Monthly Archives: June 2010

Preview: Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino

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Planet Hollywood is home away from home for our Las Vegas sojourn. Situated right in the middle of The Strip, opposite the Bellagio, which you may know from films such as Oceans 11.

For a little background, this used to be the Aladdin – mostly known for being the place where Elvis and Priscilla got married, but also known for being a little tired. That all changed with a complete makeover about three years ago turning it into a Hollywood themed hotel and casino with over 2,500 rooms. The ever faithful Wikipedia says the Aladdin was imploded, except for the 7,000 seat theatre… which hosts a Justin Bieber performance while we are there. We have other plans that night.

It’s really unfortunate that America’s Got Talent isn’t filming, as this is also the home of the live version of the TV series as well as Miss America 2006-2009. Holly Madison lives and performs at PH.

If there wasn’t enough Hollywood madness, it seems that all of the rooms are movie themed with actual props and memorabilia. That sounds awesome… as long as you get Breakfast at Tiffany’s and not Predator.

It is reassuring to know that if we get bored there’s a place to go to spend some quality time and money right downstairs. That’s right, a 1.5 mile circuit of shops. Miracle Mile (strangely not Miracle Mile and a Half – perhaps the miracle?) may require its own preview, but let’s just say that there’s everything you could imagine… and a Crocs store. If all the restaurants upstairs aren’t enough there are plenty of options here too – I’m pretty sure Cheeseburger Las Vegas deserves a visit.

There is even entertainment at the mall – my pick is Popovich Comedy Pet Theater. http://www.miraclemileshopslv.com/entertain.php?id=9. I don’t know what you think about performing pets, but these ones look so happy AND they’ve been rescued from animal shelters. Awwww. Here’s a clip. Purrrrrfect.

 

Photo from www.planethollywoodresort.com/. The jacket in the background was once worn by a real celebrity. Don’t think you get to try the movie costumes on.

Note: This blog is really for over on our holiday blog. Check it out for all our stories. 

Review: Bill Bailey ROFLYSMTT

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I went to see Bill Bailey years ago at the Wintergarden at The Civic to see the man who played Manny in Black Books. I was totally charmed by his whimsical storytelling (punctuated by hilarious tangents) and won over by his musical comedy. Tonight he played the first of two packed shows upstairs at The Civic and treated us to a brilliant night. This man plays funny songs – in the second encore tonight he taught us all the words to La Bamba (try it, you probably get stuck after the first line too) – and his musical talent and skill is impressive.

This show is about doubt, and covered a whole range of topics. I particularly enjoyed his rap and James Blunt parodies. Clearly, I’m won over by anyone who mocks James Blunt (who, according to Bailey, was recently voted more annoying than paper cuts) and the fact that there was a derisive mention of Nickelback (if ever a band was my nemesis it would be them) just added to my enjoyment.

Bailey’s comedy may appear to meander from one topic to the next, but he’s a master at bringing it all together.. if you’re going to tomorrow’s show, you’ll see what I mean. This is one of the things I judge a comedy show on, I’m always dead impressed when they surprise me by joining the dots with an earlier comment later in the show.

You get the feeling that it’s not a cookie cutter show – he opened with gentle ribbing of the heroic All Whites scored three points and didn’t lose a game and went on to crucify the England team with the true distain of a scornful English football fan. His J-Lo mocking is worth a mention because it brought me my new fave celeb name El-Jo (Elton John). Points also for ROFLYSMTT (Rolling on the floor laughing yet somehow managing to type).

I adore his musical comedy – the clip below is from “Part Troll”, a cover of the Hokey Tokey in the style of Kraftwerk. It’ll help you imagine my highlight from tonight’s show, his version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, again in the style of Kraftwerk. IS NOTHING SACRED?

The spreadsheet of amaze

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When it comes to me and overseas travel, the only way to describe my decision making process is spontaneous. It seems that I think ‘no no, I can’t do anything fun until I’ve…’ and then a short time later I’ve booked and paid for international flights within days of someone suggesting I visit them, travel with them… you get the picture.

Last year, prior to my Melbourne/Sydney New Years trip vowed to change my ways so that I had enough money to eat, drink and go shopping during the trip. It was a little bit tight, but somehow going shopping with a limited amount of cash made shopping a game. Impulse buying went out the door and I developed a considered approach.

