Meet another Soul Surfer: Brittani Nicholl

They might be continents apart, but shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton and Gold Coast surfer Brittani Nicholl (above) have two things in common; their friendship and a drive to overcome adversity. The girls, both 21, met at a World Qualifying Series surfing event when their coach Russell Lewis introduced them after months of telling one about the other.
“He was always telling me about Bethany and telling her about me and then one day we crossed paths and became good friends,” said Brittani.
“She’s definitely inspirational, strong-willed and someone people should aspire to be like.
“She’s a lovely person and very down-to-earth.
“Now whenever she comes over to Australia for an event we go for a surf, hang out at and do touristy things.”

Bethany became known around the world in 2003 when her arm was bitten off by a tiger shark while surfing off the coast of Hawaii. Despite losing over 60 per cent of her blood, the then 13-year-old recovered and learnt how to ride a surfboard again. Like Britanni, she now competes throughout the world as a professional surfer. Although she hasn’t had any encounters with sharks, Brittani too has an inspirational story. The Pottsville local suffers from Crohn's disease, an illness of the digestive system. She had to wear an ileostomy bag for several years after she haemorrhaged when 30cm of her bowel was removed in major surgery.

Despite her severe illness, Britanni still competed in surfing events even with her an ileostomy bag.
“They didn’t think I would be able to surf again with the bag, but I did; you just have to adjust to it,” she said.
“I used to have to surf in a full piece (swimsuit) to hold the bag in place.”
In January last year she had reversal surgery and is now able to get on without a bag, despite living with constant symptoms. Brittani (above: in action) is the face of a new national television campaign for Crohn’s & Colitis Australia which aims to raise awareness of the debilitating and incurable bowel diseases that affects over 61,000 Australians.
“Surfing with Crohn’s has definitely affected me over the years,” she said.
“I remember a few years ago Bethany said to me that she thought I was so inspirational after she learnt about everything I’ve been through.
“I looked at her and said `seriously? Look what you’ve been through’ and she looked at me like I was crazy.
“We both look at things positively. Life can always be worse and we’re both just lucky to be here.”

Brittani is currently travelling to France to compete in a World Qualifying Series and looks forward to catching up and competing with Bethany over there. She said she “can’t wait” to talk to Bethany (below) about Soul Surfer, a film based on Bethany’s journey to return to the board after her attack.
“I saw it last week and I thought the film was amazing, I had tears in my eyes,” she said.
“It was pretty different knowing her as a person and seeing the actor act it out. It was her story, but with someone else telling it.
“But there was a scene when the real Bethany walked across the screen as an extra which was pretty funny.Soul Surfer is out in cinemas now.

What a Rush - Part II

So, with Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides sinking all kinds of box office records, here’s Part II of my chat with legendary Australian actor Geoffrey Rush.

In my previous chat with Rush, he eluded to the fact that there will indeed be a fifth and sixth Pirates film depending on how On Stanger Tides went at the ol’ box office. But initially Rush, who plays Captain Barbosa, says no one had any idea just how successful the franchise would be.
“No one commercially had made a popular pirates film, but Jerry’s (Bruckheimer) pretty astute,” he says.
“The first ideas that came through in the screenplay didn’t have the curse of the Black Pearl in it, it was just another swashbuckling ride.
“Then Jerry said they needed more to it and they came up with the idea of the Pirates becoming freaks under moonlight.
“It became so popular we made part two and three back-to-back.
“It was always a one-off at the beginning and it was only towards the end of the shoot when there was a week or two left that it was known as Pirates Of The Caribbean.
“We started getting memos from the Disney head office and once we saw the semi-colon on the letterhead we smelt a sequel.”

Rush says the “fantastic little cliffhanger” at the end of the third Pirates film, At World’s End, left potential for a fourth.
“I was pretty confident I had the Fountain Of Youth map at the end and that Johnny had the hole in it and it took them a while to thread that story together and freshen it up, but there are completely new storylines,” he says.
“Elizabeth and Will’s story had come to an end.
“They’re probably 120 years old now and settling down for a quiet life in Dorchester.”

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is sailing the cinema high-seas now.

Favourite Movie Friday with Ludacris and Madsion Pettis

I know, it's not Friday.

But since I've been quite under the weather lately I've missed the past two editions of Favourite Movie Friday and there hasn't been much partyin', partyin' (yeah!). I'm a terrible, terrible blogger and I don't deserve your love. But I will after this. Without further ado, here's a Monday version of Favourite Movie Friday with rapper and actor Ludacris and Disney star Madsion Pettis (The Game Plan). That's quite the odd couple, but watevs. Enjoy. Ludacris: "Definetly Coming To America and Scarface."

Madison Pettis: "13 Going On 30 and all of the Twilight movies. I'm quite girly really."

