Wastebustas
Spotted near the Mt Vic lookout.
I dunno about the Greater Wellington guys, but I reckon the Wellingtonista could have put all this information on one sign – the only differnce between the two is the name of the poison, and the colour of the pellet.
Cinephilia: Italian Film Festival
The Italian Film Festival once again surveys the best of recent Italian commercial cinema. Based at their entirely appropriate new home of the Embassy Theatre, the Festival screens 16 different feature films over the next two weeks and the range means that there will (almost certainly) be something for everyone.
Highlights include The Girl By the Lake, a gripping psychological whodunit that won several Donatello Awards (the Italian Oscars) in 2008 as well as two prizes at the 2007 Venice Film Festival. Set distinctively in the northern Italian Dolemite region, the film follows the police investigation of a young girl’s death. Inscrutable detective Toni Servillo discovers several suspects, meanwhile his personal own life isn’t going so well.
Exposive Expression and Missed Opportunities
Our "coverage" of events here at Wellingtonista can be a bit scattergun at times. Like the tagline says, "random stuff about New Zealand’s capital city since 2005".
The general premise is that we write about stuff we like, from whatever angle we like. However if it isn’t featured, it don’t mean we don’t rate it, just means that we have been busy or some such.
Any-the-ho, last weekend was the Maori Art Market at Te Rauparaha Arena and Pataka Gallery in Porirua. It would have been great to see ta moko artist Mark Kopua at work but you snooze, you lose in this town.
Last Wednesday also would have been a great chance to attend a talk on Mana Whenua Maori History in Wellington, given by Morrie Love in the reopened City Gallery Wellington. It was free, damnit!
Never mind. It is good that Wellington offers so much to the curious and the brave; those who want to actually participate in the cultural life of this city. We will continue to fossick for cultural gems in the twitterstream and other places to alert you to what is going on out there but please forgive us if we miss some of the good stuff.
After the jump some stuff you shouldn’t miss this week (including tonight!):
Blowing each other’s trumpets (Part I)
The Wellingtonista drink a lot together, so it’s natural that at times we will end up blowing each other’s trumpets. Let us show you what we mean:
- Martha has opened up a new branch of the fabulous Wanda Harland at 24 Elizabeth St. Mt Victoria.
- Sue has another Craft 2.0 coming up on October 24.
- Joanna has started yet another blog. You are so entertaining.com is all about hosting events. The Pretties are also having another party/clothing swap that you’re invited to.
Review: Biography of My Skin
Miranda Harcourt’s new one-woman play "Biography of My Skin" has just opened at Downstage, and, crikey, it’s good. My co-theatre-goer Kowhai and I have spent a bit of time since discussing its impact on us.
The premise of "Biography of my Skin" is that it’s a one-woman biographical play written for actress Miranda Harcourt by her husband, Stuart McKenzie. So she’s telling her story, but in her husband’s words. Clever, huh?
The WOW that was
Well WOW’s 21st is officially over, although the decorations from the party are still up with the frufru pink tutu posters adorning bus stops around Welly. Now is the time to cash up, make assessments and ask the perennial question: Fab or Fug?
Last year a Wellingtonian took out the top spot with a leather warrior bird queen that was truly a-may-zing, go the home team! This year the supreme gong went to Alaskan David Walker for his entry ‘Lady of the Wood‘, made entirely of wood (even the curly blonde wig was made from wood shavings). David is a carpenter by trade and has made the long trip from Alaska for the last three years to enter WOW. Wellingtonians Hayley May and Fiona Christie won the runner up to the Montana Supreme Award and the top prize in the Gen-i Creative Excellence Award section, themed "fold" this year, with an entry entitled ‘Second Skin‘.
Chris Watson tomorrow night
Altmusic is proud to present Chris Watson, a founding member of influential experimental music groups Cabaret Voltaire and The Hafler Trio.
