As somebody who's hips get a bit sore, yoga is a good thing. Also, as I'm job hunting at the moment, it's good to take myself out of my head space and do something in with my body that doesn't involve hoiking weights over my head.
The class was at the gym at 12.15. The time was blocked in my calendar. I wore my gym clothes to work for a change.
And the class was really enjoyable. What gets me with yoga is you have to remind yourself that you don't need to be the bendiest person in the room. You just go at your own pace. I'm not a fan of downward dog - but I've finally got Child's Pose under control. A quick chat with the instructor, Frank, and he said that there were always options - and to listen to him, he'd help me out.
It was wonderful! I'll never be graceful. I doubt I'll ever be able to touch my toes, but my hips feel great now and the break in the middle of the day was wonderful.
Then there's The Cat Tarot.
It's been sitting in my bag for a week. I finally cracked it open.
I love it.
78 cards with different cats on them.
The spot cards are a bit different:
The Swords are Claws
The Wands are Cat Toys
The Pentacles are Cat Treats
The Cups are Cat Water bowls.
Then there's the Major Arcana.
They're a hoot.
I particularly love the Death and The Devil.
The Star and the Tower are pretty good too.
As are The Hermit and The Hanged Man.
It's been keeping me amused, I'll give you that. And it's so apt.
It's the joys of being light on work. May as well enjoy it while it lasts. I'm interviewing for a new role on Friday. It's a matter of finding the right role - not taking the first thing that comes my way.
The easiest way to get me to a movie is to say I'll hate it.
Jay saw this a few weeks ago and loathed it. Despite her repeated comments that it was a load of tosh, I was still keen. But rather than pay cash for this, I used movie points so that if I walked out - and plenty of people allegedly walked out of Jay's session, then I wouldn't be upset because no money changed hands.
Well, I didn't hate it.
But this is a problematic movie.
Damien Chazelle is a polarizing writer and director. Okay, Whiplash is incredible - and if you missed it, hunt it out. Superb stuff. La La Land had audiences loving and hating it in equal measure. I saw it twice - had no idea about it the first time, loved it the second.
Babylon, I won't be seeing again. But, I do appreciate it for what it is. And what it is not.
Babylon is not:
Short - at three hours and nine minutes it's probably an hour too long.
Subtle - nah, none of that.
Particularly tasteful - from the first scene, which is just gross, there are many other tasteless scenes peppered throughout. Full frontal, vomitous, drug infused and shit stained. You've been warned.
But, and this is the big but. This is a movie about excess. What do you bloody expect? IMDB.com describes it as "A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood."
Yep, that's about it.
If you've ever seen Singing in the Rain, you'll know that the movie is about the change in movies from silent films to talkies. However, you can let your kids watch Singing in the Rain.
And not so strangely, there are a number of scenes which play direct homage to this wonderful film. If I'm not mistaken, the film has a very similar scene on what looks like the same sound stage.
Starting during the excesses of the twenties, we find the three main characters going through journeys.
Brad Pitt is Jack Conrad, king of the silent films who transitions to the talkies, only to find himself aging out of the system.
Margot Robbie is Nellie LaRoy, a starlet from New Jersey who's trying every method under the sun to get herself into the pictures. She spends most of the film high and in some sort of trouble.
And my favourite of the pack, Diego Calva as Manny Torres, a studio executive's Mr Fixit, who makes his way up the pile to Studio director being somebody who can fix anything. For me, he was the absolute standout as he straddles the many worlds of film making. I particularly loved the very last bit of the movie where Manny returns 20 years later. It's wonderfully nostalgic.
Jovan Adepo is also excellent as Sidney Palmer, a trumpet player who starts off doing parties but ends up in the films. His story is particularly poignant in places.
For a film about excess, it's just this feature which detracts from the film. There's almost too much to take in, particularly in the raucous, Bacchynalian party scenes, which are as exquisite as they are grotesque. But this is the point of the film. It's just as much a commentary on the unrealistic nature of the movie industry as it is of the times it represents.
There's also some very sly digs at events and people over the time. Fatty Arbuckle being one of them. Hedda Hopper, the gossip columnist being another.
I also like the cameos that are peppered throughout. Lukas Haas, Tobey Maguire, Olivia Wilde, Eric Roberts just to name a few.
Another thing to remember about this is that its up for three Academy Awards - for production design, costumes and original score. For these elements, and the cinematography, this film is a winner.
Summing this up, it's probably more a film for the movie junkie, the aficionado of film, rather than those looking for something easy to watch. It's deeply unpleasant in places, but utterly thought provoking in others. It holds up a very dirty mirror to an industry which eats people up and spits them out without a care. And in an odd way, this is a bit of a love song to this strange, vital, weird and powerful industry.
