Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment we all have been waiting for. The short movie from the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) that won the Mobi Award for Laughing One's Lungs Out (malolo) is online:
Mulvar is Correct Candidate!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Feast your eyes
The waterfalls at lake Taupo.
The painted hostel walls.
Me.
The tunnel to the elevator, in Wanganui. Looks like the intro to 'city of ember'
How to drive through a mountain without a tunnel.
A tunnel. Also, a weird ghost effect.
A fabulous mirror-shot. At 50 km/h. On the Forgotten World Highway.
fyi: The beard is gone by now.
So, half the time is up, as people tell me. If I'll come back next february, that'll be right. However, I might as well come back earlier, or visit some other part of the world since wherever I go it'll be on the way from here to Europe. Felix plans, for instance, to travel through Asia and Mongolia to Russia, then take the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Europe. Maybe I'll join him, who knows. I'm not here to make plans, I am here to do whatever I want whenever I want it. Worked extraordinarily well so far.
If you don't leave a comment you will receive every chainmail in existence.
Greetings,
Patrick
ps there's more:
the elevator at the end of the tunnel.
Forgotten World Highway.
Lemon and Paeora in Paeora, the capital of some obscure but delicious lemonade. In Paeroa.
Face reflecting flashlight in some glowworm caves in Waikato.
Still the caves.
Up the highest structure in the southern hemisphere, the Sky Tower. vltr. Philipp, Patrick, Sabine, Felix
A playground in Thames.
A FUN playground in Thames!
Ninety Mile Beach (No need to get jealous, it's actually just 90 Kilometers ;-)
Dunes at Cape Reinga, the northern end of the north island.
Who needs a sandworm...
...when you got one of theese?
ARRAKIS! DUNE!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
last month
One day, you tell people via mail that you update the blog tomorrow, and then you discover that the library is closed sundays. And then you meet some friends from kiwi-picking times. And then they take you along to the next national park, where you spend two days away from civilisation. And then your next hostels don't have internet. And next you know it, a whole month has passed. Time feels weird here.
tl;dr: Write in the comments when you saw your own blood for the last time. Incidentally, I am alive and well.
\paragraph{29.07.12}
Generally speaking, the world is my oyster. Gymnasium and three years of University made me a member of the top 5% (own estimate). Whatever I'll do, there is just no way I won't land on my feet. There's jobs everywhere for our kind. Some say that that's a New Zealand thing, and in Germany the situation is harder. But I got jobs at the youth club 'kamp' and the tele-market-research company, which earned me plenty to survive. I envied the rich and the famous, for Europe seemed their playground. Then I travelled around the world on a student's budget and realised how fortunate I am, that the whole world can be my playground. Just a thought. Today I watched 'Ai Weiwei - never sorry', a documentary by and about Ai Weiwei, a chinese anti-government artist who (amongst other things) made photos of his middle fingers pointing at various government buildings around the world, and a video installation with various chinese people, stating in their native dialect: 'fuck you motherland'. A very interesting insight into the mind of an artist. I also watched 'from up on poppy hill', an anime film about a student romance. Beautiful visuals, though I prefer stories that delve into the fantastic. In the evening, I went to a get-together at the Civic Wintergarden with the artist of 'inhale-exhale' who made a photo and video installation showing a woman underwater with fish, ink and lighting. He lived all around the world but only recently got his foot into the bigger doors. Unfortunately, there was no time to delve further into his history. A great experience talking to a crazyhead with smooth jazz in the background and other moviegoers around.
\paragraph{30.07.12}
Today's movies: 'marina abramovic: the artist is present', a portrait about the first performance artist to get an exhibition of the same name in the moma. The artist was present, indeed. For three months, she was in the museum six days a week, twelve hours a day. She sat on a chair and visitors could sit in the chair opposing her. She didn't speak, she merely looked at them. Very intense, even channeled through a movie. I also watched 'on the road', an interpretation of Kerouac's famous novel. The movie got to me, because I, too, am 'on the road' for quite a while now. Though my lifestyle still differs from the ones pictured. Makes one think about the 'why'. On a lighter note, Kirsten Steward showed that she has more than one facial expression.
\paragraph{31.07.12}
Today, I watched 'bert stern: original madman', a portrait about the photographer. He tried to live fast and die young, but failed on the latter. Not as impressive as Marina Abramovic, but still a decent movie, one I can take ideas for my own life from.
\paragraph{01.08.12}
Today: 'animation now 2012', short animated films, some of them very funny. Especially hilarious is 'mulvar is correct candidate'. I also see 'abiogenesis', which preceeded 'sound of my voice' some days earlier and which I couldn't see then. At the hostel, Frank and I discuss movies. Turns out he is not too bad when sober. Later that day I watch 'the king of pigs', a south korean animation (or anime? no idea), a story about bullying and violence in a (south korean) school. Makes me think. Even the laughs of the audience make me think, because it's at moments I whouldn't think about laughing. Definetly a movie the film club should watch.
\paragraph{02.08.12}
'a monster in paris': Animation about a monster in Paris (duh). Fun and with wonderful songs, but ultimately predictable. A kid's movie [not a judgement, I like kid's movies]. 'pink ribbons inc.': A documentary about the evil breast cancer awareness companies fundraising money from gullible people. A movie with almost no numbers. They showed the companies emotional approach towards their targets (i.e. donators) but they make their point by emotional means, too. Still, the movie as a whole was a remarkable example of how stupid masses can be controlled by both sides of a medal. Some scenes of the awareness movement reminded me of religious methods. If you are experiencing trouble focussing while you watch this, try to guess at what point I loudly stated, for the audience to hear: 'testify!'. Third movie of the day: 'vulgaria'. If Quentin Tarantino was chinese, this whould have been his early work. Over the top, but awesome. Including the soundtrack. I possibly had the best experience because I sat in the first row and the speakers were a bit loud. Very funny was the fact that I arrived a bit late at the cinema, and there was still a long line outside. I wasn't sure if it was my line, so I went to the entry to ask. The girl who came towards me saw the ticket in my hands and told me to walk right through. I was the first one in the theater [note: gets half of my 'best movie I have seen on the festival'-award].
\paragraph{03.08.12}
'compliance': Based on a true telephone prank (multiples, actually). A police officer calls a fast food restaurant and asks the manager to take a young female employee in the back room and conduct a strip search due to a theft filed by a customer. Every piece of information needed is given away by the manager herself. A brilliant study on gullability and the assumed authority and good intent of 'an officer of the law'. 'no': If you liked 'wag the dog', this is your movie. The mind behind the 'no' tv ad campaign for the poll about keeping the chilean dictator Pinochet. Which, naturally, is torpeded by the dictator's 'yes' campaigners.
\paragraph{04.08.12}
'holy motors': The official program states that the movie stays 'conspicuously unrewarded' at Cannes. So, getting no rewards is a good thing, then? Yes, it is. This movie made my mind boggle. We follow Mr Oscar, who is driven around Paris in a stretch limo with all sorts of masquerade material. He has various 'appointments' to do. What exactly is his job? Who are his customers, his financiers? I came up with dozens of possible explanations and backstories while watching, only to be prooven wrong with the next appointment. The advertised song by Madonna is ill-placed and doesn't really serve the movie. The two other musicial pieces, however, were great. See it, and don't look it up beforehand! This is what I meant by 'What' is important, not 'Why' [other half of my best movie award].
