school competition, where the worst that can happen is someone dying.

three representatives get chosen from their respective schools, and somehow harry's name is drawn from the hat (or, explodes out of the goblet of fire).

i think the real magic of this film is showing what its like to be at highschool; harry is constantly being given shit by the other students for being the favourite, the rocky nature of friendship, the issues of finding a date for the ball (which, would you believe it, involves dancing!), and just the general 'group' mentality that always exists at highschool regardless of how unique or blase they seem to be.

as i've heard, this film is much darker than the others (which i haven't seen, apart from the First) and i liked that. the film explores more than just spells and dragons, but rather highlights a real sense of loss and tragedy by its clever, if not a little bit formulaic, use of characters.

acting-wise, i think radcliffe (who plays harry) still needs a bit of work to be fully believable. other cast gave decent performances, although the guy that plays Dumbledore's accent constantly switched from english to american which kept drawing me away from the story. directing was a bit sloppy too i thought, but may have been an improvement from previous films.

anyhoo, i guess overall this film is worth watching, but i'll be picking up the book as soon as i get the time.

- LOki

LOVEPUKE - MONASH STUDENT THEATRE.

2006-04-24T16:52:00.000+10:00

a friend of mine is running a show at the monash university student theatre. here are the details so check it out if you're interested!

-----

Monash University Student Theatre presents: LOVEPUKE By Duncan Sarkies. Directed by Sarah Collins.
April 27 - May 6, 2006.

Ivan's got it, Glen's over it, Nathan's nervous about it, Marissa's up for it, and Kevin's... an accountant.

Welcome to Lovepuke - the fast paced comedy which "essentially chronicles the trials and tribulations of the dating game. Kind of like Sex and the City... but without the city," says director Sarah Collins.

There will be a preshow party and speed dating event on opening night (April 27th) 6pm at the Coco Red restaurant in the Clayton Campus Centre. Open to all show attendees, free nibblies provided.

LOVEPUKE is showing at Monash University Student Theatre,
Campus Centre, Clayton from:
Thursday April 27th - Sat 29th and
Tues 2nd - Sat 6th May
All shows 7pm.

Bookings (03) 9905 8173.

-----

-LOki

"JACK DRINKS JACK, JACK DRINKS JACK..." - JACK MERCER, FOUR BROTHERS.

2006-04-16T15:33:00.000+10:00

isn't it funny how it's already april? which, if you think about it, is a quarter of the year. where did all that time go, and what the hell happened in between? its always a scary thought i think how fast time seems to be going, and that we'll wake up tomorrow and it'll be that time of year all over again where trees are decorated and chadstone has that 24-hour trade.

so i'm taking a bit of a breather now, looking back at what's been happening the last couple of weeks. apart from seeing a few films here and there, plenty has been going on in the background.

i've finally sorted out my uni stuff, and hope to finish by the end of next year. i need to apply of articles and clerkships as well, but with my current grades i'm not sure how good my prospects are. but even with that in mind, i should at least try. thanks jo and dom for bringing all this to my attention! also, even if i may not be that good at it, i'm thinking of specialising in equity. the law of equity mainly deals with helping those who have been screwed over by others that are in a better position to bargain. it looks at fairness rather than technicalities, which is something the law really should be doing in the first place.

i've been working less and less at the shop the last couple of months mainly becasue of uni, although i do so some mornings to help prep for the day. sometimes i actually like working there; the work is tiring and continuing, but i like making chit-chat to some of the customers, and its good to be doing something active. i still wonder how my parents manage to work like that every single day, though when they get home they just want to crash. i think over the midyear break i'll be working there a lot, seeing as in semester two i'll be doing a whole set of differnt subjects, so there'll be no homework to do over the break.

as you've probably noticed from the title of this entry, i've been watching Four Brothers (4/5) a lot. there's a scene that goes for about a minute and it's my favourite. it's where bobby and jack meet jerry's two daughters, daniella and amelia. like i said, it goes for only a minute but it's just beautiful. a couple of other movies i've been watching include Doom, The Iron Giant, and Scary Movie 2.

i went to the gb with pete a couple of weeks ago. we hadn't been there since around october last year so it was nice to be back with a pint of coopers red. we hadn't hung out for a while since we were both pretty busy with our own things; me with uni and work, and pete with his car, work, and moving house. it was nice though just to sit back and literally catch up on what was going on in each others' lives. the night was sort of cut short when the electricity of a few richmond blocks was cut off; we skulled the rest of our beers and went home.

vito's been working pretty much non-stop on the comic, though he always makes times if i happen to come round in the middle of the night. its always great to see vito, have a couple of beers and talk about stuff. nicole is always welcoming and every time i head to the car to go home, she yells "drive safely!". they're amazing together, and i always feel comfortable when i'm round at their place.

i hadn't been out taking photos in a while, so one friday night when nothign was on maher suggested we go out and do some. by teh time we got out i twas night adn the sun was gone. where to? we kept asking each other. we got int he car and drove around oakleigh and went to the old cemetary and my old primary school. we found some pretty cool spotlights we took photos under, and only when we left we realised we were at the police station with a surveillance camera pointed right at us. we wondered off nonchalantly. some of the photos turned out really well, and i hope to do a bit more later.

driving down to jove's place is always good; usually we just watch movies, drink coke and have some smokes. i sometimes feel bad for him, cos the way the night goes is usually me bitching about something, and him listening and telling me his thought. i guess its almost like a 'confession' thing in a way, where i pretty much just rattle on in hopes jove can find an answer amoung my ramblings. in any case, i'm always thankful for his patience. sorry jove!

i've been running on and off with chow, and with the shitty weather freezing our balls off, its been a little less frequent. but hopefully we'll be able to get back into it soon.

i guess there really isn't much point to this post, apart from maybe just an answer to the inevitable question, "so, what have you been up to?" although, i think this gives me the opportunity to just say that things have been good, and even though i don't see the or hang with the guys as much as i used to, we're always still around when we need each other.

so until next time,

-LOki

ANNA FARIS & SCARY MOVIE 4

2006-04-15T01:30:00.000+10:00

3/5
stars anna faris, regina hall, charlie sheen, carmen electra

ever since the first scary movie film, i've had this thing for anna faris (pictured). and since then, a relative unknown has pretty much been thrown into the spotlight in roles alongside some of the most popular people in the business; with ryan reynolds in just friends, jake gyllenhaal in brokeback mountain, bill murray in lost in translation, to name a few. if any of you readng this know me at all, i've been working on a few stories/scripts that i hope one day faris will eventually play. that would be pretty damn awesome.

back to scary movie 4. i have to admit that the first two films in the franchise, with the wyanas' brothers at the helm, were better than the latter two, but the latest installment is still quiet enjoyable. war of the worlds, saw 1 & 2, the village, the grudge and a host of other recent films (and random and stupid outburts by certain celebrities) are all sent up in scary movie 4. anna faris reprises her role as cindy campbell and story continues from where part 3 left off.

there is pretty much an all-star cast with the likes of charlie sheen, leslie neilson, dr phil, shaq, bill pulman, carmen electra, and even james earl jones put their mark on the film.

honestly, i only went to see this movie because of anna faris, although i love regina hall's character, brenda in all four films, probably more in the second. my favourite line: "just let that shit mutilate her white ass and leave!"

cindy: we're gonna die!
brenda: well it would've just been you if you jsut shut the fuck up!

its little things like that that really make best friends :).

overall, the film made me laugh about 90% of the time. and even if a bit abrupt, the closing scenes are worth the wait.

-LOki

V FOR VENDETTA

2006-04-07T16:34:00.000+10:00

3.5/5
stars hugo weaving, natalie portman

for now, just go see it. the film is long but far from boring; you may nid (find, rather) yourself questioning whether you like it or not while you're in the cinema, but as you walk out of it you'll be wanting to see the movie again.

trust me.

-LOki

FOUR BROTHERS

2006-03-30T16:12:00.000+11:00

4/5
stars mark wahlberg, tyrese gibson, andre benjamin, garrett hedlund

watching it again now, this film kicks ass. much like shaun of the dead, this film was recommended to me by a good friend, and i thank jove for bringing this masterpiece to my attention.

four adoptive brothers come back to their home town after their mother is killed in an apparent gang-land robbery. but as usual, things aren't always as simple as they first appear, and a trail of blood, violence, and brotherhood bring us to a explosive end.

bobby (wahlberg) leads the brothers as the hot-headed 'mother of all fuck-ups' in thier mission to find their mother's killer, and along the way (re)discovers the true nature of brotherhood. all characters are developed and executed excellently. a particular mention goes to andre benjamin of outkast, who plays jeremiah. his debut performance will catch plenty of people off gaurd. angel is the playboy of the four, and played effortlessly by gibson. relavtive new-comer garrett hedlund is convincing in his protrayal of the youngest of the four, naive and underestimated, but a source of joy and humour.

editing and directing is crisp and elegant, giving this urban drama a very-much epic feel. kudos to john singelton for stepping out of his usual directorial role in action films, and creating this great piece of cinema.

go see this movie, now.

-LOki

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS

2006-03-25T19:40:00.000+11:00

here are a few things that have made me happy the past couple of weeks:

LAMB CHOPS 3 TIMES A WEEK
not the ad, but my sister's been making lamb chops and all thta for the past three days and i'm loving it.

XBOX360 - BURNOUT REVENGE
honestly, the xbox360 aint that much of an improve from its predecssor. but this game, BURNOUT REVENGE, is awesome. if you're looking for some stylistic and awesome car crashes, this is the game for you. there are heaps of 'modes' to play, including your traditional race/grand prix game, destruction derby-type circuits, and just general blowing shit up. awesome stuff with a a great soundtrack. worth every penny.

SUPERMAN - LOSING LOIS LANE
when lois dumps superman, this is what happens. amazing indie film by blyane weaver and his friends and fellow comic book fans. excellent script, high-quality costuming, and just all-round kick ass. goddamit for some reason i can't hyperlink the clip here, so just go to goodle and type in "losing lois lane" and it should be one of the top five hits.

FAMILY GUY - STEWIE BOOKIE
a clip from muchosucko.com. the adorable and psychopathic stewie griffin shows us what its like when the debt collector comes knocking and you can't pay up. you got my money?

DOOM - REAPER v SARGE FIGHT
everyone bagged this movie, but i liked it a lot. the fight between john grimm AKA reaper and the sarge (played by the rock) isn't fantastically amazing, but the moves and hits look as if they really hurt.

DAN ENGLAND - TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS
top 4 contestant on aussi idol 3, dan england should have won. this was his audition song, and it kicks ass. download it if you want to know what i'm talking about.

POWER RANGERS - ORIGINAL MORPHING SEQUENCE
pterodactyl! man, the original power rangers were the best.

-LOki

KISS KISS, BANG BANG.

2006-03-18T16:57:00.000+11:00

4/5
stars robert downey jr., val kilmer, michelle monoghan

i remember my brother had told me what a bad-ass movie this was, followed by my younger sister's equally as eloquent description. so i went to see it, and boy, for once, they were both right.

harry lockhart (downey) is a down-in-his-luck crim who robs houses and stores for money. but when fate steps in, he goes from stealing xboxes to going to parties in LA. here he meets gay perry (kilmer), a detective whose job it is to make lockhart look the part. things start out pretty dry for both men but they both realise they're in deep shit once harmony faith lane (monoghan) comes into the picture. what ensues is a series of events both unexpected and equally hilarious.

i am not a huge fan of either downey jr. or kilmer, but they are both superb in their roles in this film. first-time director shane black (creator of "leathal weapon") does a spectacular job in story-telling and scene-setting. editing, pace, narration are all irrevent but seamlessly executed.

it's out on dvd, highly recommended.

-LOki

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE + HUSTLE AND FLOW

2006-03-15T17:57:00.000+11:00

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
stars viggo mortensen, ed harris, maria bellow
2.9/5
as random as is disturbing. definitely leaves you with a feeling of "what the fuck?" as tom stall (mortensen) turns out to be someone completely different. a nicely directed and edited film, with some awesome looking brutal violence. this movie is one you should see with caution, which might be obvious from the MA15+ rating attached to it.

HUSTLE AND FLOW
stars terrance dashon howard, taryn manning, anthony anderson
3/5
surprisingly good. a low-level pimp finds his calling in hip-hop and makes it his mission to raise the funds to record a track and have it played on air. his "number one investor" and number one hoe (taryn) is an excellent supporting character and throug her we see the struggle of life as a street walker. even if you're not into hip-hop, this movie is worth a viewing. even if a little long-winded, the emotional peaks the film hits more than make up for that.

-LOki

GOOD TIMES - TOMMY LEE

2006-03-11T14:35:00.000+11:00

Put down the magazine and get off the phone
Cuz theres a place I wanna show u and it wont take long
Take a ride
Take a ride

Its lookin like we're getting there
Over here, comin clear
Place that has no rhymes, or times, or crimes
Just good times
Just good times

Take me away
To a place where the good times good times roll
Don't let me stay
In a place where this hate can steal my soul

Got myself worked up over nothing today
All this trash in my head I gotta throw it away
Its alright
Its alright

Its lookin like we're getting there
Over here, comin clear
Place that has no rhymes, or times, or crimes
Just good times
Just good times

Take me away
To a place where the good times good times roll
Don't let me stay
In a place where this hate can steal my soul

This is it, I'm finally here
And all the blurry lines are clear
And everything that I cant see
Seems to make more sense to me
Why the hell cant I just let it go, let it go, yeah

Take me away (away)
where the good times good times roll (roll)
Don't let me stay (stay)
where this hate can steal my soul

Let the good times roll
Let the good times roll (take me away)
Let the good times roll (take me away)
Let the good times roll

-LOki

X3 - THE LAST STAND

2006-03-08T18:00:00.000+11:00

vito has brought to my attention the following:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/tls/trailer/large.html

alright mr. ratner, i trust you now.

-LOki

I AIM TO MISBEHAVE

2006-02-26T22:32:00.000+11:00

tomorrow will be the first class i've had since october last year.

i look back at the holidays and wonder whether or not i had a decent one by making the most of the time i had. of course it started off with vito's wedding, which was in late decemeber. then new years came round, a trip to lake's entrance, along with maher's 22nd. congratulations to both pete and glenn for moving out of their family homes and making north clayton a little more noisier!

during february i started re-editing "filan", a novel i'd been working on since first year university. i had finished it a while ago, and never really though seriously about getting it published. but i think now it might actually be worth publishing, meaning i've gone back and looked over it and changed things. i've also looked into copy editors and its gonna cost me a bit to get it officially edited before i can even approach publishers. but we'll see how that goes.

things with chalkbaord are going well, with vito producing kick-ass quality work and our printer ready to go. we're still aiming (realistically) for a march release and considering the progress we're making, it looks to be doable.

i painted my room the other day, which was a long time coming but i finally got off my ass and did it.

this year at uni i need to try a little (ok, i'll be honest: a lot) harder if i want to graduate with a bit of dignity. there's still so much i want to do that's non-school related but that'll have to take a back-seat for the next eight or nine months.

so the holidays were pretty good to me, even with work. i can always appreciate that sometimes doing nothing is good enough. everyone deserves a break every now and then. i can't say that it had been clear sailing the whole way through, but the sun will come over the horizon soon enough.

it's back to school for a lot of us, i hope everyone's ready.

