Auckland, Wellington and televisual debate
This week’s episode Media 7 looked at the Auckland vs Wellington cultural debate sparked by the Metro magazine article (as previously covered here).
Russell Brown rounded up Simon Wilson – the article’s author; with Tommy Honey representing the arts in Wellington and Simon Prast representing Auckland.
It was a lively debate, and didn’t resort to much "us versus them" bullhunky, but they managed to slag off both Palmerston North and Hamilton. Heh.
They basically concluded that Wellington City Council supports the arts better than Auckland City Council does, and that there’s nowhere near Auckland’s Maidment Theatre to get a drink.
You can watch the episode here. The Auckland/Wellington discussion starts in part three (part one looks at the death of advertising, part two at – ooh – holograms).
Cinephilia: Opening This Week
Pick of the week at the movies must be The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke’s triumphant return to major leagues after years wandering in the wilderness. It’s a comeback of sorts for director Darren Aronofsky, too. His last film, The Fountain, was a strange and beautiful fable about trying to escape death but he’s probably best-known for Requiem for a Dream, nine years ago. Rourke plays a rung-out and strung-out professional wrestler trying to reinvent his life outside the ring. Readings, Penthouse, Lighthouse Petone.
In other news, Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Make a Porno) tries a change of pace as a (possibly) evil nanny in the chiller The Uninvited (Readings and Sky City Queensgate) and my favourite B-movie action hero Jason Statham returns as the eponymous Transporter in the third episode of Luc Besson’s action series. Big question in Transporter 3? Is Frank Martin gay. The director has a perfect action movie name: Olivier Megaton. Readings and Sky City Queensgate.
Earthly
We Wellingtonistas have been strong supporters of Earth Hour in the past, and even though Keith Ng gave it a damned good fisking over on Public Address, we’re still behind the concept. And so, it seems, are a lot of local bars and restaurants, with Wellingtonista favourites Fidels, Sweet Mother’s Kitchen, the Southern Cross, Caffe
Italiano and Trade Kitchen among the many places offering candelit dinners on Saturday night. We just hope it doesn’t make those poor, fragile roller girls crash into one another*.
Keith’s right that the actual energy saved in an hour will be minimal, and the powers (no pun intended) that be are unlikely to be swayed by the symbolism, but that needn’t make it an empty gesture. If it helps a few people understand the impact of their decisions, and look for practical options to save energy in the long term, then it will do some good. Keith points out that switching to low-energy light bulbs is, for most applications, a simple and sensible thing to do right now. So it’s just as well that as part of the Earth Hour promotion, Wellington City Library is giving away free CFL bulbs until Saturday.
[*not really]
Shhhh….some secrets
No, this isn’t a fellow Wellingtonista helping another out after a hard Friday night on Courtenay Place, it’s a pic of the New Zealand Medical Corps in 1917.
This Saturday at the Film Archive (7pm, entry by koha) Dr Chris Puglsey is presenting a peek at some of the oldest surviving films in the Archive, from 1910-1920 of the New Zealand experience during WWI.
Dr Pugsley is a total hoot (teaches at Sandhurst – yes that’s right, the school of choice for Wills and Harry) and he’ll be joined by live piano accompaniment.
Cinephilia: Opening This Week
It’s a busy week at the Paramount: exclusive seasons of Atom (The Sweet Hereafter) Egoyan’s new drama Adoration and the documentary The Spirit of the Marathon started today along with a shared season of Al Pacino Shakespearean vehicle The Merchant of Venice. Pacino plays Shylock, and fans of his Richard III doco Looking for Richard will already know Pacino’s facility and enthusiasm for Shakespeare’s greatest characters. Merchant is also playing at the Lighthouse in Petone.
Tony Gilroy’s debut feature Michael Clayton was a stand-out last year and he’s constructed a new (although lighter) corporate thriller in Duplicity. Clive Owen and Julia Roberts star as spies teaming up to sting two rival companies. I enjoyed it a lot but remember almost nothing. Regent-on-Manners, Readings, Sky City Queensgate.
