groggyAck, shoulda been fun, and I had been looking forward to it snce Wednesday, the day the tree took out the powerlines, and this is what telling people what I'm up to gets me: disaster from start to finish. And I had a brand new dress, too. I had my heart set on finding an empire line dress to go with my favourite velvet coat (that velvet coat, the one Ewan stroked whilst in his cups over a decade ago) and I found one and it was a soft brown and I loved it and it looked great because I've been so unwell I've dropped three dress sizes (yay, but still tubby enough to be tormented daily) and I'd won passes into the MovieNetwork area which meant chairs, free booze, a bag of promo stuff and a very, very airline-y snack box but what they hey and we were close enough to see the celebs arrive.
Ms Kidman actually came over to our pen to say hi, so she's shot up a few points in my estimation, as she was the only one to do so. Sighted from a distance were Geoffrey Rush, Rachel Ward, Joel Edgerton, Matt Day, Jeremy Simms, Cate Blanchett, Chris Lilley, Toni Collete, Asher Keddie and more. It was kind of weird because we could hear the celebs having an uproarious time under the tent (a tent, the bastards). Ah, the tormenting shangri-la of being VIP adjacent. Even more so when it started bucketing down. Did I mention how soaked I got? You wouldn't believe it.
To be honest, I loved where we were sitting on the lawn before the not-VIP area opened. We had our brand new fancy picnic blanket (because I'd forgot to pack the old one) and lovely boxed snacks purchased on the way up from the shops and we were up the top under the trees looking down onto the screen and it was just perfect. Absolutlely perfect. Should have stayed there but never mind. At least we got not-VIP plastic ponchos to don when it started raining, but it was raining so heavily it made as little as no difference and I had an absolute torrent running down my neck.
Why stay? Because it was kind of mad and fun and the films were damn good this year and we were sort of enjoying ourselves and we stayed to the third last film (the really creepy one) when Himself saw the Harbour Bridge vanish and knew what that meant, having been caught in the Domain in a downpour often enough, so we upped sticks and sloshed our way to the road and a taxi and yay because by the time the cab turned around to go back the other way (always, with us) there were hundreds of soggy people behind us so great timing there.
And what a hairy trip home, visibility nil under the heavy rain, especially when we went across the Anzac Bridge and then we had to drive through flash floods, especially under the railway bridge which I warned the taxi driver about, unlike the cab behind us which drove straight into it and stalled, ooops. And the lightning. Yikes.
What a night. But memorable, I'll give them that. I liked the Lemonade Stand film that won, but I also loved the Photo Booth, the Mistake and the Unusual Suspects and Boo. All darkly funny and wicked. And so well done now. It's all so slick and professional now it's so intimidating (far less than the whole punkish anyone can try ethos it started out with twenty years ago).
Ah well, that's progress, I suppose. Great success though, still going strong. so oz, too, giving others a hand up. Win.
Meanwhile, an ancient episode of Big Valley seems to be ripping off Jonah Hex something chronic. Ahem. Oh, for the days when chicks-of-the-week knew their place and were dead before the credits rolled.