\paragraph{05.08.12}
'how to meet girls from a distance': A New Zealand made movie, its world premiere, in fact. In the first half, I was on the brink of walking out of the cinema. The only one preventing me from doing so was the comic relief character. Is there an english word for 'fremdschaemen'? The second half, however, was better. The official aesop about love can be thrown out of the window, and replaced by my favourite character's own one about honesty. Even though our main guy doesn't really get it. This movie shows the awkward side of the Barney Stinson livestyle, the side that should be considered before one becomes a life liar. 'whore's glory': Documentary about prostitution in Malaysia, India and Mexico. Quite shallow on information, but merely the try to squeeze a feel out of me. Fazit of the festival: 23 movies watched, more I didn't watch, several I wanted to watch (the ambassador, the angels share, bernie, bully, the cabin in the woods(y i didn't watch this?!), caesar must die, crazy horse, farewell my queen, le tableau, the minister, neighbouring sounds, reality (might have matched 'no'), room 237 an inquiry into the shining in 9 parts, side by side, the taste of money, and various short film copilations). An interesting experience with movies and whole genres I haven't even heared about before. Some day I might calculate how much money I spent on the festival. Also, and I cite: 'what is the most resilient parasite? A bacteria, A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea! Resilient, highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it's almost impossible to erradicate. An idea that is fully formed, fully understood, that sticks.' with the ideas of libertarianism, voluntarism, anarchism, capitalism in your brain, you can watch most of your favourite movies for a 'second first time', and some are completely different movies.
\paragraph{06.08.12}
Today I went to the doctor for my third hepatitis vaccination, the first two of which I took prior to my departure. Also, I had a lump in my throat for some days, like a cold but without the feeling of weakness. Just a minor inflammation, comes and goes. The vaccination is fast, no need for me to get it from the pharmacy, everything is fast, with short waiting periods. Propably because I have to pay it myself and reclaim the sum from my insurance. I also met Janis, a german guy who arrived just some days ago. I show him around in the city and tell him that I plan to get to Taupo tomorrow. He spontaneously decides to join me. We go to the Britomart transport center and book a bus.
\paragraph{07.08.12}
Getting up early and driving to Taupo. Getting to the Rainbow Lodge and booking three nights. Getting to the lake and trying to go to a small mountain, but it starts to rain, so we head back to the hostel.
\paragraph{08.08.12}
We start early on the walking track to the Haka Falls and beyond, to the dam, which opens at 2pm. We skip several interesting looking spots for the way back to be at the dam on time, but we're late anyway. It's 16 o'clock so we decide to hitchhike back. We get a ride quick and he says he'll put the sign we made from a Dunkin' Donut check from two days ago into his diary.
\paragraph{09.08.12}
I walk along the small pier at the lake and meet the owners of a sailing yacht which is about 80 years old and once belonged to Errol Flynn. They tell me that they make trips to the maori head carvings that are only visible from the water. I get my travel mate from the hostel and off we go. During the trip, the owner tells us that the yacht was once sailing around the world, was sold to his father in New Zealand from Fiji and was transported to the lake by truck about 30 years ago. At the carvings, he tells us that they are not genuine maori carvings, but the work of a pair of artists some years back. Still looks impressive.
\paragraph{10.08.12}
I book three more nights, but my travel mate leaves to Northland because he got a call confirming a wwhoofing place there ['wwhoof', willing workers helping on organic farms]. I don't do much due to the rain.
\paragraph{11.08.12}
I want to walk to one of the smaller mountains around, but after quite a while of walking, I am still in a suburb and the mountain looks as far as ever. I ask around and am informed that it's about 15 kilometers away, and it takes hours to get up. I decide to take some other path through the suburb back. It looks like I imagine America to look like. Endless roads, broad enough for a strip of green between street and sidewalk, and endless hedges and fences behind which you can see house after house. It's a pre-9/11 America, people are friendly (then again, NZ is place 2 in obesity and has the highest rate of kfc per person).
\paragraph{12.08.12}
Today I read 'Atlas Shrugged' all day. The story got me. I begin the day at the point where they find the motor remains and end at the point where America is transformed into a People's State. Interesting, Ayn Rand uses Phlebtonium AND a MacGuffin. And I can't shake the feeling that the Phlebtonium will be necessarry to make the MacGuffin work. The guy in the mirror looks more awesome than ever [whereever that came from].
\paragraph{13.08.12}
I walk to the falls and encounter a small side stream entering the river in a small, murky waterfall. I want to know what is on the other side and after a bit of hesitation, I jump. I grab any brush I can find on the other side, then sharply realise there are thorns as two sting me in my left hand, one quite deep. I pull them out, and think about the last time I saw my own blood. I couldn't recall. Behind the falls, there are the 'craters of the moon', a sulphur field and my destination for today. There is a park around them with bike and horse treks. I walk along them, going left, going right. When I come along a map, I see that the shortest way back to the falls and the town is blocked due to logging work. I plan a route along several biking tracks, but get off track and make a part of my route through small, replanted needle trees. It's difficult to move along because of the thick underbrush. In the hostel, I met Felix again, who is travelling with his kindergarden friend Phillip, who is visitin him for three weeks. They agree to take me to Turangi, a town at the south end of Lake Taupo and north of the Tongariro National Park.
