Dr Strangelove, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb.

Best Line: You can't fight in here! This is the war room!

I watched Dr Stangelove last night for varsity and it was a good laugh. In a good way. I always enjoy spotting the terrible 'visual effects' in oldschool films like these - it makes them awfully authentic though, in my eyes anyway. Dr Strangelove himself is so bloody weird.

If you're feeling up for a lovely mockery (intended or not) of the Cold War, watch it.

Cheers x

Death of the Actor.

Today, the fb status of the day is my own one because it's just that damn epic:

"We presume that if the actor is not at class or rehearsal, it is dead - Sandra Temmingh".

Yep. That is what was said today. And that is also why I haven't been blogging nearly as much as I was before class (and rehearsals) started...!

I will try to do some this weekend. I have lots to chat about.

Cheerio.

x

Y2Gay.

Super-clever satire re: Australian government legalizing gay marriage.

A good laugh.

Enjoy :) x

127 Hours.

I watched this film last night and I loved it. It's like a new and improved "Into the Wild". It was great.

Boom. More on this later. (It's nearly my birthday)

Bye.

x

Where is my mind?

I was playing with the chords from the Pixies' "Where is my mind" this afternoon and thought I'd make a little music video playing with the irony of the lyrics. Except I couldn't play the piano swimming.

It's a very elementary cover of a great song that I'm not in any way trying to do justice.

All hail the pixies.

xxx

Obsession.

I've got to start working out what obsessions I have for a prac project I'm going to be doing next quarter.

Help?

Self, success, sexuality, secrets...? Coke, creeps, California, crap...?

Poo. Rape. Jon. Being liked. Being honest. Not being honest.

Fuck it. I don't know.

No No's.

Facebook Status of the day:

"You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose"


By The Plastics' drummer: Sasha Righini.

1000!

I had an exciting moment this evening when I came home and checked my blog stats... I've reached 1000 views!! A little over a thousand now, actually.

So, I thought I'd take the time to a) be super stoked, and b) thank all the loyal friends, enemies, and strangers who have and/or continue to read my blog. This wouldn't be possible without you. Duh.

Thank you. You're awesome and I'm honoured and that's great.

Love.

Ella xxx

The Theatre Obligation Scale. By Amy Jephta.

Facebook article of the day. Of the week. Hell, it may even be of my life. I don't know. You don't know. So just read it. Especially if you're a "theatre-goer" (whatever that constitutes). It's brilliant.

Going to the theatre can be annoying. 

Sure, I make theatre. Sure, I love it when people come to my shows. 

But man, dragging ones ass out the door can be a real pain.

How does answer the to-see-or-not-to-see question? What if I really, really don't want to? What if I'd rather sit on the couch with a tube of Pringles and paint my toenails? I'd never get out then. If left to my own devices, I'd sit and watch movies and my friends (both of them) would hate me. 

So, I hereby present The Theatre Obligation Scale. A custom made tool for determining whether or not you should go see a play tonight. Just read each question and score accordingly. Award yourself a plus (+) or minus (-) point as indicated.

It beats having to make up excuses or conveniently "forgetting". Don't fight the facts. Just roll with it. 

QUESTIONS:

1. Are you a personal friend of anyone in the show? This includes "yes, I've known them for 10 years" or "yes, I slept with them in undergrad". Because that's pretty personal. (+1 for each person)

2. Have you previously worked with anyone involved in the show? Any and all forms of work qualify. (+1 for each person)

3. Is there a chance that in the future you will need to either a) work with or b) request favours from anyone in the show? This includes "please can I borrow your coffee table" and please will you act for free". (+1 for each person)

4. Did you make an unwitting promise that you would see the show? Anything along the lines of "oh okay, I'll definitely check it out" qualifies. If you said "uh huh", "sure", "yes", "mmkay", "maybe" or "I'll see", that also qualifies. (+1)

5. Will it be educationally enriching for you to attend said show? As in, will you learn something you didn't know about a historical event, or a period in human history, or a topic not on Wikipedia? (+1)

