Red business

Rufus Wainwright is coming to town and I'm going to see him tomorrow night at the State Theatre. What a pity, then, that I missed this competition, which was posted on his website:
"Going to a Town to see Rufus? Want to perform the spoken word part of 'Between My Legs' live on stage with Rufus? Rufus will select a special guest for all of his shows in Australia..."

The blurb goes on to read that you have to do a YouTube audition but it has to be submitted five days before the show - d'oh! missed it!

But there's a river going underground under the town... Oh bugger, I'm terrible at remembering lyrics. How does it go?
"Because there's a river
Running underground
Underneath the town towards the sea
That only I know all about
On which from this city we can flee
On which from this city we can flee"

Did I mention I'm also going to see The Phantom of the Opera in May? My flatmate bought tickets for my birthday (also in May) to thank me for spending heaps of money on The Whitlams at the Opera House gig we went to for her birthday last year.

The interesting thing is that his shows haven't sold out in Australia. The two Sydney shows are still fair game with only one (of two) Melbourne shows sold out and Perth also devoid of tickets. I wonder whether it is because he's not well-known yet here or if it has to do with festival fatigue? We've just had the Sydney Festival and the Big Day Out and a whole bunch of minor festivals (e.g. the Spirit of Soul Festival) chug through this city and his show comes at the end of the season where people have just bled money from Christmas and dozens of parties. Hmm.

Now I'm listening to 'Complainte De La Butte' that he did for the 'Moulin Rouge' soundtrack - he seems to do a lot of soundtracks. I also had 'Across the Universe' (from the film 'I am Sam') playing earlier. But I must confess I like Fiona Apple's version (for 'Pleasantville') better, but can't seem to buy it as an individual track off iTunes. Rufus will do.

With teeth

I have to get my wisdom teeth out.

Bugger.

Brisbane in six pars

Storm brewing over Story Bridge, Brisbane

My trip to Brisbane, in six paragraphs.

Day 1: Arrive Brisbane, new year's day. Skippy tells me to catch the train to Brunswick St. We eat dinner at Superbowl with Dr H and his girl. Girl doesn't like Skippy, which gives way to a new Skippy neurosis. Go for gelato where they are playing the Dave Matthews Band. Coincidentally meet Skippy's boy (Vampire) Slayer and a bunch of his friends. Brisbane turns out to be smaller than I thought. It's Slayer's flatmate Smokeless' birthday.

Day 2: Ride the City Cat river service for two hours, then disembark at Southbank in the pouring rain. Take refuge in the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA, G-o-M-A GoMA) by spending a couple of hours at the Andy Warhol exhibition. Have dinner at an Indian place called Sultan's Kitchen with Skippy, Slayer, Skippy's flatmate Melbourne Girl (MG) and the poet Ross Clark.

Day 3: Do the city walk from Roma St Parklands to QUT via Brisbane's monuments, then have Devonshire tea at T-licious in Southbank. Stock up on $7.25 worth of lollies at the Great Aussie Sweet Shop. Stop in at the Queensland Museum to see the Museum Zoo exhibition. Dinner is home-cooked (primo by me, secondi by Skippy), followed by a blackout and a lot of washing up.

Day 4: Head to the hills with the Bird, an old work friend, and her partner the Quail. Visit Eumundi, home town of PM Kevin Rudd, and have morning tea at the Berkelouw book store where the Bird discovers a long sought-after tome. Also do a circuit of Maleny, home of the most contentious Woolworths in Australia, buying up at Maleny Cheese and chowing down at Colin James Fine Foods. We spend the afternoon at Art on Cairncross and discover we look like The Wiggles.

Day 5: A sunny day! Fortitude Valley Markets, a long walk along the river via the Botanic Gardens to the Southbank Markets, catch 'I Am Legend' with MG and a couple of her friends. Meet up with Skippy who is with Green Man and his adorable dog Molly. Green Man comes for dinner, drinks wine and eats Maleny brie with Slayer and Smokeless.

Day 6: Wangle a last minute booking for 11:30am at High Societea in Clayfield for Skippy, MG, Slayer and myself. Although I invited Smokeless last night, his appearance is a surprise considering he arrived home from a bender at 8:30 that morn. Three tiers of tea-soaked goodness ensues. When am I coming back to Brisbane? (March!) Flight delayed for two hours due to storms. Pink Martini awaits me in Sydney.

2007 Film Wrap-up

I saw a lot of films, not least due to the influence of my movie buddy (my flatmate) whose only pastime seems to be watching films and TV (on DVD). I also managed to obtained a fair number of free tickets through vouchers given by family and winning minor competitions, so there you go.

Here's a list of films I saw in 2007 (* = recommended):
Eragon
Babel *
Pan's Labyrinth *
I'm Your Man * (Leonard Cohen fans)
Tibet: A Trilogy
Stranger than Fiction
My Neighbour Totoro
Year of the Hare
300 *
Sunshine *
Paris, Je T'Aime
Curse of the Golden Flower
The Science of Sleep
The Namesake
Before the Music Dies
The History Boys
Spiderman 3
Tales from Earthsea
Zodiac
The Page Turner
Digital Projections (short film compilation)
All in this Tea * (tea lovers)
Comedy Shorts (short film compilation)
Death at a Funeral *
Forever (the doco)
Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End
Teeth *
Poison Friends
Heavenly Kings
Romulus, My Father
The Dead Girl
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Shootout (short film compilation)
As it is in Heaven
The Simpsons Movie
4 * (classical music fans)
Day Watch *
Sicko *
Hairspray
Howl's Moving Castle
Rush Hour 3
Across the Universe
Forbidden Lies
Beowulf
Tell No One
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
The Golden Compass


Award for the most hyped movie to disappoint:
Beowulf

Award for the most hyped movie to live up to hype:
Pan's Labyrinth
Honourable mention to 300

Award for the most serendipitous movie:
Teeth
I went to see it on a whim as part of the Sydney Film Festival and found it perfectly pitched as a dark comedy with some great performances.

Best Actor in any role:
Kal Penn in The Namesake
Honourable mention to Eric Bana in Romulus, My Father

Best Actress in any role:
Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (not Babel)
Honourable mention to Amanda Bynes in Hairspray

Best movie based on another text:
300, based on an account of the Battle of Thermopylae by Herodotus and 300, the graphic novel by Frank Miller
Honourable mention to The History Boys, based on a play by Alan Bennett AND The Golden Compass, based on Northern Lights, a novel by Philip Pullman

Best Comedy:
Death at a Funeral

Best Drama:
Pan's Labyrinth

Best Documentary:
4

BEST MOVIE OF 2007:
Teeth
Oh so deliciously, darkly, cruelly funny. Teeth treads the fine line between good film-making and bad taste so unerringly, it's difficult to know what to like most - the uncomfortable foreknowledge of certain characters' fates or the snide jibes about society's aversion to vaginas. I'm thankful it's coming out at the theatres soon as I'm dying to share it with other people so I can talk about it.