Annual Bike Ride - It Rocked!!!

Yeah Baby!

This weekend was the Annual Warburton Bike ride... except that it was from Geelong to Queenscliff this year. What a weekend! Despite having to make a 7am rise on Saturday (who gets up that early on a Saturday!? - although I have to admit to a most scrumptous lie in until 7.30 ;P), it was completely divine. By the end of Saturday the things that hurt the most were not my cycling legs, but my cheeks from grinning too much :D

Thanks for Geordie for organising such a successful weekend, and especially for organising the sublime weather. The 2am, 3am & 4am wake up call care of the football team camping next to us is all but forgotten. Two days of 30ish deg. C days... light breeze and completely blue skys. The trail was relatively flat and the scenery was gorgeous. The beach on the Saturday arvo was the perfect antidote to a morning of hard work - crystal clear water to float, swim and contemplate in and soft sand to snooze on. Even the semi-sprint on the Sunday trip home was enjoyable! As was the flat tyre in the last 5km which 2 handsome men fixed for me!!

And the company... well, that was the best part.
Thanks guys :) It was awesome!

g xoxoxxoxox

ps. so many good photos.. here is but a sample... note, these have been shrunk - more photos and better resolution avail. on request.

Rob & Matt use camouflage to blend into the Vline crowd
On the train from Southern Cross Station to Geelong.
Yes, it is blurry - sorry.

Strange thing are afoot at the Steampacket Gardens in Geelong
Women on Sticks - they are real!

On the road!
Michael leads the pack

Geordie - looking fresh.


Cath & Geoff consider whether all roads lead to Queenscliff
At our first pit stop.

Geord & Soph
Yes, it is a perfect day.

Rob & Sonia
So shweeet!

Sonia, Rob, Matt & Michael on the prowl.

<>It's Thomas!@ End of the Bellarine Rail Trail
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The View - lying on the beach. *sigh*



Hey there Geordie!
How you doin'?


Master Kum contemplates the meaning of life.

Robster


Soph & Sonia play a little frisbee






The whole gang at dinner


Midori and champers... the perfect way to end the day!

Massage… oh yes please!

On Sat 18^th March, we celebrated Cheryl’s birthday in style… 5 months late, but who’s counting? A trip out to the prestigious Heritage Golf Course for luxurious and lusciously relaxing day spa treatments followed by lunch at Tarrawarra Estate (www.tarrwarra.com.au), a winery & modern art museum in the Yarra Valley. By the end of the day, we were sooooo relaxed.

Here are some pics from the day. Plus a few reviews at the bottom.

Love g XOX

Relaxed to the max - post massage
Bring on the wine.
Amy, Cheryl, Katherine, Monica & Gayle @ Tarrawarra

The Mr Darcy Lake @ Tarrawarra

The architecture at Tarrawarra

Ride that cow Crowgirl!

The Yarra Valley

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Badminton @ Comm Games

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Commonwealth Games – Teams Badminton - Gold Medal Match

20^th March 2006

Malaysia vs England.

For this English born Malaysian Australian it was a win-win situation. However, before entering the stadium my loyalties were with Malaysia… afterall, how often do the Malaysians have a chance at winning any sport?

Going into this, like many, I was not that hyped up about the Comm Games, but I was blown away by the skills of these players.

On the night there were cocks flying everywhere… shuttlecocks that is (I know, lame joke). I’ve never been to a badminton match before, and found it strange that after almost every 3-4 points, especially in the Men’s doubles, the shuttlecock gets damaged and has to be replaced with a new one. They hit the shuttles with such power that you could see dust and bits of shuttle flying off as the racquets made contact - an awesome sight to behold. Another thing I enjoyed was that because of the way the shuttle falls, unlike tennis, the skill of the players, rather than the serve, plays a much bigger part.

Surprisingly the majority of the crowd were there to support Malaysia… or at least the most vocal of them were. The support section was so large that in between matches they were even doing a Mexican wave. One thing I do know for sure, the shouts of “Malaysia Boleh” made a welcome change to “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi”.