\paragraph{14.08.12}
Update from 21.08. Felix and Phillip give me a lift to Turangi, where I ask for the hike opportunities. As I knew, the great 'Tongariro Crossing' that every backpacker knows and that leads to the volcanic crater of 'Mt Doom' is closed due to the eruption some days ago. They tell me to see the scenic walk of the river instead, right next to town. Without alternatives, I agree and go to the cheapest bbh hostel, the 'Aplus Lodge'. It seems a bit like a hippie commune, with painted fences and several buildings connected by selfmade roof sections. It's nice. The people themselves make me think of the most stereotypic hillbillies ever, but once I get to understand the accents, they turn out quite nice. The hostel clerk asks me for my plans and I tell him about the river walk. He is shocked, for that is one boring plan. He pulls out a map of the national park and tells me about lower walks around and in between the peaks, which are still open. I choose a two day trip from east to west, between two of the peaks. He allows me to store some of my stuff at the hostel so my backpack is lighter and drops me off at the desert road, which I leave to the right into the desert which is freckled with low shrubs. After a while, I cross a forest, several small streams, then back through badland again. At the evening, I reach the hut, bigger than I expected. From my notes in the hut:
'' time flies when you're having fun'. And it does. This morning, I woke up for the seventh time in the 'Rainbow Lodge' in Taupo. Now, in the evening, I'm in the 'Waihohonu hut' in the Tongariro National Park, and propably alone for kilometers. Felix, whom I met yesterday (seems years ago), and his visiting friend Philipp, took me to Turangi, then drove on to Wellington to go sightseeing. The famous Tongariro Crossing, which takes you to the sight of 'Mt Doom', is closed due to the eruption just a week ago. I asked at the iSite for other tracks, but they all start some driving time away. Shuttle is expensive and needs a minimum of two people. They tell me that the river walkway along the city whould be nice, too. I go to the bbh hostel, which seems empty except for some painfully stereotypical hillbillies. The guy running the hostel laughs at my plan to see the river and shows me several possible walks, unsing the huts to spend the nights. I decide on a walk and he starts a checklist. He offers me a used gas cartridge, lends me one of his pots, lets me store some of my stuff (and the backpack goes on my back again) and even brings me to the start of the track in his car. I leave the road and walk a path only marked by posts with orange arrows. It's rainy, and the way goes through some shallow streams (or the water flows through the deeper parts of the walkway). The way goes through low bushes, forest, then bushes again. After some time, the sign 'you are now entering Tongariro National Park'. I walk on. The 'hut' is bigger than the expected log cabin, and it's mine. I heat the chimney and make rice with baked beans. DJ was right, after hours of walking, with a stunning view and noone around, that meal tastes better than anything I could remember. It's getting dark outside. I write in the light of the chimney and two candles. Good night. After what feels like an eternety, I get up from the cold to take a piss. Too cloudy to see stars. My mobile says it's nine pm. Guess that happens when you have no electric light and go to sleep at sundown. So, I reheat the cimney and build myself a matrass fortress against the cold. I'm far from it, but I think I have the faintest idea what DJ was talking about when describing his feeling of hopelessness and defeat when he was out of chocolate. Earlier in the hut, I ate the lollypop the last hostel manager gave me as a fare-well gift. Now, I am searching the table for its remains. I didn't bring 'Atlas Shrugged' because of the weight; now that I miss it I know I have made the right choice. It may be preferable to generic pop music, but it's still a distraction. To get the most of this experience, I have to feed my senses, and thus my mind, with reality only.'
\paragraph{15.08.12}
It is one cold morning. My matrass fortress couldn't fend off the cold. I walk around the room while my rice boils. After I pack, I leave for some springs, twenty minutes off the route. The way leads me through fantastic landscape with red stone and shrubs. The springs themselves are basically a pond of clear turquis water from which the stream emerges, one side enclosed by forest, the other by the red shrubby desert. Back on track, I head for the village. The way is only marked by wooden poles every other meter, no track, nothing. I am alone for kilometers. When the ground is too muddy or a stream too wide, there are planks and small bridges, but mostly I have to watch my step and climb over stones in the riverbeds. Either the way has been built in riverbeds or the water flows down the trampled down paths. With the bad weather and on-off rain, there is a small flow of water on some of the ways. The view, though, is magnificent. Despite the clouds, I can see the snow at the lower hangs of the south mountain, and later, as it clears, I can see clouds streaming over the top of the northern peak. It's a great feeling to see no other human, no human structures, nothing. I could be a time traveller thrown back into the past, or a survivor after some catastrophy. With the only animals around being small birds, I have to think of the book 'Jurassic Park' I found at the hostel in Taupo, and almost anticipate a pack of raptors jumping down the next hill. Somewhere, not even distinct enough a place to be the middle of nowhere, I scream 'I am significant' towards a small river and the hill I just came down from. Like Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes), I might as well add 'screamed the dust speck'. The half mark of todays way is a signpost. Three hours to the hut the way I came, two and a half the way to the village, and ten minutes to a lake. I meet people there, we greet and I go to the lake. Quite far away, but a stunning view nontheless. Back at the signpost, I have a can of beans before I head on. This part is more crowded, I meet some groups on my way, from the village, on day trips to the lakes. I see more rivers, two huge waterfalls and another, huge chunk of forest at the last part of the walk. From the village, I hitchhike back to Turangi and surprise the hostel clerk with my early appearance. Before, I planned to stay in another hut for another day, but I am exhausted. I get to sleep at once.
\paragraph{16.08.12}
I sleep till noon and don't do much the day. I try to read Ayn Rand, but immediately after the dose of reality I had, even this seems shallow and uninteresting. Turns out, even my my mind is saturated from time to time. If I keep feeding it, it will keep hungry in the long run.
\paragraph{17.08.12}
Another lazy day at the hostel. I make plans to go to Wanganui at the coast, to get picked up by Felix and Phillip for our trip to the Forgotten world Highway. The next bus leaves the next day. I book and find a frying joint where I try a fried mars bar. Delicious and molten.
\paragraph{18.08.12}
I take the bus to Wanganui, check in for two days, borrow a cycle and drive around a bit. I discover the library, which has free internet. I return with my netbook, but since it is saturday, they open shortly after I set up.
\paragraph{19.08.12}
Turns out, the library is closed on sunday, something I am not used to anymore, because here, everything is open at any day. Instead, I take the bike to a tunnel and elevator through a section of mountain, up to a viewpoint tower. It looks interesting, circular with three stone beams at the side. It's built from this sponge-esque volcanic stone and has a metal cage on top so noone falls out, which looks like a huge drop of water. The weather is not too bad, the view is still great. Back at the hostel, guess who comes in the front door, Felix and Phillip.
\paragraph{20.08.12}
We pack our things and leave Wanganui for Stratford at Mt Egmond. We find the only bbh hostel to be in what seems to be a run-down military barracks, but it has a nice horror-movie charm, which inspires Felix and me to think of what might happen to us here. When one of the other residents, a Maori, starts making remarks about how german chainsaws are the best and if we knew this famous nazi-doctor, we are delighted. In town, we shop for ingredients and make steamed pasta. Quite delicious, succulent and sufficient to say the least.
That's it so far. I got some music from a fellow backpacker, some of it it matches my situation perfectly:
'himmelblau' by die Aerzte
'Abschiedslied' by Farin Urlaub
'am Strand' by Farin Urlaub
tl;dr: Write in the comments when you saw your own blood for the last time. Incidentally, I am alive and well.
\paragraph{29.07.12}
Generally speaking, the world is my oyster. Gymnasium and three years of University made me a member of the top 5% (own estimate). Whatever I'll do, there is just no way I won't land on my feet. There's jobs everywhere for our kind. Some say that that's a New Zealand thing, and in Germany the situation is harder. But I got jobs at the youth club 'kamp' and the tele-market-research company, which earned me plenty to survive. I envied the rich and the famous, for Europe seemed their playground. Then I travelled around the world on a student's budget and realised how fortunate I am, that the whole world can be my playground. Just a thought. Today I watched 'Ai Weiwei - never sorry', a documentary by and about Ai Weiwei, a chinese anti-government artist who (amongst other things) made photos of his middle fingers pointing at various government buildings around the world, and a video installation with various chinese people, stating in their native dialect: 'fuck you motherland'. A very interesting insight into the mind of an artist. I also watched 'from up on poppy hill', an anime film about a student romance. Beautiful visuals, though I prefer stories that delve into the fantastic. In the evening, I went to a get-together at the Civic Wintergarden with the artist of 'inhale-exhale' who made a photo and video installation showing a woman underwater with fish, ink and lighting. He lived all around the world but only recently got his foot into the bigger doors. Unfortunately, there was no time to delve further into his history. A great experience talking to a crazyhead with smooth jazz in the background and other moviegoers around.
