I have strangely become very quickly accustomed to having less time to marinate in things lately. Don't get me wrong, I am still practising meditations and yoga, spending time in the kitchen and journaling and often contemplating and pondering as I like to; I still do enjoy a multitude of mindful and gentle practises. I just don't spend as much time sitting around anymore, or over -thinking things, because I honestly just don't have the time to that kind of thing anymore. 
See the need and sort it, make a commitment and stick to it and keep your integrity and honesty in check and usually things seem to go reasonably well. Sure there are evenings that we don't sit down to eat until 7.30pm or later, and when the day comes to an end I do look forward to the soft landing of my bed - when I am in town to be able to access my own bed that is. However, all in all - things have still been seen to and attended to and no one is freaking out about me being out of town regularly. I still have ample time to share with friends and family and I haven't had to give up any of the things that I love to do, so it really hasn't been as challenging as I thought it would be. 
I actually think that I may have been a bit of a time waster to be perfectly honest. A fluffer of sorts, just plodding along and often pouring way to much energy into things that never actually required it of me. And because I had more time, I wasn't as discerning about the ways that I spent it. I gave my time to people who, quite honestly, probably didn't deserve it. I can think of a few people that I poured a lot of energy, attention and care into that turned out to be a complete waste of my time. Now that I have less time that is my own, well I just can't be doing that kind of thing. The people that get a share of my free time now are the people that matter to me greatly - and it is as simple as that. 
You could say that too much free time had allowed me to create some unhealthy habits around the way that I invested it. I had a monkey on my back of sorts, because I had felt obligated to use up my free time and probably invested that time in some pretty bullshit 'people pleasing' things, but not anymore - no sir! That monkey  is off my back for good. Now I worry a hell of a lot less about pleasing other people and I spend a lot more time focused on what pleases me; and it's turned out to be incredible!
In the last month I've spent quality time with my husband, children, my grand-daughter, my mother, my best friends, my new work colleagues and my old work colleagues. I've gone out for drinks, caught up with mates for pizza, I've had spa treatments, and nights away with friends, I went to Tasmania for work, attended a sangha and a book club evening, hosted a Spicywatch movie night, stayed away in Shepparton, Melbourne and Portland, had lunch at a friends house and just last weekend went to the LUME in Melbourne to do yoga. This weekend I am hosting Easter in Enfield and next week I have another trip to Shepparton, a night with Zoe,  a trivia night and a New Moon Sound-bath happening. Happily busy, never bored and certainly not pouring any energy into things that don't deserve my time anymore!

Hitting my stride at the end of my now five week long respite and I can tell you, I could get used to this! Craig has been with me for the last two weeks and we have been living our very best lives every day with frequent visits to Bendigo to hang out with Freja and frequent trips to the couch to watch movies and relax in the middle of the day; it has been so restful and so rejuvenating. And it's the ability to have time for everything that is one of the most joyful aspects; the sheer uninterrupted and unconditioned time allowance that you can only get when you aren't worrying about or thinking about work. Time to be with people mindfully and completely, the time to spend fully immersed in a passion project or finishing a chore (that doesn't even feel like a chore because you aren't trying to squeeze it in around everything else) or just meditating (for 40 minute stretches) or doing yoga (for an hour) or having a glass of good wine with your lunch...ahhh...the absolute delight of being off the clock and choosing your own adventure on the daily. It's unlike anything else!
This is the longest break I have ever had in my life and I feel like it has given me a very clear glimpse into my retirement years, and if my retirement is only half as good as this break has been, I cannot wait! I have never loved my life the way that I love my life right now. There is something to be said for being able to do the things that you want to do whenever you want to do them that is not only freeing but also completely limitless in possibility. And in only a decade or so this could be my life everyday. Sharing time, indulging in my passions and choosing my adventures on the daily. The retired life sure is appealing but I've got a lot more work and money to save before that's a reality, so that little pipedream will need to be shelved as I head into the final stretch of my break which I will be spending a big chunk of in Fiji; snorkelling, canoeing, sipping cocktails and laying on the beach. It's a tough final call but I'm up to the challenge!
Perhaps one of the best things that this break has offered to me is some pause to take stock. Time to consider where I am at, what I already have and everything that I am grateful for. And there is plenty in my life to be grateful for. In Sweden they say that people run too fast in this life, so they need a good long break in order for their spirit to catch up with their body. This rest time allows reflection time and it is a vital component in becoming fully aware of your life and the blessings that you have. It is a time to be mindful and fully present - mind, body and spirit in all of the aspects of your life to that point and to allow for yourself feel whole and in tune again. I can honestly say that I have spent quite a bit of time contemplating my life and the blessings that I have this year and the last five weeks have really given me even more to reflect on. 
Since I have turned 50 I have felt more alive, in tune and more at peace with myself than I have ever felt before. My spirit has awoken this year and I find myself fascinated in the smallest of things and in awe of almost everything. I find inspiration and joy in everyone that I share time with now, and I feel a love for my family and friends that is resolute and powerful. My relationships bolster, strengthen and improve me and the quality of my life constantly. I am made better by every moment that I share with another, this I am now 100% certain of. The pleasure that shared time has given me is immeasurable and every relationship in my life has shifted to greater heights in the last year. I am surrounded by the best kind of people that give me their love and receive my love with open arms; how could anyone want more than that in their life? 
I also feel an incredible connection to country and a huge respect for every living thing. I am awe struck daily by the sights and sounds outside of my window. I love the land that I live on, I feel connected to it and it gives me joy beyond words or expression. I only need to step outside and be in nature to be refuelled. I only need to touch the trees, see the stars, hear the birds call, smell the air and feel the strength of the earth beneath my feet to know that I am exactly where I am meant to be. The silence and the time has given me back that connection, one that I know that I have tapped in to from time to time throughout my life, but now feel  like I am not just observing, but breathing in; every, single, day. 
So perhaps the Swedish are right, and maybe this time to go slow has given my spirit time to catch up with me. Whatever is happening, I do feel like this is all bringing me closer and closer to being the person that I have always wanted to be. A person who gives and receives love in equal measure, a person who delights in the joys of others as much as they do for themselves and a person who has nothing to prove because they are content to just be. One day, I hope to be that person but for now, I am also more than happy to be exactly where I am, in a state of best living. 

RYE LANE
Release Date: 2023
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 82 mins 
A romantic comedy, set in South London and directed by Raine Allen-Miller in her feature directorial debut. Rye Lane is an exceedingly enjoyable watch with terrific and likeable characters, a plausible storyline and an original style that makes it a fresh rom-com offering. 
Yas and Dom meet in a gender neutral toilet at a mutual friend's art exhibition. Having both recently broken up with their partners, they discover that they have a lot in common and unpack their experiences as they traverse the city together. 
At just over 80 minutes run time, Rye Lane is short, sweet and to the point, leaping in head first with fresh and witty dialogue and a youthful energy that is utterly infectious. The backdrop of South London is showcased in artistic and interesting ways, the soundtrack is fabulous and the two characters of Yas and Dom are delivered perfectly by newcomers Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson; easily making this the best romance movie of 2023. 
FINAL SAY: Peng? Refreshingly disarming?
4 Chilli Peppers ​

I remember Craig coming home from a Christmas party one night a few years ago, he was up to his eyeballs in alcohol and was, for want of a better word, utterly 'pissed.' He was so full of beer that he needed me to pull over so that he could pee on the side of the road on the way home to Enfield, which was only a 25 minute drive, but he just couldn't hold it in. As he was peeing on a tree in a tucked away corner he had the sudden realisation that he was just about to commence a four week holiday break, and he also had a big wad of cash in his pocket that was his annual Christmas bonus. He proceeded to call out as loudly as his lungs would allow (to no-one in particular - maybe some cows in the paddock) "I am living the dream!' He yelled it over and over again, all the way home in the car and to the kids when he stumbled drunkenly in the door. And I remember thinking, geez calm down dude, it's the Christmas holidays, it's not that big of a deal!
And I never really understood just how golden that feeling must've been for Craig at that moment, but I think that presently, I actually do. I am actually starting to understand what Craig was feeling that night that I drove him home with a skin full; he was feeling freedom and release, and joy - pure, pure joy. And I reckon that I have got that very same feeling inside of me at the moment (minus the beer and the Christmas bonus), the feeling of freedom and pure joy and it feels pretty amazing!
I may not be shouting it out to the cows in the paddock as I piss against a tree, but I do feel an overwhelming sense of joy in my life right now. I am, in Craig's words, literally living the dream. I am just about to end my two week school holiday break, which was without a doubt one of the busiest, most wonderful and deeply rewarding school holiday breaks that I have ever had in my life. And I am just about to commence six heavenly weeks of long serve leave, that includes a week in Fiji on a gorgeous stretch of private island with a personal chef and free cocktails - so yep, I get it now, just like Craig, "I am living the dream!" 
And, to be honest, I have been living the dream since my 50th birthday way back in March with more daily celebration than a champagne cellar! Seth and I did the Dahlia flower arranging workshop and lunch extravaganza (which was just beautiful), I had a full day of Mindfulness in Daylesford with the Buddhist community out there, I visited the Bendigo Stupa for their Enlighten event, I had Easter with my darling family (Freja came to Enfield - woo-hoo), I had a movie night and drinks with a dear friend and then afternoon tea with another; I went to Melbourne to see Groundhog Day with lovely Helen, had brunch with another friend, got to babysit Freja with Craig for a night, had another amazing Sangha, went to Sorrento and did an incredible French Cookery Class (Bon Appetit) with a bloody legend of a friend, went to the spa with another gorgeous friend, had my hair done and even got to spend time with Freja and Zoe in Bendigo every mid-week since I've been on break - just because I could - and it's been delightful! Tomorrow night is April Spicywatch movie night, which has been running successfully once a month this year and in a couple of days I will take my mother on a road trip to Bendigo for the day. Yes, yes, yes, I am living the dream and I have 6 more week of joy ahead of me as well. It feels like all of the flowers in my life have bloomed at once and I feel so very blessed and extremely fortunate.
​And I am sharing time; sharing precious, joyful time with so many beautiful and caring and wonderful people. My heart is full of smiles and warmth. I am grateful beyond words. This must be what it feels like to be living the dream. I get it, I am living the dream - 100% and I just don't want to wake up!

DREAM SCENARIO 
Release Date: 2023
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 102 mins 
An American fantasy-comedy film written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli that delivers something that is so bizarre, so funny and yet so disturbing in equal measure, and yet it still works completely as well. Nicholas Cage again delivers all of the talent that everyone knows that he has but for perplexing reasons does not always deliver upon; and here he shines brightly and carries the entire film to new levels of humour and discomfort in ways that only Nicholas Cage could. 
Paul is a mild manner biology professor that no-one really pays much attention to, that is until he starts to turn up in people's dreams. Paul is rocketed into fame by his ability to be 'inside' everyone's head, but when dreams turn into nightmares, people start to see Paul in a whole new way. 
There is something deeply sinister about the storyline in Dream Scenario as it unfolds, leaving the viewer, just like the main protagonist, reeling at the fickle changes of desirable pop culture and the swift retribution of cancel culture. It's certainly a surreal journey into the possibilities of futuristic dream intervention; which in itself is a frighteningly possible scenario to imagine. 
FINAL SAY: Trauma is trending these days.
3.5 Chilli Peppers ​