One thumb up

There are few people who haven't heard of Bethany Hamilton. She was the 13-year-old amateur professional surfer who had her arm bitten off by 4.3 m tiger shark while surfing off the coast of Hawaii. She lost 60 per cent of her blood, but miraculously survived and returned to the world of professional surfing a champion. Her inspirational tale is the subject of Soul Surfer; a film that follows her personal struggle to overcome her debilitating injury.

Directed by Sean McNamara (Raise Your Voice, Bratz), this is not Jaws meets Blue Crush, but rather a Disney-esque version of events. Sure, this is a fairytale, so heart warming sentiments and inspirational monologues are to be expected. But somewhere between lines like “love is bigger than any tidal wave or fear” the film succumbs to family movie cheesiness. Written, produced and directed by McNamara, Soul Surfer is elevated by a trio of strong performances from AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany and Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt as her parents. Robb is beyond convincing and beautifully balances Bethany's vulnerability and inner-strength. Quaid and Hunt are fantastic as the supportive and highly likable parents. Their love for each other and their family has a tangible presence and one of the best scenes is when the Hollywood veterans take to the waves for a surfing/bonding session. Plus, Hunt is undoubtedly one of the most naturally beautiful women in the bizz. At 47 she rocks a bikini and in close-ups it’s clear to see she hasn’t had a spot of work done; she’s aging gracefully and looking all the better for it.

Also good is Jack Nicholson's daughter Lorraine Nicholson as Bethany's best friend Alana Blanchard and former Hercules star Kevin Sorbo in a meaty role as her dad Holt Blanchard. The Blanchard’s were close friends of the Hamilton family and responsible for saving Bethany's life that day when they dragged her to shore and used a leg rope as a tourniquet. These days Alana is better known for having the best ass in international surfing.Based on Bethany's autobiography of the same name, the surfer has always attributed God and her faith for getting her through the traumatic ideal and back on the board. The Christian elements of Bethany's life are certainly not skipped over. In fact, they're perhaps covered too extensively and the powerful Christian themes are likely to ostracise some viewers. American Idol winner Carrie Underwood's performance as a Christian councillor doesn't help. Her big screen debut is so terrible, you would be happy to throw yourself into the mouth of a tiger shark to escape her wooden and preachy portrayal. Her sense of superiority and righteousness would be excruciating enough, but Underwood sports heavy makeup throughout the film which seems especially ridiculous when she's working in the slums of Indonesian in the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami. A Christian missionary with more eye shadow than Hedwig from the Angry Inch strips any sort of believability from the situation.

Despite its shortcomings, Soul Surfer isn't a wipe out. It's an inspirational, family-friendly film that might over-do the cheese, but that doesn't mean it can't please.

Soul Surfer is out Thursday, May 26.

First The Hunger Games pic

There you have it. The first official image from The Hunger Games movie with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. Cool, so she died her hair and got a tan. That's method acting right there. At least she has a bow and the Mockingjay pin, but still . . . they should have gone with an age appropriate actress that closer resembles the character in the books. In related news, because they're drawing out the announcements in a clever marketing ploy I've waited until now to update you with the definite additions to the cast. Of course, all the tributes and minor characters are sorted, but the signifianct updates are Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket and Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman. It's interesting, because I think that trio of actors are better cast than the trio of leads in Katniss (Lawrence), Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). Meh, what can you do but have fate and wait for the March 23, 2012 release date?

What a Rush - Part I

With four films, two directors and a six billion dollar global box office gross under its belt, you would think the Pirates Of The Caribbean series is tired. That's not the case, says series stalwart Geoffrey Rush who has played likable villain Captain Barbossa since the first film in 2003.
``At the premiere in Disneyland 25,000 people lined up to see us and that kind of fan worship and turn out . . .if there wasn't that kind of enthusiasm we would stop making them,'' he says.
``The energy, the loyalty, the madness, the craziness, the obsession; these fans have been with us since 2003 and that audience doesn't want to be cheated.
``The films have got to be as funny and generous as the last ones, everyone's keen not make it a sausage machine.
```I love how we got into the pirate mythology, not just pirate history, which is a large part of what stops them getting tired.''

If anyone should be tired, it's Rush. The Oscar-winner, who turns 60 in July, is currently resting up in Australia after a whirlwind press tour for the film which has seen stopovers in Disneyland, London, Cannes and finally Sydney all within the past two weeks for Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides premieres. The fourth film sees Rush's Captain Barbossa reunite with Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in a quest for The Fountain Of Youth (you can read my review below). Although the on-screen chemistry is supposed to be between Depp and new cast member Penelope Cruz as Blackbeard's daughter, Rush says Barbossa and Sparrow's long running love-hate relationship is where the sparks fly.
``Barbossa quite unashamedly just stole the Black Pearl from Jack and they've been arguing about that ever since,'' he says.
``So I said to Johnny `lets imagine that the Black Pearl is our shared girlfriend' because for me that's more interesting than a boat.''Rush is renowned for championing independent film projects such as Oscar-winning The King's Speech, for which he was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar and served as executive producer. But Rush says there isn't that much difference when it comes to working on a blockbuster franchise.
``Johnny (Depp) has spoken about it and I agree; the process doesn't change,'' he says.
``He said early on in the first one that it as like shooting a small, independent film that just happens to have a bucket load of money behind it.
``When you're on camera doing a two person scene it feels very intimate and just the same as doing The King's Speech for me or for him, Finding Neverland.''

Although Rush says a script for a fifth Pirates film has already been completed, his next focus is drama The Eye Of The Storm, alongside Judy Davis, and playing Lady Bracknell in The Melbourne Theatre Company's production of The Importance Of Being Earnest in November. Rush is one of 25 people to have won the Triple Crown of Acting - an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award - and says it's important for young thespians to have a grounding in theatre.
``I would certainly say if your going into it, don't be accidentally deceived.
``If you want to be a celebrity, be a celebrity.
``If you want to be an actor, get on stage and try and find out what that's about.''

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is out today. Above: You know you've `made it' when you get your very own waistcoat-wearing monkey. The fact it's carrying the Rage virus is a secondary concern.

A big budget piece of ship

The latest instalment in the six billion dollar Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise makes you want to walk the plank. Four years after the last swashbuckling adventure, Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush arrrr back in Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. We first catch up with Depp's iconic character Captain Jack Sparrow in London, where the crown try to employ him to go on a voyage to find The Fountain Of Youth before their Spanish rivals do. After a daring escape, Sparrow runs into his father (Keith Richards) and a former flame Angelica (Penelope Cruz) at a nearby pirate bar before waking up onboard Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship captained by “the pirate all pirates fear'' - Blackbeard (Ian McShane).

Turns out Angelica is Blackbeard's daughter and the duo need Sparrow to navigate their way to the Fountain Of Youth so the notorious pirate can cheat a death prophecy. As well as racing against the Spanish, Captain Barbossa (Rush) is hot on their sail and looking to reunite with Sparrow so they can get revenge on the murderous Blackbeard who also has zombie minions. And his beard lights up when he smokes. And there's man-eating mermaids. Savvy?

Yep, the On Stranger Tides plot makes about as much sense as Cruz's role in the film, which is to say, none. Although there have been holes in the other films in Disney's flagship franchise, Depp's Oscar-nominated performance and the turns from a supporting cast including Rush, Kiera Knightley and Orlando Bloom has been enough to keep the films afloat. This time around that's not the case. Knightley and Bloom clearly recognise a sinking ship when they see one and have jumped over board, with acclaimed actors Cruz and McShane added to the cast in their wake.They add little life to the film, flopping around aimlessly, and even Depp looks as if he doesn't want to be there. For the first time in the series, which relies heavily on the shoulders of Depp's performance as Sparrow, the actor doesn't seem to be enjoying himself. It's only in the final 10 minutes the cheeky charm, flamboyance and liveliness that we associate with Sparrow seems to return. By then it's too late and Rush has been left to do all the work. But it's nice to see they took the minimalist approach to costume design with Sparrow. Not.

Everything about Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is over the top; from the endless locations to the very premise itself. With the director of the past three films opting out, Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine) has stepped in and become the studio's lapdog, replacing sense and creativity with the Michael Bay's take on filmmaking; stunts + fire + nearly topless women = success. With a big budget and big running time, Pirates is small on any lasting enjoyment and will leave your mind plank.