\paragraph{30.07.12}
Today's movies: 'marina abramovic: the artist is present', a portrait about the first performance artist to get an exhibition of the same name in the moma. The artist was present, indeed. For three months, she was in the museum six days a week, twelve hours a day. She sat on a chair and visitors could sit in the chair opposing her. She didn't speak, she merely looked at them. Very intense, even channeled through a movie. I also watched 'on the road', an interpretation of Kerouac's famous novel. The movie got to me, because I, too, am 'on the road' for quite a while now. Though my lifestyle still differs from the ones pictured. Makes one think about the 'why'. On a lighter note, Kirsten Steward showed that she has more than one facial expression.
\paragraph{31.07.12}
Today, I watched 'bert stern: original madman', a portrait about the photographer. He tried to live fast and die young, but failed on the latter. Not as impressive as Marina Abramovic, but still a decent movie, one I can take ideas for my own life from.
\paragraph{01.08.12}
Today: 'animation now 2012', short animated films, some of them very funny. Especially hilarious is 'mulvar is correct candidate'. I also see 'abiogenesis', which preceeded 'sound of my voice' some days earlier and which I couldn't see then. At the hostel, Frank and I discuss movies. Turns out he is not too bad when sober. Later that day I watch 'the king of pigs', a south korean animation (or anime? no idea), a story about bullying and violence in a (south korean) school. Makes me think. Even the laughs of the audience make me think, because it's at moments I whouldn't think about laughing. Definetly a movie the film club should watch.
\paragraph{02.08.12}
'a monster in paris': Animation about a monster in Paris (duh). Fun and with wonderful songs, but ultimately predictable. A kid's movie [not a judgement, I like kid's movies]. 'pink ribbons inc.': A documentary about the evil breast cancer awareness companies fundraising money from gullible people. A movie with almost no numbers. They showed the companies emotional approach towards their targets (i.e. donators) but they make their point by emotional means, too. Still, the movie as a whole was a remarkable example of how stupid masses can be controlled by both sides of a medal. Some scenes of the awareness movement reminded me of religious methods. If you are experiencing trouble focussing while you watch this, try to guess at what point I loudly stated, for the audience to hear: 'testify!'. Third movie of the day: 'vulgaria'. If Quentin Tarantino was chinese, this whould have been his early work. Over the top, but awesome. Including the soundtrack. I possibly had the best experience because I sat in the first row and the speakers were a bit loud. Very funny was the fact that I arrived a bit late at the cinema, and there was still a long line outside. I wasn't sure if it was my line, so I went to the entry to ask. The girl who came towards me saw the ticket in my hands and told me to walk right through. I was the first one in the theater [note: gets half of my 'best movie I have seen on the festival'-award].
\paragraph{03.08.12}
'compliance': Based on a true telephone prank (multiples, actually). A police officer calls a fast food restaurant and asks the manager to take a young female employee in the back room and conduct a strip search due to a theft filed by a customer. Every piece of information needed is given away by the manager herself. A brilliant study on gullability and the assumed authority and good intent of 'an officer of the law'. 'no': If you liked 'wag the dog', this is your movie. The mind behind the 'no' tv ad campaign for the poll about keeping the chilean dictator Pinochet. Which, naturally, is torpeded by the dictator's 'yes' campaigners.
\paragraph{04.08.12}
'holy motors': The official program states that the movie stays 'conspicuously unrewarded' at Cannes. So, getting no rewards is a good thing, then? Yes, it is. This movie made my mind boggle. We follow Mr Oscar, who is driven around Paris in a stretch limo with all sorts of masquerade material. He has various 'appointments' to do. What exactly is his job? Who are his customers, his financiers? I came up with dozens of possible explanations and backstories while watching, only to be prooven wrong with the next appointment. The advertised song by Madonna is ill-placed and doesn't really serve the movie. The two other musicial pieces, however, were great. See it, and don't look it up beforehand! This is what I meant by 'What' is important, not 'Why' [other half of my best movie award].
\paragraph{05.08.12}
'how to meet girls from a distance': A New Zealand made movie, its world premiere, in fact. In the first half, I was on the brink of walking out of the cinema. The only one preventing me from doing so was the comic relief character. Is there an english word for 'fremdschaemen'? The second half, however, was better. The official aesop about love can be thrown out of the window, and replaced by my favourite character's own one about honesty. Even though our main guy doesn't really get it. This movie shows the awkward side of the Barney Stinson livestyle, the side that should be considered before one becomes a life liar. 'whore's glory': Documentary about prostitution in Malaysia, India and Mexico. Quite shallow on information, but merely the try to squeeze a feel out of me. Fazit of the festival: 23 movies watched, more I didn't watch, several I wanted to watch (the ambassador, the angels share, bernie, bully, the cabin in the woods(y i didn't watch this?!), caesar must die, crazy horse, farewell my queen, le tableau, the minister, neighbouring sounds, reality (might have matched 'no'), room 237 an inquiry into the shining in 9 parts, side by side, the taste of money, and various short film copilations). An interesting experience with movies and whole genres I haven't even heared about before. Some day I might calculate how much money I spent on the festival. Also, and I cite: 'what is the most resilient parasite? A bacteria, A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea! Resilient, highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it's almost impossible to erradicate. An idea that is fully formed, fully understood, that sticks.' with the ideas of libertarianism, voluntarism, anarchism, capitalism in your brain, you can watch most of your favourite movies for a 'second first time', and some are completely different movies.
\paragraph{06.08.12}
Today I went to the doctor for my third hepatitis vaccination, the first two of which I took prior to my departure. Also, I had a lump in my throat for some days, like a cold but without the feeling of weakness. Just a minor inflammation, comes and goes. The vaccination is fast, no need for me to get it from the pharmacy, everything is fast, with short waiting periods. Propably because I have to pay it myself and reclaim the sum from my insurance. I also met Janis, a german guy who arrived just some days ago. I show him around in the city and tell him that I plan to get to Taupo tomorrow. He spontaneously decides to join me. We go to the Britomart transport center and book a bus.
\paragraph{07.08.12}
Getting up early and driving to Taupo. Getting to the Rainbow Lodge and booking three nights. Getting to the lake and trying to go to a small mountain, but it starts to rain, so we head back to the hostel.
\paragraph{08.08.12}
We start early on the walking track to the Haka Falls and beyond, to the dam, which opens at 2pm. We skip several interesting looking spots for the way back to be at the dam on time, but we're late anyway. It's 16 o'clock so we decide to hitchhike back. We get a ride quick and he says he'll put the sign we made from a Dunkin' Donut check from two days ago into his diary.
\paragraph{09.08.12}
I walk along the small pier at the lake and meet the owners of a sailing yacht which is about 80 years old and once belonged to Errol Flynn. They tell me that they make trips to the maori head carvings that are only visible from the water. I get my travel mate from the hostel and off we go. During the trip, the owner tells us that the yacht was once sailing around the world, was sold to his father in New Zealand from Fiji and was transported to the lake by truck about 30 years ago. At the carvings, he tells us that they are not genuine maori carvings, but the work of a pair of artists some years back. Still looks impressive.