Watson is now one of the world’s leading sound recordists specialising in capturing the sounds of wildlife and natural phenomena, and he currently records for and makes programmes for BBC Radio 4’s Natural History Unit.
In 2006 Watson was awarded an honorary Doctor of Technology by the University of the West of England "in recognition of his outstanding contribution to sound recording technology, especially in the field of natural history and documentary location sound."
Chris Watson puts his microphone where you can’t put your ears.
In a performance you might hear the unearthly groaning of an Icelandic glacier or the voices and rhythms of the Humboldt current around the Galapagos Islands.
Tomorrow night, you will experience a Live Soundmap of Red Rocks as recorded by Watson and a team of local recordists.
Chris Watson at the Adam Art Gallery
Saturday 10th October at 8 pm, $10
Workshop at Fred’s at 4 pm, earlier the same afternoon
For more information about Chris Watson’s extensive audio career: ChrisWatson.net
Cinephilia: Opening This Week
As that old war film quote goes, "it’s quiet, too quiet": only three films opening this weekend as the mad rush of the last few weeks works its way through the system.
Back from the Festival (and haven’t I had to say that a lot recently?) is An Education, adapted by Nick Hornby from Lynn Barber’s memoir of growing up in 1960s England "before it became the 60s". Wise bods are picking newcomer Carey Mulligan for an Oscar nomination next year as the lead, and she’s very solid support from the likes of Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson and Peter Saarsgard (whose English accent is very good judging by the trailer). The director is Lone Scherfig who came out of the Dogme movement in the late 90s but also made the dark comedy Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself. Empire, Penthouse and Lighthouse.
The rest of this week’s new releases after the jump.
Beans!
Beans (aka Mr Ballbeam)- MC, worldwide maverick and global raconteur, is set to soon be shakin’ our minds, asses and possibly tectonic plates later this month of October.
A restless shifter, finder and pusher of boundaries — artistically, lyrically, sonically, Beans has been creating and perfecting his own style for over a decade, solo and as one quarter of seminal (and recently reunited) New York hip hop group The Antipop Consortium. Ever relevant, Beans teeters on the edge of the hip hop avantgarde, leading the charge against mediocrity wherever it exists. Inquiring impulses and relentless questing lead him to find others also seeking, collaborating and touring with kindred spirits as varied as they are amazing – Holy Fuck, Battles, Radiohead, DJ Shadow and Public Enemy to name but a few in a long list.
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7oMG81awEY]His most recent album, Thorns (2007) twitches, glitches and snaps with beats that run the spectrum from minimal growl to tongue-in-cheek cheesy, sweetly sleazy, while his words are angular and confessional, going for the jugular of reality — politics, sex, death, love, and music. The stuff that matters, that moves.
Prepare yourself to be moved, and in a pioneering spirit venture forth to listen, watch, shuffle, nod with arms folded, and maybe, just maybe even dance to Beans.
Sunday 25th October – Wellington – SFBH – $25
Support from Eru Dangerspiel & Alphabethead!
Tickets are $25 and available from Slow Boat Records or Under The Radar… updates and more info from Galesburg.
Announcing 4TAWA and a call for nominations
Go get yourself a big thick permanent marker and put this date in your diary right now: Thursday December 17 will be the Fourth (The) Annual Wellingtonista Awards. Yes, that’s right, it’s TAWA TIME! As is tradition, the awards will be at the lovely Mighty Mighty, and there will be all kinds of other goodness on the night that we have yet to announce. For now though, it is safe to say that we recommend taking the Friday afterwards off.
And what would the awards be without nominations? We want you to suggest who you would like to be nominated in each of the categories. This is where I break out the bold tags. This is your only chance to say who should be nominated. By the time we open up voting, it will be too late. Leave us your comments and suggestions now. Suggestions for nominations will be open until November 1, then we will take your ideas under advisement, and come out with our final lists. Voting will open in early November.
Categories for this year are after the jump.