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SPICYWATCH

Why is this Water Warm?

29/11/2017

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I like to purchase products that will last. I really hate it when things run out, breakdown or stop performing when I haven't had them for very long. I can't say that I like it much better when I have had them for a long time and they breakdown either, if I am being really honest. Why am I mentioning this? Well because today I got home from work, went to grab a cold glass of water and realised that my fridge was warm. No-one ever wants to come home to a warm fridge, especially not on a 35 degree day; but shit like this happens, and my refrigerator is about 15 years old...so.... crap on a stick, my fridge is broken!
Needless to say, I was not happy and it made me very snappy and impatient with everyone in the house because it was an unforeseen annoyance, and everybody knows that they are the worst kinds of annoyances. On top of that, this was a rather inconvenient unforeseen annoyance as well, and I did not get to enjoy a cool glass of water to calm me down, I instead got a tepid glass of water and an hour on the phone trying desperately to get someone to come to Enfield to investigate my inconvenient annoyance. Well by 4.30pm in the afternoon the best I could muster up was a visit from a guy that said he 'might know what to do' (that doesn't really fill one with a lot of hope now does it?) and he could probs squeeze me in some time tomorrow, but he was not exactly sure when. Hmmmm......
​Well, tomorrow is the worst day ever to be vague about times because I am working out at my new job and I cannot afford to not be there for that, so I have had to call in favours and juggle things around; and I tell ya, I am literally having a 'make it work' moment over here people! Anyway, I think that I have strategized the shit out of the situation and now I just have to hope that the service/repair man comes good and does indeed squeeze me in and can indeed fix my refrigerator blues. 
These things sure are sent to test us, that's for sure! They always happen just before a big event (like Christmas) when you're funds are all tied up and they always require many maneuvers to remedy. Nevermind, be zen about it, find the calm and keep moving forward. This type of thing will happen and it won't be the last time that something like this does happen, so losing one's cool over it is not really worth it.
So now I am off to throw out a heap of gross, festering and smelly food that is puddling at the base of my fridge that I haven't been willing to face yet. Lucky, lucky me, what a lovely thing to do on a stinking hot afternoon....reckon the Coke in the fridge could still be salvaged, may need to pour myself a stiff one for this job, a lukewarm stiff one, but a stiff one nonetheless!
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LOGAN LUCKY
Release Date: 2017
Rating: M
Running Time: 118 mins

A heist comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on a screenplay by newcomer Rebecca Blunt. Soderbergh came out of retirement to direct this film and it delivers with much of the same charm that the 'Ocean's' trilogy franchise had, only in my opinion, it's better in every way. No gloss, glamour or flashy lights to be found here, just good old roughneck families from the South with big hearts and brains when it matters. 
Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum), his one armed brother Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) and their sister Mellie Logan (Riley Keough) plan to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. With some help from demolition expert Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) and his two brothers this could be the heist of a lifetime. 
This is really sweet and also very smart storytelling, the characters are funny without being exaggerated or offensive and the entire movie has a realness to it that cannot be denied. The acting here is just so great, Tatum and Driver are terrific together and Daniel Craig is the most enjoyable that he has been since Casino Royale. 
FINAL SAY: Is it twenty or is it thirty? We are dealing with science here!
​3.5 Chilli Peppers