\paragraph{10.08.12}
I book three more nights, but my travel mate leaves to Northland because he got a call confirming a wwhoofing place there ['wwhoof', willing workers helping on organic farms]. I don't do much due to the rain.
\paragraph{11.08.12}
I want to walk to one of the smaller mountains around, but after quite a while of walking, I am still in a suburb and the mountain looks as far as ever. I ask around and am informed that it's about 15 kilometers away, and it takes hours to get up. I decide to take some other path through the suburb back. It looks like I imagine America to look like. Endless roads, broad enough for a strip of green between street and sidewalk, and endless hedges and fences behind which you can see house after house. It's a pre-9/11 America, people are friendly (then again, NZ is place 2 in obesity and has the highest rate of kfc per person).
\paragraph{12.08.12}
Today I read 'Atlas Shrugged' all day. The story got me. I begin the day at the point where they find the motor remains and end at the point where America is transformed into a People's State. Interesting, Ayn Rand uses Phlebtonium AND a MacGuffin. And I can't shake the feeling that the Phlebtonium will be necessarry to make the MacGuffin work. The guy in the mirror looks more awesome than ever [whereever that came from].
\paragraph{13.08.12}
I walk to the falls and encounter a small side stream entering the river in a small, murky waterfall. I want to know what is on the other side and after a bit of hesitation, I jump. I grab any brush I can find on the other side, then sharply realise there are thorns as two sting me in my left hand, one quite deep. I pull them out, and think about the last time I saw my own blood. I couldn't recall. Behind the falls, there are the 'craters of the moon', a sulphur field and my destination for today. There is a park around them with bike and horse treks. I walk along them, going left, going right. When I come along a map, I see that the shortest way back to the falls and the town is blocked due to logging work. I plan a route along several biking tracks, but get off track and make a part of my route through small, replanted needle trees. It's difficult to move along because of the thick underbrush. In the hostel, I met Felix again, who is travelling with his kindergarden friend Phillip, who is visitin him for three weeks. They agree to take me to Turangi, a town at the south end of Lake Taupo and north of the Tongariro National Park.
\paragraph{14.08.12}
Update from 21.08. Felix and Phillip give me a lift to Turangi, where I ask for the hike opportunities. As I knew, the great 'Tongariro Crossing' that every backpacker knows and that leads to the volcanic crater of 'Mt Doom' is closed due to the eruption some days ago. They tell me to see the scenic walk of the river instead, right next to town. Without alternatives, I agree and go to the cheapest bbh hostel, the 'Aplus Lodge'. It seems a bit like a hippie commune, with painted fences and several buildings connected by selfmade roof sections. It's nice. The people themselves make me think of the most stereotypic hillbillies ever, but once I get to understand the accents, they turn out quite nice. The hostel clerk asks me for my plans and I tell him about the river walk. He is shocked, for that is one boring plan. He pulls out a map of the national park and tells me about lower walks around and in between the peaks, which are still open. I choose a two day trip from east to west, between two of the peaks. He allows me to store some of my stuff at the hostel so my backpack is lighter and drops me off at the desert road, which I leave to the right into the desert which is freckled with low shrubs. After a while, I cross a forest, several small streams, then back through badland again. At the evening, I reach the hut, bigger than I expected. From my notes in the hut:
'' time flies when you're having fun'. And it does. This morning, I woke up for the seventh time in the 'Rainbow Lodge' in Taupo. Now, in the evening, I'm in the 'Waihohonu hut' in the Tongariro National Park, and propably alone for kilometers. Felix, whom I met yesterday (seems years ago), and his visiting friend Philipp, took me to Turangi, then drove on to Wellington to go sightseeing. The famous Tongariro Crossing, which takes you to the sight of 'Mt Doom', is closed due to the eruption just a week ago. I asked at the iSite for other tracks, but they all start some driving time away. Shuttle is expensive and needs a minimum of two people. They tell me that the river walkway along the city whould be nice, too. I go to the bbh hostel, which seems empty except for some painfully stereotypical hillbillies. The guy running the hostel laughs at my plan to see the river and shows me several possible walks, unsing the huts to spend the nights. I decide on a walk and he starts a checklist. He offers me a used gas cartridge, lends me one of his pots, lets me store some of my stuff (and the backpack goes on my back again) and even brings me to the start of the track in his car. I leave the road and walk a path only marked by posts with orange arrows. It's rainy, and the way goes through some shallow streams (or the water flows through the deeper parts of the walkway). The way goes through low bushes, forest, then bushes again. After some time, the sign 'you are now entering Tongariro National Park'. I walk on. The 'hut' is bigger than the expected log cabin, and it's mine. I heat the chimney and make rice with baked beans. DJ was right, after hours of walking, with a stunning view and noone around, that meal tastes better than anything I could remember. It's getting dark outside. I write in the light of the chimney and two candles. Good night. After what feels like an eternety, I get up from the cold to take a piss. Too cloudy to see stars. My mobile says it's nine pm. Guess that happens when you have no electric light and go to sleep at sundown. So, I reheat the cimney and build myself a matrass fortress against the cold. I'm far from it, but I think I have the faintest idea what DJ was talking about when describing his feeling of hopelessness and defeat when he was out of chocolate. Earlier in the hut, I ate the lollypop the last hostel manager gave me as a fare-well gift. Now, I am searching the table for its remains. I didn't bring 'Atlas Shrugged' because of the weight; now that I miss it I know I have made the right choice. It may be preferable to generic pop music, but it's still a distraction. To get the most of this experience, I have to feed my senses, and thus my mind, with reality only.'
\paragraph{15.08.12}
It is one cold morning. My matrass fortress couldn't fend off the cold. I walk around the room while my rice boils. After I pack, I leave for some springs, twenty minutes off the route. The way leads me through fantastic landscape with red stone and shrubs. The springs themselves are basically a pond of clear turquis water from which the stream emerges, one side enclosed by forest, the other by the red shrubby desert. Back on track, I head for the village. The way is only marked by wooden poles every other meter, no track, nothing. I am alone for kilometers. When the ground is too muddy or a stream too wide, there are planks and small bridges, but mostly I have to watch my step and climb over stones in the riverbeds. Either the way has been built in riverbeds or the water flows down the trampled down paths. With the bad weather and on-off rain, there is a small flow of water on some of the ways. The view, though, is magnificent. Despite the clouds, I can see the snow at the lower hangs of the south mountain, and later, as it clears, I can see clouds streaming over the top of the northern peak. It's a great feeling to see no other human, no human structures, nothing. I could be a time traveller thrown back into the past, or a survivor after some catastrophy. With the only animals around being small birds, I have to think of the book 'Jurassic Park' I found at the hostel in Taupo, and almost anticipate a pack of raptors jumping down the next hill. Somewhere, not even distinct enough a place to be the middle of nowhere, I scream 'I am significant' towards a small river and the hill I just came down from. Like Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes), I might as well add 'screamed the dust speck'. The half mark of todays way is a signpost. Three hours to the hut the way I came, two and a half the way to the village, and ten minutes to a lake. I meet people there, we greet and I go to the lake. Quite far away, but a stunning view nontheless. Back at the signpost, I have a can of beans before I head on. This part is more crowded, I meet some groups on my way, from the village, on day trips to the lakes. I see more rivers, two huge waterfalls and another, huge chunk of forest at the last part of the walk. From the village, I hitchhike back to Turangi and surprise the hostel clerk with my early appearance. Before, I planned to stay in another hut for another day, but I am exhausted. I get to sleep at once.