Another whirlwind month passes me by, and boy what a month it has been! I kicked off my birthday long weekend in style with a trip to the movies to see Dune Part 2 in Gold Class and then followed it up the next evening with a New Moon women's circle and sound bath session. Went to the Begonia festival, out for lunch and to the theatre with my mum the day before my birthday and then on my actual birthday I was spoilt rotten by my loving family and generous friends who showered with both attention and affection in buckets.
I had breakfast made for me, a gigantic flashy chocolate fudge cake and Thai food from my favourite Thai restaurant in Ballarat. And the gifts! Holy cow was I spoilt! So many generous offerings and lots of wonderful follow up adventures to be had as well that were gifted to me. Craig got me a Fitbit and my favourite French perfume, Seth got me a Dahlia flower arranging class and lunch - just for the two of us, Zoe got me a pass to the spa for a sauna, soak and a massage at Sanctuary Day Spa, Helen got me tickets to see Groundhog Day at the theatre in Melbourne in April and Michelle got me a French cooking Class in Sorrento that she is taking me to in April as well. Winning!
On top of that I went out to Drag Bingo with my work team, for a night of too many cocktails and so many belly laughs. Around 25 people came out to celebrate my 50th from work, which was just incredible; it was an amazing night! Georgia took me out for a Japanese dinner and wants to take me to Melbourne for a night out down the track and I also received a number of very kind messages and lovely gifts from many other people that share their time and energy with me. It was stunningly overwhelming, emotional and deeply moving for me. Turns out that turning 50 is not a bad thing at all, its a bloody awesome thing! And this year is shaping up to get better and better as it goes along. 
You would think that I couldn't top becoming a Bibi and turning 50, and yeah okay, maybe I can't actually top those things, but more joy is definitely coming! I start my long service leave in a few weeks and will be having a couple of months off work which is awesome on its own, but Craig and I have also decided to get away together for a break and we are heading to Fiji for a holiday in May. An overseas holiday - oh joy - it has been 5 years since Craig and I have travelled overseas together so we are really looking forward to this get away. And the extra time off is going to give me so much more time with Zoe, Ben and Freja as well. The distance between us has been really challenging since Freja arrived in the world and I am looking forward to having more quality time with my now extended family over the next couple of months - I just cannot wait! So yes! Life is beautiful and filled with joy and bursting with opportunity and good fortune, and I am so grateful for everything that I am experiencing. 
Oh, and let's not forget that the Oscar's also happened the day after my birthday this year as well, which just happened to be a public holiday so Helen and I hit the couch with some bubbles and a giant wedge of cheese to take it all in.
And just in case you missed it, here are the (not at all surprising) results:
OSCARS 2024 FULL LIST
Best picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best actor in a leading role
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer – WINNER
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction

Best actor in a supporting role
Sterling K Brown – American Fiction
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr – Oppenheimer – WINNER
Ryan Gosling – Barbie
Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things

Best actress in a leading role
Annette Bening – Nyad
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Emma Stone – Poor Things – WINNER

Best actress in a supporting role
Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
America Ferrera – Barbie
Jodie Foster – Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers – WINNER

Best directing
Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet
Killers of the Flower Moon – Martin Scorsese
Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan – WINNER
Poor Things – Yorgos Lanthimos
The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer

Best animated feature film
The Boy and the Heron – WINNER
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best adapted screenplay
American Fiction – WINNER
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best original screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall – WINNER
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives

Best cinematography
El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer- WINNER
Poor Things

Best costume design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER

Best documentary feature film
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol – WINNER

Best documentary short film
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
The Last Repair Shop – WINNER
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó

Best film editing
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Poor Things

Best international feature film
Io Capitano
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Teachers’ Lounge
The Zone of Interest – WINNER

Best makeup and hairstyling
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER
Society of the Snow

Best original score
American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Poor Things

Best original song
The Fire Inside – Flamin’ Hot
I’m Just Ken – Barbie
It Never Went Away – American Symphony
Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People) – Killers of the Flower Moon
What Was I Made For? – Barbie – WINNER

Best production design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER

Best animated short film
Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko – WINNER

Best live action short film
The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – WINNER

Best sound
The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest – WINNER

Best visual effects
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One – WINNER
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Release Date: 2023
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 206 mins 
An American western and also a crime drama, directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, who co-wrote the script with Eli Roth. Based on the book of the same name by David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon is not just a movie, it an epic, with an all star ensemble cast and enough corruption and intrigue to keep viewers riveted for the almost three and half hour run time. 
In Oklahoma in the 1920's, a series of grisly deaths continues to befall the Osage Nation People that have a strong hold on the land; due to striking oil. Behind these murders is the land grabbing and influential cattle rancher William King Hale, who will even use his own kin (and any other means available) to take down the Osage members from the inside so that the land inheritances eventually fall into his own family's hands. 
This is a sad story, peppered with the worst kinds of people doing the worst kinds of things. The Osage Nation are represented beautifully, with the main focus firmly placed on Molly Burkhart, a headstrong Osage whose family owns oil headrights. She is portrayed perfectly by newcomer Lily Gladstone and she is extremely well supported by Leonardo DiCaprio as her conniving husband Ernest and Robert De Niro as the awful uncle William Hale. 
Parts of this film are really hard to watch; seeing gentle people being swindled and manipulated continuously is not at all joyful, however the strength, dignity and spirituality of the Osage shines through at every facet  of this movie, and overall, Killers of the Flower Moon delivers something reflective, noteworthy and valuable. A must see epic that deserved all of the accolades and attentions that it garnered. 
​FINAL SAY: Can you find the wolves in this picture?
4 Chilli Peppers ​

Looking back across the landscape of 2023, I see that overall it was a year of massive growth for me. I did a lot more than I expected to do, faced some challenges, had some celebrations and also had some massive highlights along the way as well.
I do love to brag about my amazing yearly achievements, not because I want to rub anyone's face in them, but mostly because looking back and remembering a year completely really helps me to identify all of the joys, personal highlights and reasons to be grateful, of which I have many in my life. Just take a look over the epic year that 2023 was for me: 
JANUARY: 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene, Escape Room Adventure, Seth's 18th birthday,  Mini Spa Day, Enfield deck revamp, Seth got his license, Clunes Ghost Hunt, Seppelt Winery Tour, Halls Gap Road Trip, Chinese New Year celebrations, tuned in to the Triple j Hottest 100.
FEBRUARY:  Italian Dinner Party, Blackberry picking. 
MARCH: International Women's Day, My birthday, McQueen Exhibition, Harmony Day Intercultural Celebration, Kate Bush Tribute Show. 
APRIL: Easter Sunday with the family, April holiday break, Spa Day with Craig, Eastern European Dinner Party, Craig's birthday.
MAY: Spicywatch's 9th Birthday, Golden Plains Art Trail, Mother's Day.
JUNE: Mushrooming,  Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show, The Garden's of St. Erth, Torquay Trip, Zoe's 26th Birthday.
JULY: Winter School Holidays, The Sound of Music Theatre Show, Horror Movie night, Bishop's Palace Ghost Tour, Addams Family Theatre Show.
AUGUST: Immigration Museum, Middle Eastern Dinner Party, Borealis at Daylesford Lake, Book week dress up. 
SEPTEMBER: Amazing trip to Uluru, Father's Day, Spring School Holiday Break, Mum's 80th Birthday.
OCTOBER:  Girls Shopping Day, Photo Biennale in Ballarat, Moulin Rogue Theatre Show, Yoga at Chat for Tea, Yoga Festival in Bendigo, Halloween horror movie/ dinner night.
NOVEMBER: 29th Wedding Anniversary, Deep Blue Spa, Enfield Smoke event, Public Speaking Event, Zoe and Ben's baby Shower.
DECEMBER: Summer Holidays kicking off, Seth buys his first car, Wreath Making and Candle Decorating events, Enfield Xmas Brunch, Christmas Day with the fam, Family Smoke Event. 

There is a lot here to celebrate and appreciate that's for sure. And on top of all of that, I have also managed to squeeze in:

• Daily meditation.
• 66 books.
• Workouts - 5 times a week.
• 180 movies.
• 11,000 average steps a day.
• 160 TV series - a new record for me!
• 26 brunches/ lunches and  delicious restaurant meals with family and friends. 
• A daily French lesson on Duolingo.
• Brain Gym everyday for 10 minutes.
• A daily journal entry. 
• And....I reviewed another 38 movies on Spicywatch.com bringing the total number of reviews to more than 1,000! 

Woohoo! That's a lot of 'doing' for one year! 
And now, as 2024 gently unfurls itself before me I wonder what will arrive in the next 12 months. Probably the most exciting thing will definitely be the arrival of my grandchild! As for the rest, well only time will tell, but let's hope it's as exciting as the last year was!​

SALTBURN
Release Date: 2023 
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 127 mins 
A psychological thriller and a black comedy; written, directed and co-produced by Emerald Fennell, Saltburn is definitely one of my favourite films of 2023. Steeped in gothic mystery, chock full of unscrupulous characters and peppered with kinky interludes, Saltburn is deeply intriguing and absolutely original in every respect. 
Oliver is struggling to fit in at Oxford University. He becomes fast friends with Felix Catton, a rich and influential student that takes Oliver under his wing and asks him to join him at his family home 'Saltburn' for the summer break. Saltburn is a sprawling estate in the British countryside, filled with strange and entitled people and offering a release and a refuge to Oliver who has shared his tragic upbringing and difficult home life situation. But nothing is at all as it seems at Saltburn. 
Sumptuously designed from the costumes and sets to the exceptionally good soundtrack, Saltburn is a true jolt to the senses. Intoxicating in every way, you just cannot look away, especially from the incredible cast that sports the likes of Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Alison Oliver, Carey Mulligan and Rosamund Pike. This film made me long for a summer holiday and envy the privilege of wealth, but most of all, it made me laugh and it made me blush, and for that I am giving this a big fat tick and a very high recommendation. Feel the burn of Saltburn for yourself!
FINAL SAY: I'm sorry my performance wasn't good enough. 
4 Chilli Peppers ​

Yesterday was Easter Monday, the easter break has officially come to an end for yet another year; well for most people anyway! I am lucky enough to be stretching my legs out, kicking back on the couch and curling up with a good book as the days grow colder and darker by the hour because it is the Autumn school holiday break. We said goodbye to daylight savings time just over a week ago but it sure does feel like the that hour of daylight has turned into three hours of darkness ever since. I don't think that the cold snap of weather has aided that very much either, because the constant drizzle and grey skies have been pretty much relentless since the school holidays started four days ago. 
But you know me, always the optimist. This hazy Autumn weather has provided me with ample time to indulge my movie loving loins, read books, journal, bake, visit family (already taken two road trips) and sip good whiskey and wine by the heater with my delightful furry friend (Salem) on my lap. Hardly challenging for me at all. Poor Craig had to return to work today, but Seth and I are definitely enjoying the fruits of freedom with Seth indulging in his love of gaming and guitar playing and me luxuriating in long meditations, yoga sessions and bubble baths. Making it work people, I'm making it work! 
Easter was actually busy with us running about from one part of the state to the other as we navigated two family Easter gatherings outside of our home. This is unusual for us, because we are are generally the entertainers of most big events out here in Enfield, but this year Zoe hosted a get together and my mum hosted one as well, so it was a bit different. I can't say that I minded not having to be the host for a change, it is nice to change things up and not have to clean up everything after the fact as well. Of course I made things to contribute to the efforts, but it was more of a sit and relax Easter this year, rather than a cook, set-up,  clean and clear up afterwards event, so no complaints from me.
Needless to say there were many treats, most of which I managed to navigate with a pretty good level of self control and decorum. I didn't scoff a whole bag of chocolate eggs or inhale any chocolate bunnies, and I actually only ate three hot cross buns for the entire season, and although I may not have lost a lot of weight this week, I didn't gain any extra back on, so I am calling that a win. It has been a bit more of a challenge to get my 10,000 steps in with the change in weather, but I haven't quit and I feel really good about that. 
Now that my kids are all grown up, there is really no need for any Easter bunny carry on or egg hunting fiascos these days. Nowadays my children get things like slippers, PJ's, books, alcohol and random other fun stuff for Easter, basically anything that I would want to get! And in between all of the celebrating and drinking, napping and indulging that the Easter season offered, we did manage to get to the cinema on Good Friday for a little cinema action to see Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and if you (like me)  enjoy fantasy/adventure movies, then I would I recommend that you catch this one on the big screen yourself too. 
Hope the Easter season was kind to you all my good readers, stay well and warm. 