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What We Leave Behind

26/11/2017

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Do you ever think about your purpose here on the planet? I know that I do, probably more than I should if the truth be told. And I have started to wonder if perhaps we really don't have an actual 'purpose' in this life, maybe life is just all about the fact that we even 'are' more than what we are doing with our time. I mean apart from a handful of famous people, the vast majority of us can only ever hope to leave a lasting impression or a change to our immediate environment and the people that we have in our lives; and maybe that is more than enough. Perhaps just leaving behind good memories for others to recall about us is actually the whole point to all of this, and maybe life is not any more complicated than that, perhaps we just make it so with our constant need to strive for more. 
When I eventually leave the planet I know that I will leave behind my passion for cinema through spicywatch.com, my numerous journals outlining my life experiences, my poetry and artwork, but most importantly I also hope that I will leave behind good memories of me for people to think back on. I would like to leave with grace and have no regrets when I go, and I would like to think that my children and my grandchildren felt as though they had a chance to get to know me properly and that I had managed to pass along some life wisdom to them that they would in turn pass along to other generations. 
I have no desire to leave behind wealth, I would rather leave a legacy of love behind than any sort of material legacy. However, the thought of leaving behind a debt for my loved ones is not something that I would want to burden anyone with either. Hopefully, in some ways I will leave a clean slate, but also some good seeds which will grow at some other time in the future.
I am not intending to be morbid in this thinking, and I apologise if I have come off that way.  I genuinely have no desire to die anytime soon, so please don't misunderstand me. I think that it is important to take stock of what your legacy will be after you depart, because even if you live to be 100, time is fleeting.
I suppose what I am trying to say is that what you do with your time is not nearly as important as why you do it and who you spend it with. No one will remember you for the car you drove, or the house you lived in, or how far you travelled around the world; they will only remember you for the way that you made them feel. So, I suppose that all that anyone could ever really want to leave behind when they go is a good feeling in the people's hearts that are left behind. And maybe that is the whole purpose of life, the whole kitnkaboodle in one simple sentence - you want to leave behind a good feeling, and I think that that is something pretty damn grand to aim for. 
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A GHOST STORY
Release Date: 2017
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 87 minutes
 
No, this movie should not be in the horror section, in fact it would be far more at home on a romance list than a horror list. Thoughtfully directed by David Lowery, this melancholic look at the afterlife seriously touched my heart with its tale of love and loss.
The lives of a young couple are turned upside down when one of them is killed in a car accident. Things become more complicated when the deceased becomes a ghost, a literal one that walks around under a bedsheet. Unfortunately, he is invisible to everyone and becomes eternally stuck; sadly watching on as his beloved struggles and eventually moves on with her life. 
Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara deliver perfectly, offering us a realistic and heart-wrenching depiction of bereavement from two perspectives, not easy to pull off under a bedsheet that's for sure. 
The cinematography of this film really struck me, it is shot in 4 x 3 aspect with rounded edges, which makes it feel so retro, it's almost like watching a home movie. The visual scenes linger for much longer than you would expect them to, and it always feels, like the characters, that we are also poised in each moment. The entire film actually feels like it is just 'hanging' somewhere, like it is completely lost somewhere in time and space and it just works so well.
Not at all a conventional ghost story, but definitely a must see movie experience that will have you reaching for the tissue box and sitting in quiet contemplation as the credits are rolling. This is truly unforgettable and deeply moving material. 
FINAL SAY: They're just things I wanted to remember so that if I ever wanted to go back, there'd be a piece of me there waiting. 
​4.5 Chilli Peppers

