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SPICYWATCH

The Meter is Running

17/1/2021

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The meter is running on your life, right now, in this very moment, in every moment that you have ever lived and breathed, it has been running.  When a meter is running we know that it means that a cost or expense is accumulating urging us to make a decision or pay the fare. However, when it comes to our actual lives, we rarely if ever consider the amount of time that we have already used up or how much we still have on the meter and at our disposal. 
I am fairly sure that if I told you that your meter was going to run out in say a month, or even six months to a year that you would definitely start to look at your life very differently. You'd possibly make some radical changes to the way that you do things, reprioritise your life and desperately try to milk as much out of the time that you left on the meter or even attempt to reverse it or change that outcome somehow. But you would never have done any of that without the threat of your meter running out on you. 
Big surprise here, your meter is actually running out. And I am not saying that to try and make you feel insecure, hysterical or paranoid, I'm telling you because it is completely and utterly true. All of our meters are running out, they were from the day that we arrived. Mine is, yours is,  everyone's is. None of us, not even the rich, famous and intellectual are going to be able to cheat the sands of time and no-one in the history of all of humanity has been able to live forever. Unfortunately, we all have an expiry date and although that is going to be different for everyone, it is going to be inevitable. 
So, with that in mind let's have a look at how you can enjoy a long and healthy life according to the people that have kept their meters running for so long that they are now called centenarians. Centenarians are people that have lived for 100 years or more, they have survived pandemics, depressions, financial crisis, war and loss; and yet they have emerged almost unscathed, and their resilience offers us all a first hand perspective into the secrets of longevity. Unsurprisingly, there really are some very common dominators in the lives of all centenarians and I believe that these commonalities are clearly the recipe for a long life and a great way to keep your own meter running. 
​Firstly, people who have lived long lives have been cheerful most of their lives. Sure, you can't avoid getting burnt by life every now and again and even the best of us face financial difficulty, loss, illness, failed relationships and stress, but it is how we deal with those setbacks that determines our happiness. Most centenarians have supportive families and friends and a community around them that they are actively involved in. They have powerful, protective social structures that buffer and care for them. So the work that you do to build meaningful relationships with your family and friends is never wasted time, it's actually essential to your own longevity. 
Most centenarians claim that they have managed to stay cheerful by never comparing themselves to others. They all have positive mindsets that are devoid of jealousy, envy and resentment. They are living their best lives every day and taking joy in all of the little things and not getting hung up on the petty stuff. They also swear by removing toxic relationships from their lives. People who are not trustworthy should go first, followed by anyone that continuously hurts your feelings, belittles you or makes you feel unlovable. It's very simple really, only keep people in your life that lift you up, respect and value you as you are, otherwise they will be a scourge on your life meter. 
No surprises here, but centenarians also have a healthy diet, however they also like to consumed one or two alcoholic beverages a day, usually as a night cap of some sort. They all imbibe in moderation, never overindulge and rarely, if ever, smoke. None of them have ever had a gym membership but all of them have lead very active lifestyles. Most centenarians walk every day, some of them still taking up to 10,000 steps a day. Most of them take in other regular gentle exercise like swimming, yoga or tai chi and generally keep busy by tending to their own yards, doing their own shopping and maintaining their own homes. 
Almost all centenarians have hobbies that give them pleasure. Undertaking something relaxing and enjoyable that you do without looking for gain or return is paramount to these people's lives. And finally, they all kept a tight budget and never, ever spent more than they earned. A lot of them have never even owned a credit card and have always saved for a rainy day.  Being financially sound and not having to worry about money is a great way to keep stress levels low and to eliminate unnecessary worry  and uncertainly about the future. 
However, let's be honest, there is really no one way to ensure that your meter will keep running for a very long time because life is risky and unpredictable and all any of us can really do is hope for the best and try to be our best. However, there is no denying that the recipe for long life outlined above by our beloved centenarians certainly does seem like a great and logical place to start if you are trying to get more mileage on the meter.
​Whether you adopt or adapt any of these tips is of course completely up to you, and no matter your choices, I do wish you all a long, prosperous and healthy life with a meter that runs for at least 100 years or more!
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PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
Release Date: 2021
Rating: MA 15+ 
Running Time: 113 mins 

An American crime thriller that was written, produced and directed by Emerald Fennell in her feature directorial debut. This boldly provocative thriller received generally favourable critical acclaim for it's dynamic writing and Carey Mulligan's committed and strong portrayal of a woman that has been wronged. 
Cassie Thomas (Mulligan) is exacting her revenge upon the people that were involved in a vicious attack on her best friend and she is also taking down a few other douche bags along the way. 
It's the terrific mix of dark humour and appallingly abhorrent assholes getting their comeuppances that makes this film so great. Mulligan is at her absolute best here as Cassie, a character that has tenacity and personality in bucket loads and it was just so fantastic to see a female delivering some kick arse vengeance in such colourful and unique ways. 
The supporting cast are also strong here with Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Laverne Cox and Clancy Brown all rounding out the story and making it something genuinely memorable and deeply affecting. 
FINAL SAY: Can you guess what every woman's worst nightmare is?
4 Chilli Peppers 
​

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The Best of 2020

2/1/2021

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Normally at this time of the year I would have been able to recount all of the wonderful things that I did and the people that I shared my time with throughout the year, and write a really amazing blog post reminiscing about those events; this year however - not so much! To say that 2020 was a difficult year would be a massive understatement, but for those of you that are out there reading this, well at least we survived it right?
Equally it was a strange year of cinema to say the least! I cannot deny that the viewing opportunities in 2020 grew wider and faster than anyone (even myself) could possibly have kept up with. However, this year I only watched 185 movies in total, which does sound like a lot but it was actually 30 less than I watched in 2019. This was mainly due to the quality of the films on offer, which in opinion were not nearly as consistently great as they were in 2019 and I found myself wading through a lot mediocre movies this year. 
However, television was a whole other ball game, and I watched 153 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 or 2019, 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 of TV series listed below that got 4 chilli peppers or more, certainly more than movies did 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 2020 was literally never ending and because of COVID19 lockdowns across the globe we were given the best TV streaming opportunities that we have ever had before. My 'to see' list is pages long these days as I struggle to keep ahead of the game and the movie reviews that I still need to add to my blog, but alas it is a labour of love and I have enjoyed every moment of media escapism that I have indulged in this year. 
2020, just like 2019 managed to deliver greatness across all genres, for which I am very grateful. The international films, independent films and animated films were amazingly good this year and it was great to see so many excellent films and series from those genres. And so, without further ado....here is my selection for the best viewing experiences of 2020. 
BEST MOVIES (2020 release):
Soul - Kids  5 Chilli Peppers (Hall of Fame)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers 
Sound of Metal - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
Onward - Kids  4 Chilli Peppers
Black is King - Musical  4 Chilli Peppers
The Vast of Night - Sci-Fi   3.5 Chilli Peppers
The Invisible Man - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
The Willoughbys - Kids  3.5 Chilli Peppers
His House - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Colour Out of Space - Sci -Fi  3.5 Chilli Peppers
Da 5 Bloods - War 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Enola Holmes  - Crime 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Deadwood: The Movie - Crime 3.5
 Chilli Peppers
Save Yourselves! - Sci-Fi/ Comedy   3.5 Chilli Peppers

2020 HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
The Platform - Gritty/ International  3 Chilli Peppers
Swallow - Gritty 3 Chilli Peppers
Palm Springs -  Romance/ Comedy 3 Chilli Peppers 
Vivarium - Sci-Fi 3 Chilli Peppers 
#Alive - Horror 3 Chilli Peppers
American Murder: The Family Next Door - Doco 3 Chilli Peppers 
Relic - Horror 3 Chilli Peppers 


Here are my top recommendations for pre-2020 releases that I didn't see until 2020:
1917 - War 5 Chilli Peppers (Hall of Fame) 
Parasite - International 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
Shadow - International 4.5 Chilli Peppers
The Nightingale - Gritty  4 Chilli Peppers
Uncut Gems - Crime 4 Chilli Peppers
The Lighthouse - Art House  4 Chilli Peppers
The Farewell - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
Burning - International 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Ford v Ferrari - Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Chasing Coral - Doco  3.5 Chilli Peppers
The Peanut Butter Falcon - Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Mid90s - Drama   3.5 Chilli Peppers
Zombieland 2: Double tap - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Dr Sleep - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Rocketman - Musical  3.5 Chilli Peppers
The Gentlemen - Crime 3.5 Chilli Peppers
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie - Crime  3.5 Chilli Peppers
Hail Satan? - Doco  3.5 Chilli Peppers
3 Identical Strangers - Doco  3.5 Chilli Peppers
Mystify: Michael Hutchence - Doco  
3.5 Chilli Peppers
The Lodge - Horror 3 Chilli Peppers
The Night Eats the World - Horror 3 Chilli Peppers

BEST TELEVISION SERIES 2020:
Succession S2 -  Drama 5 Chilli Peppers
Ozark S3 - Crime 5 Chilli Peppers
Lovecraft Country - Horror 5 Chilli Peppers
This Country S3 - Comedy 5 Chilli Peppers
Raised by Wolves - Sci- Fi 4.5 Chilli Peppers
The Queen's Gambit - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers

The Mandalorian - Sci-Fi 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
Better Call Saul S5 - Crime 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
Morning Wars - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
I May Destroy You - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
DEVS - Sci-Fi  4 Chilli Peppers 
The Magicians S5 - Sci-Fi 4 Chilli Peppers

The Great - Period Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
What We Do in the Shadows S2 - Horror/Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
Mythic Quest - Comedy/Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
Kidding S2 - Art House 4 Chilli Peppers
Awkwafina is Nora from Queens - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
The Boys S2 - Super 4 Chilli Peppers

Ramy S2 - Comedy/ Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
The Haunting of Bly Manor -  Horror 4 Chilli Peppers

The Undoing - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
Wayne - Crime/ Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
Unorthodox - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
​It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia S14 - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
High Fidelity - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers


2020 TV HONOURABLE MENTIONS: ​
Ratched - Thriller  3.5 Chilli Peppers 
SEE - Sci- Fi  3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Avenue 5 - Sci-Fi/ Comedy  3 Chilli Peppers 
Dave - Comedy  3 Chilli Peppers
The Servant - Thriller  3 Chilli Peppers
 
The Umbrella Academy S2- Fantasy 3 Chilli Peppers
The Third Day - Thriller  3 Chilli Peppers 
After Life S2 - Comedy  3 Chilli Peppers 
Killing Eve S3 - Crime  3 Chilli Peppers 
Breeders - Comedy  3.5 Chilli Peppers 
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SOUL
Release Date: 2020
Rating: PG
Running Time: 100 mins 

A computer animated fantasy film produced by Pixar Animations and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Soul is easily the best children's film and definitely one of the  best movies to come out of 2020. With a concept that could be considered too adult for children to fully comprehend, Soul skilfully weaves a tale about mindfulness and living your best life that in my opinion, won't be lost on audiences of any age. 
Middle school music teacher Joe Gardner has always aspired to become a successful jazz musician. That dream seems like it is about to become a reality when Joe lands the chance to play with jazz legend Dorothea Williams. However, when Joe takes a tumble down a manhole and arrives in the afterlife, his dreams of becoming a jazz star look highly unlikely. 
Visually magnificent, musically enchanting and filled with otherworldly delights, Soul is a pleasure to watch whilst still delivering a beautiful and thoughtful message about the way in which we engage in our everyday lives. This film has a high vibration to it that is absolutely intoxicating and I adored it. 
Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House and Richard Ayoade deliver incredible voice acting to their characters and the entire experience is nothing short of enchanting. Soul is unmissable viewing for all ages. 
FINAL SAY: Life is full of possibilities. You just need to know where to look. Don't miss out on the joys of life. 
5 Chilli Peppers ​​

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I Am A Number Four

15/8/2020

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I recently found out that I am a number four in the Enneagram system of personality types. Number Four types are Individualists, they are creative and unique and are defined by their sense of being special and different from other people - which trust me, is not nearly as cool as it may sound.
There are nine different personality types and you can easily take a 10 minute online test to determine which type you are - just click on this link to take the test now: www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test
The word Enneagram derives from the Greek words Ennea meaning nine and Gramma meaning something that is drawn or written, and each of the nine personality types is defined by a particular core belief about how the world works. No one really knows the exact origin of the Enneagram, but we do know it has an eclectic history. Some assume ancient roots in Babylon around 4,500 years ago while others place the origin in classical Greek philosophy around 2,500 years ago. The model has been attributed to the Jewish Kabbalah, Christian mysticism and Sufism, a mystical form of Islam. Dante apparently had very good knowledge of the Enneagram since the characters in The Divine Comedy correspond largely to the Enneagram types.
What we do know, is that the modern Enneagram system is the work of the contemporary author Georg Ivanovich Gurdjieff, a mystic and spiritual teacher who introduced the model as a spiritual symbol in the 1930s then brought it to the Western shores in the 1960s. Most researchers today tend to focus on the psychological rather than the religious side of the Enneagram, drawing comparisons with other personality models like the Myers-Briggs system.
The core belief systems of an Enneagram personality type shape your worldview and the perspective through which you experience your environment and the people around you. Our core beliefs are not necessarily incorrect, but they can be limiting. By better understanding your Enneagram type and how it colors your perceptions, you can apparently broaden your perspective and learn to approach situations in a more effective way. 
Understanding your Enneagram type helps you to understand why you behave or react in the ways that you do. Each type has a set of core beliefs that motivates them to take particular actions and guides them to make certain decisions. Knowing your Enneagram type can also help you to understand how and why other people react the way that they do in certain situations. By describing how each type adapts and responds to both stressful and supportive situations, the Enneagram shows opportunities for personal development and provides a foundation for the understanding of others.
Today it is mostly used for personal self-knowledge and personal development, offering a powerful tool for self-mastery, conflict resolution, team dynamics, leadership and emotional intelligence. Because it identifies opportunities for development in each individual type, it has become widely used in areas such as counseling, psychotherapy, business development, parenting and education. 
But in all seriousness, you can just decide for yourself whether or not you feel any connection to your personality type after you've taken the test and found out what your type is. And even if you gain nothing from taking the test and think that it is all a big load of malarkey, it's still a bit of fun and a good time filler on a rainy Sunday afternoon. 
Big shout out to all my fellow #4 Individualists out there - keep on being your unique beautiful selves!
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PERSEPOLIS
Release Date: 2007
Rating: M
Running Time: 96 mins

An Iranian-French-American animated movie based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. After tying for the Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, writer and director Marjane Satrapi said in her acceptance speech "Although this film is universal, I wish to dedicate the prize to all Iranians." Satrapi's story reached a wide audience, educating the masses about the Iranian revolution, touching people's hearts and creating waves of controversy as well. 
Persepolis is essentially a coming of age story about an outspoken and unique Iranian girl named Marjane. Marjane grows up amidst the Islamic revolution and is eventually sent away by her family to make a better life for herself in Vienna. 
Produced in moody black and white, and delivered with highly stylized visual flair, this film works on so many levels. Marjane is really no different than any other teenager trying to find their way in the world, she just happens to have seen a lot more brutality and inequality in her time. This is certainly no fairy tale, but it is hopeful, and there is  a great deal of clarity to be gleaned about the realities of the Islamic revolution from this beautifully presented political drama. 
FINAL SAY: Never forget who you are and where you're from. 
3.5 Chilli Peppers 
​

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Not So Basic Instincts

26/7/2020

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I know that I recently wrote a blog post all about Intuition vs Logic and I have since enjoyed some lengthy and interesting discussion with friends around that topic; and this is because there seems to be some misunderstanding around the difference between intuition and instinct, and which of those we should be listening to. In my previous post I said that you should be careful of always choosing to go with your intuition over your logic and I cited some pretty valid reasons for that, but when it comes to listening to your instincts it's a whole other ball game because overriding your instincts can be much, much harder indeed. 
Your intuition is that feeling that you get, almost like an inner voice or sixth sense that makes you think that something may feel like a good or bad opportunity. Your instinct however is not a feeling, it's an innate hardwired natural tendency to behave or react in a certain way and it's far more primordial than your intuition. Your instinct is part of your biological make up which is why it can be very difficult to override. Unlike your intuitive thoughts which are created when your brain perceives a neural pathway, your instincts are a motor response that are initiated by your whole body in response to an external stimuli. 
Our instincts are what have kept us alive as human beings for thousands of years, they are produced by a biological force that makes us react to hunger and thirst, it's what drives us to use our bowels, blink, sleep, have sex, reproduce and above all else - survive. Over time we have managed to hone our instincts so that we can manage them in more refined and appropriate ways, but all of us still have them and not all of us have evolved to a point where we can manage or control them very well.
Suppressing your most basic instincts can not only be useful but also completely necessary if you want to get along in the modern world. It would be completely inappropriate to jump every person's bones that aroused a sexual instinct within you, and although there probably was a time in history when this was a useful instinct to employ in order to sustain human kind, these days it would obviously be extremely frowned upon and you'd probably end up in jail. Also managing other social/emotional instincts like our instinct of fight or flight, which may not always be an appropriate response in every situation has been replaced with more refined methods of negotiation and modern logic now, so there is no need for anyone to run screaming out of a room when they feel affronted or afraid anymore. 
However, those fight or flight instincts can still come in mighty handy when it comes to certain survival situations and there are hundreds of human experiences that we would still be using the method with, and it would be saving our skin to do so.  In general, ignoring all of your instincts is pretty unwise because our instincts are important innate behaviours that we learned and practised for a reason - as humans we all need them, but some of our human instincts that we have developed over time are not only useless now but they could even cause the eventual the downfall of humankind if we can't fight against them.
Our strongest human instinct, the one that overrides everything is our survival instinct. Because of this super strong survival instinct that all humans have, we have also developed a few less than attractive instincts in order to keep the flock safe and humans alive. The worst of those are denial, revenge and greed. Due to the extreme scarcity of resources for early man, greed was a form of survival. Being honesty also didn't feed anyone and neither did forgiveness, so denial and revenge were ways to establish pecking order, strengthen loyalties and ensure that a tribe survived. Unfortunately, many of us are still employing these shithouse instincts into our lives today and the results have been damning to say the least. Many people are still instinctively in denial about many modern issues like food shortages, lack of clean drinking water, global warming, pollution, disease, overpopulation... the list goes on and on and the reason for this denial is often fed by greed and revenge. And even though we do not need to employ these basic instincts to protect the herd anymore, many of us still do and the results are devastating on a global scale. 
So, in short it is fair to say that we should, just like our intuition, listen to our logic and sound modern thinking before we allow ourselves to be overcome by our often outdated biological instincts. We as humans pride ourselves in being the leaders of this planet, and in doing so we have an obligation to behaviour in a more refined and dignified manner than some of our instincts would like us to because if we don't, then we are really no better than the animals that we say we are going to protect. Don't be a slave to your instincts, use them when you need to but be aware that some of them are totally archaic knee jerk reactions that you can learn to control and replace with more evolved and humanitarian choices. 
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THE BAD BATCH
Release Date: 2016
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 118 mins
 
Unfairly slammed by critics, this dystopian action/art house movie, written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour offers viewers a disturbing glimpse into an outcast landscape that is rife with cult leaders, cannibals and completely lost souls; which I found genuinely entertaining. Selected to compete in both the Golden Lion and 73rd Venice International Film Festival, The Bad Batch won the Special Jury Prize, which for me proves that the critics were wrong about this one. 
Arlen has just been declared one of 'The Bad Batch' which means that she has been exiled from society and must now try to survive in a dry and dangerous landscape. The only apparent salvation from the cannibals that scour the desert for human meat is an outpost called Comfort that claims to take in anyone seeking shelter. However, Arlen soon learns that no place is truly safe in this dystopian wasteland. 
The ensemble cast here is amazing, with Jason Momoa, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves and an almost unrecognisable Jim Carrey all offering strong and engaging presence. Suki Waterhouse delivers well as Arlen, the young and determined spirit who sits at the heart of this strange and unusual tale, and the entire experience is weird and unforgettable. 
Don't be swayed by the critics, The Bad Batch is worth a look. 
FINAL SAY: It's time to wake up, it's time to find the dream. 
3 Chilli Peppers

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Connecting to a Higher Power

23/7/2020

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You don't need to have religious calling, become a devout Buddhist monk or start drinking the Kool Aid with a local cult to feel like you are tapping into a higher power. In fact, your true higher power really doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with religion or any organised belief systems because tapping into your higher power is really just about finding out about what motivates, stimulates, activates and energises your life; and that is going to look different for everyone. 
So many people attribute the term 'higher power' to a power that is greater than ourselves and I respectfully say to them that I strongly disagree. From my experience, this is most certainly not the case for everyone. Many, many people are able to tap into a higher vibration or version of themselves without having any firm or fixed ideas around an existential God or deity. And I firmly believe that it is just as correct to call this inner attunement 'tapping into a higher power' and that is the kind of higher power that I am going to be discussing today - your internal higher power; but if it makes you feel more comfortable to look outside of yourself for that then by all means, go for it!
In order to become more attuned to your higher self, you do need to be willing to go within. This may take the form of meditation, contemplation or for religious people - prayer, whatever you're doing, you need to quiet the mind, still the body and calm the inner voices so that you get beneath all of the hum and noise that you are so used to hearing all of the time. You're looking for a deep dive into the seat of yourself because what you are attempting to do is connect with the deepest parts of your subconscious and really listen to the most raw parts of yourself. This voice, the one that lies deep within you, is your higher power.
But why bother trying to tap into this 'higher power' anyway? It all just sounds like a lot of sitting around and zoning out right? Well, in all honesty, when you do manage to find that voice that I spoke of earlier, it will help you to understand yourself a whole lot better. It will help you to heal old hurts, open your mind, help yourself and others and teach you to be more loving and accepting of differences and mistakes. Becoming more attuned to yourself will allow you to identify patterns in your behaviours, root out problems in your life and best of all solve them as well. And just to really put the icing on the cake, your higher power will also help you to love yourself unconditionally. 
I know that some people will think that this is all just spiritual mumbo-jumbo, but it really isn't. You do not need to be spiritual or believe in any kind of God to be able to attune to your own rhythms and subconscious energies. If everyone spent more time tending their own gardens and less time worrying about what was going on in anyone else's, trust me - it would be a much brighter and calmer world overall. So don't look elsewhere, I say look within to unlock, unfurl and understand who you really are. Everyone deserves a higher love and a link to their higher self but knowing that you don't have to go outside of yourself to get that is really one of the most empowering things that anyone could know. 
Get started right away, learn to listen to your body, tune into your feelings and pay attention to your thoughts. Attune to your higher power and start to love yourself on a whole new and more deeply empowering level. You truly deserve nothing less than that and I honestly do believe that. 
The COVID -19 pandemic has made it absolutely impossible for anyone to travel anywhere for quite some time, so why not invest some time in a little inner travel? What have you got to lose? And it is completely free!
​I do encourage and sincerely wish you well on your explorations to find your higher power; remember to travel softly, be super kind to yourself and really take your time...and above all else - enjoy the journey!
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THE LIGHTHOUSE
Release Date: 2019
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 110 mins 

A psychological thriller, directed and produced by Robert Eggers, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Max Eggers. Shot in black and white and delivered in a nearly square 1.19:1 ratio, The Lighthouse is a deeply affecting and sinister watch that blurs the lines between horror, art house, mythology and edge of your seat thriller. 
Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) undertakes a four week contract as a lighthouse keeper on an isolated island off the coast of New England under the guidance of veteran 'wickie' Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe). As the days stretch into weeks the men succumb to the madness of isolation, the intolerably cruel conditions and the often erratic and irritable behaviours of one another. 
Pattinson and Dafoe are absolutely brilliant here, delivering Oscar worthy, powerhouse performances and going to incredible lengths to create something that is so unforgettably dark and unsettling that I found myself thinking about it for days after.
Steeped in superstition and folklore, the story takes some unexpected turns as it delves into some seriously controversial territory like loneliness, alcoholism, toxic masculinity and hidden identity. The Lighthouse is undoubtedly the most unforgettable movie of the year and will definitely be shocking audiences for many years to come. 
FINAL SAY: Let Neptune strike ye Dead, Winslow!
4 Chilli Peppers 
​

