Snacked

Vintage Vegas on flickr

2012-02-02T08:30:00.000+11:00

All images from the Vintage Vegas group on Flickr.

Laughing at hobos

2012-02-01T07:30:00.000+11:00

Vera Bermuda's article in The Sydney Morning Herald points out the absurdity of how homeless people are presented on film.

The cartoonish image created of the flappy shoe wearing, can of beans eating, trolly pushing hobo reduces a group of society to a dehumanized abstraction. As an audience our fascination with homelessness is clear from the sheer volume of homelessness we see depicted on the screen yet this group of people, very much in need of or sympathy, is bearing the brunt of some insensitive and vicious treatment.

And during a recent viewing of The Muppets, a lightbulb moment:

It occurred to me that homeless people are probably the last minority group of disadvantaged people we are “allowed” to make fun of on screen. Had the movie depicted a stereotype of a bad Asian driver, a predatory gay man, an Arabic terrorist, or even a dumb blonde, you can bet your boots a vocal response would be heard from angry audiences. But make light of a destitute man down on his luck and that’s just good ol’ fashioned humour. Humour, apparently, that is suitable for children.

It's a great article that includes categories of homeless characters (‘warning light’ hobos, the sagely vagrant) and in which films they appear. I recommend reading it.

Have you seen the new The Muppets? Were you put off by "Hobo Joe"?

Not really a review of 'Helvetica'

2012-01-31T08:36:00.000+11:00

Last week, on bed rest, I finally got around to watching Helvetica, the 2007 documentary on the 'oh gosh it's everywhere!' font. And to be honest it was pretty ho-hum. The long stretches of montages just showing the font in the world became so frustrating by the mid-point that I actually pulled out my phone to check twitter.

The other big annoyance I had was how subtitles were clearly needed for the heavily accented German and Swiss type luminaries but not used. It felt like the film makers were worried about offending them. The history of Helvetica was told by those who were there when it was made but I just didn't understand a word of it. Oh well.

In the end, it was the non-helvetica related elements that intrigued me enough to keep me watching. And in this aspect I did learn a lot, mostly about myself. So I'm recapping those points here:

1. You come into design at a point in history without even realising.
Paula Scher said this and in a moment I realised I clearly came into design during the "David Carson is a GOD. A GOD I TELL YOU!" stage in history. My design lecturers wanted to have his babies and screamed about how modernism is as dead as the sparkle in Lindsay Lohan's eyes. I couldn't stand it.

I always reacted in bad gut way against David Carson's work (I'm sure he's a top bloke, this isn't personal) but I couldn't explain why until I saw this documentary. I had just assumed it was because I didn't like my lecturers but now I realise it's because I was forced into loving him without understanding the journey.

When Carson began designing he rebelled against the design norm of his time (modernism), whereas when I began designing Carson was the design norm. I was actually following his example by rebelling against his work. I just didn't know it. (Side note: By rebelling I mean I hated it and did whatever I wanted, it's not like I became some design genius who created a new period of history or anything.)

2. Designers can be wankers
Oh gosh this whole thing was just so self congratulatory and male centric - just like the design industry. My eyes almost entered a permanent state of rolling. If I had to name 5 of the interviewees from 'Least Wanker' to 'Most Wanker' the order would be Michael Beirut, Stefan Sagameister, Wim Crouwel, Erik Speakermann, David Carson. Truly, Michael Beirut looked least likely to be suffering RSI from patting himself on the back.

3. I love design
This is something I've really forgotten after years in the ad industry. In advertising the focus is always the concept (aka the creative), the design is always second. And I get why that's so and don't disagree with it. However, it was nice to spend 90 minutes just thinking about design and not idea. It really reignited something in me.

So at the end of this so called review would I recommend it? No, unless you have a keen interest in design and zero fear of your eyes detaching from their sockets.

Music for Mondayitis

2012-01-30T08:30:00.000+11:00

Given my current situation I've been watching a lot of television. I've watched a few documentaries to keep my mind active, a few hollywood comedies to be entertained and a lot of bad television.