-LOki

GOAL! + JUST FRIENDS

2006-02-17T20:18:00.000+11:00

GOAL!
stars kuno becker, stephen dellane, david beckham
3.5/5
nutshell: story of a boy overcoming adversity and his family to travel from mexico, to los angeles and finally to england to play the sport he loves - soccer, err, i mean, football.

JUST FRIENDS
stars ryan reynolds, amy smart, anna faris
3/5
nutshell: genuinely funny comedy about a guy who, after ten years, returns to his hometown to see whether or not he can break from the 'friend zone' he's been in with the love of his life.

full reviews coming in a few days.

-LOki

JARHEAD

2006-02-12T20:27:00.000+11:00

4/5
stars jake gyllenhaal, peter sarsgaard, jamie foxx

one of the best movies i've seen in a while. as troy (sarsagaard) says, this is a story about war without the political bullshit. it follows the life of the marines from the eyes of swafford (gyllenhaal), a 20 year-old guy who has nowhere to go back home and got lost on the way to college, sir.

the film has been criticised for not 'taking sides' on the iraqi occupation. but who gives a shit? instead, the film focusses on what its like to be one person in a mass of soldiers. it shows them just being guys and having a good time, or even having bad ones. it highlights the things that the marines have to go through to prepare them for the war, but these guys get no where near the battlefront, and only fire their rifles in one last cathartic move when they are told they're allowed to go home.

the film is heartbreaking just as it is uplifting. superb, AWARD-WORTHY performances by leading characters gyllenhaal and sarsgaard that takes us on a journey of brotherhood, heart-ache, and the realising the value of the simple things in life.

-LOki

MUNICH

2006-02-12T20:04:00.001+11:00

3/5
stars eric bana, geoffery rush

this film just scrapes through to the '3' line for me. the film details the events that followed the 1972 abduction and subsequent murder of 11 israeli athletes by palestinian terrorists. avner (bana) is called on by the government to lead a team of people to assasinate those responsible for the killings, and so the film begins.

while i am in no way a spielberg (or, "the 'Berg" as he is sometimes referred to nowadays), but this films looks amazing. the locations, sets, even random sweeping shots of the landscape make this film really easy to watch. that is, if you're prepared to sit still for almost three hours. performances by bana, hans zischler (the toy-maker turn bomb-maker) are authentic and believable.

the ideologies being pushed in this film are at either ends of the spectrum, the classic "terrorist" versus "freedom" fighter debate going on. both have their merits, but both also have their flaws although i am more inclined to agree with (though not completely) with avner's view - that instead of focussing on the past, work to make a better future. but the real debate here is the concept of "home". without one, there is no place to return to.

i wouldn't see this film again; it gets repetetive and goes on a number of tangents before abruptly going back to the main story. stylistically this film is immaculate, but narration and editing could have been more succinct and helpful. there is one awesome seige scene which happens at around the 2-hour mark, so stay awake - if you can.

-LOki

MUNICH + JARHEAD

2006-02-10T00:35:00.000+11:00

reviews coming soon, but for now:

MUNICH
stars eric bana, james woods
3/5

JARHEAD
stars jake gyllenhaal, peter sasgaard, jamie foxx
3.9/5

-LOki

SAME TIME EVERY YEAR

2006-02-02T01:22:00.000+11:00

february second... things always seem better from then onwards.

-LOki

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

2006-02-01T22:30:00.000+11:00

stars jake gyllenhaal, heath ledger, michelle williams, anne hathaway
3.9/5

after hearing rave reviews and unprecendented "5/5's" i thought i should go and see it. if you've been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, the film focusses on two cowboys who end up falling in love one summer while shephearding sheep on brokeback mountain.

they realise their relationship can't go beyond their time on the mountain, and over the next four years go on to marry their wives and have kids. upon their reunion however, things start to get complicated.

while this film is being simplistically described as the "movie about the gay cowboys", it is much more than that. sure the lead characters are gay, or at least, in love with members of the same sex, but the film looks at what its like to want something to happen you know will never happen, or simply realising that putting your head before your heart can really fuck things up.

i don't know if the performances by both ledger or gyllenhaal deserved the best actor award at any ceremony, but regarless they execute their respective roles superbly. i huge kudos goes to williams for her performance as ennis' wife, living with the knowledge that her husband and jack "don't go up there to fish". plus, she looks a hell of a lot better than she did in dawson's creek.

based on a short story, i didn't know the ending and i was genuinely suprised/shocked when it came around. i left the cinema thinking that the film was overrated but still good, but i found that the lingering sadness of the closing scenes stuck with me. and as ang lee says, "sadness lasts longer than happiness. it lingers, and that's what makes it profound."

and he sure is right.

-LOki

AINT THAT A FACT!

2006-01-26T00:08:00.000+11:00

Your results:
You are Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)

Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		80%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		75%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		70%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		65%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		60%
River (Stowaway)		50%
Inara Serra (Companion)		50%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		45%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		45%
Alliance		25%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		20%

Honest and a defender of the innocent.
You sometimes make mistakes in judgment
but you are generally good and
would protect your crew from harm.

Click here to take the "Which Serenity character am I?" quiz...

SUPERMAN?

2006-01-26T00:03:00.000+11:00

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		75%
Spider-Man		70%
Green Lantern		55%
Hulk		50%
Supergirl		50%
Catwoman		50%
Iron Man		45%
The Flash		45%
Batman		40%
Robin		37%
Wonder Woman		25%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

UPCOMING MOVIE REVIEWS

2006-01-24T16:51:00.000+11:00

it's been a while since i last posted some film reviews, so here's a heads up of what to expect in the next couple of days:

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
stars ziyi zhang, michelle yeoh, ken wantanabe
3/5
nutshell: looks amazing, story is solid, cast (although not japanese but who really gives a shit?) performance were well exectuted. a special note to the kid actor who plays the young sayuri (zhang's character), sazuka ohgo, great stuff.

KISS KISS, BANG BANG
stars robert downey jr., val kilmer
3.9/5
nutshell: original, funny, excellent direction/editing, changes the meaning of "random funny shit". highly recommended, and eagerly awaiting the dvd.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
stars georgie henley, william moseley, tilda swinton.
3/5
nutshell: kinda takes a while to take off, but once they hit Narnia things start to pick up. fun to watch, cool monsters and mythical creatures. excellent acting by georgie henley, who plays lucy.

DOOM
stars the rock, karl urban, rosamund pike
3/5
nutshell: basic storyline, cool monsters, lots of guns, nice twist at the end. for those holding out for a FPS scene, you'll get it in this film. special note that karl urban (you know, the bad guy from the bourne supremacy?) kicks ass.

TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE
2.5/5
stars johnny depp, helena bonham-carter
nutshell: long-awaited but disappointing. animation is top-notch, but story/ending and over-use of songs waters down this should've-been-awesome film. danny elfman (the composer) also fails to impress.

more to come, but for now it's back to Property Law.

can't wait.

-LOki

THIRTY-SEVEN?

2006-01-22T11:44:00.000+11:00

its 11:45am and the weather has already reached 37 degrees, with an expected top of 43. and while most people i know are getting read to go to the beach, i'm sitting here sweltering away studying for my Torts exam i have tomorrow morning. but i feel fine; not necessarily about my exam tomorrow, but just generally.

i was talking to glenn the other night about this cloud i had hanging over my head, one that had been there since decemeber last year. we were saying that it was probably a matter of time before the cloud would pass, but in the meantime we'd have to do other things and keep ourselves occupied. at the time i wondered if the cloud was ever going to lift, but this morning i saw a glimpse of the sun shining through, both in a literal and metaphorical sense.

man, the past few weeks have been really up and down but i'm glad it looks to be clear sailing for now. i feel as though now i can take on my deferred exams with a clear head, instead of going in there thinking about a whole lotta other stuff that is bothering me. but right now, nothing is.

i'd better get back to it then, aye?

btw, happy birthday CHRIS MAHER and DAVE CANNATA for jan 14th, MONY my brother for jan 17, and DAVE HEAD for jan 20th.

-LOki

EMBRACE CHANGE

2006-01-14T16:02:00.000+11:00

simba: looks like the winds are changing
raffiki: ahh yes, change is good.
simba: but it's not easy. i know what i have to do, but doing it means facing my past. i've been running from it for so long.
raffiki: *whack*
simba: ow! geez, what did you do that for?
raffiki: it doesn't matter, it's in the past!
simba: yeah, but it still hurts.
raffiki: ahh yes, the past can hurt. but the way i see it, you can run from it or.. learn from it.

when i was a kid and saw this for the first time, i probably wouldn't have realised it was amoung the best pieces of advice i've ever been given. change is going to happen, the world will keep spinning, and people you've come to know and love will fade away.

the only thing you can hold onto is trust; trust that no matter where you end up in life you can look back and say you had teh best circle of friends ever. geography isn't what tears people apart, its all in the our minds. if we want something enough, we should fight for it.

embrace change, and be thankful that others are doing the same.

-LOki

GOODBYE 2005

2006-01-02T18:34:00.000+11:00

yep, its that time of new year again where i look back on how things went in 2005 and try give some insights. at the moment i can't think of anything really but for anyone who knos me, by the end of this entry there'll be some bs conclusion or statement worth pondering.

i look back on my academic year and i find i should really try harder. scraping through all subjects and having to do a supplementary exam for another is nothing to be proud of. so that's one thing i'm aiming to change this year, and that is my attitude towards study. i need to bust my ass.

chalkboard was born in 2005 and we were on fire up until university exams. we conjured a complete script, thumbnails, almost the entire first issue, and business plans etc. looking back i had an amazing time doing all that, and i hope we can get the ball rolling again soon. but a few unexpected things popped up along the way that needed out attention. still, i'm still hoping for a march 2006 launch, though i can't speak for the other guys.

i hung out a lot with the guys this year. well, not really 'a lot' but more than previous years. they've all got so much going on in their lives that i really cherished the moments we were all together. i've been hearing some new years horror stories, about people going out in huge groups and having a shit time, and i was glad that i spent it with close friends and even some people who i did not expect. overall, i'm glad i welcomed the new year with those i hoped to spend it with.

working at the shop was alright this year since it offered me a break from having to use my brain. we had the regulars and a few new faces who eventually become familiar. the hours kinda sucked but it still gave me time to do things afterwards or just crash out at home.

my grandmother came from cambodia this year, her first time out of the country. it was weird at first, but i warmed up to her eventually and found out where i got my dry humour and wit from. it was an odd experience learning about how people grew up in cambodia, and the stories of my parents when they were kids. my sister came from england as well during that time, and we did the 'family' stuff with plenty of photos as well.

alright, this post is getting long and boring. looking over the year i thing i had a good one, nothing particularly horrible comes to mind, and here i am still healthy (as far as i know) and breathing.

2006 aye? i welcome you with open arms.

-LOki

THE HOLY GRAIL - HUNTERS AND COLLECTORS

2005-12-14T01:18:00.000+11:00

"woke up this morning from the strangest dream
i was in the biggest army the world has ever seen
We were marching as one
on the road to the holy grail

all the locals scattered, they were hiding in the snow
we were so far home, so how were we to know
there be nothing left to pluder
when we stumble on the holy grail

we were full of beans
but we were dying like flies
and those big black birds, they were circling in the sky
and you know what they say, yeah, nobody deserves to die

you know i, i been searching for an easy way
to escape the cold light of day
i been high and i been low
but I nowhere else to go

and i followed orders
god knows where i been
but i woke up alone
all my wounds were clean
i'm still here
i'm still a fool for the holy grail

oh yeah im a fool for the holy grail."

-LOki

"EVERYONE'S GOT TO HOLD ON HOPE" - GUIDED BY VOICES

2005-11-23T12:28:00.000+11:00

"i think one of the most universal human experiences is feeling alone. you’d never know it, but there is most likely tons of other people feeling the exact same way.

maybe because you’re feeling completely abandoned.
maybe because you realised you weren’t self sufficient as you thought.
maybe because you know you should’ve handled something differently.
or maybe because you aren’t as good as you thought you were.

either way, when you hit that low point you have a choice:
you can either wallow in self pity, or you can suck it up.

it’s your call."

- dr. john dorian, scrubs.

504.9KMS OF ADVENTURE

2005-11-13T19:50:00.000+11:00

what was planned to be a pretty relaxing drive to lake eildon for a weekend of camping for a friend's 21st, pete and i soon found out what it was like to be completely lost.

we left melbourne around 8pm on friday night, dropped by coles and grabbed a whole lotta grog. we get around the general area (eildon) by aroun 11:30, and following the directions given to us turned right as soon as you pass the bridge. so the right turn we took, not knowing that the directions were referring to the THIRD bridge along that stretch of road.

an hour later, after going through pot holes and running over boulders, we come across a three-pronged fork in the road. the directions told us "when you come to clearing, go right and go all the way down". we turn right and nearly drive off a cliff. then we drive through a bog and my landcruiser 4WD slides in the mud and the water level reaches the top of my tyres so i think we're fucked. i rev the car like there's no tomorrow and pete and i make it across. only problem is though, we need to get through it since we're going the wrong friggin' way.

i try reversing, knowing all too well if we get bogged, we would be completely screwed. i do a death/gravity defying u-turn on the edge of a cliff, and at this point pete takes the wheel and we manage to drive through the pothole. we rejoiced.

we decide to go back to a clearing we drove past in the last two hours and camp there for the night. but before we get back there, we see another fork in the road and think "hey, let's try that one." an hour later, we both say "fuck this" and head back to the main road. fatigued, annoyed, sober, we find some dirtbike track, park the car and start a fire.

after an hour, the fire is going well and we crack open our 1 litre bottle of Jimmy and drink the night away until the sun comes up. the sun crept over the mountains but the air was still icy. we decide to skull the last of the Beam and drive into town to get some breakfast. after that, we think we'll give it another shot. so we climb the moutain for a third time, until we come across a couple of drik-bikers who say "i don't know how you're gonna get up there", so we take this as a hint to turn back.

defeated but determined, i suggest we continue a little further down the road until we come across BRIDGE #2... we look at each other, ready to explode. we drive a little further, and BRIDGE #3 comes up with the sign we had thought we'd seen earlier. we take the turn but do another wrong turn as we approached the fork in the road. we did a u-turn and followed the other track and 20 mins later found the campsite.

we got out, fatigued, still drunk, but relieved. pete went on to chop down a tree, and i just cracked open a Coopers and got even more smashed.

pete and i both crash out at 6pm, after being awake since 7am the following morning, and driving all night and morning. we get up later around 8pm and eveyone is wasted, so we join in and get tanked with the rest of the Coopers and a bottle of Jose Cuervo Especial tequilla and some cask white wine as a chaser.

