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SPICYWATCH

Bucket Lists

29/1/2020

4 Comments

 
I guess that everyone wants to feel like they have lived their life to the full, and the idea of a full life is different for everybody. Does it mean that you need to have an extensive bucket list of tasks to complete in your lifetime? No, of course it doesn't! Some people lead extremely full and rewarding lives without ever attempting to tick off any bucket lists. 
However, with that being said, I did stumble across a 100 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE list that has been clearly designed for Australians, and after ticking off 70 of them immediately I was feeling pretty chuffed about just how many fabulous things I have actually done in my lifetime. What a lucky and very spoilt lady I am!
Now, I have to be honest, some of these things are not going to appeal to you at all. In fact some of them really didn't appeal to me at all as I was reading them; damn some of the things that I have ticked off didn't actually appeal to me that much either, but I still did them!
Look at this list as suggestive, rather than exhaustive. There will, without a doubt, be things that you've done on here and there will be things that you will think are outrageously bad ideas. Who knows, you may see something on the list and think to yourself "yeah, I would like to that before I die," in which case I would encourage you to pursue your aspirations. Regardless of how well you score on this list, or how many things you do or don't wish to do before you die, just remember that you don't need to making grand and sweeping gestures, travelling long distances or eating snails in Paris to be living a full and rewarding life, trust me I've done that one and it was revolting!
And if you don't like any of these, then make up your own 'life bucket list' if you're really motivated. I used to know a woman in her late 50's, and every month she and her friends would take turns at ticking something off each other's bucket lists. She found this method of getting out of her comfort zone extremely rewarding and she and her friends were always going off to do some wild and adventurous thing; it was quite inspiring actually. Whatever you chose to do with this list, thrash it or trash it - just remember that it's your life and you've only got one, so make sure you're doing the things that make you happy. 
  1. Adopt a pet from the RSPCA
  2. Ask for a pay rise
  3. Attend a live theatre show
  4. Beat a computer game
  5. Become debt free
  6. Build a house (not necessarily yourself - a builder can do it for you!) 
  7. Buy an expensive dress or suit and wear it out
  8. Catch a fish
  9. Climb Ayers Rock
  10. Climb to the top of Eiffel Tower
  11. Climb the pinnacle at the Grampians
  12. Complete a crossword or sudoku
  13. Cook a meal from scratch
  14. Dive or snorkel a coral reef
  15. Do a 'Roar and Snore' at the Melbourne Zoo
  16. Do a 10 course degustation dinner
  17. Drive a racing car
  18. Drive on the autobahn in Germany
  19. Drive the entire Great Ocean Road
  20. Eat tapas in Spain
  21. Eat rice in China
  22. Eat snails in Paris
  23. Fall in love
  24. Fix a leaking tap
  25. Fix something on your car yourself
  26. Fly a kite
  27. Fly in a helicopter
  28. Forgive your parents
  29. Gamble in Las Vegas
  30. Get a professional massage
  31. Get married
  32. Go bungee jumping
  33. Go skinny dipping
  34. Go snow skiing
  35. Go to a huge sporting event (Olympics, Tennis Open etc.)
  36. Go to see the ballet
  37. Go to the Colosseum in Rome
  38. Go up in a hot air balloon
  39. Go whitewater rafting
  40. Have a baby
  41. Host a family reunion
  42. Join a gym
  43. Kiss a stranger
  44. Knit a scarf
  45. Learn a card or magic trick
  46. Learn First Aid
  47. Learn how to public speak
  48. Learn to belly dance
  49. Learn to juggle three balls
  50. Learn to play an instrument
  51. Learn to play chess
  52. Learn to rollerblade/ roller-skate
  53. Learn to salsa/  tango
  54. Learn to speak another language
  55. Learn to surf
  56. Leave an anonymous love note on someone’s car
  57. Make a gift for someone by hand
  58. Make a model car or train
  59. Order something off the menu that you have never eaten before
  60. Overcome your fears
  61. Paint a picture
  62. Pat an exotic animal
  63. Perform in a play
  64. Plant a veggie garden
  65. Play roulette in a casino
  66. Read a book a fortnight for an entire year
  67. Receive an award or medal
  68. Ride a camel
  69. Ride a horse along the beach
  70. Ride a skateboard
  71. Ride an elephant
  72. Ride in a gondola
  73. Run a marathon
  74. Sail a boat
  75. See the Cherry Blossoms in Japan
  76. See the Grand Canyon
  77. Sew a shirt or jumper
  78. Sharpen a knife with a stone
  79. Sing karaoke (in front of a room of people)
  80. Sleep in a real castle
  81. Sleep on a houseboat
  82. Sleep under the stars
  83. Somersault into a swimming pool
  84. Spend time over Christmas doing charity work
  85. Spend the night in a haunted house
  86. Stay at Disneyland 
  87. Stand on top of the Acropolis in Greece
  88. Start a fire without matches or a lighter
  89. Swim with something huge (dolphin, turtle, whale, shark etc.)
  90. Tell a joke to a group of people
  91. Throw a great party
  92. Trace your family tree
  93. Turn off your mobile phone for a week
  94. Walk across a famous bridge
  95. Watch a movie that really scares you
  96. Watch the Sunrise
  97. Watch the Sunset
  98. Wear a fancy dress costume for a whole day
  99. Write a poem
  100. Write a story
Picture
JOURNEY TO THE WEST: CONQUERING THE DEMONS
Release Date: 2013
Rating: M
Running Time: 110 mins 

A Chinese language, fantasy, comedy film that was co-written, co- directed and produced Stephen Chow. A loose comedic re-interpretation of the famous Chinese literary classic novel Journey to the West, this sweet and silly tale delivers just the right balance of fantasy and action to make it a real winner. 
An aspiring Buddhist monk attempts to protect a fishing village from three vicious demons. His misadventures lead him to team up with an amorous female demon hunter named Miss Duan, and eventually the two must unite to battle the legendary Monkey King. 
When you're combining ancient tales of Chinese mythology with Stephen Chow's zany and original style of storytelling, you know that you just can't go wrong. Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons is left of centre, highly entertaining, fast paced and extremely funny. In short - it's an unmissable Chinese treat, and a perfect viewing choice for a Lunar New Year celebration. 
FINAL SAY: This is straight up bananas!
3.5 Chilli Peppers 
​