\paragraph{16.08.12}
I sleep till noon and don't do much the day. I try to read Ayn Rand, but immediately after the dose of reality I had, even this seems shallow and uninteresting. Turns out, even my my mind is saturated from time to time. If I keep feeding it, it will keep hungry in the long run.
\paragraph{17.08.12}
Another lazy day at the hostel. I make plans to go to Wanganui at the coast, to get picked up by Felix and Phillip for our trip to the Forgotten world Highway. The next bus leaves the next day. I book and find a frying joint where I try a fried mars bar. Delicious and molten.
\paragraph{18.08.12}
I take the bus to Wanganui, check in for two days, borrow a cycle and drive around a bit. I discover the library, which has free internet. I return with my netbook, but since it is saturday, they open shortly after I set up.
\paragraph{19.08.12}
Turns out, the library is closed on sunday, something I am not used to anymore, because here, everything is open at any day. Instead, I take the bike to a tunnel and elevator through a section of mountain, up to a viewpoint tower. It looks interesting, circular with three stone beams at the side. It's built from this sponge-esque volcanic stone and has a metal cage on top so noone falls out, which looks like a huge drop of water. The weather is not too bad, the view is still great. Back at the hostel, guess who comes in the front door, Felix and Phillip.
\paragraph{20.08.12}
We pack our things and leave Wanganui for Stratford at Mt Egmond. We find the only bbh hostel to be in what seems to be a run-down military barracks, but it has a nice horror-movie charm, which inspires Felix and me to think of what might happen to us here. When one of the other residents, a Maori, starts making remarks about how german chainsaws are the best and if we knew this famous nazi-doctor, we are delighted. In town, we shop for ingredients and make steamed pasta. Quite delicious, succulent and sufficient to say the least.
That's it so far. I got some music from a fellow backpacker, some of it it matches my situation perfectly:
'himmelblau' by die Aerzte
'Abschiedslied' by Farin Urlaub
'am Strand' by Farin Urlaub
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Filmfestival!
The internet doesn't work too reliable here in Auckland, I scribbled this earlier:
"
I give you the NZIFF.
Today I watched 'Die Wand'. Didn't know it was a german movie untill the subtitles appeared. How Hollywood-poisoned my mind was. It was hungry for the Why, which Hollywood always explains, but rarely good.
The brochure promised 'science-fiction-elements', but I didn't got them. What I got was really good fiction. Any fiction takes a setting, no matter how ridiculus or how well explained (if at all), and lets the plot unfold naturally. If the plot itself needs ridiculus plot points, it is bad fiction. If everyone and everything acts and reacts in reasonable ways, even when confronted with a weird setting, we get good fiction. A device that lets multiple people dream the same dream? Ridiculus. But take that one thing for granted and someone gets the idea to use it as a device to steal information. Great movie. Someone can instantly teleport himself from one location to another? Ridiculus, too. Then this guy does things with his gift we can't understand; we whould act differently, it is never seen why he does what he does. Add more characters behaving unreasonably, even when we take the teleporting for granted, and we get a horrible movie. 'Jumper' is worse than 'the room', because it had so much more potential to be a great one.
But I digress. 'Die Wand' takes a setting (an invisible wall), and lets us watch as the story unfolds. No bogus technobabble to explain the wall, no aliens or government experiments. The expectation of these made my brain turn the first third of the movie into a horror thriller because I was expecting jumpers (sudden cut to something that lets us jump in the seat). Once I accepted the fact that the movie was not about the WHY does it happen, but the WHAT DOES happen, I really enjoyed it.
Look guys, I'm a movie critic!
"
In other news, I quit my job:
http://www.viruscomix.com/page491.html
Instead of writing extra stuff, I now just incorporate my opinions about the movies I watch into my diary. Before that, here is my idea for the next Batman (I don't care that the comic books didn't do that. Then again, there are almost as many comic books as bible passages, so I propably could find something to support this):
John Blake, nosy hot-head detective who is not allowed to believe in coincidence, becomes the next, more brain-reliant Batman. The best villain against a brainy Batman whould be one that likes puzzles and mysteries. Hm. Maybe someone who is already introduced, mentally scared by citizens trying to kill him because otherwise a hospital whould be destroyed. Also, he might feel guilty for a hospital being destroyed. Someone who's name conveniently happens to be 'Mister Reese'.
Anyway, here's what happens at the festival:
\paragraph{23.07.12}
After work, I go to the biggest book store in Auckland, and don't you know it, they have 'atlas shrugged' right there. However, the festival comes first. I watch the movie 'the wall'. Only in the theater I realise that the original title is 'Die Wand', german with english subtitles. The white subtitles ruin some of the gloomier scenes, but that's not too bad. It is about a woman trapped in an unexplained, invisible, inert forcefield. We see how she lives in a wooden cabin with a dog, trying to survive without knowing what is going on. My brain, poisoned by Hollywood, was expecting some kind of threat or explanation, none of which appeared. Refreshing. The acting was a bit wooden and the cuts abrupt sometimes, but that is just like 'glass plates with little bubbles and imperfections, proof that they were made by the indiginous hard-working people of... whereever'. You can see the lack of a Hollywood budget able to buy the best equipment and the longest experience. The imperfections are not proof, but byproduct. The Skycity Complex where the cinema is located is impressive. An indoor balcony lets me watch over the casino. Out of curiosity I ask the guy at the entrance if my clothing meets the needed level of 'neat and tidy' required to enter. Which it is, minus the hat. 'For social or religious reasons', right. Not because of the cameras. We laugh. I leave through the vast yet labyrinth-esque entrance hall.
\paragraph{24.07.12}
After work I went to the Civic Cinema, to find out that I missed both screenings of 'cabin in the woods'. A pity. I watched 'Faust', a russian interpretation of Goethe's original. Again, to my surprise, the movie is german with english subtitles. It was interesting to watch, but a person who has read the original and knows about all the characters and sideplots can propably get even more from it. Is anyone even reading this? Anyway, the Civic Cinema is even more impressive than the Skycity Cinema. It is built the style of an indian temple without a roof, the ceiling and openings are covered by round, set back, concrete surfaces, illuminated in blue. There are various smaller rooms due to the massive >1000 seat hall in the center of the building.
