Thunderbirds at the Roxy Theatre, Miramar

Hi there

At the moment, the Roxy Theatre in Miramar - partly owned by Jamie Selkirk and Tania Roger who are both from Weta - is having a Thunderbirds exhibition in the upstairs foyer.  Just ask staff if you can go up and take a look.

There is a a cabinet full of Thunderbird collectables.  Also exact replica models made by Weta worker and Thunderbirds fan, David Tremont.

 The above model of Thunderbird 2 was truly big...  four feet long???   Waaay over a metre...

Weta Workshop, Richard Taylor

Hi there

Here's a story I have told before but there is now a little add-on to it.

A couple of years' ago, I was walking around Miramar, Wellington, and approaching Weta Workshop,  From a distance I saw someone hard at work cleaning the gutter, complete with spade and wheelibin.

"Poor guy," I thought, "The Wellington City Council have got him working on a Sunday."

I got closer and I saw that there was a 'Weta' sticker on the bin.

"Poor guy," I thought.  "Weta have got him working on a Sunday."

I got closer and saw that ... it was Richard Taylor!  The Richard Taylor.  Yep, nice guy Richard Taylor, everyone-adores-him Richard Taylor.  Boss of Weta Workshop Richard Tayor, the bloke who along with Peter Jackson, Jamie Selkirk, and Tania Rodger, had the guiding hands behind the"Lord of the Rings" movies.

And he was cleaning the gutter?

He told me that Sundays was the only day he could get at the gutter because cars were parked there all the other times.

The add-on bit I was telling you about is ...  My friend, AJ, is a teacher.  In class one day a teen boy had dropped some litter on the ground and didn't bother to pick it up.  AJ trotted out my Richard Taylor/wheelie bin story ending up with, "...so even Richard Taylor isn't above picking up rubbish."

The suitably-chastised kid picked up his litter.

I took this photo on the day Prince Charles visited Weta Workshop.

Edwin: My Life as a Koont

Hi there

I went last night to the Wellington, NZ, premiere of the movie, "Edwin: My Life as a Koont".  Four of my friends had bit parts in it.  See, there you are, senior citizens are, indeed, needed occasionally

The movie was taken recently to a comedy festival in Los Angeles and it won its lead actor, Bryce Campbell, the 2013 Best Actor Award.  He was presented with the award last night.

What a nice evening I had, sitting by my friends and seeing a movie that had some very funny lines in it.  I recognised so many of the places, both in New Zealand and in Los Angeles.  There was much nudging going on as a friend's living room, artistic painting endeavour, and acting skills were shown to, well, if not the world, at least the packed house at the Paramount Theatre.  Ah, you're a real triple threat there, girl!

The foyer was thronged with the glitterati.  The mayor, Celia Wade-Brown  was there - she has a small role in the film.  I also spotted Jamie Selkirk oscar winner-film editor-and co owner of the Roxy Theatre in Miramar (another triple-threater?).

A good time was had by all.  So, congrats on making the movie, guys.

http://www.spookypictures.co.nz/FeatureFilms/Edwin/Edwin.html

Mexican Restaurant in Miramar

Hi there

A couple of years' back, a Mexican cafe opened in Miramar, Wellington, where I live.   It's called La Boca Loca and is a casual dining place.  It is extremely popular with workers from the Peter Jackson empire - Weta, Post-Production, Workshop, Admin,  studio, etc.  There are a lot of American workers at Weta and they have probably been starved for good Mexican food.  Up until about 5 years' ago there weren't any Mexican places to eat in Wellington.  Now, there are a few.

I believe a guy who worked at Weta convinced a Mexican chef/friend to come over from America and, together, they started La Boca Loca. 

La Boca Loca is a hop, skip, and jump away from the Roxy Theatre owned by Oscar winners Tania Roger and Jamie Selkirk.   Lots of folk go to La Boca Loca for a meal before the movies.

Here's a little secret:  I've never tasted Mexican food. How embarrassing. 

Even when Mexican food weighed down the buffet tables in Las Vegas, I bypassed it.  Old stick-in-the-mud me stayed with the same old tried and true stuff that I was used to.  I am so silly.  I promise I will try out La Boca Loca ..... one day.   Oh, and I'm off to Las Vegas again at the end of the year.  I promise-promise-promise to try Mexican food.

P.S.:  J and I have now done 11 swims for April.  About 25-minute swims all through the month.  We notice in the newspaper that there is a picture of people swimming at Oriental Bay in Wellington, and we're quite miffed over this.  Darn this almost-summer weather, J and I wanted to stand out as The Brave Ones.

Corvettes at the Roxy Theatre

We have this picture theatre on my  Miramar Peninsula (in Wellington, New Zealand).  The Roxy.  It's owned by Richard Taylor, Tania Roger and Jamie Selkirk. (all oscar winners).  With the aid of Weta designers they have made the theatre up to resemble a theatre from the nineteen-thirties.  The ceiling on the first floor looks a bit Sistine Chapel-ish, except there are robots instead of biblical characters and gods - though, I guess, some folk might think robots are gods.

Today, was Fathers' Day so in their cafe and restaurant (Coco) the Roxy had a Corvette and Beer day for the dads.

Eleven Corvettes rolled up. Jamie Selkirk owns the blue Corvette..

Here's a very small portion of the Roxy first floor ceiling

After eating at Coco, my friend and I went along to the Weta Cave, (Weta movie products shop and /a tiny museum of Jackson/Taylor movie props).. I was trying out my new camera.  I held the camera at arm's length away from me, and I could see my picture on the front of the camera as well as it coming up on the screen at the back, thereby making sure it's not just my nose I get in the shot like I used to with my old camera where I couldnt see me at all (goodness all that sounds complicated).  I posed beside a replica of Gandalf - Ian McKellen -  from "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.