P.S. Keep an eye out for Australian supermodel Gemma Ward in a cameo as an ethereal yet evil mermaid.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opens Thursday, May 19.

Sif you want to scream for me . . .Jaimie Alexander on the horror genre

With Thor giving Fast and Furious 5 a panel beating at the global box office, what better time to look back on my chat with one of the films stars; Jaimie Alexander. The US actress is becoming a bit of a genre superstar, getting her start in horror flicks such as Rest Stop, Hallowed Ground and The Other Side before heading over into equally fanatic fan territory with sci-fi work in cult show Kyle XY and now Thor. But Alexander hasn’t forgotten her roots and the starlet was more than happy to give the horror genre the kudos it deserves. She also didn’t rule out a return to scare-fests, once she finishes up work on dramas Loosies and Savannah that is. Here’s what she had to say:

“They’re almost superheroish characters and the leads in the films…they’re looking for someone to carry that. It’s a good starting ground and because they’re made for not a lot of money, they take a risk on actors without much on their resumes. I never say never and if I thought the script was decent, then I’d say yeah (to being in another horror).”

There you have it. To read my exclusive chat with Alexander where we talk girl power, body image and she-warriors click here. For my Thor review, here, and the best Thor poster you will ever see, here.

Passive aggressive notes 101

I have this friend who for the sake of anonymity we shall call Tricky Hickson. You can follow her on Twitter here. Anyway, these pricks in her apartment building let down her tires the other day because, well, pricks are pricks. She put this hilarious note on their car. I’m a big fan of Passive Aggressive Notes but frankly, this kicks anything I’ve seen on their site in the gonads. Enjoy:



Thank you for letting all four of my tyres down. I understand the fastest way to ensure my car is moved from your spot is to make my vehicle immobile. Genius. The reason I took your spot was because mine was in fact also taken so I understand the earth-ending soul-crushing hysteria that would have ensued upon discovering your spot was taken. I too felt the pain. But did I let the tyres down on the car of the P-plater that took my spot? No, because I am not an asshole who would deem the slight inconvenience of having their precious car space taken to warrant vandalising someone else’s car, especially a resident of the same building who parks directly across from you each day. Awkward. I suppose you are lucky I am not the vengeful type seen as I obviously know where you park. I’d like to apologise that out the hundreds of free spaces, I chose to park in the space of some bat-shit crazy fucktard. Have an awesome day asshole.



Love, your neighbour x

Favourite Movie Friday with Andrew from MGMT

I’m feelin’ rough, I’m feelin’ raw and in the prime of my life so I thought what better time to share Andrew VanWyngarden’s Favourite Movie Friday picks. Yep, okay that was a cruel pun. But what can I say? I’m down with the kids *spins bowtie*. For those of you without an electric feel *huzzah!*, VanWyngarden is one half of electro rock outfit MGMT and these are his all time fave flicks:

“Dude Ranch and Wayne’s World is probably one of my top favourite movies. I just like dumb, comedy movies most of the time.”

So, hope you enjoyed that. Control yourself. Take only what you need from it *boom tish*.

I want to commit seppuku now.

A whale of a tale: awesome film fan art

So here I go again with the fan art, but hear me out; this stuff is really, really wicked. I’m a bit of an Etsy voyeur and stumbled across Retro Whale while searching for film stuff (I wanted film reel earrings, don’t judge). The Los Angeles based artist has created a series of film-inspired pieces on wood panels and standard prints. I can see my pay cheque slipping from my hands and into that Pay Pal account as we geek. From prominent directors to cult films, the illustrations are delightfully quirky and remind me of one of my favourite artists; Nathaniel Russell. Anyway, here are the highlights and if you want to own them for yourself then click here and be magically transported to Retro Whale’s Etsy profile.

Pulp Fiction (wood panels)

The Big Lebowski (print set)

80s Movies (wood panels)

Favourite Directors (wood panels)

American Psycho (print set)

The Royal Tenenbaums (wood panels)

That Cannes-do spirit

The glitz, the glamour, the gratuitous spectacle; it's all happening at this year's Cannes film festival, currently underway in France. Despite the world medias' tendency to focus on Brangelina or the token blockbuster launch (it's the fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie this year, by the way), there is also a handful of films from the world's greatest living filmmakers premiering. Woody Allen's latest Midnight in Paris opens the festival tonight, but the real attention is on the 20 films in competition for the festival's grand prize; the Palme d'Or. Here are my picks for the six most likely contenders:

Terrence Malick: The Tree of Life

Everyone loves a recluse, especially when they pop out of the woodwork with masterpieces such as Badlands and The New World every seven-years or so. Terrence Malick's latest, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, sets to be just as beautiful, poetic and complex as his previous films and early buzz has Malick tipped to take home the top prize, 32-years after his first Palme d'Or nomination for Days Of Heaven.

Julia Leigh: Sleeping Beauty

Oscar-winning director Jane Campion presents this erotic retelling of the classic fairytale. Australian beauty Emily Browning swaps the samurai sword and school girl outfit of Sucker Punch to play a college student drawn into a mysterious, hidden world of prostitution. Written and directed by Australian novelist Julia Leigh, this is a triumph of female filmmaking and the poignant, beautifully crafted story should appeal to the A-List jury.

Nicolas Winding Refn: Drive