6. Have you heard a favorable review from a critic or a mouth that you respect? Not applicable is "yeah, it was cool" or anything resembling. (+1)

7. Will there be snacks, food, wine, or any manner of edible things on sticks? (+2)

8. Will you be overwhelmed with guilt when asked "hey, why didn't you come see my show" during a chance encounter in Spar? (+1)

9. Have the person/persons involved been to more than 50% of your shows? People who beg for comps excluded. (+1)

10. Do you respect or have you enjoyed the past work of someone in the show (+1 for each person)

11. Does it have a bad title? (-1)

12. Did you cringe when reading the synopsis and/or press release? (-1)

13. Is there nudity from an undesirable source? (-1) For nudity from desirable source, (+1)

14. Are the tickets overpriced? Overpriced being "I could treat myself to a three course meal for that amount". (-1)

15. Is there a sports event of mild to strong significance happening simultaneously? (-1)

16. Does the running time exceed 1h30 mins? (-1/2 point for every half hour exceeded)

17. Does the play require you to move from location to location? (-1/2 point for every move, excluding foyer to seat)

18. Is it written by Athol Fugard? (-2)

19. Did the poster cause you to dry retch? (-1)

20. Have you been continually spammed via email, sms, Facebook or direct confrontation? (-1/2 point for every spam crime exceeding 3 pieces)

Now, to the scoreboard!

1 - 5 points = Stay home. Have a bagel. Hell, go to bed at 8pm. Your conscience does not deserve to be wracked with guilt.

6 points = You should take a shower and seriously contemplate leaving the house, at the very least.

7 - 9 points = Go. Now. Book a ticket and go. Refusal to adhere makes you a Bad Person.

11+ points = There are no options in this matter. If you choose to pass, you will lie awake at night with shame nibbling at the edges of your delinquent brain. When you die, no one will attend your funeral. Even if they agreed to "definitely check it out".

End.

An honest opinion openly expressed.

How much did you enjoy working out your score? Exactly.

Thank you, Amy.

Black Swan.

I have been hesitant to write this post. Not so much hesitant as I've been overwhelmed at the idea. But I feel inspired to write and I feel inspired by her and I feel strongly about this film. So, I'm going to do it. For all that feeling in me.

I'll start with the ending. As the credits ominously, slowly flashed their way on and off the bright white screen with the music all gone but for the cruel clapping applause from what felt like the audience I was sitting in, I felt the most overwhelming sense of defeat.... submergence... speechlessness... that has ever flooded my soul. And it was purely induced by the brilliance of the art that is my passion. Film.

I can't possibly do her justice - Natalie Portman - or even him - Vincent Cassel - or the director  - Darren Aronoffsky (who I suspected had directed 'Requiem for a Dream' and later found out had, indeed, done so). I was even mighty impressed by and even relieved at the transformation and hatching that came from  Mila Kunis (who also played the kid in Gia). When asked about the notorious film, Black Swan, I will always try to describe my utmost respect for and disbelief at the performance that Natalie Portman gives. Having rigorously trained for up to a year to be a convincing prima ballerina and having managed to keep up being a phenomenal, well-tuned,  "perfect" (there's a wonderful play on different conceptions of perfection in art in the film) actress, she pulls off a role that I think could easily have been played boring, rigid, anal and, as the plot unfolds, over-sexual. But not for Natalie. No. Natalie became something I've never seen before. In any actor. Sorry, Angelina.

So far, the only negativity I've heard with regards to this masterpiece of a film has been from ballerinas and their teachers, claiming that it "mis-portrays the world of Ballet and ballet companies", it is "clearly" made by someone who "hasn't researched the life of ballerinas enough", and that it is a gross "stereotype" based on the drugs, sex, and psychology of "American dance companies".

Well, firstly, it is a story set in America, it is a story about a ballerina who experiences situations of drugs, sex and psychopathic, lunatic craziness, AND our ballerina is a member of a dance company. Boom.

Secondly, I doubt the aforementioned critic-ballerinas have researched into the world of film-making, story-telling and interpretation for film. Perhaps the director's intention was to comment on the 'stereotype' of American dance companies and that the negative lumpy bits therein are the exact parts he had hoped to highlight (perhaps even directly aimed at these critic-ballerinas). I don't know Darren and I don't know ballet. But I do believe that this film is something horrific and terrific and fantastic and just plain brilliant and that it deserves the credit that I feel it has earned itself.

Hey, that's just me. NOT. I've seen a good 20 facebook status's about this film - all positive. And I haven't even reached the thousand-friends mark yet.

Over-and-out.

Oliver Booth --> Wildcard WKND!

Any UCT student can audition. No matter what kind of funny you are, we want to see it!

Booya.

Good Morning, Good People.

Wishing everyone a fantastic Friday filled with fun and fortune. Look at me - I'm an allitorator. :)

Today I have a three-hour voice workshop and then our school meeting which kicks off the fun for this year. So my day will hopefully be fantastic, fun and fortune-filled. Maybe not. But I'm willing it to be so.

May the force be with you!

Ella

Deuling Cellists.

Facebook Post of the day today is by Jesse Wentzel... I love the music, and the video is really fun and pacey and the conviction that both of the cellists express is hilarious. Proves my theory that muso's often make for good actors - or, at least, good muso's often make for better actors than non-muso's could. Make sense?

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Afterthought.

Oh, quick one:

Today I saw something that bothered me. Picture this:

Ugly yellow poster with kak font advertising for students to join their "communist community" society.

They allegedly wish to aid and include into our society the following groups: (I quote)

People of all races, genders, religions, sexual orientations and other disabilities.

I repeat: "... and other DISABILITIES."

No joke.

Lost.

Tonight I feel a little bit lost. And I'm not sure why. Perhaps because my day today felt unproductive and - although it was a beautiful day and I was in a good mood all the way through and I even took my pants off and swam - it just felt like a typical hot-and-bothered day and that's probably why I didn't like it that much. Conclusion --> way to find solution to "something's missing" --> start blog --> new post --> stream of consciousness writing.

I feel better already.

(Me feeling better already)

I registered today - third year theatre and performance. I can't believe it's going so fast. If I'm climbing up a hill, I'm at the top now, on my way back down. Although I presume the hill down wards is more difficult. So, perhaps I started at the top of the hill - yes. That's it. Climbed a 12-year hill up to Matric, climbed 2 years down to third year and now it's two back up to the top... graduation. Shit. That's scary.

I feel like I'm having a bit of a writers' block. I keep starting to want to write about something and then changing my mind... or whatever's going through my mind is boring me. Haha. What a depressing thought.

I've figured something out. I want to talk about Valentine's day. It's coming up. It's big, fat, red and squidgy. etc. I get that people hate on it for being a money-making scheme. And I get that others blissfully swear by it as one of the most important days in their relationships - right up there with their "month-a-versaries". And I tried to figure out which of the two Valentine's Day categories I fall under. I will admit to being a rather corny hopeless romantic. But I'm also not one for ignorance-is-bliss...

So, my conclusion is that those who hate on the love day for the fact that it chews at their wallets - chill out and enjoy it. If you're a dude, she'll be pissed if you don't buy her something and if you do, you might get lucky and get some yourself. And if you're a chick... well, you know you want to. As for the blind love maniacs, good for you, just don't let resentment come into play when you can't pay for your own whatever it is you want or need and stuff.

So, from me, the hopeless romantic who doesn't want to spend too much this Valentine's Day - happy loving, happy saving and happy matress-dancin' ;)

Au Revoir

x

Mu-Barack

I'm not an activist enough to make any sort of bold statements about the president of America, Egypt, or even Zimbabwe. But the thought just crossed my mind that:


Robert MUgabe and BARACK Obama = Hosni MUBARAK.


I'm just saying.

+

=

?

Civil Twilight.

Local band. International music. That's cool.

Nic Danger and the Rise of the Space Ninjas... and his moustache.

My friends at the Pink Couch and another friend, Nic, are putting on a show at the Arena Theatre from tonight till the 19th of Feb.

It's brilliant.

