media

over many years of watching, listening, reading and being subjected to utter drivel – i’ve decided to document my wild opinions on the exciting world of the media. i worked in radio and television a way back – so i’ve a bit of an idea of some of it. in fact some say i’m an expert in bullshit.

well babies don’t you panic {1}

one of the most wonderfully weird and most dramatic life changing events in the life of tbaoo, has turned 35, it’s the rocky horror picture show. please read all there is to read about this tremendous thread of human entertainment here .. it was just so different, so sexy, so vibrant, so diverse, with all sorts of sexual tastes portrayed, it had aliens, dead people being eaten, motorbikes, cheesy americana, did i say sex, yes, loads of it. i was an impressionable young man in 1974, gladly invited to the live theatre version in sydney’s newtown. an old schoolmate scored a special invite for him and i from one of his family’s closest friend .. reg livermore, who played “frank n furter” in this the original australian season. i’ve never been the same since. no i’m not a transvestite, nor am i an alien, even though i feel that way sometimes, alien that is.

the music, well it was and so very much, remains absolutely shit hot, ( hire the movie now if you’ve not seen it, i can’t believe that there is anyone on the planet that hasn’t, but i’m continually amazed at these things ), the atmosphere on entry was very edgy and extra keen on my part, as even the ushers were dressed as “s & m sex slaves” as they showed you to your seat. a young man still in high school was having a great time. the impact of this groundbreaking exposure is probably best assessed by a psychologist, if i ever went to see one, now that would be a session. near naked women and men, flirtation from complete strangers, which turned out to be strengthened, even hardened by the cast members and their somewhat naughty behaviour. no i can’t stand up just now.

the entrance made by reg’s frank n furter was simply jaw dropping. when you sat down, you noticed a darkened construction site type ramp walkway that came from the rear of the theatre, all the way down to the stage. like in the video from the film below, a stamping beat started and got louder and louder, then a flashing spot came on which momentarily blinded the audience. almost instantly as we all turned our heads, the entry hit us like a brick .. the music blasted out from a real band of desperate session players who were perched up above the stage in a construction cage like platform .. then boom here he/she comes ..

how’d you do i, i see you met my ….


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so please check out the rocky horror picture show, allow yourself to be relocated to a far away place and time and swim in a pool of really cutting edge entertainment .. it was 1974 after all. if you can catch a screening of the film at a cinema do so. there’s normally a load of dedicated fans, who dress up and sing all the songs, while screaming out the dialogue throughout the film .. fan-bloody-tastic. don’t dream it, be it.

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glenn versus stephen {1}

ok dear reader – do i like glenn beck – no !!

do i like stephen colbert  - yes !!

i have a found a winning combination for both of these deep seated feelings. if you haven’t checked out the colbert report, please do so immediately after watching these videos below and leaving a comment. also check out the rally info, keep the fear alive and rally to restore sanity .

news flash –  i’ve just found out that an australian swimmer has a boyfriend and he’s 20 years her junior, well nuck me – important enough to be headline news. go figure. maybe he’s a “large number” of budgies smuggler.
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The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Doom Bunker – Glenn Beck’s “War Room”
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election March to Keep Fear Alive

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The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Doom Bunker – Jack Jacobs and Stephen Moore
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election March to Keep Fear Alive

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new quality television from the bbc {4}

you might know dear reader, or not, that i’m mad about quality tv.

i’ve found another sparkling and funky piece of tv – from the beeb, it’s called luther - please check out these videos, just a teaser, with a behind the scenes look at the first episode’s opener.

( yes i’m still on call and heavily distracted )
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trust me it used to be very funny {2}

way back in the day, before kenny everett, the old guard of ribald and very silly humour, was proudly lead by benny hill. yes !! – it’s a slow rant, abuse, news or observation day, so please enjoy this silliness..
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Benny Hill – Ernie (the fastest milkman in the west)

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the spit caught on film {2}

dear reader, you may have guessed from previous posts, that it’s been bucketing down here at the home of tbaoo, windy as a very windy thing and wetter than that thing that’s always wet. it prompted me to hire a video ( that’s a dvd for you young people ) and what do i find, but a movie made right here on the gold coast. the spit was home to the film’s major set and as you’ll see in the pdf slide show below, it was humungous, large, wooden, precarious and when you see the film, a successful illusion.. the film industry on the gold coast deserves to get more work.
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click for the pdf slide show of the triangle set construction

details for crew and salacious extras ( i don’t mean the acting extras either ) may be found here ….

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as far as my impressions of the film, well it’s not the shining, although they obviously took some strong themes from the story. they acknowledge that they used the same room number and the writing on the mirror. the most amazing thing for me, although it’s a distraction, was checking out the local land marks and dissecting the large set, when seen on screen. the wooden floor panels on the set were clearly evident in the finished film, which surprised the crap out of me. the second level was realistic wooden floor boards but the lower deck was cheap 2 dollar shop particle board, or multi ply panels.

the best looking thing was very obviously melissa george, she sparkled on screen and from an “dirty old coot” perspective would have won a few hearts or loins, if you get my drift. the rest of the cast where so so .. the large cgi boat was very, very so so, although the storm scene on board a boat called the triangle ( the only reason for the film’s name ) was absolutely and tremendously well done. the connection to the bermuda triangle might have been implied but never raised.

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i love watching the behind the scenes specials on the dvds, and was especially surprised with melissa george saying it took her ten times of reading the script, to understand what the film was about. i watched it and had many questions, the first was what the truck is it about. it’s maybe 6 out of ten, a beer and pizza friends around to watch film, shining it ain’t, or even any other good film. but they had a shot, coincidentally the structure of which is featured in the pdf slideshow, the walk through the mirror shot is freaking’ly groundbreaking. the other gloriously clever scene was the locket caught on the grill in the floor ( that falls out of reach ) which then reveals a telling point in the story – there are hundreds of the exact lockets in the floor or drain below. exactly like the one melissa is currently wearing. has she been there before ? see the film, but don’t think it’s change your life. seeing the set being built, having friendly but harsh words with the construction crew and enjoying the whole process was very much worth it .. see it before it sees you.