Petone Fair – TODAY!

Late notice, but the weather really made it seem unlikely the fair would go ahead, however in true pioneering fashion, Petone Fair is on today come hell or high water (which could well be the case).

 

Fortunately Petone is riddled with great shops and cafes, should shelter be required.

Cuba Street Carnival at a glance

We love the Cuba Street Carnival, but their website: not so much. The programme is only available as a Flashy map or as a printable (but not downloadable!) full programme. And with so much stuff to see so many stages at once, it’s hard to compare everything and work out what to see when.

So, I typed all the acts into a spreadsheet, and turned it into a simple table with all the acts lined up by time, thus hopefully making it easier to plan your itinerary. I should find a way to upload it through some googly docs magic, but in the meantime, here it is in pngy goodness: click on the small image for the large and legible version.

Cuba St Carnival programme 2009

Cinephilia: Opening This Week

My Bloody Valentine 3D posterWith most Wellington screens growning under the weight of Oscar-bait, only Readings (and Sky City Queensgate if you are so inclined) is opening anything new this week. My Bloody Valentine 3D was well attended at sneak previews last week but sadly isn’t much of a film. It’s a remake of a beloved horror of the same early-80s (same vintage as last week’s Friday the 13th). Apart from the title though there isn’t anything terribly ‘Valentine-y’ about it.

A potential date movie (for a certain kind of date, maybe) is Zack and Miri Make a Porno, the new film by Clerks‘ Kevin Smith. Loveable schlub Seth Rogen (Knocked Up) stars with Elizabeth Banks in a comedy about flatmates needing to find money for the rent.

Wellllliiiinnnnggggtttoooonnnnnn!

Translation probably not entirely accurate.

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhRRB0WUrds]

[From Spare Room]

Love was in the air – conversation overheard

On my way home the other night, I happened to walk past a young woman & man sitting on a grass verge at the Botanic Gardens. The woman was, I think, recounting a friend’s Valentine’s Day experience. Here’s what I made out:

… halfway through dinner, the guy asks, "What’s your policy on sex on the first date?"

And she says, "Never".

And so then the guy says, (and she gave a hearty & throaty laugh at this point) "In that case, I refuse to pay for dinner…"

She was still laughing and grasping for the next words when I passed out of earshot. But I was impressed already, and my interest was piqued – like where were they? Had the guy picked a lovely eating house of a quality he thought guaranteed some energetic post-prandial exertion? Or what? And is there a place in town so fantastic, your date’s knickers dissolve somewhere between the entree & dessert? If there is, I would have expected the Masked Barfly to have reported back already.

Or should the guy maybe invest his precious funds more pragmatically in future, in someone more likely to deliver? Like a hooker.

We see 92a and we want to turn it black

So you’re not attending Webstock or you’re willing to skip lunch tomorrow? From the Creative Freedom Foundation:

Public Demonstration

In Wellington on the steps of Parliament on Thursday 19th at (edit) 12pm with a petition handover at (edit) 12.30pm. This is a postive event where we will hand out hundreds of CDs and thank the politicans that support us – so please keep it friendly and polite. While we appreciate people arranging their own demonstrations it might be best if we don’t dilute our numbers with multiple events.

We want everyone reading this to email everyone they know in Wellington about this. We can’t let this be another internet protest that results in few people turning up. This is important so we need to prove it in numbers.

NOTE: Please don’t wear all black as that has negative associations with other demonstrations but instead come along with bright clothes and BLACK PLACARDS!

No Guilt apon accusation!
http://creativefreedom.org.nz

No wearing all black? Are they aware that this is Wellington?

Turbine @ Downstage. Hot Deal.

Tim Spite & Lee Smith-Gibbons in The SEEyD Company's Turbine at DownstageDownstage Theatre are offering Wellingtonista readers a special deal for tonight’s performance of Turbine at 7.00pm.

Mention the word "Wellingtonista" at the box office or over the phone (04 801 6946) and you’ll get as many tickets as you like for only $20 each.

Cellar-Vate Winermaker’s Dinner: Hunter Wines

There are still some places available for the February 18 Cellar-Vate winemaker’s dinner featuring the wines from Hunter’s in Marlborough. You pay $40 and you get to try yummy wine and food matches. Here’s the menu:

Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc 2008
On arrival

Hunter’s “Miru-Miru” Brut
Smoked salmon canapés on rye with preserved lemon and cream cheese spread

Hunter’s “Kaho Roa” winemaker’s selection Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Chicken, Mediterranean vegetables and cream in filo

Hunter’s Pinot Noir 2006
Medium-rare lamb loin on mushroom and sun-dried tomato risotto with pesto oil drizzle

Hunter’s “The Chase” Merlot, Pinot Noir, cabernet 2005
Asian pork in broth with bok choy and noodles

Hunter’s “Hukapapa” dessert Riesling 2006
Radiccio, shaved parmesan and pear salad

If you want to book yourself a place (and we really recommend that you do, give Becs a call or flick her an email – becs@cellar-vate.co.nz.

EGO, The Musician as Artist

The link between local musicians and the "fine arts" is stronger than you may suspect and goes back several decades in this town.  Often, through necessity, DIY musicians need to head into new territories to produce their own artwork, as they lack the funds to outsource design work. The resulting artwork, e.g. CD artwork and posters, is a genre in its own right.

Until its recent closure, Christopher Moore gallery seemed to have representation for everyone from Alistair Galbraith to Stuart Porter; the adjacent Bowen Galleries still occasionally shows work by Kim Pieters and Susan Ballard from down south.  Other collaborative efforts had the famous Wellington Media Collective designing and producing posters for the Braille Records crew.

Now DAF106 gallery on Aro Street is running a show of musician self-portraits.  EGO, The Musician as Artist deliberately explores the way creative people express themselves through different art forms.  EGO will draw together a host of local and national musicians, who are also visual artists, as they lay their souls bare and present a self-portrait in their chosen medium.

Self-portraits cause the artists to think laterally about their work and the difference between performance and visual representation of the self.  Submissions may include painting, graphic art, multi-media, photography and sculpture. Size restrictions will apply so as to avoid the possibility of various egos battling for space.

Cinephilia: Opening This Week

Marley & Me posterThis has to be the most middle-of-the-road week for new cinema since I started these little updates. Check these out:

First up Marley & Me, a rom-com-weepy best-seller adaptation starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson as a couple who adopt a puppy. Click here for the Defamer.com spoiler. Readings, Empire, Lighthouse Petone, Sky City Queensgate. Then we have He’s Just Not That Into You, the first film to be based on a best-selling book based on a throwaway line of dialogue from "Sex and the City": Readings, Empire and Sky City Queensgate.