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Seeing Patterns

12/7/2020

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Sometimes in life we believe that we can detect patterns. These patterns can be seen in the way that we ritualistically do things or in the way that we behaviour or react to certain things or even in the behaviours and reactions of others if we are really observant. And sometimes we can even believe that we see patterns in external or unrelated things; and when this happens a lot it can actually be a problem or even a sign of mental unwellness. 
The term apophenia is used to diagnose a condition when people have a tendency to mistakenly perceive patterns or connections between completely unrelated things. Coined by psychiatrist Klaus Conrad in his 1958 publication on the beginning stages of schizophrenia, he defined it as the "unmotivated seeing of connections accompanied by a specific feeling of abnormal meaningfulness." 
People that suffer from apophenia will seek patterns in all kinds of random information. Many gamblers actually suffer from this condition, believing that they can see patterns in lottery numbers, card games and roulette wheels, this type of apophenia is often called "gambler's fallacy."
One more common form of apophenia that we all suffer from is pareidolia and it is when we perceive patterns in visual and auditory stimuli. A common example of this might be to see a shape in the clouds or a face within an inanimate object. Think about all of the people who flocked to see images of Jesus or the Virgin Mary on a piece of toast or a block of wood; these items are terrific examples of pareidolia. And who hasn't seen the man in the moon? We all know what pareidolia feels like and most of us can see the patterns and dismiss them as mere coincidence, but some of us actually cannot. 
As humans we all have a need for order, and in general most of us will choose order and predictability over chance and chaos every time. This tendency does push us to see patterns everywhere, even when they do not exist. So when does seeing or hearing patterns become a problem? Well, at the end of the day, thinking that you have found the face of God in your cereal is not really going to hurt anyone, but making false pattern predictions a lot can be extremely dangerous to your wellbeing and overall safety. Experts recommend that if you are experiencing any of the following pattern recognition errors regularly, you may actually have apophenia. So let's take a look at what those pattern recognition errors are:
  • Hearing hidden messages when you play recordings backwards.
  • Seeing Godlike images in inanimate objects regularly. 
  • Hearing voices or messages in ticking clocks or other repetitive noises. 
  • Believing in jinx items or behaviours. 
  • All superstitious beliefs and behaviours. 
  • Seeing 'signs' in mundane things eg. 11:11 on a clock face. 
  • Unwaveringly beliefs in conspiracy theories and unproven ideas. 
Hmmm, turns out that seeing Jesus in your cereal may not be so innocuous after all. So, next time that you find yourself laying on your back thinking that you just saw a dragon fly past in the clouds, spare a thought for the people that suffer from crippling apophenia and can't control their beliefs in patterns. Consider just how difficult a life like that must actually be. What we see as a fun way to pass a moment on a sunny afternoon, is actually an obsession for some poor individuals and having no ability to separate patterns from the randomness of life must be extremely frustrating. This is definitely one of the rare moments when I am truly grateful for the utterly random and unpredictable quality of my own life. 
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FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS
Release Date: 1998
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 118 mins 
Adapted from Hunter S. Thompson's novel by the same name, this avant-garde road trip movie is certainly like nothing else that I have ever seen before. This film polarized audiences and nose dived at the box office, only to resurrect itself from the ashes and develop a cult following after it's DVD release. 
A weirdo journalist (Johnny Depp) and a clearly psychopathic lawyer (Benicio Del Toro) travel cross country to Las Vegas, indulging in a multitude of psychedelic drugs along the way as they search for the "American Dream." 
Don't expect to understand what is going most of the time, the characters don't  have any idea themselves, you just have to go along for the ride, which is one part black comedy, one part utter confusion and one part deeply disturbing. Depp and Del Toro have never been so hideous and unappealing, they are just revolting in every way here, really adding to the overall vulgarity level of the movie.
With the use of a Google computer vision program called DeepDream, some of the hallucination scenes get mighty trippy, and I know that I am not going to forget that lizard scene any time soon. 
FINAL SAY: Let's get down to the brass tacks, how much for the ape? 
3 Chilli Peppers

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You Are Enough

5/7/2020

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You are enough. What does that mean exactly? We all want to feel like we are enough, but what does it mean to actually be enough. Well, I can tell you now that it does not mean that you have been assessed, made the grade or finally been considered to be worthy enough to have earned the label of "enough" as many people would think that it does. It also does not mean that you have worked hard enough, pushed hard enough, tried enough or done enough, it actually means none of those things. 
You are enough simply means that you are enough. Right now, as you are right at this moment, you are enough. It means that you are exactly where you are meant to be and for now that is enough, however it does not mean that you are everything, perfect or complete which is something that people seem to get very confused about when they hear that they are enough. 
For some reason, people think that "enough" is some zone of completion or perfection, which is absolutely crazy. For a start there is no such thing as perfection. Perfection is completely subjective and in my opinion generally overrated. Also, since you are a human being, you can never ever be "completed" because you are a work in progress for your entire life and you will never stop growing, learning and evolving, and why on earth would you want to anyway? If being enough really was perfection and completion then it would actually be some kind of personal made hell in the form of stagnation and delusion, so no - being enough has nothing to do with being perfect or competed. 
Being enough is really about just being you. You with all of your messy imperfections, your hang ups and your beautiful broken bits that make you who you are, and also having an awareness that it's perfectly okay to be all of those things. Being enough is knowing that aiming for perfection is a form of self made insanity and thinking that you're perfect is delusional and believing you're 'all done' is seriously mental and definitely limiting. 
You are enough means that you know that you don't have to strive to prove your worth because you know that you have worth. You also don't have to question if you are loveable because you already know that you are. It means that you know without a shadow of  doubt that you can be brave enough to be more open, honest, true, authentic, free, connected, purposeful and intentional in how you present yourself and behave, and it's all good to do so. Being enough means that you can have pride in all aspects of yourself, you don't compare yourself to anyone, you have no need to feel insecure about who you are and you also know that you don't need to judge or compete with anyone because all of those behaviours are pointless and will only slow down your overall progress.
​And do you know why you know all of that?
Because you are enough, that's why.
And don't you forget it! 
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LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
Release Date: 2007
Rating: PG
Running Time: 106 mins 
Painfully shy Lars (Ryan Gosling) finds it very difficult to make friends or get a date in his small town. He surprises everyone when he announces that he has met a girl online and she is coming to meet him soon. His delighted family and friends are truly shocked when Lars' new girlfriend turns out to be a life sized plastic woman, that he names Bianca and forms a meaningful relationship with. 
Written by Nancy Oliver and directed by Craig Gillespie, this a sweet, quirky and completely socially awkward film that really won a place in my heart. The way that Lars and Bianca's relationship has a profound effect on the entire town is fabulous, there is sense of sincerity and purity to this film that really reaches out and touches you. 
Ryan Gosling is at his absolute best, completely unrecognisable as the well meaning wierdo Lars, showcasing some true range and genuine ability as an actor. 
FINAL SAY: They're not real, so they'll last forever. 
4 Chilli Peppers

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What is a Meaningful Life?

15/2/2020

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I think that everyone would like to think that they are leading a meaningful life, but in truth a lot of people actually appear to spend their entire lives in various states of dissatisfaction. From conversations that I have had with various people about their quality of life and from the articles, books and information that I have read, it seems to me that regardless of the fact that most of the people in question are living reasonably wealthy and social lifestyles, many of them are still feel like they are lacking purpose, fulfillment and direction in their lives. So what is happening here? Why are people feeling this level of meaninglessness when they already have everything that they could ever need?  
The answer to this is really very simple. People that feel like their lives are meaningless are usually failing to recognise what matters, and instead of appreciating and focusing on what they have, they spend most of their time focusing on what they believe to be missing from their current reality. This kind of thinking draws a person away from an appreciation mindset and leads them into thinking that they are going without, thus leading them into a state of dissatisfaction or meaninglessness. 
What constitutes a meaningful life has been a topic that philosophers have argued for centuries. The 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said that the question itself is meaningless because in the midst of living, we're in no position to discern whether our lives matter, and stepping outside of the process of existence to answer is impossible. Other god- centred philosophers believe that only a deity can provide purpose and meaning to life. Naturalists philosophers would argue that there is no absolute truth when discussing value around life meaning because one person may say that creativity is the answer, and another may say virtue; and in truth they could both be correct. And subjective philosophers believe that the value of a life's meaningfulness is made up only by our minds and therefore is subject to change at any moment. 
And for some people these truths are the way that they find meaning in their lives. In fact none of these theories are incorrect, because they would all still fit into the theory that life's meaning can be found by refocusing your mindset upon the things in your life that you already have and seeing them as meaningful aspects. For some people that could be their relationship to a deity or God, for some it may be their creativity or virtuosity and for others it could be a sliding scale of elements that are continuously altered by life experiences like the people we meet, the places we go and the new ideas and concepts that we engage in. As long as you are focused on those things as meaningful and not continuously looking at what is missing from your current existence them you can and will feel like you are living a meaningful life. 
Sure, it seems pretty simplistic and that's because it is. If you can condition yourself to look at all of the things that already exist in your life then you can most definitely become empowered by that thinking. By removing habits of comparison, jealousy, longing, searching and escaping from your life and replacing them with habits of gratitude, appreciation, awareness, fulfilment and self focus, you can drastically increase your ability to recognise that you are already living a very meaningful life right at this moment. Yes, you are living a very meaningful life right at this moment; wherever you are, whoever you are and whatever you are doing, your life has meaning and purpose.
So, in conclusion and in answer to my opening question, what is a meaningful life? I believe that the answer is that all life is meaningful, you just have to focus on what you already have. So please, go out and appreciate all that you have right now and enjoy your beautiful and meaningful life!
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FRANCES HA
Release Date: 2012
Rating: MA 15+
Running: 86 mins
You aren't going to really like anyone all that much in this movie. You aren't going to be blown away with a rich and intriguing story line. And you aren't going to be changed emotionally by seeing this movie; and that is because this film is not setting out to do those things. 
Frances Ha is a movie about the unbearable lightness of being, about everyday people - most of whom are pretty annoying and self involved. It's about the shitty everyday stuff that happens, mostly of little consequence and mostly in transition, but completely unavoidable in life and also part of the rich tapestry that gives life real meaning. 
We follow Frances (Greta Gerwig) as she flows through relationships, friendships, employment and homelessness as she tries to establish a career and a life for herself in New York as a dancer. Frances is impulsive, honest and dreamy in her approach to life and her story offers a fresh perspective on the nothingness that is living. 
Shot in a broody black and white and sensitively directed by Noah Baumbach, I think a lot of people will sadly overlook this film which would be a damn shame because it's message is so unique.
FINAL SAY: I like things that look like mistakes. 
3 Chilli peppers ​

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Winner, Winner, South Korean Dinner!