...and then finally this afternoon, after sobering up and clearing up the campsite we head back home at 2:30ish. we get home at around 7pm after stoppping by healsveal for some food.

what an awesome adventure. what started off with frustration and turmoil, the night turned out to be awesome as pete and i jsut sat there, pissed off our heads, talking and drinking. pot holes, bogs, cliff-faces, boulders, a million bloody forks. we did finally make it to the real campsite as you now know, but it was nice to be completely lost with one of my best friends.

man, 504kms! pete, thanks for being there with me the whole way bruz, i couldn't have done it without you.

-LOki

"I BAGS THE BLUE HORSE!" - VITO

2005-11-08T21:04:00.000+11:00

on sunday me, pete, vito, and nicole went horse riding. it was the first time in a very long time for most of us, and a first for nicole. after an hour-long drive with a detour to red rooster and the petrol station, we arrived at ace high ranch, cape schank. the weather was nice that day, wiht the sun high and the sky clear.

before we went to the stables, vito had said the title quote... and conincidently enough, the horse he had for the day was called "Bluey". I had Harry, pete was paired with Bomber, and nicole with Annabel. the ride went for about three hours, and we went through rolling medows and along the beach.

it was nice to do something different.

on another note, it's taken me some time to accept that DAN ENGLAND (pictured) has been knocked out of the running to become the next australian idol. to me, he was the number one contender for the crown, but i guess that's not going to happen now. but in any event, he'll have a cd out soon enough and i'll be the first in line to get it. you're the best dan!

while every performance of his was awesoe, his best include "try a little tenderness", "unnamed melody", and the eagles' hit "desperado". dan, we'll hear from you soon.

-LOki

"I WANTED TO GO BOWLING!" FROZONE, THE INCREDIBLES.

2005-11-05T13:01:00.000+11:00

exams are over, the sun's out, and i'm inside.

i'm outties, enjoy your day.

-LOki

"...EVEN WHEN SHE WAS A STUDENT, SHE ALWAYS FELT SOMEWHAT LEFT BEHIND," PROF. XAVIER, X2.

2005-10-29T21:19:00.000+10:00

its funny how there's always an ultimatum when it comes to study - you can study, or work. it's almost impossible to do both effectively. i only speak for myself actually, since i know at least a dozen people who seem to manage it perfectly fine.

so why can't i do that?

hmm i don't know what it is, but lately i've been questioning why i'm even at school still. the pay off seems so far off that i can't even seem to focus on it any more. but as always, the feelings i'm having are always transient and ten bucks says i'll be over it in a couple of days. i just need some kind of sign or verification that all i'm doing is actually going to lead me where i want to be.

being at school is kind a like a carousel, you keep going round in circles and the same old shit. and all the while you see people out of the corner of you eye getting on better rides, having more fun, and doing what they want. you can't get off the damn horse cos you're just so used to it, not to mention the thing won't even slow down. or speed up for that matter.

in the mean time i'm studying for property law which i've got on monday morning, and after that its good ol' torts. i can't wait till its all over, i really really can't.

-LOki

RIDING INTO THE SUNSET

2005-10-20T21:17:00.000+10:00

while i'm sitting here learning last minutes things about child abduction, my mind keeps wondering to next next friday, when i'll be a free man (until march). here are a few things i want to try and do once exams are long gone:

1) go horse riding
2) paintball
3) go through my "movies to see" list
4) clean out my backyard
5) buy a bbq
6) clean my room
7) learn how to drive a manual car
8) paint something
9) go to the beach

we'll see how far i get, but for now, back to Regulation 16(3)(b) of the Family Law (Child Abduction Convention) Regulations.

-LOki
(for the image, check out http://www.alanandsandycarey.com)

KING ARTHUR

2005-10-16T23:59:00.000+10:00

3.8/5
stars clive owen, ioan gruffudd, kiera knightley, hugh dancy

i reviewed this film a while back in january, but after watching it again recently i feel compelled to re-review it. i've actually got a copy of the theatrical version rather than the director's cut; while the director's cut is definitely better, i can still cast a very favourable review on the theatrical version.

i'm not sure how closely the film follows the 'real' legend of arthur and his knights. but i guess the legend itself aint that clear either. anyways, the main story of the film portrays arthur's pre-king journey with his knights in thier numerous battles with the britains, the saxons, and the woads for the casue of freedom. after they defeat the saxons, their freedom will be granted - and after fifteen years, they have all come but one battle away from it.

but, as lancelot (gruffudd) tells arthur (owen), "only certain death awaits you here." the film explores the friendships between each of the knights, and that before they were knights, they were human beings. watching the film over and over, i wonder if the concepts of friendship, courage, and loyalty meant much more back in arthurian days. what i love about this film are the characters of lancelot and arthur, best friends since being torn from their families 15 years ago. their contrasting idelogies on life and faith.

other characters provide the gritty film with a human touch. they all joke and laugh together, they drink together, and they fight in battle together. some make it it to the final credits, and others don't.

this film was to me, kind of like a medieval, bloody, grown-up version of rob reiner's "stand by me". i originally bagged the directing and editing, but after a view viewings, i realised that both were done with the highest attention to detail. the editing is consistent, clean, and seamless.

originally i gave the film 3/5, but now its at 3.8. i highlyu recommend this film. if not for the gratuidous violence, head-lopping, and axings, then for the trials these knights go through for thier freedom. but get the director's cut version, its a lot better.

-LOki

"YOU SHOT ME IN THE BOLLOCKS," - DWAYNE BENZIE, SPACED.

2005-10-10T01:47:00.000+10:00

while things at chalkboard have wrapped up until around mid november, uni work and exam prep is in full flight. well, it would be in full flight if i even bothered to take off.

i always say this around exam time, and that is DON'T BLOODY STRESS - it only makes things worse. bust your ass studying from now on and after it all, you've got 3 months (yes, 3 MONTHS) to kick back and do nothing. and even if you've got a job lined up for the summer break, at least you won't be going to school.

i'll be bustin' my ass at the shop over the break, but i'll be doing plenty of chalkboard stuff as well. i've also got a few of my own projects i want to get off the ground. after that, i'll have random outings when i get the chance and hopefully do some horse-back riding and paintballing in between.

hmmm the prospect of shooting people - that's what's getting me through the exam period!

recently i've heard about people getting screwed over, or screwing over other people... and in times like that i kinda feel quite fortunate that it hasn't happend to me (yet). not that i'm hoping it ever does, but i'm glad is hasn't. trust is a funny thing, and if you're not careful, people abuse that trust.

again, it comes down to the people you associate with, and sometimes i think people know that they're about to get screwed over. there are those shady people who you know would send you up the river in an instant - but on the flipside you also know, for a fact, that there are those who would be willing to do anything to protect you. in other words, use your brain (and not your ego) when deciding on who you want to be friends with.

i went to a party the other night and had seen someone i hadn't seen for what felt like a very long time. but i was glad, relieved even, that they were exactly how i remembered, and despite the things going on in our respective lives, we would always be the same around each other. its been a bit like that the past week actually and i'm glad that i have the word "nostalgic" to describe it. because i could easily go on and on trying to talk about the past week and the feelings i've had, but that magical word sums it up perfectly. there are some things you just can't reduce to words, you have to feel it - and i'm glad that i did.

things have been looking up for those close around me, and i'm happy for them. it may not seem it some times (well, i admit a lot of the time) but i am. i am grateful to those who have been with me from way back when until now, and recently i've realised that damn, no matter what, i'll be seeing ya's 50 years down the track (if we all make it that far).

and who knows, we might even have that small country house in the middle of nowhere we used to talk about. all we need is the beer and the company, and we'll be set.

-LOki
(for the above image and others equally as amazing, check out 'real time' aussie photographers at http://www.wildlight.net/wild/home/)

SERENITY + BEER

2005-10-04T14:38:00.000+10:00

3.9/5
stars nathan fillion, adam baldwin, gina torres

after incessant nagging from my brother, i went to see joss whedon's SERENITY, a film based off the cult television series Firefly. i thoroughly enjoyed the movie and even though i had no idea what it was going to be about or who any of the characters were, there was the inherent joss whendon comedy and smart-ass comments that made me feel right at home.

the film follows a group of mercenaries aboard the Serenity, a ship that is barely holding itself together. they do odd jobs to pay for repairs, pay themselves, and satisfy "the need to eat sometime this month". like i said before, the even though i didn't know the characters, i felt like i did. they were well developed and believable. when it comes to special effects, CG, and dog-fight directing, all i have to say is this: george lucas, talk to joss whedon. the epic space battle in Serenity is amazing.

the film hits emotional highs and lows of the characters, as well as the funnier side of what it is to be a human being. i've just gotta sit down and watch the series now to fully appreciate it.

AND now the "beer" part...

the other night i went out to a pub to meet up with some friends. i knew i wanted to go an dmade the effort to go, but when i got there i felt numb. i expected it would be the guys hanging out and making some noise, but i was wrong.

it got me thinking, was being "wrong" all that was making me feel numb? possibly. it's sort of like going to party and expecting to see someone there, but they don't turn up. you feel like you've wasted your time, and you just want to go home. but yo know, in the back of your mind, you might as well make the most of the situation - and more often than not there's someone around who knows what you're thinking and talks to you about it. and you're always greatful that they did. but you don't tell them that, they already seem to know.

then the following night was similar... the guys would be at the joint drinking, just not together. and that's the kind of drinking that i really don't like. but i was wrong, but this time it turned out to be good. we we all just sitting around and getting wasted, beer after beer, shot after shot. it was great. it was nostalgic in some ways too, but i won't get into that. i always seem to...

so what does SERENITY and BEER have to do with each other? well, let me try and articulate this coherently: it doesn't matter if you don't know what's going to happen, you just have to make the most of it.

-LOki

AUSTRALIAN IDOL 3

2005-09-28T01:22:00.000+10:00

after three weeks of dodging bullets and criticism, laura gissarra was voted off last night. while it is always tough to see people go, it was especially difficult this time since she had gone through so much shit from just about everyone but still week after week performed her butt off. but now her idol dream is over, and hopefully so it the scrutiny.

the nine idols left however have a long road ahead of them.

stand out performers in my opinion are kate deagroua, dan england, emily williams, anne robertson, and lee harding.

emily kicks so much ass it's not funny; her vocals are amazing with a huge range. her enthusiam and determination shine whenever she's on stage. but what i love most about her is her humbleness. after she performs her heart off, she all of a sudden becomes quiet, waiting for the judges to impart their opinons. she doesn't know how good she is and is therefore always challenging herself to do better, which only makes her an even stronger contender for the title.

dan is probably the strongest male vocally and he knows it, belting out rocking tones as well as the high notes that always arouse an applause from the crowd. he has a voice you want to keep listening to. anne is another amazing vocalist who uses soulful tones to get her songs across. she always gets caught up in the emotion of the song which shows that she really believes what she's singing. her sincerity really shines through in all the songs she sings. and lee, a good ol' melbourne boy, has a really awesome rock voice and can entgertain teh crowd like there was no tomorrow. his vibrant personality and just general up-beat attitude really work in his favour, making me think that he'd be a great friend to have.

and kate - she's awesome. despite her being a 'dag', that's what i love about her. she's beautiful and doesn't really give a shit about what people think. to me she seems really down to earth, and can take the good with the bad. vocally, she has the extra grunt that some of the female contestants lack, allowing her to add that extra dimensions to all of her songs. kyle keeps going on about how she's been losing weight etc, but i reckon she's cool as she is. kick some ass kate, you know you want to.

i want these guys to be in the top five, but as most people know (after ricki-lee got voted off) the best singers aren't always the ones left standing. last year there were a couple of stand-out contenders, but this year it looks like everyone's got a shot.

but like i said, any of the five i mentioned above would make an awesome australian idol. but it's up to us voting to keep them in. i had never voted before this current series started, and only because there are really outstanding vocalists in the running.

support these guys, they've earned it.

-LOki
(for the original images, go to australianidol.bigpond.com.au)

WALLACE & GROMIT: CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT

2005-09-19T13:17:00.000+10:00

3.9/5
stars helena bonham-carter, ralph fiennes, peter sallis

the last claymation thing i had seen was "chicken run", made by the same guys that did this film, and i can confidently say i had a blast. a unique style of animation plust that dry english humour made that film great. and the same applies now, to the just-released WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABIT.

wallace and gromit operate a 'friendly' pest control service, where they capture pest rabbits and instead of culling them, put them in cages and house them. awwww how sweet.

but things go a little crazy when wallace uses the rabbits in one of his experiments in mind control. uh-oh.

this movie is great; it's funny, smart, touching. as i mentioned earlier, the humour in it is so well woven into the main script/film that it happens without you even realising. you find yourself laughing at moments that seem so ordinary, just because in the back of your mind the film has triggered some kind of humorous response.

anyhoo, i'm heading to a bbq now but if you haven't got anything planned for the day, go see this movie!

-LOki

"A WELL-DONE PEPPER STEAK AND COKE THANKS," - me

2005-09-08T00:09:00.000+10:00

after a pretty dismal experience i had tonight with dining out, i thought i should maybe write about it a little. the following is a run down on the places i've been in the recent past and my thoughts on it. there are specific categories where ratings are given, but the overall are bracketed next to the name and location of the place.

i'm no expert at food and i can eat just about anything, but as a person who goes into a restaurant looking for a decent feed and some money left over, i think i have at least some standing in giving opinions about restaurants, take-aways and the like. damn, i even used to work in one. well, i kinda still do.

anyways,

HOWL AT THE MOON - WARRIGAL RD, CHADSTONE (2.5/5)
value: 1/5
quality: 2.5/5
atmosphere: 3/5
service: 3/5
i went there tonight with the hopes of getting a nice steak or parma, but i saw the menu and the steak was $28 so i thought screw that, i'll get the fish and chips for $20. $20 for fish and chips?! portion-wise, you get the same (if not less) the amount of chips as a small fries from maccas, and three strips of fish and a bit of salad. while tasting OK, for that price i expected better. a lot better.

CHARCOAL CHICKEN - ATHERTON RD, OAKLEIGH (3.5/5)
value: 3.5/5
quality: 3/5
atmosphere: 3/5
service: 4/5
this place is consistenly good and the prices, while having increased in the last few months, are very reasonable. for a 'fast food' kind of place, the quality of the food is very good and there is a bit of variety as well. they have specials from monday - wednesday on quater chicken + chips for $4.50, and the workers there are cool. i never have reservations about going there, apart from maybe that i had it the previous say as well. recommended. btw, their chips are awesome.

FASTA PASTA - JAM FACTORY, SOUTH YARRA (3/5)
value: 3/5
quality: 3/5
atmosphere: 3/5
service: 3/5
even with pete and vito leaving that place, the food is still consistenly good as is the service. back in the day i'd get pretty awesome steaks and parmas, but now they're just "good". serving sizes are reasonable and tings are cooked pretty quickly (could that be because it's called FASTA Pasta? ba-zing.) the place looks kinda cool too, and overlooks the ground floor of the jam factory. overall, i don't mind going there.