On Saturday, however I was treated to Elvis and Ann Margaret in Viva Las Vegas. I've never seen it and the COLOURS blew me away. The music also. So to say cheers to Monday enjoy these rockin songs and beaut dance moves.

What'd I Say. Written by Ray Charles.

Viva Las Vegas. Written by Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman.

The Climb. Written by Dan Anthony & John Case Schaeffer II. Performed by The Forté Four.

Stealing from Sorkin

2012-01-27T12:27:00.002+11:00

Aaron Sorkin is a dynamite screenwriter. In my opinion, his work on The West Wing, Studio 60 and films like A Few Good Men contain some of the best dialogue you'll ever find on screen. The dude does subtext like no other and the way he handles exposition BLOWS MY MIND as you never think of it as exposition.

This week, it became evident that when it comes to Sorkin a speech writer for Anthony Albanese agrees with me. Watch above to see Albanese borrowing lines from Sorkin's political rom-com The American President.

Have a great weekend.

Illustrated maps

2012-01-27T10:52:00.000+11:00

Map illustrations by Owen Gatley.

How to choose a hand drawn font

2012-01-24T14:50:00.000+11:00

If you have any design experience you will know exactly what I mean when I say that somedays you wish you didn't. A designer's brain is very hard to turn off - the infinite number of cafes that think Papyrus means 'coffee', that all-CAPS all-centred type on a made-in-Word watch the step sign, the person you meet at a party that says "I can design because I know how to use photoshop" - all these things can drive you mad! Sometimes you just want to sit and have a coffee and not be blinded by the menu's font.

This isn't design snobbery - that's something else - this is simply I've done at least two semesters of typography and I can tell when it's just plain bad. I repeat, this doesn't make you a snob*, it just makes you aware.

One design trend I've become painfully aware of lately is hand drawn type, specifically hand drawn type that looks hand written. It's hung around a lot longer than many other design trends and I'm sure it will be about for a while still, and that's why I need to address the issue of awful handwriting fonts.

I love the handwritten trend, it makes everything unique and it means that designers really have to think. Bad design however comes from laziness and bad type comes from lazy font choices. There are so many of handwriting fonts available that it's so easy for a designer to pick one and think the job is done. But not all handwritten fonts are created equal, nor do they all communicate the same thing. Choosing to use handwritten type is not the same as choosing a handwritten font.

So here, in this post, is my small contribution to combat bad handwritten font choices with a handful of tips on how to choose the right one for you:

1. DIY
The only way to create something truly spectacular is to do it yourself. Sure it's not a quick but my gosh the results will really have an impact. This should be your first choice when creating your design but alas if you can't spend the time then...

2. Spend the money
The worst thing to do is to spend nothing. Everyone has access to those dodgy 1001 fonts and worst of all it's so obvious when you do use one.

3. Choose the personality first
So you want to add a 'personal' touch to your design, fine, just make sure you choose the right personality. Is the design or the brand shouty, happy, sad, nuanced, delicate? Handwritten fonts should be imbued with traits of the overall design and feel like the person writing it (who isn't you btw, it's the client/brand).

4. Try a handset
Handsets are type that are not fonts. huh? They're fonts that you can't install and type with. huh? So each letter is a single shape and to make a word you must copy and paste each letter into your Photoshop or Illustrator file. why? Because it makes you think and good design is always considered design. Placing each letter in place takes time, but you can get the placement of each letter just right.

5. Buy unique fonts for each project
Reuse is ok a few times but it's just lazy if for different clients you're using the same font. Also it's not as fun. You Work For Them has some amazingly unique hand drawn fonts that are super fun to work with.

So that's just a few, and really quite basic design tips for this hot hot trend. Do you like this trend? Do you have any other tips to offer - please leave a comment. AND if you have a favourite handwritten font please tell!