\paragraph{25.07.12}
[Resigning from my job here]. Afterwards, the Auckland air tastes like adventure again. I am free to do whatever I want at any time once more. But first, I head to the Travelworks office and claim my letter by the tax department of the government. [boring tax stuff]. They also want me to record my voice for voice recognition, for the safety of my data. As I decline, I am told that it whould not matter because it will become mandatory in not too short notice. I walk another way back to the hostel and miss it. I take a detour of more than one hour, around suburbs and more suburbs. At the hostel, I view through the rest of the film festival program and go to watch 'moonrise kingdom'. Beautiful. A downscaled escape from the oppressing system, a (somewhat downscaled) love story, a beautiful film. And even on an island with a single cop, he has to be played by Bruce Willis. It is a supporting role that does not steal attention from our heroes, our outcasts. I don't even feel like watching 'crazy horse' after this. Turns out, I can't, because it's sold out. Back to the hostel, I talk about movies, politics and more movies with some german guys. They haven't seen 'the dark knight rises' yet, but they can't find the enthusiasm to go right there and then. We agree on tomorrow. Lazy bunch.
\paragraph{26.07.12}
Today I watched 'beasts of the southern wild', which was not too bad. Not entirely my genre, but an intense portrait of a girl living in the bajou swamp. I also watched 'platige image', a short film compilation by the polish animation studio of the same name. Amongst them a trailer for 'witcher 2', an impressive 3d camera pan through a historical painting (a war scene with horses, various weapons, etc), an animated history of Poland for a museum and the usual amusing and thought-provoking short films.
\paragraph{27.07.12}
Today I watched 'the shining'. Kubrick at his best. No cheap jump-in-your-seat horror, but genuine psyching of the mind. And it works best in a cinema filled with genuine viewers. In the evening, I picked up some of my books and realised that I might as well start 'Atlas Shrugged' despite the heavy movie input.
\paragraph{28.07.12}
The film festival continues. Today I went to the box office at the Civic too late and missed the last screenings of 'toons for tots' and 'the boy who was a king'. Instead, I booked 'in the fog' and 'the sound of my voice'. There were four hours to kill beforehand, so I went to Britomart. I discovered a Samsung Olympic Area, with screens repeating the opening show. I watched the larger part of it, though I took a walk during the walk of the athlets. The three 'international olympic athlets' i.e. the people without a nationality, without a flag to bow and honor and carry in front of them, seemed the most extatic. Propably because no government told them to behave and not to make their country look bad. I didn't see the large red sculpture, which I presume is the torch, ignited. I only saw the one assembled from the copper bowls in the middle of the arena. Nice try to embed a social media love story into the show. After the show, I went to the cinema and marveled at the bizarrchitecture of the complex. The movie 'in the fog' itself was a tranquilizer. The prospect of minute-long shots made me think 'the one in 'avengers' was impressive, it might work here, too'. But in the two-minute shots of this one happened less than in the average three-second shot of 'avengers'. I literally struggled to keep my eyes open. But my failed scheduling reawakened me because I had to get from the Queen Street cinema to the Rialto in Newmarket in 30 minutes. I hurried to Britomart and took the Inner Link bus line. I overshot one bus stop and hurried back. When I found it, I was about five minutes late, but I only missed most of the preceeding animated short film, 'abiogenesis'. Still, a pity, the ending of that looked impressive. The movie itself, 'the sound of my voice', was a great one. I may not have labelled it 'science-fiction' entirely, but I understand why they did. The Hollywood idea is that every movie develops towards a 'why', and if it's a good and plausible 'why', it's a good movie; if it's a ridiculous and constructed 'why', it's a bad movie. Here, you have to understand that there is no necessity for why. You simply enjoy the 'what' and make up your own mind.
"
I give you the NZIFF.
Today I watched 'Die Wand'. Didn't know it was a german movie untill the subtitles appeared. How Hollywood-poisoned my mind was. It was hungry for the Why, which Hollywood always explains, but rarely good.
The brochure promised 'science-fiction-elements', but I didn't got them. What I got was really good fiction. Any fiction takes a setting, no matter how ridiculus or how well explained (if at all), and lets the plot unfold naturally. If the plot itself needs ridiculus plot points, it is bad fiction. If everyone and everything acts and reacts in reasonable ways, even when confronted with a weird setting, we get good fiction. A device that lets multiple people dream the same dream? Ridiculus. But take that one thing for granted and someone gets the idea to use it as a device to steal information. Great movie. Someone can instantly teleport himself from one location to another? Ridiculus, too. Then this guy does things with his gift we can't understand; we whould act differently, it is never seen why he does what he does. Add more characters behaving unreasonably, even when we take the teleporting for granted, and we get a horrible movie. 'Jumper' is worse than 'the room', because it had so much more potential to be a great one.
But I digress. 'Die Wand' takes a setting (an invisible wall), and lets us watch as the story unfolds. No bogus technobabble to explain the wall, no aliens or government experiments. The expectation of these made my brain turn the first third of the movie into a horror thriller because I was expecting jumpers (sudden cut to something that lets us jump in the seat). Once I accepted the fact that the movie was not about the WHY does it happen, but the WHAT DOES happen, I really enjoyed it.
Look guys, I'm a movie critic!
"
In other news, I quit my job:
http://www.viruscomix.com/page491.html
Instead of writing extra stuff, I now just incorporate my opinions about the movies I watch into my diary. Before that, here is my idea for the next Batman (I don't care that the comic books didn't do that. Then again, there are almost as many comic books as bible passages, so I propably could find something to support this):
John Blake, nosy hot-head detective who is not allowed to believe in coincidence, becomes the next, more brain-reliant Batman. The best villain against a brainy Batman whould be one that likes puzzles and mysteries. Hm. Maybe someone who is already introduced, mentally scared by citizens trying to kill him because otherwise a hospital whould be destroyed. Also, he might feel guilty for a hospital being destroyed. Someone who's name conveniently happens to be 'Mister Reese'.
Anyway, here's what happens at the festival:
\paragraph{23.07.12}
After work, I go to the biggest book store in Auckland, and don't you know it, they have 'atlas shrugged' right there. However, the festival comes first. I watch the movie 'the wall'. Only in the theater I realise that the original title is 'Die Wand', german with english subtitles. The white subtitles ruin some of the gloomier scenes, but that's not too bad. It is about a woman trapped in an unexplained, invisible, inert forcefield. We see how she lives in a wooden cabin with a dog, trying to survive without knowing what is going on. My brain, poisoned by Hollywood, was expecting some kind of threat or explanation, none of which appeared. Refreshing. The acting was a bit wooden and the cuts abrupt sometimes, but that is just like 'glass plates with little bubbles and imperfections, proof that they were made by the indiginous hard-working people of... whereever'. You can see the lack of a Hollywood budget able to buy the best equipment and the longest experience. The imperfections are not proof, but byproduct. The Skycity Complex where the cinema is located is impressive. An indoor balcony lets me watch over the casino. Out of curiosity I ask the guy at the entrance if my clothing meets the needed level of 'neat and tidy' required to enter. Which it is, minus the hat. 'For social or religious reasons', right. Not because of the cameras. We laugh. I leave through the vast yet labyrinth-esque entrance hall.