4 Comments

Here Come the Accolades

26/1/2020

0 Comments

 
The Academy Awards (or Oscars) are officially Hollywood's biggest awards 'night of nights.' They serve to award movie makers, directors and actors who have reached a pinnacle of excellence in their careers. To even receive an Oscar nomination is huge deal in Hollywood, and unlike the Golden Globes that celebrate television and film excellence, the Academy Awards are solely focused on recognising achievements of excellence in film.
The categories at the Oscars span much further than acting and directing, and also offer recognition for all of the creative and technical work that goes on behind the scenes when movies are made. From costuming, sound, cinematography, visual effects and cinema shorts, the Academy Awards are the most prestigious and coveted of all of the Hollywood award events, and even though I never miss the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards or the Critics Choice Awards, the Oscars are easily my favourite awards ceremony to watch every year. 
If you should wish to see the Academy Awards ceremony yourself this year, it will be broadcasting live on Channel Seven from 12pm on Monday 10th February, with an encore airing at 7.30pm for those of you who, like myself, will be at work during the day of the ceremony. 
And this year, the Academy Award nominees are as follows:
Best Picture:
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Parasite”
Lead Actor:
Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”
Lead Actress:
Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy”
Supporting Actor:
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Supporting Actress:
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”
Florence Pugh, “Little Women”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”
Director:
Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Todd Phillips, “Joker”
Sam Mendes, “1917”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
Animated Feature:
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” Dean DeBlois
“I Lost My Body,” Jeremy Clapin
“Klaus,” Sergio Pablos
“Missing Link,” Chris Butler
“Toy Story 4,”  Josh Cooley
Animated Short:
“Dcera,” Daria Kashcheeva
“Hair Love,” Matthew A. Cherry
“Kitbull,” Rosana Sullivan
“Memorable,” Bruno Collet
“Sister,” Siqi Song
Adapted Screenplay:
“The Irishman,” Steven Zaillian
“Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi
“Joker,” Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
“Little Women,” Greta Gerwig
“The Two Popes,” Anthony McCarten
Original Screenplay:
“Knives Out,” Rian Johnson
“Marriage Story,” Noah Baumbach
“1917,” Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino
“Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho, Jin Won Han
Cinematography:
“The Irishman,” Rodrigo Prieto
“Joker,” Lawrence Sher
“The Lighthouse,” Jarin Blaschke
“1917,” Roger Deakins
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Robert Richardson
Best Documentary Feature:
“American Factory,” Julia Rieichert, Steven Bognar
“The Cave,” Feras Fayyad
“The Edge of Democracy,” Petra Costa
“For Sama,” Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts
“Honeyland,” Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov
Best Documentary Short Subject:
“In the Absence,” Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam
“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone,” Carol Dysinger
“Life Overtakes Me,” Kristine Samuelson and John Haptas
“St. Louis Superman,” Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan
“Walk Run Cha-Cha,” Laura Nix
Best Live Action Short Film:
“Brotherhood,” Meryam Joobeur
“Nefta Football Club,” Yves Piat
“The Neighbors’ Window,” Marshall Curry
“Saria,” Bryan Buckley
“A Sister,” Delphine Girard
Best International Feature Film:
“Corpus Christi,” Jan Komasa
“Honeyland,” Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov
“Les Miserables,” Ladj Ly
“Pain and Glory,” Pedro Almodovar
“Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho
Film Editing:
“Ford v Ferrari,” Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland
“The Irishman,” Thelma Schoonmaker
“Jojo Rabbit,” Tom Eagles
“Joker,” Jeff Groth
“Parasite,” Jinmo Yang
Sound Editing:
“Ford v Ferrari,” Don Sylvester
“Joker,” Alan Robert Murray
“1917,” Oliver Tarney, Rachel Tate
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Wylie Stateman
“Star Wars: The Rise of SkyWalker,” Matthew Wood, David Acord
Sound Mixing:
“Ad Astra”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Joker”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Production Design:
“The Irishman,” Bob Shaw and Regina Graves
“Jojo Rabbit,” Ra Vincent and Nora Sopkova
“1917,” Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh
“Parasite,” Lee Ha-Jun and Cho Won Woo, Han Ga Ram, and Cho Hee
Original Score:
“Joker,” Hildur Guðnadóttir
“Little Women,” Alexandre Desplat
“Marriage Story,” Randy Newman
“1917,” Thomas Newman
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” John Williams
Original Song:
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” “Toy Story 4”
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” “Rocketman”
“I’m Standing With You,” “Breakthrough”
“Into the Unknown,” “Frozen 2”
“Stand Up,” “Harriet”
Makeup and Hair:
“Bombshell”
“Joker”
“Judy”
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
“1917”
Costume Design:
”The Irishman,” Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson
“Jojo Rabbit,” Mayes C. Rubeo
“Joker,” Mark Bridges
“Little Women,” Jacqueline Durran
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Arianne Phillips
Visual Effects:
“Avengers Endgame”
“The Irishman”
“1917”
“The Lion King”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Picture
1917
Release Date: 2019
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 119 mins 

A war epic; directed, co-written and produced by Sam Mendes, and easily his most prolific and immersive movie thus far. 1917 received great acclaim and praise for its impressive technical achievements and intensely realistic depictions of trench warfare during World War I. 
In April 1917, two young British soldiers, Blake and Schofield, are sent on a mission to hand-deliver a message to the Second battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. The order calls for the men to stand down with their planned attack on the Germans. To go through with the attack would cost the lives of 1,600 men, including Blake's brother Joseph, so their timely arrival is imperative, but the journey through enemy territory to deliver that message is fraught with danger and peril. 
Atmospheric is an understatement here, this film is an experience, a fully immersive experience that will leave you breathless from beginning to end. George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman are fantastic as the two soldiers who have been thrown together on what can only be described, upon first look,  as a suicide mission. Their bravery and loyalty throughout the film is both inspiring and so deeply moving, I actually cried a couple of times when I saw this at the cinema. And considering that the camera stays with the two soldiers from the very first frame to the last, as if unfolding in one long take, you feel like you are actually right along side of them, on this very treacherous ride, all of the way to the very end. 
1917 is staggeringly good and completely unmissable, and probably the best war movie that I have ever seen. 
FINAL SAY: Down to Gehenna or up to the throne...he travels fastest who travels alone. 
5 Chilli Peppers