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*Next week I have a sort of review of the film Helvetica, you will hear all about true design snobs then.

More Marilyn

2012-01-24T10:42:00.000+11:00

Photo by John Vachon from the book Marilyn, August 1953: The Lost LOOK Photos available here.

I loved the photos of Marilyn in last Wednesday's post and have been inspired to post more. In high school my best friend and I L-O-V-E-D Marilyn and gave each other calendars of her for Christmas presents and swapped cd's of her singing songs from her movies.

Poster 1 | Poster 2

My favourite movie of hers was How To Marry A Millionaire. My friend loved Bus Stop. I didn't see The Misfits until I was on a plane last year (I love how planes have a 'classic movie' section) and I cried at just how tragic it was. The horses at the end. Oh My.

Top two photos via Tomboy Style | Lower photos from pbs

Jack Lemmon: Marilyn had an incredible charisma that was so rare, I don't think I've seen anything quite like it. She had a lot of talent as an actress and she used that talent to the best of her ability as well as her skills as a comedienne, which worked out marvelously for her as with that combined, she created that certain magic on film."

Music for Mondayitis

2012-01-23T11:21:00.001+11:00

Goodness gracious this song is everywhere, and I don't mind one bit. So far I've heard it in It's Kind of A Funny Story and Crazy Stupid Love, then on Saturday in the trailer for Jeff, Who Lives At Home. Nice. Happy Monday.

An exercise book

2012-01-20T16:38:00.000+11:00

I'm enamoured with this exercise book that was created for kids with chronic illnesses. It was commissioned by Melbourne's Royal Children’s Hospital, written by Kate Parker and designed by Tin&Ed. Have a happy weekend.

7 Snacked Tips: How to dress with a leg cast

2012-01-18T14:19:00.000+11:00

Maybe you've broken your ankle, your leg or your foot, ruptured a tendon or had surgery, either way you're stuck in a leg cast. This is not fun. I promise.

Last week, I had surgery to repair my EHL tendon that ruptured after my iMac attacked me. The EHL tendon (aka the extensor hallucis longus tendon) controls the big toe and this apparently is a big deal problem that needed big deal fixing. So here I am stuck in bed and on the couch with my leg all plastered up.

I had a little warning that I'd be having this surgery and that I could expect the be in a cast for 4 months, so like any good procrastinator I spent hours trawling Dr Google for advice on how to take care of myself and what to expect. The one area that was really lacking in information was what to wear. As semi fashion conscious as I am, I knew my one pair of denim shorts that I'd worn everyday this summer just wouldn't work. I needed help and options. I even tweeted @Refinery29 hoping they could do a post, but they ignored me. So a week in, I've learned a few things and thought I'd write the post Refinery29 didn't want to.

1. Stay comfy, stay in bed.
Most of the time you will be laying down, not even sitting down. So get comfy. Way comfy. If no one is coming over or you're not going anywhere then eff fashion. Wear your undies and a t-shirt and be done with it.

2. Dress over your head.
If you do venture out or someone is coming to visit and you don't want to show them your underwear you will have to put some freakin clothes on. Dressing over your head is the easiest way to do this. What does that mean? Choose clothes that you 'pull on' rather than clothes you 'step into'.

When you're in a leg cast you need to quickly accept the fact that you have only one leg and less than 2 arms to work with. When you stand you are not balanced and your arms will be preoccupied by the crutches - you won't be able to 'step into' anything. Even sitting on the bed and pulling up a skirt won't work because when you stand - ahh no arms to finish pulling it up! See? So unless you have someone helping you dress everyday aim for 'pull on'*. Elastic waistbands on skirts are your new bff. So are dresses with elastic waists and no zips.

Gorman - Spectrum Ballet Skirt | Built By Wendy - Denim Skirt | Monki - July Skirt

3. Carry your own stuff (or why pockets rule the world).
I've always been a big fan of dresses with pockets. They're just so practical and if they're cut well they don't add any fabric bulk. Now that I am on crutches I am an even bigger fan because you cannot carry a damn thing with crutches. Ok I fib, I can sort of carry my phone if I have to, but it just slows down the trip and kind of cramps my fingers. So if you're clothes shopping pre-cast keep an eye out for pockets.

