EATTISOML #25

"You Sound Like Louis Burdett" - The Whitlams

And so we come to the first (but probably not last) Whitlams entry into my big 32.

How do you tell someone outside the group that a song that contains the lyrics "All my friends are fuck-ups, but they're fun to have around" strikes a genuine, companionable chord somewhere deep in your heart? You can't, really. You just have to pat them on the hand and apologise because they probably haven't even heard a song with the word 'fuck' in it before.

This up-beat, raucous (sp?) offering from one of the Evil Bunnies' all-time favourite groups is a fantastic, silly anthem to dancing around the house like a mad thing and hanging out with people whose minds are just as much in the gutter as your own. I have no idea who Louis Burdett is (although I'm sure many of the people I know can tell me), and I really don't mind not knowing. The song is energetic, the people it reminds me of are awesome and I love it - and them - to this day.

As a famous person may or may not have said;

"A real friend will bail you out of jail, a true friend will be sitting beside you in the cell saying; 'Dude, we fucked up'."

Just Incredible

Following a previous post, I have to say that I'm not sure if the pressure is still mounting or if I am now riding some freakish kind of lucky movie wave.

Since the aforementioned post I have seen Hero, De-Lovely (which I didn't go on about here, but which really was an amazing film), and now The Incredibles and I have to say that my good movie karma seems to be holding out. At least, as far as actually going to the movies and paying money is concerned. Don't get me started on Open Range. Maybe another post can be dedicated to those shit-boring three hours of my life I WILL NOT GET BACK!. *Ahem*

The Incredibles is, in case you live in a small cave without the internet or TV, the latest CG film from Pixar (those people what brought you the Toy Story movies, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo) and they've gone and done it again. By cleverly, and I mean really cleverly, manipulating 1s and 0s, they have produced another awesome movie.

The plot is simple, revolving as it does around a world where super heroes once helped us out but now they've all been given civilian identities and stopped doing their thing, what with people suing them and stuff. And then stuff happens. I really don't want to go too deeply into the story of the film, because that would take time away from telling you about the slick visuals, production and character design and the brilliant script.

As usual, Pixar have managed to put more emotional and physical texture into their characters and world than many live-action films. There are more than a couple of moments of genuine emotional connection and while you personally may not be brought to the very, very edge of your seat, I was at least closer to it than I would normally be. The sets (if that's what they're called) are dressed in a brilliantly 60s "World Of Tomorrow" style and the cloth and hair simulation team have done stirling work simulating cloth and hair.

The dialogue is snappy enough to entertain the crowd, sappy enough to tug at a few heart strings and the voice acting is of Pixar's usual excellent standard, with special note being deserved by director Brad Bird for the role of Edna (apparently, they didn't like any of the people who auditioned, and when he gave an example of what he was looking for, the producers just told him to do it himself) and Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone. Small roles, but you'll be laughing hugely.

Magic moments? The family's first engagement as a team, the changing of one family member into lead at a very inopportune time and the kid on the tricycle. Go and watch it, people!!

The Incredibles gets five indestructible superhero costumes out of five (but no capes).

It starts,

The Bowens' (and by that I mean my) Christmas season has officially commenced with our annual Christmas Eve Seafood Banquet. Of course, we have to hold it on the 23rd now so's I can be with Carmen's family on the 24th, but it's all good!

We just finished a hot and cold seafood dinner the likes of which may never be seen again in our time. I produced fucking fantastic chilli crab (if I say so meself), have had a couple of Stellas (which may explain the expletive in the previous sentence) and now Cal and Carmen are decorating our tree while Grandpa, Mum, Dad and the dogs look on.

Life is pretty fuckin' peachy.

Merry Christmas to all and good will and seafood to all men (and women and smizmars).

Unwritten laws

They exist, they have weight and I broke one yesterday.

Yesterday was the annual christmas shoot for the APSPC (Australian Protective Services Pistol Club), and so the Bowens turned up in force (as we like to do). Callum didn't do too well, owing mainly to the fact that he only had two magazines, and Dad didn't do too badly, although he did have a few problems with one of the stages.

But I outshot them both. And I was using Dad's Browning. So not only did I outshoot my Dad, but I did it with his own pistol. I think that makes me a bad son.

On the up side (for Callum and Dad, but not so much for me and, say, Carmen) on the way to the range I spilled hot coffee in my groin.

Not happy, Jan.

So we're on our way to the show last Friday and we decided to get some McDonalds drive-thru. Sam and Carmen got normal stuff, but I wasnae too hungry, so I bought a happy meal.

And do you know what? In the words of Leo Getz; they fuck you at the drive thru! There was no toy! They gave me no toy! I paid good money for dodgy food and a lame Action Man disc thrower and they gave me no disc thrower!

Of course, Sam and Carmen were all sympathy. Their lack of caring, upon my repeated statements of dismay at my lack of toy, led to this exchange.

SAM: (With sarcasm crystallising in the air) "Surely the box the Happy Meal came in is a wonderous toy with the power of your imagination."

A short pause.

EUAN: "Fuck you. No, seriously, fuck you."

Then they both laughed a lot.

At least Dot was sympathetic when we got to the theatre.

That's telling 'em!

Go here and scroll down to the item titled "video killed the radio star". I think every Evil Bunny and more than a couple of the casual readers of my blog will appreciate this little tale.

And next year I will bid on a Child's Play auction item. If I can.

whatever we did, we're sorry...

Honestly. We didn't mean it. Would the Mischeivous Gods Of Theatre[TM] please leave On The Razzle alone now. What do I mean? Well, we had three shows over the weekend and the only one that didn't have strange things happen was the saturday matinee. So what did we do between shows on saturday to piss off the Gods?

The saturday night show was going fine - with the exception that Duncan and Dick had a fit of giggles during the restaurant scene, but that's not too bad - until the bit in Blumenblatt's garden. Then, just as I was jumping up to look over the wall, the lights faded down to black and the music power down with an audible "beee-ooooo". So we kinda hadta stop the show. There was much running around and looking at fuses and circuit breakers, but nothing seemed to be wrong. And then it just kinda worked itself out.

So that was fun.

And then yesterday, just before the end of act one (literally just before, actually, with only about two minutes to go), a smoke alarm goes off. "Clear the auditorium". Wait for the fire brigade. Get clearance. Keep going.

So two shows stopped in two days makes me ask; What did we do?

Was there whistling backstage? Maybe a little, but we got told off for it. No one has mentioned the Scottish play, although I did listen to "My Name Is MacBeth" on Sam's I-pod, but that doesnae count, right? So what did we do? How can we fix it? Is there a witch-doctor or priest in the house?