LAZY MOE'S - WARRIGAL RD, OAKLEIGH (2.5/5)
value: 3/5
quality: 2.5/5
atmosphere: 2.5/5
service: 2.5/5
i went there with pete and glenn and we were the only people there. we asked for a jug of water and the waiter said "it's self serve, see that water foutain over there?" and points. she adds "we can't handle it if we had to get a jug of water for everyone"... yeah, the whole three people at the table. yes, the amount of food is quite generous - but at lazy moe's it is definitely quantity over quality. plus, the guy who created the franchise sounds like an arrogant prick. won't be going back any time soon.

SOFIA'S - BURKE RD, CAMPBERWELL (3.25/5)
value: 3/5
quality: 3.5/5
atmosphere: 3/5
service: 3/5
despite having a lawsuit slapped on their asses a couple of years ago, the food here is very good. while the waitresses at the wheelers hill one are better looking, the service is still good and pretty efficient (in that you get your food before you realise "shit, where's my food?"). meal sizes are pretty generous, and it doesn't hurt they they generally taste pretty damn good. they have the usual pizza and pasta, plus seafood. steaks and parmas are always a good choice.

NOODLE CAFE - PORTMAN ST, OAKLEIGH (3.5/5)
value: 3/5
quality: 3/5
atmosphere: 2.5/5
service: 3/5
this little gem is next door to chow's shop. some noodle shops rely too much on soy sauce and "asian salt" to give their menu flavour, but the stuff that comes out of this kitchen is like the stuff that comes out of your home kitchen. sometimes its takes a bit longer than i'd like for the food to be cooked, but that's soon forgotten about since it's so damn good. always friendly service, i never really have to think twice when i feel like noodles.

ITAMI - CHADSTONE SHOPPING CENTRE, CHADSTONE (3/5)
value: 3/5
quality: 3/5
atmosphere: 2/5
service: 2/5
maybe cos its so busy most of the time that thier "service" scores lower than i'd like to give, but this place is prob the best japanese take-away in chadstone. their handrolls are always fresh, and chilled (as they should be), and the bain marie (hot food stuff) is always looking pretty fresh. i can never walk past this place without buying something, it's insane.

CHOMPS - CHADSTONE RD, CHADSTONE (3.5/5)
value: 3/5
quality: 3.5/5
atmosphere: 2/5
service: 3/5
pete tells me that this place was bought out once by new owners who pretty much drove the business into the ground. a few years later the old owner bought back the shop and put a sign up "old owners back" and business has been booming since. burgers and steak sandwiches are awesome. they do the regular fish and chip gig as well, but its the burgers that really get you. i don't go here too often cos i'm sure its very bad for my health, but when i do i'm always satisfied.

-LOki

for the above pic and recipes (in another language): http://www.kommunalbogen.dk/mad/artikler.php?artnr=3077

FAMILY GUY

2005-08-30T01:34:00.000+10:00

FUTURAMA pushed teh envelope when it came to adult animated humour, where it explored more 'mature' themes than its predecessor, THE SIMPSONS. then there was SOUTH PARK, which, while clearly attracting an 'adult' level of language in it, was more slapstick comedy with the occasional awesome episode. but now, we have FAMILY GUY.

the show is about the griffin's, a pretty average middle-class family. but look a little closer and you'll see the talking dog brian, the evil anti-christ genious baby stu, the slow and humble chris, and the teenage drama queen meg. and that's just the kids. peter and lois griffin, those responsible for such a unique family lend their irreverent style of parenting into the formula that make this show bloody hilarious.

since chow lent me his season 3 dvd a couple of days ago, i have barely stopped watching it. three discs, 21 episodes. i don't think i've laughed so hard in a while at an animated series though i hear that season's one and two are even better.

here's a bit of a taste of what this series is like:

LOIS
that's the first violent thing stu's ever done.

STU
that's not true, what about the ticking time-bomb i left in your uterus when you poppoed me out - happy 50th birthday lois...

or...

LOIS
i'm like one of those bald eagles, i'm beatiful to look at, but mess with one of my chicks and i'll use my razor sharp talons to rip your fucking eyes out!

of course, the "fucking" is bleeped out with the "ding" of the microwave.

get this series, you'll piss yourself.

-LOki

AINT THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD

2005-08-22T21:23:00.000+10:00

Westlife in 2004 (L-R): shane, nicky, mark, brian, kian.

well, MARK FEEHILY of irish boyband westlife has publically told everyone he's gay. the band and his family had always known, but mark said "it was the right" time to just let the public know.

so what does that mean? not much, really.

i don't know if you guys know, but i'm a westlife fan - there i said it. those of you who know me well know the story behind it, but for those of you who don't, here's a bit of insight.

when i went to japan back in year 10 there wasn't much english music floating around. despite all the poorly written english plastered on billbaoards and vending machines, there was very little by way of music. so after 25 days and on my way home from the airport my sister put the radio on and on came a westlife song. it was a comforting feeling to hear something in english, and what was more significant was that the voice on the radio could actually sing.

being in australia, we don't get much of anything from the UK when it comes to entertainment or whatever, and apart from the very rare occaision that a song was played on the radio, there wasn't much westlife in australia. then in 2001 they made the radar here and their music video for "when you're looking like that" was on rage. basically, the clip was jsut of the fives guys (now four, after the departure of brian mcfadden (you know, the guy who's going out with delta goodrem?)) going around the world doing something that they loved.

its easy to do that when you're selling 30million albums at a time, but i think all of us can at least do that one thing - and that is have the time of our lives with our closest friends, and looking back on life and confidently saying to yourself "damn, i had a pretty good crack at life".

and that was it. while majority of their songs are cheesy and ballardy, it was the feeling that they, as a group, gave me. something that back in year 12 i needed, something to work for. i don't expect many people to empathise with me, but i think everyone has something that, even if they don't want to admit to it, makes them smile on the inside. if it's not music, it might be a movie. if not a movie, maybe a video game. who knows, but all i know is that you should hold onto what makes you happy.

-LOki

WEDDING CRASHERS

2005-08-17T17:17:00.000+10:00

3.8/5
stars vince vaughn, owen wislon, rachel mcadams, christopher walken

it pains me to admit that i'm not a stranger to the romantic comedy genre. the good ones make me feel good, and the bad ones make me want to invest in a time machine. but WEDDING CRASHERS certainly gave me that feel-good movie feeling.

brothers john (wilson) and jeremy (vaughn) are two guys who crash weddings to meet, greet and sleep with heaps of single women who are so "aroused by the thought of marriage that they're willing to throw their inhibitions to the wind". for the better part of 12 years, they've been pretending to be countless cousins, nephews, adopted grandkids etc... but then comes the cleary wedding - the kentucky derby of all weddings.

enter clare and gloria cleary (mcadams and fishcer, respectively), daughters of the secretary of treasury played superbly by christopher walken.

while jeremy has is hands full with gloria, john tries to win over the heart of clare who, conveniently, is going out with some other guy.

the film takes its time to get rolling, but once it does it soars. a lot of work must've gone into the script as every character had deliberate dialogue but executed perfectly by all cast members.

a special mention goes to aisla fischer who plays the immature but scaringly loving gloria; also to dr. quinn medicine woman for her role as the secretary wife - both proper and kinky.

the film explores what it means to be a true friend, and also what one should be looking for in that other someone. with the backdrop of numerous weddings, this movie is given plenty of opportunities to explore that. however, due to the hilarity of the film, many of the emotionally heavy scenes fall flat.

overall though, i've seen this movie twice and liked it both times; if you've got a space $10 and 2 hours, i highly recommend this movie. vince vaughn kicks ass.

-LOki

MONSTER IN LAW

2005-08-17T17:09:00.000+10:00

3/5
jennifer lopez, michael vartan, jane fonda

up in northland where the air is thinner than chadstone, we decided to see this movie. i'm not a big fan of j-lo (!) but i figure what the hell? so i went in, sat down, and closed my eyes.

nah, the film is suprisingly funny and hits most of the laugh cues on the head. the story follows charlie (lopez), a single woman who has a change encounter with kevin (vartan) and through a series of montages, they get married. kevin's mother however (fonda), a washed-up television show host is not so happy that a "pregnant lesbian" is taking her son away.

the story is a little old; mother in law trying to get rid of the daughter in law, but the antics they use on each other elicit some laughs. a mention has to go to wanda sykes, who plays ruby - fonda's personal assisstant. i think her role is what really got the movie rolling and the laughs that it effortlessly evokes from the audience.

very superficial, very formulaic, very funny.

-LOki

HOUSE OF WAX

2005-08-17T16:57:00.000+10:00

2.5/5
stars elisha cuthbert, chad michael murray, paris hilton

i wanted to see this movie for two reasons: elisha cuthbert and paris hilton. the former, because i like her, and the latter cos i wanted to see that since money couldn't by brains, maybe it could buy some acting skills.

the film is about a bunch of kids going to some random football game, but taking the ever-so-fobidden short cut through the dark woods until they eventually stop in the middle of nowhere and start a 20-minute sequence of drinking, playing football (in teh dark!) and no-so-subtle sexual inuendos. one character has a video camera and goes around filming everyone, making paris hilton feel right at home.

cuthbert and murray play twin brother and sister, cuthbert being the good one and murray being the badass one. with their little group of friends, they go to a town that looks like its abandoned (gasp - it is!) and that's where people start getting killed. people die pretty easily, although the token black guy didn't die first but dies pretty pathetically.

cut to the rest of the film where there's plenty of running away from a couple of bad guys. paris hilton puts up a bit of a fight though, which is kinda cool, but not cool enough to avoid being speared in the head.

the film is long and boring, apart from the last ten minutes when the house of wax is completely destroyed - at last!

-LOki

"MAYOI NAGARA DEMO II, ARUKI DASHITE" - NARUTO

2005-08-10T16:45:00.000+10:00

depending on which subtitler you're relying on, it roughly translates into "IT'S OK TO GET LOST ON THE WAY, BUT YOU GOTTA START WALKING SOMETIME". just recently i've been sucked into watching NARUTO, a relatively new anime series that takes forever to get somewhere, but tells a great story. thanks to dom (wake up!) and jase for bringing this anime to my attention.

but this post isn't about NARUTO.

i was at uni today and saw a flyer from the CBF (christian bible -something) and it said "feel confused? life out of control?", and as i walked past to get to my civil procedure lecture, i was tempted to take out my sharpie permanent marker and write "yeah? well quit bitching and get over it!" as if a 30 minute meeting between classes is going to fundamentally change one's outlook.

over the past week, while i've been seeing a few movies, i've been thinking a lot as well. whenever people ask me things like "how's things?" or "what's up?" i find myself answering quite optimistically. even if there are things bothering me at the time, i know they're only transient and i can usually get over them. but there are somethings that really do shit me up the wall, but sometimes i just accept it and try to live with it.

and from then on, i started to feel a little better. while my life isn't perfect - far from it actually - i'm seeing more of the good parts than the bad. and that's enough to get me through. i've been seeing the guys a little more often now; it had been a while since i have.

things with the comic have been going great; with jase relentlessly working on thumbnails, the roughs for the first issue will be done by the coming weekend. while there have been a few ups and downs, ulitmately we're all still working towards the same goal. i found that my experience in chalkboard has let me see look at things from different perspectives, and that sometimes what's right isn't always a matter of pride.

study-wise, i think i'm finally back in univeristy mode, which means i need to catch up on all the stuff i missed when i wasn't! i think i'll be fine, despite having hundreds of unread pages waiting for me. but i think i can manage, even with the lack of sleep i've been getting lately. meh, we're only young once - better use this body as much as i can before i start not being able to altogether.

"what the hell has this got to do with the title of this post?" i hear you ask? well, here it is...

there are some things that are certain, and others that aren't. if there's something you're after, you're never going to get it unless you start something. and now, if things seem a little grim, "it's ok to get lost on the way" - but you gotta start walking sometime. yeah yeah, i'm a philosophiser now, but i've been thinking about that line in the opening sequence of NARUTO ever since i heard it. it makes so much sense.

"start something."... thanks omer.

-LOki

(for the full image, check out sugoiweb.com)

THE ISLAND

2005-08-03T18:57:00.000+10:00

3.5/5
stars ewan mcgregor, scarlett johansen, steve buscemi, sean bean

ok. i had initially decided to give this film a 3/5 for the reasons i've outlined in my previous post "CRITIQUING THE CRITIC", but after a second viewing (and earbashing from the guys i went to see it with), i gave it that extra .5.

the film is about a society of clones that hav ebeen brought up thinking that they are the only survivors of a worldwide contamination, and that "the island" is the only place left on earth that is pathegon free. the clones stay at the institute and eagerly await their chance to visit the island, the last paradise on earth. but, like all michael bay film, this is not what it seems.

in fact, these guys have all been commissioned to be made by 'real' people, people living in the outswide world, as insuarance policies should any of their own organs or whatever stuff up.

lincoln echo six (i want that name! (ewan mcgregor)) is the first of the clones to question his purpose in life, and this leads him to do a bti of digging until he reveals that there is in fact no island of paradise at all, and that all the clone who had been sent there were harvested for tier organs. in one heartbearking scene, a clone gives birth to a baby girl, and once the baby is taken away, the clone is discarded like yesterday's newspaper. it's fucken horrible.

so anyway, his life-long friend (well, three years since these clones are made straight into adulthood) jordan delta two (johanssen) wins her way to the island and can't wait to go. and this is where the story really kicks off, as lincoln and jordan make their escape into the real world.

the film looks stunning, which is not suprising considering michael bay's (the director "armageddon", "the rock", "pearl harbor") reputation for blowing shit up and making it look fantastic. acting-wise, the cast does an amazin job, especially steve buscemi as one of the very few characters who isn't a clone himself, but treats them as human. we need more poeple like him around. up until i saw this film, i couldn't stand scarlett johanssen - but now i love her.

i guess what really tipped the .5 scales is the underlying theme - that the new american dream is to live forever, and that some people are rich enough to do anything to get that. it questions the very notion of what it is to be human - is it just flesh and bone that make a human, or is it something more? memories, life experiences, compassion, and feelings are what make the concept of human come to life.

in this film ironically, the 'clones' have been embued with more emotion and feeling than the 'real' humans.. and the human are protrayed as absolute pricks. it's like a bell curve on one of those shitty graphs we used to do in maths; you can only go so high in scientific progress until you reach a point where all the work done after that starts crumbling the human conscience.

alright, this is film review and not a discussion on the concept of what it is to be human. BUT, this film is sure to bring these kinds of questions up in your mind.. and for a blockbuster film to do that is quite rare.

i never heard of the composer for this film before (and i can't even remember thier name), but he does an awesome job, especially in the opening and closing sequences. SFX were done well also, relying on a lot more live-action stunts and explosions than CG... but like i said, if you're michael bay, you can afford it.

see this movie.. it only scores 3.5 for a couple of reasons: product placement, and length. at 134 mintues, the explosions get kinda boring.

-LOk

SIN CITY

2005-08-01T18:57:00.000+10:00

2.5/5
clive owen, jaimie king, elijah wood, bruce willis, jessica alba

i didn't see why so many people loved this movie. stylistically it was very impressive, and the way the stories unfolded was quite interesting, but beyond that it was simply another "gangster bad neghborhood" movie.

the film follows three stories running parallel in SIN CITY. first off is that of haradigan (willis), a cop on his last job to save a little girl from being raped and torn to shred by the city's senator's son. secondly, it's marv (mickey rourke) who's on a vendetta againt whoever killed his beloved one-night stand, blondie (king). and finally, its clive owen (can't remember his name) teaming up with ex-flame gale (rosario dawson) against some crooked cops.

overall it was watchable, and i mentioned above the style of the film (noir-ish/comic book) was what made this movie ok to watch. it was a bit violent and it seemed either frank miller is a raging feminist, or he jsut likes seeing guys have thier balls cut off.

i actually saw this movie twice - i don't know why.

-LOki

CRITIQUING THE CRITIC - HOW'S THAT FOR A SLICE OF FRIED GOLD!

2005-07-24T14:23:00.000+10:00

a lot of people have asked me how i come up with my ratings for films, and i think it is only fair for me now to try and explain it. because my ratings are out of 5 (instead of 10), each digit is worth taking into account. so here goes. i'll provide a brief explanation and give examples as i go, but take note that different aspects of different films have significant weight.

things i typically take into account include:
acting, perfomance
directing, editing
themes and concepts explored
production values
overall package

1/5 - ABSOLUTE SHITHOUSE.
this rating, which i have yet to give, is awarded to films that have no redeeming qualities. not even good production values or underlying concepts could salvage such a shit movie. i can't think of any film that immediately comes to mind, apart from maybe "2001: A Space Odyssey", which was excruciating to sit through. i wanted to stab myself in teh eye with a pencil - twice.

2/5 - WATCHABLE
generally production values along can push a film into this category. take Star "Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" for example. the movie was shit, but it looked nice and had decent special effects. films that get this rating are usually good on a superficial level, but when you dig a little deeper and try to make sense of it, it just becomes stupid. but production values doesn't trump acting or character development.

3/5 - BETTER THAN GOOD
from 2 to 3, there's plenty in between. films that elicit some kind of emotional response in a decent overall package get this rating. an example is "Fantastic Four"; while the story was very dry and A to B, the characters and the script work well together, making it enjoyable jsut to sit back and watch. films that get this rating are usually ones that have a good set of characters and utilises them to tell a solid, even if ho-hum, story. furthermore, a 3/5 means i've probably seen the movie more than twice, which is enough to suggest that it deserves such a rating.

4/5 - AWESOME
generally, no critic will ever give full marks unless they're being paid to. and unfortunately, i aint getting paid. films that get this rating are brilliant in nearly all the aspects i have listed above. the fusion of great directing, cast performances, and story will push a film into this bracket. "Life as a House" and "Batman Begins" are two examples of such greatness. Both tell an interesting story, both have their own different but distinctly excellent directing, and the cast members have put thier heart and soul into their performances. if a film gets a 4/5, it's pretty damn good.

5/5 - FUCKING BRILLIANT
i've only ever given two films this rating, "The Incredibles" and "Shaun of the Dead". both times it was an immediate rating, i didn't have to think about it cos these films are so damn good. the 5/5 is usually awarded where the film, on a subjective level, makes me change the way i think, or inspires me to do something. taking into account all the above mentioned aspects of film and filmmaking, movies that get this rating have definitely fulfilled those. but as i said, subjectivity is a funny thing. if a film affects me in a profoud way, it'll get that 5.

there you have it, it may have just made things a hell of a lot more confusing, but i think you kinda get the picture. basically all i'm saying t you really is this: the rating system might seem inconsistent, but if you really think about it, all films are different and should therefore be looked at in differnt ways. ulitmately, that means rating the film as i see it.

-LOki

FANTASTIC FOUR

2005-07-13T21:46:00.001+10:00

3/5
ioan gruffudd, jessica alba, michael chiklis, chris evans, julian mcmahon

another marvel film. i heard people saying the story was pretty dry, and that the characters were very cardboard. and they were probably right. but to the film's credit, the script and timing of certain dialogue worked perfecting, eliciting a laugh of an "awwww!" all at the right times. at the session i was at, the audience was very responsive.

i've never read a fantastic four comic, nor had i ever seen the cartoon... so what i was watching was completely new to me. the film though seemed more like prelude than an actual movie as it mainly focussed on how they got thier powers and the immediate aftermath. there was no real gripping story, it was as if the film existed in isolation to the rest of the world.

but anyway... i think performance wise, FF was good. although the characters were VERY archetyped, the cast pulled them off remarkably well. a particular mention goes to mike chaklis for his protrayal of the Thing; all his scenes, to me at least, were the emotionally heavy ones, and being in a huge organe suit didn't stop him from executing those emotions perfectly.

johnny storm AKA the human torch (played by evans, "not another teen movie" and "cellular") is the literally hot-headed loose cannon that can't wait to use his powers. contrast that with sue storm (alba) who is the conservative, rational, but bold type. then there's richard reeds (gruffudd), the guy who analyses everything before taking one step. these archetypes provide a good foundation for conflict and resolution, but they seemed to caluclated too be truly believable.

victor von doom (mcmahon) is the power-hungry billionaire who is pretty much the typical bad guy as well - all he wants is power, world domination, blah blah blah.

stand-out performances were by chalkis as previously mentioned, and evans as the human torch, proding both comedic relief, and a perspective on what most people would do with their powers: show them off!

SFX were integrated well into the film; they were placed throughout the entire film instead of having two or three huge sequeneces that were full of them. i think that made their powers more 'real', since they used them for every day thigns and not only for crime fighting or whatever. there were obvious blue/green screen shots, but they can be overlooked since the human torch SFX were stunning (in my opinion).

ultimately, i liked this movie. the story (or lack of) was very "A to B", but i enjoyed its simplicity. i would probably see it again and it's one of those movies - you don't really have to pay attention to get something out of it. that, and jessica alba "takes it off" a couple o' times.

-LOki

LIFE AS A HOUSE

2005-07-13T21:45:00.000+10:00

4/5
chris klein, hayden kristensen, jena malone, kristen scott thomas

i can't remember if i've already reviewed this film, but even if i have i think it's worth a second mention. the film centres on george (klein) in his attempts at not only building a house, but also building (or rebuilding) himself and those around him. after being laid off from work and being diagnosed with cancer, george sets out to fulfill his life long dream of building a house, a house he'd be proud to give to sam (christensen), his son.

the only problem is though, sam doesn't want anything to do with him. furthermore, george's ex-wife robin (thomas) has become disenchnated with sam as well as hostile towards george. it's just onebig happy family.

but george forces sam to help him work on the house during the summer, and it is during this time that sam and george rekindle their relationship. not only that, the relationships of all the characters take a turn for the better as a result of george taking charge of his life and building the house.

all actors did an awesome job, apart fom jena malone who i thought was a little bland. kudos expecially to kirsten scott thomas whose subtle expression convey so much emotion.

this film is a real tear jerker and i love it. its about following your dream and finding what you want. go see it, and you'll know what i mean.

-LOki

WAR OF THE WORLDS

2005-07-13T19:20:00.001+10:00

3/5
tom cruise, dakota fanning, miranda otto

i remember watching the original version of this film late at night a few years ago, and all i can remember the amount of close-up shots of women screaming their lungs out. like really, really loudly.

the film opens with a voice over by morgan freeman, who says since the beginning of time earth was being watched. and humans, in their infinite complacency, allowed themselves to be watched... and to their own peril. in a series of freak lightnight storms, aliens descend upon the earth and operate huge machines in attempts to annihilate human kind.

the re-make by steven speilberg has retained some of that screaming - well, a lot of it - but packs in a very visually stunning package. i don't even remember the character's names but overall the film was quite enjoyable. the special effects were a mixture of CG and live action, put together almost flawlessly.

acting-wise, it hink everyone we believable. props particularly to dakota fanning ("i am sam") who never ceases to amaze. the directing wasn't as good or fluent as i expected from spielberg, but still bareable. i don't usually like tom cruise, but in this film he was alright. although he did play the lead role, it was as if he could've been ANYONE in that situation. for instance, he hada no special skill or there was nothing particularly exceptional about his character - he was literally an average joe and that allowed him to viewed as such - as opposed to "tom cruise who went off the rails oprah styles".

all in all, a good movie. i prob wouldn't see it again but for it was, i had a good time.

-LOki

NOW THAT I KNOW WHO I AM, I'VE NO REASON TO LIVE

2005-07-11T13:34:00.000+10:00

Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

that's kinda cool.

ps. for the title of this blog to make sense, check out http://catherinejong.blogspot.com/2005/07/5-days-to-go.html.

-LOki

HOLY SHIT!

2005-07-11T13:13:00.000+10:00

What LoTR Character Are You?

"You are most like Aragorn. You have strong convictions and you stick to them. Although you are more of a recluse, you are extremely loyal to the few friends that you have. You are very serious about things, but you like having fun. Fame and fortune mean little to you, and you aren't concerned with being popular. Good for you."

that aint bad.

-LOki

"build this house with me," - george, life as a house.

2005-07-11T01:01:00.000+10:00

the last couple of weeks have been pretty up and down for me. i can't even really remember what happened but i can confidently say that at the end of it all, i'm feeling quite alright.

i don't know how people i've been around the last fourteen or so days have felt... though there have been indications that they've had a similar experience too. i can't be sure - none of us can ever be sure.

a lot of the past week has been to do with comic stuff. after our trip to buchan it felt kinda weird being back home, and it seemed that no one wanted to mention the comic or anything. a week went by and i still hadn't been in contact really with anyone. it made me feel a bit stupid in one sense, that maybe it was only me feeling some kinda of abandonment - i dunno.

we had a meeting the other day and things are running smoothly. there were some issues that were dealt with at a previous meeting; it did involve some of us to question the way things were being conducted though i think in the end of it all, it was the best thing that could've happened. i think a majority of us had something we wanted to say but needed someone else to take the reins and steer the meeting in that direction. now, everything's cool.

we had a meeting last night which ended up being a pancake parlour movie night, which i thought was a good break. i enjoyed just sitting around with good friends watching "shaun of the dead" (5/5) and "life as a house" (4/5) and having a bit of vodka and orange. i guess it had been a while since i last did something liek that, having a lot of the people i used to hang out with being busy with other stuff.

this time in eveyone's life is getting tough.

also, the other week - for the first time in a while - me, pete, vito, maher, and jover went to maher's place for a bbq and some general hanging out. due to work and school commitments, among other things, it had been a while since it was just the five of us in maher's backyard having a good time. personally i prefer the small gatherings as opposed to the big ones where you know everyone's face, but can't be bothered intiating (or maintaining) meaninless conversation.

i went to the GB the other night with pete and glenn and as always, they provided great company. that night we all got a little more smashed than we usually did as the beam and colas kept coming. we headed to the joint, a 24/7 pub and met up with vito. we hung around there for a while with some pool and more beer, before finally heading to the apartment jsut before dawn. it was a good night, but the train-ride home was a little wonky.

it was also my younger sister's eighteenth birthday. i was 'supervising' the party (apparently), and i think overall everyone had a good time. there were a few kids that passed out or just lay sprawled on the asphalt, but the next day they were fine. there were also some concerned parents but nothing that couldn't be handled with some sympathetic bullshitting. all in all, a good night.

i think that'll be it for now. i've have three bottle of yakult (they should make them in biger portions!) and i need some sleep. i'm renovating my bathroom tomorrow, so that should be cool. i don't know how it's going to turn out yet, but i'll try keep ya's posted. until then though, for a my thoughts on "life as a house", "war of the worlds", and "mr. and mrs. smith", check out the link in the side bar.

well, check that link out in a couple o' days - when i can't be bothered (or have the energy and attention span) to write the reveiws up!

until next time,

-LOki

BATMAN BEGINS

2005-06-21T03:48:00.000+10:00

4/5
stars christian bale, katie holmes, liam neeson

i saw the ads for this movie well in advance and thought to myself that it looked alright. but then i remembered that's what i thought when i saw the Episode III (2/5) trailer, so naturally i was quite apprehensive. and after Batman and Robin, i wasn't expecting much from the lastest batman film. thankfully, i was woefully mistaken.

the story traces the beginning (really? oh my god!) of bruce wayne's (christian "best-batman-ever" bale) path into becoming th dark knight. the film starts off with a series of flashbacks that shows us where wayne first encounters the bats. the film also pays tribute to bruce's parents and portrays them as noble and righteous. a saying that has been passed down the wayne family line is one that epitomises the notion that one person, if they wanted to, could make a difference.

"why do we fall? so we can learn how to pick ourselves up"

the story takes its time to get to the real action when bruce returns to gotham city after exiling himself after the trial of the guy who murdered his parents. he returns with a hope to bring gotham to salvation, and to prove to the world that gotham is a city of heroes, a city that is worth saving.

enter liam neeson (i mean ra's al ghul) and his minions who are hell-bent on destroying gotham, a society which they believe have reached its decadent peak and must be extinguished.

diretor christopher nolan (of "memento" fame) creates a world that, while being slighly over stylelised, that is believable and very much real. the backdrop of economic depression and corruption is one that all audiences, both local and global, can relate to. the film takes a very X-Men/X2 approach by making the film look as though it could actually happen in real life. all the gadgets are explained this time round, as are the histories of the main characters.

micahel cain does a fantastic job as alfred, as does liam neeson as ra's al ghul. all performances were top-notch, even katie holmes as the outspoken assistant district attorney rachel dawes. i usually don't like holmes, but in this film, equipped with a awesome script, she does fine:

"...he's been missing for two days, which in this city means i should start looking at the bottom of the river."

christian bale also proves he's got more than an american psycho in him. he plays the part perfectly, being the reluctant playboy billionaire and as the caped crusader. it's ironic in a way that "bruce wayne" is his mask, and batman is who he really is. and as rachael says, "it's not what's inside - it's what you DO that defines who you are." this could not be closer to the truth.

my only criticism of the film that it was a bit long; at 141 minutes the viewing experience does become somewhat arduous. even with this said, the film kicks arse so badly we can almost forget about the other aboniation of batman films... almost.

i wouldn't see this film again any time soon, but from my first viewing, i loved it.

-LOki

HOLY SHIT!

2005-06-19T17:42:00.000+10:00

yeah yeah, i did it.

Qui-Gon got it lucky; he got killed off before Episode III was made.

-LOki

"adversely possess this, asshole." -monin

2005-06-15T18:25:00.000+10:00

well, it has been exactly one year since i started my blog. goddamn it's been a while.

well i jsut got home from my property law exam which went better than i expect, which means at least i'll get a Pass. that, i'll be happy with. i'll humour you with my exam experience this time round...

LAW5159 - EVIDENCE
this exam went kinda well, i knew all my shit and was pretty happy when i left. the main topics were hearsay (curse you!) this was a pretty ordinary exam come to think of it, nothing really to report.

