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.

Horribly, horribly hungover. Smell of kerosene. Drank a whole bottle of Southern Comfort last night, bar two or three drinks for friends. Drank some more in town. Came second in poker. Never threw up, but threw candy at people. Keep feeling like I made a drunken douche of myself last night on stage. Possibly came off wrong on certain people last night. Vaguely remember firebreathing. Need food and to find car. Awesome times.

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.

Been busy working. Got drunk last night cause I could. Very hungover now. No remorse.

Yep, slackness in the posting, but I’ve been working a lot again or still, to have enough money next month for a wintec shoot coming up. Actually, the shoot already started on Saturday and got off to a good start. But the schedule is broken down into weekends only, which for me, means a little work in staying consistent in both energy and levels of creativity. But still, I’m looking forward to it.

But let’s see, Saturday night we held a party shindig for flatmate Fabian’s Birthday at the flat and it was pretty cool. Did a lot of setting up of lights and gels beforehand and it was most pretty and a good night overall. Good people were there, lots of drinking to be had and good friend Daisy and Sean came on down from Auckland to drink with, and that made me happy. So did the cute girl on lap, who’s finally getting a mention on this blog.

Then Sunday was old friend Tim’s wedding to his lady Irene and that was a really great lowkey ceremony. Best of all from it was I got to witness quite possibly the best choice of a wedding song ever… Spice Girls… uh… what the hell do you call that song? ziggazigah? Or whatever the hell it is, that, “if you wanna be ma lover” bollocks. Bad song, but that being played for her walk down the aisle, was fried gold.

And also to mention an eeeeeh! to Nick and Sarah for finally giving birth to their way too cute son whom they’ve been keeping track of the pregnancy here, but its still awaiting the cuteness of photos to come. And not to mention last, Dan and Ester, who are in the UK, they too had a baby girl Maddy (did I spell that right?). Everyone is just growing up, aren’t they?

And as for photos, here are some favourites from the party courtesy of the immaculate Petra Jane. There were other people with cameras there, but I’ve yet to track them down. Stupid drinking… actually the photos are all with me, cause I’m a whore for the camera like that. In front and behind.

Currently at work and it is a quiet night for a change. Which is good, considering today’s is a ten hour shift and I’ve been in need of a little down time from the past few days of madness.

This afternoon saw me with a minor brain numb and a house full of empty beer and wine bottles. Turns out what was meant to be a few drinks with friends and such at the end of the Wintec shoot I’ve been helping out on and off on for the past week, became what I guess is the semi-official wrap party. Strange how they can evolve like that. All I provided was a venue.

But yeah, was a most interesting shoot and I’ll say that tensions were high at times, which fed into a very interesting night for me last night to observe the looks and thoughts between people and drinks. Then again, I was drinking a lot, so maybe I’m looking too much into that.

Oh, but Friday morning, I should be recieving a prize from the Waikato Times newspaper as I’ve won some thirty odd DVDs from them for a competition I didn’t even enter. Funny and awesome.

Still going and several more days of ridiculous amounts of video store work to do. Still got Pictures of You to finish rough cutting. Next week uni starts and I’ve got a fresh batch of students to corrupt. And the week after that, production starts on Paul’s youtube series The Orb of Ra, where again, I’m whoring myself as a DOP plus an actor this time. I’m such a cheap date.

So my room is pretty much set out. Desk. Bed. Computer. Stereo system. Super sweet leather chairs… all totally checked.

Still got to work out the internet connection as there is no easy way of connecting to my room at the moment, so for now I’m limited to using other flatmate’s computers which are all connected to the internet and running without hiccups. Reckon this is just a conspiricy of theirs to stop me using up all the bandwidth downloading emu porn or something. Cause that stuff is hot.

But yeah, the place is looking great and over time shall be even greater. Maybe a Chuck Norris level of great, but that’s a big stretch to be honest. But now I’m getting into a more settled lifestyle free of running around trying to remember where I live, I can finally get started on some editing of videos that have been in need of editing for sometime now.

But first… drinking. I’m just gonna keep writing it up everywhere because of the mega crushed phone incident, I have lost quite a few numbers and shall keep posting notes on here, myspace, bebo and public toilet walls of the flatwarming that shall be going on here this Saturday where there will be much drinking and… yeah, that’s it. Just the drinking. Email or txt me if you need details, but be sure to include who you are because I’m now sick of messaging people back “blah, blah, blah. Sorry, I lost my phone to a bear that mistoke it for a jar of honey and I’ve lost some numbers. Who is this?” Happens all the time. Damn grizzlys.

Flash Sanders: Funk Detective recieved the following wins: Best Costume, Best Editing and City Runner Up Award. It also received nominations for Best Art Direction, Best Score, Best Actor and V Most Manic Performance.

I was so sure that either I’ll Die Before I Go Back or Shiseido and Jerry were going to win best and runner up for the region, but it was instead taken by The Playground which was alright, but yeah… what a surprise.

But this now means we’re not completely out of the competition and our film will now be sent down to Peter Jackson to check out and be screened with all the other tops and runner ups to be possibly selected as a wild card and added in with the national competitors. Not bagging on that happening, but I am just stoked enough with how we did last night. Only thing, I really wish Sash got something for his performance, he was great as Flash. Overall it was a good night (drinking and hangover now) and I’m slowly getting into the grove of wanting to do it again next year.

Oh yeah, it also means I still can’t post the short up on youtube until I get word back on how we do as a wildcard selectee. But we’ll get there. Eventually.

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.

Weekend of drinking began Friday with going away drinks from Maree from work. Funny to get on the piss at your boss’ house, but yeah. That went on for a bit before hitting the Cock and Bull bar and filming a band playing there. I dunno why, but I was there, filming, helping and stuff for some amateur video being put together which is cool, cause I got to play with camera and get pretty, pretty shots. Problem was I was so focused on getting the pretty shots, I failed to realise I spent a good portion of the night standing in front of a very large speaker and it wasn’t until after the show and more importantly, the next day, I discovered I’d temporarily lost quite a bit of hearing in my right ear.

So then Saturday was spent not doing much, hungover and eventually there was more drinking to be had at a friend’s place which was on the other side of town from where I live, which isn’t a problem, except we suddenly took a cab, ditching my car to the other side of town, which was just a few blocks from where I live, original drinking people took off from there and I was left with a new crowd of drinkers, but by then I was pretty sober and feeling the need for more. So I decided to go with my original plan to go to Auckland for the night to party it up there, but at this point, my car was on the other side of the city and people there were having too much fun to give me a lift.

Eventually I did get across town to my car, drove all the way back to my house and by the time I was on the highway, just past Huntly, I get word that the party was dispersing pretty rapidly and my presence there would almost be absurdly unnecessary. Note that this is about 1:30 in the morning.

So I about faced and met up with some people in town, but that was dying down too, so finally I get home to watch a movie (“The Jacket”) to much disappointment and eventual sleep.

Now I’m doing another spur of the moment thing and going to Te Aroha for the night to help out on a film and then it’ll be Auckland tomorrow night to film recording studio stuff. Fun times.