\paragraph{24.07.12}
After work I went to the Civic Cinema, to find out that I missed both screenings of 'cabin in the woods'. A pity. I watched 'Faust', a russian interpretation of Goethe's original. Again, to my surprise, the movie is german with english subtitles. It was interesting to watch, but a person who has read the original and knows about all the characters and sideplots can propably get even more from it. Is anyone even reading this? Anyway, the Civic Cinema is even more impressive than the Skycity Cinema. It is built the style of an indian temple without a roof, the ceiling and openings are covered by round, set back, concrete surfaces, illuminated in blue. There are various smaller rooms due to the massive >1000 seat hall in the center of the building.
\paragraph{25.07.12}
[Resigning from my job here]. Afterwards, the Auckland air tastes like adventure again. I am free to do whatever I want at any time once more. But first, I head to the Travelworks office and claim my letter by the tax department of the government. [boring tax stuff]. They also want me to record my voice for voice recognition, for the safety of my data. As I decline, I am told that it whould not matter because it will become mandatory in not too short notice. I walk another way back to the hostel and miss it. I take a detour of more than one hour, around suburbs and more suburbs. At the hostel, I view through the rest of the film festival program and go to watch 'moonrise kingdom'. Beautiful. A downscaled escape from the oppressing system, a (somewhat downscaled) love story, a beautiful film. And even on an island with a single cop, he has to be played by Bruce Willis. It is a supporting role that does not steal attention from our heroes, our outcasts. I don't even feel like watching 'crazy horse' after this. Turns out, I can't, because it's sold out. Back to the hostel, I talk about movies, politics and more movies with some german guys. They haven't seen 'the dark knight rises' yet, but they can't find the enthusiasm to go right there and then. We agree on tomorrow. Lazy bunch.
\paragraph{26.07.12}
Today I watched 'beasts of the southern wild', which was not too bad. Not entirely my genre, but an intense portrait of a girl living in the bajou swamp. I also watched 'platige image', a short film compilation by the polish animation studio of the same name. Amongst them a trailer for 'witcher 2', an impressive 3d camera pan through a historical painting (a war scene with horses, various weapons, etc), an animated history of Poland for a museum and the usual amusing and thought-provoking short films.
\paragraph{27.07.12}
Today I watched 'the shining'. Kubrick at his best. No cheap jump-in-your-seat horror, but genuine psyching of the mind. And it works best in a cinema filled with genuine viewers. In the evening, I picked up some of my books and realised that I might as well start 'Atlas Shrugged' despite the heavy movie input.
\paragraph{28.07.12}
The film festival continues. Today I went to the box office at the Civic too late and missed the last screenings of 'toons for tots' and 'the boy who was a king'. Instead, I booked 'in the fog' and 'the sound of my voice'. There were four hours to kill beforehand, so I went to Britomart. I discovered a Samsung Olympic Area, with screens repeating the opening show. I watched the larger part of it, though I took a walk during the walk of the athlets. The three 'international olympic athlets' i.e. the people without a nationality, without a flag to bow and honor and carry in front of them, seemed the most extatic. Propably because no government told them to behave and not to make their country look bad. I didn't see the large red sculpture, which I presume is the torch, ignited. I only saw the one assembled from the copper bowls in the middle of the arena. Nice try to embed a social media love story into the show. After the show, I went to the cinema and marveled at the bizarrchitecture of the complex. The movie 'in the fog' itself was a tranquilizer. The prospect of minute-long shots made me think 'the one in 'avengers' was impressive, it might work here, too'. But in the two-minute shots of this one happened less than in the average three-second shot of 'avengers'. I literally struggled to keep my eyes open. But my failed scheduling reawakened me because I had to get from the Queen Street cinema to the Rialto in Newmarket in 30 minutes. I hurried to Britomart and took the Inner Link bus line. I overshot one bus stop and hurried back. When I found it, I was about five minutes late, but I only missed most of the preceeding animated short film, 'abiogenesis'. Still, a pity, the ending of that looked impressive. The movie itself, 'the sound of my voice', was a great one. I may not have labelled it 'science-fiction' entirely, but I understand why they did. The Hollywood idea is that every movie develops towards a 'why', and if it's a good and plausible 'why', it's a good movie; if it's a ridiculous and constructed 'why', it's a bad movie. Here, you have to understand that there is no necessity for why. You simply enjoy the 'what' and make up your own mind.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
"Batman?" "Yes my Lord." "RIIISSSEEE!"
Note: Spoilers are written backwards, you can turn your head away
without accidentally reading them. Also, they are fake. Yes, /b/ got me
again. Spoilers in an unrelated thread made me angry but reminded me not
to surf the web for fun between a movie release and me watching it. As
it just turned out, the boards are still the same: The info was complete
bogus. find the bogus backwards at the end.
That movie is awesome! And I saw it both in the cinema on the big screen and in english! You guys have to take your pick between the two. Which is a pity, really. As with Avengers and Brave (even with Pixar giving their masters a Disney princess as main character). Even the death of a great actor does not make his movie the best of the trilogy. Which cannot end as a trilogy, not with that ending.
Hype, hype, statement how great the movie is, ..wait, you have to wait for another week?? How about you all come to live here, so I never have to go back!
Bogus spoilers from the boards:
1. emutsoc namtab sdnif ttivel
2. dedeen tub enog si namtab esuaceb ti sraew
3. sevil enyaw dna mih sllik enab
That movie is awesome! And I saw it both in the cinema on the big screen and in english! You guys have to take your pick between the two. Which is a pity, really. As with Avengers and Brave (even with Pixar giving their masters a Disney princess as main character). Even the death of a great actor does not make his movie the best of the trilogy. Which cannot end as a trilogy, not with that ending.
Hype, hype, statement how great the movie is, ..wait, you have to wait for another week?? How about you all come to live here, so I never have to go back!
Bogus spoilers from the boards:
1. emutsoc namtab sdnif ttivel
2. dedeen tub enog si namtab esuaceb ti sraew
3. sevil enyaw dna mih sllik enab
Monday, July 16, 2012
tdpe!
That is the explanation! And I was worried Bielefeld finally ur[..classified..]led, with the result tha[..classified..]o be made into a movie by Michael Bay.
Good news, by the way. This week I'll have regular Internet, so after work I can phone home. I'll be home by roundabout 8pm. That is 10 am for you (You have daylight savings in summer, we in winter). If you are too busy at that time, I can get up early on saturday.
Greetings from Hamilton,
Patrick
ps. Since I got the job in Auckland, I was travelling on a weekly basis: Auckland, Wellington, Hastings, Fieldings, Kerikeri, Hamilton.
Good news, by the way. This week I'll have regular Internet, so after work I can phone home. I'll be home by roundabout 8pm. That is 10 am for you (You have daylight savings in summer, we in winter). If you are too busy at that time, I can get up early on saturday.
Greetings from Hamilton,
Patrick
ps. Since I got the job in Auckland, I was travelling on a weekly basis: Auckland, Wellington, Hastings, Fieldings, Kerikeri, Hamilton.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
quaking
what a rumble. especially when you are as close as fieldings. it was shaking for about a minute, never had one that heavvy. but all is ok with me and my coworkers.
free wifi and lunch break right now. cheers.
mobi
free wifi and lunch break right now. cheers.
mobi
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