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...

What we do in The Shadows - vampire movie and Q & A Session

Hi there



Last night I went to the Roxy 'Theatre in Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand, to see the new mockumentary film by Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement, in which they star, direct, produce.  What we do in the Shadows.   A vampire story with old-fashioned vampires, but set in modern Wellington.  There was a Question and Answer session afterwards.

The film was done on a shoestring with the producers having to find make-do props and, as they said, they even used their own teacups in a scene.

Jermaine started off pre-movie by reading a letter from the New Zealand Documentary Board (!). 
Both he and Taika kept getting muddled up with the word 'documentary' ... documentarian ... documentarying ... documentarialisation ...  All completely deadpan.

The letter said that the Board would like to see a documentary on vampires and enclosed for reference were the vampire movies "Blade 1" and "Blade 3".  The DVD of Blade 2 was out on loan.

The movie was good.  I loved seeing all the Wellington landmarks.  I've always thought I would probably end up in The Rita Angus Rest Home (nicknamed 'Colditz' by its inhabitants) in Kilbirnie when I grow even older but now after seeing a vampire perv into the windows at night, I'm not too sure about any future plans to end up there.

So many vampire myths were delived into.  Our vampire flatmates tried to go clubbing at night and couldn't get into any of the clubs because they were never invited into them by the doormen.  The yearly big event, the supernatural masquerade ,was held in the Mt Victoria Bowling Club  (it was so hilarious to see the bowling club leader board on the wall).

Even werewolves weren't forgotten.  Rhys Darby and his scruffy scratching uncouth pals were marvellous.  And I loved the vampire minion, a married mum who desperately wanted to be 'turned', but instead had ended up  mowing the flatmates' lawn, cleaning their house, and ironing their shirts.  She complained that they couldn't wear shirts like ordinary guys, oh no, they had to wear blouses, and with frills no less.

The Q and A session:  the interviewer asked Taika and Jermaine what they had done at Park Road Post Production.  The answer was a short crisp, "Post-production."

Taika told the audience that the editing was exhausting.  He and Jermaine had taken turns, month by month.  He would go away after his month, come back, look at the work and declare it really bad, then discover  it was his own work and not Jermaine's.

A question from the audience asked about the film becoming a tv series.  The reply from the producers was that Australia were interested and also a couple of American companies.

Last night was a fund-raiser for Taika's daughter's kohanga reo (pre-school).  The little girl was there and she was such a cutie and so quiet and polite.  She ran up to Daddy and he cuddled her lovingly on his lap.   Ahhhhhhhhh......

What we do in the Shadows - movie

Hi there

The NZ vampire movie "What we do in the Shadows" has now had its NZ premier. There have been vampires running hither and thither all around the country to promote the happening.

The vampire mockumentary will have a for-charity screening at the Roxy theatre, here in Miramar on 23 June.  After the session there will be a Question and Answer session with directors/actors Taika Waititi ("Boy") and Jermaine Clement ("Flight of the Conchords"), as well as actor/comedian Cori Gonzalez-Macuer.

"Boy" was one of my fave top NZ movies.  I loved it that Waititi managed to incorporate the song "Poi-E" into "Boy".   "Poi-E" had reached no 1 in the music charts in 1984 , and  with it's second outing, in 2010, reached no 3 (darn-it, Waititi was hoping for no 1!).

The below link will hopefully get you to the original Patea Maori Club version of "Poi-E".

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/video/poi-e

How old do I feel? 16? 18? 20? Yep, I'll go for 20! ... plus Roxy Theatre, Miramar

Hi there

In my head, I feel about 20 years old.   My swimming friend J tells me that when she goes to her doctor - who is a woman of about 36 - J feels, in her head,about 36 as well.  And then it suddenly comes home to her that the doctor sees her as an old woman!

We both hate being called 'dear' by shop assistants or shepherded out-of-harm's-way-love by friendly strangers who fear all our bones will break when we accidentally get bumped into.

Last week, when I visited my friend in a lifecare facility that she'd recently moved into, I went to the kitchen to get her some water.   I was immediately mistaken for a resident and told off in no uncertain terms, by the cook, for setting foot into this hallowed sanctuary.  I slunk out of that kitchen, away from the bully, thoroughly mortified.  I had to stop and think that, by golly, the cook truly didn't see me as a twenty year old.