I’m heading to LA and Las Vegas in a few weeks after deciding to go a little over a month ago. It is somewhere I’ve always thought it’d be a blast to visit and I’m going with four great people so it was one of those things that just happened to work out beautifully. You can follow our planning and adventures on www.vegasforlife.posterous.com. The Speed Stripping in particular is probably the most ingenious plan to see The Strip that has ever been invented. I’m expecting it to be more cosmopolitan and exciting than The Strip in Christchurch even.

Anyway, because this trip is a little on the ‘sudden’ side, I’ve developed an incredible three tab spreadsheet so that I know what money I have in the buildup (including normal life), what I need to pay for before I go (trip-wise) and daily budget for the trip that calculates key expenditure, actual expenditure and actual money left. I’m determined to not come home with a huge credit card bill and also not to run out of money. The spreadsheet is a thing of beauty, not least because for the first time in my life I really, truly know exactly how much money I have and where it’s going and I’m discovering how little I can live on (although not as little as I originally thought).

Once you’ve finished the round of spontaneous applause I’m sure you’re giving, or equally likely eye rolling from those of you who are awesome with money, let me tell you a few things I’ve noticed over the last few weeks.

·         Homemade food really is a lot cheaper than eating out all the time and can be just as delicious

·         I make awesome vegetable and barley soup

·         There are quite a few free downloads of EPs and singles by bands I really like, which makes up for my temporary no buying music fan e.g. Jose Gonzales’ band Junip’s new EP (how cute is that cover art?) from http://www.junip.net/

·         Even though I was sad to miss out on a few events that I didn’t buy tickets to, it did not kill me

·         Researching a destination can be really, really fun and its worth spending a bit of time online because you might find something awesome – we’re seeing Jerry Seinfeld in Las Vegas and I’m going to She and Him at the Hollywood Bowl. Both discovered by browsing event listings.

·         People are really generous with travel advice and tips. Thanks people! Keep them coming!

Review: Heroic Faun No One

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Gregory Cooper is one of those people you see at opening night or closing night parties. To be fair, as far as I know it’s only been one of each that I’ve met him at, but I didn’t realise immediately that he was a [hushed tones] featured extra in The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Like many children of the 80’s, my TV viewing time was restricted… back in the day I was allowed a mere 30 minutes of TV a day. We also ate lots of seeds, but that’s another story. To fill the time, we used to do things like play games and read books. Some of the few books that came my way early on and are still favourites are C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series.

To be honest, I didn’t think much about Narnia when I thought about going to Heroic Faun No One. I’d heard it was a total hit at Auckland Fringe last year and that it included truly hilarious, improbable yet true stories about working on a film set.

Moving into the theatre at The Basement before the show we had to walk through fur coats. It was then that I realised that I was in for a Narnia treat. The one man play tells Greg’s story from audition and preparation to time on the set and filming. It gives an insight, that I’m told is painfully accurate, into what an actor goes through – whether it’s trying to get give an honest performance as Heroic Faun No One while wearing James McAvoy’s cast off Mr Tumnus wig or getting advice and mockery from other extras, including one with rather startling ambitions.

I don’t want to give the game away, but if you love comedy, acting or Narnia – this show is for you. My plus one for the night isn’t much of a theatre goer LOLed as did the rest of us. And really, it’s worth going just for the sidesplittingly funny green CGI tights.

My favourite line is from when Gregory is reminiscing about attending the New Zealand premiere at The Civic. The comic timing was perfect when he said “All the TV stations were there… TV One, TV3… Triangle.”

Aaah New Zealanders, we don’t like to take ourselves too seriously.

Heroic Faun No One, complete with costumes and movie footage, is on at The Basement for a week. Think of it as your mid-Winter cheer up.

Read the event information.

Blog: My football cred

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Don’t judge me about being a sudden football fan, I’m not one of those jonny come lately jump on the bandwagon types… much. I have all kinds of reasons why I’m a credible football fan, such as…

·         I’m half Scouse. You’ll Never Walk Alone, etc etc – I have cousin of some sort who played for Liverpool and Ireland

·         I call it football and not soccer and have for ages, so there

·         I can explain the offside rule for girls using a handbag sale as an example and it almost makes sense

·         I know it is called the beautiful game and that it’s not just because the players don’t have cauliflower ears

·         I’m really getting the inside view of the team thanks to @siggy2010 (okay, that’s pushing it a little)

·         I know someone who is related to someone in the All Whites

·         I’ve flatted with several extreme football fans and have accidentally watched more football than most people

·         I know how to yell ‘C’mon Ref’ with the best of them

Okay, so its crap. I don’t know the rules even though people have explained them to be repeatedly. But like many others today I had a smile on my face and enjoyed discussing the game in length with anyone and everyone I came across.