The black sheep, or black Cadillac rather, of the finalists is Drive; an action movie with art house sensibilities. It stars international film festival favourite Ryan Gosling as a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman and discovers a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong. It doesn't sound like the usual Palme d'Or fare, which is exactly why it might work. It also stars Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston and Oscar Isaac.

Lars Von Trier: Melancholia

Von Trier blew everyone away with his sexually graphic and emotionally horrific film Antichrist at last year's Cannes, which divided critics and audiences alike. His latest and eighth Palme d'Or nominated film Melancholia looks to be a safer bet with Kristen Dunst and renowned French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg starring as sisters who find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth.

Pedro Almodóvar: La Piel que Habito (The Skin that I Inhabit)

Bizarre. That's the first word that springs to mind when watching excerpts from acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar's latest about a plastic surgeon (Antonio Banderas) on the hunt for the men who raped his daughter. Part horror, part thriller, all parts dramatic, this is one of the more left-field, artistic offerings amongst the 20 finalists.

Takashi Miike: Ichemei (Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai)

The prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker's newbie will be the first 3D feature to compete in Cannes and is a re-imagining of Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 film Harakiri. With over 70 titles to his name, Miike's films range from violent and bizarre to dramatic and family-friendly, with this being his first to screen at the famous festival. It's an outside chance to take home any of the major prizes since its biggest coup was getting selected for competition in the first place.

Out of competition films to keep an eye on throughout the course of the festival are Australian serial-killer drama Snowtown, the controversial Princess Diana documentary Unlawful Killing and Oscar-winner Gus Van Sant's latest Restless, starring talented Aussie actress Mia Wasikowka. The Cannes film festival wraps on May 22. In the meantime, I suggest you check out the Restless trailer below because, put simply, it looks amazing.

Roll up, roll up

A midget, two Oscar-winners, an elephant and a heart throb walk into a cinema. It's not the start of a joke, it's actually the start of Water For Elephants; an opulent period romance based on the best-selling book by Sara Gruen. It's 1931 in America and Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) is a 20-something veterinary student preparing to sit for his final exams when he receives the news his Polish immigrant parents have been killed in a car accident. Grief-stricken and penniless, Jacob jumps aboard the train of a travelling circus; The Benzini Brothers. Here he befriends the resident circus freaks including midget clown Kinko (Mark Povinelli) and the beautiful star Marlena (Reese Witherspoon).

His skill and natural ability with the animals attracts the attention of Marlena's husband and ringmaster August (Christoph Waltz), who hires him as the circus veterinary. His main task is to train a newly acquired elephant, Rosie, to perform in a new segment with Marlena. But as Jacob begins to settle into his new family within the circus, he realises there's a sinister underbelly. August tell Jacob "the world's run on tricks . . .everybody plays'' and he soon realises the ringmaster, although charming at times, is actually a psychotic and abusive individual who runs the circus with an iron first. As Jacob and Marlena begin to fall in love and the danger of their situation intensifies, the couple and their friends unwittingly head down a path towards the "most famous circus disaster of all time.''

From the old-person-reflecting-on-a-disaster opening, to the epic scale and grandiose spectacle of the set pieces; Water For Elephants is the Titanic of circus movies. The number of flawless filmic elements pour out of the film like clowns piling out of miniature car and director Francis Lawrence has made an eye-ravishing feature. It's a considerably softer film than Lawrence's previous work, which covered everything from a zombie apocalypse (I Am Legend) to a demon detective (Constantine). Not exactly a diverse filmography, but his past life as a music director for the likes of Britney Spears, Janet Jackson and OK Go comes to the fore. It's a period film with MTV sheen.

Outside of the panty-throwing hysteria of The Twilight Saga, Pattinson shows the range of his formidable acting talent which he hinted at in the underrated Remember Me. Jacob is a compassionate, intelligent character and the fact Pattinson manages to stand his own against two Oscar-winners in Witherspoon and Waltz is impressive. Although it would be nice to see him break type and play a villain, Pattinson does make a great romantic hero. Witherspoon is gorgeous as the dazzling Marlena and gives a box-ticking performance, but her increasingly aggressive chin threatens to out-do the elephant in the room, quite literally. For star-crossed lovers there's a sizable lack of chemistry between Witherspoon and Pattinson, probably because they've made it so clear in interviews that they loath each other, but the story and environment more than make up for it. Just as with his breakout turn in Inglourious Basterds, Waltz is a force to be reckoned with as the animalistic August and he steals the show from his co-stars.

So come one, come all. Water For Elephants lives up to The Benzini Brothers tagline as a "most spectacular show''.

Water For Elephants is out Thursday, May 12.

Parr-ty time, excellent

Australian Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr is many things; lethal, fighter, champion. Now add movie star to the list. Parr is the subject and star of a new documentary, Beneath The Venom, which charts his evolution from a kid dreaming of being a boxer to his current status as one of the most recognised fighters in the world.

In January Parr and a camera crew headed to Thailand where they interviewed trainers, promoters and opponents who were there for the first part of his professional journey which began at a Muay Thai camp when he was 17.