11/2/2020

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The 92nd Academy Awards aired on Monday and of course I was glued to the television for the duration. I love all of the glitz and glamour and particularly enjoyed the brilliant opening routine which gave homage to some of the excellent movies of 2019 that didn't make the final nomination cut like Us, Midsommar, Queen and Slim and Dolemite is My Name. 
I cannot express my joy at seeing the floral 'Midsommar' dress on Janelle Monae as she declared "Tonight, we celebrate all the amazing talent in this room. We celebrate all of the women who directed phenomenal films and I'm so proud to stand here as a black queer artist, telling stories. Happy Black History Month." 
And what a wonderful night it was all around with Parasite smashing it out of the park with four Oscar wins, including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film. Turns out that when the South Koreans arrive at the Academy Awards, they mop the floors with their opponents. And good for them, Parasite was easily one of the best movies of 2019, and I for one have been advocating for more foreign film appreciation for decades, so it's about time really.
Now we just need another female to win a Best Director Oscar because that hasn't happened since Kathryn Bigelow broke the mould and won one in 2010 for The Hurt Locker, and it's been a mighty dry category for females ever since as well; here's hoping 2020 will change all that again. 
However, enough of my own agenda, let's just get onto the very worthy Oscar winners for 2019, my congratulations and sincere appreciation to you all!
Best Picture:
“Parasite”
Lead Actor:
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Lead Actress:
Renee Zellweger, “Judy”
Supporting Actor:
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Supporting Actress:
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Director:
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
Animated Feature:
“Toy Story 4,”  Josh Cooley
Animated Short:
“Hair Love,” Matthew A. Cherry
Adapted Screenplay:
“Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi
Original Screenplay:
“Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho, Jin Won Han
Cinematography:
“1917,” Roger Deakins
Best Documentary Feature:
“American Factory,” Julia Riechert, Steven Bognar
Best Documentary Short Subject:
“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone,” Carol Dysinger
Best Live Action Short Film:
“The Neighbors’ Window,” Marshall Curry
Best International Feature Film:
“Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho
Film Editing:
“Ford v Ferrari,” Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland
Sound Editing:
“Ford v Ferrari,” Don Sylvester
Sound Mixing:
“1917” Stuart Wilson
Production Design:
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh
Original Score:
“Joker,” Hildur Guðnadóttir
Original Song:
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” “Rocketman”
Makeup and Hair:
“Bombshell” Kazuhiro Tsuji
Costume Design:
“Little Women,” Jacqueline Durran
Visual Effects:
“1917” Guillaume Rocheron, Dominic Tuchy, Greg Butler.
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PARASITE
Release Date: 2019
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 132 mins 

A South Korean black comedy thriller, written and directed by Bong Joon-ho, Parasite is destined to become a modern cult classic with its unique and original style and engrossing storyline.
It swept the field at the 92nd Academy Awards, winning four Oscars and becoming the first film to ever win both the Best Picture and Best  International Feature Film cateogories.  At the 77th Golden Globe Awards Parasite also won the Best Foreign Language Film and was the first non-English film to ever win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Talk about buzz! This film had everyone talking and soon become the must see film of 2019. 
In South Korea, the dirt poor Kim family are struggling to hold down low-paying temporary jobs and make ends meet. When their son begins tutoring for an extremely  wealthy family, the Kim family seizes an opportunity to exploit them by integrating themselves into their lives through insidious and underhanded means. 
What a watch! Parasite is absolutely riveting from start to end with its devious entanglements and dreadfully behaved characters. The cast are flawless here, delivering a tight, sharp and sophisticated script to perfection. Special mention must go to Kang-ho Song for his stellar depiction of Kim Ki-taek, the Kim family patriarch that has taught his family how to survive in the most unscrupulous of ways. 
However, that being said, it is not just the storyline and cast that carry this film to great heights, becasue every detail of the cinematography here is stunning as well; at times the imagery was so strong that it literally took my breath away. Parasite is one of the best foreign language films that I have ever seen, and it's definitely a movie that no-one should miss. 
FINAL SAY: They are nice because they are rich.
4.5 Chilli Peppers

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The Science of Sleep

5/2/2020

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One thing that you really miss about being on holidays is being able to dictate when you will sleep. I freely admit that I was regularly indulging in the odd siesta over the summer holidays and was often staying up very late and sleeping in until all kinds of unprofessional hours, but hey that's what the holidays are for! However, now that I am back at work  and once again a slave to the clock, it has occurred to me that in order to fulfil my hectic and busy lifestyle choices that something has to give, and for me the first thing to be sacrificed is my sleep. 
Sleep could be seen as a very silly thing to sacrifice, or a very smart one depending on who you are. And I suppose that the most obvious question that gets raised when someone starts to toy with cutting back on their sleep is just how much sleep do you actually need to survive? Notice that I said survive there and not thrive? Well, I suppose what I really mean is how much sleep do we need to still be considered high functioning? And the results of my research may surprise you.
In general, the average adult requires between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night; however (and this is a pretty big however), everyone actually requires a different amount depending on their individual genetic makeup. And furthermore, you can actually condition your body to function well on as little as 5 hours sleep per night. Yes, really, 5 hours of sleep a night and the secret to doing this lies not in the hours of sleep that you get, but in the quality of sleep that you are getting during those 5 hours of sleep. 
When assessed, it was found that people who can thrive on 5 or 6 hours of sleep and still feel bright and ready to face the day are generally getting very high quality sleep when they are sleeping. They spend less time tossing and turning, more time in REM sleep when they are out and are generally able to relax on a whim if required to do so. For example, these people would be able to drop into a deep meditation mode easily or engage in reading a book in very noisy situations. However, let's be very real about this, being able to go without sleep and survive on only 5 hours of rest every day is a superhuman feat and before you commit to cutting your sleep down to radically small amounts it is also worth considering the side effects of having too little quality sleep in your life. 
Apart from constantly feeling like a crap sandwich, a lack of sleep has also been linked to obesity, heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, none of which are very alluring at all are they? And there are also some significant signs that you're not getting enough quality sleep that you can keep an eye out for like feeling moody or depressed, getting dizzy, suffering from breakouts and illnesses, having dark rings around your eyes, gaining weight, craving junk food, drinking more caffeine and forgetfulness.  
Experts say that if you take more than 30 minutes to get sleep at night and always feel tired when you wake up then you are more than likely depriving your body of quality sleep. And it is also worth noting that the hormones in your body that control hunger and stress are also regulated by sleep, so odds are that if you're not sleeping enough you're going to be stressing out a lot and generally eating too much.
Everyone knows that sleep deprivation is an incredibly effective and insidious form of torture that attacks your deep biological functions and will eventually cause irreparable mental and physical health complications over time if continued; so do I recommend cutting your sleep back to fit more into your life? Well no, at least not for anyone else...but for me in the interim, I feel reasonably confident that the 6 to 6.5 hours of sleep that I allow myself to have each night is sustaining me just fine. However, I could have already wrecked my brain by now and have absolutely no idea what the hell I am saying, so please don't take my word for it! Go and experiment on yourself and your own sleep patterns to work out what your 'golden and ideal' amount of sleep hours is- you'll definitely have a perfect point, that much I do know for sure, but only you will be able to determine where that is.
In the meantime, make sure that you consider Dr Michael Breus' (from thesleepdoctor.com) recommendations for the perfect bedtime ritual to get more bang for your buck when you are asleep - and sweet dreams everyone!
1. Clean yourself -eg, take a shower, or at least wash your face, brush your teeth, floss and put on clean PJ's.
2. Keep your linen fresh and clean and where possible allow fresh air to circulate your room. 
3. Avoid eating for at least an hour before sleep. 
4. Commit to the same bedtime each night so that you establish a routine.
5. Drink a warm non-caffeinated beverage.
6. Turn off screens at least one hour before retiring.
7. Meditate.
8. Ensure that you have a dark quiet room or use eye shades and ear plugs. 
9. Practise deep breathing and stretching before getting into bed. 
10. Don't fight the sleep, if you're wrestling your sheets or tossing about, get up and make a warm drink and restart your ritual again. Remember that 2 hours of restful sleep is better than 4 hours of restlessness. 
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THE MACHINIST 
Release Date: 2004
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 101 mins 
An English language, Spanish psychological thriller, directed by Brad Anderson and written by Scott Kosar. This was the film that proved Christian Bale's unbelievable commitment to his roles, when he shed an incredible 28 kilograms, living on an apple, a coffee and water for four months prior to filming to portray his character Trevor Reznik with more conviction. 
Trevor Reznik is a machinist and an insomniac. His lack of sleep and routine has made him painfully emaciated and less than attentive on the job. His revolted co-workers turn against him after he is involved in an accident that leaves a his co-worker armless. Trevor believes that it was co-worker 'Ivan' that caused his distraction and the accident, but no-one has ever heard of Ivan and there are no records of his existence; and so begins a series of strange and unsettling events in the life of Trevor.
This is quite a challenging watch, the general tone and colour saturation of the film render it bleak and grimy, making everything feel menacing. The events that unfold for Trevor are far from joyful, as he tries to make sense of his addled thoughts and the things that are occurring around him. It also becomes increasingly difficult for the viewer to assess reality from fantasy, as they join him on his terrible downward spiral. 
FINAL SAY: I just want to sleep.
4 Chilli Peppers

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Here Come the Accolades

26/1/2020

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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

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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

4 Comments

Nothing's Gonna Change My World

29/12/2019

2 Comments

 
Words are flowing out
Like endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy
After drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me
Jai Guru Deva, Om
Nothing's gonna change my world...


Beautiful words from John Lennon and the lyrics from the incredible song Across the Universe by The Beatles.  
And why have I written them here? Well, sometimes I find that words are not always enough to express a feeling, but song lyrics - like poetry, seem to fill that void for me. In fact, I often seek the mellow embrace of a song when I really need to let it all out and there are many songs that evoke deep emotional responses within me, but for some unknown reason Across the Universe is one that I find myself turning to when my emotions get a bit jammed up or muddled. 
Apparently, The Beatles stated that the song was heavily influenced by their interest in Transcendental Meditation during the late 1960's. The mantra "Jai Guru Dev, Om" that features in the song is actually a Sanskrit phrase whose words can have many meanings. In translation it approximates as "glory to the shining remover of darkness" and it can also be paraphrased as "Victory of God divine", "hail to the divine guru," or the phrase commonly invoked by the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in referring to his spiritual teacher, "All glory to Guru Dev."
Whatever the interpretation, the lyrics are highly image-based with abstract concepts and in a 1970 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, John Lennon referred to the lyrics of Across the Universe as "one of the best lyrics that I've written. In fact, it could be the best. It's good poetry, or whatever you call it, without chewin' it." And he is right, it is an incredibly well written piece of music and I always feel emotional when I listen to it. 
I suppose everyone has their favourite songs that they turn to when they want to cry a little or release something or just feel a connection. Here is a list of my top 25 favourite "get your feels out" songs that help me to release my pent up emotions. These songs really get me right in the heart every damn time that I listen to them. 
  1. Across the Universe - I love The Beatles version, but recently Aurora did a version on Triple J's Like a Version and it is pretty much perfect in every way. 
  2. This Woman's Work - Kate Bush 
  3. Thirty-Three - The Smashing Pumpkins 
  4. Morning Theft or Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
  5. Breathe Me - Sia 
  6. Speak My Mind or Decision- N.Y.C.K. 
  7. Get on the Road - Tired Pony
  8. The Drugs Don't Work - The Verve
  9. Unravel - Bjork
  10. Watch You Go - Tyne-James Organ
  11. Horizon - Aldous Harding 
  12. Listen to Soul, Listen to Blues - Safia
  13. River - Leon Bridges 
  14. No Stars - Rebekah Del Rio 
  15. Delete - DMA's 
  16. Runaway or Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks- The National 
  17. Into Yellow - Martin Luke Brown
  18. Pain and Misery - The Teskey Brothers 
  19. ​Misplaced - Riley Pearce
  20. Elegy - Leif Vollebekk
  21. Primitive - Annie Lennox
  22. All We Do - Oh Wonder 
  23. I Get Overwhelmed - Dark Rooms
  24. Medicine - Daughter
  25. The Finish Line - Snow Patrol
I'm not 100% sure that crying out your feels to your favourite sad songs is the best way to deal with your emotions, but sometimes we all need to go to dark places to find ourselves again after stressful or traumatic times and listening to "get your feels out" songs seems like a pretty innocuous way to do that; just make sure you bring your tissue box along for the ride! 
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JOJO RABBIT
Release Date: 2019 
Rating: MA 15+ 
Running Time: 108 mins

Written and directed by Taika Waititi (who also stars as an imaginary Adolf Hitler) Jojo Rabbit is set to divide viewers with it's strange mixture of comedy, war and drama. This unexpected 'feel good' movie swings between poignant and disturbing depictions of the atrocities of WW2 and full blown Nazi-mocking humour, never really committing to any one genre for the duration.
Living in Nazi occupied Germany during the latter stages of WW2, young Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, his best friend Yorki and his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler attend a Deutsches Jungvolk Hitler Youth training Camp together. The camp is designed to offer boys the basics in Nazi training, whilst strengthen their hate for all things Jewish. However, when Jojo comes into close contact with a Jewish girl, all of his training and pre-conceptions are put to the test. 
This is really funny stuff; Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson all bring a lot of comic relief and support to Roman Griffin Davis who plays Jojo with loads of flair and and an engaging fresh faced innocence.  However, this movie is not just all about the laughs, because there are a lot of important and valuable things being said here as well which definitely makes it one of the most original films of the year for me. 
For fans of previous Waititi offerings, you are certainly in for a treat and although there is no denying that Jojo Rabbit isn't not going to appeal to everyone's taste, it certainly appealed to mine. 

FINAL SAY: Definitely not a good time to be a Nazi. 
4 Chilli Peppers 
​

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What Do I Need More Of?