The team event meant that it was the best of 5 matches and the Malaysians won 4-1, losing only the first game – the Mixed doubles. The most exciting game of the night was the Women’s singles. Close to the very last point, it lasted three times as long as the men’s singles with a score of 27-25; 20-22; 21-18. The most awesome display of skill was definitely the Men’s Doubles: 21-14; 21-14. An explosive combination of power and finesse, the shuttle reached a speed of 284kph during the game, there was a 52 shot rally and 21 shuttles were used. Wow.

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Sole Cinema Review:

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Matchpoint: 2/5

Cast: Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Bend it like Beckham, Velvet Goldmine), Scarlett Johansson (The Island, Lost in Translation), Emily Mortimer (Young Adam, Pink Panther)

In a nutshell: Some good ideas, but overall not well executed and quite boring in the middle.

Synopsis: Troubles begin when Chris Wilton falls in lust with his fiancée’s brother’s fiancée. Did you get all of that?

Good things about this movie: Rhys Meyers and Johansson. Woody Allen does not act in his own movie for a change. The acting is not neurotic as WAllen moves tend to be. Originality of ending.

Bad things about this movie: A WAllen movie not set in New York seems to be missing something. Mortimer is annoying as Chris’ fiancée and therefore undermines much of the main plot. While original, the ending is somewhat inconsistent with the rest of the movie. It’s really really boring in the middle.

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Finally on DVD

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Pride & Prejudice: 4/5

Cast: Keira Knightly (Pirates of the Caribbean, Bend it like Beckham), Matthew MacFayden (Spooks – tv show)

In a nutshell: Just as good as the highly revered BBC version.

Synopsis: Jane Austen’s story set in Georgian England about a family with 5 daughters who need to be married off. Things start to get interesting when the handsome Mr Bingley and his austere friend Mr Darcy move in next door for the summer.

I have to admit to being obsessed with the BBC version… Colin Firth *sigh*. So the benchmark for this one was pretty high. Surprisingly, it managed to reach it, and almost exceed it. Because it is 3-4 hours shorter, it gets to the point much faster, and you don’t even notice large chunks of storyline are missing. I have to admit to liking the set much more in this version, it is much warmer and welcoming and the score is quite beautiful. The ages of the younger actors are much more appropriate to the story, and bring a vibrancy to the movie missing from the series. Having said that, while quite good in his own vunerable way, MacFayden’s Darcy isn’t quite as sexy as our Mr Firth. Some of the older cast, Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn and Judi Dench are perhaps not as convincing as they could have been. Kiera Knightly takes a pleasant turn as Elizabeth Darcy, not at all irritating as she can be sometimes.

Get into Flixster & the Axle Whitehad Project!

Well, hello people out there!
Just a quick posting....

What's going on:

Finally decided to get off my butt and get some work. Will be doing some basic (hopefully) temp work which will take me all the way up until the box office at the Comedy Festival. Can't wait! - watch out for Comedy reviews coming your way from Mid April! For those wanting to catch up for a coffee or lunch... I'll be on Bourke St from this Tuesday... I think only 2 blocks away from AXA!

For those who actually read this blog:

I think I may be able to get around my technological inadequacies and set up either a mailing list to notify of new entries or a way of e-mailing new blog entries to you. If you are interested, let me know and I'll try and set something up.

Flixster:

There's a great website called Flixster (thanks D for inviting me!). Basically it allows you and your community (friends your invite) to rate movies and share ratings. It's a much quicker way to see my movie ratings without having to read through my tedius comments on movies! The only down side is you can't give half stars.

To check it out go to: www.flixster.com

Or to join my community, the following address should work (if not, let me know): http://www.flixster.com/servlet/invite/64570573nmklxtfxzlAB039999


A couple of random photos:

Tree on the uphill climb just near Fairfield Boathouse

Oh Sweet Melbourne by night.
The Commonwealth games fish on the Yarra.
One fish per country.
Yep - I don't get it either.
(Warning - this picture is blurry if you make it any larger, sorry!)
Big thanks to Cheryl & Jase for their company tonight.

