I'm still here... just not, well, HERE.

Life's gearing up to be busy again! Last week I attended the Fit For Work Summit with Arthritis New Zealand. Professor Stephen Bevan from the UK spoke about his research on musculoskeletal disorders and work... and I spoke about my experience with AS.

Yep, it was pretty damn scary, but I'm so glad I did it. Pretty much prepared it only the night before, and though there was a lot of 'umm's, I'm pretty proud of myself and kind of enjoyed it. There were maybe around 50 people there, which doesn't sound too scary, but after initial introductions around there room there were enough "former MP", "CEO", "doctor"s to make me feel a liiitle bit intimidated. Everyone was super lovely though, and it was a really interesting day. From that I've been invited to another workshop in Auckland later in November. And before that I'm going to the Arthritis NZ open day also in Auckland.

Have been tidying up our website a bit in preparation - so we can actually give interested people the link without an apology - ooh, it's a bit of a work in progress.

Besides all that, I have an idea brewing for my art. And the first problem is finding some space to get creating. Our house is getting just a wee bit small (well, we're accumulating more and more stuff) and while I absolutely don't want to move anytime soon, I'm going to need to either downsize some furniture or find studio space elsewhere.

Next week we're going to a Halloween party to kick of a very busy November. Been working on the best way to do my costume... hopefully it'll turn out well on the day.

Since this blogging thing is clearly just becoming a place for me to throw tidbits for future reference, I won't bother trying to recap the past few weeks (months?) I've skipped over. Highlight of October has probably been going to see Gravity (twice), it is phenomenal! I'd go see it a third time if tickets weren't so absurdly expensive.

Films Q&A/Tag

Favorite movie of all time?

I have a bunch of films I watched in my late teens during the 'I'm so alternative' phase that blew my mind and I still adore. But the movie I love and can happily watch over and over is Inglourious Basterds.

Favorite scene from that movie?

The basement pub scene. My first 'zomg who is Michael Fassbender, I die' moment.

Favorite actors/actresses?

Michael Fassbender, Kevin Spacey, Abbie Cornish.

Most annoying actor/actress?

Will Ferrell

Best director?

Don't pay much attention to directors' names anymore despite my admiration and respect for them, but the two favourites I know are Quentin Tarantino and David Mackenzie.

Favorite guilty pleasure film?

Sooo many, but Little Black Book, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and What Women Want are probably the top three.

Favorite tear jerker?

Atonement. I went to see it alone, hadn't read the book, and cried like a baby. Then made two of my friends come to see it with me so I had someone to talk to about it.

Character from a movie that scared you the most?

The only one that springs to mind is the doctor in the Human Centipede. But more sickening than scary really.

Movie you hate everyone loves?

Anchorman. I'm sorry, I just can't. I really did try several times.

Favorite movie duo?

Wallace and Gromit. And Candy and Dan in Candy, despite... everything.

Favorite animated movie?

Wallace and Gromit in the Wrong Trousers and Wallace and Gromit in a Close Shave.

What's the first movie you remember watching in theaters?

I know The Lion King is the first film I saw at the movies, but the first one I really remember is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. My Dad told us we were going to a church called Notre Dame, and my sister and I were sooo pissed. We believed we were going to church right up until we were dragged through the cinema doors.

If you could go back in time and marry actor/actress from back when who would it be?

Christopher Plummer in The Sound of Music days.

Snow on tha Bluff

Snow on tha Bluff is a film I almost definitely would not have given a chance if it weren't for Charlie, but I started watching the opening scene over his shoulder and was immediately gripped. Despite knowing absolutely nothing about the plot, I could immediately tell the seemingly cheery opening scene was about to turn nasty due to its handheld camera/found footage similarities to Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project. It's not terrifying in a paranormal, jump‐out‐of‐your‐skin way, but its realism is frightening and moving.

The opening scene that intrigued me is purely setting up real life "robbery boy and crack dealer" Curtis Snow's acquisition of a video camera, which he steals at gunpoint from a trio of youths looking to buy drugs. From there the camera's passed around his crew, documenting their lifestyle of drug raids and drive bys in their Atlanta neighbourhood known as the Bluff.

To be honest, a lot of the time my unaccustomed ears struggled to understand Snow's on‐camera narration of his life, but despite this it's not a difficult plot to follow at all.

I don't feel the film can really be spoiled by warning you there's no feel good redemption or sign things are going to get better for Snow and his community. The final scene is one of few in the film I can feel certain was staged, as Snow uses a payphone to contact a video editing business before walking away from camera down a day-lit street.

While promoting the film, the makers appear to have wavered a little on their claim of how little footage was scripted, apparently following police enquiries ‐ Snow was reportedly arrested five times during filming. Unlike with the initial uncertainty about The Blair Witch Project's authenticity, I think it's irrelevant to the audience how much of Snow on tha Bluff is acted. Even if the characters are not real residents of the Bluff, I think it's an important movie to watch as these troubled lives are being lived the world over, "ev'ry day, all day".



Further reading:
Blake Butler's visit to the Bluff
NYT review of Snow on tha Bluff

Image source.

Perfect Sense

If you're viewing this in a reader, click over to my blog and let me know what you think of the new look.

A few months ago now, I was intrigued by the film trailer for Perfect Sense on YouTube, mainly because it stars Ewan McGregor and Eva Green. Hello. It's also directed by David Mackenzie who was responsible for one of my all time favourites (and another starring McGregor), Young Adam. Sold, I had to watch it immediately.

The trailer reveals next to nothing about the plot, but it's one of those films where you can't really spoil all that much by telling people about it anyway as shown in this concise tagline from IMDb; a chef and a scientist fall in love as an epidemic begins to rob people of their sensory perceptions. It's sort of a film you see to enjoy the experience, rather than to follow an amazing twisted story - though the story is excellent!

I thought it was brilliant, and if you haven't seen it then I recommend you do so. I hadn't really heard anything about it before stumbling upon the trailer, but I'm not sure whether it wasn't heavily promoted or whether I just had my head in the sand at the time of its release.

Regardless of whether you've seen it yet or not, the idea of completely losing your senses one by one is pretty frightening, and an interesting idea to consider. If it were inevitable that you would soon lose each sense, what would you want to experience before it were gone? I've made my own little list below (have alphabetised them so they may or may not be in the same order as in the film - spoilers are no fun) and would love to know what would make your sensory bucket list.

HEARING

• Voices of all my loved ones. And maybe a recording of my own voice, too, since I don't get to hear what it "really" sounds like all that often. I probably wouldn't mind blocking out Wallace's early morning meows, but I'd definitely want to hear his purring
• I'm fairly sure I would listen to as much Rufus Wainwright as my ears could absorb
• I'm not really a classical music fan or anything but I'd want to attend something with a live orchestra. Ooh, like a concert of a film score? That would be perfect

SIGHT

• Obviously people's faces, as many as possible
• The night sky
• I'd want to see as much art in person as I could - I'd, probably selfishly, want to see more art than I'd want to create my own
• I'd want to see as much of the world as I could, which wouldn't really be possible if sticking to the film plot's time restraints. Thank goodness for my beloved Street View
• If I did have enough time, I'd want to see New York, aurora borealis, and Guanabara Bay

SMELL

• All kinds of foodie smells - bakeries and espresso and... ooh, frying bacon
• Orange and sandalwood essential oil
• Farm smells, beach smells
• Dior Homme Sport

TASTE

• The Marlborough salmon dish I had at Ortega recently - so good!
• All the chocolate
• I think I'd miss the taste of beverages more than the taste of food - so many beers, coffees, and milkshakes!

TOUCH

• Obviously again, hugs and kisses and the like
• Cuddles with Wallace, who is pretty much the softest fluffy cat I've ever met (also known as the most pampered)
• Walking on sand and jumping in shallow waves
• The feeling of taking off in an aeroplane, if that counts

Let me know what you think if you watch the film! And tell me what would make your list below.

Lazy reviews

Shame (2011)

In New York City, Brandon's carefully cultivated private life - which allows him to indulge his sexual addiction - is disrupted when his sister Sissy arrives unannounced for an indefinite stay.

I'd been very much looking forward to seeing this, as you can probably guess. Carey Mulligan was troubled but beautiful, Michael Fassbender was at times vulgar but still gorgeous, and they are both fabulous actors. But oh my word, this film was a snore. Perhaps I'm growing out of my affection for moody films in which not-a-whole-lot-takes place. Perhaps I watched it on a less-than-ideal day. But I won't be giving it another go.

Fish Tank (2009)

Everything changes for 15-year-old Mia when her mum brings home a new boyfriend.

Admittedly, again Fassbender was babein' (perhaps his best, besides as Archie Hicox in Inglourious), but I loved the film itself. I thought the girl who played Mia was brilliant, although I'm not sure how much of a stretch from real life the role was for her (I Facebook stalked). This film reminded me a lot of All or Nothing, but with far more attractive actors (although thinking about it I probably don't watch many films set in English housing estates and that's probably the only shared theme). I'm clearly no film reviewer, and I really don't know how the pros write so much without giving away film plots. To be clear - I loved this film, but overall it is not a light nor cheery plot. But you should watch it, and I definitely will be again.

Hunger (2008)

Irish republican Bobby Sands leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike.

Like Shame, this was directed by Steve McQueen, but I appreciated this offering a heck of a lot more. Fassbender's scary weight loss and an amazing single shot of over 15 minutes of dialogue are two well publicised reasons why you should see this film. It's intense and brutal, and especially disturbing to an ignoramus like myself who only did some Googling to learn about the conflict and hunger strikes after watching it. I definitely recommend it, though probably won't be in a great hurry for a second viewing myself - too unsettling.

Italic text source.

I can't remember the images' sources.

Fassbender

These are old news now, you say? Do you care? I really don't.

Has anyone seen Shame? I don't go to the cinema very often at all any more, but I think I'll have to make an exception this week.

Image source 1
Image source 2

When a City Falls

Those of you overseas may be particularly interested in watching this trailer for a documentary filmed in Christchurch following the two massive earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011. When a City Falls is going to be screened across New Zealand later this month, so I'll definitely let you know what I think of it then.

A woman, phenomenally.

Michelle Williams image source.
Christina Ricci image source.
Post title source.

Magic

Time lapse video shot in Tongariro National Park by filmmaker Jared Brandon. The night shots of stars especially are so beautiful.

Jared Brandon Vimeo.

Jared Brandon Facebook page.

Tangiwai: A Love Story

Have stayed up tonight and watched a brilliant New Zealand TV-movie about the Tangiwai train crash in 1953, starring Rose McIver from The Lovely Bones. To quote the film's website:

"Bob Blair and 19 year-old Nerissa Love are deeply in love. Their love story alone is the stuff of movies, but what makes Bob and Nerissa’s story one of legends is that catastrophic events will cause their private love story to play out its final scene on an unlikely public stage. While Bob goes off to represent New Zealand at cricket in South Africa, Nerissa makes a fateful decision to travel to Auckland to be with her friend for Christmas. While Bob smashes wickets in Johannesburg, the train Nerissa is on heads straight for a bridge that spans the Whangaehu River – a place better known to most New Zealanders as Tangiwai. The Tangiwai disaster remains one of our most heart-wrenching and powerful New Zealand stories. Tangiwai explores a national tragedy through the eyes of two young people who embody all the hope of the post-war generation, a generation who were desperate to forge a new, independent path for their nation. "

Definitely glad I stayed up for it, so well made, tragic and beautiful. New Zealanders who missed it can watch online here, but it's not available overseas at this stage unfortunately. The trailer is on YouTube however, and you can watch it at the bottom of this post. It's been great to watch something that feels completely Kiwi, especially at a time when I've been really tiring of my country. I know it's a beautiful place, and we have a lot to be proud of, but it's easy to forget when surrounded by politics. I'm rapidly growing to loathe politics. I digress. More tomorrow, but for now gooodnight!

Tangiwai: A Love Story website.
Tangiwai: A Love Story Facebook page.

I Cannes has?

Chloé

There is still a couple more days until the end of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, but I just wanted to share with you a few favourite outfits from all the amazing premieres and events.

I loved these colours on Michelle Williams and Diane Kruger a few years back, but I love them on Kirsten Dunst even more! I think the shorter length really suits the colour, and of course the red lipstick which also links the three outfits is perfect. These photos make me wish I were blonde.

Paule Ka

To be honest I had not heard of Frédérique Bel before, and looking up her IMDb page, I haven't seen any of her French films either. At any rate, Bel's outfit is adorable, and I love her bicycle necklace. While browsing her information, I came across this photo below of her dress from Cannes 2009... I wish I were blonde and French, glamourpuss.

Unknown

Monique L'Huillier

I love dress pants, and I think Rachel McAdams looks phenomenal. Does this mean high waisted pants are still in fashion? Stoked! And clueless...

McAdam's dress below has reignited my desire for a floral red-ink-only tattoo.

Marchesa

Reem Acra

Bryce Dallas Howard's dress hasn't been so well received from what I've seen, but I like it- it looks like Van Gogh's Starry Night. Her hair is amaaazing too! I admit that if she is not pregnant then the cut is perhaps not so flattering at the front, however it's nice to see a beautiful celebrity whose upper arms are actually larger than her forearms... total babe.

Kirsten Dunst image source one.
Kirsten Dunst image source two.
Frédérique Bel image source one.
Frédérique Bel image source two.
Frédérique Bel image source three.
Rachel McAdams image source one.
Rachel McAdams image source two.
Bryce Dallas Howard image source one.
Bryce Dallas Howard image source two.

Out with the bath water.

I really hate every month that's not summer. We're in autumn at the moment, and I'm so tired of wearing lots of layers for the freezing walk to work in the early morning, then sweating by lunchtime... or vice versa. I think I'd really love winter though, if I had all the contents of the bathroom above. My one qualm with our house is that it doesn't have a bath tub.

In other news, last night I watched the September 11 section (Part II) of the film Zeitgeist. I'd heard about it on a student radio station in the past, but it came up again following the death of bin Laden so I finally got around to checking it out, and discovered it's on YouTube which is super helpful. Watch it here. It's another of the US-Government-blew-up-the-Twin-Towers theories, but the carefully-selected evidence is pretty fascinating. I don't know what I believe, but I love learning about conspiracy theories. My life is becoming a mixture of days where I learn about new events at work and obsess about wanting to find out everything I can about them; and days where I learn about new events at work which make me throw my hands in the air and think 'fuck it, we really don't know anything!' Sometimes I wish I was a person who could just stick their head in the sand, and ignore everything outside of their own little world. I feel really lucky to be in a job where I'm learning so much about so many different things, but at the moment my brain is still learning to filter out the crap.

Image source.
Zeitgest link.

Interview: Sanele Chadwick

Sanele Chadwick is a 22-year-old photographer who lives in Christchurch, and recently won the Ronald D Woolf Youth Award from the Photographic Society of New Zealand. I saw his work when he was briefly interviewed on TVNZ's Breakfast show, and contacted him through his website. Sanele was happy to answer some questions, which you can find below along with some examples of his beautiful work. Sanele got his first dSLR camera as recently as April 2009, and is entirely self-taught.

Kiss Me Deadly - Winner of the 2011 Ronald D Woolf Youth Award

Where is 'home'?

Wellington, Paraparaumu.

Where do you think your interest in photography came from?

I've always considered myself to be a visual learner. I was the student in class who didn't get much value from teachers spinning a yarn, rather than using visuals to explain and idea or concept.

What equipment do you currently use to take your photographs?

I shoot everything on digital, although I do have an old school Ricoh GX 35mm film camera lying around somewhere. I use a Nikon D90 with a couple of primes (50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8) and a Tamron 17-50mm 2.8. I recently sold my 80-200mm 2.8 lens as I found I just wasn't using it as much as I had hoped. I'm currently eyeing up a second Nikon body. A D700 hopefully (fingers crossed). I also use a Canon system too (which belongs to a friend of mine). Canon 5D Mark II + 50mm 1.2 II L. I've found it absoloutly essential to shoot with a second body at weddings as I solo shoot. I've also got an SB-900 speedlight, and a couple of wirless triggers and other pieces of lighting gear; softboxes, umbrellas, reflectors etc.

What software do you use to edit your photographs?

I shoot everything in RAW then use Adobe Camera Raw to edit white balance, exposure, contrast etc. If I find myself needing to do any heavy pixel manipulation I'll chuck the image into Photoshop CS5. I've had no formal training for photography, and have taught myself. There's a plethora of free and useful information online, and if you have enough time and patience, you can learn a lot.

Do you prefer shooting with film or digital?

I don't think anything quite beats the look of a medium format camera. Although, as I don't have one, I do prefer digital for most of my wedding work. It's faster and makes the wedding day a lot easier to manage. I do still appreciate the use of film, and in certain situations it does provide a different look to that of digital.

Would you like photography to become your career?

I'm a loose unit. I'm a huge fan of community projects. Telling stories that the rest of the world may not know about. The stories that have always grabbed my attention are the ones I've never heard of before, or are visually stunning. If possible, I'd love to incorporate all of these elements into a career. Creating a documentary with video and stills that tells a story about an issue or event that the rest of the world knows nothing about sounds exciting!

Who are your favourite photographers and artists?

My passion for photography began with my passion for film. So the artists I consider my favourite are filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa, Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Traffaut, Dario Argento, to more contemporary filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino etc. I draw a lot of inspiration for my images from my favourite films.

Do you find it easier to shoot with strangers, or people you are familiar with?

I like to get to know all my subjects before I press the shutter. Even if I've just met them, I'll always make the effort beforehand to make some form of connection. I'd feel uncomfortable if I ripped out a camera from my bag and planted it in front of someones face without getting to know the 'real' them. I think people skills is one of the most important skills to have as a successful photographer.

Is there a person or location you would love to photograph?

There isn't really a specific person I'd love to photograph. If anything, it'd be someone, or a group, that is doing something positive in the world and they aren't getting any recognition. Location wise - just give me more lights, haha. I'd one day love to get my hands on some Profoto lights with a battery pack so I can pretty much shoot anywhere, anytime.

How many photos would you say you take during a shoot, before finding "the right one"?

I don't like taking a tonne of photos where by the end of the day you're finding you've shot video instead of photos. For the last wedding I shot I took 700 photos. I reviewed them when I got home and found I had more than enough photos. I used to shoot a lot more, maybe 1200, but I found that I was deleting a lot of duplicates. I guess you get better as you age in photography - like a fine wine. You learn to pick your shots.

How would you describe your photography style?

Crisp, clear, and timeless. I don't like photos that people will look at in 20 years time and say "oh, that photo was taken in 2011". I like to think that my photos are timeless and classic with plenty of 'rewatch' value.

What would you like to be photographing in five years?

Weddings, and personal work. I'm really keen on the idea of documenting and challenging stereotypes of people and communities living in different areas of New Zealand. I know there's a lot of negative stereotype about a town called Porirua, and I'm keen to change that. I've got family there, and friends, all of who are smart, funny, and lovely people. It's about making a positive change.

Sanele Chadwick website.
Sanele Chadwick Facebook page.
Sanele Chadwick Flickr.

Flurry

No, I am not introducing you to some fantastic new abstract artist today. In fact, the majority of you will have seen at least one of the above pictures before, even if you haven't stumbled across the website. These are in fact Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Alice in Wonderland and Amelie, each one created by compressing each frame of a film into a single vertical line. Magic, no? If I were a fashion/outfit blogger, I would toootally use one of these compressed films periodically as my colour palette. If I win the Lotto in the near future, I'll use this idea myself. View twelve pages worth of the magic here on Movie Barcode.

Moving house on Saturday was very successful! The only hitch was a minor setback in picking up Matt's new bed, but we found a solution. I was hugely impressed by (and grateful to) Wallace and his reaction to the move. He freaked out a bit as everything was leaving our apartment, but once he got over to the new house, he jumped out of his cage, snaked his way around each room, used his litter box, then quickly started prancing around, getting under everyone's feet and demanding attention! He has very quickly made himself at home. Unfortunately we probably won't have the internet for a week or so, because our internet provider is a massive pain in the butt. I'm planning to do a video tour of our new house tonight, but it may be a few days before I am able to upload it.

Now that moving's all over, the next thing I'm looking forward to is the first session of my tattoo on Wednesday! 2011 is fabulous.

Also, welcome to anyone who has found their way over here by clicking my button on My Girl Thursday's lovely blog. I have signed up for a three month sponsor spot at this stage, and will be tracking the value of this on Google Analytics. Please do say hello if you are one of the new visitors, I would love to check out your blogs.

Lastly, I have a couple of new buttons over on the sidebar, with a link to a whole bunch more if you need them. Pleeease do let me know if you use one! It is totally flattering and exciting when I discover a new traffic source on Analytics and see my button on an unfamiliar website, but it would be much better if you told me so I can check your blog out straight away!

Hope your Monday is as good as it can possibly be! Will update as soon as I am able, so stay tuned!

Art-film

I just wanted to share a couple of different sources of inspiration to kick start your (my) weekend. All my art supplies are packed up now, so any creating I do will be by taking photos... though to be honest I probably have way too much packing and cleaning to do. Hope your weekend is a bit more stimulating!

Firstly are these two photos by Sam Croskery who is from my hometown. Go follow his Tumblr if you're on there.

And secondly, I am probably six months late on this but I finally sat down and watched Kanye West's Runaway film. Before Charlie, I had little to no time for Kanye- never listened to his music, didn't care to listen to it either. My musical tastes are quite similar to a friend of mine, and I remember he raved about Kanye a couple of times to me but I pretty much ignored it!

Of course, when you're trying to impress a boy you like, you're going to listen to the music he likes, so since Charlie was a big Kanye fan, I downl... acquired... a couple of his albums. And boy, that guy can write. I was extremely surprised, and impressed. I never gave his music a chance before, because all I heard was swearing. For someone so enamored by great lyrics, it was a bit stupid of me to never listen more closely. Yeah, there's a lot a words few would repeat in their mother's company, but the metaphors and puns can actually be genius.

Back to the film- I think whether or not you are a fan of Kanye's music, most people reading this will have an interest in art or photography, and if you haven't seen it before, I think you should give it a try for that reason alone. That costume, those dancers... it's all stunning.

Have you seen it before? Have you watched it now? Let me know what you think of Kanye West in general, too.

Horoshima Mon Amour

I found these film stills completely by mistake this week- was Googling for information about nuclear bombings and explosions, and found these in image search. They're from a 1959 film which I've never seen, nor heard of before, called Horoshima Mon Amour. The actress's name is Emmanuelle Riva, and my word don't you just want her hair?!

Top 10 Films

Sam at Honest to Blog! asked for lists of readers' top ten films. And for some reason I love torturing my indecisive mind, so after a lot of thinking and re-thinking; here's mine! In no particular order because that would be simply impossible. I haven't outlined the plots for any of them, because I hate the idea of spoiling a film for others.

The Dreamers

Finding a PG rated still to start things off was a little difficult. This film is not for the faint hearted, prudish, or easily offended. It is a little bit messed up. But Eva Green is absolutely phenomenal, and it's far and away my favourite film that's set in France. The whole film is my favourite scene, it's just fantastic- visual poetry.

Memento

Not a film I can watch on repeat, however the first time you watch it I guarantee you will want to see it again to catch what you missed. It's a bit to get your head around initially.

Closer

I love Natalie Portman, but there just isn't that many films of hers that I like equally as much. Garden State and V for Vendetta are both entertaining, but Closer is really the only one I can watch again and again. Clive Owen's presence helps, admittedly. This film is not as messed up as The Dreamers, but the language is pretty crude. This still is from what is probably my favourite scene, if you consider it to start at the photoshoot. It's not as hostile and intense as other parts of the film, but it definitely gives the viewer an uneasy feeling.

American History X

Edward Norton is amazing, that is all. (Not for the weak-stomached).

Inglourious Basterds

I'm no Tarantino fan girl- he's an incredible filmmaker, but I can't seem to watch his films again and again. Inglourious is the exception. I went along without knowing anything about the storyline and absolutely fell in love. It's brutal and funny and quirky and sexy and pure entertainment from start to finish. And Michael Fassbender is an effing babe.

Rat Race

A comedy that never gets old. You should have bought a squirrel.

The Life of David Gale

This film was not well received by critics according to the Wikipedia page, but it does alright on IMDb, and I loved it. I first saw it played late on TV a couple of years ago, and the ending really grabbed me. The plot is definitely flawed in places, but Kevin Spacey is consistently brilliant.

Atonement

This is one of those rare film adaptations which better the book. It's completely magical and devastating. The score is amazing. It's perfectly paced. It's stupidly tragically beautiful, and I cry every time. I absolutely recommend.

View from the Top

I can definitely do the odd cheeseball film, and View from the Top is number one on the list. Hello, tacky flight attendants and crazy airlines? Never gets old to me.

The Birds

If you haven't seen this freaking classic, you are missing out in a big way. In my opinion it's far superior to Psycho.