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
Release Date: 2023
Rating: M
Running Time: 134 mins
Sometimes you just want to watch a movie and have a bit of fun with it, no over-thinking or analysis required, just a 'sit back and enjoy' kind of a time. Well Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves certainly offers viewers that experience. This action adventure film, that is based on the role-play game of the same name, is a definite crowd pleaser and a well-cast slice of fantasy fun. 
A charismatic thief and a band of misfit and magical characters embark on a quest to retrieve a lost relic; and soon find themselves running into many dangers and disasters along the way.
Of course there is a quest, and magic, and adventure; what else would you expect from a Dungeons and Dragons movie? What I didn't expect was for it to be so amusing, charming and enjoyable. The visual effects are terrific, the costumes and attention to character detail are impressive and the cast are remarkably good and extremely well cast. Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez are at their best here and they are handsomely supported by an adorable Sophia Lillis, a villainous Hugh Grant and almost unrecognisably evil Daisy Head. 
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is easily as good as Guardians of the Galaxy in my mind, with less Spaceballs antics and more LOTR fantasy sprinkled in. Just have fun with it. 
FINAL SAY: This isn't some bedtime story; this is the real world!
​3.5 Chilli Peppers ​

Yep, yep, it's happening again, another awards ceremony and another excuse for me to get to the movies a lot more over the next few weeks. You all know that I love this stuff, but I also love to see what the nominations are because it basically maps out my viewing for the month ahead and gives me a very strong indication of the films that I cannot miss. 
There are so many films nominated for Best Picture this year and it's a total mixed bag of genres. So far, I have seen five of them, so I am half way through.  If you haven't even started to view yet, don't worry there is still plenty of time. The Academy Awards Ceremony will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel this time around and will air on Monday, March 13th, which also just happens to be a public holiday in Victoria, Australia so I will get to enjoy them in real time this year- nice!
And if you haven't seen the final nominations list, you know I got your back! Please see the 95th Academy Award nominations below:
​
Best Picture
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Malte Grunert, Producer
“Avatar: The Way of Water,” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh, Producers
“Elvis,” Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss, Producers
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert and Jonathan Wang, Producers
“The Fabelmans,” Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, Producers
“Tár,” Todd Field, Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert, Producers
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison and Jerry Bruckheimer, Producers
“Triangle of Sadness,” Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober, Producers
“Women Talking,” Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Frances McDormand, Producers

Best Director
Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 
Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”) 
Todd Field (“Tár”) 
Ruben Östlund (“Triangle of Sadness”)

Best Lead Actor
Austin Butler (“Elvis”) 
Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 
Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) 
Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”) 
Bill Nighy (“Living”) 

Best Lead Actress
Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) 
Ana de Armas (“Blonde”) 
Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”)
Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”) 
Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 
Brian Tyree Henry (“Causeway”) 
Judd Hirsch (“The Fabelmans”)
Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 
Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

Best Supporting Actress
Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) 
Hong Chau (“The Whale”) 
Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 
Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 
Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

Best Adapted Screenplay
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Screenplay by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” Written by Rian Johnson
“Living,” Written by Kazuo Ishiguro
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Screenplay by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks
“Women Talking,” Screenplay by Sarah Polley

Best Original Screenplay
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Written by Martin McDonagh
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
“The Fabelmans,” Written by Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner
“Tár,” Written by Todd Field
“Triangle of Sadness,” Written by Ruben Östlund

Best Cinematography
“All Quiet on the Western Front”, James Friend
“Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” Darius Khondji
“Elvis,” Mandy Walker
“Empire of Light,” Roger Deakins
“Tár,” Florian Hoffmeister

Best Documentary Feature Film 
“All That Breathes,” Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann and Teddy Leifer
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin and Yoni Golijov
“Fire of Love,” Sara Dosa, Shane Boris and Ina Fichman
“A House Made of Splinters,” Simon Lereng Wilmont and Monica Hellström
“Navalny,” Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller and Shane Boris

Best Documentary Short Film 
“The Elephant Whisperers,” Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga
“Haulout,” Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev
“How Do You Measure a Year?” Jay Rosenblatt
“The Martha Mitchell Effect,” Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison
“Stranger at the Gate,” Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones

Best Film Editing
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
“Elvis,” Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Paul Rogers
“Tár,” Monika Willi
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Eddie Hamilton

Best International Feature Film 
“All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany) 
“Argentina, 1985” (Argentina) 
“Close” (Belgium)
“EO” (Poland) 
“The Quiet Girl” (Ireland) 

Best Original Song 
“Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman,” Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler
“Naatu Naatu” from “RRR,” Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose  
“This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne 

Best Production Design 
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Production Design: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper
“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Production Design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole
“Babylon,” Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
“Elvis,” Production Design: Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy; Set Decoration: Bev Dunn
“The Fabelmans,” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara

Best Visual Effects
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank and Kamil Jafar
“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
“The Batman,” Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands and Dominic Tuohy
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White and Dan Sudick
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson and Scott R. Fisher

Best Animated Feature Film 
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” Joel Crawford and Mark Swift
“The Sea Beast,” Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger
“Turning Red,” Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins

Best Animated Short Film
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,” Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud
“The Flying Sailor,” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
“Ice Merchants,” João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano
“My Year of Dicks,” Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon
“An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It,” Lachlan Pendragon

​Best Costume Design 
“Babylon,” Mary Zophres
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Ruth Carter
“Elvis,” Catherine Martin
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Shirley Kurata
“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” Jenny Beavan

Best Live Action Short
“An Irish Goodbye,” Tom Berkeley and Ross White
“Ivalu,” Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan
“Le Pupille,” Alice Rohrwacher and Alfonso Cuarón
“Night Ride,” Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen
“The Red Suitcase,” Cyrus Neshvad

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová
“The Batman,” Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Camille Friend and Joel Harlow
“Elvis,” Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti
“The Whale,” Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Anne Marie Bradley

Best Original Score 
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Volker Bertelmann
“Babylon,” Justin Hurwitz
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Carter Burwell
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Son Lux
“The Fabelmans,” John Williams

​Best Sound
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte
“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges
“The Batman,” Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson
“Elvis,” David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson and Michael Keller
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Release Date: 2023 
Rating: M
Running Time: 109 mins 
Director Martin McDonagh delivers a despairing and melancholic depiction of life in Ireland in the 1920's. Speckled with humour and blessed with a deeply compelling storyline, The Banshees of Inisherin is both original and unforgettable in equal measures. 
On a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, lifelong friends Padric and Colm find themselves at an impasse when Colm decides that he inexplicably no longer wishes to be Padric's friend. The small town of Inisherin become involved in the dramatics of the men's failing friendship. 
At times I found this film is so desperately sad and then in the next moment, I was laughing out loud. It's a film that has it all and it is all held together brilliantly by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. McDonagh first brought the two actors together in 2008 for In Bruge, and their onscreen chemistry is no less dynamic here fifteen years later. Barry Keoghan manages to steal the show regularly with his portrayal of the trouble island lad Dominic and Kerry Condon shines as Padric's sister Siobhan. 
Filled with extreme behaviours, gorgeous Irish landscapes, strange characters and unsettling interludes, it's an entertaining watch that deserves every one of it's nine Oscar nominations. 
FINAL SAY: I'm not putting me donkey outside when I'm sad, okay?
4 Chilli Peppers ​

The last week has moved at a dizzying pace, I have been cramming so much into my days and attempting to make the most of the final days of the summer break. Things kicked off last Saturday evening with Seth's 18th birthday party. This was a backyard BBQ affair that involved around 25 teenagers in various states of drunkenness. It has been a long time since I have attended a young adult/teenage party and I am quite happy to not have to attend another any time soon. 
Clearly, very few of Seth's friends has much (if any) ability around gauging how much to drink (not surprising at all - who does at that age?). Anyway, this did lead to some people drinking more than their little bodies and brains could handle and it did cause some people to turn the stupid up to high. A couple of them decided to wipe themselves entirely and after emptying the contents of their bellies around the back yard, they proceeded to pass out and need to be either sent home or put to bed. Another hand full of them thought that running about in the bush would be fun at 1am and a couple decided the lure of the warm road was too much to resist and laid their bodies in the middle of the road, across the still warm bitumen to stare up at the stars. Needless to say, I had to put the kibosh of both of these ding-a-ling activities promptly in the name of health of safety. 
Aside from that, everything was pretty stock standard. No fighting, nothing broken and no-one seriously hurt - winning! Seth had a terrific time and drank for more than 12 hours straight which is both impressive and revolting all at once. He literally looked like a cave man the next day! Anyway, they all went to bed around 4.30am and everyone was gone form Enfield by midday the next day. Ahh...peace restored! 
This weekend was a different story entirely. Zoe and Ben joined us and we headed out to Clunes in the evening to do another paranormal investigation. This time it was The Lee Medlyn Home of Bottles. A creepy old building that was once a state school and an Interknit mill before Lee Medlyn purchased it and turned it into a museum for over 6000 old and historical bottles and other related objects. Was it weird? Yeah, of course, this place would be weird at midday. Was it haunted? Well, it was active but I kind of got the feeling that some of the old items themselves in the museum may have been more haunted than anything else.
It was a total hodgepodge of activity, and in spite of claims that were child ghosts, a lady and Lee Medlyn himself who died on the premise and haunted the space, most of the contact that we received was from guy named Jeff who seemed to be sweet on the young ladies - gross! And out in a back space, which was chock full of junk, I think that there is a haunted item with some kind of attachment to it. It was easily the dankest spot on the premises, with local volunteers refusing to go in there, in fact one of them told me to get out of the space because I was causing too much activity! Ah, that's what we are there for lady!
Anyway, I would've liked more time in there even though I was getting some disturbing messages. I did get a very odd photo with what appears to be a ghost in the frame, but I can't be 100% sure. It is a transparent person, that much is true, but it oddly looks a bit like our paranormal host and I am not sure what the hell that could mean and it also makes me wonder too much for me to be 100% sure; nonetheless, it's compelling evidence. Ghost captured or not, it was still a great night and another interesting visit. 
Before Zoe and Ben went back to Bendigo today, we celebrated Chinese New Year and had a massive five course lunch. It all kicked off with dumpling soup followed by spring rolls, marinated chicken wings, green tea and a Chinese salad. For mains we had Chicken and Cashew Stir fry and Beef with Black Bean Sauce and steamed rice, and to drink we had Chinese grape flavoured sodas. Dessert was a Chinese pudding with jelly and mango and to end it all we had Panda biscuits and Chinese fortune cookies. I spent a couple of hours prepping yesterday and another couple cooking it all today, it was massive effort and always leaves everyone very full for the rest of the day, but it is a delightful way to start the year and share a meal at home. 
And so, with only four more days of holidays I am focusing on enjoying the final moments and getting a couple more things done before the return. Aside from getting covid early on, it has been a wonderful and restful holiday and also a productive one. I think that I almost ready to go back....almost. 

BOILING POINT 
Release Date: 2021
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 92 mins 
An intense and heart pounding British drama, directed by actor turned director - Philip Barantini. This expanded version of the 2019 short film of the same name is performed in a one shot film set and moves at a head spinning pace and impressively manages to convey a plethora of disturbing information about the main characters in just over 90 minutes.
Andy is the Head Chef at Jones & Sons, an upmarket and busy restaurant in London. Andy's night ahead looks hectic with the restaurant double booked, the Health and Safety inspector on the premises and a celebrity chef booked in for dinner. Things just go from bad to worse as Andy attempts to manage the chaos of the restaurant against his own crumbling personal life. 
The tension is palpable in Boiling Point, you literally feel assaulted by this movie because there is so much happening. The cast are tremendous with Stephen Graham shining brightly as Head Chef Andy Jones and he strongly supported by Vinette Robinson, Jason Fleming and Ray Panthaki to name but a few. 
The entire movie plays out in the most immersive and convincing ways so expect to be roped in to the tightly wound environment of a kitchen under fire; like all good car crashes, it's hard to look away. 
FINAL SAY: I do not get paid enough to deal with this shit. 
4 Chilli Peppers ​

Just like 2021, the home viewing opportunities in 2022 grew so fast that I found myself juggling all of my streaming services, and I always seemed to have an over-abundance of new release material to trawl through. There was a head spinning amount to absorb this year, and I was also very grateful to be constantly receiving high quality recommendations from friends and family throughout the year as well.  We were again, all very spoilt for choice, and if you couldn't find something to watch in 2022 then you just weren't trying hard enough!
I managed to get through 205 movies and 158 television series this year. I also re-watched the entire Game of Thrones series, which was just as good, perhaps even better, the second time around. Basically, I was flat out watching something every day of the year and I still didn't get to half of the material that is on my 'to see' lists, but I did have a bloody good go at it!
The task of seeing everything has become arduous beyond anyone's means, and unless you are willing to permanently strap yourself to the couch and do nothing but watch movies and TV, there is just no way that you can manage to see it all. And so you must be discerning, and hopefully this is where I can offer a hand and some sound advice around what you should be investing in your time in; if you haven't done so already. 
Again, I was thrilled to be able to view great movies and TV across all genres, for which I am always grateful. In particular I really appreciated seeing so many excellent horror, thriller and fantasy offerings this year; most of which boasted stunningly good visuals and terrifically original storylines. I think that audiences are becoming more acclimated to a few scares and chills these days, and the demand for quality horror does thankfully seem to be on the rise. 
And so, without further ado....here is my selection for the best viewing experiences of 2022. 
BEST MOVIES (2022 release):
Everything Everywhere All At Once - Art House 4 Chilli Peppers
All Quiet on the Western Front - War/ Action 4 Chilli Peppers
The Sea Beast - Kids 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Barbarian - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Nope - Sci- Fi 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Blonde - Gritty 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
ELVIS - Musical/ drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers  
The Batman - Action/ Super 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Action/ Super 3.5 Chilli Peppers
The Northman- Action  3.5 Chilli Peppers
Thor: Love and Thunder - Action/ Super 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Fresh - Thriller   3.5 Chilli Peppers
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - Crime  3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Smile - Horror  3.5 Chilli Peppers

