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Before I bore you with my taste in cinema - BIG BLOODY YAY to my dearest (and oldest) friend Gillian Ashurst - shown here - who got her first 35mm film, Venus Blue, into the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Venus was one of TEN international shorts chosen for Sundance, and is New Zealand's second short film EVER to be invited. Not bad huh? Watch this space for an official website and news of Gillian's next project. |
Anyway - favourite films lately ...
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL: You would've probably already seen this. Oscar winner n' all. Terrific film, v. sad of course but just so lovely and ultimately endearing.
BEN-HUR: Yep, the old classic starring Charlton Heston has been re-released with a nice new 70mm print and was shown at the Embassy in Wellington - the biggest screen in the Southern Hemisphere. What a movie. At over 4 hours, have a pee before you settle in, but it's such a visual feast you'll LOVE every frame ... that chariot race still rocks!
HEAVEN Dir: Scott Reynolds. To say this is the story of a psychic transvestite and her interaction with a sleazy nite club owner and his gambling "pal" makes it sound more than a little bizarre, when in fact this film is violent - both literally and in it's raw depiction of seedy life. It doesn't *look* like a New Zealand film; using semi obscure locations and British and American actors in the lead roles - including the adorable Martin Donovan (who isn't quite so adorable in this film, but endearing nevertheless). Seeing a film like this fills me with excitement - the potential for NZ to blow the rest of the world away with our talent is VERY CLOSE. Stay tuned ... it hasn't even been released in NZ, goodness knows when it'll get scheduled for a US release.
EVER AFTER: Mmm. Well, it's a chick flick. Romantic schmaltz really,
but hey, we all know the Cinderella story, and really Drew Barrymore is
terrific, as is New Zealander Melanie Lynskey (as seen in Heavenly Creatures
- go Peter Jackson! You rule!).
All time faves include the following ...
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S - I've watched this film 5 or 6 times. I think it's
my desert island film ie: the one I'd take with me if I was allowed one
tape for my VCR for months on end ... When I grow up, I wanna be Holly Golightly.
Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard make for a fabbo couple and the styling
(1961) is so hip it hurts. Rock on Mancini.
MODULATIONS - A documentary by Iara Lee - who also made "Synthetic
Pleasures", Modulations is a look at electronic music and features
all the big names in touring DJ's including Carl Craig, Derrick Carter,
Sneak and Juan Atkins. Electronic musicians like Money Mark and Robert Moog
(!) were also interviewed. The documentary was quite US biased, and there
was no mention of electronic pioneers Gary Numan and Depeche Mode, but overall,
a fantastic movie.
SWINGERS - Get a night life. "Babies, you're so money!" Excellent
soundtrack, wonderful acting, great direction, fab lingo, blah blah blah,
just see it.
THE WEDDING BANQUET - Sly comedy featuring nutty Asians
POINT BREAK That Keanu sure can kiss ... oh, and the surfing shots are great
too.
BARAKA - Awesome imagery, incredible soundtrack - 70mm - eye candy.
BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS - Russ Meyer is a God (albeit a demented
perverted God, but hey, nobody's perfect)
ANGEL HEART - Micky Rourke CAN act OK?
BITTER MOON - Hugh Grant and Kristen Scott Thomas in a bizarre sexual triangle
directed by Roman Polanksi - what a combo
BARBARELLA - Jane Fonda really is a sexy babe, and this film is sooooo stylee/kinky/gorgeous,
I could watch again and again (and on some weekends, I have)
BRAINDEAD - Must've seen this about 6 times. Gory as heck, but VERY funny
- I hear it does well on the LA midnite underground circuit so it must be
weird, no actually, that's Meet the Feebles, another Peter Jackson film
... but anyway, Braindead is a riot - the premise is NUTS (adult boy living
at home with Zombie mother, sub plot of love story with Spanish girl ...
mayhem ensues) - but hey, that's what makes it special.
EASY RIDER - I think I was conceived around the time this film was made
(1969), starring Peter Fonda I guess this film confirms either my appreciation
of the Fondas, or my fascination with road movies.
ROADSIDE PROPHETS - guess what? Yep. Another road movie. Starring John Doe
(yeah, the punk guy, now ageing gracefully) and Adam Horowitz (Beastie Boy)
it's a doozy of a trip! I saw it the week before embarking on my own American
road trip, shame we ended up flying half of it.
CONFESSIONS OF A LATTER DAY SLUT Written and directed by Gillian Ashurst,
up and coming New Zealand film maker, and starring the charming Lyndee Jane
Rutherford. Look out for Gillian's first 35mm film "Venus Blue"
I'll put a link to the Venus Blue website as soon as it's live, you may
be able to order it online.
This site "MUSE"
also has loads of great film recommendations.
This is dangerous territory ... one person's art is another's rubbish.
And vice versa.
For example ... this painting is my current favourite. It's a classic, and has pride of place on the wall in my living room next to the 50's red rocket lamp and the TV. I've heard of some people absolutely hating these Lynch paintings, weird I know. This one was picked up for NZ$15 in Nelson in September 1997. I hear they're selling for around $100 in Auckland. Go provincial I say. Te Papa (NZ's National Museum) currently has on show an exhibition of Magnum photographers which is really worth seeing. |
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