26/10/2019

0 Comments

 
When I think about abundance, I believe that I am truly one lucky lady. I have a terrific and supportive family, excellent friends, a great husband, a reliable job, good health and a beautiful home...so what more could I possibly want from life? It would be easy (and also quite truthful) for me to say nothing at all, but in all honesty I do actually want more. And the problem with that is not that I am greedy, because I do not long for commercial or material gains, the real problem is that what I desire to have more of in my life requires a level of mastery that I do not have yet; because what I need more of in my life is patience and compassion. 
Maybe the whole world needs more of that if we are really going to get down to the brass tacks of it all, but I can't change the whole world,  only myself.  And in order to do that I need to be proactive about change and consider how I can cultivate and harness more patience and compassion into my life.
Don't get me wrong about this, I am not some stone-cold heartless bitch or anything, I do possess a good measure of patience and compassion already, but sometimes I also do struggle with putting myself into other people's realities and seeing past my own struggles and that kind of thinking is so bloody shallow and intolerant and I would really prefer to be a lot less of both of those things.
However, patience and compassion are not something that you just miraculously wake up overflowing with one morning and declare to world that you've got it and you're done. It takes years of ongoing work to develop your levels of patience and compassion. In fact, it seems like the only way to get more patient and compassionate is to do more of the hard yards and experience the complete opposite and have some full blown mid-life 'chaos and melancholy' moment.
However, I'm not going to sugar coat or over inflate my own ability here, so I am just going to come straight out with it and say that I really, really do not want any chaos or melancholy in my life right now.... nope, no thanks....I'm looking for an overall gentler and nicer way to build my levels of patience and compassion without having to do the suffering to get there. 
Call me a pussy, but I have done the agony miles before in my life and they are not fun, and even though I cannot deny that suffering does enhance the soul, I do not want or need destruction, mayhem or any feelings of being set adrift in my world right now. So how does one grow compassion and patience in gentle and less agonising ways, and can it even be done without an order of suffering on the side? 
Well the good news is yes; yes you can develop and hone both your patience and your compassion without any torture or turmoil and it's easier than you would think. In his book Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante Gunaratana says:
You will come face to face with the sudden and shocking realisation that you are completely crazy. Your mind is a shrieking, gibbering madhouse on wheels barrelling pell-mell down the hill, utterly out of control and hopeless. No problem. 
I really love this quote for a couple of reasons, firstly because it is so reassuring to know that even zen Buddhists understand the analogy of a  'madhouse on wheels' and secondly because he finishes with 'no problem.' Meaning that I have complete control over my ability to remain calm even in the darkest hours and meanest tempests. In spite of the worst storms I can stand my ground, be a pillar of patience and demonstrate compassion if I choose to. 
And what that really means is that the torture and turmoil, the 'side of suffering' that I mentioned earlier are all just states of mind and are only made real by my inability to manage my chaos thoughts. So rather than trying to be more patient or compassionate, what I really need to master is my ability to manage my unwelcome thoughts and emotions which will in turn lead to my impatience being transformed into patience; and being patient is a way of treating ourselves and others with compassion.
BOOM! Total result! And now I just need to put all of that into practise....which sounded really straight forward when I was writing about it a second ago....
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C.R.A.Z.Y
Release Date: 2005
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 127 mins 
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, this French language film from Quebec, Canada, tells the story of Zac, a young gay man struggling through the homophobic 1960's and 1970's. C.R.A.Z.Y was so well received that it clocks a massive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and is on the top ten list of Best Canadian Films of All time. 
Much to his father horror, Zachary was born 'different' to his four other brothers. In order to keep his conservative family happy, Zac hides his sexuality and tries to adopt a lifestyle that he believes they will approve of, but it is not easy to live out a lie, and Zac must eventually allow himself to become who he truly is, regardless of the consequences. 
This is a touching, colourful and beautifully constructed coming of age tale. The period of the 60's and 70's is truly brought to life here, and so are the prejudices and fears that surrounded gay lifestyles during that time. I really enjoyed this film, I thought that the behaviours of the characters were really believable and I don't know why we have seen more from Marc-Andre Grondin, who was utterly amazing as Zachary. And what a killer of a soundtrack, overall really very good indeed. 
FINAL SAY: I want to be like everyone else. 
3.5 Chilli Peppers

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Limitations

20/10/2019

2 Comments

 
I like to think of myself as capable, I also like to believe that I am open to new learning and willing to expand my skill set and horizons regularly through new experiences and upskilling opportunities. However, everyone has their limitations and this week, much to my own agony and dismay, I had to admit to myself and also to my employer that my bucket was full to the point of overflow and that I needed to set a boundary around certain expectations of me in the workplace. 
It is one thing to encourage others to put boundaries into place for themselves, but when you have to put in a boundary for yourself, especially when you pride yourself with being the 'can do' kid, it is a really difficult and honestly, very emotional thing to do. And for someone like me that sets themselves continuously high personal standards, it was one of the most uncomfortable things that I have ever had to do. I have never had to ask anyone to step up for me and put a stopper in something because the expectations were getting too high for me to meet, and it has been a bit soul destroying to have to do that. 
Even though I know that setting a boundary for myself is nothing to feel guilty about, I still oddly do feel a pang of guilt and also a measurable degree of disappointment in myself for not being able to meet certain expectations. As I said earlier, when you are used to coping under pressure and then suddenly find that you can't sustain that any longer, you feel like shit about yourself, and even though it takes strength to say 'this is too big and unrealistic' you just don't want to ever have to say that. 
However I did, I did say it and probably delivered a few other home truths about my role that has needed to be clarified for some time as well. And in all honesty, these things probably should have been clarified a long time ago, well before I got to the point where I was using the 'frog in the boiling pot' analogy to describe what it feels like to be in my position. The saying better late than never is certainly true in this instant however, for my own sanity I do wish that I had clarified these feelings earlier, but as I said, in order to clarify these issues I also had to be willing to admit that I wasn't coping and that was not an option for me until I had reached my maximum overload point. 
So what did I learn from all of this? That I have limits, that I can't do everything all at once and that sometimes I need to be willing to own my shortcomings without seeing it as a defeat. I have also learnt that I need to open a more clear dialogue around problems with senior staff earlier and that setting boundaries for myself in the workplace is a skill that I need to hone before I will be comfortable with it. 
I haven't quite made my peace with owning my limitations just yet, but I know that I will and hopefully things will change for the better now that I have raised a few flags for my employers to consider. And who  knows? Maybe some good will come from my conversation and perhaps it will open some people's eyes to some of the realities around positions like mine where you are a highly effective worker bee reliably contributing as best you can to a much larger business, but no less valuable or significant than some of the queens bees in the hive, especially when you look at it from our perspective.
I just wish that it didn't feel like I had to die a little inside to make these things understood, but I also understand that those feelings are all coming from me and no-one else but me, and those feelings are my personal jagged little pill to swallow...all on my own. 
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DEADMAN 
Release Date: 1995
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 115 mins 
An American Western, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and shot in broody black and white. This film was dubbed a 'Psychedelic Western" by Jarmusch himself and includes many surreal elements from the Western genre; some consider this film be the quintessential postmodern Western, and it has acquired a cult status as a result. 
In the second half of the 19th century, an accountant named William Blake (Johnny Depp) encounters an unusual Native American called 'Nobody'. Nobody believes that Blake is actually a dead man and together they embark on a dangerous journey through the western frontier of America that has both physical and spiritual connotations. 
This is intriguing viewing, Depp's transformation from mild mannered pen pusher to ruthless, hunted outlaw is fascinating to watch, and he plays his part with great energy and humour. I adored Gary Farmer's portrayal of Nobody, everything he says falls somewhere between ridiculous and ingeniously esoteric. This is a thinking man's western, often dark, sometimes comical and also poetically interesting in every way. 
FINAL SAY: The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow.
3.5 Chilli Peppers

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Identifying Your Triggers

29/9/2019

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It is important to understand not only your own triggers, but to able to identify the triggers in others around you as well. The fact is, that no-one in the world doesn't have a tipping point, everyone does, even the Pope and the Dalai Lama have trigger points, they are just a lot better at managing their triggers, so people think that they don't actually have them. But of course, they are human and every intelligent individual on the planet understands that to be human is to be imperfect and fallible, and sometimes that means getting angry or annoyed about things, feelings or situations. 
The ability to be able to identify triggers in yourself and others offers a person a huge life advantage. If you can identify your own triggers then you can both manage them better and avoid situations that are going to cause you undue stress. Being able to identify someone else's tipping point could be seen as an unfair advantage and if you were a villain you could certainly exploit that knowledge, but I believe that understanding why others trigger is actually an opportunity for compassion and stronger personal relations.
The better that we can understand ourselves and others, then the higher are our chances to come together in peaceful  and equitable ways. Understanding that people do not behave the way that they behave for nothing allows space for unpacking and understanding and eventually compassion as well. However, in order to get to the root of a trigger, you must firstly be willing to take a very honest look at the emotion and feeling that it is attached to that trigger. 
Generally, people get annoyed and angry because they have perceived something to be unfair, but that definition of unfair could fall into a number of different emotions, and to able to identify any trigger properly, you have to be able to name the feeling that is associated with it first. When you find yourself triggered, or are in the presence of someone that is being triggered, try to identify which of these feelings is being conveyed:
I feel unheard.
I feel judged.
I don't feel good enough.
I don't feel worthy.
I feel left out.
I feel blamed.
I feel uncared for.
I feel unloved.
I feel controlled.
I feel betrayed.
I feel unimportant.
I feel disrespected
. 
As I said, all of these emotions will make a person feel like something unfair or that some sort of injustice has occurred, but the emotions attached to them are varied and rooted in very different origins and will therefore require different levels of mediation or conversation for resolution. However, once you can identify the emotional link of your trigger, then you can start to identify its origin and why you are attached to that feeling, and this is the first step to healing and eventual release. 
Managing and identifying your triggers (and the triggers of others) is a process, one that requires patience and commitment, but it is such a powerful process and one that will develop a genuine understanding the self. Anything that allows you to let go of something that no longer serves you is never wasted and anything that can open a dialogue with the people around you that are feeling triggered is only going to further nurture your relationships  with them which is always going to be worthy work to undertake. 
So try a new method, try not to engage with your triggers, but rather try to practise identifying them. Name them, attach a genuine feeling to them and start to work out what it is that has created these feelings within you. As I said earlier, everyone has triggers, but some people are just a lot better at managing theirs, and you have the power to also be that person. 
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SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
Release Date: 2018
Rating: MA 15+ 
Running Time: 112 mins
 
An art house fantasy movie that is pretty much in a league of its own, with its jet black comedy style and science fiction alternate reality setting, Sorry to Bother You is destined to become a cult classic in years to come. Written and directed by Boots Riley in his directorial debut, this film is completely unique, fresh and original in every way.
Cassius Green is struggling to get on his feet when he lands a job as a telemarketer for RegalView. After successfully mastering his 'white voice' he gains a promotion and becomes an elite Power Caller. Suddenly Cassius is flush with funds but the higher up the corporate ladder that he climbs, the faster he begins to understand how corrupt and immoral his line of business really is. 
It's perfect blend of sharp satire, political hypocrisy and social exploitation makes this film truly unforgettable, I was literally still thinking about it for days after I saw it. The casting is perfect; Lakeith Stanfield is genuinely excellent as Cassius Green, with Tessa Thompson, Steven Yeun, Armie Hammer and Danny Glover providing noteworthy support throughout. If you are looking for something different and a little left of centre then Sorry to Bother You will not disappoint. 
FINAL SAY: If you beautiful perversions don't shut the fuck up, I'll turn you into glue! 
3.5 Chilli Peppers

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What's Your Favourite Movie of All Time?