2022 HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
Hustle - Drama 3 Chilli Peppers
Terrifier 2- Horror 3 Chilli Peppers
Hellbender-  Horror 3 Chilli Peppers 
I Want You Back - Romance/comedy  3 Chilli Peppers 
Clerks 3 - Comedy 3 Chilli Peppers 

Here are my top recommendations for pre-2022 releases that I didn't get around to seeing until 2022:
C'mon C'mon - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
Licorice Pizza - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
Nightmare Alley - Horror  4 Chilli Peppers
Spiderman: No Way Home - Action/ Super 4 Chilli Peppers 
West Side Story - Musical 4 Chilli Peppers 
Flee - International 4 Chilli Peppers
Annette - Art House/ Musical 4 Chilli Peppers 
Nitram - Gritty 4 Chilli Peppers 
The Raid: Redemption - Action 4 Chilli Peppers 
Titane - Art House 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
The Love Witch - Art House 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Dolemite is My Name - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Antrum - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Ron's Gone Wrong - Kids 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Ghost Busters: Afterlife  - Horror  3 Chilli Peppers
Silent Night - Sci-Fi 3 Chilli Peppers
How I Live Now - War/ Action 3 Chilli Peppers 

BEST TELEVISION SERIES 2022:
Somebody, Somewhere - Drama/ Comedy 5 Chilli Peppers 
Atlanta S4 - Art House 5 Chilli Peppers 
Ozark S4 - Crime/ Drama 5 Chilli Peppers 
Maid - Drama 5 Chilli Peppers 
Better Call Saul S6 - Crime/ Drama 5 Chilli Peppers 
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson - Comedy 5 Chilli Peppers 
Dopesick -  Drama 5 Chilli Peppers
The White Lotus S2 - Drama 5 Chilli Peppers 
Severance - Fantasy 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
The Peacemaker - Super/ comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
Pam and Tommy - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
The Boys S3 - Super/ Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
This is Going to Hurt - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
FROM - Horror 4 Chilli Peppers 
Pistols - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
Umbrella Academy S3- Fantasy 4 Chilli Peppers 
Dahmer- Horror/ Crime 4 Chilli Peppers
Black Bird - Crime 4 Chilli Peppers 
The Bear- Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
What We Do In The Shadows S4 - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers 
Woodstock '99 - Doco 4 Chilli Peppers 
Love, Death and Robots S3 - Fantasy 4 Chilli Peppers 
Our Flag Means Death - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Stranger Things S4 Part 1 - Sci-Fi 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Mirror, Mirror by Todd Samson - Doco 3.5 Chilli Peppers 

2022 TV HONOURABLE MENTIONS: ​
House of the Dragon- Fantasy  3.5 Chilli Peppers 
The Serpent Queen - Period/ fantasy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Man vs Bee - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Colin from Accounts - Comedy - 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Always Sunny in Philadelphia S15 - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Bloods S2-Comedy 3 Chilli Peppers 
Ghosts S4 - Comedy 3 Chilli Peppers 
Lizzo's Watch out for the Big Grrls - Reality 3 Chilli Peppers
Moon Knight - Super 3 Chilli Peppers
The Outlaws - Drama/comedy 3 Chilli Peppers 
Brassic S4- Crime/comedy  3 Chilli Peppers 
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Fantasy 3 Chill Peppers 
The Sandman - Fantasy 3 Chilli Peppers 
Wednesday - Fantasy 3 Chilli Peppers 

After passing along covid to the entire family for Christmas we all found ourselves back together for new years eve. I mean, no risk of anyone getting sick if everyone's already riddled with the contagion right? There was little point to us all isolating from each other when we were all carrying the same strain and generally feeling fine; so, all of us 'sickies' congregated on the deck out here in Enfield to share a few nibbles and drinks, listen to some tunes and make some resolutions.
And looking back across the landscape of 2022, it really wasn't a bad year by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, things got a bit pear shaped towards the end, but generally speaking things were pretty cruisy and I got to do so many things once everything opened up again and the world got rolling again.
Here are some of my personal highlights from 2022: 
JANUARY: 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene, Smoker arrives in Enfield, Seth's 17th birthday, Bridal dress shopping with Zoe, Seeing Harry Potter - The Cursed Child in Melbourne, tuning in to the Triple j Hottest 100, Paint Your Mate event. 
FEBRUARY:  Chinese New Year celebrations, Smythesdale Fiesta, Ghost Hunting at Blackwood Pub, Spa day with Craig, Summersalt Music Festival, Blackberry picking. 
MARCH: Deep Blue Spa Day, My friends and family being a huge support to me when I had covid on my birthday!
APRIL: Easter Sunday with the family, April holiday break, ELVIS exhibition in Bendigo, Metal detecting with Ben and Zoe, Craig's Mustang arrived.
MAY: A trip to the Gisborne markets, Mother's Day, Spicywatch's 8th Birthday, Tour of the Old Ballarat Gaol, Seth's formal, Barwon Manor Ghost Hunt, Seth's Deb Ball. 
JUNE: Illuminate at the Bendigo Stupa, Mushrooming, Salem is born, Port Campbell Road Trip, Psychic expo, Winter School Holidays, Creswick Ghost Hunt, Zoe's 25th Birthday.
JULY: Winter Movie Marathon nights,  Road trip to Barwon Heads, Twin Peaks show at Hepburn Springs, POCO Short Film Festival, a trip to the Clunes markets. 
AUGUST:  Salem joined our family, The LUME gallery - Van Gogh exhibition, completed the Heritage walk, Book week dress up. 
SEPTEMBER: Father's Day, Spring School Holiday Break, Kyneton Ghost Hunting, High Tea at Fortuna, Girls Road Trip. 
OCTOBER:  Mother of the Bride dress shopping, Seth's last day at Damascus, Yoga Festival in Bendigo, Pumpkin carving, Halloween horror movie/ dinner night.
NOVEMBER: Hen's weekend in Melbourne with Zoe, High Tea at The Grand Hyatt, Zoe and Ben's wedding in Hepburn, Grade 4 Camp at Narmbool, Seth's Year 12 graduation, Spa day with Craig, 28th Wedding Anniversary.
DECEMBER: Carols event, Renault Koleos arrived, Summer Holidays kicking off, Christmas, fishing at Jubilee Lake. 

Pretty fair to say that even in spite of having had covid twice this year (once on my birthday and once at Christmas), getting my poor car's face pranged in and having to navigate the financial pitfalls of 2022, I have still had a really lovely year. 
There is a lot here to celebrate and appreciate that's for sure. And on top of all of that, I have also managed to squeeze in:

• Daily meditation.
• 62 books.
• Workouts - 5 times a week.
• 185 movies.
• 10,500 steps a day.
• 158 TV series.
• 42 brunches/ lunches and  delicious restaurant meals with family and friends. 
• A daily French lesson on Duolingo.
• Brain Gym everyday for 10 minutes a day.
• And....I reviewed another 45 movies on Spicywatch.

Woohoo! That's a lot of 'doing' for one year! 
And now, as 2023 gently unfurls itself before me I wonder what will arrive in the next 12 months. Only time will tell, but let's hope it's as exciting as the last year was for me. 

C'MON C'MON 
Release Date: 2021
Rating: M
Running Time: 109 mins 
A touching and truly effecting drama that was written and directed by Mike Mills. It's been a while since I have watched something this genuinely raw and real. With an undeniable sweet chemistry between Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman and filmed in moody black and white, this tale about an uncle and his nephew transcends in the simplest and purest of ways. 
Johnny and Viv have become estranged siblings since the painful death of their mother from dementia. When Johnny reaches out to Viv for the first time in a year he is saddened to hear about the struggles that she has been having managing her estranged husband's mental wellbeing. Viv reveals that she needs to be with her husband as they try to find him the correct care but doesn't have a carer for her nine year old son Jesse. Johnny volunteers to care for his nephew whilst Viv deals with her husband, and he and Jesse embark on a life changing road trip together. 
This is a stunningly beautiful movie about family loyalties, caring for others and uncovering unknown and foreign aspects of ourselves. The struggles and the triumphs feel incredibly plausible and as a parent, very relatable. The fragility and the strength of the ties that bind us to those we love are explored in sensitive and heartfelt ways and the cast is exceptionally good all round. 
C'mon C'mon is unmissable viewing, and it's definitely one of the best dramas to come out of 2021, so make the time to see it whenever you can. 
FINAL SAY: In your confusion and delight, you will forget where you came from.
4.5 Chilli Peppers ​

I have no idea what happened to most of December, or November, or most of the second half of this year to be truthful. I know that it happened, I can recall specific events and I know that a lot of amazing, exciting and happy things happened, but the time period is sketchy to say the least. It feels like this year has travelled at break-neck speed and swept me along with it. It's been beautiful and busy, filled with outrageous good fortune and wellbeing and although I haven't ticked off all of my 'to do's' for the year yet, I can say without a word of a lie that I have had a tremendous time. 
In the last few weeks I've squeezed in a Christmas Carols and a KK event, ticked off the staff Christmas parties for both Craig and I, had an early family Christmas gathering with the in-laws, hosted a long lunch on the deck, attended Christmas church service twice and kindly fare-welled all of my work colleagues for the summer break. 
Yesterday, I joyfully finished work for the year and now I have the better part of six weeks off. Six weeks! Wow, it's almost too good to be true. And I am at the very best part of it all, the start and the week before Christmas at that! A whole swag of good stuff in store for the next few weeks, not to mention getting old Spicywatch.com back up and cranking again. I have really let my blog and movie reviewing fall to the wayside this year and although I had good intentions to complete all of my 'to review' movie list this year, I still have 39 films to go. The problem is that I keep watching new stuff and then I have new reviews to do as well. I guess 39 is really manageable though, so 2023 is looking really good for finally nailing my back catalogue of movies and adding them to the lists. 
Seth and I have begun to explore the Christmas themed viewing genre again in the last week and we have noticed that there is a huge, if not colossal, array of really shitty and very average Christmas themed movies (many of which appear to be attempting rom-com) available on streaming services at the moment. I mean there are so many of them, and they literally all just popped up out of nowhere and seem to have a bunch of unknowns starring in them as well. I have given them a very wide berth and opted for a couple of oldies but goodies to get the Christmas vibes going. 
Last night we stumbled on Silent Night (see review below) and although I really liked it, it's not what I would call a 'feel good' Christmas tale. We have also really enjoyed re-watching some Aussie faves like The Moody Christmas series and Da Kath and Kim Code, neither of which ever fail to satisfy. We are saving Spirited (the new Will Ferrell Christmas movie) for Christmas Eve and we will still squeeze in a few more gems before the big day. It's just lovely to be able to waste a little time in front of the TV to be honest, finally it's time to exhale again!