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Trussed up

22/11/2017

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Just spent the last two days at Sovereign Hill with the Grade 6 students at the Asylum Ragged School; yep they finally sent me to the asylum! Just kidding, our school sends the year six students to Sovereign Hill for an immersive, historical experience every year. This year I went along and donned the Sov Hill drag along with the students to get a really authentic feel for it all, which would have been a lot more fun if it wasn't over 30 degrees on both days. I had seriously forgotten how sweaty and revolting those costumes are, blah....I was sweating like a sinner in church. I cannot believe that I spent almost six summers at the Sovereign Hill bakery during my twenties in front of a wood oven in that garb, torture!
Crinoline on crinoline and lace on lace, I have never felt more like a trussed up Christmas turkey in my life! Layer upon layer like a Sara Lee pastry and sweltering in the heat I carted my sorry arse up and down the main street and back and forth from the school, which was conveniently located at the very top of the hill, for two days, and now I am utterly exhausted. 
The women of the 1850's really didn't have great lives, well no-one really did back then to be honest, but when you are standing under a lace parasol in 30 degree heat surrounded by layers of bouffant frills the reality of how horrid it must have been in summer for ladies is well and truly driven home.
I declared as I was putting my outfit on for the second day (as my body was physically trying to reject it) - no wonder that all of the men thought that most of the women were bat-shit bonkers back then, these clothes are enough to make the strongest woman lose her shit!
However, in spite of the heat, and sweaty discomfort, it was a really fun couple of days with the children and I got a lot out of my Sovereign Hill 'immersive' experience. However, I will not be sad to get into modern garb for work tomorrow and I thank my lucky stars that I was born in an era that doesn't require me to feel so damn uncomfortable all of the time. 
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DJANGO UNCHAINED
Release Date: 2012
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 165 mins 
Quentin Tarantino continues to flex his directing muscles and demonstrate his growing maturity and keen eye for detail with Django Unchained. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, it was witty, interesting, fast paced and above all fresh, which is something that we have all confidently come to expect from Tarantino. Django Unchained was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz and Best original Screenplay for Tarantino; both of whom also won the Golden Globe and BAFTA for the same categories. 
Set in the Old West, during the antebellum era of the Deep South, the film follows the life of Django (Jamie Foxx), a black slave and Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), an English-speaking German bounty hunter disguised as a traveling dentist. Schultz buys Django and frees him in exchange for his assistance in collecting a bounty on three outlaws. Django agrees, as long as he is offered the chance to track down his enslaved wife who is being terribly mistreated by a brutal plantation owner named Calvin J. Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). 
There is so much going on and so many brilliant performances it is difficult to know where to begin, and as with all Tarantino movies it has just as much dark humour as blood spatter effects. The cast is an amazing and reputable ensemble of quality actors, but my favourite was easily Waltz's portrayal of Dr. King Schultz whom I just straight up adored. This is the most stylized spaghetti western that you are ever going to encounter, and is definitely one to put on your must see list. 
FINAL SAY: You silver tongued devil, you.
4.5 Chilli Peppers

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Completely Raw and Utterly Compelling

19/11/2017

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Today, Craig and I are enjoying our 23rd wedding anniversary. Are we off to do something whirlwind, spectacular and insanely romantic? No, we are not, and I am totally cool with that. A 23rd wedding anniversary is not really one of the big ones, and in my mind it hardly constitutes an enormous hoo-ha. Craig and I are not exactly known for our  'let's go out and paint the town red' attitudes at the best of times; we are however known as the people that leave events first and prefer to be around each other more than anyone else, and perhaps in that common and very unsocial ground that we like to tread together, lies the key to a long and prosperous marriage. Whatever the strange glue is that holds us together, it works and it does not appear to have lost any of its adhesive abilities over the past 23 years that we have been married to each other. 
This morning we just slept in and then spent the morning chatting over long coffees and a very late breakfast on the deck in the glorious morning sunshine. The small luxuries are most certainly the things that we like to celebrate together, and sleep-ins and late breakfasts are most definitely small luxuries to us. Just being together and being happy is a luxury if I am being completely honest, so many people will never know a love like ours and for all of its complications and intricacies, we really do have something wonderful.
We have truly created a mighty fine lives for ourselves together over our combined years of blood, sweat and tears. I have put more effort into my relationship with Craig than I have put into anything else in my life, and I wouldn't change a thing; Craig has been the most rewarding thing that I have ever invested my time and effort into. 
Craig is most definitely my very best friend in the entire world and although I love my friends dearly, Craig is my go-to guy on all fronts. No-one makes me want to do better, be better and try harder than he does. No-one has stood by me when the chips were down like he has, no-one has loved me in spite of all of my idiosyncratic shit like he has, and no-one knows and accepts all of my weirdness like he does; and I doubt that anyone else ever could have. 
Like all great romances, we have weathered the best of times and the worst of times together. We have loved each other harder than any couple could ever love and we have also hated each other more than any couple ever should as well; because really loving someone truly is the agony and the ecstasy. It is about accepting the sunshine but also welcoming the rain. It is about loving all of the beauty and all of the ugly bits as well, it's about being vulnerable and brave all at once. It's the guts and the gizzards, the nitty gritty parts, it's about every single bit of yourself seeing every single bit of someone else.
It's completely raw and utterly compelling, it's frustrating and intriguing and the best part of all is that it just keeps on evolving as you grow and change together - side by side and hand in hand. After 23 years of loving my man, I can honestly say that I love him more now than I did on the day that I said 'I do' 23 years ago, and I think that that may the best thing of all, the fact that it just keeps getting better and better all of the time. 
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RAW
Release Date: 2017
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 99 mins