``I was a kid with a dream who in 1996 had the opportunity to go to Thailand and I was only supposed to be there for six months but after I won a few fights they saw I had the potential to go all the way,'' said Parr.
``I went and lived in Thailand for four years and had about 40 to 45 fights over there.
``It did a lot for the Australian Muay Thai scene and I was the first Australian to fight at Lumpinee Stadium and on the Thai King's birthday which had crowds of 150 000 out in the park.
``I was the first Westerner to really make an impression on them and we've managed to get fight footage from those early days in Thailand that no one's ever seen before.''

Working on the documentary with Parr as the writer, director and producer is Guy Norris, best known for his second unit directing work on the Oscar-winning Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
Parr, who's known of Norris' work as the head stuntman on films such as Moulin Rouge, Superman Returns and the upcoming Mad Max 4: Fury Road, said he was ``very lucky'' to work with him on the doco.
``He showed a lot of interest and got behind it,'' said Parr.
``He's got contacts to some big players in Sydney who helped get the doco going financially.''

Parr said the documentary is ``about ninety per cent finished'' and already they are in talks with several major Australian TV networks for the broadcasting rights. Beneath The Venom is also expected to get a limited theatrical release in America later this year. In the meantime the seven-time world champion, based at the Boonchu Gym in Burleigh, is concentrating on defending his World Kickboxng Federation title against Mike Zambidis in Melbourne later this month. Parr has six more fights scheduled for the year but after that he said he's looking at hanging up his gloves and pursuing a career in film.
``I wanted to be a fighter since I was five or six-years old and now I'm almost 35 and have been lucky enough to live my dream many times over,'' he said.
``Hopefully this documentary opens a few doors.''

Parr made his acting debut in the short film The Violent which won the Best Fight Choreography Short at the Action On Film International Film Festival in Los Angeles. Beneath The Venom is set to debut on Australian television later this year.

Favourite Movie Friday with John Cameron Mitchell

You may remember me ranting and raving about interviewing one of my heroes, John Cameron Mitchell, back in March of this year. Although I’m yet to post my extensive feature with him (it’s coming, I swear) here are his picks for favourite movies:

“I would say A Woman Under The Influence, throw in Annie, Knight Of Siberia, The King Of Comedy, Dr Strangleove and Network.”

Short, but to the point. Stay tuned for my feature with one of the nicest guys in show bizz coming later this month. We talk homosexuality, republicans, censorship and Hollywood. There are minimal tangents, I swear.

Stop, Mjöllnir time

If for some miraculous reason you haven’t heard the news you must be a) deaf or b) Osama Bin Laden. Anyway, the exciting juice is that I’m going to be quoted on the Thor movie poster! FREAKIN’ THOR! Paramount contacted me about it last week and after I hastily gave my approval (which went something like Me: “Of course you fucking can!” Them: *chuckle*) I wen t about shouting the news to the world. I tried getting it on News Of The World, but they didn't bite. I don’t know what exact quote they’re going to use or when the new praise posters are going up and out . . .but I will keep you posted. I always thought my first time quoted on a movie poster would be for some indie horror film only I liked, so there you go. I give good quote.


















In the meantime, this gives me the perfect excuse to share the above genius piece of poster art from Dave Williams. It’s a minimalist version of the Thor poster and put simply, it rocks.

Gore swapped for bore in Insidious

Take a creaky old house, add a cup of shadowy lighting, a pinch of haunting violin music and throw in a mixture of creepy kids and creepy old ladies. Those are the ingredients for Insidious, the new horror/thriller from James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the Australian duo behind the hugely successful Saw franchise.
But this is less reverse bear traps and more cheap chills.

When married couple Renai (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Patrick Wilson) move into a new home with their three children, Renai begins to think there is "something wrong'' after she experiences a serious of paranormal events. They include doors opening by themselves, voices heard whispering over the baby monitor, objects moving of their own accord, creepy child laughter and shadowy figures appearing suddenly. I know, groundbreaking stuff. When their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) suffers a serious accident and goes into a coma, the couple are forced to consider whether it's the house that's haunted or their child.

Insidious is clearly influenced by creepy child-classics within the genre such as The Exorcist, Poltergeist, Rosemary's Baby and even the more recent Spanish spine-tingler The Orphanage. The difference though, is they were actually scary. Insidious relies on cheap tricks, like an ashen-faced ghost appearing out of nowhere, that may provide plenty of jump-out-of-your-seat moments but lack the power of slow-burning suspense.



(Left: Darth Maul, the latest in horror movie villains.)




It's full of haunted house and possessed child clichés which, frankly, seem beneath Wan and Whannell who previously seemed so bent on bringing original ideas to the horror genre. The stereotypical séance scene has the most potential thanks to some clever lighting and camera work but, like the rest of the film, it quickly descends into melancholy. The situation isn't helped by Joseph Bishara's relentless score that's like Psycho on speed; heavy on the multiple violins and light on any actual impact.

If Wan and Whannell wanted to prove to fans of their previous work that horror films can be scary without the gore, they failed. Boring instead of gory, mundane instead of insane, expected instead of unexpected. By the lack lustre conclusion, it's clear the only thing sinister and menacing about Insidious is the title.