SILENT NIGHT
Release Date: 2021
Rating: M
Running Time: 92 mins 
If it's fuzzy, feel-good Christmas viewing material that you after, then don't look here! Silent Night, written and directed by Camille Griffin, is certainly not fuzzy or feel-good in any way, we found that out the hard way when we chose to watch this the week before Christmas and got a little more than we had bargained for. However, if you like apocalyptic tales of terror and doom, them this will be right up your alley. 
This Christmas is a super special occasion for a group of friends who meet up every year, and that is because there is an imminent, deadly and unavoidable environmental catastrophe due to arrive within the next 24 hours.. The British government has issued suicide pills for a quick and easy death before the cloud hits Britain. As their final hours roll around, the friends and their children wrestle with their mortality and the morality of their situation. 
This film is terrifically cast with Matthew Goode, Keira Knightley, Roman Griffin Davis and Annabelle Wallis heading the line up, but in truth the entire cast carry this tale to new dimensions, and even the children are superb here. 
Silent Night may not be the brightest pre-Christmas watch, but it does pack an unforgettable punch. 
FINAL SAY: 
3 Chilli Peppers ​

Zoe and Benjamin are now officially Mr and Mrs Jones! After months of planning and preparation, the wedding day finally arrived last weekend, and what a wonderful day it was! I should really say, what a wonderful three days it was because we actually managed to get three days of joy out the wedding celebrations, starting with dinner the night before for immediate family members, then the actual wedding day on Saturday 26th of November and then a lovely family breakfast on the morning after the event. 
All of which were truly lovely, but nothing can compare to the actual event, the wedding ceremony and reception which were just so beautiful, so heartfelt and so perfect that I just couldn't get a smile off my face all day long. I have never loved or enjoyed a wedding, or another event for that matter, as much as I enjoyed my own daughter's wedding. I know that I didn't enjoy my own wedding nearly as much as Zoe and Ben's that's for sure. They had planned the most intimate, perfect setting and gathered together a handful of beautiful souls to share it with and it all felt so calm, relaxed and easy that even the photographer was shocked by everyone's high levels of zen. 
At one point the photographer turned to me while Zoe was getting some preparation/ pre-wedding shots done and said, "could you please go and get into your outfit on now?" Even though I was still standing around in a T-shirt and jeans, I thought he meant Zoe, and was shocked when he said -"not her, you!"  "Me?!?" I exclaimed, and his response made me laugh. He said "yeah, I think you have a wedding to go to in like an hour and a half, so as chilled out as everyone is around here, you will need to put on your outfit at some point!" Perhaps we were all a little too relaxed, but the photographer said the usual vibe at the hour before point of a wedding was usually a lot more manic and he wasn't used to everyone being so relaxed.  He laughed and said that he was starting to panic for us because it was weird to have everything so zen. 
Zoe and Ben were calm, all day long. And so was I, even though I was emcee for the event, I just never felt rattled. It was all so perfect. Perfect bride, perfect groom, perfect weather, perfect venue, perfect food, perfect guests and a totally perfect mood. And Ben and Zoe will never forget their special day, and not just because they declared their love for each other and pledged to support and cherish each other for the rest of their lives, but because they entered into a conscious commitment that goes way beyond that.
They've now chosen their life partner. They've chosen to been seen everyday as they are by each other, to share everyday together as it comes, to embrace the curiosity and uncertainty of life together and to validate each other’s hopes and dreams. They've chosen to be each others life witnesses from now and forever. And how beautiful is that?
And wonderful things come in the wake of big love, things like safety, comfort and transparency, and I cannot even begin to express how delighted it makes me and Craig to see that Zoe has found a love like that in Benjamin. As a parent it is really all you ever want for your children, for them to find true happiness in life.
And Zoe is not the only one hitting the jackpot in marrying Ben, because we have also been able to welcome a most warm, kind, generous and patient man into our lives along with Zoe. Ben has not only embraced all of the weirdness that comes with being in our family, he has also been willing to let his freak flag fly proudly along with us. We did not lose a daughter in Zoe marrying Ben, we gained another son and it's been a delight to welcome to him into our family and our lives also. 
Yep, there is nothing like the wedding of your own child to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, especially when it is as beautiful as Zoe and Ben's wedding day was. May their love, their joy and their zen be as timeless and wonderful as their wedding day was forever. 

​ROMEO + JULIET
Release Date: 1996
Rating: M
Running Time: 120 mins
This modern adaptation of Shakespeare's classic play Romeo and Juliet  is the most pleasing of the many attempts that have been made. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, Romeo + Juliet was his second film in The Red Curtain Trilogy, and Luhrmann shot to international fame off the back off this film, winning a lot of critic attention and awards for his efforts. 
Everyone knows the story, it's as old as time. Two rival gangs, the Capulets and the Montagues, are at odds, and Romeo and Juliet throw a spanner in the works when they fall madly in love despite the fact that their families forbid it. Juliet is already promised to Paris making things even worse, and the two seem to be doomed from start to end. 
This is the quintessential romance-tragedy, passions are running high and there is a lot at stake in the name of love. But Luhrmann's portrayal is so much more than just another Shakespearean adaptation, he has gone to painstaking efforts to keep the story fresh and alive. He has left all of the original dialect in, adding stark contrast to his work, and pushing his talented cast to really deliver. The soundtrack is a fabulous mix of funky and alternative songs which certainly adds a lot to the overall feel of the movie.
Girls everywhere were falling head over heels for Leonardo DiCaprio's powerful performance of Romeo, and Claire Danes is painfully beautiful as Juliet. However, my favourites were John Leguizamo as Tybalt and Harold Perrineau as Mercutio who both added some much needed depth and humour. It's a really well put together piece and it's worthy of a least one viewing in everyone's lifetime. 
FINAL SAY: Two households, both alike in dignity. 
3.5 Chilli Peppers

I have been dreadfully neglectful of my blog these past few months, however when you hear about how busy things have been around here you may be more forgiving. Since mid-October I have squeezed more action and adventure into my life than an Indiana Jones movie, I kid you not, I have had more ins and outs and ups and downs than a roller coaster in the last 6 weeks and although I long for a good TV embrace, I have barely had time to shower properly! 
Check out this list of my goings on and you'll start to get the idea of just how much I can ram into 6 weeks, whilst still work 5 days a week. It's actually pretty head spinning how much I have been able to achieve really. 

• Visited an art showcase
• Hosted a dinner party
• Went shopping for a 'mother of the bride' dress in Melbourne
• Went to friends for dinner
• Went my son's final day of school ceremony
• Went to see the specialist - twice
• Went to a yoga festival in Bendigo
• Wrote my emcee and mother of the bride speeches for the upcoming wedding
• Celebrated Halloween
• Went to the NGV
• Went out for Yum Cha in Melbourne
• Had a spa day with my daughter
• Went to Modiva's for dinner
• Went to a Bridal Shower high tea at The Grand Hyatt in Melbourne
• Went to a Grade 4 overnight camp
• Celebrated my in-laws birthdays with a family dinner
• Got my cat desexed
• Went to my son's year 12 graduation event and dinner 
• Had dinner with my mother in Ararat 
• Went out for a wellness massage and hydrotherapy spa with my husband
• Had my 28th wedding anniversary and went out for dinner
• And never missed a day of meditation, brain gym or French in the process!

And now I am rounding the corner to one of the biggest events that we have ever celebrated as a family - the marriage of our daughter! Zoe and Benjamin will be tying the knot and becoming a 'Mr and Mrs' in six short days time. They are having their special day in Hepburn Springs and I am going to be the emcee, so needless to say I have had to spend a fair amount of time writing and practising speeches and toasts as well. And I think that I am almost ready to go.  
Hopefully, I will deliver it all with just the right amount of magic, humour and joy to make their event run smoothly and seamlessly. May need to sprinkle a little extra magic on my speech though, because I really want Zoe and Ben's day to be extra special!

THE LOVE WITCH 
Release Date: 2016 
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 120 mins 
An art house comedy/horror that was written, edited, directed, produced and scored by Anna Biller, an independent feminist American filmmaker who consciously explores feminist themes throughout her work. The Love Witch offers a playful and colourful homage to the 1960's and Technicolour Hammer Horror films whilst  probing into contemporary gender roles and stereotypes. 
A beautiful young witch named Elaine is looking for a new start in life after the death of her husband. Elaine attempts to use spells and magic in an attempt to find a new suitor, and although she succeeds at getting men to fall in love with her, the long term results are disastrous. 
From the dramatic eye make up to the lurid bright-red fake blood effects, The Love Witch is a throwback masterpiece. Amusing and at times visually stunning, this film isn't subtle in any way and although it is slow, it still delivers in so many unique ways. Samantha Robinson is terrific as Elaine, bringing loads of feminine energy and rocking all that swinging '60s fashion with big charm and allure. Jeffrey Vincent Parise also does great job of Wayne, the first man to fall under Elaine's spell and that psychedelic sex scene is utterly unforgettable!
FINAL SAY: Men are like children. They're very easy to please as long as we give them what  they want. 
3.5 Chilli Peppers ​

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I love Halloween. I called my first cat Samhain (which was the name of the Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season aka Halloween) and my new cat is called Salem, home of the infamous witch trials. I like to go ghost hunting in my spare time, I adore horror movies and novels and love sweet treats. So yeah, of course I love Halloween. I love everything about it and who wouldn't? You can dress up in scary garb, eat tonnes of candy, pull out the tarot cards and Ouija board and watch creepy arse movies, to be honest it is kind of hard to find any negatives here. 
I wish that we had some scary haunted houses to walk through like they do in other countries though, and that more kids engaged in the trick or treat aspect of the holiday. This year, because of the dreadful weather, we hardly had any  little trickers come to the door in Enfield, which was so disappointing. I now have a massive bowl of uneaten candy to contend with, and considering that I still need to squeeze into my 'mother of the bride' wedding gown in less than a month, this kind of temptation is not welcome right now. 
We do have two banging Jack O' Lanterns at the front door though. Craig and Seth did a stellar job of carving up a couple of pumpkin heads for us. I bloody love a good Jack O' Lantern and I always feel much safer at Halloween with a couple of them burning at the entrance of our home. For those of you that don't know your Jack O' Lantern history, please allow me enlighten you. 
The carving of vegetable effigies and gourd heads has been common practise around the world for centuries. It is believe that the carving of  what we now call a 'Jack O' Lantern' at Halloween first began in Ireland in the 17th century when turnips and mangle wurzels were hollowed out to act as lanterns. They often had grotesque faces carved into them to deter uninvited guests. They were set out during Samhain when it was believed to be the time of the year that supernatural beings and the souls of the dead walked the earth freely for one night only every year.
On the 31st of October, the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is said to be at its thinnest, and by placing a burning root vegetable out of the front of your home and ensuring that it stayed alight all night, you were safeguarded from allowing any ill natured or unwelcomed spirit entrance into your home. 
Every year on October 31st, we have at least one Jack O' Lantern on our porch that burns throughout the entire night. And whether it is superstition or just good luck, we have not had any unwelcomed guests to our house on Halloween night either, so it is a tradition that has continued for us. Not only that, but they look so awesome and they are so much fun to design and carve.  The kids in our neighbourhood know that if they see the burning Jack O' Lantern on the doorstep then we are open for some serious candy distribution. 
Perhaps one day I will make it overseas for one of those big, glitzy and all out Halloween celebrations, but in the mean time I am happy to keep my Halloweens on the low down. Just me, my tribe, my good friends, my black cat, my Jack O' Lanterns, my horror movies and my unfortunately still too big bowl of candy!
​And for my keen horror viewers, here's my pick for this year's Halloween movie feature:

BODIES, BODIES, BODIES
Release Date: 2022
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 94 mins 
A suspense thriller with a slasher/ gore undertone, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies delivers dark humour and a rising body count in equal measure. Directed by Halina Rejin and written by Sarah DeLappe, this mystery driven tale about a bunch of entitled twenty-somethings will keep you guessing until the very last moments with an extremely satisfying reveal. 
Wealthy Sophie is hosting a "hurricane party" at a mansion owned by her family. As the weather closes in, the group imbibe a number of illicit substances and then decide to play "Bodies, Bodies, Bodies" which is a murder in the dark type game. It's all fun and games until someone has their throat slashed mid-game. Immediately, the group begin to turn on each other and suspicions start to spin out of control as the body count continues to rise as the night progresses. 
This is a well-crafted, modern, whodunnit that explores friendship loyalties, youthful archetypes and the effect that social media has posed around logical thinking and problem solving for our twenty-something cohort. The cast is pretty terrific, with Rachel Sennott, Pete Davidson, Maria Bakalova and Lee Pace bringing loads of youthful energy and believability to their roles.
Every bit as entertaining as the original Scream movie, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies is destined to generate a cult following in years to come. 
FINAL SAY: Did you just fucking shoot me? 
3.5 Chilli Peppers ​

The spring break came and went so fast that I barely had time to register just how good it was until I found myself back at work this week. The sun was mostly present for the two week duration and I managed to fill it with an amazingly enjoyable array of fun activities.
In the space of 16 days I squeezed in all of the following things:
A ghost hunting adventure in Kyneton
Dinner at an Asian fusion restaurant 
A brow sculpting and trip to the hairdresser
High tea at Fortuna in Bendigo with my family
Lunch at Enfield with a dear friend
A replant of my vegetable garden
A trip to the Ballarat public library 
A leisurely walk and lunch with another friend
A full re-worked of the front garden beds and I even planted some new spring blooms 
A road trip through central Victoria with friends
Another terrific Asian fusion dinner and I also had some time to spare to....
Clean out my wardrobe, my pantry, my make up and even reorganised my game cupboard. 
Read four books, watch ten movies and finish three TV series that I had on the go. 
Review ten new movies on Spicywatch; journal, work out and meditate everyday and I even tried out some new home cooked recipes on the family - which they loved! It was a terrific break and also a deeply rewarding one for mind, body and spirit. I returned to work feeling like I had enjoyed a good mix of leisure time, family and friend time, practical time and my fave, me time!
However, the very best of the year lies just ahead of us now as Craig and I prepare for the most wonderful events that will be happening over the next couple of months. Between now and the end of January 2023 we will be celebrating:

• Halloween
• Seth's Year 12 Graduation
• Our 28th Wedding Anniversary
• Zoe and Ben's Wedding
• Christmas
• New Years 
• Seth's 18th Birthday and hopefully, all going well...
• Seth getting his drivers license. 