(If you don't have pockets, make use of your bra. The only thing I take with me from the bed to the couch is my phone. It travels next to my left breast. TMI?)

Madewell - Stucco Stripe | 3.1 Phillip Lim - Gathered Front | Built By Wendy - Paint Spots | A.L.C - Bailey Jersey

Steps 4-7 after the jump.

4. Not too short not too long not too baggy not to tight.
Dressing with a leg cast, like all fashionable dressing is about balance. Firstly, when you walk in crutches your shirt or dress with get hiked up under your arms fairly quickly. If your dress is on the shorter side of short you'll be revealing your bum cheeks after just a few steps. If you were to wear a maxi dress on the other hand you clearly have a death wish - one trip of a crutch on the hem and you'll be back in hospital in no time.

It's a similar story for tight vs baggy. If a dress/shirt/jacket is too baggy then you'll get all caught up in the crutches, it it's too tight you'll be trying to pull it down all day without the use of your arms. Fail.

5. I heart sleeves forever.
It's a week after my surgery and I have bruises under my arms. I spent two days in hospital in bed, then came home and have left the house once since then. I go nowhere except from the couch to the bed to the bathroom. I have bruises. Crutches are bitches. All I can say is get yourself some padding and get yourself some sleeves. Protect your pits, people.

Madewell - First Frost Cardigan | Thakoon Addition - Pocket Pullover | Levi's Made & Crafted - Chunky Knit Cardigan

6. Why shorts don't work in the beginning.
You're gonna want to wear shorts, I know it. They're comfy, especially if they're baggy enough to get on. And before you know it you will be disagreeing with everything I said in Point 2. You'll pull on your shorts one day and say to yourself "That stranger from the internet knows nothing! ah ha! Look at me and my awesome wearing of shorts" and then at the end of the day you will try to take them off and you will realise that I am right and you will mutter "Bitch" under your breath. Why? Because getting shorts on is not the problem.

When an able bodied two legged person takes their baggy shorts off they unbutton them and let them fall to the floor. Then they 'step out of them' or 'shake their ankle' to free their foot. You can't do either of these things. Even if you sit on the end of the bed and reach to peel of the short from your bulky plastered foot - you can't. Reaching to touch my toes is the most painful thing I could do in the first week. Slowly I can see that in a few weeks it won't hurt so bad but for now I want to limit my leg movement as much as possible.

7. Re-read step 1.
You just had surgery or suffered a major injury, this is the time for you to rest. Stay in bed with your leg up as much as possible so your body can heal itself. Nothing is worth re-injuring your leg for. I wish you well.

Both photos of Marilyn Monroe by John Vachon from the book Marilyn, August 1953: The Lost LOOK Photos available here.

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*If you do have someone helping you dress you are wildly lucky. But I presume this is the same person who is fetching your food, bringing you more pillows, charging your phone. So give them a break ok. You can do this one thing for yourself.

Music for Mondayitis

2012-01-16T10:05:00.000+11:00

Between 2000 and 2004 I was a tad obsessed with Jazz. I was a uni student working away on design projects 24 hours a day listening to three or four 'best of' cd's on repeat. I had no money (this was before $1.99 songs) and listened to a lot of sub-par filler jazz that I LOVED.

The love affair reached a break point when my third year typography project was to create a font. I wanted to make 'Jazz'. I listened for hours to be inspired and drew about a thousand various letters in response. But if you've ever tried to create a typeface you would know it is rip-the-skin-off-your-face frustrating. And when the project was handed in I also surrendered my love of Jazz. It had been killed.

Recently, I got into the Showtime series Homeland. I devoured the first season in 15 days. Oh me oh my is it spectacular. It also reignited the Jazz flame in my heart. Claire Danes' Carrie Mathison is big into jazz and the soundtrack of the show works with it.