A gig review:

The Axle Whitehead Project @ The Cornish Arms, 12/3/2006

They began at a disadvantage. With an $18 pub entry fee, the show obligated to be good. They got off to a very shaky start, the first song was not great and it was next to impossible to work out whether Axle was skatting or singing in another language. However, the rest of the gig had me toe-tapping and dancing in my chair. With a keyboardist, drummer, bass guitar player, lead guitar player, sax/accordian/cow bell player and Axle on vocals, sometimes pretending to play the guitar (don't know why he bothered), they looked like they were having fun on stage and I think that transferred to the audience. They sang mostly covers, and a quite a few that I've seen Axle do before at Bennetts Lane. The highlight was definitely 'Fragile', a beautiful rendition which showed off the talents of the group.

For those who were unlucky enough to miss it. Apparently The Axle Whitehead Project will be performing every Sunday of April at the Cornish Arms. If you are interested, I'm keen to go again... especially if the entry fee is less than $18.


One lonely movie review:

Capote: 3/5

Cast: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener

In a nutshell: PSH deserved the Oscar, but the movie is a bit slow.

Synopsis: Tells the true life story of Truman Capote as he writes one of the biggest novels in American history, In Cold Blood.

The acting from both main characters is great, particularly PSH – and the believe it or not you forget the annoying voice is annoying almost straight away. However, the movie should have been half an hour shorter… they could have just cut out 30mins from the middle, and it would told the story just as well.

Happy Birthday…. To me!

Aloha!

The girls took me out for me birthday a couple of Saturday’s ago on the most adventurous of days! We travelled all the way to Geelong to experience the phenomenon that is Bellarine Adventure Golf. Yippeee!! It was ace! Thanks girls ;) Here are some pics.

love g
xoxox

ps. only a few movie reviews this time around... have finally finished Voyager, but have started watching a very addictive 76 part Korean series (Dae Jang Geum - http://english.tour2korea.com/02Culture/TVMiniseries/daejangguem.asp?kosm=m2_6&konum=1)... so not sure how much movie watching there will be coming up. Will try my best though! ; )

Those poor young things have no idea what lies ahead...
Monica, Cheryl, Amy, Katherine, Gayle

Oooo... look at the pretty colours!

Thanks to Amy, our lovely showcase model.

Cheryl tees off

Errrr... Amy, we can see you.

What's up there Katherine?

The ball gets sucked up the long tube and then rolls down the red railings, cool huh?!

Lunch at the Barwon Heads Hotel

The girls go for a walk on the beach after lunch

Monica has some fun with some sexy men

Monica, Cheryl, Me and Katherine hang out with some big buoys!

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Movie Reviews
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This week, we examine how to make a comedy and how not to make a comedy.

Date Movie: 1.5/5 (@cinema)

Cast: Alyson Hannigan (American Pie), Sophie Monk (Popstars)

In a nutshell: Very crass spoof humour

Short Synopsis: Girl meets guy and gets engaged, but has to overcome her looks, her parents and his gorgeous best friend on the way.

The best thing about this movie is trying to pick the wedding movies being spoofed…it’s not very difficult. Watch for Meet the Fockers, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and My Best Friend’s wedding amongst others. There is absolutely nothing subtle here, and every line has been crossed. Only advisable if you are brain dead.

The 40 Year Old Virgin: 3/5 (on DVD)

Cast: Steve Carell (The Office, Ron Burgundy), Catherine Keener (Capote, Being John Malkovich), Paul Rudd (Ron Burgundy, Romeo & Juliet, Friends)

In a nutshell: Funny and endearing.

Short Synopsis: Follows the trail of a 40 year old man as he attempts to lose his virginity

This is a movie that could very well have been offensive but wasn’t. The jokes are mostly funny and not OTT. All credit goes to Steve Carell who wrote and starred in this one. Despite his character being desperately tragic and painfully geeky, he is extremely likeable, and you just want him to succeed. Expect big things from Mr Carell in the future. The supporting cast are also excellent.