A French-Belgian horror film, written and directed by Julia Ducournau, that will have you squirming around in your seat from its lurid acts of violence and scenes of revulsion. It was a mixture of curiosity and nausea that gripped me for the duration of this movie, and some of the scenes may prove to be just a little too much for people with weak stomachs. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the boldness of Raw and thought that it was an enjoyable and fresh take on the 'metamorphosis' horror trope. 
Following in the footsteps of her parents and older sister, Justine - a strict vegetarian, begins her first semester at an esteemed veterinary school. Keen to be accepted, Justine finds herself involved in a bizarre initiation ritual that involves the ingestion of raw meat. After eating a rabbit's kidney, Justine swiftly develops a taste for meat; the rawer the better. 
Lots of bloodlust and cannibalism to wrap your head around, and some incredibly unsettling transformation scenes as well, but don't let me ruin it for you, see it for yourself; probably best if you haven't just had a massive meal beforehand though!
FINAL SAY: And then we had our first kiss.
​3.5 Chilli Peppers

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Ch...Ch...Changes

15/11/2017

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Woohoo! I got the job!
I'd be lying if I said that I didn't feel a bit crummy about knocking out my opposition, who would have wanted the role just as much as I did, but at the end of the day I cannot deny that it felt pretty damn fine to be victorious in my pursuits.
​Yes, it is official, I am going to a new school next year to try my hand at something completely different. My new position will see me working primarily with a blind child who is beginning his school journey in Foundation in 2018, which means that I will be required to learn Braille and take on an entirely new skill set. This challenge is extremely exciting to me and I am really looking forward to meeting my new little friend and gaining a better understanding of his needs.
As a learning support officer, you really do gain a great deal of knowledge from each child that you work with and this child will certainly not be an exception to that rule, in fact I envision that this experience will be both challenging and deeply satisfying, which is exactly what I look for in my employment. 
The truly bitter-sweet thing about this new job is that I must now leave my current place of employment, a place that has helped me to grow and that has nurtured me for almost nine years. In doing so, I also leave behind some amazing friendships and relationships that I have cultivated  there as well, and that is going to be the hardest part of saying goodbye at the end of the year.
Most people walk out the door when they quit a job thinking 'good riddance' but I will not be feeling that way at all. You see, I still really like my job and I love that I know everyone that I work with so well and I feel like I belong to a kind of weird and wonderful family when I am at work. Letting go of all of that will not be easy to do, but I am sure that the really meaningful relationships that I have created will continue to flourish even after I go, so there is some solace in that. 
Still, going to a brand new place filled with brand new faces and doing a job that is totally foreign to me, although invigoratingly new, is equally terrifying. I would be lying if I said that there wasn't some trepidation and apprehension tied to this most poignantly bitter-sweet moment right now; but that is the way that change always feels, and busting out of old routines and comfortable predictability takes guts. Right now, this change has come at the right time for me, because it really is a good time to change and try something fresh and new. And even though half of me is holding on tight to what I have, the other half has already started to let go and to reach out for something new.
You have to listen to those little voices inside of you that tell you that it time to give something else a shot or to let go of old mindsets, because that is when the real growth occurs. Someone famous once said that we would never reach new lands if we were always too afraid to leave the shore. Well, not me, I am leaving the safety of the shore and I can see new land across the sea; I am going on an adventure!
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THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN SERIES
1. THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
2. DEAD MAN'S CHEST
3. AT WORLD'S END