11/9/2019

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Whenever I tell people that I have a website that is dedicated to reviewing movies they always ask me the same question - What's Your Favourite Movie of All Time? As a lover of movies, this is one of the hardest questions that I ever get asked because it is almost impossible to choose just one movie when I have seen and enjoyed so many.
There is a reason that I have a Hall of Fame page that is dedicated to movies that I gave 5 Chilli Peppers to, and that's because I find it so hard to compare movies from different genres against each other. If someone asks me what my favourite movie is, I usually respond with 'that depends on which genre you're talking about.'
If I could have the option of choosing a favourite in each genre, then I could definitely tell you my favourites without any trouble at all:
DRAMA: Manchester by the Sea
HORROR: Rosemary's Baby
SCIENCE FICTION: Interstellar
​WAR: Inglourious Basterds
SUPER: Avengers: Endgame
COMEDY: Snatch
CRIME/ACTION: No Country for Old Men
ART HOUSE: Youth
FOREIGN: The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) 
FANTASY: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
GRITTY: Melancholia
ROMANCE: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 
KID FRIENDLY: Kubo and the Two Strings 

So why are these my favourite films when I have so many more listed on my Hall of Fame that are also 5 Chilli Peppers worthy? Well that's easy, these are the movies that I go back to time and time again and always enjoy them just as much as I did the first time that I watched them. All of them had an effect on me in one way or another and all of them left me pondering after I had seen them. I guess that I really don't have one favourite movie of all time, I actually have 13, which also happens to be my lucky number! 
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ROSEMARY'S BABY
Release Date: 1968
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 136 mins
A truly brilliant psychological horror from Roman Polanski. Rosemary's Baby is a modern gothic tale, dark and mysterious and set in hip 1960's Manhattan; this is a film that will get you thinking and leave you thinking long after the credits have rolled. 
Rosemary and husband Guy are expecting their first child and have just moved into a new apartment. They are quickly befriended by an enthusiastic elderly couple who also live in the building, Roman and Minnie. However, Rosemary soon becomes suspicious of their motivations and what follows is a series of eerie interludes and states of increasing paranoia. 
This is thinking man's horror, subtle and disturbing in every way. Unlike so many horror films of the 60's and 70's, this film is not reliant on anything crass or cheap, there is a sophistication in its insidious tone that horror films struggle to match even today. 
Mia Farrow is very convincing as Rosemary, her slight frame making her an even more vulnerable target. And Ruth Gordon steals the show as the fast talking oldie Minnie. Not just for horror fans, Rosemary's Baby is worthy cinema for all. 
FINAL SAY:  Chalky Chocolate Mousse.
5 Chilli Peppers

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Stuff to Binge On!

8/7/2019

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One of the things that I do enjoy most about a mid-winter break is the ability to catch up on some late night viewing and couch potato antics without any guilty feelings whatsoever. Not having to get up and go to work in the morning allows me to indulge in the pleasure of watching entire seasons of television programs and back to back movies, and honestly it is just heaven. With a good strong coffee in hand, a couple of fluffed up pillows and a cosy blanket, I have managed to wonderfully while away many of my holiday evenings in front of the idiot box and I am more than happy to share my joyful at home viewing highlights with you, should you also wish to indulge in some quality lounge room viewing. 

As far as television goes, there has been no shortage of high quality, engaging programming to get completely lost in this year. I have watched a tonne of television this year, more than I ever have before and a lot of it has been of a really high standard as well. The best that I have seen and would highly recommend so far this year are: (in no particular order) 
Escape at Dannemora (Stan) - dramatisation
Sally 4Ever (HBO - Foxtel) - comedy
After Life (Netflix) - comedy drama
Les Miserables (BBC - Foxtel) - period drama
Game of Thrones - S8 (HBO - Foxtel) - fantasy drama
American Gods S2 (Amazon Prime) - fantasy drama
What We Do in the Shadows (FX - Foxtel) - horror comedy 
This Country (Stan) - comedy mockumentary 
Forever (Amazon Prime) - fantasy drama
Killing Eve s2 (ABC iview) - crime drama
The Last O.G. S2 (Stan) - comedy 
The Let Down S2 (ABC iview) - comedy 
Bad Omens (Amazon Prime) - fantasy drama
Detectorists S3 (ABC iview)  - comedy 
Gentleman Jack (HBO - Foxtel) - period drama
Bridget & Eamon (Amazon Prime) - comedy 
Euphoria (HBO - Foxtel) - drama
Chernobyl (HBO - Foxtel) - dramatisation 
The Act: Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose (Hulu - Foxtel) - dramatisation 
Perpetual Grace (Stan) - art house 
Big Little Lies S2 (HBO - Foxtel) - drama
Stranger Things S3 (Netflix)  - science fiction

To be honest, quality movies to view at home have been a little thinner on the ground, but it is often quite hard for me to find things that I haven't already seen on streaming channels because I go to the movies so often. Seth and I have been trawling through a lot of classic horror, which SBS on demand has an excellent selection of, should you need to sate a yearning for retro horror like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Hellraiser or Scanners. Aside from that Amazon Prime has the largest B grade horror library that I have ever encountered, admittedly it is mostly shit, but you can find the odd retro gem in there as well like Night of the Living Dead, Carrie,  Zombieland and the Friday the 13th Series. 
However, without further ado, here is a list of the best movies that I have watched on the couch (not at the cinema) this year so far: (again listed in no particular order)
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool - Netflix (Romance) 
It's Actually a Funny Story - Netflix (Drama)
Suspiria - Amazon Prime (Horror) 
Hush - Netflix (Horror) 
Tully - Netflix (Drama)
The Poughkeepsie Tapes - Stan (Gritty) 
Observance - Amazon Prime (Horror)
American Animals - Foxtel (Crime) 
I am Mother - Netflix (Sci-Fi) 
Pin Cushion - SBS on demand (Gritty) 
Mandy - Foxtel (Horror) 
Full reviews of all of these films can be found on the corresponding genre lists in the drop down menu above if you're looking for more information.
Happy viewing my friends! 
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MANDY
Release Date: 2018
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 121 mins 

It's difficult to know how to explain this film, it pays homage to so many other great horror movies, and yet still manages to deliver something completely unique and utterly compelling. Directed by Panos Cosmatos and co-written by Cosmatos and Aaron Stewart- Ahn, Mandy has received widespread critical acclaim for it's visual style, engaging soundtrack, originality and Nicolas Cage's epic performance. 
In a secluded mountain cabin, Red (Nicolas Cage) and Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) live a peaceful and happy life. That is until a deviant hippie cult and a group of demonic bikers decide to invade their home and attempt to abduct Mandy. 
With nods to Kubrick and Lynch, this is a trippy, blood soaked, revenge caper like no other. Deeply hypnotic, often disturbing and genuinely emotional, Mandy is definitely destined to become a cult classic and is a must see for fans of gory thrillers. 
FINAL SAY: I'm your God now!
3.5 Chilli Peppers

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Happy 5th Birthday Spicywatch!

9/6/2019

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Spicywatch.com has just turned 5, hip hip hooray Spicywatch! Apart from my family and friends, I don't think that I have poured this much of my spare time and energy consistently into anything before, and for as long as I can remember, I don't feel like I have loved or enjoyed pouring my spare time into anything as much as I have loved sharing Spicywatch with all of you wonderful readers. 
Watching and reviewing movies is not just a hobby for me anymore, it is an important part of my life now. For five years I have shared my thoughts, my opinions and my passion for cinema with you all, and so far I have managed to review 790 movies that I honestly believe are worthy of your time and effort to view. I look forward to one day having 1,000 movies on my Spicywatch genre lists that are worthy of your time, but it will take me quite a few more years to get that far. 
Last nights celebrations were focused on the Best Music Moments in Cinema, which is a broad topic, but extremely fun one to investigate. Musicals were most welcome, but not mandatory, and as it turned out, there are actually a huge number of movies that have very significant and memorable music scenes in them that are actually completely non-musical movies. 
My wonderful and supportive friends and family gathered in Enfield to share a drink and their cinematic loves with me; and we laughed, sang and got our groove on to some of the most unexpected (but mostly excellent) musical moments that we could find.
And here is the extensive list of best music moments in cinema (from every genre) as chosen by my nearest and dearest, that made it to the Spicywatch 5th Birthday celebration screening in my living room last night:
Baby Driver (Bellbottoms) 
Pulp Fiction (You Never Can Tell) 
Beetlejuice (Banana Boat Song) 
The Skeleton Twins (Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now) 
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Twist and Shout) 
Coraline (Garden Scene composed by Peter Corrigan) 
Pretty in Pink (If You Leave) 
The Perks of Being  a Wallflower (Heroes) 
Napoleon Dynamite (Canned Heat) 
Little Miss Sunshine (Super Freak)
Straight Outta Compton (Boyz N Da Hood) 
The Blues Brothers (Shake Your Tail Feather) 
Two Hands (These Days) 
American Psycho (Hip to be Square) 
The Lion King (Circle of Life) 
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Space Oddity) 
The Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Ricky's Birthday Song) 
Guardians of the Galaxy (Mr Blue Sky) 
Moulin Rouge (Come What May) 
Mean Girls (Jingle Bell Rock) 
Trainspotting (Lust for Life) 
Sound of Music (Edelweiss) 
Reservoir Dogs (Stuck in the Middle) 
O Brother Where Art Thou? (I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow)
Risky Business (Old Time Rock and Roll) 
Easy A (A Pocketful of Sunshine) 
The Mask (Cuban Pete)
Nacho Libre (Encarnacion) 
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Origins of Love) 
The Big Lebowski (Just Dropped In) 
Pitch Perfect (Riff off) 
Purple Rain (Title Track) 
Love Actually (Jump) 
Bridesmaids (Hold on) 
Little Fish (Flame Trees) 
Slumdog Millionaire (Jai Ho)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Anything Goes) 
Singing in the Rain (Title track)
And one of my all time favourites: Mulholland Drive (Llorando/ Crying) 
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MULHOLLAND DRIVE 
Release Date: 2001 
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 147 mins
It's David Lynch on overload in this extravaganza of the weird and inexplicable. This is probably Lynch's most notable and yet utterly confusing piece of work, but like all Lynch movies, you need to watch it with an open mind and a willingness to get lost in the complexities of characters, behaviours and occurrences. 
A woman survives a double near death experience, only to find that she has amnesia. She hooks up with a wannabe starlet in Hollywood and the two attempt to unravel the truth of her past. However, their attempts only lead them further and further into a series of psychotic illusions that involve a mysterious blue box, a director named Kesher and a very strange night club called Silencio. 
Between the cowboy, the terrifying hobo, the dwarf in the wheelchair and the myriad of other creepy characters, this is intense and confusing viewing. However, it is so well acted and unusually directed that it leaves you with an intensely insidious feeling, like you have just witnessed something taboo and perverse. Clearly, Lynch achieves all that he set out to do, which was to get a reaction out of his audience. 
Naomi Watts is brilliant as the Betty/Diane characters, really demonstrating her range and ability as a young and upcoming actress at that time, obviously her roles would have been genuinely demanding given the extreme complexity of the characters. 
This is not a movie that everyone will like, but I don't think Lynch makes movies for people to like, he makes his vision and the audience can simply take it or leave it, making him a true visionary and revolutionist in the filmmaking industry. 
FINAL SAY: It'll be just like the movies. Pretending to be someone else. 
3 Chilli Peppers