LAW5144 - MEDIA LAW
ahhh media law. funny story; as i was leaving the house to catch the train i remembred i had to check my seat number. i was so goddamn tired from being awake for 30 hours studying and working on the comic i felt like i was going to die. but then when i checked my seat number at 8:50am (the exam was at 9:30), i should've said that "hopeless expectation of death" feeling for then. you see, i thought i had my TORTS exam and that 30 hours of being awake was spent on that. furthermore, i hadn't been to any media law lecture and had no note prepared. "awwww fuck!" was my verbal and mental respone.

so i jump online and grab some bs lecture notes which i've never read before, staple them together and rush out the door. i get there at 9:25 and take my seat and open my bag.. "awwww fuck!" i left my notes at home! so i rush out again and call my bro to drive them down which, albeity under protest, does.

so i'm in teh exam, 20 mins late with no fucking idea what to do. i think, i might as well have a crack at it and rolled my sleeves up and started writing. i'll probably fail it, but hey, at least i tried!

LAW2210 - TORTS LAW
ahh torts.... finally. i liked this one, all about people getting jabbed with syringes and people stealing other people's shit. i always like torts cos people are always finding themselves in stupid situations and are usually always liable for it. it's hilarious. so i was very well prepared for this one since i thought it was on monday so yeha, no worries.

only problem was half way through the exam i was informed i was in teh wrong seat, so i had to pack my shit and move. it was annoying but my own stupid fault.. i guess at moments like this you can only laugh. ha-ha.

LAW3401 - PROPERTY LAW
and my hardest, most hated subject! i have to admit i went into the exam room knowing that i hadn't gone through all the topics and that somehow i'd get screwed over. so i went in there with my notes and just did the damn thing. it was easier than i had expected which was god, though not really cos i thought it was going to be the equivalent of trying to swallow glass. meh.

i'm out of the exams now and back in action! well, more like inaction... i'm tired, i'm shitty, but i feel like a beer so i'm heading out. and for those who have also finished exams, i suggest you do the same!

it's been a year since i've squatted on this blog domain, and if this belonged one else and was real land and i was trespasser, all i'd have to do is wait another 14 years and it'd all be mine.. mine.. mine!!! yeah, i know, i've lost it a little...

adverse possess this, assholes!

i need a beer.

-LOki

"it's like real life tragedy" - sam, garden state

2005-06-12T21:25:00.000+10:00

i remember once some old wanker said:

"some people have likened exams to death... it's really not that bad"

i'm sitting here on the dawn of my three-in-a-row-screw-me-over exam period and i think i should be freaking out. i think i am a little, moreso than i'm used to. but i seem to managing it alright. i've had my six cups of tea and the recommended maximum of 2 cans of red bull, and i feel fine! FINE!

i think i'm jsut too damn tired to be stressing. meh, i dunno. at least its helping me in a way; by not stressing i'm not burning up extra energy and wasting it by wallowing in my own self-doubt and pity. instead, i'm jsut gonna stay chilled and just work through my exams systematically and as calmly as possible.

the next three days will be pretty intense for me but i'm determined just to blaze through them. my last exam (property law) is on wednesday afternoon and finishes around 6pm. that's the perfect time to catch the train into richmond and find the all too familiar couches at the great britain pub on church street.

time to get back to it,

-LOki

"You're my best friend," - queen, shaun of the dead.

2005-06-05T22:06:00.000+10:00

happy twenty-first vito for june 5, 2005.

here's the speech i wrote and gave on the night. there was plenty of slurring of words also, but this is pretty much how it went.
---

first i'd like to thank everyone on my own behalf as well as vito and his family's. i know a lot of us have exams or whatever starting in the next few days, so it definitely does mean a lot that you're all here.

i know vito doesn't really like speeches so i've made it as short as possible.

i've known vito since about 1989 back at oakleigh primary school, but in my mind, while there have been countless experiences we've been through together - both good and bad - there is really only one that all others can be referred to.

it was in grade one were about 6 and had just gotten pupil of the week awards. they're these thing you get for doing just about anything at primary school and ironically vito's was for reading and writing, and mine was for drawing a demented horse.

the same day we had an excursion to the zoo and we had to catch the train as a class from oakleigh. on teh way back, vito and i thought it'd be kinda cool sit up the back of the carriage and act all cool and whatever.

there we sat, smiling stupidly with out purple ribbons pinned to our shirts when a train inspector came up to us. we didn't know what to do, were we in trouble? did she want our ribbons? we didn't know!

she then informed us that our entire class had already gotten off the train and that our grade one teacher, mrs. pisani was at oakleigh going out of her mind. i don't think we really understood the gravity of the situation as we just sat there, still with the stupid grins on our faces.

we never had any more experiences like that in primary school, but for the next two years we'd be drawing, playing in the sand pit, or debating about what colour the elbow pads were that the ninja turtles wore.

but then i came to school on the first day and grade 4 and vito was gone.

it wasn't until year 8 when i went to salesian that my saw him again, and it was as if we'd had always ben in contact and every thing was cool.

And now here we are, all growed up. I look back on my life and am just thankful that vito has been there pretty much the entire time. i know there have been times where i've put him through hell and he did nothing but listen and be a friend.

i won't be telling you anything you don't already know when i say vito is the guy who always puts his friends before himself. he's the guy with a heart of gold and is always ready to offer an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on.

but something that a lot of us do, myself included sometimes, is under-estimate him. sure, he has the drawing ability of alex ross, and is the king of the editing room - and of course can drink plenty of beer. but he's also the guy whose always a kid, his imagination and his enthusiasm are things that i have always admired and have always tried to live up to. vito's the one who has the ability to lift people's spirits when they're down, and make someone feel good about themselves when everything seems to go to shit. and that, i think, is what being a super-hero is all about.

I look at us now and think back to that time we got lost on the train, and think to myself that we're still those two kids smiling stupidly (or drunkenly) at the back of the carriage. And even though we had no idea of where we were going, we at least we knew that we'd be venturing there together.

Thanks for everything you've done for me, or done for any of us. Thanks for always being prepared to give everything and expecting nothing in return.

there are plenty of uncertainties in life, but right now there are two things i'm absolutely sure of:

1. that i'm drunk, and
2. vito, you deserve the best fucking birthday ever!

happy twenty-first dude.

---

-LOki

BIG BROTHER: HIS WHORES AND THEIR CANYONESQUE TWATS

2005-06-01T19:50:00.000+10:00

i hate big brother. what a wanker of a show.

i don't know where to begin when it comes to how horrible and stupid this show is. is it the whole setup, planning, and programming? or is it the stupid people in the house selling their dignity and self-respect like $2 hookers? you pick.

let's start off with gretel. i'm sure she's a nice person generally, but on screen she's as annoying as a pebble in your shoe - and no matter how much you try to ignore it, it just shits you up the wall. she empahsises the wrong words and always has to act suprised, hip, and in, every time something that has been pre-planned happens.

secondly, there are the contestants. i don't see the attraction of seeing a bunch of arrogant, self-glorifying people thrown together in such a calculated way that of course there's gonna be bitching, going to be two 'alpha males', and - wait for it - the "vidictive" vixen. GET FUCKED YOU WHORES!

it's like they have to prove they're wankers by parading around the house in their underwear, as if they'd do it in their ordinary day lives. bullshit. the contestants alway says "once you're in the house, you forget about the cameras lol!" - give us a break, you tools. you're wearing mics every where you go, you're always looking into the camera, and you're always acting like idiots. try sitting down; i'm sure that brick of a mic reciever digging into their backs is something they used to experience in their every day lives before big brother. or maybe it was something else digging into their back - yeah that's right, it was their heads up their arses cos they're all so arrogant and up-themselves.

i have to say there are some redeeming characters in the house who seem to know they all this is bullshit but want to win the million dollars in the end. but that doesn't matter, as long as they're good looking and add to the group 'dynamic' it's all good - who cares what they have to say, right? and there's no better way of making a politcal statement than on live tv - where everyone thinks you're some kind of human rights activist of whatever and have channel 10 quickly trying to cover it up.

which leads to my next "why i fucking hate big brother" point: the advertising.

"EXPECT ANYTHING! ASSUME NOTHING!"

it's funny how they needed to remind us of that, because that's exactly what everyone does. oh my god, they've put 'intruders' into the house - what on earth will happen next? a celebrity? a ex-housemate? a fucking goat? all the devices have been used before, and just by addind a new dumbarse to the equation aint gonna change anything. shut up gretel, we don't give a shit.

the most recent ad goes something like this: "JUST LIKE BRAD (PITT) AND ANGELINA (JOLIE) - THEY'RE ON A MISSION!"

a "MISSION"? what the fuck are they trying to pull? channel 10 never seem to cease ripping off MTV for their advertsing strategies; looking for bs connections (if any at all) between upcoming films and thier dodgy shit they're producing. if angelian jolie was actually in the house, maybe i'd be more inclined to watch - and have her bash the shit out of all of them like in tomb raider. that'd be so funny.

also in the ad, it stated that two 'intruders' were going to be put in the house. one of them states:

"I'M A BIT VINDICTIVE?"

note the question mark, cos she's so stupid that she's not even sure. what a twat. that line is follwed by:

"HOW WILL THE HOUSEMATES REACT?!" *gasp!*

oh i don't know, exactly how they've being manipulated to react? throw in some dumb cow to stir things up and what can you expect - the alpha males having a new chick to impress, and the chicks having a new chick to bitch about. gold!

i hope that whole goddamn house burns to the ground. and when it does, i'm gonna get a first class ticket to the gold coast so i can piss on the ashes.

-LOki

NB: i was a little enraged while writing this post, but i'm alright now.

"i haven't had sugar in my tea since 1982," - shaun

2005-05-30T01:00:00.000+10:00

in the midst of sailing ships... hold on, i'll start again.

in the midst of exam prep and cram studying, i'm finding this time in my life to be pretty alright. sure i'm a little stressed about exams and all that, but here i am sitting on my bed, blogging away and sipping my sugar-infused tea.

i was just talking to my sister who has been living in enlgand for the past year and a bit and just telling her about the stuff that's been happening with me at home. and when i was telling her, i thought shit, things are going well for me... and despite the looming exams, i really do feel fine.

i'm sure when the time comes i'll be stressing just as much as anyone else, but i don't see the point in stressing about shit now and just making yourself feel less confident. i mean, remember the good old days in high school where year 12 exams meant everything? well think back to that time...

did you realise anything?

well, i did. i realised that a lot of people, myself included put so much on the exams that nothing else mattered. eveyone it seemed thought that their life would be determined by their VCE results. while that may have been true, it wasn't as if one couldn't pick up their shit up and still do something productive with their lives.

my point is that in hindsight, year 12 exams weren't as bad as we thought they were. so with the exams we're facing now, while you should study and try your best with them, don't make that process all the more difficult by putting undue stress on yourself. make a plan and prioritise your subejcts. you know whic ones you're better or worse at, so allocate the time accordingly.

i'm not an overly diligent student, and my marks are hovering in the Credit range so i'm not exactly one to look to for sure-fire ways of succedings in exams. but you probably know as well as i do, that stress is just a waste of fucking time.

good luck everyone, it'll be over soon.

-LOki

STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH (CONTENTS MAY QUESTION STAR WARS FANS' MEANING OF LIFE)

2005-05-25T17:08:00.001+10:00

2/5
stars natalie portman, hayden christensen, ewan mcgregor

as i am sitting in an evidence class bored out of my mind and looking for something else to occupy myself, i wonder when the last time i felt this way, and then i remembered - it was when i was in the cinema watching Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

from my past experiences with the Star Wars franchise and the "new" trilogy, i wasn't expecting much from the third and final installment. but i saw the trailer for the "new" film and it looked kinda cool, so i thought i'd give. mr. lucas another chance.

boy, was i a dumbass.

not being a star wars fan myself (but taking a liking to the original trilogy), i went into cinema in two mind-sets: that this film was to be viewed within a existing story context, and secondly, that it should/could also be viewed as a self-contained piece of cinema.

regarding the former, the film provided a good transition from the "new" trilogy to the original one. but with the latter, the film, although being visually impressive, failed to stand on its own merits.

the opening sequence was enough to let me know that, again, lucas took the funds out of acting lessons and dialogue-writing and pumped them into the special effects department. i'll admit that some of the special effects were impressive, but pale compared to other films that utilise CGI technology (i.e. the wachowsk's "the matrix" trilogy) which took less time and less money to accomplish.

i felt as though the actors were being short-changed with a dodgy script which was rife with inconsistencies in dialogue, and it felt as though a 16 year-old had written some of the lines. after seeing natalie portman in "Garden State" (4/5), i was convinced she was undoubtedly a genuine talent; this made it even harder for me to see he put through an excruciatingly bad delivery of her half-assed written lines.
"YOU'RE BREAKING MY HEART, ANAKIN!" she proclaims, as the scene doesn't allow her to actually act out those feelings. horrible.

not only was portman ripped off, but so was hayden christensen. i'm not a big fan of his at all, but in "Life as a House" (4/5 also), he won we over, giving an authentic and very believable performance. In Episode III however, all his acting talent is lost (or not even needed?). Instead, there are "character building" scenes that could have been executed perfectly, but were pushed aside to make way for the anticipated battle sequences.

for example, it takes all but two minutes for anakin to recover from the mortifying truth that he'd just killed mace windu (samuel l. jackson), and then pledging his undying loyalty to senator palpatine.

the script would have read something like this:
___

ANAKIN
What have I done?!

He pauses for a moment. Mortified.

ANAKIN (cont.)
I will be your apprentice!

End.

---

no development, no exposition. just get straight to the point.

also, i felt it difficult to accept or believe the relationship between anakin and his master, obi-wan. another actor short-changed but this film, ewan mcgregor has to try and deliver lame-arse lines and make them believable. anything less that a stellar effort by him would have made the relationship seem even more feeble. there were some lines, nearing the end of the film, that actually meant something. but apart from that, all their dialogue was concerned with petty condescending and empty praises.

there were, of course, some parts of the film that i enjoyed. compared to the other Star Wars films, this one seemed to be a lot darker, reflecting the underlying theme of the Dark Side slowly but inevitably consuming anakin.

there are only about two scenes in the entire film that elicited some kind of emotional response. and i'll admit, these were done superbly. the music, accompanied by the innocence of the Jedis and jedi kids all added up a a truly doomed kind of feeling.

there were bursts of comedic relief, but not via dialogue or general acting (as if), but rather from Master Yoda. some of his seemingly ho-hum antics did get me to actually laugh out loud, but he deserves that - Yoda is cool.

one more thing that i liked about the film was this: that it finally ended.