All that in just under 16 weeks, should be a breeze right? Lucky I know how to hustle when I need to that's all that I am going say!

HUSTLE
Release Date: 2022
Rating: M
Running Time: 117 mins 
A sports drama directed by Jeremiah Zagar that was released by Netflix streaming service and received wide critical acclaim, mainly due to Adam Sandler's tremendously good performance. Now I'm not going to lie, I don't generally like sports dramas and I really don't know the first thing about basketball, but there is a real charm to this simple tale that makes it feel genuine and heartfelt without feeling forced or try hard. 
Stanley Sugarman is scouting for the next big basketball star for the Philadelphia 76ers when he stumbles across Bo Cruz in Spain. Bo is hustling for extra money in street basketball games and he is good, very good in fact. Stanley tries hard to get Bo into a Showcase game so that he can be signed, but Bo's streetwise manner, poor knowledge of professional basketball and lack of self control prove to be unforeseen and challenging obstacles to overcome. 
Adam Sandler is undoubtedly the heart and soul of this film, proving that he has come along way since his Billy Madison days of acting. He is well supported here by Queen Latifah who portrays his wife, Juancho Hernangomez (an actual Spanish basketballer) who plays Bo Cruz and dozens of real life basketball players who play themselves in this movie. 
Essentially, Hustle is a feel good sports film that will leave you with that fuzzy feel good vibe when it ends, it's sweet and it's simple and sometimes we all need a little bit of that. 
FINAL SAY: Do you love this game?
​3 Chilli Peppers ​

Spicywatch.com celebrated its eighth birthday last Saturday evening. And how she has grown over the years from a humble dozen or so movies reviews when I first launched her in May 2014 to the massive 933 reviews that she now has under her belt. In the 8 years that Spicywatch has been on the internet I have had over 130,000 hits and on average, good old Spicywatch manages to rustle  up around 3000 readers a month.
So naturally, I had to celebrate the wonderful and joyful occasion of Spicywatch's 8th birthday and invite some movie loving family and friends around to Enfield to share in the movie chatter. 
With the perfection and infinity of the number 8 in mind, I asked my guests to share a clip that they felt was perfect in some way.  It could be perfect in dialogue, scene, costume, lighting, atmosphere, composition or just perfectly memorable to them and something that they go back to time and time again. 
As it has been at every Spicywatch birthday occasion, we traversed all of the genres together; laughing, crying and remembering the movie moments that have stuck with us throughout the years. 
Here is a sampling of some of the movies that made it to the viewing arena for their perfect  and memorable scenes:

• The Fall
• Toy Story 3
• Everything Everywhere All at Once
• Pan's Labyrinth 
• Whale Rider
• Big Fish 
• Kill Bill 
• The Lord of the Rings 
• The Conjuring 2
• ​Samsara
• Moulin Rogue
• Marriage Story 
• Henry V
• House of Flying Daggers 
• The Lighthouse
• Soul
• Napoleon Dynamite
• The Great Gatsby
• Beautiful Creatures
• Fantastic Mr Fox 
• The Bourne Identity
• Mr Bean's Disaster Movie
• Shadow
• Rosemary's Baby
• Much Ado About Nothing 
• Dancer in the Dark
• Midsommar
• Suicide Squad 2
• The Great Beauty 
• Apocalypto 
• The Ghoulies 

Many thanks to the special people who gave up their Saturday evening and made the very cold journey out to Enfield to share the celebration of Spicywatch.com with me, your presence was a wonderful and treasured gift. Make sure that you keep on viewing because I am rounding the 1,000 review mark and we will definitely need to celebrate that when it happens! 

EIGHTH GRADE
Release Date: 2018
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 94 mins
Written and directed by stand up comedian Bo Burnham, this coming-of-age tale had me squirming in my seat with it's accurate and embarrassingly memorable recount of early adolescence and teenage awkwardness. 
Kayla Day is completing her final week of eighth grade and preparing to enter high school. Shy and socially awkward, Kayla spends her free time making motivational videos on YouTube that get little to no views. Between navigating social media, school cliques, crushes and her clingy single father, Kayla is just trying to do her best to stay optimistic. 
This movie feels so genuine and real, the character of Kayla (played perfectly by Elsie Fisher) offers an accurate and unpolished version of early teenage awkwardness that was so desperately missing from the coming-of-age genre and it is delivered in such a fresh and plausible way. 
Although completely different in so many ways to my own adolescent experiences, there were still moments when I recognised the awkward longings and difficulties of Kayla as I watched; proving that teenagers are still just teenagers and that growing pains haven't changed all that much in 30 years. 
FINAL SAY: Growing up can be a little bit scary and weird. 
3.5 Chilli Peppers ​

Over the years I have invested in a number of ghost hunting experiences. I have done the ghost investigation tour at the Aradale Lunatic Asylum in Ararat, the Ballarat Walking Ghost tour, the Melbourne Walking Ghost tour, a tour of J Ward in Ararat, the Old Melbourne Gaol tour and I have even been to Monte Christo in Junee which claims to be one of the most haunted sites in Australia as well.
In fact, all of these sites and tours claim to be in very active and haunted places and all them failed to deliver any ghostly activity that I would consider to be significant or particularly memorable. Now I am not saying that these sites aren't actually haunted, many if not all of them probably are, but I myself failed to have what I would consider to be a  significant ghostly encounter at tours of this nature; that was until this week.
Seth had desperately wanted to do a ghost investigation for his 17th birthday and we were all booked in to do just that on his birthday in January.  However, the God's did not smile upon this and not only did the tour guide get Covid-19 and have to isolate, but the actually site that we were going to investigate got totally flooded the week prior to us attending and had to close for refurbishment. Seriously, if that's not a sign that you're not meant to go then I don't know what is really. Anyway, we had to withdraw and reschedule for a future date and not wanting to leave it too long after Seth's birthday to get the ghost hunting rolling, I booked the two of us in to a ghost hunting experience and investigation session at the Blackwood pub last Wednesday night. 
The Blackwood pub is a small venue about 15 minutes outside of Ballan in Victoria. It was once a morgue for the graveyard that is adjacent to the venue and it's history is speckled with both tragedy and mystery which our guide and host "Dolly" informed us of whilst we enjoyed a hearty pub meal before embarking on two hours of ghost investigating. 
Armed with an array of ghost detecting equipment (that had been kindly supplied by our host) and an extensive knowledge of the history of the venue, we were allowed free reign to the venue and graveyard to explore at will. And I am not going to lie, I was not really expecting to experience anything much and had pretty much agreed to do the tour with Seth for a few shits and giggles. And how wrong I turned out to be. 
I can say without any hesitation that the Blackwood pub is haunted, very haunted. And I am not sure if it was the combination of people that were in attendance that evening, if it was just the right pace at the right time or if this place is always running this hot but both Seth and I felt  and saw a lot of odd phenomena that night. From scary shouting ghost box messages, flashing lights, EVP activity, orbs caught on camera, sensations of feeling compressed, dizzy, disorientated and listing from side to side to photos that appear to depict full apparitions, unseen movements and even ghostly faces - we had it all going on. Other people in the group of around 20 people claimed to being touched and grabbed, which thankfully Seth and I did not experience and one poor woman was even struggling to stay upright throughout the night. It was weird beyond all explanation and was easily the most significant and active ghost investigation tour/experience that I have ever been involved in. 
This was both good and bad. Good because if you are going to invest your time and energy in to doing a ghost hunting tour then you do want all of the bells and whistles and this certainly delivered on those fronts. However, it was also kind of bad because when you are around that much activity you need to make sure that nothing is latching on. I had to burn a shit tonne of sage and Palo Santo and do lots of white light meditations after the effect to make sure that nothing came home with us or had latched on to us. And I have never felt compelled to be that thorough when I have been doing a ghost investigation with a tour group before because they just aren't usually that active or significant. 
So would I recommend doing a ghost investigation of Blackwood pub? Yes, I would. But as I said before it is always hard to say just what it is that makes these kind of supernatural experiences amplify, because in all sincerity I have no doubt that someone else could do this tour and experience nothing at all. I personally do think that Blackwood pub is haunted and I do think that there are active spirits at the venue. Can I guarantee an experience if you go? Of course not, but when you stack it against the other ghost related tours that I have been on, it's the best experience that I have had in a tour group thus far and that is worth noting. 
Even if you are a total sceptic, at worst you'll still enjoy a decent pub meal and a little intrigue and a bit of local history. At best, like Seth and I, you'll be shocked and surprised by the levels of activity and creeped out for days to come about what you just experienced first hand. I don't know why I like this kind of stuff so much, at heart I have always loved ghost stories and the unexplained and having had lots of supernatural and eerie experiences all on my own I suppose that it is just nice to have a shared experience with like minded others as well. It is not only affirming but also very bonding, and what's not to like about that? 

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE 
Release Date: 2021 
Rating: PG 
Running Time: 124 mins 
Made for kids and playing out with as much youthful energy as The Goonies and enough sentimentality as any good Spielberg film, Ghost busters: Afterlife directed by Jason Reitman, delivers a simple and sweet supernatural tale that the whole family can enjoy together.
Egon Spengler, one of the original ghostbusters, passes away and leaves him weird home to his estranged family. Upon moving in, the youngest child of the family Phoebe discovers that Spengler is communicating with her from beyond the grave and is trying to warn her about an impending doom that lies ahead. A supernatural doom that consumed his entire life and now threatens the lives of everyone on the planet.  
There are plenty of call backs to the original film for die hard fans and all of the original gang make appearances at some point during the movie, except of course for Harold Ramis who originally played Egon Spengler in the first Ghostbuster film and passed away in 2014; and there is a tribute to him at the end of the film. Along with the old Ghostbusting crew, the new recruits: Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace and Logan Kim are terrific here and Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd fill in the shoes of the supporting adults nicely as well. 
I won't lie, it is a little sappy at times and super sentimental, but it is also a PG rated film, so it kind of needs to be. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is not a life changer, but it is wasn't a bad way to spend a couple of hours either. 
FINAL SAY: I don't remember this job being so painful. 
​3 Chilli Peppers ​

The whole gang congregated upon Enfield for a Chinese New Year's celebration and feast that stretched out for two days and forced everyone into stretchy pants due to the copious amounts of eating that we undertook. We ate and we ate and we ate, it was crazy! But it was also so lovely to come together and celebrate something a little different, festive and fun. 
This year is 'The Year of the Tiger', which happens to be my Chinese astrological sign so it was a little 'extra' celebratory for me. Chinese New Year has become quite a tradition in our home. Generally, we do something every year to celebrate this event. We all love to read about our Chinese horoscopes, feast upon an array of Chinese goodies and get together in February for a relaxed time in the mellow warmth of late Summer.
This year the cuisine went above and beyond and saw Craig and I preparing components the evening before and well into the next evening. It was over 24 hours of prep and cooking! In fact it was such a huge effort and undertaking that I have flat out refused to cook at all today because I am just all cooked out for a little while now.
​
Here's what we managed to come up with all on our own for a mighty Lunar New Year feast:
DRINKS AND NIBBLES: 
Melon and coconut cocktails 
Peach and Raspberry Iced Teas
Aloe Vera Water
Milk tea
Shrimp jerky
Prawn crackers
Panda biscuits
Coconut biscuits 
Ball cakes 
ENTREES:
Prawn gyoza
Veggie Spring Rolls 
Mini Beef Dim Sums 
Coconut and Lime Panko  Prawns 
MAINS:
Char Sui Smoked Pork
Sticky Chicken and Trout 
Special Fried Rice
Prawn and Mushroom Udon Noodles 
DESSERTS:
Coconut Milk Junket 
Fresh Mango
Raspberry Jelly
Mango and Green Tea Pocky 
Fortune Cookies

Now can you see why we needed stretchy pants and I cannot bring myself to enter the kitchen today? Hardly surprising that we were still eating Chinese food the next day right? It was a mammoth amount of food, and of course there are still a lot of leftovers to enjoy over the coming days because it was such a huge feast. 
But what a delightful celebration! Sure the food is amazing, and we are very fortunate to be in a position that we can have such an extravagant spread at our home - that alone is great cause for celebration. However, it is mostly about having the opportunity to gather the whole family together for a shared meal and experience that makes these kinds of events something to cherish and appreciate; especially when we have had to have so much time apart over the last few years because of the pandemic restrictions.
It's wonderful to share time together and be in the good company of those that we love most and I think that is what I like most about celebrating Chinese New Year as a family. 

