So had one of the best times in a while now back up in Auckland.

Finished up filming work at about four and spent an hour trying to navigate traffic to drop off gear and find the hotel I’d be staying at. Getting into friend’s room, I find it’s on the 24th floor with a great view, but again. 24 fucking floors up. Heights are dealable with most of the time, but I was tired and strung out and kinda lost the ability to form reasonable thinking for five seconds.

But all was well once back on the ground and watched the greatness that is Easter Promises. One of my top contenders for best film of the year and with one of the most intense scenes ever. Ever ever. Whats tough is I will go on and on about how great and amazing the film is to people and when they go “whats it about?” I really can’t say anything more to that, this is one of those films I can’t say anything about and it should just be watched.

But anyway, after the movie, there was much awesome meeting up of many people from the South Seas days and many a more drinking to be had after that. Really awesome to see everyone again, not so awesome the hangover in the morning. But I’m hoping to do it again real soon. Hopefully with more people, with midgets and pandas wearing burglar masks. That’d be sweet.

Sitting and waiting to go with some others to go to a gig in Auckland today. I was like the last to wake up and first to wait. Which means my lack of needing stuff and hobo trainning has paid off. Or I’m just easy. Whatever.

But tonight should see some drinking going on and meeting up of people I’ve not seen in a while. And more drinking. Hopefully.

And tomorrow night will be Chicago in Te Aroha. With more drinking as well.

Awesome.

Have returned from my most brief of Auckland excursions after witnessing the fitness of Dylan Moran. Absolute hell getting up there on a Friday night though and finding parking in the inner city was a hell and made a tad late to the start of the show and made me wish cancer on several parked car owner’s future children and probably cancer on their cancer… just to be sure. But yes, the man was most funny and and I touched myself in comedic delight through it all.

Meanwhile, to reinforce my everlasting love of Bruce Willis, who just recently took up to posting on the AICN talkback boards about a whole bunch of stuff on Die Hard 4 and answering questions on his opinions about his films, an amusing time of him trying prove he was the real deal and best of all, this bit about Michael Bay…

“I would rather eat a live baby in front of my grandma than have Michael Bay direct a DIE HARD movie. I would rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than let that car engine in a human skin leave his satanic fingerprints on John McClane. In fact, this new PG-13 thing is the only part of ruining modern action movies that Michael Bay is not personally responsible for. The rest of it is all him. Don’t even fucking say those words in the same sentence, you’re only gonna give them ideas for part 5. It’s like saying Candyman in front of a mirror, that motherfucker will show up and snort John McClane’s soul right in front of you and then piss it out on your shoes,” wrote Willis. “Would have ruined DH4. Few people will work with him now, and I know I will never work with him again.”

I totally gave myself the bad touch reading that over and over again and now scientists are now baffled as to how Bruce Willis’ awesomeness just keeps getting bigger.

Back from Auckland… something about driving back and forth from Auckland to Hamilton always has me playing Tom Waits albums. Totally nothing wrong with it, I just find it a really strange reoccurance.

Long day of filming today that started out quite hungover, progressing to mindsplitting nausea, to numb headache, to nap, to all good and followed by another nap and then sweet as. But really, don’t get me too wrong, it wasn’t that bad today and there was some very good stuff shot for this promo/intro video. Which I’m so not looking forward to putting together considering the amount of work I’ve got coming up in the week.

Last night I got to catch up with a whole bunch of people from South Seas and yabber the night away about what we’ve all been doing since escaping. Of course, the people with proper jobs and all weren’t really there or showing up, but surprisingly enough, there was a lot less people there then I under-expected, which is saying quite a bit considering. But it was still a decent enough night seeing people, plus I got to drink at another student screening thing, which is always good in my books. I’m just thinking what to do for the University’s screening at the end of this year and how to make it really ‘worth going to’.

Also got to sneak a listen of the Gin (not the drink, but just as awesome musician) recordings, which sound great. It’s odd to hear it all being playing and tinkered around with in the rehearsal period and then to suddenly hear it recorded, mixed and attached with purple midgets (or whatever the music industry does when making albums). But it’s all looking really good and my favourite of the bunch from the rehearsals, which I can’t name here (because I don’t actually know the title of it) is sassy cool and I’m just looking forward to receiving a copy of the master next week…. I’m secretly thinking up concepts of videos and stuff, but don’t tell.

Also got to catch up with a whole bunch of people and cheers to Tanya for holding onto and looking after my jazzy scarf for me since her birthday last year. And hey, I finally, though briefly, got to meet her elusively mysterious man, which everyone will be happy to know is most definitely human and not a shadow lurking zombie Kodiac Bear sent back from the alternate future to hunt down fish… which not all had assumed except for… well, me and the homeless guy that lives in my garden… yeah, okay, me. But really, he’s cool and me and Dr.Hobo are quite pleased.