-LOki

"where's safe? where's familiar?" - shaun

2005-05-15T04:41:00.000+10:00

you'll never guess where i'm posting from...

my front doorstep. yep, that's right.

it's 5am and i forgot to get my housekeys. not only that, my phone is out of credit so i can't call anyone to open the door. i figure, shit i've got a laptop in my back and wireless internet so here's hoping someone's online that can bail me out.

and jase... can i crash at your place? :P

-LOki

"...have a nice cold pint and wait for everything to blow over."- shaun

2005-05-13T10:18:00.000+10:00

last night was proof that sometimes things can be quite alright when they don't go to plan. a week ago me and a group of friends had agreed to meet up on thursday (yesterday) to do some filming, continuing my already long and arduous couple of weeks. i was fine with that cos i liked filming and later editing stuff.

but in the end we didn't end up filming so that kind of sucked. i got a call from another friend however asking me if i wanted to head into richmond, melbourne, fo ra few beers and a game of pool. to be honest i wasn't really in the mood to go anywhere cos i was feeling pretty exhausted and shitty. but i eventually gave in and said i would go.

we started off with some prizza from the local pizza shop, then headed to the Great Britain pub in richmond. it's a prety run-down place, with old-school wallpapaer and couches and chairs that didn't match. but they had a nice open fireplace and the couches, even if ugly, were comfy. so me, glenn, and pete just sat by the fire talking and drinking.

it was nice cos i hadn't had a decent conversation with either of them recently and it was cool that we were able to jsut go out as a small group and just chill. noticing that i was pretty munted from the last couple of weeks, glenn tried to cheer me up, in which he succeeded - thanks dude.

we left the pub around 1am and wondered around looking for food, then eventually jumped into a cab and headed home.

as simple as it was, i had an awesome night. i knew i had uni the next morning at 9am but that didn't matter as much as just hanging out with good mates. thanks to pete and glenn for getting me out and putting a few beers and beam and colas in me.

sometimes your friends know what you need more than you do, and that is a great feeling i think; that people know you so well that it kind of takes a load off your shoulders.. you're not as alone in your thoughts than you first realised. and simple things like hanging out in a pub with a couple of friends can be exactly what you need.

and if you're still wonderin glenn, i did get over that hill we were talking about.

-LOki

"we need to be somewhere safe, somewhere that's secure, somewhere that's... big." - shaun

2005-05-09T17:47:00.000+10:00

i just got home from federation square, melbourne, where the national gallery of victoria is holding an awesome photography exhibit organised by the art gallery of new south wales.

a huge thanks to chris maher for inviting me along to melbourne-based photographer bill henson's "three decades of photography" exhibit.

the exhibit takes up 8 gallery rooms of fed sequare with photographs from top to bottom of all the walls. half of his work is done in a photojournalistic kind of way, all in black and white and are just plain awesome. the other half features colour photography, photomanipulation, and abstract collages.

i found myself drawn particularly to the black and whites; they're mainly of masses of people in the streets, busy with thier own things.. and while they fill the the entire frame of the photo, it's looks as though each figure is in their own world. alone.

henson adds to this kind of mysterious aura by using a soft focus on most of his work, giving it a hazy, dream-like atmosphere. furthermore, his colour work adopts a subtle blue/green hue, giving an effect of both abstraction and (i can't think of a word to describe it). simply brilliant.

it makes me want to drop everything i'm doing atm and pick up my camera again.

the exhibit runs until JULY 7th, $10 entry, and worth every cent.

-LOki

"..like a drunk whose lost a bet," - di, shaun of the dead.

2005-05-02T15:12:00.000+10:00

today was a little different. prior to going to bed last night i told myself that i was going to get an early night's sleep and be well rested for the coming day of uni. i was in bed by about 2am which is pretty good for me, but i couldn't get to bed still 7am, which is when my alarm decided to go off. i turned it off and crashed back into bed only to be woken up by my little sister 40 mintues later so i could drive her to school.

so i had 40 mintues sleep. whoop.

uni was alright, kinda cool actually cos i was able to stay awake the entire 2 hour-long Torts lecture. our lecture is a pretty cool guy and i like the way he teaches so i didn't mind coming in. but after that i went along to a friend's student theatre thing which was pretty entertaining. it was kind of like a "whose line is it, anyway?" format where the actors on stage would be feeding off of each other's dialogue, making things up as the went along. and i gotta admit, they can do it rather well.

if any of you guys are interested in going along to one of these things, they run every monday from 1:15pm till 2:15pm and i think it costs $1. it aint bad guys, so you should check it out. kudos to mark (mr. hollingsworth himself) and simon who gave both inspired and entertaining performances.

but now i've finished for the day at uni. i'm gonna try and stay awake until about 1am this morning so i can have the best sleep ever tonight.

goddamn i'm tried.

-LOki

"it's on random," - ed, shaun of the dead

2005-04-26T23:10:00.000+10:00

as you've probably noticed, the template of my blog has changed a little bit. i figured it was time to hang up the old and usher in the new. apart from the template change, i've also added some links in the sidebar to other blogs that i'm working on.

a lot of my posts here are film reviews, so i thought i should start a blog soley for that purpose. whilst i will still be posting film reviews here, the link in the sidebar will take you to a blog that only contains film reviews that i've written. that way you can have a look at other films that i've either reviewed or reccommended without having to go through all the other shit that i write (such as this post).

i have also been working with a group of people on starting a comic firm which is yet to be officially named. the link in the sidbar provides you guys with the progess we're making by detailing what each meeting covers. we've only had two so far, but many more are on the way.

also, i've added a link to a friend's blog which is probably a lot more interesting than my own - so head there once you get tired of my ramblings. furthermore, there is a link to the Perry Bible Fellowship, which is home to an comic artist whose simple drawings always manage to make me laught. check it out aye?

there's also a link to my page at deviantart.com. it's basically a place where you can upload any kind of artwork and have people comment on it, so if you do venture that way, feel free to make any comments or suggestions.

oh btw, go and see shaun of the dead.

-LOki

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

2005-04-25T22:06:00.000+10:00

5/5
stars simon pegg, kate ashfield, penelope wilton, nick frost

when my good friend vito recommended this film, i doubt he would've anticipated that it would become my favourite film of all time. in fact, i remember him saying "i don't know if you'll like it, but there are bits in it that are definitely you", or similar words to that effect. but as you can see by my 5/5, i loved this movie through and through.

by now, most of you would know the basic premise of the film: a romantic comedy - with zombies. the film follows shaun (pegg) in his ho-hum kind of life, living with his primary school mate ed (frost) and pete, both of whom hate each other. shaun is working in an electrical appliace store and ed is a now-and-then dope dealer, and both are regulars at the winchester pub. shaun's girlfriend of three years liz (ashfield) is tired of thier complacent lives and wants to do something more and unfortuantely for shaun, he doesn't know what she means. that is, of course, until the recently deceased come back to life to feed off of the living.

shaun is then forced to make a plan to save his friends (and friends of friends) and finally take charge of his life.

when i first heard of this film i thought it was just going to be a spoof of zombie films with a bit of comedy thrown into it. but then i realised it was a british film and not a hollywood one. if you remember what i wrote about romantic comedies, the hollywood ones seem to be formulaic and predictable. you can see the jokes and gags coming from a mile off, and the trials faced by the protagonists are easily overcome.

"shaun of the dead" however, is very different. like a lot of english comedy, it relies on making everyday situations funny, meaning that the jokes are inherent throughout the entire film. there aren't build-ups to jokes, they just happen. and when they do, they always hit the spot.

script-wise, the film is perfik. a lot of the dialogue throughout the film can be referenced back to preceding scenes, and also make links back to films that influenced the writers (simon pegg and edgar wright) while making their own movie. the characters are authentic and unique in their own right, and never having seen pegg in anything before, i can confidently say he is one of the best actors i have ever seen. supporting cast were also awesome, with a huge mention to lucy davis who plays dianne, liz's air-head best friend.

furthermore, the editing in this film is amazing. from fast cuts, dynamic camera zooms, to just conventional continuity, "shaun of the dead" displays them all with perfection.

a lot of people may think "pft, that's so stupid - a romantic comedy with zombies. it's just an attempt to be different." different it may be, but the writers didn't push aside the need for strongly developed characters or storytelling to make way for zombie scenes. in fact, even without the zombies the film could have been an awesome stand-alone romantic comedy. oh, before i forget, shaun actually decides to sort his life out BEFORE any zombies start emerging so even without the living dead, shaun knew he had to change and make a go at his life.

the film hits emtional highs and lows, and the closing scene is just plain awesome.

go see this film, it is bloody fantastic.

-LOki

"i do believe there's such a thing as fate - it just works in really fucked up ways sometimes" - denise fleming, can't hardly wait

2005-04-10T03:13:00.000+10:00

you know, there are so many times where i've wanted to blog about how great things are in my life - but at the moment the only thing that's giving me any enjoyment is The Incredibles dvd.

it sucks though, that i've got this great group of people around me yet i feel somewhat empty. don't ask me why, because i wouldn't be able to tell you. even if i lied, i wouldn't have any peace of mind.

i think i'm at a time in my life where i think i need to be on my own. i kept telling myself that that was a stupid thing to do; i'm a pretty whimsical person, and this thought that i'm currently having is definitely a product of that. let the record show that in a couple of days (if not, even in a couple of hours), i'll have changed my mind - but the way i see it, if we never acted on impulse, then life would be pretty ordinary.

i said in my last post that i believed in fate, and, despite my shitty outlook at the moment, that still holds true. i know that in the very end of everything, i'll be able to look back and know that i've had a decent run at existence.

so don't get me wrong, i'm sure i'll come around soon enough. this is just me getting shit off my chest, not that there's anything really there, just some ramblings that i needed to voice.

furthermore, i'd like to extend a huge thank you to those who've always been there for me, and at the same time, i sincerely apologise for wasting your time.

-LOki

"tell me what you want!" - mr. perry, dead poet's society

2005-04-08T00:48:00.000+10:00

it's been a while since i last blogged, which is kinda weird seeing as in that time between now and my last blog, i have seen quite a few films! but answering the request of jase's that i should blog about the 'world of monin', maybe i'll revert this time to something more personal.

to be honest though, i don't know what to write about. i think i do enough writing about things when i write fictional pieces that draw on events that happen in my life anyway - so in a lot of ways if i wrote that in a blog, i'd feel as though i'd just be repeating myself.

but what i can say is that in the past couple of weeks things have become clearer to me. i realised that sometimes what you want isn't necessarily the way things are, and no matter how much you want something to be a certain way, sometimes the world just tells you to get fucked.

and hey, that's fine. because sometimes when you get everything you want, you look back and think to yourself maybe you wanted all the wrong things. not only that, the things that you want aren't always what's best. so even when it seemed as though things were falling apart around me, and in times where i had to question my beliefs and values, i felt that deep down that they way things were happening were happening for the best.

this kind of reaffirms my belief that there is such a thing as fate, but as i mentioned earlier in a film review - fate does happen, but once you get there it's up to you to make it happen.

but also in the past couple of weeks, with the help of jase, i've been thinking about the simpler things in life. things that once were enough to make me happy. and those things were writing, drawing, and creativity in general - which can be culminatively called comic books. we've organised to meet semi-regularly to talk about possible comic concepts and storylines to follow by bringing all our ideas into a open forum kinda thing.

i don't know how far it'll go, but it'll be cool if we can get even one awesome comic to come out of it.

anyhoo, that's about it for now. i will endeavour to blog a little more often, and write more about my stellarly exciting life rather than film reviews. but until then...

-LOki

HARDBALL

2005-03-05T17:11:00.000+11:00

4/5
stars keanu reeves, diane lane

it pains me to know that this film barely made it to the cinema; such a refreshing movie with a couple of big-man actors could have been really huge if it was marketed right. man, i wish i could turn back time and not watch this movie for the first time on some shitty bootlegged vcd, but alas i can't.

anyway, to the actual film. it centres on conor o'neil (reeves), a guy with a messed up life and plenty of gambling debts. with guys out to bust his ass for payment, o'neil is desperate to make some quick cash. enter a group of kids from the chicago projects and their little league baseball team. in exchange for coaching these kids, o'neil gets paid under the table to clear the $12k gambling debt.

this film is awesome on so many levels; it puts keanu in a completely different role that many audiences are used to, but even so, he pulls it off superbly. it's hard to picture him as anything but neo or some wandering hot-shot, so this story really allows us to see another side to him. it also plays on what it is to be an adult and having assumptions about children yet really having no idea what's going on in their lives. there's a key scene which really hits the spot here, and when you see it, i'm sure you'll know exactly what i mean.

the kids also give excellent performances. all first-time actors, they give such authentic performances that its hard to distinguish the character from the actor. if you watch it on dvd, the commentary by the screenwriter and director tell us just how they got the kids to act as well as they did.

being set in the projects, chicago, the film also explores the life of kids in these areas, and what paths they could take if no one's there to steer them right. it's hard watching some of these kids go through what real chicago project kids go through all the time, and i think the uplifting vibe of the movie lets us know that beneath the turmoil, there are unique and talented kids.

the film follows o'neil's journey as he discovers who he really is, and through these kids he is given an opportunity to prove to the world that he's more than just some bum with debts hanging over his head.

and as director brian robbins ("varsity blues") says, what this film is really about is that by helping others, you can help yourself.

you have to see this movie. please, see this movie.

GROTESQUE: The Diabolical and Fantastic in Art

2005-03-04T20:32:00.000+11:00

if you're a fan of the said categories of art, then this exhbit hoested at the National Gallery of Victoria is worth having a look.

it features drawings and etchings (ie. no paintings) by various artists from around the world, both living a dead. a featured artist, well, an artists whose makes up a considerable percentage of the exhbit is albrecht durer. a lot of his works are etchings, depicting biblical figures and stories. most predominant in his work are the images of Death, Sin, and the Devil. awesome stuff.

also, australian artist peter boothe also has some work being displayed. whilst not harking back to any real mythology or religion - like durer does - boothe's work is a commentary on contemporary human nature. you'll have to see the works for yourself to make your own interpretation of it, but what i saw really did make me think, shit - that makes so much sense.

a lot of the work also features witches, satyrs (hyrbid creatures), demons, and monsters.

check it out if you're interested, i think the exhibit runs until mid April but you should probably call the Gallery to make sure.

until next time,

-LOki

CAN'T HARDLY WAIT

2005-02-06T21:53:00.000+11:00

4/5
stars ethan embry, jennifer love-hewitt, lauren ambrose, seth green

i remember watching this film back in 1998 when it first came out and not thinking much of it. maybe i wasn't paying attention or something, but to me it was one of those rushed teen movies aimed at jennifer love-hewitt fans. but watching it again recently made me realise was a gem this film is.

a common misconception about this movie is that all it is about is a guy getting the girl with the high school graduation party backdrop. sure it has those elements in it, but like i said earlier, this film is much more than that. it focuses mainly on preston myers (embry), a guy whose been in love with amanda beckett (love-hewitt) ever since he saw her on the first day of junior high.

the film's timeline is about 24 hours, from the moment of graduation to the morning after the party. but in that time all the main characters go through their own path of self-discovery and come to find that what they were looking for was always right under their nose - or sitting next to them in english class.

this is what make this film stand out: the stripper angel, performed superbly by the lovely jenna elfman ("dharma and greg"). there is a scene where elfman offers embry's character some excellent advice to which audiences can also reflect on. she says, "'fate', there is fate - but it only takes you so far because once you get there, it's up to you to make it happen," and preston replies, "you are so definitely right."

script-wise, "can't hardly wait" seems as if it could be real, as if the lines the actors were saying would be exactly what real teenagers in those situations would say. embry does an exceptional performance as both the best mate to denise (lauren ambrose), and the awkward, nervous love-struck guy around amanda. supporting cast were also believable, including of course lauren ambrose, and the unforgettable jock performance by peter facinelli, who plays the role of mike dexter, "the hottest senior at school".

the closing scene in this film is also another thing that i love, but you have to see this film to find out what actually happens.

there are also some awesome songs on the soundtrack, including "umbrella" by "dog's eye view".

hire the dvd, or better yet buy it - it's on $16ish from k-mart.