See you at the pub on Friday morning!

Special today, Mr Vintage Tees. http://www.mrvintage.co.nz/

 

 

Blog: Street art and teddy bears

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I like to think my entertainment tastes are reasonably broad. Recently I’ve been to a play about tapdancing (go Suzanne Paul and my old mate Jason from amateur theatre days!), the opera (which was amazing except I do wonder why parents would take their under ten year old sons to a 3 ½ hour event in a foreign language and no wonder one of them spent most of the performance kicking my seat back), Toy Story 3 (oooh I love 3D and the short Day and Night was just adorable) and the NZ International Film Festival launch which included a screening of Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop.

I think it is really important to be open to experiencing a range of cultural and entertainment events – which is helpful considering what I spend a lot of my life doing. These last four events are really the extremes, all enjoyable in their own ways. Highlights:

·         Stepping Out – All the Single Ladies

·         The Marriage of Figaro – The unexpected humour, complete with the good old door in the face gag (overall it was stunning)

·         Toy Story 3 – Realising the big pink teddy was evil and inducing giggles in my section of seats my remarking “Ken’s wearing crocs!”

·         Exit Through the Gift Shop – The art, the hilarity and absolute eccentricity of the subject

I’ve got my film festival programme all ready for scrutiny complete with post it notes to mark all the films I want to see. There are heaps that look amazing including the local Predicament, the animated The Illusionist, The Red Shoes, Trinity Roots: Music is Choice.. and I have to stop or I’ll have to write up dozens more! If you like street art or just like seeing a good doco, you’ve got to check out Exit Through the Gift Shop.

Friends and movie chair neighbours have recommended Trash Humpers and Teenage Paparazzo.

Running away to the circus

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I can’t believe I’m going to a place that has Cirque du Soleil OPTIONS – there are six shows playing currently in Las Vegas. We’ve picked LOVE, because of course there’s nothing like a great soundtrack to make a spectacular show even more superlative.

Apparently before the show opened in 2006, previews were held and changes made according to the feedback of the audience. That’s awesomeness right there. And every seat has three speakers for the music, which has been reorchestrated.

I’ve only been to one Cirque show live – Varekai in 2007. I also saw a 3D film at IMAX years ago when tickets to the live show were out of my reach. There’s something phenomenal about what the human body can do – and the breathless excitement when the performers pull off what seem to be impossible feats. The fact that the Vegas shows are all in purpose built venues, rather than in a big top, just adds to the whole experience. For a girl with a half Liverpool heritage, this will be magic. It is possible I’ll be speechless – I’ll get the others to report back.

 

Blog: Personalisation Stations

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Today, not unusually, included a couple of visits to my weekday local Reslau at Elliott Stables. I met a friend for a lunchtime coffee (not lunch because I’m on a pre-holiday budget) and another friend for an après work drink. During visit #1 I commented that it was nice of the cafe to be playing Sky Blue Sky by Wilco as it’s a favourite. Part way through visit #2 they changed CDs and suddenly there was Ryan Adams and the Cardinals’ Easy Tiger.

The staff couldn’t have been more spot on to my musical tastes if they tried – and as far as I know they haven’t been gathering information on my album buying. I guess I can now rest assured that I am their target audience (although I’m sure they’ll appreciate it when I’m buying lunch again). Of course, it is unlikely that all their customers share the same excellent musical taste, but one can always hope that one or two will be influenced for good.

I stopped going to Roasted Addiqtion on weekends a couple of years ago because the staff played really loud music which I took to mean they didn’t want people to come for brunch. They may have changed, but I found a more welcoming place in the neighbourhood that became my regular hangout.  Perhaps this isn’t totally different from my hold music rant, I know I’m a music snob. What do you think? If a cafe played bad music would you stop going there? Have you ever discovered new music by asking what the album is?

Blog: Television nostalgia

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Television in New Zealand is 50 today. Happy birthday telly!

I took a poll of everyone who was at my house tonight. These are the results for the most nostalgic things from the box. These are they, in no particular order:

·         Thingee (join the facebook page) 

·         Simon and Catherine on What Now?

·         The boy on the train with the countrybake cookies (one of dad’s ads as far as Iremember)

·         The Smurfs (why was there only one Smurfette?)

·         Ice TV

·         The Dukes of Hazzard

·         Telethon – especially John Hawkesby

·         The 1990 Commonwealth Games

·         Inspector Gadget

·         Super Ted

 

The winner has got to be the goodnight kiwi. (I’m still not buying a bracelet though!)