A lot of people were probably really happy to see the back end of 2021. It was another year of COVID-19 madness wasn't it? From vaccinations to pandemic variants, we were subjected to more lockdowns and interruptions than ever before. Communities, workplaces and even families were divided by the decision to vaccinate or not vaccinate and we all tried very hard to keep our heads and our kindness in check as we navigated through another very strange year indeed. 
However, I don't want to whine on about all of the bad things that happened in 2021, I would much rather celebrate the great things that happened and reflect on all of the joys that I managed to squeeze into my time. 
Craig and I were just saying how blessed we were to be operating in virtual 'business as usual' mode during 2021. Unlike many people, we survived relatively unscathed. We didn't have any cut backs to our paid employment, we didn't have to navigate much work from home because we were both considered to be essential workers, we also thankfully did not catch COVID and neither did anyone else in our families and we all managed to get vaccinated with minimal side effects. I would say that these statistics alone would make us more fortunate than 70% of the people on the planet and certainly places us in no position to whine about just how bad 2021 was.
So, there will not be any complaining from me about 2021, instead I am counting my blessings, thanking my lucky stars and acknowledging just how grateful I am for all of the tremendous endeavours that I did get to enjoy  this year.
Here are some of my personal highlights from 2021:

Pretty fair to say that I have had a really lovely year actually.
There is a lot here to celebrate and appreciate that's for sure. And on top of all of that, I have also managed to squeeze in:

• Daily meditation.
• 61 books.
• Yoga 5 times a week.
• 213 movies.
• 10,000 steps a day.
• Nine trips to the cinema.
• 142 TV series.
• 30 delicious restaurant meals with family and friends. 
• A daily French lesson on Duolingo
• Brain Gym everyday for 10 minutes a day.
• And.... I lost 5 kilos and drank 1.5 litres of water a day.

Oddly, 2021 may well have been one of my most productive and focused years to date, go figure. 
Now, let's see what 2022 will bring my way!

DON'T LOOK UP
Release Date: 2021 
Rating: M
Running Time: 138 mins 
An American satirical science fiction film, written, produced and directed by Adam McKay that hosts a massive ensemble cast of Oscar winning actors and comedians. After receiving mixed review from critics upon it's release in December 2021, Don't Look Up went on to become a cult favourite, receiving four Golden Globe nominations and making the top ten movie list of 2021 from The National Board of Review and American Film Institute. 
Two astronomers attempt to warn humanity that a giant comet is on a collision course with Earth that will set about the total destruction of human civilization. However, with a world that is more invested in what pop culture icons are doing with their spare time, the fatal news is not properly received or heard. 
In my opinion this is one of the funniest and sadly also one of the most depressingly accurate films of the year. Slammed for being too heavy handed about total world annihilation, I think that this film was lost on people that don't have a good sense of humour, because it made me laugh out loud so many times. Sure it's not joyful material and the overall message about what the general population have the capacity to digest is undoubtedly provoking, but it is a science fiction comedy for goodness sake, so just have fun with it! 
The cast is insanely good here, from Meryl Streep to Leonardo DiCaprio to Jennifer Lawrence; to name but a few, the performances are solid and the story is genuinely engaging and entertaining. I really liked this movie and it will probably make my top ten of 2021 as well. 
FINAL SAY: You guys, the truth is way more depressing. 
4 Chilli Peppers ​

Officially had my final Christmas gathering yesterday, after an onslaught of festive get togethers that saw me at eight separate Christmas events in a row, in short, it was an insane amount of season celebration this year! Over the last eight days, I've had two brunches, three lunches, one afternoon tea, two dinners and a Christmas movie night and I personally hosted seven of these events at Enfield! Needless to say that after my last guest left yesterday I exhaustedly fell onto the couch and had a well earned nap. 
Over the festive season I have eaten my body weight in shortbread and gingerbread, I have feasted on pork, beef, trout, chicken and lamb, I have drunk countless cocktails, champagnes and wines and I have opened more than my fair share of lovely and thoughtful gifts. Needless to say, the house is now full of leftovers, I have gained at least a couple of kilos and as we round the bend towards New Year 2022 instead of thinking about drinking and celebrating, I'm actually just dying to hit the yoga mat, start some clean eating and zen out with a few long meditation sessions. 
Was it delightful? Oh my goodness, it was absolutely lovely to share so many laughs, treats, tipples, meals and tales with my nearest and dearest. I got some marvellous gifts; everything from a kilo tub of manuka honey (might sound weird but honey is one of my favourite foods), some earrings, gardening gloves, ceramics, fancy teas, plants, books, body lotions, a spa gift card and.... the most exciting gift of the season? Tickets to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne on January 22nd, which I will be seeing with Zoe and my best friend Helen, and I cannot wait! It was definitely the season to jolly and jolly I certainly was and I am extremely grateful to have been able to have such a lavish and joy filled Christmas season. 
The last few days of the year will be casual now, nothing too big or strenuous and no hosting any big events at Enfield for a little while now. I need a recharge and that will probably involve some reading, sleeping in, a trip to the movies, some binge re-watching of the Harry Potter series in preparation for The Cursed Child and a few long walks with a good audio book.  Still the season to be jolly for sure, just in a more peacefully joyful way for a spell I think. 

​THE HARRY POTTER SERIES
1. Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone
2. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
3. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire 
5. Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix
6. Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince
7. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1
8. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Release Dates: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011
Rating: The first three - PG The rest - M 
Running Time: Total - Approx. 1200 Mins (each film is approx. 2.5 hrs)
If I was reviewing the books instead of the movies here, it would be going straight to the Hall of Fame because the Harry Potter series is my favourite book series of all time. Not that I want to take away from the movies at all, because they are an incredible body of work produced over a full decade and I did go to the cinema to see each and every one of them. 
We watch Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe)and his trusty best friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) grow up and develop throughout the series; witnessing all of their trials and triumphs from childhood to adulthood. The films are beautifully set against the backdrop of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, London and the British countryside, all of which are visually pleasing in every way. 
The story line is just epic, the characters are incredibly extensive and each movie journals another year of the children's lives and another set of challenges that ultimately lead us closer and closer to the inevitable battle of good vs evil - Harry vs Voldemort. Each movie gets a little darker and clearly more complicated, ending in a very adult two part finale. 
When it comes to magic, this series wins hands down, everyone that watches will be longing to go Hogwarts and get their first wand. The cast is strong and diverse, the CGI is effective and not overdone and the whole experience is just...well, dare I say it....magical!
FINAL SAY: The best magical series ever made. 
4.5 Chilli Peppers

I have no idea what happened to the last two weeks of my life. Last time I blogged we were only heading into December and now we are almost half way through! Seriously, the time is just flying by and I really need to slow down and allow myself to smell the flowers because things are getting very busy and I don't want to miss the fun of the journey, particularly the last couple of weeks before Christmas. 
So, at this point all of the important things are done, like the Christmas shopping, which is 95% completed. The tree is up, some decorations are out, the Christmas cards have been mailed and I have celebrated the season over a couple of pre-Christmas dinners and tipples with my friends. I have one week of work left and then I get an almost 6 week respite from all work responsibilities, which is exciting beyond compare. I have a couple of lovely day trips and events planned over January but I am sporting a mostly free calendar for the better part of the Summer and I have serious plans to start 2022 happier and healthier than I was in January 2021, which I feel very confident that I will do.
And now the really fun stuff starts! Like menu planning for my Christmas gatherings and putting all of the finishing touches on the joyful and time consuming things. Things like table decorations, gift wrapping, baking treats, spoiling my friends, colleagues and neighbours with goodies and just generally spreading happiness and good cheer. Like I said, the best stuff!
I have a pre-Christmas dinner, a wreath making session, two brunches and a Christmas movie night planned in the days leading up to Christmas with my dear friends and I am sure that a few more delightful events will crop up before the big day as well. As for Christmas, well my mother will be joining us for Christmas brunch, Zoe and Ben will share a dinner feast with us, Craig's folks will spend Boxing Day with us and my nephew and his family will see us on the 27th of December for post Christmas luncheon. A busy, lovely, exciting and wonderful Christmas to look forward to this year. 
I have actually been doing a lot of things in the last couple of weeks that have nothing much to do with Christmas at all if the truth be told. Things that I have been doing just because they make me happy, like going to the movies (twice), restocking the bar and learning how to make some new cocktails, chatting on the phone for hours with friends, taking long walks in nature, doing yoga every morning, catching up with people who will be busy over the silly season for an early Christmas dinner and drink, having cocktails at a local bar with some friends, making cupcakes for my work colleagues because it's good to give treats, going shopping in Daylesford, travelling to Bendigo with Seth and experimenting with various forms of meditation practise. And, maybe most importantly of all, trying desperately to be kind and gentle with myself during this hectic time of the year, which can sometimes mean saying 'no thanks' or 'not right now' and putting boundaries around what you can physically or mentally manage at this time of the year. 
However you may be travelling, do remember to be kind, gentle and caring with yourself at this time of the year. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect Christmas, there is no ideal gift and there is absolutely no need to stress about any of it. Just do you, be you and enjoy the ride to the finish line, the holiday season is just around the corner!

Last week we all escaped to the countryside together. In contrast to the sights and sounds of our beloved Enfield homestead, we headed into the Dandenong Ranges to explore the mountains, waterfalls and forests of Victoria. It's an area of the state that I have really not spend much time in at all and with Seth's exams ending, Craig and I clocking our  27th wedding anniversary and Zoe and Ben just needing some respite from work, it seemed like a good a time as any to escape the rat race for a few days and recharge the batteries in nature. 
This short break offered everyone the opportunity to be outdoors, commune with nature and see some fresh, new sights. We witnessed cascading waterfalls, climbed steep mountains, gazed at rushing river waters, admired grand redwoods and breathed in everything that is good, clean and rejuvenating about being in the wilds. 
​2021 was a very restrictive year in general and we hardly wandered very far from our homes for over a year, so it just felt good to be able to be out and about, and the down time was certainly welcomed by all. The only problem with having a short break in November is the need to return to work and re-establish a routine. I found that I very swiftly got accustomed to being off the clock and living a life of leisure and abundance, but we are only another three weeks away from the school term ending, so I honestly think that I've got this. 
And as always, now my attentions are drawn to Christmas which is only 27 days from today. Every year it sneaks up on me and every year I sit down and write on my blog about how much there is to accomplish before Christmas Day arrives. And just as unsurprisingly, the day always does arrive and I am always prepared and ready when it does, so there is really no point in fretting about it or being concerned about how much will be done because it is really quite safe to say that it will all be done, like it always is and it will all go swimmingly well and we will all have a lovely time. 
So I now happily turn my attentions to Christmas with a joyful form of anticipation. As a family we have so much to look forward to in 2022 and I feel like things are only going to move from good to great from this point forward.
The future is looking super bright. 

Halloween came and went for another year. This year we all gathered in Enfield to carve pumpkins, eat our body weight in candy and various sugary substances and watch as much horror as we could squeeze into one weekend.  And boy am I am paying for it this week, not the horror binging but the candy overload.  My poor struggling system is working overtime in an attempt to remove the high sugar, chemical shit-storm that I have willingly smashed into my face over the last 48 hours.
I can still easily digest hours and hours of horror but my ageing body cannot process the filth that is put into lollies these days. What am I saying? That filth has always been in lollies, my body just doesn't know how to process it anymore because I don't eat that kind of shit anymore. I haven't really eaten sweets and ice-cream for the better part of a year now, probably not since last Halloween if the truth be told, and my system is giving me major push back for re-introducing toxins at such a high and furious rate. I have had bloating, cramps, headaches, insomnia and stomach aches like I haven't had in a very long time; a type of horror that I am glad to be seeing the back end of that's for sure. In the future my Halloween's are going to be squarely focused on the horror films and not at all on the candy, and I can assure you of that!
So back to the movies, I did manage to digest 6 horror films in total over the weekend between Friday and Sunday evening. We even managed to get to the cinema - God it has been an age! However, due to more relaxed COVID restrictions and the fact that we are all vaccinated I was thankfully able to receive my first cinematic embrace in 6 months. And did it feel good to slide back into those squeaky faux leather seats with the huge plastic drink holders and smell that buttery popcorn smell again? Oh yes, yes it did! How wonderful it was to be embraced by the darkness and noise of a cinema and how marvellous it was to be swallowed up in 100 minutes of mindless slasher horror that came in the form of (most appropriately) the latest offering in the Halloween franchise - Halloween Kills. 
Okay, not going to lie here, the movie was not great, however the experience of being back in the cinema for a full surround sound, big screen adventure most certainly was. And it seemed timely and extremely appropriate to engage in a Halloween film on the actual day of Halloween. Anyway, it may not have been my favourite offering in the Halloween franchise, but it did get us all out of the house and laughing a lot more than screaming in our seats, which for me is definitely a win and a mighty fine way to spend any Halloween. 