-LOki

FUTURAMA - your guide to the universe

2005-01-17T19:51:00.000+11:00

it's amazing that a cartoon show can provide so many insights into society, culture, and beliefs. whilst a superficial viewing of the show is enough to make it entertaining and fulfilling, looking beyond the celluloid can make the futurama even better than what it already is.

from beginning to end, each episode in the currently four-season series has brought to light some insight into societal values, trends, beliefs etc. even if in a satirical way, futurama makes comments on 20th century society and is constantly comparing it to the future world the show is set it.

phillip j fry (maybe a ode to "homer j simpson"?) is the main character here, and his trial and tribulations through the series brings to our attention the things we hold dear to ourselves.

there are a handful of completely quotable and memorable characters, such as captain leela, dr. zoidberg, bener bending rodrigez, and of course prof. hewbert farnsworth. each brings thier own unique comedic presence to the cartoon that is futurama. suporting characters such as zapp brannigan and the robot devil also make futurama, even on a superficial level, hilarious.

the writers of futurama (including brad bird, writer/director of "the incredibles (5/5)), i think are absolute geniuses when it comes to 20th century contemporary culture. all the episodes highlight something that we are all familiar with. not only that, each concept in the series is backed up by theoretical considerations that generally go unnoticed in a cartoon format. but still, futurama is one of those cartoon series that just makes you love being alive in the 20th century. it makes you appreciate things you always seem to take for granted. i could probably go one for a while about this series, but that would means i'd go through every episode with a fine-tooth comb.

if you get the chance, there are a few episodes that you really have to see:
"Jurrasic Bark"
"The Sting"
"I Dated a Robot"
"A Tale of Two Santas"
"The Luck of the Fryish"

i would like to advocate and justify the imporantance of cartoons and even comics - mark waid and alex ross's "kindgom come" is a testament to this genre.

matt groening, i salute you.

the romantic comedy

2005-01-16T11:10:00.000+11:00

the other night i had a conversation with a friend of mine about the credibility of the romantic comedy formula. the reason this came up was because the "suddenly 30" (starring jennifer garner) dvd had just been released and of course, i went out and bought it.

i knew i enjoyed it when i saw it at the cinemas, but i got a lot more out of it when i watched it a few times on dvd. not only little things in the story, but also the whole notion of the 'romantic comedy' and why some are just good, and others great.

basically, you have one character who is chasing the love of their life, usually the best friend or some other close person who, in the past, had a completely platonic relationship with one another. either one of these two usually have some kind of quirky personality traits which add to the 'comedy' element of the combination.

and the other main protagonist is usually the reluctant hero, modest, witty, and shy.

throw in a fiancee or a job offer, and there you have the main obstacle for the two main protagonists to get over.

and that's about it.

in the end, the guy gets the girl and all the people hurt on on their path to 'true love' just have to deal.

"suddenly 30" follows this formula, but alters it slightly to allow the film to take a different direction when it comes to romanic comedies. if you haven't seen this film, this little insight to romantic comedies will have some spoilers, but if you don't mind then keep reading.

in the end, the guy doesn't get the girl. the whole film is about jenna trying to get back her best friend and her true love. but, according to the formula, he's already engaged. "suddenly 30", despite having a fantasy-type story, puts a realistic tone on the perils of love and life and the choices we make.

matt, though in love with jenna and has been pretty much forever, chooses to go on with his wedding to wendy, someone he cares for but not necessarily loves. and c'mon guys, this is what would happen in the real world. none of this "true love conquers all" bs that only ever works in the movies. there is a key scene where matt (played by mark ruffalo) tells jenna that you "just can't turn back time". this scene i believe adds that realistic dimension to the film that most romantic comedies lack.

see "suddenly 30" and perhaps it'll make you think twice about the concept of romantic comedies. in the end it does make you feel good on the inside, which i think is the main goal of these kinds of film. like i said in my review a while back, this film might not rock your world but it'll make it it that much more enjoyable (3.5/5).

KING ARTHUR

2005-01-10T19:43:00.000+11:00

stars clive owen, ioan gruffudd, kiera knightley, hugh dancy
3/5

apparently this movie did pretty dismally at the cinemas, but the dvd director's cut version i think is alright. i haven't seen the theatrical release version so i've nothing to compare it to, but i'll base this review from what i've seen.

i'm not sure how closely the film follows the 'real' legend of arthur and his knights. but i guess the legend itself aint that clear either. anyways, the main story of the film portrays arthur's pre-king journey with his knights in thier numberous battles with the britains, the saxons, and the 'wolves' for the casue of freedom. after they defeat the saxons, their freedom will be granted - and after fifteen years, they have all come but one battle away from it.

but, as lancelot (gruffudd) tells arthur (owen), "only certain death awaits you."

this film was to me, kind of like a medieval, bloody, grown-up version of rob reiner's "stand by me" which is probably the main reason i liked it. the directing and editing was pretty ordinary, but the characters and the trials they faced together were well executed really well.

i don't know if this review has changed anyone's opinion of the film, but i thought it was pretty cool. and if you haven't seen it yet, i recommend it. if not for the gratuidous violence, head-lopping, and axings, then for the shit these knights go through for thier freedom.

LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

2005-01-04T23:03:00.000+11:00

2.5/5
stars jim carrey, meryl streep, emma browning, jude law

i was desperate for something to do and thought seeing a movie would be a good thing to kill some time. i went into the theatre thinking this film would be kinda funny, a little hollywood-ish, and perhaps even a bit suspenseful. unfortuante indeed, that none of my expectations were fulfilled.

the film is about three kids who are orphaned after a mysterious fire burns down thier mansion and kills their parents. of the three children, there's violet the inventor, klaus the reader, and summer the biter. they are put into the custody of count olaf (carrey), who is only after one thing - their inhertience.

the film goes through a series of events (pun, get it?) that sees the kids escaping time after time the plots of olaf to bring about their untimely deaths.

the film to me was very repetetive, and even boring in some parts. it lacked the hollywood bs despite having the big name actors. this was the thing i liked about the film, that it was quirky and different. the sets, colour-scheming, music, and atmosphere in general gave this film a sense of mysticism.

jude law lends his voice as the narrator, lemony snicket, as he follows the events that happen to these children.

its an odd-ball film with little to offer. perhaps the only meaningful thing in the film is at the end, where violet reads aloud a letter sent from their late parents. i suppose this last scene was worth the wait. if you're up for a theatrical, but somewhat boring and ho-hum film, see this movie.

the obligatory 'new year' blog

2005-01-03T20:21:00.000+11:00

its funny that my first blog for the year was for an animated feature film. apart from the drunken screaming out of car windows while in the backseat of a rundown statesman, i didn't have much else on my mind. either that, or i was probably too wasted to think about anythign else.

seriously though, it's a new year - a time to look back on '04 and see what i learnt, what i want to change, and how i'm gonna make it through this year. even with 04's many downs, there were enough ups to get me through. events, people, food, water, and oxygen helped me survive the year and i've grown a lot since then i think.

university and working 15-hour days is a tough hand to be dealt, but i think i maanged rather well. time management is the key - and plenty of coffee, coke, and berocca. actually, i tried that berocca bs and it did nothing at all. it just made me breathe faster and dehydrate me. berocca can kiss my ass. anyway, even with a busy scheduel, i always tried to made time to hang with my good friends, even if it meant 3 hours sleep before getting to work at 5am.

i feel as though i'll be regurgitating stuff i wrote on another blog belonging to a friend of mine about change, people, and friendships, so maybe i will redirect you there so you don't have to read this anymore.

it's a new year, try make the most of it. if 2004 was shit for you, look at the reason behind that. if you find that you're looking into a mirror, i can assure you you wouldn't be alone. but if not, then use this year to change aspects of your life that just really suck.

get out on your own for a bit, do your own thing. but don't pull a julius caesar on your mates and turn your back on them, cos you know that the real ones are what make life worth living.

do that, and 2005... it's gonna be big.

THE INCREDIBLES

2005-01-02T00:09:00.000+11:00

stars holly hunter, craig t. nelson, samuel l. jackson, jason lee
5/5

continuing from the thread i started earlier...

i really don't know where to begin when it comes to this film. writer and director brad bird ("the iron giant" - another great animated feature) knows how to combine the right amount to sentiment with action, humour, and emotion.

firstly, this is what the film is about. after an avalanche of lawsuits filed against super-heroes and the crippling effects of legal costs to the government, super-heroes were forced to relocate and make their "secret identity their only identity." moving fifteen years on, bob parr aka mr. incredible has struggled to let the glory days go, the days where he used his powers for the good of the people. instead, he is a pencil pusher at an insurance company being both degraded and unappreciated by his co-workers and boss.

bob then gets a mysterious message asking for his help. he jumps at the opportunity and starts getting back into shape and using his super powers and for the first time in fifteen years, mr. incredible was back. and his family? his wife helen (voiced by hunter) aka elastigirl has hung up her super hero outfit and has tried to lead a 'normal' like under the radar of everyone else. their kids, dashiel (or "dash") and violet both have their own powers too, super speed and invisibility respectively.

mr, incredible realises only too late that his new employer is really the bad guy, and suddenly his family are brought into the plans of a crazed fan.

while the animation in this film is definitely awe-inspiring, what really stands out are the interactions between the family members. brad bird has captured the essence of what it is to be a family in this film, and uses the characters to explore all those ideas. the script, voices (with an excellent performance by jason lee (mall rats, dogma) as "syndrome") and animation make this film absolutely amazing and while this is a family of super heroes, one can't escape the fact that deep down, emotion and feelings are something that everyone - super or not - has in common. and brad bird hits the spot every time.

other characters make this film really cool too, such as edna mode - the fashion designer of super heroes (voiced by mr. bird himself), and the kid who lives down the street (voiced by bird's son, also voiced "squirt" from finding nemo).

what this film is really about a family dealing with family issues... but being super heroes as well.

this film is the sh|t, it has everything to offer and only asks 115 minutes of your time.

go see this movie, it's bloody awesome.

THE INCREDIBLES

2004-12-30T11:45:00.000+11:00

5/5

i'll just start this thread off for the time being - i haven't got enough time at the moment to write all i want to write about this amazing piece of cinema.

back shortly...

it's been a while

2004-11-10T12:41:00.000+11:00

it looks like i'm back where i started - quite literally too.

i started this blog at the end of first semester exams and now here i am again at the end of the long haul called exams. i think i did alright in most of them apart from contract law, but i guess time will tell on that one. i was also offered to do honors in visual culture (as a post-grad year of my bachelor of arts (ha-ha) course). i was kinda happy about that but then realised trying to do an honors year plus a full-time law degree was scholastic suicide. i had to decline, but was informed that my option to do honors was open for the next five years - woohoo.

even though i'll be working 12 hours a day for six days a week for the next four months, i've tried to make plans for the uni break. i've started my writing again which is cool, i felt like a bit of a bastard neglecting it for so long. also i'm hoping to take my camera out a bit more too, get that shutter working again.

i've been to the cinema recently, and from the top of my head (as with all my reviews) here are my thoughts on the following films:

RESIDENT EVIL 2: APOCALYPSE
stars milla jovoich
2.5/5
you know those movies that look nice but have nothing to offer? well, RE2 is one of those movies. the film has some unique kinda of direction, with irreverent camera angles and fast-paced action. the whole film looks like one big set in that everything looks straight out of an ikea catalogue - not in untreated pine or lacquered steel, but everything is just too perfect to be in the real world.
anyways, the film opens with a recap of what happened in the first (and probably better) film then goes into the full-blown action of zombies killing everyone in racoon city, the troops sent in to save them, and any other poor bugger caught in the locked-down city. the "nemesis" project is kind of cool however, an uber-zombie that has huge guns and a brain that thinks about more than jsut his next meal. its funny how the nemesis project is supposed to be the equivalent of jovoich's character - he's on ugly mother-f'er.
so you can expect action, explosions, skimpy outfits, zombies, those rabid zombie dogs that just come out of nowhere, and of course, milla jovovich.
the most interesting aspect of this film is its examination of the power of the media. there's one character in it whose an tv reporter and carries a SONY DVC (if you don't remember that from my blog, you'll certainly remember it when you watch the film) and documents everything to expose umbrella corporations' biological atrocities. but you'll just have to watch the film to see how racoon city gets out of this one!

i would really like to give this film a "3", but there were some really crappy editing and one horrible actor (not jovovich, btw). the film is good just to watch and laugh.

THE NOTEBOOK
stars rachael mcaddams, ryan gosling, james marsden
3.5/5
from the writer of "a walk to remember" comes another tear-jerker of a story that looks at the lives of two young lovers from different worlds. i actually forget gosling's character's name, but he's the poor country guy and in comes alison (mcadams) and kind of puts a spin on his life.
the film uses a series of flashbacks cutting from past to present occasionally to remind us that this is a story being told to someone, and not something that's actually happening - or even actually happened. it is a testament to the human memory and what we hold dear to our hearts.
performances by all the cast were quite remarkable, especially mcadams who some of you may remember from "the hot chick", or "mean girls". however, throughout the film i found it hard to connect with the older characters, but the few final scenes tie things up really well and reel the audience in for the final act.
its a nice film, i don't think it was as good as "a walk to remember" (which stars mandy moore and shane west) but worth a look. it takes a while to pick up its pace but when it rains, it pours.

HERO
stars jet li, maggie chung
3/5
originally released back in 2002, "hero" is about a nameless warrior (li) on a mission to assassinate the tyrannical king. the film is, as a friend of mine had suggested, like an armani advertisement - everything is beautiful. the now everyday wirework of hong kong cinema plays a huge role in this film, having fight scenes over lakes and through the tree tops.
for me, i thought the fight scenes were kinda ho-hum and almost sleep inducing, but for the audience that was watching at the cinemas, they thought it was sorta cool.
whilst the fights scenes are notable, the most remarkable aspect of this film is its narration. the film uses its characters to tell differing tales of battles and triumphs, all with seamless and elegant colour-scheming.
the film is kinda long though i'm not sure of the exact minutes. but i implore you to stay awake! the audio at some cinemas may be really brisk and loud, which was certainly the case at my local cinema. but the sound on the dvd is quite alright.
stand out performance by maggie chung (spelling?), who gives the film the much needed emotional touch.