The Promise: 3.25/5 (on DVD)

Cast: Dong-Kun Jang, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cecilia Cheung, Nicholas Tse

In a nutshell: Beautifully stylised chinese fantasy

Short Synopsis: Young girl promises that in exchange for becoming a princess she will lose any man she loves, that is until time can be reversed. Meanwhile the evil dude wants to kill the emperor and have the princess for himself. Who will stop him?

This really is a beautiful movie. Most of the special effects are obviously computer generated, but it’s all so damn pretty. Despite the plot, there is plenty of martial arts action. And in typical Chinese Fantasy fashion, the story is quite inconceivable, but entertaining none the less.

Some oldies

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: 2/5 (DVD)

Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt, Shannon Doherty

In a Nutshell: Cheesy 1984 teen flick

Short Synopsis: Teen (SJP) attempts to dance her way onto a popular afterschool dance programme despite parent, arch enemy and boy problems.

Look for the really bad fashion – especially Helen Hunt… the massive plastic grasshopper has a hat was just never going to catch on.

Dogma: 3.5/5 (DVD)

Cast: Kevin Smith’s 4th movie with huge cast incl. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Selma Hayek, Chris Rock, Alan Rickman, Jason Lee.

In a Nutshell: Extremely witty humour taking on Christianity

Short Synopsis: Two exiled angels find a loophole that allows them to return to heaven. They must be stopped or all existence will cease to exist.

As with all Kevin Smith movies, it’s a fine line between clever cynicism and just a wild good chase of no consequence. I would tend to believe this one is the former. Alan Rickman is such a babe!

My, my, my….

*Sigh*…This young lady has just spent two completely blissful of nights pleasure in the company of one of the sexiest guys that ever walked this earth. That’s right, I was at Rob Thomas’ two live concerts. And for a review on Walk the Line as well, step this way for a rundown….

g
xoxoxoxo

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Rob Thomas – Somewhere to be – Concert

14/2/2006

Valentines Day. Amy and I headed off to Rod Laver. Scored ourselves a next-to-perfect disabled parking at Olympic park then walked past the cute guy who smote me at my second attempt at speed-dating in the foyer…damn him…. Sorry, where was I? Oh yeah… then headed to our seats in the lower section near the side of the stage.

Rob on the stage on Valentine’s Day

Be aware that this is a completely biased review… but it was a bloody brilliant concert. Rob started off a bit shaky, like he hadn’t completely warmed up… but seems that the ol’ frog in the throat / allergy thing, that caused him to abandon an encore on his last trip to Melbourne, was back – by the encore he was struggling to sing the choruses of Push, but the audience was more than happy to help. Still, for most of the concert he sang, played the Wurlitzer and played the guitar all with a lot of talent and heart. You could tell the band supporting him were all very talented musicians (the bass player rocked!) and you could tell that the music was their life.

He took about half the songs from his solo album, 3 or 4 faves from his MB20 playlist, added in a few new songs and a cover of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance… sang them at album quality but changed it up a bit just like a talented song writer can do. I think going solo, having complete creative control as to what goes in the concert really allowed for a lot of fun and musicality that was not as obvious previously. A slowed down version of 3am was a highlight for Amy, and my favourite song from the new album, Illusion, and a sexy version of Smooth were highlights for me. Btw… Happy Birthday Mr Thomas!

15/2/2006

Didn’t think it would be possible… but the second concert was even better!! Maybe it had something to do with the 2^nd row tickets that Linda got us (Thanks Linda & Tony for inviting me!)! 2^nd row ended up being 1^st row because the 1^st row did not extend past our seats.

What a Honey!

Thankfully, any signs of allergies or frogs had vanished and possibly, because of this Rob seemed a little more relaxed and playful. Similar play list to the first concert, except for a spontaneous cover of Ain’t no Sunshine in the middle. Then there was a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark in the encore, and Push was then replaced with a glorious acoustic version of Hang (just for you Geoff!).

The Stage

With all that spare space in front of me, I found myself dancing and grooving for the whole concert (of course!), and by the end of it I wanted more!

