February 17, 2008

[Ross]

I recently watched Barry Lyndon by Stanley Kubrick. Beautiful movie to look at, but Ryan O'Neal is horrible. He has the emotional depth of a bleached potato and nearly wrecks the movie.

Forgive me for butting in, but isn't sort of the whole point of the film that the character he plays lacks depth, yet is given myriad opportunities and benefit of the doubt because of social family and class constructs interlaced with misunderstandings?

Just saying.

[Paco Del Stinko]

Why yes, I suppose it is: well put. I'm not dumping on O'neal in general, but he just came off as miscast to me and was too clean a slate I guess. He tears up at one point and gets angry and all, but often looked like a dolt. Maybe he lacked the acting chops or was mis-directed. More than likely, I just didn't get it. BUT, I did get how beautiful the cinematography was. Gorgeous.

And please, Ross, butt in any time! Slap me around a little if you'd like. (but not too hard!)

[Caravan Ray]

Today is my wife's birthday. I took her and the kids to the New England Aquarium. It was a good day.

I love an aquarium. There are really good ones at Mooloolaba and Sydney - both have the big tanks with perspex tubes you can walk through. Took my daughter to Mooloolaba a few weeks ago and she enoyed shouting "Heeeeere's Brucey!!" to every shark that swam overhead (she loves Finding Nemo).

I'm very disappointed I didn't have time to go to Monterey Aquarium while I was in Santa Cruz for SFL! - I will try to get back there one day.

Though of course, here in Queensland we do have the world's greatest aquarium. All 2,300 kilometres of it. Nothing beats diving on the Great Barrier Reef!