In future, I vow to bounce into that facility as if I own the place, with all the bounce I can muster,  and I'll dress up to the nines, drip with jewellery, look as young as I can possibly look, and glare down my snooty nose at the cook.   But, you see, as we grow older, we - as a geriatric bunch - do tend to let others walk all over us. 

I shall (try to) be strongerl.

*  The Roxy Theatre in Miramar is having it's 3rd birthday today (Sun 6th).  The celebrations were due to start at 11 am, and I wandered past at 10 am, so there wasnt much doing at that time.    You can see the Gandalf street sculpture on the right.  The theatre is owned by Weta Workshop's Richard Taylor, Tania Roger, and Jamie Selkirk.

**  J and I have done 5 swims so far this month.  It's been lovely at Hataitai Beach, with very warm water.

1) 'Wizard's Guide to Wellington' 2) Roxy Theatre exhibit

Hi there
My friend, A.J. (Ponder) who has just had published the children's book "The Wizard's Guide to Wellington" arrived at my house yesterday wearing a couple of badges advertising the book.  The book is about a couple of wizarding kids who go on an adventure around Wellington, New Zealand.  The book can be bought at Rona Bookshop and Art Gallery in Eastbourne or The children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie.  It can be ordered at the library.  A.J. intends to put out a "Wizard's Guide to London" in a couple of years.

A couple of days' ago A.J. and I trotted down to the Roxy Theatre in Miramar to have a nosy at what current exhibitions they had going.  Weta workers often exhibit items from their own personal collections that they have made themselves.  At the moment upstairs in the theatre there are a bunch of dwarf-ishy characters, as well as a companion book.

VIP Roxy Theatre Party (that I wasn't asked to attend)

A few weeks back was the opening of the brand spanking new Roxy picture theatre in Miramar, Wellington, owned in part by Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk (also partners in Weta which is a movie special effects company here in Miramar). Prior to the opening there was a special VIP evening.

I wasn't invited but because I live around the corner I trotted along, with my friends, to stand outside the theatre and see who would be turning up.

About 20 people at very, very most stood right outside the main doors, but about a hundred or so stayed in a herd for some reason across the road where they might have got a good panarama view but they werent close at all to invited guests. Maybe they stood there because the tv cameras were there. But TV cameras have zoom lenses

Very soon, I had to make the decision whether to go for autographs or photos, and I chose the autograph option. Maybe I made a mistake. Anyway, I managed to be the first one to recognise and pounce(!) on Ian McKellen, James Breslin, Martin Freeman, Brett McKenzie, Richard Taylor, Tania Roger, Jamie Selkirk, and a few actors from The Hobbit. I got to Martin Freeman (Bilbo) just as he got to the door. I called out, "Mr Freeman", and I heard someone beside Freeman say to him, "You almost made it."

I don't think the crowd were (professional) celebrity watchers. I think they were just Miramar-ites. Maybe this explains why nobody recognised the stars until I swooped in.

All invited guests had been asked to wear clothes from the art deco age to fit in with the theatre's decor.

A very late guest was a guy in a Rocketeer outfit. He jumped out of the passenger seat in his car and hurtled into the theatre. It turned out to be Oscar winner director Peter Jackson! I took a few hopeless photos of him through the frosted-patterned window

I did take a nice photo of Roxy co-owners Jamie Selkirk and his partner ,and Richard Taylor and partner Tania Roger. I spoke to Richard's father; what a lovely man and so justifiably proud of his son.

A side note: my friend, staying with me from Australia, and I went to the very first movie at the Roxy (King Kong). I suggested we sit in a certain row, in the middle, and ushered my friend in first. Jamie Selkirk came out and said there was a prize under one of the seats. It was under my friend's seat.! She got four King Kong signed artist prints, and limited edition signed by the artist King Kong bookends. I was so full of jealousy, I wanted to throw a tantrum! But I had to act all nice and thoughtful and congratulate my friend, and help carry the prizes home, and take photos of her parading around my kitchen with the prizes, and then email the photos to her loved ones in Australia. Sighhhhh.