8 Comments

Being Bigger

23/5/2019

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Nothing makes me feel more proud of myself than the moments in my life when I turn out to be the bigger person in a situation. Notice that I said the bigger person there and not the better person? Being bigger does not make you better, but it does make you kinder and more tolerant, not only to others but especially to yourself. Being better can make you faster, smarter and stronger, but it does not always make you bigger, in fact sometimes those qualities can actually shrink your ability to be bigger in certain situations. 
So what exactly do I mean when I say the bigger person? Well, in my opinion the bigger person is someone who can admit to their own faults, forgive others for theirs and move on gracefully from difficult situations or occurrences. Being the bigger person is a totally tough call, because when we are the bigger person we not only have to own our own shit, but we also have to forgive others for their shit as well and somehow find a space to move forward. Being bigger is always great in theory, but when you have to actually demonstrate it, it's a whole other ball game. 
For one, you have to fight off your own ego to be a bigger person. No-one wants to hear the bad stuff about themselves, it sucks and having someone else point it out is just torture. Most of us are well aware of our short comings and the last thing that any of us want is for someone else to point it out to us, especially in a blunt way. Bigger people can shake off the negative comments, search them, separate the bullshit from the truth, interpret the meaning behind it all and take anything valuable on board as an opportunity to evolve. Your ego cannot come into play if you want to be the bigger person, you have to take it in, process it, trash the crap and thrash the lesson. Bottom line is, it's hard. 
A bigger person never lets their emotions sit in the drivers seat when it comes to difficult situations or conflict resolutions. Bigger people keep it real, they don't get personal or petty and they stick to the facts. By only mentioning the things that are truths and steering away from assumptions, you're always going to come out as the bigger person. It takes skill to keep your emotions in check, learning to let things slide off you like water off a ducks back takes years of focused effort to master. I always try to remember that knee jerk reactions are for small minded people. Anytime that I have employed reactive behaviours in stressful situations in the past there has been nothing but carnage and I have always come off looking stupid, intolerant or just plain bitchy, and no one wants to be seen in that light. 
When you are the bigger person in the room during high stress situations, well it is something to be proud of, because it's a tough gig. Keeping yourself in check, not taking things personally and knowing that you shouldn't take things personally are incredibly good life skills to have in your tool kit. Every time that you can take one on the chin, own your own crap and move forward in a dignified way is definitely a sign that you're becoming a gentler, kinder and more well rounded person, and that is definitely something to be proud of. 
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​CARNAGE
Release Date: 2011
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 80 mins 
When two sets of parents meet in a Brooklyn apartment to discuss the fight that their eleven year old boys had in the park, things go from civilised to downright manic rapidly. 
Directed by Roman Polanski, this black-comedy is based on the Tony Award winning play God of Carnage by French playwright Yasmina Reza. A stellar cast that includes Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly really bring together all of the ugliness and viciousness of couples with children, played out in real time. 
No stone is left unturned as these four adults go head to head with each other with increasing levels of ferocity; displaying more childish behaviours than the children that they are meant to be discussing. All is stripped bare in this interesting and at times hilarious character study. 
FINAL SAY: Keep on stroking your ego. It's beautiful. 
3 Chilli Peppers

2 Comments

Getting Along

8/5/2019

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Regardless of how amicable, nice, funny, mindful, considerate or generous you are in this life, you are eventually going to come against someone that you just don't like. It may be someone that you're related to, or someone that you work with or someone that has come into your life because they are associated with another person that you know, and you are not going to like this person. They are going to grind your gears and irritate you, they are going to annoy you and because they now exist in your life, you may not always have the choice to avoid them. And this is where you need to employ your best diplomacy and intelligence, and just get along. 
Easier said than done though right? It is pretty hard to get along with someone that really ruffles your feathers and generally gives you the shits, but there are ways to get along, even in the face of great adversity. 
The first thing that you need to accept is that you are not going to like everyone, and also not everyone is  going to like you and that's totally OK. So OK in fact, that's it's practically perfect. Yep, that's right I said practically perfect. We all know that we do our best growing during our darkest times, so the people that we butt up against actually force us to grow in ways that we may not even recognise at the time. I have learnt more about myself through the people that I haven't liked than the ones that I have adored, and that is a fact. I may not want to go and have a BBQ with the people that I don't like, but I can recognise that these annoying individuals are triggering a very real and unpleasant reaction in me, which probably needs further investigation. 
Sometimes the people that annoy me the most are really just people that have very different ideas, points of view or social boundaries to me, which means that we could never really be great friends anyway, but that doesn't mean that I need to treat them like crap, that would be stupid and illogical. Tolerating people that you really don't like very much is a skill that intelligent people have mastered, and I have found in the past  that unintelligent people usually create their own dramas and demise anyway, so there is no need to engage anyone that annoys you any more than is absolutely necessary. 
When dealing with people that you don't like, you absolutely must have a terrific poker face, a really good and convincing one. A face that you can wear over the top of gritted teeth or clenched fists that makes you appear to be calm, open and diplomatic. This is you having self control over your emotions, not stooping to anyone elses levels of behaviour or adopting anyone else's body language; in short you appear to be neutral and in control of yourself. Adopting a good poker face and calm exterior will allow you to gain the upper hand over people that you don't like every time. And if they don't like you, well at least they won't be able to say that you treated them poorly at any point in your exchanges. Mastering your emotional reactions will help you to manage difficult or unpleasant people, even if you only appear that way on the surface, it's always worth doing. 
Sometimes the people that I find most annoying turn out to be people that I have just expected too much from. Just because you have yourself in check, that doesn't mean other people have as well. Expecting people to do as you do, or behave as you behave is just asking for trouble and will only lead to frustration and disappointment. Next time someone gets up your nose, check in and see what it is that you are expecting from them, odds are that it's more than they have the ability to deliver, so adjust your expectations and you'll find that you may not dislike the person as much as you thought that you did. 
And when all else fails and you just cannot stand someone that you have to deal with regularly, then just take a deep breathe, give yourself some space from them as much as you can and take some time to address what it is about that person that is triggering you off so much. Is it an isolated comment? An ongoing action? A lifestyle choice? Or is it just the way that they make you feel? Have you yourself contributed to the bad blood that you have with this person? Is it fixable? Whatever the reason, really analyse whether this person is worth all of the anxiety, stress and energy that you are giving to them. If you think that they are, then you need to take steps to clear the air and move forward in your relationship with them, if you think that they're irrelevant, then just keep that poker face going and get on with things. And always remember that you do not have to get along with everyone and that it's totally OK to find some people as annoying as hell. 
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STOKER
Release Date: 2013 
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 99 mins 
Let me just say, that I absolutely loved this movie. Written by Wentworth Miller and directed by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, this was the last film to be produced by Tony Scott, who passed away after production. Strongly influenced by Hitchcock themes, Stoker showcases the best use of dark and atmospheric imagery intertwined with a riveting narrative to play out like a gothic mystery that is guaranteed to keep you enthralled until the very last moments. 
India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) is left alone with her rather unstable mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) after her father is killed in a tragic accident. However, when her charismatic and virtually unknown Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) moves in with them, India finds herself inexplicably drawn to his mysterious and increasingly suspicious behaviours. 
Highly stylized in every sense, this is a beautiful and mostly melancholic movie that has an almost dream like quality to it. The tensions in Stoker run so high that they are positively palpable, I was just spellbound from start to end; the extreme close-ups, visceral music and stark imagery, I couldn't get this film out of my mind for days after. The acting here is exceptional, and it really galvanized Wasikowska's ability for me, definitely making her 'the actress to watch' from that point on. 
FINAL SAY: We don't need to be friends, we're family. 
4.5 Chilli Peppers

2 Comments

The Most Wonderful People

21/4/2019

2 Comments

 
I have been truly blessed in this lifetime to have some of the most wonderful people imaginable in my life. My children, my partner, my family, my friends - I have really drawn the ace card when it comes to good people; and everyday of my life is better for knowing these people. During my final week of autumn vacation I was fortuitous enough to share some of my time with people that I love, appreciate, respect and adore most of all in this world, and nothing can make you feel more wealthy and fortunate than having incredible people in your life can. I have shared delightful breakfasts with dear friends, had delicious cake and coffee with quiet confidants, chatted and giggled on the phone for hours with family members that are too far away, and shared sumptuous long lunches with my closest family members. 
I even managed to squeeze in a trip to Queenscliff with some friends during the week. We hired motorized scooters and rode them along the Bellarine Rail Trail in the late afternoon, arriving at a coastal winery called Basil's Farm just as the sun was setting. We enjoyed some good wine, nibbles and even better company in the still of the early evening as we sat by the bay watching the sky change from blue to pink to purple. We happily took a few choice bottles of wine back to our accomodation to share and had a lovely evening of drinking and chatting. It was really nice to get away and enjoy some good company, a little salty air and a change of pace for a while. 
Easter was an extremely busy affair, with Craig's birthday tossed into the middle for good measure. Thank goodness Zoe came down from Geelong for a few days to help me manage all of the cooking and running around that is required to host an Easter feast for a dozen people. In the end, it all went off without a hitch and everyone left with full hearts and even fuller bellies. Now I have a fridge that is overstocked with leftovers, which means that I can take a load off for a couple of days as we work through our stockpile of food provisions, so the whole event was a win-win for me overall. 
Seriously though, I really cannot imagine what my life would be like without all of the wonderful people that I get to share it with, these people support me, raise me up and offer me refuge when I need it most of all. The people that you surround yourself with do give your life meaning and do make it more profound, enjoyable and abundant by just being present. There are a million things in this life that you can be successful at, and a billion more material things that you can collect or earn, but there will never be a greater or more meaningful thing to gather into your life than the love, respect and quality time that you get to share with your good friends and family; it is absolutely priceless.
When you really sit back and take stock of how many incredible people you have in your life, you very quickly realise how blessed you truly are and how much meaning your life truly has. It isn't what we have that makes our lives meaningful, it is who we have in it that makes it more meaningful, so surround yourself with the most wonderful people that you can and get the best out of your life every day, because you deserve to. 
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MARY AND MAX
Release Date: 2009
Rating: M
Running Time: 94 mins

A beautifully composed and lovingly crafted Australian, stop motion animation, written and directed by Adam Elliot. This is one of those films that sticks with you, because it is both wonderful and harrowing in so many ways. The film deals with a range of different themes including Asperger's Syndrome, childhood neglect, depression and anxiety; tying them altogether in a tale about an unlikely and enduring friendship. 
Mary Daisy Dinkle is a lonely and neglected eight year old from Mount Waverley, Australia. Daisy is desperate for a friend, so she randomly chooses the name Max Horowitz from a telephone book and writes him a letter asking if he would like to be her pen pal. Max is an obese, autistic, 44 year old man that is both challenged and engaged by Daisy's letter, and a life long pen friendship begins. 
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Colette, Eric Bana and Barry Humphries all lend their voices to the cause, and the overall effect is brilliantly affecting. This film deserved far more attention than it received, so if you haven't seen it yet yourself, then I suggest you do soon.
FINAL SAY: You are my best friend, you are my only friend.
4 Chilli Peppers

2 Comments

Finding A Hidden Gem

30/1/2019

3 Comments

 
I love going to the movies or sitting down to watch a film and finding a hidden gem. Sometimes I get the most delightfully unexpected surprise from a movie that I wasn't expecting it from, and I just love it when that happens, it really spins my tyres! And it really doesn't happen as often as I would like, a lot of the time when I leave a cinema or get off the couch after a movie I am left with a rather underwhelmed kind of a feeling or even worse, I start to contemplate the hours that I just wasted and will never get back again!
Life is way too short to waste reading bad books, watching poor movies and wasting your precious and valuable free time having mediocre experiences. Especially cinematic ones, after all that's why you have me! I've already found heaps of hidden gems for you, so you can just relax and enjoy the movies that I consider to be the best (and unmissable) hidden gems that you may have accidentally missed or overlooked.
Now, don't feel bad about it, people actually miss a lot of top quality viewing experiences all of the time because smaller and independent movies just get squashed by blockbuster movies, and most people just aren't going to the movies to see small budget or independent films. They also aren't going to the cinema half as much as I am either I would imagine, so it's more than likely that you've missed some of these rippers along the way, not through any fault of your own, but just from a lack of exposure; but never fear....I've got your back!
In no particular order (and remember that my full reviews of these films are on their genre lists if you want more information), here are my top 20 picks for hidden gem movies that you may have missed: 
  1. The One I Love (Romance) 
  2. Don Jon (Drama)
  3. The Cabin in the Woods (Horror)
  4. The Only Lovers Left Alive (Art House)
  5. Short Term 12 (Drama)
  6. A Ghost Story (Art House)
  7. Wind River (Drama)
  8. Once (Foreign/Romance)
  9. Calvary (Art House/Foreign)
  10. Moon (sci-fi)
  11. Ingrid Goes West (Drama)
  12. Son of Rambow (Comedy)
  13. Sightseers (Foreign) 
  14. In the Mood for Love (Foreign)
  15. Young Adult (Drama)
  16. Beautiful Boy (Drama)
  17. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Drama)
  18. Youth (Drama)
  19. The Fall (Fantasy)
  20. The Grand Seduction (Comedy)
I have only been back at work for two days and I have already found my number one hidden gem movie of the year! How good is that? And when you are as movie obsessed as I am and constantly thirsting for quality entertainment, then that is something to get happy about!
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GREEN BOOK
Release Date: 2018
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 130 mins