Insidious is out Thursday, May 12.

P.S. As a side note, keep your eyes peeled for the Jigsaw caricature on the black board in the classroom scene.

April reading list

I know I'm trying to read more this year but seriously, I think I need to cut down on my supernatural fiction because I've been have some weird dreams. But as you can see from last month's reading list, that definitely didn't happen. Oh well, I'll call it research for when I write the supernatural novel TO END all supernatural novels. For those of you who aren't regular readers, Kat from Petticoats and Pemplums and I have this lil' pact where we post what we’ve read each month on our blogs, for better or worse, so we can stay motivated to read more. I'm mightily impressed with her April effort; the gal was travelling the world and she still managed to read four books! Kudos. Anyway, here's my reads:

I mentioned I was re-reading this series last month and yeah, I've come to the end. It was just as incredible as the first time I read it but I do think the third book is the weakest instalment. It lacks the OMFG brilliance of the first and the unpredictability of the second, plus the ending is a lil' too concise for me. In saying that, it's still incredible and the highlights for me were definitely in the city (some of the most horrific scenes in the series happen there) and after a certain pivotal character's death. Also, I loved Katniss' powerful, final act of rebellion. The Hunger Games fans, you know what I mean.

This is one of the freebies palmed off to me by our book reviewer because the press material said it was for “fans of The Hunger Games” aka one of my all time favourite book series. But let me preface this by saying Inside Out is NOTHING like The Hunger Games. The only similarity is that two young women unwittingly start a revolution. The rest couldn’t be more different. Having never read anything of Maria V. Snyder’s before, I’ve got to say this was damn good. I mean, it’s about an 18-year-old girl who essentially lives in air vents so to make that a really interesting and original read is impressive. It’s nearly impossible to talk about this too much without spoiling the book for you (because there are some jaw-dropping surprises) but this is a sci-fi actioner and quite unlike anything I’ve read before. Apparently this is the start of a trilogy, with the next book Outside In due to be released in July and giving the sneak peek at the first chapter . . . I’m really looking forward to it.

Neil Gaiman is a genius. What more really needs to be said? If you’ve read anything he’s written (Coraline, Sandman comic-series etc) then you know this to be true. The Graveyard Book is no exception and I just adored this. Like most Gaiman books, it’s a really dark, modern fairytale and man, the dialogue is just so beautifully written and the characters so rich. This follows Nobody `Bod’ Owens who’s brought up by ghosts and a vampire in a graveyard after his family is slaughtered by a serial killer when he’s a baby. The book follows him from toddler-age through to mid-teens and it’s a delightful read. It’s one of those books you can see yourself being read as a kid and then when you re-read it as an adult, you discover all these really dark undertones. In a nutshell, the cover quote “a modern classic” pretty much sums it up.

Okay, so I’m almost 20-years behind the eight ball here but at least I’m reading the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series now. I was listening to Sunday Night Safran and they had a vampire expert on and she described this series as the one that really started the whole vampire novel phenomenon. Of course, as a huge fan of said `non I got started these down. The first, Guilty Pleasures, was written in 1993 and with more than 19 books in the series now, you can really see how Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake influenced the she bad-ass in pop culture, particularly Buffy and even Sookie Stackhouse. But these aren’t amazing. I’ve only read three so far (working on the fourth at the moment) and yeah, they’re full of action and witty one-liners, but they lack the fun, charm and romance of Charlene Harris’ Southern Vampire series. Or even Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series. Okay, I’ll stop making comparisons before you all realise how much of this stuff I actually read. Don’t get me wrong, they’re okay, but I feel like we’re introduced to the Anita Blake character mid-way through her story and the brief mentions to her past are frustrating. Plus, I think Hamilton mixes too many mythologies here and that’s a pet hate of mine – it overdoes the supernatural element. In summary, these are good, not great and I’m not sure if I will make it through all of the novels but they are a quick, light read that I can smash between something heavier. As a side note, the first three novels were adapted into a Marvel comic book series which is actually pretty kick-ass.

So, until next month . . . .

Something Borrowed is anything but blue

The phrase “Kate Hudson-rom-com'' tends to invoke involuntary shudders in most people who aren't 25 to 30-year-old women. But the latest film to fall into that category, Something Borrowed, is actually, surprisingly, quite good.

Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin, left) and Darcy (Kate Hudson) have been best friends since childhood. Rachel is used to being the hardworking good-girl who exists in the shadow of flashy and often selfish Darcy. However, on her 30th birthday, Rachel drinks too much and sleeps with Darcy's fiance, Dex (Colin Egglesfield). The fling turns into an affair, and Rachel is forced to decide which is more important, friendship or true love.

Based on best-selling novel by Emily Giffin, Something Borrowed was adapted for the screen by Jennie Synder, a writer/producer of shows such as Gilmore Girls and the 90210 reboot. She brings that female sensibility, humour and maturity of the former to Something Borrowed, while director Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door, Animal) gives it that My Best Friend's Wedding-vibe. This is easily Greenfield's best film and despite some genre cliches (all of the characters are white, rich, American and upper class), for the most part he keeps it fresh. He takes staples of the rom-com genre, such as a romantic rain scene or friend-falling-for friend scenario, and twists them into something unexpected and realistic. The flashbacks where we get to see Dex and Rachel meet in law school and how that relationship developed add depth to this complex love-story.

