Mammoth magazine interview with me regarding our 48 Hour film and the finals is now out. Did the interview late last night, or early this morning via the sensual Matt Scheurich, where we had a general gander on the film and general stuff and he pretty much printed it as I said, which made for a more ‘personal’ interview and hopefully one not too offensive or weird. Pick up a local copy now or check it online here.

Meanwhile, I’m still recovering from this annoying as fuck flu that just wont go away. It’s not crippling and I’m not bed ridden, but it’s dropped my energy levels and everytime I think it’s going away, it comes back, throws up a banner, blows some really annoying loud whistles and then kicks me in the nuts for good measure. Doesn’t help I haven’t actually been resting much or drinking over the weekend, but hey… I got nothing. Almost nothing. Bought several seasons of Arrested Development, the Neverwhere TV series (score!) and the Tarkovsky box set which is pure awesome and will provide lots of good viewing when I get the time to.

Several film projects coming up, and quite a few that need finishing as well, but that’s for a later post. In the meantime, here’s Michel Gondry following up solving a rubiks cube with his feet, with solving it with his nose.

God I love him. Oh, and just to end on a hilariously gross note… Clitter!

Forgot to mention the other day that on Wednesday night there was the most insane of thunderstorms happening overnight. About 1500 lighting strikes over the Waikato and 20000 all together around New Zealand over a 24 hour period. Total madness and pure awesome.

That night I just opened my curtains, sat with a whiskey listening to some Phillip Glass and watching some of the most intense rain and lighting I’ve seen in a long time. Really amazing time to be had.

Anyway, several videos to post and that’s about it…

Amazing video of these people doing something called the pikapika project or something. It’s in Japanese so I’m not too sure, but this video is awesome (if you don’t pay too much attention to the music).

Hilarity in the form of some guy doing 500 impressions in 2 minutes. Must watch to get the greatness of the gag.

And finally, the awesomeness of Hellboy 2 continues in this brief clip full of slapstick fun and no giant red guy is above sweet slapstick fun. Can’t wait. Video here.

So it turns out I’ve been generally sick most of this week, which would explain why I’ve been sleeping ridiculously long hours all week, the headaches, the sore throats and not doing most of the things I thought I’d be up and able to do. Strange I didn’t really put two and two together properly like that. It’s also part of the reason I’ve not blogged as often as usual recently, so here’s a beach whale to make up for it…

Monday night I got a phone call and it was nothing but Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes along with some Samuel L Jackson one-liners. This went on for about 20 minutes I’d say something and then something from an Arnie film would be quoted back to me. The conversation ended when, well… I guess they hung up. But I never got a call back and I still wonder now if that was a radio station or just some jokers pulling one helluva elaborate prank.

Tonight has been just as interesting. Last week, the local papers did an article on the 48 and our win. We had a picture put in and that ran on Thursday afternoon. I’ve worked two shifts since then and had completely forgot about it till tonight when no less than six customers have come up to me wondering at first if that was me and me sheepishly saying yes. Weirdness for it to just happen suddenly and so far only in one night so long after the fact.

But there’s still over a week till the 48 Finals are televised and its starting to come to the question of where exactly we’re all going to be hanging out to watch the show next Thursday. So far it’s just at someones house, but I’m heavily considering hiring out a room at the Academy, but we’ll see for now.

Other than that, not a helluva lot has been going on. I’ve still got this bout of sleeping a lot, which is odd as I’ve been eating alright and well… just being alright. For the last few days I’ve been sleeping in more and kinda staying in bed a lot. At first I thought I was getting sick again and even had a semi-sore throat going on, but since then the throat has gotten better and well… We’ll just see after tonight.

Made a last minute decision on Friday night to go to a kind of triple birthday party in Auckland. Had loads of booze and fun and got to hang out with some totally awesome people as always.

One thing I forgot though was to pick up a copy of the international film festival booklet while I was up there. Every year now for… I dunno… seven? eight years now, I’ve kept one and it’s great. For now I’m just going through the website which is a little more tedious process, but already I’m seeing a lot of films I’m so keen to see.

Top of them would probably be the redux of Wong Kar Wai’s Ashes of Time, which no doubt will kick ass with the big screen of sexy Christopher Doyle cinematography and the hotness of Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung and Leslie Cheung. Oh and Brigitte Lin and Carina Lau. Fuck it, it’s just more sexy Chungking Express times awesome on the big screen. I can’t wait.

Others of note so far are Stephen Chow’s new CJ7, Gondry’s Be Kind Rewind, Miike’s Sukiyaki Western Django and the amazing ensemble awesome of To Each His Own Cinema. Others of interest are the Evangelion redux, awesomeness of The Adventures of Robin Hood, Patti Smith doco, new Vincent Ward film, King of Kong doco and Anita O’Day doco. Come to think of it, I’ve got a lot of docos in mind this year, something different, but the full planning can be made once I get one of those damn programs.

Well, in the meantime here’s the mentalness of a reporter arrested for the murders he’s actually been reporting on here.

And a musician named Tywanna Jo Baskette whom I’m growing more and more fonder of her music as I listen to it here.

Playing tomorrow nights, the Trons. Self automated playing robots. I’m seriously thinking of going even though there are drinks and general partying going on at mine tomorrow night. Oh what to do.

Some guy’s cover of Nude from In Rainbows by old computer technology. Awesome.

Y’s Guys Film’s Action short, “An Eye For An Eye”. Chuck Norris reference no?

Seems I’ve got nothing else to post about but more 48 Hour things. The wildcard entries were meant to be announced yesterday, but have been delayed till today, which were announced, but only one of three: Lense Flare, wildcard selected and winners of last year’s competition. Scary. But my main concern is that the other two wildcards wont be announced until the night of the finals or at least not till much closer to then. The anxiety is killing me and more so the many others who are being considered as nominees, in particular, the good fellas at Y’s Guys Films.

One thing though that caught my attention is how we’re mentioned in the press release here.

“And then there are the sleeping giants, the unassuming and kooky Guerilla Monkeys from Hamilton…”

Mental.

Introduction videos I made for ours and Y’s Guys in the 48 Hamilton Finals.