I love you Rt! *Teehee* ;)

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Cinema
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Walk the Line: 3.25/5

<>Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Reece Witherspoon
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In a nutshell: Excellent acting, better than ok movie.
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Synopsis: The highs and lows of legendary singer Johnny Cash and his relationship with the love of his life June Carter
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The movie is a little too long, there seemed to be scenes that reiterated what we already knew and just did not seem necessary. Perhaps because it is a biography, there is nothing awe-inspiring or particularly original about the way the story is told. Howver, overall it was very watchable and kept the interest going. A special mention goes to the two leads (watch for Reece to win best supporting actress at the Academy Awards) who were both wonderful. In fact, they sang all their own songs, which is why, on the insistence of Amy (hehe!), the movie scored an extra 0.25. Almost enough to convince me that Country music is not so bad after all.. y’all hear?!

Hello Babes out there!

Always start filling these things out then never send them...but seeing as I have the time right now... This one I got ages ago from Na - Thanks Na! (anyone know if she still has an e-mail address btw? her old one keeps failing).
Feel free to send me back some of your own answers in an e-mail if you could be bothered. Would love to hear from you.

love g

1. First Name? Gayle

2. Were you named after anyone? No

3. Do you wish on stars? Every now and then

4. When did you last cry? A few tears watching Brokeback Mountain. Lots of tears watching The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

5. Do you like your Handwriting? It varies a lot - sometimes.

6. What is your favourite lunch meat? Tuna

7. What is your birth date? 16/9/1976

8. What is your most favourite CD? Geez, harsh question. It tends to change over time. At the moment it is Chariot by Gavin DeGraw, especially the 'Stripped' version.

9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? Bien Sur!

10. Do you have a journal? No, I've started about 5 over the course of my life, and never kept them for longer than a few days.

11. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yes. Don't they say sarcasm is the lowest form of humour?

12. What are your nicknames? none :( my name is not very nickname friendly

13. Would you bun-gee jump? no, my brain and eyesight are in bad enough condition as is. Definitely sky dive again though.

14. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No...unless I can't get them off.

15. Do you think that you are strong? Generally no.

16. What is your favourite ice cream flavour? Coffee and mango flavours at the Gelobar.

17. What is your least favourite thing about yourself? lack of willpower and courage.

18. Who do you miss most? my sis.

19. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back? NA

20. What colour pants & Shoes are you wearing? silky black pants...ooh la la.. & bare feet.

21. What are you listening to right now? computer humming... outside of this very moment, listening to Rob Thomas in preparation for his concert tomorrow and the following night, as well as 3 doors down which I bought recently after wanting to for ages.

22. Last thing you ate? 1 Ferrero Rocher

23. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Yellow

24. What is the weather like right now? cool, dark and fine.. although I swear I saw lightning before.

25. Who was the last person you talked with on the phone? Sally at Hudson

26. First thing you notice about the opposite sex? hair, then face, then height

27. Do you like the person who sent this to you? love 'em

28. Favourite Drink? water - oh so boring!

29. Favourite Sport? netball to play, hate watching it though. Nothing beats Aussie rules on the tv.

30. Hair Colour? Black, with black highlights.

31. Eye Colour? Medium brown.

32. Do you wear contacts? Yes, when going out or playing sport.

33. Favourite Food? Non creamy lasagne. Oh but love so much other food too.

34. Last Movie You Watched? Sky High, for the second time. If you don't count Millions which I only watched half of. Last thing at the cinema was Brokeback Mountain.

35. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Don't like scary movies. Love happy endings.

36. Hugs or Kisses? Yes please.

37. Summer Or winter? Summer. Easier to decide what to wear.

38. What Is Your Favourite Dessert? Sticky Date Pudding at Cafe Sergovia or Chocolate Mousse from Women's Weekly Basics...ooooo and fruit tarts with the chocolate lining on the inside of the pastry.

39. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? N/A

40. Who Is Least Likely To Respond? N/A

41. Living Arrangements? comfortabley with the parents!

42. What Books Are You Reading? Almost French...but haven't picked it up in a long while.

43. What's On Your Mouse Pad? It's an Asgard pad...no idea where it came from. There's a picture of a man holiding a computer with a funnel sticking out the top of it.

44. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? Australia's braniest TV stars and a bit of the ice skating. Followed by half of Millions and 4.2 episodes of Star Trek Voyager.

45. Favourite Smells? Always thing of things at the time, but can't remember now. Maybe onions frying, fresh lavender and roses, fresh basil and coriander, strange lemony smell I sometimes smell when riding my bike along the yarra, waking up to baking bread.

46. Favourite Sounds? As per the smells... but ones I can remember are the sound of a wooden spoon mixing cookie dough in a plastic bowl, the sound of footsteps crunching on gravel.

47. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles for sure.

48. What is the furthest you have been from home? Either London or Rio.. not sure which is further away. Possibly London.,

49. Do you have a special talent? able to leap tall buildings in a single bound..... no, can't back that up.....how about the ability retain useless information about music and movies or dance longer than anyone else?

50. What is your ring tone? Built in latin sounding tone on my Samsung.

Happy Birthday Geoffrey!!

Howdy from your resident slacker!

Photos from Geoff's birthday celebrations at The London, Port Melbourne, as well as a leisurely ride along the Yarra. Plus a few DVD reviews... not really much to report... but time flies when you are wasting it!

Love you muchly, g

Birthday Boy Geoff & the lovely Cath

Geoff.. you're out of focus... and just who is that in the background?
Photo care of Soph & G

Paul, Me & Cycling Freak

With Tania

The girls: Cath, me & Sophie

What u looking at kids?
Geord & Soph

Maybe the view...
Downtown Port Melbourne

A few pics along the Yarra Trail

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DVD Reviews
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The Cutting Edge - Going for Gold: 2/5

Cast: Christy Carlson Romano, Ross Thomas (who are they?)

In a few words: Sequel to The Cutting Edge, pretty much the same plot.

Synopsis: National figure skating champion meets extreme inline skater champion, sparks fly. She needs a partner to skate with, he is the successful candidate but they can’t get along. Will they make it to the Olympics?

For those who know the original, this is exactly the same. So you will either be disgusted at its unoriginality or you will revel in the tried and true storyline. I hovered between the two, so I didn’t hate it, but I had to laugh at the sameness of it all, complete with the absolutely ridiculous physically impossible championship winning move at the end…remember the Pachenko? The only differences are that he is an inline skater instead of an ice hockey player, they meet before they become partners and he is the one with the fiancé. The cherry on the top is that her parents are the iceskating couple from the first movie (different actors). Hah.

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Serenity: 2.5/5

Cast: Written & Directed by Ross Whedon (Buffy)

In a few words: Amusing sci-fi flick

Synopsis: Set in the future, the crew of the Serenity are protecting Simon and his sister River who is a subconsciously brainwashed arse-kicking weapon who was rescued from the Alliance. Captain Reynolds must travel through space and hide from the Alliance operative who is chasing them as well as find out what the Alliance are hiding.

Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. There’s the odd witty one liner thrown in here and there to keep you amused, and there’s the suspense of trying to work out what is going on. You don’t need to have watched Firefly, the tv series it comes from, however, perhaps it would have made the movie feel more cohesive. Feels more like a long serial episode rather than a full on movie. But give me a Star Trek Voyager instead anytime.

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Cinderella Man: 4/5

Cast: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellwegger, Paul Giamatti, directed by Ron Howard

In a few words: Heart felt and edge of the seat boxing movie.

Synopsis: Based on the true story of Jimmy Braddock. During the depression a has-been boxer can barely keep his family fed. However, he never loses hope of boxing again and becomes a sporting hero.

I tend to forget what a good actor Russell Crowe is because of the crap that goes on with him outside of the cinema. Crowe gives an inspiring and realistic performance and teams again with Ron Howard to give a movie almost as good as A Beautiful Mind. I’m not a big fan of boxing movies, and yet this one kept me glued to the screen for the whole length of it. Zellwegger is not as annoying as she can be, and watch for Giamatti to take the Oscar for best supporting actor – he was excellent.