4. ON STRANGER TIDES
5. DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES

Release Dates: 2003, 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2017
Rating: M
Running Time: 755 mins total
The Pirates of the Caribbean Series saw women all over the world suddenly finding scuzzy pirates very attractive and Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney rubbing their greedy hands together. There appeared to be no end in sight  for this incredibly popular and highly entertaining swashbuckler series based around the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow, however with the final instalment nose diving at the box office and generating the most abysmal reviews, I think that it would be fair to say that we have finally reached the end. 
Each installment has it own set of problems and a villain for you to boo and hiss at, and although they do link up very well, they are all stand alone tales as well. In Curse of the Black Pearl we are introduced to Capt. Jack (Johnny Depp), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) who takes up the role of meany and tyrant. These characters consistently turn up throughout the series, but the main focus is firmly fixed on the charismatic and mostly haphazard character of Capt. Jack Sparrow. 
Dead Man's Chest takes us aboard The Flying Dutchman where we encounter the octopus headed Davy Jones. At World's End sees Sparrow fighting against the East India Trading Co. and summoning an ancient goddess, On Stranger Tides tackles The Fountain of Youth and Blackbeard and in the grand finale Dead Men Tell No Tales we meet the evil Capt Salazar and hunt for the legendary Trident of Poseidon. 
Think Indiana Jones on the high seas and you'll be in the right ball park. These movies are great fun, lots of supernatural goings on, lots of colourful and crazy characters being delivered by quality actors, and most importantly, a good speckling of dry wit to sweeten the deal. I cannot deny, although they are rife with inconsistencies, that I have really enjoyed the entire series and have found all of the high jinx antics very entertaining, this series is just plain good fun. 
FINAL SAY: Swashbuckling adventures!
3.5 Chilli Peppers

