Gangster Squad

Kiwiburn can't be put into words, so I won't attempt it. 'Unfortunately, noone can be told, what a Man-Event is like. You have to see it for yourself.'

I've been to the cinema after one week of Kiwiburn, though. Gangsterstory in post-war America? Tommyguns, hats and suits, art deco architecture? Count me in! (I have to watch that movie about Dillinger again, with Johnny Depp). Interesting setting, and the story is vigilante justice, as made popular by comic adaptations these days. It's a really good movie, with unexpected yet believable twists.

Interesting was the trailer-show. I couldn't help but laugh at the humor of movie 34', but what sold it was the amount of familiar faces in it, and they all had good movies in the past. 'Die Hard' had me snicker when the taxi driver asked Bruce Willis of all people wether he was a policeman. Other than that, it'll be what the franchise ever was, which won't be too bad if they don't fuck it up like they did some Bonds ago. 'Hansel and Gretel' looks like the new 'Van Helsing', with semi-medival steampunk weaponry and other stuff too, I guess. During the trailer to 'Zero Dark Thirty' I couldn't stop thinking 'this might be a Hollywood Blockbuster, but it's based on real events, so stop marketing this like Michael Bay's Military Porn'.

When I left the theater, I found that my neighbors left half a bag of popcorn on the floor and spilled half a bag of Maltersers on the seat. I've eaten stuff of more questionable origin the whole week, so I dug in.

On my way out, I saw a poster that made me say 'Holy Shit' aloud. 'The Host', with the letter O being a blue shining circle that matched the girls irises. Then I read 'From Stephanie Meyer' and thought 'That explaines the two boys to either side of the girl, nothing to see here'. But then I read 'Written and directed by Andrew Niccol'. That's what got me. The man's a genius. Gattaca, The Truman Show, S1m0ne, In Time? Now I have to see this. inb4 there will be an old Citroen and the sea involved.

One last thought: I saw the poster for the re-remake of the Wolverine origin story. I'm just thinking aloud here, but what if 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios made a deal to include him in the MarvelVerse? It's business, after all. I mean how cool whould it be if after the credits we see figures in the dark and hear the voices of Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Downey Jr.:

SLJ: So, what do you think?
RDJ: What do I think? That guy has some serious issues.
SLJ: Look who's talking. His issues will be in great company.
FADE TO BLACK

back online

I'm back from the Kiwiburn! I took a single-use camera, so the photos will follow later. But have a look how I go from dirty hippie to corporate sellout:

ps. I found the headquarters of tf2's RED team; google pictures of the massive 'Huntly Power Station'. Also, I'll land in Frankfurt on 15.02. at 16:50. Come by, say hi!

off the grid

i'm about to head off to the kiwiburn festival. no juice, so i store my electronics in auckland. await my return to the grid in a week and a half.

Photo?

Hi, everybody.

Last you heard, I was in Wellington enjoying the Hobbit premiere. What happened next?

Along with Felix and Anne, whom I met there, I travel up the west coast, along the surfer highway, past Auckland and up north once more. Beaches and glowworm caves along the way. On our way back to Opotiki, we stop in Auckland to watch 'the Hobbit' in 48 fps (world premiere meant that the unworthy had to wait another two weeks). In Opotiki, we celebrate Xmas with a BBQ and the new year at the beach. The next week, I work with Felix and the other guys from the hostel at the kiwi orchards for an extra buck. I then join Felix on his cars' last journey to Auckland, where he sells it and then makes his way with Anne to the south island.

I, in turn, make the aquaintance of two german PR-people, who tell me that a job in that profession is impossible to get by on short notice, an internship highly unlikely. But they tell me about a master's degree at Auckland University that combines Biotechnology with Business and Communication. For that, of course, I have to finish my Bachelor's degree first.

The choices that we make...

Photos:

Davon gibt es noch ein Video. Das muss ich irgendwann mal gifen.

Wenn Hundertwasser Wasser lassen muss, entwirft er einen Wasserlasspalast. Den einzigen seiner Art auf dieser Hemisphaere.

Kein Photoshop. Handykamera minderer Qualitaet ist mein Instagram.

Wenn man auf einer Plantage arbeitet, kann man seinen Bart mal Bart sein lassen.

Oscar Seasoning

Skyfall:
 A movie that had me shaken and stirred, but the promises made make me hungry for the next one. During the movie I thought: Why so much politics? Bond was always about the politician's dirty work. Lacking the Cold War, it might be terrorists, but let them be over-the-top. Which He was. I was wondering, why make M die? Just replace her in the next movie without mentioning it, but I guess every- and anyone needs an origin story nowadays.
After the ending, I realised all the messages in the movie: A straight razor is traditional, Bond might need it. He drinks his martini shaken not stirred, introduces himself in the old-fashioned manner and fights henchmen in a pit with carnivorous animals. Q is back, and joking about exploding pens. The agency leaves its fancy real-life location for a bunker. We take an Aston Martin and drive to Scotland and Bond's (Connery's) childhood home. We get Moneypenny and M back, and a general 'resurrection' theme. Back to the roots it is! YES!
The only thing that has to be corrected now are the music videos to the opening credits. Less of Craig's face, we know the guy by now. Focs on silhouettes and the arty stuff. There might be spoilers up there, I'll tone it down.

The Hobbit:
Haven't read the book, but I like the movie. I also like the 48fps-feature, after one gets used to it. It's like 3d or sound in movies: First everyone resents it, it's used anyway, one generation later we don't say 'movie' and '48-fps-3d-movie', we say 'blurry flatfilm' and 'movie'.

Wreck-it-Ralph:
Whoever finds the most background references wins! Which is why I'll watch it a second time, definetly. The story itself is pretty much Disney, with lessons learned, bad guys (bad beyond their purpose and programming) get what they deserve, etc etc. But it's a kids movie, and kid's movies are fun!

In other news, I'm back in Opotiki for the international consumerism festival. Have fun wherever you and your mind are!

Mobi

Premiere of 'The Hobbit'

The whole week was filled with program, a hobbit market in particular, which turned out to be a themed merchandise sale. But they had a show of a Weta makeup artist during which he gave an actor an orc face. He also told us that the hobbit's feet took some hours, too, and because of these long times orcs often wear gloves. After the two-hour procedure, he walked through the crowd, surrounded by photographers. In the evening, the large screen showed 'The Fellowship Of The Ring', the shorter cinema version. The following two evenings, the other two movies were shown. At the day of the premiere, two blocks were closed for traffic, yet there was more traffic than ever. I arrived around 12 pm, and there was a considerable crowd already. I strolled along the carpet's length, which I think I read was half a kilometer. It took some time to get to the Embassy Theatre, where a stage looking like a hobbit home was erected. But you might have seen that one on tv. About two or three hours of walking around the crowd later, Felix and Anne (from Opotiki) texted me that they arrived and got some front row space at the carpet. I joined them and we waited for the 5pm pre-show, which was a juggling show to keep the crowd entertained, and the arrival of the famous people. The spectators didn't come here because these people are famous, they are famous because of the spectators. They gave out large cardboards with Air New Zealand logo and a picture of their Hobbit-theme painted plane, for people to collect autographs on them. Felt-tip pens were sold for 5 dollars, but I long ago had made it a habit of carrying mine to mark my food and other stuff. On the blank backsides of three of the cardboards, I wrote 'Tell me where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him' (Ian ASDFASDFASDF was not present), 'To boldly go where no Hobbit has gone before' and 'The Hobbit Episode I: Hope you didn't ruin the prequel'. Others had slogans like 'Gandalf, marry me! ...once it's legal' or 'three horses died for this movie' (Peta, of course). They also gave out wizard's hats, and I got one with the unbeatable arguement of a sunburnt forehead (some days ago, I had lost my bucket hat). When the stars strolled past at last, we collected some signatures, but not enough for my taste, so I asked the other carpeteers to sign. I got a stage doctor, a lawyer, a swordmaker, a shoemaker, a costume designer, another designer, a guy who helped get the plane painted and several others. I even got some of the people who were there just because they know the right people to sign; most of them somewhere between shy and outright embarassed. I explained to them that they can't just tell me that they're not famous, for that's the internet's call to make. It was fun, it trained communication skills and I learned that you can get to a premiere simply because you own a small cinema in a small town. At one point, the endless interviews stopped and the announcer told us to look up in the sky. He then started a countdown, after which nothing happened. He started again, and low overhead, the Air New Zealand plane flew by. That was quite an impressive sight. And that was that. Now, since I wasn't able to find a job in Wellington, I am travelling the country with Felix and Anne. We plan to be in Auckland in a few days to watch the movie ourselves, and on that occasion I'll get myself and internship for the public relation company that works for NZBIO.

My battlecry is uncomprehensible over the cameraperson's laughter, which perhaps is as adequate.









Gandalf enjoys a donut









 Gandalf rebuilds Minas Tirith.





















 Gandalf's hot tub.

i was walking around town, giving my cv to every pr agency, cinema and movie production company in walking distance, when i saw a crowd. i walked closer and saw some of the traditional maori waka canoes. but the crowd looked another way. i asked one of them, and he pointed out to me that at the other side of the crowd, five meters from our position, prince charles was taking a birthday walk among his colony habitants. suddenly, the postersaround town with anti-monarchistic slogans and the windsohr's face made sense to me. anyway, one of the cinemas is hiring at the moment, so let,s not lose hope. after all, i could be sitting in some concrete bunker and be fed knowledge while staying oblivious to the world.