Wild weather can't dampen spirits as winner adds some fizz to Tropfest
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/wild-weather-cant-dampen-spirits-as-winner-adds-some-fizz-to-tropfest-20120220-1thoq.html
Tropfest 2012: The 20th birthday
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/lifestyle/tropfest-2012-the-20th-birthday-20120219-1thn9.html
Aussie stars add glitz and glamour to 20th Tropfest
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/aussie-stars-add-glitz-and-glamour-to-20th-tropfest/story-e6frfmvr-1226275318305
A-List Stars and Film Fans Brave the Rain to See Lemonade Stand Win Tropfest
http://www.popsugar.com.au/2012-Tropfest-Film-Festival-Pictures-Cate-Blanchett-Nicole-Kidman-Geoffrey-Rush-Joel-Edgerton-More-21828630
Sydney lashed by thunderstorms
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/sydney-lashed-by-thunderstorms-20120220-1thrk.html
Cars submerged in Sydney storms
http://video.dailytelegraph.com.au/2198894434/Cars-submerged-in-Sydney-storms
Was Stonehenege built for sound effects?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/9086555/Was-Stonehenege-built-for-sound-effects.html
1962 Seattle World's Fair: A city in orbit
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017544329_seattleworldsfair19m.html
When the world came to Seattle
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/living/worldsfair50thanniversary.html
Selected ads from 1962 souvenir World's Fair section
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/worldsfairsouveniredition/2017469719_webfairads.html
Italian police seize $6 trillion of fake US bonds in Switzerland
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financial-crime/9089268/Italian-police-seize-6-trillion-of-fake-US-bonds-in-Switzerland.html
Scales of justice - snake trade done and dusted with fingerprints
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/scales-of-justice-snake-trade-done-and-dusted-with-fingerprints/story-e6freuzi-1226275273118
Suspect Whiteleys case echoes earlier instance of art forgeries
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/suspect-whiteleys-case-echoes-earlier-instance-of-art-forgeries-20120219-1th6w.html
Lending Realism to the Paranormal by Lisa Gail Green
http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/lending-realism-to-paranormalby-lisa.html?showComment=1327328482419#c7548185167182977668
Masterclass with Steven Moffat at Comic Con' France 2011
http://www.3xcusemyfrench.com/2012/02/steven-moffat-masterclass-comic-con-france/
That last post
http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/17787654906/that-last-post
'Cult of Beauty: The Victorian Avant-Garde' in S.F.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/18/DD321N8M5A.DTL&type=art
Oscar’s Mistakes — Best Actor
http://blog.sfgate.com/mlasalle/2012/02/16/oscars-mistakes-best-actor/
Critic's Notebook: NBC welcomes 'Grimm' development
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-grimm-20120219,0,6298378.story?track=lat-email-latimesentertainment-February192012
'The Avengers': Thor and Agent Coulson Highlighted in Latest Still (Photo)
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/avengers-pictures-joss-whedon-chris-hemsworth-thor-292477
Character Counts
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/03/hollywoods-best-character-actors
'Suits' Star Patrick J. Adams Gets Another Good Hand With 'Luck'
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/suits-patrick-j-adams-luck-dustin-hoffman-david-milch-292385
Suiting up..
http://halfadams.tumblr.com/post/17793151536/suiting-up
Characters Unite Los Angeles Mainstage Event
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.360356090649267.90144.170159623002249&type=3
'White Collar' Preview: Neal's Fate Is Up in the Air in Tim DeKay-Directed Episode (Exclusive Video)
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/white-collar-tim-dekay-neal-peter-292414
Matt Bomer Comes Out as Gay: "So Proud of Him," Says White Collar Costar
http://au.eonline.com/news/marc_malkin/matt_bomer_comes_out_gay_so_proud_of/294831
White Collar New Episodes - Stealing Home, Clip 3
http://youtu.be/vzF9w-1e9-Y
Tim DeKay praises Matt Bomer of 'White Collar' announcing that he's gay
http://wonderwall.msn.com/tv/dekay-praises-bomer-for-announcing-hes-gay-1667475.story
White Collar Interview: Tim Dekay Steps Behind the Camera for ‘Stealing Home’
http://poptimal.com/2012/02/white-collar-interview-tim-dekay-steps-behind-the-camera-for-stealing-home/
Tim DeKay praises Matt Bomer for coming out as gay
http://blog.seattlepi.com/people/2012/02/17/tim-dekay-praises-matt-bomer-for-coming-out-as-gay/
Matt Bomer Gay Developments! Yay Gay!
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2012/02/matt_bomer_gay.php
Tim DeKay Hopes for 'White Collar' Hit
http://www.citrusdaily.com/tim-dekay-hopes-white-collar-hit/2012/02/17/96675.html
'White Collar' 3.15 'Stealing Home' photos and sneak peek
http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-phoenix/white-collar-3-15-stealing-home-photos-and-sneak-peek
'White Collar' star Matt Bomer reveals he's gay
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-02-14/news/31060831_1_matt-bomer-male-stripper-alex-pettyfer
Gay or straight, Bomer's a terrific actor
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-02-14/news/31060840_1_matt-bomer-neal-caffrey-gay-actors
Matt Bomer Comes Out
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20570017,00.html
White Collar's Matt Bomer Comes Out
http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/tvguide/article/White-Collar-s-Matt-Bomer-Comes-Out-3312933.php
‘White Collar’ star Matthew Bomer casually outs himself
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/television/10625598-421/white-collar-star-matthew-bomer-casually-outs-himself.html