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Old Times

12/11/2017

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On Friday evening I attended a friend's 40th birthday and while I was there I ran into an old friend that I used to go high school with. This person and I used to be school captains at one of the less reputable secondary colleges in Ballarat way back in the early 90's. After a few moments of chatting with him I realised that I have pretty much wiped most of the memories of that time well out of my mind. Why had I done that? Well, because I was a bit of teenage dirtbag when I was in high school, and so were most of the other people that attended our school, and although I cannot deny that I had some really fun moments along the path to adulthood, most of them I would prefer not to recall at all. 
I was astounded by how much this old friend of mine had retained from our formative years, he could quickly recall names, events and people that I had totally deleted from my memory, and up until I had heard their names again I had almost forgiven myself for all of the crappy and stupid things that I had done when I was a teenage dirtbag.
Yes, I did some pretty crappy shit when I was in high school, particularly in my earlier years when I was really trying to discover myself. Some things I did for attention, some things I did because I was too young and stupid to know any better, some things I did out of spite and some things....well.... I don't really know why I did some of the things that I did to be honest, as most teenagers don't. 
Anyway, it didn't take many moments of reminiscing to remember why I had long moved on from my high school experience and my generally confusing teenage years and happily buried those awkward and stupid years way down deep in the desperate hope that I would never have to relive them again.
When he started to tell me about a possible upcoming reunion on the horizon I nearly had a panic attack! Seriously, being in a room full of much older, fatter and hairier versions of my high school friends is not something that I need to put myself through. I don't want to see photos of people's babies and hear about how the last twenty five years have panned out for them because I don't even know them now, not at all. In fact I really didn't know them that well back then either, which is why I don't still see any of them these days. 
I suppose that for some people (like this old friend) that have retained friends from their high school days, a reunion could seem like a really nice chance to get back to together with the old gang. For me, not so much. Don't get me wrong I didn't leave the school with a million enemies or anything, but I never really had a clique in high school. I was a bit of a square peg in a round hole at school, I just drifted about, talking to anyone but not really getting involved with anyone too much either. In the past, I had tried everything to run with the popular kids, but it just never really worked out for me because I always felt like I never really belonged or I had to try too hard or lie about myself to be accepted. I never felt like I could just be myself, and then in year 11 and 12 I just stopped trying to fit in and things got a lot easier. 
I really enjoyed my final years of high school, but again, I didn't really have any friendships that lasted beyond graduation day. I was happy to leave it all behind me when I walked out of school on that very last day. Happy to let go of my teenage regrets, mistakes and embarrassments and just happy to be moving on. And that is the way that it is for millions of people when they leave high school; they just walk away and move on. You don't really spend too much time thinking about it after that; that is until you bump into someone that you used to know and it all comes flooding back in, swiftly reminding you why you put it all behind you so very long ago. 
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BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY
Release Date: 1985, 1989 and 1990 
Rating: PG 
Running Time: 337 mins total 
Three family friendly, fun filled, action adventures all about time travel to sink your teeth into. Written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the trilogy follows the adventures of Marty McFly and his eccentric scientist friend Dr. Emmett L. Brown as they use a converted DeLorean as a time machine to travel around through different periods in time.  
The first instalment was a huge international success, and sees Marty (Michael J. Fox) accidentally sent back in time to 1955, where he meets his teenage parents. Unfortunately, his teen mother falls in love with him instead of his father, which threatens to cause a paradox where Marty would cease to exist. 
In the second movie, Marty goes forward in time to 2015 where his future family are in danger. However, whilst busy rectifying matters in the future, his arch nemesis Biff steals the DeLorean and creates a shift in the future, altering the 1985 that they return to when they are done. 
And the final episode links harmoniously onto the ending of the second, with Doc being trapped in 1885, and Marty having to work out a way to save him in the wild west. 
Bottom line, these are clever, entertaining and quite possibly the most fun sci-fi adventures to have ever been made. Personally I adored them, I grew up with the series being eleven when the first hit the big screen, and I avidly following them until the final was released when I was sixteen. Michael J. Fox is a perfect McFly and Christopher Lloyd is at his best as the zany and hilarious scientist Doc. The series still rates as the 13th highest grossing trilogy of all time, worldwide, and there is good reason for that, when it comes to intelligent family orientated sci-fi I doubt you could do better. 
FINAL SAY: I need a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity that I need. 
4 Chilli Peppers

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An Engagement

8/11/2017

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Some exciting news in our household this week. Zoe and Lachlainn got engaged on Sunday and have embarked on the next thrilling and very adult leg of their lives together. After six years together and almost two years of living together, it wasn't really that surprising that Lachlainn got down on one knee (Craig said he should have gotten down on two because she is worth two knees) and popped the question. Of course Zoe said yes, she adores Lachlainn and the two of them have been googly eyed for each other ever since they first met in their formative years. I know that they do not appear to have lost any of that early spark for each other over the years and they make each other happy, so I see no reason whatsoever for them not to make it more formal and committed. 
With Zoe still short of 21, many people's first reaction is that she is too young; but why can't the young fall in love forever? Why is that the go to? Age has nothing to do with matters of the heart, when it's the real thing you just know and you grab hold of it with two hands. I was married at 21, and Craig and I have managed to weather the tests of time together; sure we've had our rough patches but we have managed to go from strength to strength. When you grow up loving the same person, you really do get to know an awful lot about them and I don't see that as a bad thing at all, it's actually quite lovely to have someone to spend your life with; especially when that person loves you equally as hard as you love them. Why wouldn't you want to make a vow of commitment to that person?
Age-smage I say, the heart knows what it wants and holding back on the really beautiful things in life has never made anyone happy. So, cheers to you Zoe and Lachlainn, congratulations to you both for being brave and bold enough to tell the world that you really do mean forever when you say it. True love never goes out of style and everyone knows that the first cut really is the deepest. 
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EDWARD SCISSORHANDS 
Release Date: 1990
Rating: M 
Running Time: 105 mins 
Tim Burton brings together a mixed bag of romance and tragedy in Edward Scissorhands. This fairy tale like story has extreme characters and is set in a cookie cutter middle-class community in America, showcasing Burton's love of the unusual and sympathy for the underdog. 
Edward (Johnny Depp) is hidden away from society by his recluse inventor father (Vincent Price). When he dies, he leaves Edward to fend for himself in an 'unfinished' state. A local Avon lady (Dianne Weist) discovers him and takes pity on him, encouraging Edward to come and live in their family home. Edward tries to assimilate and soon falls for his host's daughter (Winona Ryder); but not everyone in the town is willing to embrace Edward's unusual appearance and rather unorthodox ways. 
This is a charming and moving movie, it's deeply magical quality is sure to enchant viewers for years to come and certainly won a place in my heart. 
FINAL SAY: The first cut is the deepest.
4 Chili Peppers