Green Book is my favourite feel good movie of the year! Directed by Peter Farrelly and based on the interviews that Nick Vallelonga had with his father and Don Shirley (as well as the letters that his father wrote to his mother from the road); this inspiring, touching, funny and at times deeply confronting tale is such a joyful watch. 
Don Shirley is a sophisticated African-American classical pianist in need of a driver with some muscle to take him on tour across the deep south of America in the 1960's. Don ends up hiring Tony 'Lip' Vallelonga for the job, a fast talking Italian-American bouncer that proves to be so much more than Don had bargained for when he hired him.
Named after The Negro Motorist Green Book, which was an actual mid-20th century guidebook for African-American travellers that was written by Victor Hugo Green to assist them in finding hotels and restaurants that would accept them, Green Book is rife with political and social injustice. However, underneath all of the ugliness there is a wonderful tale about friendship, acceptance and courage. 
Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali make the perfect odd couple as Tony and Don, delivering equal amounts of humour and heartfelt sincerity to their intriguing and evolving characters, and the real life story being delivered here is certainly one worth hearing. 
FINAL SAY: The world's full of lonely people afraid to make the first move. 
4 Chilli Peppers

3 Comments

Kiwi Adventures

23/1/2019

4 Comments

 
Freshly back in Australia from our adventures in New Zealand, and what adventures we all had! I can honestly say that our family trip to New Zealand was one of the best trips that I have ever had overseas and now I am already keen to return and check out the New Zealand South Island as well.
The Gods truly blessed our trip and we had terrific and mostly mild weather for the entire duration, all of our Airbnb accommodations were even better than we had anticipated them to be and we managed to fit in everything that we had planned to do (and then some) without a hitch or a glitch along the way. And trust me when I say that we did plenty whilst we were there.
We only spent one night in Auckland before hitting the road for the Waitomo Caves to do the 'Black Labyrinth' glow-worm cave tour. This tour required us to don a wetsuit and caving gear, carry a flotation tube into the depths of the earth and then navigate ourselves through the uneven and dark terrain to see the glow worms that line the roof and walls of the caves. No-one told me that this tour would require me to leap backwards off waterfalls into water of an unknown depth in the dark whilst we were in the caves, if they had've I probably would've chickened out and then missed out on what turned out to be three of the funnest and most exhilarating hours of our entire trip.
For all of the initial fear, there was a tonne of fun to be had in those caves, and our guides were really helpful and knowledgeable and certainly  alleviated all of our concerns very quickly. The glow-worms are really dazzling and floating about in the dark water surrounded by their intense blue light is a pretty magical  and once in a lifetime experience.
We spent the next few days indulging in all of the exciting opportunities that Rotorua and the surrounding areas had to offer us. Which included a tour of Hobbiton (which made us all gung-ho to re-watch the trilogy again), a ride on a skyline gondola, some downhill luging, ziplining through the forests, kayaking on Lake Rotorua, zorbing (not for me thanks!), a Maori interactive experience and hangi (cooked in coals under the earth) dinner, a trip to see the thermal geysers and hot pools, a visit to a wildlife park to see a kiwi up close and personal (turns out that they are nocturnal birds, which I did not realise until I went to see one) and we also celebrated Seth's 14th birthday as well!
For the five days that we spent in Rotorua we stayed on the lake in a home owned by a movie lover like myself, which meant unlimited access to thousands of DVD's and also included a hot-tub, a daily visit from the resident swans and around an acre of immaculately landscaped gardens to explore, tough going I know, but someone had to do it!
From Rotorua we headed to the largest lake in New Zealand, Lake Taupo. Lake Taupo is large enough to fit Singapore inside of it! No shit, it's really that big! We went out on a yacht to take a look because there are some incredible Maori carvings out there that can only be reached by boat, and even though we sailed on the lake for the entire morning, we only saw around 6% of it. It has it's own horizon for goodness sake, it is absolutely massive! We had a lovely couple of days chilling out and enjoying our final days of lake life at Taupo. 
From there we headed down to our final destination of the trip, Wellington. The home of the vampires from What We Do in the Shadows and the city that Wellington Paranormal (one of my personally favourite TV shows) is based on. We stayed on the edge of the North Island in a flashy modern beach house that shares its neighbourhood with Peter Jackson. We kept our eyes open for any sign of him, but sadly he wasn't anywhere to be seen.
However, we did get to see a seal which was lazily sunning itself and hopping into the sea for a cool down swim off the rocks just across the road from our accommodation, which absolutely chuffed me! I haven't observed a large wild animal (without a handler) doing whatever it likes that close up before, usually you have to pay for those kinds of experiences, it was a real treat. There were also penguin nesting boxes there as well, but I think that the seal may have scared them away, so we didn't get to see them in action, but apparently they do cross the road regularly in that area because our Airbnb host told us to watch out for them. 
The coastline provided us with plenty of opportunities to collect abalone shells (paua shells), observe starfish and native sea life in the rock pools and also swim and snorkel. Our (I say our, but really it was mine) main priority whilst we were in Wellington was to visit the Weta Caves, which is a treasure trove of movie memorabilia and special effects information for movie geeks like me. I got a some great shots with the cave trolls from The Hobbit whilst I was there. And then in Wellington central we rode the city Cable Car to the peak of the city and strolled the botanical gardens taking in the incredible views and local flora. 
Fair to say that we were kept pretty busy, but it was a joyful level of busy. There was still ample time for sleeping in, eating out, shopping, meandering, meditating, late night movies and generally lollygagging in an awe-struck fashion at the incredible mountainous and green landscapes that we constantly engaged as we traversed the island. I have some incredible photographs of the amazing and altering terrain, it was so lush and made Australia look even more flat, arid and dry than I remembered it being when we left ten days ago, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't glad to be home again, because we all know that there is no place like home. 
Would I recommend a trip to the New Zealand North Island? Hell yes I would! Our family trip was worth every cent that we spent on it, we all had the best time in New Zealand and now we have a lifetime of memories of our time together to enjoy forever. It has been an unforgettable summer vacation  for us all.
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BOY
Release Date: 2010
Rating: M
Running Time: 87 mins 
Written and directed by Taika Waititi, Boy is a New Zealand coming-of-age comedy-drama, nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, it went on to become the highest grossing New Zealand film of all time at the local box office. With it's quirky style of comedy and darling child actors, Boy is sure to win a place in your heart. 
It's 1984 and eleven year old Boy, who is a devout Michael Jackson fan, is looking forward to the opportunity to get his know his estranged father. However, his father who has the parenting abilities of an unruly teenager, has only returned to searched for a bag of money that he buried on the home property some years ago. 
This film has been cast brilliantly, James Rolleston is perfectly cast as the colourful and imaginative character Boy, and Waititi does a fabulous job of being an irresponsible and pathetic role model for his two adoring sons. As much as I laughed, I cringed, because this is not only funny, but also truly poignant, touching and deeply moving cinema, delivered in a refreshingly new and artistic way. 
FINAL SAY: Wanna see some Michael Jackson dance moves? 
​3.5 Chilli Peppers

4 Comments

The Best Viewing Experiences of 2018

2/1/2019

5 Comments

 
That time has rolled around again, the time for me to collate all of my viewing efforts and put forward my recommendations for the best viewing choices of 2018. As I have mentioned before, quality television really dominated my time this year and I gave more 5 Chilli Pepper ratings to TV series than I gave to movies this year. To be honest, overall I do feel that the quality of movies this year was not as strong as it was in 2017, and I feel like I watched a lot more mediocre movies than I did last year as well, but sometimes that happens. 
In total I viewed 253 movies in 2018 and 133 TV series (some of which had several seasons). I have watched programs across every genre, and I can honestly say that there were excellent offerings in all of those genres in both movies and television. This year I am not going to list my least favorite viewings for 2018 because I have made myself a new years resolution to be more positive and to not focus on the negative things, so to list the worst things I saw in 2018 would be counterproductive to that resolution. Besides, as I have said before, even if I didn't love it, doesn't mean that someone else won't or that it is rubbish. At the end of the day, even the movies that we don't really enjoy have required a lot of time, money and effort to be produced; to shit on someone else's dream or vision is a pretty lousy thing to do, so I am choosing not to go there. 
I hope that you find something on these lists that you have not seen yet and can hopefully now explore. For full reviews of all of the recommended movies below, just go to the appropriate genre tab at the top of the page.
So without any further ado, here are my TOP MOVIE CHOICES (2018 release):  
  • ROMA - Foreign 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Hereditary - Horror 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Beautiful Boy - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Isle of Dogs - Kid Friendly 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • BlacKkKlannsman  - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • A Star in Born - Romance 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Tale - Gritty 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Paddington 2 - Kid Friendly 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Avengers: Infinity War -  Super 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Art House 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Upgrade - Science Fiction/ Action 4 Chilli Peppers  
  • John Leguizamo: Latin History for Morons - Documentary 4 Chilli Peppers 
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
  • A Quiet Place - Sci-Fi/ Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Annihilation - Sci-Fi 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Black Panther - Super 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Ready Player One - Fantasy 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • The Breaker Upperers - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Searching - Crime 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Game Night - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Love, Simon - Romance 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Bohemian Rhapsody - Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Blockers - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Here are my top recommendations for pre- 2018 releases that I didn't see until 2018: 
  • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Drama 5 Chilli Peppers (Hall of Fame)
  • Bright Star - Romance 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Wind River - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Good Time - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Shape of Water - Fantasy 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Coco - Kid Friendly 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Mudbound - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Call Me by Your Name  - Romance 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Ingrid Goes West - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • Beasts of No Nation - Gritty 4 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Tunnel - Foreign 4 Chilli Peppers 
BEST TELEVISION SERIES of 2018: 
  • Master of None S2 - Comedy/ Drama 5 Chilli Peppers 
  • One Strange Rock - Documentary 5 Chilli Peppers
  • Atlanta S2 - Drama 5 Chilli Peppers
  • Sharp Objects - Crime 5 Chilli Peppers
  • Patrick Melrose - Drama 5 Chilli Peppers
  • Kidding - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Who is America? - Comedy/ Documentary 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Here and Now - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Maniac - Sci-Fi 4.5 Chilli Peppers
  • Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events S2 - Fantasy/ Kid Friendly 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Mosaic - Crime 4 Chilli Peppers
  • The End of the Fucking World S1 - Crime 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Dirk Gently S2 - Fantasy 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Barry S1 - Crime/ Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
  • AHS - Apocalypse - Horror 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Mr Inbetween - Crime 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat - Documentary 4 Chilli Peppers
  • Just Another Immigrant - Comedy  4 Chilli Peppers
  • Mr Mercedes S1 - Crime  4 Chilli Peppers
  • Wanderlust - Drama  4 Chilli Peppers
  • The Miracle - Foreign  4 Chilli Peppers
  • Anne with an E S2 - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
  • Britannia S1 - Fantasy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Ash vs Evil Dead S3 - Horror/ Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Swedish Dicks S2 - Comedy/ Crime 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Future Man - Sci-Fi/Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • GLOW S2 - Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Detectorists S2 - Comedy/ Drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • Wellington Paranormal - Horror/Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
  • The Kominsky Method - Drama/ Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
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ROMA
Release Date: 2018
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 135 mins
 
A semi-biographical drama that was written, co-produced, co-edited and directed by Alfonso Cuarón who based the film on his personal experiences growing up in Mexico City. ROMA won the coveted Golden Lion award at the 75th Venice International Film Festival where it had its world premiere, and has since received unanimous praise, critical acclaim and many other award nominations. 
Set during the 1970's, we follow the daily experiences of Cleo, a young Mexican maid and nanny. Cleo works for Sofia and Antonio (a couple whose relationship is clearly in peril) in their home in Colonia Roma, a suburb of Mexico City.  She loving cares their four children and Sofia's elderly mother; sharing their lives, their triumphs and their hardships as together they navigate the turbulent and politically charged environment that they are living in. 
This film is so beautiful to watch, shot in moody black and white and full of lingering contemplative scenes, this is a film for true movie lovers and I adored it. Everything feels completely genuine and although this is just a movie about everyday people doing everyday things, it is absolutely engrossing and deeply affecting in every way.
Yalitza Aparicio is wonderful as Cleo and she is richly supported by a strong and capable cast here. I expect to hear a lot of Oscar and Golden Globe Award buzz around this film, and every bit of it would be deserved. This would be one of my favourite movies of the year and it should not be missed! 
FINAL SAY: We are alone. No matter what they tell you, we women are always alone. 
4.5 Chilli Peppers

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    Hi, my name is Barb.
    I crave excellent, high quality viewing experiences. 
    ​Share in my addiction. 

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