… and if you like movies, then why not come along to Wednesday nights at the Film Archive and check out the season of films that the Wellingtonista fought over democratically chose from the Archive’s collection of NZ features – all 6 movies are roughly related to, shot or set in our fair city.

7pm Wednesdays from tonight until the 5th November, tickets are $8 on the door (or $6 concession), and if you’re over 18 you get a free glass of wine with your ticket purchase. Because we like wine with our movies. ‘Nuff said!
Tonight’s movie is I’ll Make You Happy… the rest of the season’s details are after the jump.

There’s a particular kind of person who likes to watch movies for 24 hours in a row, and it’s quite likely that you’re that person. Luckily for you, Ant Timpson puts on a festival to provide you with exactly what you need. Unluckily for him, and ultimately for you, tickets for the Wellington event aren’t selling as well as they should, so unless you hurry up and buy your tickets for the December 13 event now from Ticketek, it may not happen at all! Full email after the jump.

This week should see an influx of visitors in town to WOW and be WOWed at the Montana Wearable Arts Awards being held at TSB Arena from the 22nd of September until the 5th of October.

The show was Nelson’s baby for 16 years but shifted to Wellington in 2005 because, according to WOW founder Suzie Moncrieff, “We knew we needed to be in a city with more production opportunities, audiences, corporate partners and an international airport.”

So much love to everyone who showed up last night (and especially to X who bowled for the Bowlingtonista as we were a member down).

The Furry Feral Black Balls of Fury from Clicksuite (bid on their auctions!) ended up beating the Bowlingtonista by just a couple of points at 462 vs. 281, and the Purple Cobras took the Mighty Boost 402 vs. 338. The league point for top score obviously went to the Ferals, and although the Purple Cobras had sashes, in the end the Ferals won best dressed too, for their ties and one player’s gold satin shirt. Xero were on their by-week, and as I hadn’t decided until now that you can get a league point in your by-week by some member of your team showing up to hang out with the other bowlers, they’re currently at the bottom of the league, but I’m sure they’ll pick up next week when the extra league bonus point will be for the single fastest bowl on the night.

So this is how things stand at the moment, pointwise:
Bowlingtonista:2
Furry Feral Black Balls of Fury: 8
The Mighty Boost:2
Purple Cobras:6
Xero: 0

After the jump, there’s a new table of games, since Xero have joined, including by-weeks, in which you’re encouraged to experiment with your sexuality, or come along to cheer for the other teams.

Nip in quick for one of those rare Downstage-Wellingtonista specials. The 10th Anniversary season of Toa Fraser’s Bare is in Wellington for a very short time and Wellingtonista readers can go tonight for a discount somewhere between 100% and 25% (depending on how quick off the mark you are). As time is short, it’s a phone offer: The first two callers to (04) 801 6946 are eligible for a free double-pass to tonight’s performance, the next two callers can get two-for-the-price-of-one and the next two callers can get a fourth ticket free if they buy three. Bare stars Curtis Vowell and Morgana O’Reilly and this production was first performed at Auckland’s Silo Theatre last year. The original production of Bare in 1998, launched the careers of Toa Fraser and Madeline Sami and won the Best New Play and Best New Playwright Awards at the Chapman Tripps. More information can be found here.

Tulips, tours, art, "Crafty Fifi", the legendary Fairy Trina and more at this year’s Spring Festival in the Botanic Gardens. Running from 28 September until 12 October. I can confirm that the recent (and typical for this time of year) gales have not denuded the tulip gardens & so weather permitting, Tulip Sunday on the first day of the Festival, should be a beautiful way to spend an hour or two communing with nature. According to the official programme:

Spring Festival is the time to revel in the glorious riot of spring flower colour and fragrance at the Wellington Botanic Garden.

Spring Festival is proudly brought to you by Wellington City Council, with generous support from the New Zealand Community Trust and the Wellington Cable Car.

Looking for a good steak in Wellington? A week or so ago this Wellingtonista was & after consulting my colleagues, I can report back on two of the finest steaks I have tasted in this city (yes, two).

First up, it was one of those notable occasions (although not a significant one) that prompts thoughts of a nice lunch and/or dinner.

First off lunch:

I had expressed to my loved ones, a particular desire to sample either a great steak, or a great cassoulet.

So imagine my delight on arriving at Copita to find they had “Fillet steak on a bed of Cassoulet”! It was meant to be obviously.

It was lovely, as was the squid entree.

Copita itself was quite underpatronised that day, but there was some sport to be had listening to a very loud party consisting of two older gentlemen lunching with two much younger women. Because they were so loud we soon ascertained the gentlemen were winemakers from the Hawkes Bay. It wasn’t obvious who the women were, but we decided that if the women paid, they were probably wine distribution reps, and if the men paid, hookers. As it happens, we left before them so we’ll never know!

And onto dinner:

We decided to take the tip from the team & try the Steak Frites at Le Metropolitain in Cuba St. This was served with a red wine & bone marrow sauce & we accompanied it with a green salad & copious glasses of a French wine whose name I can’t recall.

And once again, I can recommend a winner!

Le Metropolitain on this evening was well patronised but not packed, in addition, it’s a lovely little spot to watch passers by from. The staff were attentive & informative, the menu offered plenty of variety & the evening was a rousing success.

I’m happy to take any other decent steak recommendations for next year, in the comments.

When Arlo Edwards approached an art dealer with his work at the age of eighteen, the dealer told him to “come back in 10 years, and then maybe we’ll look at your work”.

Not content with such a response, Arlo embarked on a somewhat unorthodox curatorial career, and has been putting on exhibitions when and wherever he could for more than a decade.

Toi Pōneke Gallery is the next venue for one of his projects, an exhibition of work by 10 local established and emerging artists. The show, entitled In the Museum of Curious Intent, includes work by Chris Lundquist, Freeman White, William Hedley, James Flynn, Jaymi Bizzo Lawrence, Roger Morris, Marianne Muggeridge, Gareth Moon, Rupert Everest and some of Arlo’s own work.

In the Museum of Curious Intent opens at 6.30pm on Friday 26 September and runs until 25 October at Toi Pōneke Gallery, 61 – 63 Abel Smith Street.

Read more after the jump…

So this year we have only four teams, which means that the league will play out over three action-packed weeks starting at 6.30pm tomorrow night.

Round one (September 25):

• Bowlingtonista vs. Furry Feral Black Balls of Fury
• The Mighty Boost vs. The Purple Cobras

Round two (October 2):

• Bowlingtonista vs. The Mighty Boost
• Furry Feral Black Balls of Fury vs. The Purple Cobras

Round three (October 9):

• Bowlingtonista vs The Purple Cobras
• The Mighty Boost vs. Furry Feral Black Balls of Fury

Results will be posted as we go along, according to the aforementioned points system. Woo haa!

There won’t be any buses tomorrow as you’re no doubt aware, so please use the comments section to offer & request car-pools. I’d offer to drive the Newtownistas in, but instead, I’m getting a ride myself at an hour of the morning that I more often associate with falling asleep time. Wahoo.