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Dia de Muertos

5/11/2017

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In a type of post Halloween celebration, I took Seth and met up with Helen and Carmel at Alfred Deakin Place on Saturday afternoon to celebrate the colourful Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) event that was held in Ballarat this weekend. Dia de Muertos is a Mexican national holiday where people honour the memory of their dearly departed friends and family members, and it is truly a colourful and lively spectacle of epic and magnificent proportions. 
It is commonplace for Mexican people to visit the graves of lost ones at this time of the year to decorate their graves with elaborate imagery and offerings. Altars called ofrendas are constructed in homes and adorned with photos, calaveras (skull representations), golden aztec marigolds, incense, food offerings and gifts. There was massive and highly ornate ofrendas constructed at yesterday's celebration in memory of the dead, it was so beautiful and had a massive cross at the foot of the altar that was surrounded by rice and salt to keep the evil spirits at bay. 
We perused the gorgeous authentic mexican crafts and cultural art pieces, checked out the massive dirt and bark skeleton installations, listened to the animated mariachi band, watched a performance of an authentic Mexican Day of the Dead dance and tried some 'Grandmother's' chocolate. Grandmother's chocolate, I was told by the very helpful young lady that was running the stall, is a traditional Mexican spiced hot chocolate that is only drank on Dia de Muertos and is usually drank with 'Dia de Muertos Bread' - a sugar and spice encrusted mini sweet bread that is baked and left out in an attempt to persuade the dearly departed to visit your home with its irresistible aromas. I purchased a loaf to leave out overnight in the hope that it would entice my nanna to visit, but unfortunately I can't say that I saw her. Perhaps Mexican sweet bread is not that alluring to her. 
We rounded out our Dia de Muertos celebrations with a delicious lunch of Chimichangas and Hendrix Muddles aka Hendrix Summer Mules, which is now my new fave cocktail and will be my summer go to drink for sure - so refreshing! Followed that deliciousness with a visit to the Ballarat Art Gallery to see the new Romancing the Skull exhibition, which was also terrific and I highly recommend a visit to. Then finished it all off with a quick pop over to the local Spanish restaurant for coffee and hot churros. Yummy!
Got home in the early evening with an over stuffed gut and still had time to spare for some utterly ridiculous D grade horror that was so very bad that I cannot even remember the name of it now! What a perfect day! Seth fell asleep around 10.30pm and I crashed into bed around 11.30pm and slept just like the dead myself. 
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TRICK 'R TREAT 
Release Date: 2007
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 82 mins
A slasher anthology of all things macabre, written and directed by Michael Dougherty. This collection of four horror based stories was a surprisingly fun jaunt through the bloody events of one Halloween evening. 
After a grisly opening scene, the first story is 'The Principal' - a tale about a small town principal that is harboring a problematic lust for killing. The second story involves five children that are out for exciting and terrifying adventures entitled 'The School Bus Massacre Revisited.' The third tale entitled 'Surprise Party' has a surprise that you probably won't see coming, and the final story called 'Sam' is about a man that hates Halloween and is about to get a visit from the one thing that ties all of the stories together - Sam himself. 
There are lots of twists and turns, as the stories mingle and interweave with each other; there are some reputable actors to add more credibility like Anna Paquin, Brian Cox and Dylan Baker and at the end of the day, this is just good fun Halloween storytelling. I had a really good time with this, it's a worthy horror watch. 
FINAL SAY: Happy Halloween! 
3.5 Chilli Peppers