Nic graduated from UCT at the end of last year with this piece as his final theatre-making project and it was extremely well-received on the evening I watched it. I'd say that if some awesome punk were to put together a play doing whatever he wanted - hilarious kick-ass songs written by himself, action man games, Americomedy (South Park) humour and a story line that totally blows his own horn - this would be the epitome of that awesomeness. So I'd say watch it, for sure, because you'll leave the theatre with tears in your eyes from laughing so hard. Booya.

Actor: James MacGregor.

If you wanna be cool, kiss my ass for event details.

Cheers x

Garage Sale

GARAGE SALE


One man's trash is another man's treasure
As one woman's junk gives others pleasure.

Cash and carry, no checks or credit cards
With bargains in the driveways and signs in the yards.

Some serve hot dogs, Kool-Aid and cut-rate pop
Some fly flags and balloons to make us stop.

Some will arrive before the garage sale starts
Using their vehicles as shopping carts.

Half of all purchases are sold again
At the buyer's own sale or to a friend.

So clean out your closets and the basement too
And earn some income with no taxes due.

Load up your tables and grab a good chair
Then plug in a fan to stir up the air.

The money you make you can spend again
Shopping for yourself, loved ones or friend.


By Tom Zart

My friend Alex had a wonderful garage sale last Saturday and I seemed to have found everything very aesthetically pleasing - the clothes, the lights, the people. So, I encourage you to go, if you can, when she has another one. I'll try to remember to post here if she does or just find Alexandra Wunderlich on facebook and ask her for details. The garage is in Junomar Court, Camp Street, Gardens (right opposite Saigon parking lot, so you can park there and you should see it).

Bon Voyage xxx

Imogen Heap.

A graphic depiction of 05.02.11...

Apple thieves waiting to be crushed by a plutocrat in a Hummer and then watch IMOGEN HEAP!

Paul Cluver Amphitheater. What a set.

Look who we spotted in the crowd...!

...and look who we spotted on stage...!?

Arb Single Guy

Finally, we're introduced to Imogen fucking Heap. Wow.

And then something not-so-wow.

And then a suspenseful wait before Heap's set starts, for real, sans Emma.

She comes on stage and explains which buttons mean what,
and which instruments were given to her by 'mum'.

She plays and she plays and she plays and we just watch. And watch. And watch.

"WE LOVE IMOGEN" - our sign (thanks, Catherine!) goes up on the branch of donations.

The mission for the front seats was so worth it.

Someone's boyfriend really wanted some sex.

And then Imogen dared us to sing her song.

More music. More awe.

"If I could do this part every morning, my life would be pretty sweet. Well, actually it's already pretty sweet,
but it would be even more amazing if I could do this every morning."

Curtain call with the awesome drummer and cellist couple.

And, last but not least, Hide and Seek.

What an evening...

Gay Marriage, Horse Affair, Mexting.

This video is off the.onion.com - wonderful spoof of homophobic homosexuals.



Breaking: Anti-Gay Congressman Caught In Affair With Horse

14 Actors Acting.

So, this is not quite a facebook status of the day, but rather a post of the day. Gabi Pinto, a friend from varsity posted this link on someone else's wall and it caught my eye. I watched them several times over. Love the style - the music, the black and white, the detail, the stories, the actors, all of it. My favourites: Javier Bardem, Vincent Cassel, James Franco and Matt Damon.

Enjoy xxx

Ffffound

Catherine, my good friend, has popularized this website: www.ffffound.com (yes - four fucking 'ef's) in our friend group. So, occasionally, I have a squizz and this is an image I found today that I liked. I agree with everything on it. I reckon. Yes. Cheers.

Reading really IS crucial. Only just starting to figure that one out...

Medicine. Always a laugh.

I went to Kirstenbosch yesterday and found myself taking pictures in the "Useful Plants" garden... This is the advice I came across:

Sexual Healing

'Butterfly Bush' - treats gonorrhoea

'warm Icholocholo' - dressing circumcision

'Sorghum' - used to make beer

'Stalked Bulbine' - taken to stop diarrhoea

The ultimate: 'Wild Dagga' - soothes headaches