0 Comments

Namaste For All

22/1/2020

0 Comments

 
I am still utterly yoga and meditation obsessed. I rarely, if ever, go a day without these two elements in my life now and I am always seeking ways to access classes that are effective and preferably free as well. Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with people paying to go to yoga classes or learning how to meditate from a professional, I just think that there are some really great ways to access quality programs for free that people may not be aware of. 
Over the last four years I have become very disciplined and committed to my yoga and meditation practises and this endeavour has in turn, lead to me finding some amazing YouTube channels that offer free, effective and fun home practises that can hone your skills and give you a cheap alternative to paying for a gym membership or a yoga/ meditation guru. 
Here's my list of best YouTube yoga and meditation home practises: 
Yoga with Adriene - I started my yoga journey with Adriene and her dog Benji, she's a sweet and user friendly way to kick start an 'at home' yoga practise. She does monthly calendars that you can follow and they're terrific!
SarahBethYoga - Gorgeous Sarah has the best at home yoga morning quickies for all levels of ability. You can access an entire library of 10, 15, 20 and 30 minute practises with varying levels of intensity and challenge. 
Fightmaster Yoga - Lesley Fightmaster is a little ditsy with her high voice and daily quotes, but her practises are really great and very effective for body toning. Her channel has something for everyone, including some really advanced yoga challenges as well.
PsycheTruth - This is a health and wellbeing channel that offers more than yoga. Their clips cover nutrition, pain relief, massage, meditation, stress and anxiety relief, holistic health and much, much more. They have loads of instructors so you can try out a variety of them and find one that you like. 
Five Parks Yoga - Erin Sampson is one fit lady! Her channel offers a more advanced 'at home' yoga practise. She does do some shorter sessions as well, but her overall level of intensity is higher. Loads of strength building and core routines with little rest time.
Yoga with Jess - Jess delivers good, short, problem area focused yoga sessions. Unfortunately she hasn't posted for around 9 months now, but there is a good bank of her old stuff still there to access, all of which are very good. 
Bad Yogi Yoga - A little of everything and definitely a good place for beginners to start, this channel is a great way to learn the basics properly. The short '100 poses' videos are terrific for getting your postures correct and learning the names and shapes of yoga poses properly.
Kino Yoga - Kino MacGregor looks like a suntanned health-guru dream yogi. If you can get passed her 'polished and perfect' exterior, you'll see that with 20 plus years of experience under her belt, she offers something for everyone and delivers practises that build strength and flexibility in serious and transformative ways. 
BrettLarkinYoga - Vinyasa flow and meditation channel that has some easy beginners stuff all the way through to the deep sweaty advanced work. Brett (who is actually a woman) also delivers some really great free meditations and nighttime yoga sessions as well. 
The Mindful Movement - Meditations, visualisations, hypnosis, pilates, yoga and mindfulness - this channel is your one stop shop for inner peace and self healing techniques, it has something for everyone. 

Hopefully, you'll be able to find something new to try from my list of free goodies. Anything that makes you feel brighter, gets you balanced and brings joy to your life for free can't be a bad thing! 
Picture
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
Release Date: 2014
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 93 mins 

The critics rather unfairly tore this survival-horror movie a new asshole, and no, it's certainly not a life changer, but given the fact that the cast was a bunch of virtual unknowns, the setting was nothing more than miles of poorly lit tunnel and the director went for another hand held- found footage approach, As Above, So Below still provided an adequately creepy and intriguing environment that kept me watching until the very end. 
Scarlet, an intrepid explorer, takes a team of guides and curious friends into the Parisian catacombs in search of the Philosophers Stone, with dire consequences. 
I would have liked to have seen a bit more 'Hellmouth' action to be honest, because the lead up was far too long and the actual 'hell time' was fleeting, under-developed and rushed. The plausibility of the story line had more holes in it than Swiss cheese, but overall I am still giving this a thumbs up for it's claustrophobic effect and creepy weirdness. 
FINAL SAY: As I believe the world to be, so it is. 
3 Chilli Peppers 
​

0 Comments

Cheers to Guilty Pleasures!

18/1/2020

2 Comments

 
I am all for owning and indulging in your guilty pleasures, and come on, let's put it out there...they're only guilty pleasures if you actually feel guilty about them, right? So rather than calling them 'guilty' pleasures let's just call them straight up pleasures, aka the things that you love to indulge in that other people may not (probably won't) know about. And let's be honest about this, we all have them, so there's no point in acting like you don't. And they could be as innocuous as eating chocolate in the bathtub whilst listening to Cindy Lauper CD's or they could be as dangerous as snorting cocaine off the back of a dunny seat everytime that you go to a Melbourne nightclub; whatever your pleasure (and as long as it isn't harming anyone else) I say that it's okay to indulge in your pleasure vices from time to time. 
I find that as I get older, my choice of 'pleasures' has changed substantially, and that's not because I don't have anything that I desire enough to warrant the effort because I most certainly do, but I find that I am much busier and more financially restricted as the time in my life marches on; so what I can afford to indulge in, and also what I can afford the time to indulge in, has altered quite a lot. Perhaps I just have more expensive pleasures than I did say... fifteen years ago, which is probably closer to the truth and that would generally mean that I just can't afford to indulge in them as often as I would like to. 
When I say expensive, I also mean indulgent and I think that, like most of us, there is a certain level of guilt associated with indulging in your pleasures, especially if you know that they are expensive, dangerous or not really considered to be good for your health - hence the title guilty pleasures. However, if there is one thing that I have learnt thus far in this life,  it's that restricting yourself from the things that you really love and genuinely crave is not only extremely cruel, but it's downright oppressive to your soul as well. One must never forget the age old adage - you can't take your riches with you when you die, so you may as well make the most of them while you can. 
Over the years the topic of guilty pleasures has come up from time to time when I have had people around, it is certainly one of the more interesting topics that you can discuss at a dinner party or friendly gathering. As interesting as your own pleasures are to you, I find it way more interesting to hear about the guilty pleasures of others. Other people's pleasure choices can reveal another dimension to their person that you may have completely overlooked, and although I am not going to out anyone here for their specific desires, I have heard some pretty interesting and even salacious pleasure choices that have raised a few eyebrows in the room when they were revealed.
Check out these rippers:
  • Staying a work late to use their internet to game.
  • Looking at photos of Kamal and listening to him sing - and getting turned on!
  • Getting drunk and binge watching bad reality TV.
  • Enjoying McDonald's breakfasts regularly. 
  • Dancing in the loungeroom to songs from Dirty Dancing or Grease. 
  • Stealing luxury pillows from hotels.
  • Eating a (free?) handful of grapes or nuts from the produce section of supermarkets. 
  • Drinking a whole bottle of good champagne alone.
  • Eating raw cake mixture or biscuit dough. 
  • Stealing soaps. 
  • Watching Steven Seagal movies and loving them. 
  • Getting professional massages on your lunch break.
  • Following Justin Bieber on Instagram. 
  • Watching 'weird topic' porn.
  • Reading Mills and Boon novels. 
  • Impulse travelling or road tripping. 
  • Sunbaking without sunscreen.
  • Eating things straight from the jar or drinking out of the carton.
  • Smoking joints.
  • Squeezing pimples on other people's backs or faces. 
  • Not showering on the weekends. 
  • Stalking people on social media platforms. 
  • Talking to your pet like it's a real person that understands you. 

Some of those were actually mine, but I am not going to tell you which ones...you'll just have to guess! In the meantime, raise a glass to your own (guilty) pleasures, partake in them and explore what gives you genuine and unbridled joy, because life's too short not to indulge in the sillier, simpler and saucier bits and bobs. And, as long as 'it harms none' then I say go in hard and celebrate being alive everyday!
Picture
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Release Date: 2008
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 96 mins 
​A romance-drama, written and directed by Woody Allen. Shot in Barcelona, Spain and premiering at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Vicky Cristina Barcelona gained critical acclaim and landed Penelope Cruz both the Academy Award and the BAFTA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
The story focuses on two American friends, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), who are spending their summer in Barcelona. Whilst there, they encounter an artist named Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) who is attracted to both of the women, but still has a rather unconventional relationship with his mentally and emotionally unstable ex-wife Maria-Elena (Penelope Cruz). 
This film is a bizarre love triangle on overload, the people are all ridiculously gorgeous and the strange love dynamics are on overload. However, for all of it's flaws,  I cannot deny that I really enjoyed it. The beautiful locations, the impossibly beautiful characters, the passionate interludes and the stand out performance from Cruz, it really worked for me. It's hard to say if I was longing for a Juan Antonio experience or a Spanish Summer after viewing this film, but either way, I was seduced, so it's a winner for me. 
FINAL SAY: Only unfulfilled love can be romantic. 
3.5 Chilli Peppers