Da Jia Gong Xi Fa Cai

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year and Australia Day.

I was lucky enough to have a glorious Australia Day down at Sandy Point - it could not have been more perfect... oh, except for the lack of hunky lifeguard lying on the towel next to me! Chinese New Year up in Sydney was also a lot of fun, the usual culinary feast, followed by Taboo with the cousins afterward and movie the next day.

Here are a few photos (missing one from the beach, hope to have it for next post), and some more movie reviews. Oh, and a review of the concert I went to last night! Teehee!

Love g
xoxox

Paul, Rob, Tania, Matt, G & Geoff @The Fishy Pub, Fish Creek

Flight to Sydney

Pagoda where my grandparents ashes reside @ Woolongong Temple

The Gorgeous Amanda and Annabel enjoy the 'cups' of water at the Temple
(apologies for the fuzzy photo).

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CONCERT REVIEW
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Backstreet boys – Never Gone Tour: 4/5

It was with trepidation and some embarrassment that I attended the Backstreet boys concert at the Rod Laver stadium last night, but last night showed why the Backstreet Boys are the ultimate boy band.

At first watching 30-something-year-olds doing boy-band dance moves was a great source of amusement. I think at times, ‘The Boys’ seemed to think this too. But Michael, you will be pleased to know that this groupie is still going strong and before long I was screaming and singing with the best of them!

There was a surprisingly a varied crowd, I was standing next to three guys who knew all the words. As the first beats of music blared through the speakers, the whole audience was on its feet and stayed like that for the whole concert. I have never seen anything like it at The Tennis Centre. Normally those not on the floor remain seated for most of the performance.

Playing a good mix of their new album and pretty much all of their Greatest Hits album, ‘The Boys’ whipped the audience into a frenzy until the stadium erupted in an almost ear piercing screamfest before the guys came back out for the encore.

The quality of singing was amazingly awesome and the dancing was suitably cheesy. Unlike some of the other teen bands I have seen (ie. Destiny’s child), there were no diva moments. At one stage a couple of the guys were down the crowd greeting the little people.

Dare I say, last night this Take That fanatic may have been converted.
“Backstreet’s back, alright!” Hahah.

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CINEMA REVIEWS

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Brokeback Mountain: 4/5

Cast: Heath Ledger (First Knight, Monster’s Ball), Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Bubble Boy), Michelle Williams (Dawson’s Creek), Anne Hathaway (Princess Diaries 1 & 2)

In A Few words: Subtle and elegant, beautiful movie making – more for the ladies.

Synopsis: Two cowboys fall in love on Brokeback Mountain, but the society of the 60’s dictates that they will never be together.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so hyped to see a movie, so it’s not surprising I was initially a tiny bit disappointed. With predictions for Oscar’s greatness (BM is most likely to win best picture and director) I was expecting to be crying buckets by the half way mark. Which is not to say it is a bad movie, far from it. For those who are worried about the guy on guy action, there is actually not that much of it - I say bring it on! Both Heath and Jake provide heartfelt performances, and despite Heath getting the Oscar’s nod, I tended to enjoy Jake’s performance more. Michelle is also good, and watch for Anne’s hairdo.

As we have come to expect, there is something truly beautiful and peaceful about an Ang Lee movie (the Hulk an exception), this one is no different. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the interactions between the characters are poignant, raw and believable. For some this will be a boring as hell movie (eg. My 3 male cousins – it’s more a chick flick), but for me the 2 hours passed quickly. Don’t expect to come away with a quick fix of emotional turbulence, rather expect to be affected. This movie stays with you, and grows on you long after the curtains have fallen.

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Chicken Little: 3/5

Cast (voices): Zach Braff (Scrubs, Garden State), Joan Cusak, Steve Zahn (Sahara)

In A Few words: Fun & cute

Synopsis: Chicken Little cries wolf one too many times, and thus must save the world when no one believes that the sky is really falling down.

