Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

 Movie Number 26 of 2023

The Movie: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

The Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens

Stars: 3.5

I walked into the theatre having left my sense of wonder at the door and came out mildly satisfied. 

The great thing about Indiana Jones movies is that they are formulaic, fun and you know what you're going to get. If you want anything more than that, you're going to be disappointed. 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is going to be the final movie in the series. Which is probably a good thing because Harrison Ford turns 81 next week and he'd be lucky not to break a hip doing another one. Saying that, he's doing well for 80. 

This is also the only Indiana Jones film which was not directed by Steven Spielberg, however, James Mangold sticks to the formula of unrelenting action with some humour thrown in and all is well. 

So what is this about?

It's the late sixties- and Indy is about to retire. He's as curmudgeonly as ever, tolerating the last of his students and getting in the fact of with his noisy neighbours. It's the presence of a mystery girl, (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who shakes things up. The girl turns out to be Helena, his god-daughter, who wants to continue her father's work. 

And all hell ensues as the pair try to stop history from being corrupted. 

As with all Indiana Jones movies, the pair are after some ancient, priceless artifacts while chased by Nazis. Mads Mikkelson is great as Dr Voller, Indy's nemesis. 

Other small parts include the return of John Rhys-Davies as Sallah. Antonio Banderas has a small part as Renaldo, a sea captain and Toby Jones is wonderful as Shaw, Helena's father and Indy's fall guy. It was also good to see the return of Karen Allen as Marion, even if only for a few minutes. 

Like all Indiana Jones movies, the locations are fantastic. Sicily, Tangiers and New York in the seventies have never looked better. 

And John Williams' soundtrack hits all the right notes, as he has done for the last four films. It wouldn't be an Indiana Jones film if the soundtrack was different. 

The other bit I liked was the start of the film, where CGI was used to its best advantage. In flashback, we see Indy as we remember him, taking on the Nazis to get back Archimedes Dial of Destiny. The CGI is done well, the action sequences superlative. It's what you expect for these films. 

This isn't the best of the franchise, but it is very enjoyable. 

I still remember the clout the first movie had when I came out of the cinema as an eleven-year-old, adrenaline pumping through my veins. This doesn't have the same feel too it - then again, it's 40 years later and action movies have come a long way. 

Still, this was a fun way to spend a Friday night. 

Today's song: 

Shit Things About Being Australian: Part One

 Distance

Australians have no concept of distance.

None whatsoever. 

It's a notion that doesn't compute in our brains. 

Tell an Englishman something is 100 kilometers (or 62 miles) away and they go into paroxysm of fear. Australians just shrub their shoulders, get behind the wheel and get on with it. If you're lucky, it will take you and hour. Unlucky - like there are sheep on the road, or roadworks, it might take an hour and 15 minutes. 

Australians think nothing of driving three hours for a party, sleeping behind the sofa and driving back the next morning after the host's mum makes you breakfast and offers you a shower. (See Shit Things About Being Australian: Part Two: The Expectation of Hospitality).  

Long distances, particularly when you're travelling by road, are something in our DNA. You used to wind the window down. When you were a kid you looked forward to interminable games of Spotto or Car Cricket. (Black Car, six and out). As you got older, the game became "What's That Dead Thing on the Road".

You also look forward to roadhouse food. I still ascertain that the Keith BP servo on the way to Adelaide does the best milkshakes in tin cups - which is the only way to have a milkshake (See Shit Things About Being Australian: Part Three: Food Nostalgia)

And if you're told that something is across the country, you don't blink about getting on a plane and going there. It's just what we do. 

Distance is in our blood. Over 98% of the current citizenry of Australia have roots from elsewhere. If you listen to the colonials, the white population were shipped over or were forced by poverty and the thought of a better life. This at best, took a long plane journey. At worse, three months on a rickety boat. 

And travelling to Europe or America. Australians look at the flight, chuck on a neck pillow, take some melatonin and veg out for the flight. If you want to do anything that isn't Australian, you're going to have to travel. 

Which is why planning a jaunt around Brittany and Normandy in France with a non-Australian friend is so hard. 

To me, 100 kilometres is nothing. To get from one place to another is just a fact of life. If there's old shit to see, I'm happy to drive miles to see it. 

My friend is not Australian. He was raised in Europe. He's used to old shit. 

Also, because he's used to driving on the incorrect side of the road, where the steering wheel is on the other side of the car, I think he'll be doing the bulk of the driving - if he lets me drive at all. I don't want it to be a Driving Miss Daisy experience, but we could be in for an interesting road trip. 

Today's song: 

Today's Meme

 I could write about the shemozzle that is Melbourne traffic at the moment. 

But I won't. It's always a shemozzle. 

I could write about how mean Cleo was this evening in our training session. 

But I won't. She's always mean. 

I could write about how much I'm craving ice cream. 

But I won't. I'm going to make myself a sugar-free hot chocolate with home made hazelnut mylk. I am that sad, but it is a small, sweet hit. 

Today was an ordinary day. I worked from an office. It's amazing how much you get done when there isn't a cat sitting on your keyboard giving you side eye. I had lunch with my engineering friend with whom I've been having lunch one a month since 2010. I got the train home.

The thing that tickled me most today was this meme. 

It is so true!

From the pages of the internet, never a truer sentiment spoken. 

And I'll leave it at that. I have to start thinking about where I'm going after the writer's retreat. 

I love planning holidays, but it is harder when you're planning for somebody else who is ten time zones away. 

Best get on with it. The cat wants his chair back. 

Today's song: 

NAIDOC Week

 It's NAIDOC Week - something that comes around annually, and if I'm honest, it's something that's barely made it on my to radar until now. I've not been disparaging of the week at all. It's a great thing. A week that celebrates the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and the struggle for First Nations recognition. I'm behind this 100%.

It's maybe more that we're being asked to answer a question in a referendum later this year, and I've been trying to get more informed. Also, working for a company based in the Northern Territory, First Nations issues are much more at the forefront of my mind, and this is a very good thing. 

Over the last week or so I've been drawn into conversations on The Voice and other matters.

One was a conversation about a website I've been helping to develop. The working group has made a clear recommendation to have a small acknowledgement of country at the bottom of the front page. We have one on our current website. 

On receipt of this recommendation, a member of another committee blew up over this, stating that that The Voice was bullshit and a waste of money... they went on for a while about this. 

I listened to their point of view. 

My first thought was to say, "Shut the fuck up you entitled boomer and check your privilege while you’re there." I did not do this. 

My counter was that this is firstly an Australian standard for all progressive organisations, something this organisation was trying to be. 

They came back saying that it was pandering and tokenistic. 

I countered that not having what is now a standard would make the organisation look bigoted. 

They didn't like that. At all.

And yes, this person, from all positions, holds polar-opposite views to me. Views I don't understand. But, of course, they are entitled have their say. Saying it louder doesn't make it more relevant. 

I'm sure this is a person who rolls their eyes when an Acknowledgement of Country is pronounced. Heaven knows what they think of the Welcome to Country statements and other cultural events. 

I've found myself firmly in the other camp. I feel these acknowledgements. I relish the smoking ceremonies and other cultural events. They get me in the solar plexus. I love to listen and hear the stories our First Nations people. 

Over the last couple of days, we've had Larrakia Elders come in to talk to us about Language and the roots of NAIDOC. Fascinating, though-provoking women telling their stories, giving us insights into culture. I'm in my fifties - until the last few years, I've not had the opportunities to be a part of these sessions. I'm so grateful to be witness to these sessions - to expand my understanding. 

This, to me, is something I wish we were taught at school. 

Instead of learning about Matthew Flinders, Colonel Light, Barker and Sturt, we learn about the culture of the land. None of the Terra Nullus that was forced down out throats. 

Instead of saying I was born in Adelaide, I could say I was born in Tarntanya, on Kaurna lands. 

Instead of living in Melbourne, I reside in Naarm, a part of the Kulin Nation. 

And periodically, I work on Larrakia land. 

Like any change, it takes time and patience, along with the willingness to listen and learn - and be open to more change. 

You have to start somewhere. 

I'm a work in progress.

Today's song: 

What to wear?

We're off to The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturday night, and once again, I'm in a bit of a quandary as to what to wear.

Dressing up for The Rocky Horror Picture Show is something Alice and I do. We bonded over a love of The Pixies and Rocky Horror. Alice, always like to dress up for these performances. For our joint 50 th birthday, we had a Rocky Horror themed cake. She's the perfect Columbia, and has the gold hot pants, top hat and jacket to match. Being little, she goes down a treat. 

I don't have the size or the chutzpah to carry off Columbia. I used to be a Magenta. I've taken the red out of my hair - doesn't have the same effect. 

But I'm not feeling Magenta at the moment. Besides, I'm not one for dressing up like a gothic French maid at the moment. And it's the middle of winter. 

There's always the pyjamas and Mickey Mouse ears and a bottle of nail polish after this scene. Pyjamas are comfortable, but I don't have the ears any more.

If I could source a set of scrubs, I could go as Frankenfurter, complete with rubber gloves and a string of pearls and some red lippy. But where can I get a set of scrubs from at this late hour? Do I want to shell out for scrubs?

I could do a Canadian tuxedo (Double demin) some motorbike boots, add a few chains, a scarf and paint some sutures on my head and go as Eddie. That might be a goer. Easy. 

Or I could find a waist coat, throw on some sunglasses and white socks and be one of the Transylvanians. Another easy one to do. 

Of course, I could turn up in a lab coat and be Janet. I don't own a petticoat any more (Does anybody own a petticoat any more?) Another easy one. 

Or find a wedding dress and go as Betty Monroe Hapshatz. 

Or find a wheelchair and a picnic blanket and a big book and go as Doctor Scott. 

Reminding myself that I have to get myself into town on the tram beforehand. 

And I'm having my hair cut and coloured that afternoon and I don't want to muck up my hairdresser hair. 

Maybe I can take an old coat hanger with me and be the RKO Radio tower. 

Ah, the dilemma. I feel bad not dressing up as I feel like I'd be letting Alice down. It's our thing. 

Today's song:

Movie Review: No Hard Feelings

 Movie Number 25 of 2023

The Movie: No Hard Feelings

The Cinema: Village Cinemas - The Rivoli, Camberwell

Stars: 4

After seeing the shorts for this, I put it on my list of movies to watch. It looked light and fun and a little bit out of the norm. Smart enough to keep my attention, but not overly cerebral.  A romantic comedy for grown ups. Count me in. It seemed like the perfect rainy day movie.

And it was. Both a rainy day and a decent romantic comedy for grown ups. 

The story is based around Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Don (Tobias Menzies), that couple you love to hate for them being so perfect. They live the perfect live in the Upper West Side of New York. Beth, a writer and writing teacher is trying to get her novel published. Don, a therapist, is beginning to doubt his effectiveness. This is the couple who share everything and are comfortable in their co-dependence. Yes, these are people of privilege who are aware of the same fact. 

They have a wide circle of friends. Beth and her sister, Sarah (Michaela Watkins) have a stroppy ageing mother (Jeannie Berlin). Don's patients are an interesting bunch who bring a great deal of humour to the movie. Beth and Don also have a twenty-something son, Eliot, who's trying, and failing to leave the nest. 

Things, however, start to fall apart when Beth hears Don tell his brother-in-law Mark (Arian Moayed) that he does not like the new book, despite telling her otherwise, that things start to fall apart. 

Writer/Director Nicole Holofcener, who's responsible for the sleeper hits Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Enough Said, and Friends with Money works her magic on this film as well. Holofcener writes gentle, relatable comedies for grown ups. Many of us can see ourselves in the situations in which her characters find themselves. The script is excellent - and laugh out loud funny in a lot of places. Holofcener looks at middle age with all of it's quirks with a keen eye and a lot of sympathy. Anybody with ageing parents will understand some of the situations in which Beth and Sarah find themselves. 

And yes, this is another New York story about upper middle-class Democrats living their best life, but it's a lot more real than other shows which show the glitz of the city. Don and Beth live in t-shirts, Birkenstocks and jeans. I like these people. 

My other big draw to this film. Tobias Menzies. You would have seen him on Outlander and Game of Thrones, among other things. He's an English Actor. He's thinking woman's crumpet. File him under he's my type (Tall, rang, soft-spoken, nice hands) I love him in this, very good American accent and all. 

If you're after something a little different that will leave you feeling like you've spent your money well, give this a go. 

Today's song: 

Sunday Stealing: Odd Jobs Day

 In an effort to get some odd jobs done after a mammoth sleep in the morning, I will be doing my fairly regular thing ofdoing a job, then doing a question. My strangely neuro-diverse brain responds to this - I get a lot of things I really should do done, and I feel good about myself. 

Questions, as always, come from Bev at Sunday Stealing. 

The odd jobs around the house are all mine. 

1. If your house was on fire, which three items would you save? (Odd job: But some chicken in the oven for lunch)

• Lucifer (my cat)
• My phone
• My limited amount of jewellery including Mum's engagement ring and my Pandora bracelets)

2. What is the strangest or most awkward date you’ve ever been on? (Odd job: Put the shoes that have accumulated in the hall into the cupboard)

Most dates I've been on have been awkward, but I remember going one of those internet dates with somebody from Coburg. There is a red flag already. There was an Egyptian exhibition at the museum. I was interested in the exhibit - not him. After five minutes of meetings he said to me,"You're one of those brainy birds, aren't you." It went downhill from there. 

3. What are your biggest fears? (Odd job: Pump up the Swiss Ball)

My biggest fears are Huntsman Spiders, dying alone and in pain and intimacy. Working on the last one with my shrink. 

4. How do you spend your time when you are procrastinating? (Odd job: Shred some documents)

I'm a master procrastinator. I can spend an age watching dumb videos and reels, or playing games on my phone. It's why I now have a two hour no-phone other than for calls time, and I'm doing all of these odd jobs. 

5. What has been your most memorable birthday so far, and why? (Odd job: Put away my tarot cards that are sitting on the back of the couch)

I spent my 50th birthday in Ubud, Bali with friends. It was wonderful. Even if I got mugged by a monkey and I was woken up by an earthquake (of which we have been having a few here in Melbourne recently). It was a good day, earthquake and all. It was only a little earthquake. 

6. What is your favorite snack? (Odd job: Clean out email inbox)

My go to snack has to be toasted cheese sandwiches. They're quick, easy, and the way I make them means they're not greasy. 

7. What was your first pet? (Odd job: Clean out email deleted box)

When I was a small child we had two cats. A black and white long-haired cat called Soxy, who used to belong to my grandparents. We also had a pure white short-haired cat named Fred. Fred was a complete bastard. He liked to sit on the balcony and swipe people as they went past. He loved my father and hated everybody else. 

8. What’s your favorite city in your country? (Odd job: Get lunch ready)

That's a toss up between Melbourne and Adelaide. In some ways, Adelaide is just a little Melbourne with slightly better weather and less traffic. 

9. Do you have a garden? (Odd job: Eat lunch)

No, unless you count the couple of pots of cat grass I have growing in the kitchen for the cat. 

10. What is your favorite thing about your home town? (Odd job: Do the dishes - I don't have a dishwasher)

The beaches and the bakeries. Both are top notch. 

11. What was the last book you read? (Odd job: Clean my teeth)

The last paper book I finished was Maggie O'Farrell's The Marriage Portrait. It was excellent. The last audiobook that I listened to was Kate Atkinson's Shrines of Gaiety. I enjoyed that one too. 

12. What is the best book you have ever read? (Odd job: Clean the toilet)

I can't say just one - come on. 

But my top five books that I've ever read are: 

• Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
• Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
• Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

13. Who is your favorite author? (Odd job: Put on some makeup ready to go out)

That's a toss up between Louis de Bernieres, Richard Flanagan and Maggie O'Farrell. 

14. Is there a food that you hate? (Odd job: Put things by the door ready to go out)

I'm really not fond of bananas. 

15. Do you get along with your neighbors?

Yes. I'm lucky. The family next door are very sweet and the boys downstairs, who have only lived there for a few months are quiet and friendly. What more do you need? 

16. Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

Only my ears are pierced and I have a small tattoo on my hip that nobody ever sees. 

Today's song: