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.

Playing tomorrow nights, the Trons. Self automated playing robots. I’m seriously thinking of going even though there are drinks and general partying going on at mine tomorrow night. Oh what to do.

Some guy’s cover of Nude from In Rainbows by old computer technology. Awesome.

Y’s Guys Film’s Action short, “An Eye For An Eye”. Chuck Norris reference no?

Seems I’ve got nothing else to post about but more 48 Hour things. The wildcard entries were meant to be announced yesterday, but have been delayed till today, which were announced, but only one of three: Lense Flare, wildcard selected and winners of last year’s competition. Scary. But my main concern is that the other two wildcards wont be announced until the night of the finals or at least not till much closer to then. The anxiety is killing me and more so the many others who are being considered as nominees, in particular, the good fellas at Y’s Guys Films.

One thing though that caught my attention is how we’re mentioned in the press release here.

“And then there are the sleeping giants, the unassuming and kooky Guerilla Monkeys from Hamilton…”

Mental.

Introduction videos I made for ours and Y’s Guys in the 48 Hamilton Finals.

Now rested from a fun, but exhausting weekend. Spent the most of Friday recovering from a lovely hangover and made my way up to Auckland in the evening for a dinner and drinks and eventually meeting a friend in town where, going from one lousy bar to another, I ran into some Hamilton friends also up for the night on completely different reasons, but all of us probably going to the same bar. Freaky.

Saturday was planned for hanging out with people during the day, but that got cut short by a badly punctured tyre that resulted in me looking like mad for, at first, a decent garage/tyre guy and then, realising I was in Auckland, just trying to find one that was open for fucking, fucks sake. Finally found one on the arse end of Otahuhu and they were great and cheap. But I had to sacrifice a lot of catch up time with certain people. But still managed to squeeze in some drinks with some others.

Woke up Sunday very tired and only slightly hungover to come back down to Hamilton at about seven in the morning (the most ungodly hour of the day) to film our intro and interviews for the televised screening of the 48 Finals, which will be on C4, 8.30pm 3rd of July. Exciting stuff I’m sure.

Here’s a picture of me from the shoot.

Ladies…

Okay, I’ve mostly recovered from my hangover.

48 Hamilton Finals were last night and there were some really good fun films played. I was pretty drunk. I can never handle these things sober. Well… never tried anyway.

But anyway, to cut it short awards were announced and we won for Best Music (yay), Best Use of Prop, Best Cinematography and Best Film. Fuck.

The music were like, yay, that was awesome and I kinda saw that happening, but cinematography and film? The best? Really? Its totally mental and I’m absolutely honored, but was a bit overwhelmed last night to talk (that or just drunk), but this is cool, but retarded at the same time. I’m stoked to have gotten this far and look forward to getting my arse handed to me in the national competition. Still keeping up the pessimism tradition.

Just watched Frank Darabont’s The Mist. I’ve never read a Stephen King story, nor hardly watched any of his other adaptations, but I’m starting to suspect I should. The Mist obviously isn’t a Shawshank or a Green Mile, being in a different genre and all, but damn, is it pretty good for what it is, human study in one screwed up situation. Or so I’d like to think. Or trying to think now. I really liked this film and recommend it to people to check out if they’re interested, but only to those really. If your not keen, this isn’t one of those films where I’ll be berating you to watch lest the devil come get you in the night. Actually, I do recommend watching it on one particular point, it has one of “those endings” that is pretty damn incredible and no doubt some fucker is going to ruin it for you, so better be him (or her) to it.

And in other news, about 15 hours to go till the 48 finals. Now I’ve stated earlier that I didn’t care if we win anything (except for music) and I still stand by that principal. But goddamn it, I just want to get this thing over and done with and not have to second guess anything or shrug off many people’s very kind words, which I’m very great full for, but man, do I hate surprises and all this sudden build up to the finals is starting to nag at me with mass tension and optimism. Been mostly balancing it off with some sweet pessimism. I’m actually hoping we get no where near the top, even in the wildcard pool, cause then that would just mean feeling the same anxious crap over again. Shit, there I go, starting to think optimistically again. Bad man. You’ll probably loose.

God its gonna be great to be drunk tonight.

Had a post half written and saved as a draft, but its slightly too old to finish off.

So anyway, a few days gap, only because I’ve been ridiculously busy almost, nearly, but not quite non-stop since Thursday, where my schedule went from teaching to working, to transporting, to filming, to working, to more filming, then editing, then working, then filming, then resting a bit and then more filming and working and editing and working. Which brings us up to about now where I just cooked a full pot of spaghetti bolognese at three in the morning. Delicious.

But now I should hopefully be a bit richer and working with Sash, we both have some sweet funny introductions for our 48 films to be played on Thursday at the finals. We were given the option to make a video introduction to our films where we just gave a bit of background, talked about the competition and our thoughts, blah, blah, blah… but instead, we’ve just kinda, sorta, made another short film to accompany our respective entries.

How will this go down with audience members? Only time will tell, that and if you are to come along to the finals too. This Thursday night, 8.30pm at Chartwell Cinemas in Hamilton! Tickets are $15.50 which makes me sick to my stomach, and probably why I haven’t gotten a ticket yet and probably should before it gets sold out or something ironiclly retarded like that.

Also have drinks planned beforehand so I can be in my favourite state for these kind of screenings. Drunk and a drink and degree away from tipping over in shame. Can’t wait for the photos.