One of many in an inundation of computer generated animated cartoons hitting our screens this year. It’s a short movie, so the laughs come quick and fast and you can’t complain that it was too long. I enjoyed the many homages to other movies and songs, sure there were many I missed. The problem I had with Chicken Little was that it lacked the adult humour of a Shrek and also lacked the innocent fun of a traditional Disney movie – too middle of the road to be a classic.

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DVD REVIEWS

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Wedding Crashers: 3.25/5

Cast: Owen Wilson (Shanghai Noon), Vince Vaughn (Dodge Ball), Rachel McAdams (The Notebook), Isla Fisher (Home & Away), Christopher Walken (Pulp Fiction, and a heap of other random stuff).

In A Few words: Ridiculous pretence, but very funny

Synopsis: Two friends crash weddings to meet girls, however when John starts to fall in love with Claire, the daughter of the Treasury Secretary, it all starts to go pear-shaped.

Enjoyed this a lot more than I had thought I would. Vince Vaughn is hilarious, and Owen plays the charming Casanova all too well. Kudos goes to Isla Fisher (Mrs Ali G) as Claire’s sister – ahh… one of ours (well… close enough). The montage of their wedding escapades is classic – boys, take note of the pick up lines!

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Must Love Dogs: 1.5/5

Cast: Diane Lane (Unfaithful, Under the Tuscan Sun), John Cusak (Hifidelity), Christopher Plummer (Sound of Music), Elizabeth Perkins (He said, she said), Dermott Mulroney (My best friend’s wedding).

In A Few words: Almost watchable fluff.

Synopsis: Recent divorcee re-enters the dating arena at the behest of her family. The joys of internet dating services.

The idea was potentially comical, however the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The two lead characters have next to no chemistry. Lane does ok for what she has to work with. Cusak’s character is pretty flaky and annoying. Give me two-timer Mulroney any time!

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A Lot Like Love: 2/5

Cast: Ashton Kutcher (That 70’s show, The Butterfly Effect), Amanda Peet (The Whole Ten Yards)

In A Few words: Average boy meets girl, boy can’t have girl movie. Great soundtrack.

Synopsis: Oliver and Emily join the mile high club on a one-off event. Over the next few years they keep bumping into each other, but circumstances would keep them apart.

Surprisingly, this wasn’t the total flop I thought it would be.

Similar to the Serendipity story line, this movie is nothing new, but the two main actors are sufficiently lost and angst ridden to keep you watching to find out: will they, won’t they, will they, won’t they? Gee, I wonder....

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Peaches: 3/5

Cast: Hugo Weaving (The Matrix), Jacqueline MacKenzie (The 4400, Angel Baby), Emma Lung (The Cooks)

In A Few words: Good acting,

Synopsis: Teenage girl Steph, brought up by her aunt Jude, starts work in the town’s Peach factory under the watchful eye of the foreman, Alan. On her birthday she receives her mother’s diary, and through the stories of her mother, Jude and Alan, starts to see another side of herself.

New comer Emma Lung is refreshing as Steph, although for those who watched ‘The Cooks’, it takes a while to get used to the fact that she is not Argentinean! MacKenzie and Weaving are strong and intriguing as always. The story is interesting, but perhaps not completely engaging. Perhaps it is that none of the characters are particularly likeable. A good character piece nevertheless.

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Never Been Kissed: 2.5/5

Cast: Drew Barrymore (ET, Charlie’s Angels), Michael Vartan (Alias, Monster-in-law), David Arquette (Scream)

In A Few words: Cutesy Romantic Comedy

Synopsis: Under cover reporter goes back to high school, forgetting how bad it was the first time around.

I know this is an old one – just felt like a Michael Vartan fix!

Vaguely amusing slapstick rom com. Drew Barrymore, playing ugly duckly “Josie Grosie” is her sweet self as always. For those who remember him, the popular guy of the school is played by Jeremy Jordan (singer – The Right Kind of Love)…mmm..yeah, he’s ok ; )… whatever happened to him? For the guys, check out Jessica Alba pre Dark Angel. For the rest of you, the next best thing might be David Arquette skulling a bucket of cafeteria coleslaw.