2 Comments

The Best of You

15/1/2020

4 Comments

 
Here's a shout out to all of the directors that have given me a memorable viewing experience at some point in my lifetime. This list is designed to give credit to my favourite director's work and offer homage to their incredible efforts. I have also cited my favourite movie offering from each director as well, just in case you wanted to know where I thought that they had put down their best work thus far. 
What made me really happy when I was compiling this list was just how varied, vast and interesting the styles of direction are that I have been fortunate enough to experience, but what made me really sad was the lack of female directors that made this list. Clearly, the role of director is still a very male dominated field in Hollywood. I did happen to notice that all of the best movie nominations at the Golden Globes this year were all for male directors. And the saddest thing of all about this is, that it is not at all indicative of female directorial ability or talent in any way, shape or form, what it is indicative of is the lack of opportunities for upcoming female directors, and that is something that really needs to change.
Some of the best movies and television programs that I have seen over the last few years were both written and directed by women. Women have incredible and engaging stories to tell both in front of and behind the camera, and I for one would like to see more of them in the future. So, please make sure that you too are making an effort to see more movies that have been directed women in a show of support for all of the female directing pioneers that are out there telling their stories and sharing their visions in a very male dominated industry. 
So without any further ado, here are my favourite movie directors (in no particular order other than my recall ability) and my favourite movies that they have brought to life on screen. 
David Lynch - A true visionary in every sense, he's the man behind Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man and Eraserhead. Lynch is known for his surrealist cinema stylings and deeply original point of view.
BEST MOVIE: Mulholland Drive
Wes Anderson - The king of quirk with a distinct visual style and amusing narrative. He's delivered gems like The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel and has produced two incredible stop motion children's animations as well, one of which is on my Hall of Fame.
BEST MOVIE: Fantastic Mr Fox
Lars von Trier- A Danish director and scriptwriter that has had a long and controversial career. Basically he seems to enjoy destroying beautiful things in all of his films, which are gritty and damning. He's responsible for Nymphomaniac, Antichrist, Dancer in the Dark and Dogville, which all left a mark on me. 
BEST MOVIE: Melancholia
Jason Reitman - Reitman seems to 'get' women and understand difficult relationship dynamics, and his films certainly portray that knowledge. He brought us Juno, Up in the Air, Tully and Young Adult which were all exceptionally good. 
BEST MOVIE: Labor Day 
Taika Waititi - A clever New Zealand comedy filmmaker who always seems to get the right balance between poignancy and laughs in his films. He's the funny guy behind Moana (he wrote the first screenplay), What We Do in the Shadows, Eagle vs Shark, Boy and most recently Jojo Rabbit. 
BEST MOVIE: Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Peter Jackson - Jackson is responsible for all of the journeys that I took in darkened cinemas to Middle Earth, I bloody love ya Peter! Besides the all of the LOTR's and The Hobbits, he is also the man behind King Kong, The Lovely Bones and the incredible documentary They Shall Not Grow Old. 
BEST MOVIE: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
John Hughes - Hughes pretty much dictated everything that I became obsessed with in my teens. From bad boys to '80's fashion Hughes could do no wrong. I have rewatched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles and Weird Science countless times, they're absolute classics. 
BEST MOVIE: The Breakfast Club
Stanley Kubrick  - Probably one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, Kubrick has crossed so many genres that his body of work is dizzying! He gave us giants like 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Spartacus and A Clockwork Orange. 
BEST MOVIE: Eyes Wide Shut
Alejandro González Iñárritu - With a flair for telling the most compelling international stories about the human condition, this highly acclaimed Mexican director gave us some unforgettable cinematic experiences like Birdman, Amores Perros, 21 Grams and The Revenant. 
BEST MOVIE: Babel
Oliver Stone - A controversial director that has been accused of being a conspiracy theorist. He actually wrote the script for Scarface (which was directed by Brian De Palma) and also gave us Platoon, The Doors, Born on the Fourth of July and Wall Street. 
BEST MOVIE: Natural Born Killers
Michel Gondry - A French director that uses strong visual themes and compositions (often called Mise-en-scene)  to tell a story. Because of this, Gondry's movies are visually striking and are often considered to be art house or avante-garde. He gave us The Science of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind and most recently the brilliant  television series Kidding. 
BEST MOVIE: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Guillermo del Toro - A visionary fantasy director from Mexico who creatively brings monsters and mythical creatures to life in his films. Generally science fiction, horror or fantasy based, del Toro gave us some amazing otherworldly journeys through The Shape of Water, Hellboy and Crimson Peak.
BEST MOVIE: Pan's Labyrinth
Danny Boyle - This British director delivers equal measures of intense action and sincere emotion into everything that he does.  He's tried his hand at many genres and kept us gripped with Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, The Beach and more recently, Yesterday.
BEST MOVIE: Slumdog Millionaire
Sam Mendes - The buzz around this director has been huge this year, given the success of 1917. However, let's not forget all of his other epic offerings like American Beauty, Skyfall and Revolutionary Road.
BEST MOVIE: 1917 
James Wan  - An Australian-Malaysian director who rose to prominence after he co-created the Saw film franchise. Since then he has been scaring the pants off people with memorable horror films like The Conjuring, Insidious and Annabelle films.
BEST MOVIE: The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case
Greta Gerwig - Actress and filmmaker, Gerwig collaborated with her partner (who is also a director) Noah Baumbach on several films before she kicked off her solo directing career in 2017 with Lady Bird. Since then, Gerwig has become a respected and predominant modern Hollywood director. 
BEST MOVIE: Little Women
Ridley Scott - I feel like I grew up watching Ridley Scott action and science fiction films. He's been entertaining me for decades and he's had some mind blowingly great movies like Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down and American Gangster. 
BEST MOVIE: The Martian
Michael Moore - A controversial American documentary filmmaker that gets up in everyone's face; love him or hate him, Michael Moore is hard to ignore. He's hit some very high notes with Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko and Where to Invade Next. 
BEST MOVIE: Bowling for Columbine
Guy Ritchie - Before he married Madonna, Ritchie was making heaps of kick arse British gangster movies that were really funny and very entertaining.  He has just recently gone back to doing that again with The Gentlemen, but let's not forget that he also did Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, RocknRolla and believe it or not, the 2019 live action version of Aladdin. 
BEST MOVIE: Snatch
Jim Jarmusch - The patron saint of independent cinema since the '80's, Jarmusch's films are really arty, really cool, very edgy and hypnotically contemplative. He gave us Paterson, Deadman and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. 
BEST MOVIE: Only Lovers Left Alive
Steven Soderbergh - When Soderbergh made Unsane in 2018 and filmed it all on his iphone he made us feel like we were wasting our lives! He's a pioneer of independent cinema and his body of work is incredibly impressive; he gave us Contagion, Erin Brockovich and the Ocean's franchise. 
BEST MOVIE: Logan Lucky 
Christopher Nolan - He probably got a bit pigeon-holed for a while due to his Batman trilogy efforts (which I also loved) but let's not forget that he also gave us other memorable epics like Inception, Dunkirk and Memento. 
BEST MOVIE: Interstellar
Sam Raimi - Raimi terrified audiences in the 80's with The Evil Dead and then enchanted them in the early 2000's with Spiderman so it would be fair to say that his work is varied and vast. He also gave us some very noteworthy cult horror movies like Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell and Don't Breathe.
BEST MOVIE: The Evil Dead
Clint Eastwood - He blew everyone away when he started directing and acting in a string of extremely good and Oscar worthy movies, which he is still doing to this day. The man's got some serious talent and gave us gems like  Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River.
BEST MOVIE: Unforgiven
Tim Burton - No-one does eccentric gothic horror and fantasy films better than Burton, he is the master! He has a style that is all his own, and with a lot of help from wife Helena Bonham Carter and actor Johnny Depp he's given us fantastical romps into magical fantasy worlds that have included Charlie and the Chocolate factory, Beetlejuice, Big Fish, Edward Scissorhands and Alice in Wonderland. 
BEST MOVIE: Sweeney Todd
Ang Lee - A visionary and a genuinely beautiful storyteller. It's rare for me not to get choked up when I watch an Ang Lee movie, they are just so deeply affecting. He gave us the gorgeous Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Life of Pi and The Ice Storm. 
BEST MOVIE: Brokeback Mountain
Sofia Coppola - Daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia has proven her worth as a director in her own right by delivering thoughtful explorations of female relationships and genuine, modern impressions of the human experience. She was responsible for The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette and The Beguiled. 
BEST MOVIE: Lost in Translation
Judd Apatow -An American comedy director that started out producing and developing the television show Freaks and Geeks in the late 90's. He went on to direct Trainwreck, The 40-year-old Virgin and Knocked Up and also write some of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. 
​BEST MOVIE: Superbad
Alfred Hitchcock - The most influential and extensively studied filmmaker in the history of cinema, how could I possibly leave Hitchcock off my list? He's been giving audiences thrills and chills for years, and he still is with his extensive repertoire of thriller classics like North by Northwest, The Birds, Rear Window and Vertigo.
BEST MOVIE: Psycho
David Fincher - Ever since I saw The Game in 1997 I became interested in seeing more of Fincher's work. He's delivered a strong, controversial and impactful body of work and was responsible for Seven, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network and Gone Girl.
BEST MOVIE: Fight Club
Paolo Sorrentino - An Italian director with an eye for truly beautiful and meaningful cinema. His films are absolute masterpieces and offer viewers moments of contemplation and glimpses of magic - I am obsessed with his work. He's responsible for Youth and This Must Be the Place. 
BEST MOVIE: The Great Beauty.
Joel and Ethan Coen - Genius brothers who bring something fresh, quirky and unique to the screen every time.  Their repertoire is so vast and so excellent that I really struggled to pick my favourite because they delivered The Big Lebowski, Blood Simple, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Fargo, Raising Arizona, Burn After Reading and True Grit, all of which were exceptionally great.
BEST MOVIE: No Country For Old Men
Alfonso Cuaron - A critically acclaimed Mexican director with an impeccable body of high quality work that crosses just about every genre of cinema including thriller, fantasy, science fiction and drama. Thanks Cuaron for giving us truly unforgettable moments like Y Tu Mama Tambien, Gravity and Children of Men.
BEST MOVIE: Roma
Francis Ford Coppola - Widely considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Coppola practically had an all out nervous breakdown whilst filming Apocalypse Now in 1979. His commitment to 'getting the film right' has led people to see him a visionary of cinema. He gave us such giants as The Godfather trilogy, Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Outsiders. 
BEST MOVIE: Apocalypse Now
Quentin Tarantino - Known for his uber violent, non-linear storylines that contain extended dialogue, huge ensemble casts and loads of Pop Culture references, Tarantino has a style that is all his own. Many of his films pay homage to all of his own cinematic loves, especially Japanese martial arts, kung fu movies, spaghetti westerns and Italian horror. He's the man behind the following cinematic  juggernauts - Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Django Unchained, Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2, Death Proof and The Hateful Eight.
BEST MOVIE: Inglourious Basterds
Martin McDonagh - Considered to be the most acclaimed living Irish- British playwright, McDonagh caught my attentions when he made In Bruge, and then delivered again with Seven Psychopaths in 2012. But we all know him best for his amazing 2017 offering that made my Hall of Fame.
BEST MOVIE: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Kathryn Bigelow - Spreading herself across a wide range of genres, Bigelow is not afraid to grapple the big topics. She is forging the way for future female directors with her stellar repertoire which includes Zero Dark Thirty, Near Dark and Point Break.
BEST MOVIE: The Hurt Locker
Darren Aronofsky - A director with a flair for delivering surreal, melodramatic and often disturbing content in his movies. Audiences often seem divided on Aronofsky's material, but I think that he is one of the most talented filmmakers of his generation. He brought us Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, Pi, The Fountain and Mother!
BEST MOVIE: The Wrestler
Steven Spielberg - Okay, I know that he can be cheesy as hell, but when he gets it right - he really gets it right. There's a reason that Spielberg is still filling cinemas, the man knows how to make a movie. Besides I was virtually raised on Spielberg's material. He gave us E.T., Saving Private Ryan, Jurassic Park, Ready Player One, Schindler's List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, War of the Worlds and Jaws. 
BEST MOVIE: A.I. 
Tarsem Singh - An Indian director that creates films that are a complete immersion and a true feast for the senses. Stunning and absolutely unforgettable, I love his vision and wish that he would make more movies. Singh gave us Immortals, The Cell and Mirror Mirror.
BEST MOVIE: The Fall
Paul Thomas Anderson - Contemplative and filled with flawed and desperate characters, Anderson's movies explore dysfunctional families, alienation and loneliness and they are deeply affecting. He delivered some of my favourite cinematic experiences like Magnolia, Boogie Nights and Punch Drunk Love.
BEST MOVIE: There Will Be Blood.
Martin Scorsese - An American director best known for his gangster and crime movies, he is widely considered to be one of the most influential directors of the New Hollywood era. He tends to cast the same actors in many of his movies, and he has a long professional relationship with Robert De Niro. Scorsese gave us Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, The Departed, Raging Bull and most recently The Irishman. 
BEST MOVIE: Casino
David Cronenberg - Sometimes called the 'Baron of Blood' due to his visceral body horror movies. Cronenberg has made films that people never forget that they have seen, because they are so grotesque! It's really no surprise that I love his work! He gave us The Fly, Videodrome and  Scanners.
BEST MOVIE: eXistenZ
Alexander Payne -  One of the best filmmakers of all time, Payne's movies are full of dark humour and satirical depictions of a dysfunctional modern America. He's the man behind Sideways, About Schmidt and Nebraska.
BEST MOVIE: The Descendants
Jennifer Kent - Kent made her directorial debut in 2014 with the haunting film The Babadook. She is an Australian director that is willing to handle sensitive and disturbing material. Her 2018 movie The Nightingale caused waves due to it's graphic content, but I thought that it was one of the best film of that year. 
BEST MOVIE: The Nightingale
Roman Polanski - I wish that someone that wasn't a pedophile had directed Rosemary's Baby because it's definitely one of my favourite movies of all time. But the love ends there Roman because you're just not a good guy. 
BEST MOVIE: Rosemary's Baby 