More dramedy than rom-com, Goodwin's relatable performance helps draw the audience into this other-woman scenario. Hudson is at her carefree, loose-cannon best and Egglesfield is certainly a leading man to watch. With his tall, dark and handsome shtick, he's like a hot, creep-free version of Tom Cruise that was described by my dear friend Keegan as a “multi-generational orgasm''. The Office's (US version) John Krasinski is, as usual, a scene stealer as Rachel's supportive friend and his natural comedic charm helps him milk the best lines in the film.

Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank originally bought the rights to Giffin's book and in her role as producer you can see her hand crafting this into more of an amusing dramedy that takes a mature look at 30-something's trying to negotiate the battlefield of love (a la P.S. I Love You). Something Borrowed doesn't break tradition, but it won't lead to extra-marital despair.

(Above: Arguably the best scene in the movie; Hudson and Goodwin break it down to Salt'n'Pepa's Push It.)

Something Borrowed is out in cinemas on Thursday, May 5.

Scream 4(got)

So, I’m a massive tool and forgot to post this back when, you know, a Scream 4 review was relevant. Anyway, better late than never I guess and with that I present my Bloody Disgusting review of Scream 4:

What’s your favorite scary movie? After sitting through Scream 4, you may have found it. A big statement, I know, but after a decade of remakes Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson have done what no one dared think possible; made a reboot of the genre defying franchise that is just as witty, original, self-aware and arguably smarter than the originals.

The Scream movies are known for their literally killer openings and without spoiling it, number four delivers a double knockout in that category with a layered first act that will leave you laughing, gasping and, if your audience was anything like mine, shouting with approval come the opening title. Our heroine Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) happens to return to Woodsboro to promote her new book during the aftermath of the introductory murders, which also occur on the 10-year anniversary of the original Woodsboro massacre. Barney Fife, sorry, I mean Dewey Riley (David Arquette) is now sheriff and the once fiery Gale Weathers is now Mrs Riley (Courtney Cox), resigned to small town married life. The original trio are again at the centre of a spree of vicious murders by the Ghostface killer/s who’s also interested in a bevy of hot young things led by Sidney’s niece Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts), the spunky Kirby (Hayden Panettierre), babe Olivia (Marielle Jaffe), Jill’s creepy ex Trevor (Nico Tortorella) and film geeks Robbie (Erik Knudsen) and Charlie (Rory Culkin), proving it takes twice the effort to make up for Randy. With the veterans and the new generation working together, they begin to decipher the killer/s key medium and establish some new rules. For instance, the unexpected is the new cliché and, most importantly, for the killer to take it into the next generation they need to film their kills and stream live.

In the Scream 4 production notes Wes Craven said the only way he would come back to the franchise was if Scream and Scream 2 scribe Williamson wrote a script that was worth coming back for. Well, congratulations Wes because although My Soul To Take mightn’t have been worth it, this certainly is. As horror buffs, we think we know the genre better than the insides of a teenage babysitter, but Craven and Williamson succeed in providing an abundance of plot twists and creative kills. Gore hounds be excited, because they certainly up the entrail-ante in what is easily the most gruesome Scream flick yet. The series is infamous for being self-aware and Williamson has done a brilliant job of turning this expectation on the audience, diffusing the element with gags so far in cheek you expect a tongue to come out the other side. It could have backfired terribly, but they pull it off. Just.

The performances too are solid, with the leading trio doing what they do best and standout turns from Panettierre and Roberts especially. Culkin is amiable as a Hanson-haired movie buff, but there’s something about those Culkin siblings that makes me think they’d be good as a nerd in anything. A lot of the supporting cast’s appearances are fleeting, but Marley Shelton leaves a lasting impression as a female version of Dewey aka Deputy Judy Hicks.

Scream 4 marks a return to the quality of the first film (and the first two thirds of the second) by achieving a rare feat; it doesn’t rehash old territory or repeat tired formulas, it makes a pun about them then boldly carves its way into new territory. This is largely thanks to the Planet Captain-esque combined powers of Craven and Williamson. The former knows how to make a contemporary horror classic that looks the part, while the latter knows how to write one. Williamson’s pen is sharper than Ghostface’s blade, integrating social media, pop-culture, film and serial killer references all within a single conversation. But his most powerful message is in the faux final act where, through a villain, he provides his most poignant commentary on a generation who will do anything for their 15 minutes of fame, as long as they don’t have to work for it. More interested in fans than friends, it’s a generation of Kardashian and Jersey Shore worshippers who I’m now convinced are all serial killers in waiting. Come one, like you didn’t think that already? Although the filmmakers are willing to point out the rule of remakes through Sidney – “don’t fuck with the original” – Scream 4 proves that you can fool around with a classic and conceive something altogether new and relevant.

P.S. Keep an eye out for the Robert Rodriguez shout-out in Stab’s opening credits.

(Left: Me, grinning like a delirious nerd at the Scream 4 premiere.)