See this at your own peril. It's probably one for the purists.
Alice called the other day. Was I doing anything Saturday night? No. Did I want to come along to a session of The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Yes.
I haven't seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show in a cinema for I reckon thirty years. I remember going to one of the late-night sessions in one of the Art House cinemas in Adelaide while I was at university. In the meantime, I've seen productions of this on-stage numerous times. I've seen Robin Givens (the skater), a well-known Kiwi actor, Craig McLaughlan and Todd McKenny play Frank. I'll probably go along with friends to see a cleaned-up Jason Donovan in the role. He was allegedly pretty good when he was in London, even if he was drugged up to the eyeballs.
But I haven't seen the movie on the big screen in years. And the Astor's screen is big.
So, I braved the 78 Tram down Chapel Street and took myself down to the wonderful old cinema on the corner of Chapel Street and Dandenong Road.
I was greeted by a mob of crazies.
It was AWESOME.
If I had the gumption, I could have fished out my pyjamas, find those Micky Mouse ears and would hve been a perfectly fine Columbia.
I've also been tempted to get some scrubs, a pair of marigolds and a string of pearls and go as Frankenfurter.
Or there's the thought of getting a lab coat, put a petticoat underneath and go as Janet.
Regardless, half of the audience was dressed up. The other half not.
The floor show was best viewed from the ground level of the cinema. We were told to go upstairs (where they were sending all the non-costumed folk) while the crazies were in the stalls.
The show at the front, from what I could see, was crazy. A mix of burlesque and rip of. Mind you - they've been doing this since the seventies, so what do you expect. It would have been nice to see more of it, but thems the breaks.
As for the movie, seeing it on the big screen again was wonderful. What you miss seeing it on television is all the fine details which make this so fun. And subversive.
Remember, The Rocky Horror Picture Show came out in 1975...
On the big screen, all of the little things you have missed for years come out, and it's glorious. The pubic hair, the nipple slips, Christopher Biggins, the fact that the male cast members didn't remove their chest hair...these sorts of things.
Of course, the songs haven't changed in 47 years. Nor has the hilarity.
What makes going to a session of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at this old cinema, with a heap of strange, well tattooed, body positive nutbags, is that it's sooooo accepting of everybody.
And it's not a polite audience. They yell, scream, interject, sing along, throw rice at the wedding. You name it. You do it. The sessions was sold out.
Alice and I sang along with the best of them.
Of course, with today's gender politics, there are parts which haven't aged that well, but a disclaimer was provided after the Acknowledgment of Country. If you're coming to one of these sessions, it's taken as given that you're not overly PC.
And at the end of it all, Alice and I were feeling most wonderful and we've vowed to go to another sessions - which the Astor holds fairly regularly, but next time, we'll dressed up.
And with that, I hopped back on the 78 Tram and went come with all the drunkies and slutty teenagers and the rest of humanity found down Chapel Street on a Saturday Night. It was almost as fun as the Astor had been.
Hmm - I like it when quick questions are posted for the Sunday quiz. I've got to go out and buy a pair of marigolds (rubber gloves) as I'm off to see Rocky Horror at an old Art House cinema tonight - and I'm not in the mood to go full Rocky. Pity I don't have some scrubs about the place.
Questions, as always, have been provided by Bev at Sunday Stealing.
LAYER 1: Tell us your...
* Eye color: Dark green. Some would call then hazel. I think dark green suits them better.
* Hair color: It's a golden brown at the moment, but I have no idea what my natural hair colour is at the moment. Probably has a lot more grey than I will admit to.
* Height: 166 centimetres, or 5'5 and a bit in the old language.
* Righty or lefty: I'm ambidextrous with a leaning to the right. I write with my right hand. Do lots of things well with my left. I can only use scissors with my left hand. Weird.
LAYER 2: What's...
* Your heritage: I'm fifth generation white Australian. Cornish and Welsh on Mum's side, Southern English with a bit of Scottish on Dad's side.
* The shoes you wore today: Birkenstock Mayaris. It is summer.
* Your weakness: ice cream. And Clive Owen.
* Your fears: Huntsman Spiders and Conservative politics.
* Your perfect pizza: Mexican Hot or Meat Lovers. I'll just eat pizza - prefer the Italian style without too many toppings.
* Goals you’d like to achieve: Get a book successfully published.
* Your first waking thoughts: I want a cuddle and where's my cat.
* Your best physical feature: Eyes and ankles.
* Your most missed memory: How do you miss a memory? I don't get this question.
LAYER 3: Do you...
* Smoke: Not anymore. I haven't for about 15 years.
* Cuss: Selectively and sparingly. Very careful about who I swear around.
* Sing: In the shower.
* Do you think you’ve been in love: I'm not sure about this one. Maybe.
* Did you go to college: Yes. A few times. I have a Master's Degree.
* Liked high school: No, I hated it. The classes were fine. The rest was awful.
* Believe in yourself: I do now.
* Think you’re attractive: No, but I'm not as ugly as I think I am, and I'm lovely on the inside, which is what matters.
* Think you’re a health freak: No, but I do look after myself.
* Like thunderstorms: Love them.
* Play an instrument: I used to play the flute at school. I can still get notes out of it.
LAYER 4: In the past month have you…
* Drunk alcohol: Yes, but not to excess.
* Smoked: No
* Done a drug: Only the prescription ones I take - noting illicit.
* Made out: No, unless kissing the cat on the top of the head counts.
* Gone on a date: No
* Gone to the mall: Yes - but that is where the supermarket can be found.
* Eaten an entire box of Oreos: Hells no. Ew. And Oreos come in a rolled packet here.
* Eaten sushi: Yes
* Been on stage: No
* Been dumped: No
* Gone skating: No - it's Summer here, and besides, I don't skate.
* Gone skinny dipping: No but ask me this next month and the answer will probably be a bit different.
LAYER 5: Have you ever…
* Played a game that required removal of clothing: Many, many years ago.
* Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Of course. I went to university and lived in residence.
* Been caught “doing something”: And what is something? If you don't define what something is, I can't tell you if I've been caught doing it.
* Been called a tease: Yes. I'm not, but things are changing, thank goodness.
* Gotten beaten up: No, thank goodness.
LAYER 6:
* Age you did get/hope to be married: I'm not actually certain I wanted to ever get married, if I'm completely honest. Never been in the type of relationship which would ever lead to marriage.
* How do you want to die: Quietly, in my sleep, surrounded by friends.
* What did you want to be when you grew up: A doctor or an astronaut or a writer. I became a writer.
* What country would you most like to visit: At the moment, it's France and Japan, but I'd like to spend a lot more time in the United Kingdom. I still miss it.
LAYER 7: Now tell...
* Name a person you could trust with your life: A couple of my good friends. I won't name one.
* Name a favorite CD that you own: Stings, Ten Summoner's Tales. It's a great album. It still gets played regularly.
* Number of piercings: At the moment, two - both ears. They were done twice, but over COVID the second holes have closed over.
* Number of tattoos: One. It's very small and out of the way and I've had it since the late nineties.
* Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: Twice. there was a birth notice and I think I was mentioned in my father's death notice.
* Name a past experience that you regret: Regrets are wasted emotions. There are a few things I'd do differently given the time over, but it's not worth dwelling on.
Disclaimer: I love Brendan Fraser. I've loved Brendan Fraser forever. He's a bit dippy and all sweet and Canadian. He's also one of the best actors I've ever had the privilege to see on stage. It was over 20 years ago. He was in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, along with Ned Beatty as Big Daddy and Frances O'Connor as Maggie the Cat. The second act was incendiary. It's still up there with the best theatre I've ever seen. And if you've never seen Gods and Monsters, it's worth looking that one up too. He's great in that too. As a young man he was just my type. Now, as somebody my age, he's still my type... ah well, we can dream.
So now we come to The Whale.
Brendan Fraser plays Charlie, a morbidly obese reclusive college professor, who's coming to the end of his life. As the film goes on, we find Charlie on the path to redemption, reconciling with himself, his daughter and the circumstances that lead to the situation in which he finds himself.
This is a close, almost claustrophobic film, using a shortened screen, rather than the whole screen to add to the feeling of closeness. The film is based around Charlie's apartment, and other than a couple of shots outside, the action does not stray from this dank, over-run space, all of which adds to the tone. Darren Aronofsky has done well on this. Unlike Black Swan, which I found a heap of pretentious wank, this was beautifully pitched mixing both the pathos and horror of Charlie's situation.
Over the course of the film which takes place over a week, he is visited by a number of people. His estranged daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink) who plays the angry teenager to the max. There's a missionary kid, Thomas (Ty Simpkins) who tries to redeem Charlie.
And there's Liz (Hong Chau) who is Charlie's primary carer and, yes, enabler. This performance has earned Chau a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. It's well deserved. She runs the gamut of every emotion as she watches the self-destructive Charlie destroy his life.
This is Brendan Fraser's film. He is sublime as this tortured man who only wants the very best for his daughter. He's encased in a fat suit and works the physicality of the this to the hilt. He tends to every nuance of Charlie's condition. At times it's hard to watch. But no matter what you may think - Brendan Fraser is seriously underrated and deserves every accolade thrown his way.
My only real criticism of the film is that as an adaption of a play, this keeps one too many of the theatrical elements. One too many of the supporting characters come crashing through the front door. This is what knocked it down to 4.5 stars. This is my only real misgiving of the film.
It's a great movie. You'll need tissues.
And I'm very glad Brendan Fraser is getting the roles and the recognition he deserves. I will always sing his praises and I'm half tempted to put five bucks on him winning the Oscar.
I'm aware that the 50 days are going to be a bit of a rollercoaster. I'm also aware that because I have not that much to do, I will have some time on my hands.
So, what to do with this time?
Firstly, COVID knocked out my habit of going for a walk every day. COVID squeezed the stuffing out of me for a few months. That's over now. Time to get back the five kilometre walk a day. That or an hour of exercise a day. My energy is back. My lung capacity is back. There's no excuses.
Secondly, time to get doing my writing.
Sitting in a team meeting today, notepad in hand some words came out. Some actual fiction words. It was a lovely feeling.
So, while I'm in this hiatus space, it's time to write. Maybe a trip to IKEA is needed to get that swivel desk. Unfortunately, I can't write on my work laptop and send words to myself. Part of the company email rules. But this might work.
So, what did I write?
Another jumping off point for the novel.
The unassembled boxes lie against the big windows which overlook the city. A roll of tape and a pair of scissors rest on the coffee table waiting for use. These items have been here a month, a constant reminder that the day is nearing when I'll have to stop procrastinating, but as with most thing cardboard or paper with an official use, I like to ignore them.
Procrastinating is my superpower. It's a part of why I'm in this situation. Not that I'm a rarity. A middle-aged single woman. Spinster of this parish. Feme Sole. Spouseless. On the shelf. Mr Roget's master book is damning of single women of an age. I could add to this words like Crone. Bedlam. Witch.
My generation is the last to know how to use a thesaurus. Modern generations don't know the joy of thumbing through a dog-earred Roget's. My copy has pride of place on my worktable. It was bought when I was doing English at university. It has that familiar, must smell of a well-loved tome. Shift-F7 doesn't have the same feel about it. "
Well, it's a start.
The things that come out of your brain when you're in a pointless meeting.
My other thing for my downtime - the other day I did a set of feet again. Feet? Reflexology. It was the first time in over a year I cracked open my massage table. I had an interesting client. We had things to work on (I'm wondering if the treatment helped). But there's something about getting out your bells, broom, black candles and cranking up Lou Reed's Transformer album to get some energy moving.
In the words of The Pixies, 'I wanna be a singer like Lou Reed...." Lou Reed is great to work feet to. Nice and mellow.
Anybody want a reflexology treatment in this downtime hiatus?
The confirmation came today. My contract is not being extended at the end of March.
And I'm good with this.
There's a couple of things in my feeling okay with the knowledge that I don't currently have an income after the first weeks of April.
My headspace looks like this:
As much as I love my manager and my current team, and I like working in this company, I'm bored in my role. It was good when I was getting over burnout, but now that's over, I want to feel like I'm contributing more.
There is a good eight week run up to needing to get a job. The more notice you get the better.
My manager has been great about this. They're okay if I need to be released earlier with some notice.
And I have to keep reminding myself that I get jobs. I'm good at getting jobs.
I know I'm being a bit of a worry wart about this. I'm more concerned about the possible trip to France in October. I really want to do this but need to be in constant employment for it to happen.
I also know that rather than taking just anything, I want something which will do me well.
My criteria include:
A daily rate around where I am on now.
A hybrid working model (2-3 days in the office maximum.)
Interesting work.
A good business day's worth of work to do, but with little expectation of overtime.
Preferably on a transformation program - I've worked on lots of these.
In a larger company - minimum 1000 people in the company.
I'm not fussed about the sector.
Preferably not at the companies I don't want to work for.
Preferably a contract which lasts around a year.
Good people
Preferably in the city centre or at worst, in the inner suburbs, if I do need to go to the office.
Must be accessable by public transport - bugger driving to work.
I'm not opposed to a bit of travel for work - just not too much. I have a dependent.
Yes, I've got some time up my sleeve. I've also had a couple of leads.
My referees have been hit up, making sure they're okay to give me a reference.