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: aka 'I still love ya'
  • Terrence Malick - The Thin Red Line and The Tree of Life, total game changers.
  • Brian de Palma - Carrie and Scarface, enough said. 
  • Dario Argento - 1977 Suspiria, nothing has come close to matching it in crazy colour design and stylised macabre.
  • Neill Blomkamp - District 9 was next level genius, can we get more of that please? 
  • Baz Luhrmann - Absolutely loved the Red Curtain Trilogy, and let's not forget The Great Gatsby or Australia. 
  • Duncan Jones - you had me at Moon.
  • Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea, one of the most affecting movies I've ever seen.
  • Woody Allen - actually I really don't love ya - NOT at all, you're a weirdo and you're a creep! However, I cannot deny that Blue Jasmine, Annie Hall, Mighty Aphrodite and Vicky Cristina Barcelona were all worthy watches. 
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THE NIGHTINGALE
Release Date: 2018
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 136 mins 

A gritty period drama, written, directed and co-produced by Jennifer Kent, that delivers with such intensity that many people actually walked out of the theatre during its initial screenings due to the graphic and disturbing nature of the movie. 
Set in 1825 Tasmania, the film brutally depicts the horrific treatment of both convicts and indigenous Australians during the early British colonisation of Australia. Jennifer Kent clearly did a lot of research into the history of Australian convicts and also the Aboriginal people of Tasmania before making this film and it shows; because this film feels so deftly honest and authentic in its storytelling.
The language spoken by the Aboriginals in this film is Palawa Kani, which is nearly extinct and 
The Nightingale marks the first time that it has ever been spoken in a mainstream movie. Filmed on location in the Tasmanian bush, the harsh and unforgiving landscapes further add to the sense of impending dread and danger - which seems to be the main theme of this deeply affecting story. 
Clare Carroll, a young Irish convict, mother and wife, works as a servant for the British army. With the voice of a nightingale she draws attention from the Lieutenant who begins to viciously mistreat her. Her husband desperately tries to gain her freedom but only exacerbates the issue and what follows is an evening of complete horror. Clare, determined to make her wrongdoers accountable for their savagery,  hires an Aboriginal tracker named Billy and sets off to exact her revenge. 
Heartbreaking, shocking, harrowing and desperately confronting, The Nightingale is a film that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled. This is a tough but powerful watch that is strengthen by extremely convincing performances from Aisling Franciosi as The Nightingale/ Clare, Baykali Ganambarr as the gorgeous tracker Billy and Sam Claflin as the unflinchingly cruel Lieutenant Hawkins. 
If you have the strength to watch the truly ugly side of British colonisation, then this is an unmissable watch. 
FINAL SAY: I'm still here you white bastards! I'm not going anywhere! I'm home!
4 Chilli Peppers

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What Are These Feelings?

12/1/2020

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Not always the easiest things to do, but listening to your emotions is vital to staying on track and managing yourself in a dignified and intelligent way. Once you become adept at acknowledging emotions and the message that they are sending to you, then you can empower yourself to question the validity of the message and respond accordingly. Sounds rather scientific, but it really isn't and just like any other muscle that you work on to make it stronger, your emotional intelligence is just as pliable and important, so why not start to decipher your feels, identify them and manage them like a boss?
Here is a list of some common negative emotions that you may be feeling and what they could be trying to tell you to address:
Bitterness: you are not healed from an old pain, your hanging onto a judgement of yourself and/or others. 
Resentment: you're living in the past and not allowing the present to be as it.
Discomfort: You need to start paying attention to what is occurring to you right now. You could be ignoring an opportunity to change or hanging on to outmoded version of yourself. 
Anger: Your passionate about something or you feel like an injustice has occurred. Check your boundaries and reassess your need to force your passions outwards.
Disappointment: You tried for something, you didn't give in to apathy and you still care.
Guilt: Guilt helps you to understand the person that you do not want to be. You have an opportunity to forgive yourself and move on. 
Shame: You're internalizing someone else's beliefs about who you should be (or who you are) and you need to connect with yourself. 
Sadness: You have depth in your feelings, you care for others and the world.
Jealousy: You are not content with what you have, you need to discover what it is that is making you feel incomplete.

You do not have to be slave to your negative emotions, remember that you are always in control and that you must try to resolve your feelings first and foremostly, with acceptance. Become aware of what you are feeling, name it and notice where in your physical body it is affecting you, and then without judgement just mindfully label it, eg. this is anxiety. Don't deny the emotion or reject it, accept it completely and even though that may seem like an overwhelming thing to do, also remind yourself that it is not a permanent feeling and that it will, like all things, eventually come to pass. Work hard to identify your triggers and what is going on that makes these feelings rise up within you from time to time and let go of the need to be in control of your emotions all the time. 
You don't have to deny or control your feelings, you only need to manage your responses to them. As I have said in previous blog posts, even Buddhist monks get pissed off from time to time, they just don't act on those feelings, and that is emotional intelligence - just letting the emotions come in and leave without you needing to engage with them at all. And you can do this, and you do deserve to live a life free of stress and anxiety, and you do deserve to feel happy and content, so allow yourself to do the work of the self as often as you can. 
I think that Charles Bukowski summed it all best when he said:
"Nobody can save you but yourself -
and you're worth saving.
It's a war not easily won 
but if anything is worth winning -
this is it."

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THE GOLDEN COMPASS
Release Date: 2007
Rating: PG
Running Time: 113 mins
Based on the novel Northern Lights, the first in Philip Pullman's highly successful trilogy - His Dark Materials, this is a watered down version of the original in which all of the anti-religious elements have been removed, and I need to be extremely honest here, fans of the books aren't going to love this movie, it really isn't nearly as good as the book.
​However that being said, it does have some marvelous depictions of the main characters and I know a number of people that haven't read the book thought that this was really good. It did win a BAFTA and an Academy Award for it's amazing visual effects and any movie that depicts Nicole Kidman walking about with a monkey and preaches the importance of free will, making connections, staying strong through great adversity and fighting for your loved ones can't be all bad now can it?