Its ANZAC day and all tomorrow and I’ve got to work in the morning and I’m pretty tired right now (can you tell from this rather erratic post?) There’s an English bloke sleeping in the spare room and… no, that’s all I’ve got about that really. This has been a tired, exhausted post that makes less sense read, compared to being written, but hey… yeah… ping pong balls.

Since the last post I shot off to Te Aroha to check out/hang out/help out on Marama’s new film being shot with a whole bunch of kids with a very sexy camera. It was a fun random spur of the moment action and more so when I woke up in the morning in an old country style hotel room in a sleepy quiet town and Tanya knocking on the door outside slowly saying coffee. It was so Twin Peaks I loved it. Good fun hanging out on their film too. Though location shooting and tracking so much equipment and props and stuff over a 10 minute reserve walk wasn’t as much fun.

But then, the next day, it was a shoot off to Auckland where there was much hanging out with old friends and drinking and talks, till Tuesday where I was privy to watch/film a rehearsal session of this upcoming singer/songwriter artist named Gin. Totally cool fun just to watch a whole bunch of really talented musicians in a garage playing and occasionally improvising music to her songs and just sitting there in total awe of how brilliant and precise they are with their craft. They recorded songs for the EP later on this week and if they are even anything like what I heard in that tiny garage, it’ll be a great listen. Something to look forward to.

Oh and then the night was topped off by going to finally see Pan’s Labyrinth, which totally kicked arse and is now one of my all time favourites, and even blowing nearly all other favourites of last year away. Watch it. Everyone.

Wednesday was also most amusing when I visited some friends working at ALT TV and suddenly found myself standing in front of the camera on this really weird show with this insane, uber femme Asian guy whom I couldn’t understand a word he was saying and had to role-play as a director film-maker guy and him being some girl wanting the lead role and totally acting up the femme persona to get it. Totally weird and random. Felt like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, except for the giggles and laughter I think I could hear coming from my friends in the studio booth.

And then the night was topped off with being at a New Zealand on Air conference thingee, where there were lots of high-ups and producers and suits and stuff, plus free food and free booze which I took full advantage of. Got to rub some shoulders when I wasn’t stuffing my face, but didn’t really try much. Cool people though. I could really get into that scene of eating free food and drinking wine and talking a lot of shit for a living.

Meanwhile, plans for the 48 hour film competition is getting underway. Soon enough my dream team is gonna be assembled for it and we are so gonna win. By skills of course, not because I rigged everyone else’s toilet seats to explode.

And since coming back, haven’t been up to much. Long post again. Here is an amusing self defence video.

Twas a very brief excursion into Auckland the other night. Less than 24 hour stay and though some effort was made, only a handful of people were seen and caught up with. But I’ll be back next week, so no big loss really.

Forgot to mention earlier, but an elite team of super ninjas have been entered into the 48 Hour Film Competition. Our team rivals others in both factors of coolness and manpower of bazooka monkey jetpack fighters. Stay tuned as world domination gets added to our ‘to do’ list.

If others want to join in on our group, they must prove their worthiness and justify what level of coolness and monkey power they can bring to the collective.

Got back today from a rather brief visit to Auckland. Took a semi-impromptu trip up Sunday night and drank somewhat and got to finally catch up with a lot of friends I had not seen a long time (and film them spitting like crazy). There were also many I’d not managed to catch up with, but that’ll have to be for the next time, which will hopefully be not as long of a period as the last one.

Had quite a few things to mention and talk about, but its been a rather long day, and my mind is currently drawing a blank on a lot of things. Tomorrow I’ll be making the first (and with luck not the last) trip to Uni to give a helping hand and special guest tutoring a Screen and Media class. Thoughts of totally screwing with first year students are currently revolving around my head and I like it.

If I’ll have time tomorrow, I’ll be starting the capturing and editing of footage for Spit-Takes too. Gonna fast track its production and hopefully have a decent cut set and ready by next week. Of course, there is a lot of work and things like saving people from burning buildings to be done this week, so it’ll be a little small mission to get done. After defeating the Martian-Walrus-People that is.

And now… here’s a silly fun office related ad that I really liked…

A fucking short version of the Departed…

And finally, another 300 trailer, this time its extended, uncut and probably uncensored. Plus, if you pause it at the 1:52 mark, there is a flash frame of a test shot from Watchmen… Frank Miller, Alan Moore, lots of blood and nipples, what more can you ask for?

Oh yeah… Hot Fuzz coming out Thursday, I’m so freaking turned on now.