In the pilot episode, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk feature heavily along with not-new-but-new-to-me Tomasz Stanko Quintet. The song Terminal 7 really struck me so here it is along with So Nice from the album Dark Eyes.

And if you haven't seen Homeland, Ten is showing it on Australian FTA tv this year.

This is where I'm a right now

2012-01-15T08:59:00.001+11:00

An attack by an iMac left me unable to walk properly for 2 months. The repair surgery will leave me unable to walk at all for 3 months. Oh how one tiny little trip over the computer on the floor can lead to a world of pain and annoyance.

To be creative

2012-01-06T07:30:00.000+11:00

I'm missing these two like crazy. New Mad Men should be coming early this year, no?

What I'm not missing is working in an ad agency. I'm not missing working in an office either. I've reached the point of working for myself where I want to shake people by the shoulders and scream "You don't know what you're missing! Get out! Get out now!" This of course would be highly inappropriate - each to their own after all.

But apart from not missing the 'daily grind' of office work, I am specifically not missing creating advertising ideas. (For those that care, I now mostly do design - the clients are much easier to manage.) Before I used to watch every ad, look for every industry and technology innovation, check all the industry blogs, follow know-it-alls on twitter. It was exhaustingly necessary. My work was about ideas all the time - nuggets of thought that had to be multi-platform but single focussed, innovative yet familiar, targeted but not narrow, complex but not complicated, simple but not boring and most of all had to be explainable and sellable. Over and over again you must explain your idea, to your boss, to the project managers, to the producers and then finally to the client who with one swift raise of an eyebrow could flick your idea out of the room, never to return. Did I use the word exhausting already?

I was a 'creative'. A noun I always felt should have been left as an adjective. But not so much anymore.

My work is now less 'creative' in the advertising sense but more creative in the literal sense. I'm enjoying the work I do now as the 'sell' has been removed. Sure I'm still conscious of audiences and targets and product awareness in my design work, but it's not the main focus.

This week for example, I am hand painting a website design. PAINTING. Now that's creative.

Floral collage

2012-01-05T17:25:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year all. I'm starting the year with a very crafty project and have been inspired by these designs by Sarah Illenberger. How are you starting the new year?

The most wonderful time of the year

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000+11:00

When it comes to movie watching, there's no better time of year than late December through March. I call this the "Oscar rush" season, where all the finest films get a theatrical release right before awards season. Here are just a few I cannot wait to see.

Out now
Melancholia - Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg and the end of the world, what's not be excited about. Have you seen it?

Jan 9
Young Adult - Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jason Reitman it's the story of a woman who returns to her home town to steal away her high school love. I've read this and would rate it average to good, so I'm keen to see how it comes to life on screen. ALSO this is being billed as a comedy but in reality it's quite dark and sad.

Jan 12
The Decendents - I'm a bit over George Clooney but the rave reviews of this film are making me think this will be worth the $17 admission.

Feb 2
Martha Marcy May Marlene - To be honest, the trailer scares the crap out of me. I'm just not sure if I can handle such a messy lucid creepy film BUT it's so visually stunning I will have to go.

The Artist - Ok, when I first heard about this I rolled my eyes - a feature length black and white silent film - what the what? But have you seen the trailer? I'm intrigued.

Feb 16
My Week With Marilyn - Michelle Williams. Marilyn Monroe. Enough. Said.

March 8
50/50 - This 'cancer comedy' was actually released months ago in the US and like Young Adult, I've read the script but unlike Young Adult, it made me laugh out loud. Go see this movie. Especially since it's based on a true story.

Music for Mondayitis: Christmas Movie Songs

2011-12-19T12:29:00.001+11:00

My favourite Christmas movie is Elf and after watching it last night I want to keep listening to this on a loop. What's your favourite Christmas movie?

We weren't sure quite what he was..