HALLOWEEN
Release Date: 1978
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 91 mins 
Anyone that knows me well also knows that slasher horror films are my least favourite of all the horror sub-genres. However, although Halloween is technically a slasher it was also the first film to launch a long line of other slasher films that followed, including the 13 instalments in the Halloween franchise. It also spawned the 'final girl' storyline through the long enduring character of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) whom we have all come to know and love, and it has an unforgettable soundtrack that could give anyone the chills. So it is fair to say that Halloween is probably the best, most genuinely original and renowned slasher horror film of all time, and for that reason it would be downright negligent of me to not acknowledge the contribution that it has made to the horror movie industry over the last forty plus years. 
Directed by John Carpenter, (who incidentally also wrote the movie's  haunting soundtrack) Halloween tells the story of a deranged mental patient named Michael Myers. Myers  was committed to a sanitarium for brutally murdering his baby-sitting sister when he was only six years old. Fifteen years later, Myers escapes the hospital facility on Halloween night and returns to his home town. Donning a bleached out William Shatner mask, Myer's swiftly commences 'getting his stab on' and embarks on a bloody rampage. 
With a penchant for baby sitters (particularly Laurie Strode) and bloody big kitchen knives, Myer's has managed to stab, strangle and mutilate his way through 13 Halloween movie instalments, a video game, a novel and even a comic book series, and has become one of the most iconic horror figures in history. Are all of the films great? Absolutely not, in fact are some are downright comical because they are so bad, but as far as the original 1978 Halloween film goes, there is no denying that it was certainly horrifying in it's time and it does deserve at least one viewing in every serious horror fan's repertoire. 
FINAL SAY: It's Halloween. Everyone's entitled to one good scare. 
3 Chilli Peppers ​

Just spent the last fortnight in a state of complete and utter holiday bliss. The sun was out almost everyday and when it wasn't, well it really didn't matter because it just gave me plenty of opportunity to laze about at home and do all of the things that I love to do. I have read seven books, binge watched entire TV series, done 40 minute of yoga each day, slept in for at least half of those days and also watch a movie everyday for 14 days straight and I don't feel even slightly guilty for indulging my passions or getting as much rest and relaxation time in as possible. 
I brunched with friends, picnicked in the local gardens, played tennis twice, walked 10,000 steps a day, meditated for hours, had my first restaurant lunch in months and caught up with family. I baked, cooked, drew, journaled and sat about on Pinterest to my hearts content and I have loved every moment of it. I have zero regrets and tonnes of gratitude for just how rejuvenating and rested I am feeling right now. 
I could mention how out of hand the COVID numbers are and how depressing it is to still be in a pandemic, but I'm not going to go there. Instead I am going to draw your attention to the mighty fine Emmy Award Winners for 2021 (which just happened to air on the very first of my holiday break- just to add a little icing to my happy time cake). And if you haven't seen the list yet, it's impressive and will definitely give you something to turn your attentions to if you need some distraction from the miserable state of the world right now. 

​Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Rosie Perez, The Flight Attendant
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
WINNER: Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
Juno Temple, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
WINNER: Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
Brendan Hunt, Ted Lasso
Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso
Jeremy Swift, Ted Lasso
Paul Reiser, The Kominsky Method
Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown
WINNER: Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown
Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Moses Ingram, The Queen's Gambit

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Anthony Ramos, Hamilton
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen's Gambit
WINNER: Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown
Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Boys (Rebecca Sonnenshine, Episode: "What I Know")
WINNER: The Crown (Peter Morgan, Episode: "War")
The Handmaid's Tale (Yahlin Chang, Episode: "Home")
Lovecraft Country (Misha Green, Episode: "Sundown")
The Mandalorian (Dave Filoni, Episode: "Chapter 13: The Jedi")
The Mandalorian (Jon Favreau, Episode: "Chapter 16: The Rescue")
Pose (Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals, Janet Mock, Our Lady J, Episode: "Series Finale")

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Bridgerton (Julie Anne Robinson, Episode: "Diamond of the First Water")
The Crown (Benjamin Caron, Episode: "Fairytale")
WINNER: The Crown (Jessica Hobbs, Episode: "War")
The Handmaid's Tale (Liz Garbus, Episode: "The Wilderness")
The Mandalorian (Jon Favreau, Episode: "Chapter 9: The Marshal")
Pose (Steven Canals, Episode: "Series Finale")

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
WINNER: Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Emerald Fennell, The Crown
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid's Tale
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid's Tale
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid's Tale
Madeline Brewer, The Handmaid's Tale
Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid's Tale
Max Minghella, The Handmaid's Tale
O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid's Tale
John Lithgow, Perry Mason
WINNER: Tobias Menzies, The Crown
Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian
Chris Sullivan, This Is Us

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
The Amber Ruffin Show
A Black Lady Sketch Show
WINNER: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Variety Talk Series
Conan
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Jimmy Kimmel Live
WINNER: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show
WINNER: Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
The Flight Attendant (Steve Yockey, Episode: "In Case of Emergency")
Girls5eva (Meredith Scardino, Episode: "Pilot")
WINNER: Hacks (Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky, Episode: "There Is No Line")
PEN15 (Maya, Erskine, Episode: "Play")
Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Episode: "Make Rebecca Great Again")
Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Episode: "Pilot")

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
B Positive (James Burrows, Episode: "Pilot")
The Flight Attendant (Susanna Fogel, Episode: "In Case of Emergency")
WINNER: Hacks (Lucia Aniello, Episode: "There Is No Line")
Mom (James Widdoes, Episode: "Scooby-Doo Checks and Salisbury Steak")
Ted Lasso (Zach Braff, Episode: "Biscuits")
Ted Lasso (MJ Delaney, Episode: "The Hope that Kills You")
Ted Lasso (Declan Lowney, Episode: "Make Rebecca Great Again")

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Aidy Bryant, Shrill
WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks
Allison Janney, Mom
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
WINNER: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
William H. Macy, Shameless
Kenan Thompson, Kenan

Outstanding Competition Program
The Amazing Race
Nailed It!
WINNER: RuPaul's Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice

Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Hamilton (Thomas Kail)
I May Destroy You (Sam Miller, Michaela Coel, Episode: "Ego Death")
I May Destroy You (Sam Miller, Episode: "Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes")
Mare of Easttown (Craig Zobel)
WINNER: The Queen's Gambit (Scott Frank)
The Underground Railroad (Barry Jenkins)
WandaVision (Matt Shakman)

Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
WINNER: I May Destroy You (Michaela Coel)
Mare of Easttown (Brad Ingelsby)
The Queen's Gambit (Scott Frank)
WandaVision (Chuck Hayward, Peter Cameron, Episode: "All-New Halloween Spooktacular!")
WandaVision (Jac Schaeffer, Episode: "Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience")
WandaVision (Laura Donney, Episode: "Previously On")

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
WINNER: Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown
Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit
Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision
Cynthia Erivo, Genius: Aretha

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Paul Bettany, WandaVision
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
WINNER: Ewan McGregor, Halston
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Emma Corrin, The Crown
WINNER: Olivia Colman, The Crown
Uzo Aduba, In Treatment
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale
Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country
Mj Rodriguez, Pose

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Billy Porter, Pose
Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason
WINNER: Josh O'Connor, The Crown

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards
The Oscars
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd
WINNER: Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020: Democracy's Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Bo Burnham: Inside 
David Byrne's American Utopia
8:46 - Dave Chappelle
Friends: The Reunion
WINNER: Hamilton 
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote

Outstanding Comedy Series
Black-ish
Cobra Kai
Pen15
Emily in Paris
Hacks
WINNER: Ted Lasso
The Flight Attendant
The Kominsky Method

Outstanding Drama Series
The Boys
Bridgerton
WINNER: The Crown
The Mandalorian
Lovecraft Country
Pose
The Handmaid's Tale
This Is Us

Outstanding Limited Series
Mare of Easttown
I May Destroy You
WandaVision
WINNER: The Queen's Gambit
The Underground Railroad

​AND...the best movie I watched over the spring holiday break was...

ANOTHER ROUND
Release Date: 2020
Rating: M 
Running Time: 117 mins 
A Danish film originally entitled Druk or "binge drinking" that was directed by Thomas Vinterberg and premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.  Another Round went on to great acclaim; winning the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards and then two BAFTA's in 2021. 
Another Round cleverly uses a mixture of dark humour and drama to address sensitive topics like alcoholism, mid-life crisis and pressure in the workplace to create a thought provoking and affecting dialogue.
Four teachers undertake an experiment to test the Finn Skårderud theory that human's are born with a blood alcohol content (BAC) that is 0.05 deficient. By imbibing just enough alcohol to maintain a 0.05 BAC reading, as long as they don't drink after 8pm and abstain altogether on the weekends, the four friends make a pact to see how this experiment will affect their lives. 
As you would imagine, getting partially drunk at work on the daily is challenging, especially when you are a teacher and the results are somewhat amusing but also quite disturbing.
Mads Mikkelsen delivers another solid performance in the lead role and he is very well supported by the Thomas Bo Larsen, Lars Ranthe and Magnus Millang as the drunken brotherhood. This film says a lot about our social attitudes towards drinking, our tolerance and acceptance of it as a readily available and social stimulant and just how easily excessive drinking can destroy lives and relationships. Another Round is truly food for thought and it really made me reassess the way that I approach alcohol in my everyday life. 
FINAL SAY: We're not alcoholics. We decide when we want to drink. An alcoholic can't help himself. 
3.5 Chilli Peppers ​

Spicywatch.com has just celebrated its seventh birthday! And how she has grown over the years from a humble dozen or so movies reviews when I first launched her in May 2014 to the massive 873 reviews that she now has under her belt. In the 7 years that Spicywatch has been on the internet I have had over 100,000 hits and on average, good old Spicywatch manages to rustle  up around 2500- 6500 readers a month.
So naturally, I had to celebrate the wonderful and joyful occasion of Spicywatch's 7th birthday, especially since last year I couldn't really do anything significant due to COVID-19.  So in the spirit of all things seven, I asked my guests to investigate the 7 Deadly Sins of gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust and envy and then choose their favourite clips from any or all of those categories to share. 
The event was a small but meaningful gathering and everyone had clearly done their research because we traversed the genres like never before. To give you some idea of the range of the movies that had a clip in the mix, check out this movie list of just some that I can recall from last night's line up. 
GLUTTONY:

• Mathilda
• Austin Powers 
• Spirited Away
• Chocolat
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Stand by Me
• The History of the World (Monty Python) 

PRIDE:

• American Psycho 
• Citizen Kane 
• Monty Python - The Holy Grail 
• The Joker 

ENVY:

• Fatal Attraction
• Eyes Wide Shut
• Howl's Moving Castle
• Moulin Rogue 
• Zoolander 
• Black Swan

LUST:

• Death Proof
• The Devil's Advocate 
• What We Do in the Shadows 
• The Witches of Eastwick
• Fatal Attraction 
• Team America 
• American Beauty 

SLOTH:

• Trainspotting
• The Goonies 
• The Big Lebowski
• Avengers: Endgame 

WRATH:

• Raging Bull
• The Shining
• Maleficent
• Office Space 
• The Lighthouse 
• Revolutionary Road
• Punch Drunk Love 
• Brothers 
• Kill Bill Vol 2
• Silver Linings Playbook

GREED:

• The Hobbit 
• There Will Be Blood
• Casino
• The Nightmare Before Christmas 
• Pocahontas 
• The Mummy 
• Marie Antoinette 

Many thanks to the few incredible souls that braved the weather to celebrate Spicywatch's birthday with me and thanks to all of my loyal readers that continue to check in, read my reviews, leave comments and support the growth of my little blog.