A very quiet week for openings, the calm before the Film Festival storm you might say. Slipping out a day early under cover of darkness is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (or Harry Potter 5 as it said on my ticket this afternoon). Sneak preview of my Capital Times review next week: “meh”. (Empire, Readings, Regent, Sky City Queensgate).
The only other picture opening this week is the unfortunately titled Bra Boys, which is a documentary about the famous Sydney surf gang from the suburb of Maroubra. The film is directed by one of the Bra Boys himself, Sunny Aberton, and Exec Produced by Russell Crowe who is understandably more interested in his South Sydney roots than his South Wellington origins (documentary about Strathmore anyone?). Crowe is so into this particular story that he’s slated to direct and star in a fictionalised version of it in 2009. Rialto only.
(Issue two is out now, but I have been slow. All judgments below are based on the first issue. I’m not buying another one to see if it’s improved.)
When I saw the first issue of Uno on the shelves at the supermarket, I was hoping it would be the Wellington equivalent of Metro – on a good day, not all “Why your kids’ school will give you cancer and never let them buy a house” Listeneresque. But it’s not. It’s really, really not. Instead it turns out that Uno is every bit as advertising-copy driven as the Wellington Guide – without the advantage of at least being Welly exclusive. I suppose I should have known better give that Wellington’s official villain of 2006 is on the cover. After the jump, more reasons not to waste $9.95.
A quiet week this week for cinema releases (at least until Wednesday).
Returning from April’s World Cinema Showcase are Wordplay, well-regarded documentary about the New York Times crossword (very limited sessions at the Lighthouse in Petone only) and Aussie mockumentary Razzle Dazzle about the world of kids’ dance competitions (Lighthouse Petone and Penthouse).
For the school holidays the Paramount has a daily 11.00am screening of another Aussie flick, The Silly Billies Save The Circus. When I was at the Paramount we had two live visits from The Hooley Dooleys who I kind of considered to be the Wiggles you have when you can’t have The Wiggles. It looks like The Silly Billies are what you get when you can’t get The Hooley Dooleys.
Also at the Paramount this week, a children’s movie of a different kind, All The Invisible Children: an anthology movie supported by Unicef featuring seven short films about the plight of children around the world. Directors include Ridley Scott, Spike Lee and John Woo.
Oh, and on Wednesday, pretty much everywhere, the new Harry Potter opens: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
School holidays start on Monday and Hollywood is doing its bit to turn your kids’ brains to mush with Transformers, an enormo-budget extravaganza about cars that turn in to robots (or the other way around). Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Michael Bay, Transformers should give the boys plenty of bang for your buck (while the girls get to swoon over current heart-throb Shia LaBeouf). Playing all over town including Readings Courtenay Central; Sky City Queensgate; Embassy; Regent-on-Manners.
Sensible-shoe wearing girls may well get more out of the latest incarnation of teen detective Nancy Drew, this time starring Julia Roberts’ niece Emma. A slightly smaller release this one, at Readings Courtenay Central and Sky City Queensgate only.
After the jump: Heartbreak Hotel, Starter for Ten, Francesca and Nunziata and The Iron Giant.
It’s as if the gurus in Hollywood know that here in Wellington the Film Festival approaches and they’re trying to get the popcorn material out of the way before it is overpowered by more cerebral delights. Actually, that can’t be true, pretty much every week is like this…
The latest in the seemingly endless series of Will Ferrell sports movies in which our the star improvs himself a feature film while playing an emotionally stunted man-child is Blades of Glory and the sport this time is – Ice Skating! Figure Skating to be exact. Ferrell is joined by Napoleon Dynamite‘s Jon Heder as the two pair up to be the first all-male Olympic Ice Dancing champions (Readings and Sky City Queensgate).
After the jump: Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer, Paris je t’aime, Eden and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
UPDATE: How Much Do You Love Me? is also playing at the Lighthouse in Petone.
This week’s blockbuster is the third installment in the Pitt/ Clooney/ Damon/ Soderbergh smug-fest, Ocean’s 13. This time the 11 from the first picture are joined by Ellen Barkin and Mr Hoo-Haa himself, Al Pacino. Diminishing returns? You be the judge at Readings, Sky City Queensgate, Penthouse or Empire Island Bay.
More down-to-earth is the messed-up Aussie no-budget romance Puppy (Paramount), described as a “weird and wonderful journey”. Another messed-up romance starts Thursday at the Paramount: How Much Do You Love Me? stars Monica Belluci as a prostitute who gets paid 100,00 euros a month to live with a lottery winner – until the money runs out. Also starring Gérard Depardieu.
Bridge to Terabithia, Pierrepoint, Scenes of a Sexual Nature and Off the Grid – after the jump.
Once again, I had left my book at home somewhere, so it was another gold card restaurant that was needed. Since my other sister decided to gatecrash our party, a total discount venue, rather than a two-for-one mains was desireable. And because it was cold and I was lazy and didn’t feel like walking anywhere, somewhere on the bus route home was needed – preferably somewhere that I could get a big plate of heartiness at. Medina was decided upon, as it seems to have beaten the curse that made other restaurants in its location at 18 Cambridge Terrace close down very rapidly. The review is after the jump.
Having recently purchased an entertainment book through the social club at work, I am determined to get more than my money’s worth out of it, so I’m going to try and work my way through it systematically.
First up I wanted a quick dinner before bowling, and since I didn’t have the book with me, only the gold card, it had to be somewhere in the ‘fine dining’ section, and it had to be somewhere in the Courtenay Quarter to be near The Lanes. A quick search on their website led me to 88 on Tory Street.
There are hundreds – nay thousands – of possible venues in our fair city for children’s parties. Today I bring you one that I have recently used and enjoyed.
The YMCA on Tasman St is available for hire at a very reasonable rate. It is pretty rough, which actually is nice and relaxing when you have 20 under 4s hooning around. There are crash pads, a huge foam pit, beams, balls and lots of opportunities for kids to run themselves ragged.
You can take your own food and there is chilled water on site.
No alcohol allowed, so I’ll be rethinking it as a venue for my own birthday. A martini in that foam pit seems very appealing.
I didn’t spot a single Young Christian Man, nor did anyone perform YMCA. We had a goodly dose of the Spice Girls though.
YMCA of Greater Wellington INC
69 Tasman St Wellington 0-4-385 4091
Because she is obsessed with Elvis, and also maybe due to some experiences on tour buses that she alludes to but never puts her photos on flickr from, our intrepid publisher decided to treat us all from the Wellingtonista towers to lunch at Harem to celebrate the launch of the new URL.