{The rest of this week’s new releases after the jump]
Works on Paper
The window at Bowen Galleries in Ghuznee Street is often chocka with all sorts of interesting tidbits of visual art, and right now is no exception with the Works On Paper "group-show".
Works On Paper features a selection of fantastic prints and drawings on paper by a number of artists: amongst them Kim Pieters, Greg O’Brien, Chris Salmon, Euan MacCleod, and…
Metaphorical Proximity (Otago), 2006 by Reg Mombassa!
Some Thoughts on the Botanic Gardens
Ahem … climbs up onto soapbox. I have something to say about the Botanic Gardens, the Council & Garden staff & some of the people who go there.
1. To the Wgtn City Council & Garden staff:
- Many thanks for the doggy-doo bag dispensers at the main gates, cable car & Rose Garden – I’m not sure if all dog owners have noticed them yet (more on that later), but even those of us usually packing more plastic than the dashboard of an 80s Japanese import get caught out now & then. If I’m allowed a wish list, then another one at the Glen Rd entrance and (dare I say it) Magpie Lawn would be grand!
- The ‘Get off your bikes & walk’ signs are really pissing some cyclists off, if the frequently ripped up signs are anything to go by. I think that ‘Please bike considerately – go slow’ signs would be a good compromise, particularly on those roads that are already used by cars. Everywhere else, they should walk. Most cyclists are considerate anyway (not all – and more on that later too).
- The playground used to arguably have the greatest drinking fountain in the Southern Hemisphere. What happened to it? The one there now is adequate, the other was attractive & functional. Could we get one at the top of the Cable Car too? And (dare I say it again) Magpie Lawn?
Fat Freddy’s Drop
So, Simon Sweetman’s live review of Fat Freddy’s Drop (he really, really didn’t like them) seems to have touched a nerve amongst some in the Wellington music scene. A few (actually, quite a lot) have come out in support of Sweetman – says Josef…
the perfect music for the iPod generation who wouldn’t know good music if it bit them in the ass.
And Hugh…
Thank goodness someone has seen the elephant in the room and had the courage to say it like it is. FFD as individuals may be talented, but the group sound is noise and inutterably boring. And the incessent chirping about how good they are is the ultimate sadness. Well done Simon
But, likewise, the FFD supporters are also out in force. From a guy called guy…
Your douchery has no limits. FFD are awesome. Regardless of what you think. You.. not surprisingly are not.
And Seb says…
How about realising the success they have had. They must be doing something right for them to do as well as they have. You just have poor taste in music.
So, what do you think? The Drop, hot or not?
[Updated – the poll, which wasn’t working for some users yesterday, should be ok now. Vote away…]
Calling all anime and manga fans!
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Gambarimashooooooo
The Film Archive is having a mini-Japanese Film Festival this week with support from the Japanese Foundation. And all the films are screening for FREE!
If you’re any kind of anime fan you’ll be rushing to see:
1979 anime classic – Lupin the III – The Castle of Cagliostro (Thurs 19) and the brilliant Death Note (Fri 20) based on the manga series of the same name.
On Wednesday eve (that’s tomorrow) there’s also the hurtling maritime action movie Umizaru 2 – Test of Trust which promises a wild ride.
All screenings start at 6:30pm and it’s on a first in basis.
Urban isolation
Terry Urbahn has spent a lot of time in bars and hotels – just the kind of guy we love here at the Wellingtonista.
He has an exhibition of selected works from 1994-2008 on show at the Film Archive mediagallery until 9 April, with the opening taking place tomorrow – Saturday 14 March at 5pm. This is a bit of a departure for the gallery. A weekend opening!
Come along and start your Saturday night right with a tipple and some great art – photography, video work, diorama and sculpture – by one of Wellington’s favourites. Everyone is welcome to celebrate this launch.
All of the work was made during Urbahn’s time living in Capital City (he currently lives in Sydney) but it’s the first time it’s been shown here…
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including the spectacular work The Sacred Hart (pictured) which is on display by special arrangement with Auckland Festival.
[Image courtesy of Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth]