Joy Division

Control was Anton Corbjin's masterpiece on the life of Ian Curtis. It is a film which sits so smug with me but in such an ice chilling way - I like that feeling, so I always keep it close. Control is number one in the list of favourite films in my head. So when I heard about Grant Gee's documentary on Joy Division, I didn't know how to feel, so I had to check it out. Now, not far behind Control in list of favourite films that I hold in my head is Grant Gee's doco, Joy Division.

So I may be a little bias here, being a Joy Division and New Order fan, but if I didn't like them, I wouldnt have seen the film and if I did and thought it was utter shit, I would tell you not see it because it could ruin all your Joy Division love. But I am fan and the doco wasnt utter shit, so I'm going to tell you to see it.

Now it is about Joy Division, so Ian Curtis isnt the dominant conversation topic, but you cant go past a Joy Division doco without the discussion of the Ian fucking Curtis suicide in 1980. The three remaining members, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner talk about it so casually and how casually they found out about it and dealt with it. You'd think their souls were really dead, but no, they're not.

Infact what I like about the Joy Division film is how you actually get a chance to get to listen and almost get to know Peter, Stephen and Bernard. I bet if Ian were still around he'd be dominating the interviews and it'd be all Ian fucking Curtis, but then again if Ian were still walking the earth there would be no documentary - but there would be Joy Division, which would mean concerts! But no New Order, but there would be Joy Division... But...

The footage is electric. Live performances, audio interviews, photographs and notebooks, lots of notebooks. There is so much history in this documentary and it would have been incredible to be a part of it, but the film is done so well, that you do actually begin to feel a part of Joy Division history.

Fans, don't be afarid to see Joy Division, be sure to see it!

Wellington - Paramovnt
Wednesday 2 April, 1615

Auckland - Acadmey Cinemas
Thursday 10 April, 1615
Tuesday 15 April, 1615
Tuesday 15 April, 2015
Thursday 17 April, 2030

Christchurch - Rialto Cinemas
Monday 28 April, 2030
Tuesday 29 April, 2015
Wenesday 30 April, 1830

Dunedin - Regent Theatre
Monday 5 May, 2000
Wednesday 7 May, 1600

I'm Not There

Who is Bob Dylan? Well if you don't know then you will have no interest in this little piece about the film I'm Not There, dirceted by Todd Haynes.

Bob Dylan is a master of disguise and in this film Todd Haynes uses six actors to play different characters who portray different aspects of Bob Dylan or what we assume represents him.

Woody "Bob Dylan" (Marcus Carl Franklin) is a black kid who jumps on trains and channels the spirit of Woody Gunthrie - quite charming. Jack "Bob Dylan" (Christian Bale) is a singer adopted by the protest movement whom disappears then re-introduces himself as a born again Christian preacher - rather entertaining. Robbie "Bob Dylan" (Heath Ledger) is a Brando-like figure who eventually becoms famous in a 1965 biopic playing the vanished Jack - a bit of a fucking dick in the best possible way. Jude "Bob Dylan" (Cate Blanchett) is the betrayer of the acoustic folk music ideal - little fucking smartass but the most incredible performance by Cate Blanchett. Billy "Bob Dylan" (Richard Gere) is a 'Billy The Kid' in a western town - interesting selection of actor, but beautiful scenes. Arthur "Bob Dylan" (Ben Whishaw) is a symbolist poet whose purpose is to serve as the films occassional narrator - fantasic!

So what do I think of I'm Not There? Well, I guess I am sitting in-between. It was great film in the sense that is was done very well and pieced together in an interesting way, but I do think it was a little too long. During the film there seemed to be multiple places where you thought it was going to end and would make an electric ending, but the film never really stopped. And to be completly honest, the ending it did have, I cannot remember, but the times I thought it was going to end, I remember very clearly.

One thing I cannot get over is Cate Blanchett's performance, I thought that she played such a convincing character who is one of those smartass interlectuals and who will make you look stupid extremely fricking well. All scenes consisting of the character, Jude, were entertaining, especially when he is rolling around in hysterics with The Beatles. Jude was my favourite character who evoked a different aspect of Bob Dylan.

I wasnt completely settled with Richard Gere playing Billy, but I think that is just because whenever I think of Richard Gere I always think of tap dancing and western sections dont go down to well with me... However I did note his brillant acting and wont fail to recognise that.

Yes, a must film to see to every Bob Dylan fan and even if you arent overly keen on Bob Dylan I think you would also enjoy. Book your tickets and check it out, you'll see some familar faces and have a bit of a laugh. Heath Ledger has been bought back to life, so appreciate the talent that we lost earlier this year, but most of all appreciate Bob Dylan, his many personalities and his music playing through out the film.

Wellington - Paramovnt
Tuesday 1 April, 1530
Tuesday 1 April, 2015

Auckland - Academy Cinemas
Saturday 5 April, 2015
Sunday 6 April, 1530
Monday 7 April, 2030

Christchurch - Rialto Cinemas
Saturday 19 April, 2015
Thursday 24 April, 2000

Dunedin - Regent Theatre
Tuesday 29 April, 2015
Thursday 1 May, 1530

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens

Hop in the back seat and be taken on a journey through Annie Leibovitz rock 'n' roll lifestyle, the photographers way. Annie Leibovitz is the world's most distinctive celebrity photographer and in her Life Through A Lens documentary you will follow devine archival footage from her childhood and star striking days at Rolling Stone magazine. You will also join Annie Leibovitz on photo shoot locations for Vanity Fair and Vougue all around the globe and in her studio making decisions on the photograph placement for a book.

Annie Leibovitz has photographed all the big names, been on tour with some of the most influentual bands and changed the face of photography. Her more well-known work includes the last photograph of John Lennon wrapped naked around Yoko Ono (moments before he died), Demi Moore seven months pregnant and nude, Whoopi Goldberg lying in a bathtub of milk and Patti Smith standing infront of a sea of flames.

Annie Leibovitz's photography is so destinctive that there is no one that could completely re-created her frames and flatter the stars, the way she has done and is still doing today. Through out the film her images would send me goosebumps and her talent influences me to experiment more with my own work.

The mother of three is now fifty eight and still continues holding her high place behind the lens. Having the Annie Leibovitz lifestyle would make any inspiring celebrity photography envious, but once you've seen the film you will notice how much she deserved it and her recognition.

Wellington - Paramovnt
Sunday 30 March, 1200

Auckland - Academy Cinemas
Monday 7 April, 1230
Wednesday 9 April, 1815
Friday 11 April, 1400

Christchurch - Rialto Cinemas
Monday 28 April, 1215
Monday 28 April, 1830

Dunedin - Regent Theatre
Friday 2 May, 1815
Wednesday 7 May, 1345

Helvetica

Helvetica is the most recognisable typeface on our globe. But is it a modernist masterpiece portraying typeface perfection, or the monolithic McDonalds of graphic design? Designers either hate it or love it and throughout the film I noticed a slight trend.

Helvetica Lovers are so passionate about the typeface. It was their paradise of the perfected alphabet and if anyone tried to tell them otherwise, they would proudly protect Helvetica from all evil with their mighty sheild of love. Also the majority of the Helvetica Lovers who were interviewed were at the birth of Helvetica and watched it grow in to what it is today. The Helvetica Lover folk were all rather humourous and old. [Period].

Helvetica Haters would be described to the older generation as "Lil' Punx" all about breaking the law (of design) and going against typeface history. These rebels loathed the the clean cut font, nothing in the world could be more un-attractive. However the Helvetica Haters who were interviewed were all much younger and were bought up with computer design rather than rockin' it free hand and old school.

Between the two there is quite a contrast, and as for me, I don't know where I sit - or I do, but it is more a personal opinion.

Helvetica was an interesting film and I do suggest you see it if you are in to graphic design and/or enjoy documentries. Just beaware, once you leave the theatre you will start seeing Helvetica everywhere!

Wellington - Paramovnt
Saturday 29 March, 1230

Auckland - Academy Cinemas
Sunday 6 April, 1130
Tuesday 8 April, 1815
Thursday 10 April, 1430
Thursday 17 April, 1630

Christchurch - Rialto Cinemas
Saturday 26 April, 1145
Tuesday 29 April, 1830

Dunedin - Regent Theatres
Sunday 4 May, 1145
Monday 5 May, 1815

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

Olwyn and I attended our first selected film from the World Cinema Showcase. Tonight we saw The Diving Bell And The Butterfly which is a translation of the French memoir Le scaphandre et le papillon by French journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby.

Jean-Do was the editor of French Elle magazine and in 1995 the 43 year old suffered from a stroke which had him in a coma for twenty days, before waking up with locked-in syndrome. The only part of his body that wasn't paralyzed was his left eye-lid. Jean-Do lived emotionally through his imagination and memories.

What makes Jean-Dominique Bauby an incredible journalist is that he authored the book, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly by talking and communicating with his left eye-lid. Jean-Do would compose the book in his head and then someone would recit the alphabet over and over again until words were built to contruct sentences, to fill pages for his book . One blink mean't yes, two blinks mean't no.

You would imagine that the book would take forever to complete, however it was published in France in 1997 and recieved excellent reviews. Pneumonia took Jean-Do's life after ten days the book was released.

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly held up such beautiful scenes with the colours being so gentle and vintage, but vivid you couldn't help but to feel if you were in a lucid dream. The camera angles were interesting in a good sense and gave you a solid perspective of what it were to be like if you were Jean-Do.

This film helped me realise how lucky I am to not have to live the way Jean-Do did in his final years, however I don't know if it was so powerful that it could make me continuely go on appreciating life, even if it did have me captured for 112 mintues and then some.

If you do have the chance to see the film, do see it, I can't imagine it being something you won't enjoy.

Wellington - Paramovnt
Monday 24 March, 1330

Auckland - Academy Cinemas
Thursday 27 March, 2015
Sunday 30 March, 1815

Sunday 6 April, 1815

Christchurch - Rialto Cinemas

Thursday 17 April, 2015

Sunday 20 April, 1800

Dunedin - Regent Theatre
Thursday 24 April, 1900
Sunday 27 April, 1600

Fimilar faces: Emmanuelle Seigner from Four Last Songs.

Blacknote & The HE-4-ACO-DMT

This song goes out to Whitesnake, Poision and KISS because they can suck my fucking dick! - Sam Sproull, This City Sunrise

Night one of Rock2Wellington was last night and I couldn't actually give a fuck. Wellington needs mopping up after every street sweating in bogan band t-shirts. Instead of Rock2Wellington (or Summerset) I went to a gig at Blacknote.

Blacknote is a grungey flat on the corner of Cuba and Vivian Street and is situated on top of Bluenote bar, hence the name, Blacknote. Ever since I was little I always wanted to go beyond the purple door and when I was fourteen or fifteen I finally got granted entry. I know that anytime I walk up the stories of stairs to that flat I am always guranteed a sweet time. Whether it be seeing a friend, trying new drugs, drinking new drinks or attending gigs that are a little too hardcore for my taste, but totally awesome anyway. It is like beyond the purple door is another diemension.

On a more dumb note, Vice Magazine. I wasn't going to say anything, but it is been a few issues now when I really haven't been able to stand the content. Volume 6, The He-4-ACO-DMT Issue of Vice was obviously gagging for tits and ass and the only way that they could incorporate this was in a tasteless photoshot called Flash. How ground breaking... So yeah, just something small that I wasn't impressed with so far this Easter weekend.

Technology vs. Photographs

Added to my stack of technology is now the latest MacBook, these sold out at Magnum Mac today which is just as well they held one for me! It is not the air - that just has a pathetic excuse for memory and with all my music files, photographs, documents etc. I need a whole lot of memory.

With my brand new, crisp white MacBook I got Photoshop CS3, Microsoft office and the brand new wireless internet which hasnt been released yet.

Today I photographed three of my selected models for sample photography photos and design pictures to be edited and played with on Photoshop. I took all my design photographs on my digital camera, in colour and then got them printed in black and white. I then re-photographed the prints and put them in folders on my MySpace so check them out!

Blaine: Sweet Bird Of Youth
Hannah: Stage
Robyn: Crystal Chain

I then photographed the three models with my manual SLR film camera and I am eager to develope the film - interested to see if my camera is sick or just insane, but I would like to begin printing.

Real Groove

In the March issue of Real Groove magazine Nick Cave dominates the cover in black and white with a broze wash and inside you will discover features among creatures, including Midnight Juggernauts, The Ruby Suns, Bauhaus and Nick Cave et-fucking-c.

However your reason to buy an issue of this months Real Groove magazine is because it is only $7.90 and if you have a Real Groovy card (like me) not only do you earn points and cool shit like that, I think it is another $3 off you get on the Real Groove magazine price .

Have you got your copy? Great!

Now turn to the Live Review section and there is your article on Camp A Low Hum. I wish I could tell you that I wrote it, but I didn't. Words are by Adele Hunter-Higgins and the collage of photographs include Milana Radojcic, Chris Andrews, Neon Sleep and Rokpx behind the lense.

Out of the hundreds of photographs taken at Camp A Low Hum, out of the hundreds of people who attended the festival, I, Nicolette Alessandra Esposito made it amogst that collage of memorabilia. Disgustingly drunk, dressed in bloody rotten zombie, upon shoulders of a dirty smelly boy, making the legendary indian ohohohohohohoh noise!

Camp neighbours James and Zack from Bang! Bang! Eche! have also earned their place, along the side of acts The Brunettes, Connan And The Mockasins, Ladybird, Die!Die!Die!, Teen Wolf, So So Modern and Disasteradio. We have Forest Rave action including Welfe, late night male pool sports and even early morning aerobics.

Hold on to that copy because oneday you'll want to name drop me and show it off to all your friends that you know/met/read the blog of the grungy zombie girl.

I actually really like article too. It'll make it painful for you to read, if you werent there.

The First Time

NO magazine is the latest New Zealand breed popular culture magazine to pleasure our shelves . After Pavement's kick in the bum and a boot out the door, loyal readers were left disoriantated and many contemplated the idea of a cult suicide. But alas, Fraser McGregor has returned to our matte, perfected, comfort zone world with friend Delaney Taborn. With 160 pages oozing out ink of success, 35 somethings including tasteful articles, colour enchanting editorials and a new season of interviews, we tear off our mourning faces and welcome the new born. What gives NO my magazine review virginity is the brillance of how each section is linked to the next, like a consistant chain as strong as a smoking addiction - it is tough to be broken and has the potential to influence a perfect stranger and eventually find it's way toward you.

This is our first time. And yours too, obviously. That's what this issue is all about: people doing things for the first time. Some of them you'll have heard of. Some of them you won't. Some of them you probably even know, which is kind of the point behind NO. No shit. No worries. No name, just a number. Some people think we're crazy for starting a magazine at a time when digital media is surging an, as a result, traditional media is dwindling. But the fact that the world's getting smaller, closer, more intimate all the time is what NO magazine wants to celebrate. We want to help you see how we're all connected, how very little distance there is between us. How we success and screw up, what we love, hate, think about, laugh at, worry about, ignore, hide and reveal. And we want to do it in a form that you can't accidentally delete, that won't get lost in your inbox, in a form you can hang on to, pass on, rip pages out of and look back on in the future and be surprised at who, in the pages to follow, you've come into contact with since.

Choice! Minus the fact I feel like a total fuckwit having my excuse for a review on the internet.

NO magazine is ten dollars, basically free and issue one can be picked up with either Taylor Warren or Dita Von Teese on either one of the two existing covers (I got Taylor Warren). In Wellington I suggest purchasing it at Magnetix in Midland Park (say hi to Olwyn - buy a coffee) or Real Groovy on Cuba Street.

Blow: Shoot A Film

I spent my double of art design out in Wellington taking photographs for my current assignment. It cost me almost fifty dollars to get them all printed (including doubles on quite a few and a contact sheet).

Most of the colour photographs I got printed in either black + white or sepia, except for a few exceptions. I get so bored with my photographs after I've done them and know I barely like them anymore, but check them out anyway and let me know what you think.

Please do not comment the name of the store or what you recognise. It is more so a privacy act for quite a few, so if you know, you're in the know, but shut the fuck up about it.

I just completed four pages of pure perfection on influentual work. I am enjoying my art design and photography homework while being totally bored and hated in seventh form.

It's not too bad being me, I had a real love-yourself-day today.

For some reason the HTML isn't working on my Blogspot, so if you want to see the photos, hop to my MySpace albums.

Girls Don't Count

The number of times that same episode plays out in my head is ridiculous, because it is pretty pessimistic. I have become a total insomniac, so I plan my future in the early hours. Who plans their future? It is basically setting me up for mental breakdown.

I have two ID cards, my drivers license and my college ID. Neither look like me, the photographs are such extremes that I have been asked if I am three different people. It never really bothered me until last night, when I realised that I have planned three different scenarios for my life.

Nicolette/drivers license is going to over dose at twenty seven on November 29th. Because she has been to so many schools and met too many people (apologises) the effect on everyone is going to be daunting and change the face of Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland.

Nicolette/college ID is going to be stuck in the past either dwelling on the one that got away or married to someone at thirty who isn't quite good enough.

Nicolette/now is a complete mystery but has a more positive future. She is taking one day at a time and walking in a path that is somewhat already made. She knows what she want and is driven to get it. Problems include, lack of sleep and an over creative imagination.

Total out of body experience.

Reading these now and still anything is possible. I was thinking today how scary it is going to be when people you went to school with and all your friends start getting married, it is such a commitment. Suppose it is a little like an addiction.

V.I.P

I really like my friends. Their company is what I need and it is strange to think that we haven't even known each other for a year, for older friends it is probably just hit the six month mark. I wouldn't say that I find it hard to make friends, it's just in the past I have managed to get myself in to some really dumb groups.

Last night I went to Ben, Edward, Dan, Joellene and Ange's flat warming and that is what has triggered this blog. I had a great time partying with the lot in our leather jackets, listening to some of the most obscure conversations and watching some very entertaining dance routines.

I am not with this group of people all the time, but whenever I do hang out with them they always manage to make me feel like a V.I.P.

Sometimes I do worry and get paranoid that they don't enjoy being around me and that because I am seventeen and they're all a couple or more years older, I am sub-conciously trying to be their age too and it doesn't go down well.

Well, whatever. Things are too great to mess up and I am sure that if I am ever being too un-like me they'll bring this little astronaut back down to earth. They will and have done, even if they haven't realised it - I like it.