The story focuses on the experiences of a young girl named Lyra Belacqua that lives in a parallel world where each person's soul takes the form of an animal companion called a Daemon. A dark group called the Gobblers is hard at work stealing these Daemons from kidnapped children, so when Lyra's friend goes missing, she feels compelled to enlist all of the help that she can to find him before it is too late.
An all star cast including Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee and Eva Green add some meat to the bones of the story, and the fantasy landscapes and characters are lush and beautifully realised. If it wasn't for the obvious plot holes this could've been epic so it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity on that front. 
FINAL SAY: Escape your reality and indulge in 'His Dark Materials.'
3 Chilli Peppers

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The Golden Globes and the Aussie Bushfires

6/1/2020

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The Golden Globes Awards happened on Monday at midday and I was lucky enough to watch them in real time from the comfort of my couch. However, it is extremely hard to really enjoy any type of celebration or merriment wholeheartedly at the moment without feeling extremely guilty. Especially when you are surrounded by a very ominous, dark, smokey haze that has drifted over from the devastating bushfires that are ravaging our country at the moment. To call the state of affairs in Australia grim at the moment would be a serious understatement, they are truly troubling and frightening real. 
Gone are the days of a laid back and relaxed Aussie Summer, the reality of our warmer season now is  an endurance of long dry days, hypervigilance and dire concern as year after year we watch in despair as our country turns to ash. And I am well aware that our climate makes us more susceptible to bushfire, but the frequency, ferocity and duration of this year's blazes has been unprecedented. Nowhere in Australia is safe from the threat of fire anymore and when you already live in a high fire risk area as I do, you can't help but be very, very concerned. 
Many of the actors that took to the stage on Monday extended their thoughts and solidarity towards Australia during our country's fire crisis, but goodwill and thoughts, although kind, aren't exactly going to extinguish the roaring blazes or save family homes. So, what can anyone really do to help? At this point in the crisis what we really need is more money, money to replace homes and support devastated communities to get back onto their feet and to help care for injured wildlife and fund koala hospitals. These donations can be made through The Red Cross, the CFA, Wildlife Victoria and also directly to The Victorian Bushfire Appeal, all of whom can easily be reached online if you feel compelled to offer financial support. 
In the long run however, it is up to us as a nation to not only be stronger in our fire awareness and prevention but to be far more mindful about where we place our votes for our country's leadership in the future. Without a leader in this country that is willing to make serious and realistic moves towards our climate change issues nothing is going to improve. Australia desperately needs a national climate and energy policy review, and most of all a leader that is willing to undertake that work. That is never going to happen if we don't make it happen, so please, I implore you to not waste your next vote but to thoughtfully consider what the future of our country will look like for our children and children's children and to have that at the forefront of your thinking when you vote next. Come on Australia - we can make big changes for the better by just casting our vote to where it is needed. 
​But enough about politics, let's lighten the mood and announce the Golden Globe recipients for 2020 - a most worthy and deserving bunch for sure:
Best Motion Picture — Drama
​
1917
Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Foreign-Language Motion Picture
Parasite
Best Limited Series or TV Movie
Chernobyl 
Best Television Series — Drama
Succession 
Best Comedy Series
Fleabag 
Best Motion Picture — Animated
Missing Link
Best Director — Motion Picture
Sam Mendes, 1917
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon
Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited Series, or TV Movie
Stellan Skarsgård, Chernobyl
Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited Series, or TV Movie
Patricia Arquette, The Act 
Best Score for a Motion Picture
Hildur Gudnadottir for Joker
Best Original Song
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” Rocketman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy Series
Ramy Youssef, Ramy 
Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy Series
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag 
Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series
Brian Cox, Succession 
Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture 
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Screenplay
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Renée Zellweger, Judy
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MARRIAGE STORY
Release Date: 2019
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 137 mins 

Written, directed and produced by Noah Baumbach, this movie feels so deeply personal and realistic that it is impossible not to be moved by its content. Probably one of the most affecting films of 2019, Marriage Story received several accolades and critical acclaim not just for it relatability but also for the incredible and believable performances delivered by the strong cast, in particular Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern who won a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe for her role of Nora Fanshaw, a hard hitting divorce lawyer. 
Charlie Barber, a successful theatre director and his wife Nicole, a former teen film actress are experiencing marriage difficulties. After counselling fails to strengthen their failing bond; a difficult, emotional and long distance divorce ensues. 
Driver and Johansson are at their best here, it honestly feels like you are a 'fly on the wall' watching a very painful break-up and I was completely entranced. The issues raised in Marriage Story are genuine issues in many long term relationships, which is what makes this film all the more heartbreaking as you watch something that was once so perfect become something so splintered and tragic. 
FINAL SAY: Getting divorced with a kid is one of the hardest things to do. It's like a death without a body. 
4.5 Chilli Peppers

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The Best Viewing Experiences of 2019

5/1/2020

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Another incredible year of movies and television as the entertainment bar raises even higher and the standards of exceptional viewing opportunities continue to grow wider and faster than anyone could have predicted. This year I watched 212 movies, which was around 30 less than I watched in 2018, but I did watch 147 television series (some of which were more than one series of catch up as well) which was a lot more TV than I viewed in 2018, so it all balances out to the same amount of couch smashing in the end and still translates to me being a serious media addict. 
You will notice that there are a lot more TV series listed below than movies, and that is simply because there were a lot more excellent TV experiences to be had this year. The influx of genuinely high level television in 2019 was literally never ending, and to be perfectly honest there was also a tonne of exceptionally fabulous movies produced as well. If viewing opportunities keep escalating at this rate I am going to need to take long service leave just to stay on top of it all! 
However, in all seriousness, 2019 was a super strong year when it came to viewing experiences across all genres and without further ado....here is my selection for the best viewing experiences of 2019. 
BEST MOVIES (2019 release):
  • Little Women - Period Drama 5 Chilli Peppers (Hall of Fame) 
  • Avengers: Endgame - Super 5 Chilli Peppers (Hall of Fame)
  • Marriage Story - Romance/ Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Irishman - Crime 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • The King - War/ Historical 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Toy Story 4 - Kid Friendly 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Jojo Rabbit - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Midsommar - Horror 4 Chilli Peppers
  • John Wick 3: Parabellum - Action 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Joker - Super 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Klaus - Kid Friendly 4 Chilli Peppers
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
  • Knives Out - Crime 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Captain Marvel - Super 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Fighting With My Family - Sports Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Top End Wedding - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • I Am Mother - Science Fiction 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Here are my top recommendations for pre-2019 releases that I didn't get to see until 2019:
  • The Favourite - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • They Shall Not Grow Old - Documentary 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse - Super 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Green Book - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool - Romance 4 Chilli Peppers
  • American Animals - Crime 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • End of Watch - Crime 4 Chilli Peppers
  • 45 years - Drama 4 Chili Peppers
  • Mandy - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Eighth Grade - Drama 3.5 Chilli  Peppers
  • Tully - Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Sorry to Bother You - Art House 3.5 Chilli Peppers
BEST TELEVISION SERIES 2019:
  • Escape From Dannemora - Crime 5 Chilli Peppers
  • Game of Thrones (Final Series) - Fantasy 5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Chernobyl - Historical Drama 5 Chilli Peppers
  • Fleabag S1 and S2 - Comedy 5 Chilli Peppers
  • The Dark Crystal - Fantasy 5 Chilli Peppers
  • The Watchmen - Science Fiction 5 Chilli Peppers
  • Lemony Snicket's: A Series Unfortunate Events S2 - Fantasy 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Les Miserables - Period Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Britannia S2 - Fantasy 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Let Down S2 - Comedy 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Gentleman Jack - Period Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • The Act - Crime 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Lambs of God - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers
HONOURABLE MENTIONS: 
  • SMILF S2 - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Sally 4eva - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • After Life - Comedy/ Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Love, Death and Robots - Science Fiction 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • What We Do in the Shadows - Comedy/Horror 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Forever - Science Fiction 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Sabrina S2 - Horror 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • American Gods S2 - Fantasy 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Detectorists S3 - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Bad Omens - Fantasy 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Hot Zone - Historical Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Euphoria - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Perpetual Grace - Fantasy/Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Stranger Things S3 - Science Fiction 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Big Little Lies S2 - Drama  4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Marianne - Horror/ Foreign 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Kominsky Method S2 - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Castle Rock S2 - Horror 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Righteous Gemstones - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Mr Robot (S4 - final Season) - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Upright - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
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LITTLE WOMEN
Release Date: 2019
Rating: G
Running Time: 135 mins 

Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, this seventh film adaption of the 1868 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott is the most perfectly delightful and beautifully realised version of the story that has ever graced the big screen. Gerwig has delivered this tale with a deep sensitivity and a truly artistic eye, and has created a timeless retell that is not only visually pleasing but also emotionally affecting in all of the right ways. 
Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth March are four talented sisters growing up in Massachusetts in the years following the end of The Civil War. As the girls come of age, they seperate to pursuit their own dreams and life choices. The girls reunite when the youngest of the four sisters Beth falls ill. Jo, the writer of the family, reflects and ruminates on their formative years. 
Little Women is so perfectly cast; Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen bring a believable sibling energy and shared experience to this movie that is completely infectious. Timothee Chalamet is, as always, heartbreakingly handsome and completely on point, and everyone is well supported by veteran heavyweights Laura Dern and Meryl Streep.  
Little Women is a perfectly acted and executed film and I absolutely loved it! I just could not fault anything about it, it's perfect from start to end. So, it's off to the Hall of Fame for this gem, which was definitely my favourite film of 2019. 
FINAL SAY: It's like a tide going out. It goes out slowly, but it can't be stopped. 
5 Chilli Peppers

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The Year As It Was

1/1/2020

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I'm not going to lie about it, 2019 was NOT my favourite year. It was a year when things that could go wrong did go wrong for me. It was year of loss, sorrow, illness, confusion and things just frickin breaking or catching on fire (seriously - catching on fire people - just nuts!), but you know what I have to say about that? I say, well yeah it was pretty shitty a lot of the time, but I survived it. And I am stronger and smarter and calmer and wiser because of it all, I have learnt more about myself and others this year than I ever thought that I could learn in one year and even though I am praying that 2020 is somewhat kinder and gentler to me, I am actually proud that I have managed myself as well as I did in the face of all that adversity. 
And it really wasn't all doom and gloom anyway, some really good stuff happened to me in 2019 as well, and I would really like to focus on those peaks and forget about the valleys right now. 
JANUARY: Torquay Chocolaterie, New Zealand North Island, Glowworm caves, Hobbiton, Ziplining, Sailing, Seth's 14th birthday, Dialogue in the Dark,  Korean BBQ with my nephew and family, DEDICATE - 30 days of Yoga journey.
FEBRUARY: Zoe graduated University, Chinese New Year- the Year of the Pig,  Seth joined Sonika, Academy Awards Night. 
MARCH: Castlemaine Markets, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Spa Day in Daylesford, International Women's Day, My Birthday.
APRIL: Craig's Birthday, Queenscliff winery trip, Good Friday breakfast, Eating Hot Cross Buns and good quality Chocolate on Easter Sunday, April holiday break. 
MAY: Game of Thrones Gathering and Final episodes, Mother's Day, Illumin8 at the Great Stupa in Bendigo.
JUNE: , Zoe's Birthday,​ Run at Karova,  Spicywatch's 5th Birthday, Winter Solstice Celebrations, Mushrooming, Completing my Level Two Braille Qualification, Winter School Holidays, Spa treatment in Daylesford. 
JULY: Beauty and the Beast, Winter Movie Marathon nights, Dumpling Making day, Winteractive, Convent Gallery, eating Homemade Apple Pie with my Family. 
AUGUST:  CZ Conference, Prospects Dinners, Clothing Swap Day, Book week Dress Up Day.
SEPTEMBER: Father's Day, Trivia Night, Buskers Festival, White Night, Emmy's Night, Spring School Holiday Break, Lal Lal Long Lunch. 
OCTOBER: Thrift Shopping Day, Cocktail day out with friends, Popcon, Werribee Zoo Trip with school, Halloween horror movie/ dinner night.
NOVEMBER: 25th Anniversary in Vanuatu, incredible Support, Care and Love from my dear family and friends when I lost my father. 
DECEMBER: Carols in the Paddock, Summer Holidays kicking off, Christmas Day, Champagne Breakfasts, American BBQ at Crown Casino, Cocktail Night, Wedding in Torquay.
See, loads of good things happening all year long! If you just look hard enough at what you've been doing, you can always find the positives. And although this year has really tested my fortitude, it has also proven to me that I have some incredibly strong, kind and generous people in my life that have really supported me through the tough times, and that is better than so many others things and pretty much makes up for things catching on fire as well! 
So onward and upward I go, 2020 has arrived and along with it an opportunity to rise up, dust off and face the world again with a fresh perspective and some new found optimism. I feel that brighter days lie just ahead!
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INSTANT FAMILY
Release Date: 2018
Rating: M
Running Time: 120 mins 

I saw this comedy/ drama with absolutely no expectations whatsoever, in fact I was half expecting to not like it at all. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that it is not only heart warming and completely feel good, but it is also based on a true story about the experiences of a real life foster family. 
Pete and Ellie are a well off childless couple who decide to dive head first into foster parenting. They take on a trio of Latinx kids who bring their own baggage, drama and trauma into their home and change their lives forever. 
As you would imagine, shenanigans abound as the family all attempt adjust to each other, but underneath all of that is some genuine and heartfelt interaction that bravely explores family boundaries, unconditional love and human kindness, which makes this film a winner.
The acting and casting is terrific, with Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne shining as the haphazard foster parents, Octavia Spencer offering comic relief as foster parent trainer Karen and the three child actors Isabela Moner, Gustavo Quiroz Jr. and Julianna Gamiz all delivering meaningful and believable child angst throughout. 
Overall, a really pleasing and heartwarming comedy that the whole family can enjoy. 
FINAL SAY: Your real kids are different. You can't erase them. 
3.5 Chilli Peppers

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    Hi, my name is Barb.
    I crave excellent, high quality viewing experiences. 
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