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Learning Patience

1/11/2017

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I have been meditating daily on this awesome app called Headspace. It's free, user friendly and above all else, it is intensely enjoyable. Yes, that's right, it is enjoyable and I'm not kidding! Sitting crossed legged and zoning out for a few minutes every day has actually been really lovely; and unlike positive visualisation (which you all know I love, but is essentially meditation with a purpose) the variety of meditation on Headspace encourages you to 'zone out' rather than 'check in.' It's kind of like a daily mind rinse that clears out all of the bugs and glitches in your head; and it only takes five minutes a day if that is all that you can spare. 
​Seth and I are officially addicted to it. Headspace has become a part of our daily ritual and we have found the act of meditation very calming and exceptionally useful. I personally have been using the zen practises of Headspace a lot this week, as I have now moved onto the second (and most terrifying) stage of my job interview process. Turns out that last week's engagement was merely stage one, which thankfully I passed, next Wednesday is stage two. We are officially down to me and one other candidate for the position. This information is both terrific and also intensely nerve wracking, as I am now a mixture of joyful hope and paralysing and crippling anticipation all at once.
As it gets closer to the pointy end it is both exciting and utterly nauseating, and clearly what my potential employer is looking for at this stage is to be dazzled. No pressure, just be dazzling on the day, easy right? Without a doubt, I am going to require some zen like meditation and preparation so that I don't rock up on the day resembling a plate of jelly. 
Well meaning friends have offered support by saying things like, just be yourself and they'll love you. Ahh, yeah, well, there is a big difference between me in my comfort zone and me in a space that is well outside of my comfort zone; and that can be the difference between lovable and should we call you an ambulance? So, uhhh.....yeah, let's just keep on trucking with the Headspace app and the positive visualisations and let's just see how we go shall we? 
For it is the fear of the unknown and unknowable that makes these moments so poignant, so challenging and so very gripping. All that you can do is attempt to put your best foot forward on the day and hope that it will be enough, and the rest is in the hands of the gods, and I will need to make my peace with that, however it plays out. 
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DANCER IN THE DARK 
Release Date: 2000
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 140 mins
This film really had a profound effect on me, I recall feeling physically exhausted when it ended. Directed by Lars von Trier, this Danish musical drama stars Bjork as the lead actress; showcasing her incredible talent since she was also given the responsibility for the movie's amazing soundtrack. Dancer in the Dark is the third film in Von Trier's 'Golden Heart Trilogy' and was met with standing ovations when it aired at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and was also awarded the Palme d'Or. 
Innocent and hard working Czech immigrant Selma is going blind. She has a genetic disorder that she has passed along to her son Gene, and she is saving all of her money from her low paying jobs to get him the operation that he will need to save his sight. Selma escapes the harsh realities of her life by losing herself in music, however when a desperate neighbour takes advantage of her and falsely accuses her of stealing, things take a dramatic and terrible turn for the worse. 
Lars von Trier has a real knack for destroying things that are beautiful that is both hypnotic and disturbing, and with the movie being set in 1960's Washington State,  it does feel like another Trier stab at those 'awful' American's. 
All of that aside, this is still great movie making. It is not an easy watch, it's depressing in every way. The characters are mostly cruel and the outcome is just plain shocking. It is tough going but worth the effort. 
FINAL SAY: In a musical, nothing dreadful ever happens. 
4 Chilli Peppers

1 Comment

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    Hi, my name is Barb.
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