2011-12-14T11:36:00.000+11:00

I'm pretty excited about all of the Eames related content currently floating around the web. Most of it surrounds the release of a documentary on the pair, Eames: The Architect and The Painter.

The husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames are widely regarded as America’s most important designers. Perhaps best remembered for their mid-century plywood and fiberglass furniture, the Eames Office also created a mind-bending variety of other products, from splints for wounded military during World War II, to photography, interiors, multi-media exhibits, graphics, games, films and toys. But their personal lives and influence on significant events in American life – from the development of modernism, to the rise of the computer age – has been less widely understood.

Ice Cube is also a fan of their work and you can see him talk about it below and read an interview about it on NYTimes. (both links via Kottke)

What I like most about the Ice Cube video is not how much he loves the Eames house but how much he clearly loves Los Angeles. LA is a city where you have to search for the good stuff ("the beauty" is too eloquent a description). In New York, Sydney, Melbourne it's easy to find great buildings, events, culture. In LA you have to work for it. It's as if the city is trying to keep you away from its goods.

I'm currently reading "It Chooses You" by LA based film maker Miranda July, a fascinating read about her attempts to break past the walls that LA puts up. An excerpt:

But the moment I got back in my car I knew I would never see him again, ever. It suddenly seemed obvious to me that the whole world, especially Los Angeles, was designed to protect me from these people I was meeting. There was no law against knowing them, but it wouldn’t happen. LA isn’t a walking city, or a subway city, so if someone isn’t in my house or my car we’ll never be together, not even for a moment.

I guess all this means that I can't wait to see this documentary. The Eames team had a great desire to create and break down walls. They're an utter inspiration and they must have loved LA too.

Life lately

2011-12-13T09:30:00.000+11:00

There's been a lot of "yays!" in my life lately. Here are some snaps of it.

And my crafty projects as well - I am so excited to have a home that's big enough to craft in as well as decorate for party's and seasons.

First dance songs

2011-12-12T08:30:00.000+11:00

A friend of mine is getting married next year and she asked me for some recommendations for first dance slash aisle songs. I thought I did pretty good, so I wanted to share:

Mid To Up Tempo:
This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies
Awesome lyrics. Sweet song with mid-to-up-tempo. Good for a "up" slow dance.

You're my best friend - Queen
Best lyrics ever - great first dance.

You Got It - Roy Orbison
This is my favourite love song.

Slow songs:
The dress looks nice on you - Sufjan Stevens
Appropriate for the aisle ;)

Friday I'm in Love - Dean & Britta (covering The Cure)
This song gives me chills - wow. It has lots of strings that soar.

Instrumental:
Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros
Love sigur ros! I walked down the aisle to Star Alfur.

Last Broadcast - Doves
Can't find a youtube link. Boo! But be sure to find it yourself.

I hope you like all these songs! What are your favourite or most enjoyable wedding songs? What do you like to dance to at weddings?
Also, I apologise for all the odd text spacing. Grrrr blogger.

Attack of the Rounded Italic

2011-12-09T20:15:00.001+11:00

Can anyone explain this to me? Why is this style of font EVERYWHERE? These are just examples I could find: Virgin Mobile, eBay, GIO, AT&T.

Is rounded "soft" and that's what brands want? Ok. I get it.

But italic? Nothing needs this much emphasis!

As my friend Ed would say "Far Out!"

a tasty housewarming

2011-11-21T11:06:00.001+11:00

I went to a housewarming on the weekend and my gift was this replica of the house itself! The effort of baking on 35C day was worth as the cake was a total hit (people actually cheered it after eating) and it tasted like butter! What did you get up to?

Music for Mondayitis

2011-11-14T09:29:00.001+11:00

I'm undertaking a writing project at the moment and to set the mood as I write I'm listening to Australian pop. Here's a few currently on high rotation.

1. Cameo Lover by Kimbra.
2. Sunday Best by Washington.
3. Turn Me On by The Grates.

When can I put up my tree?

2011-11-11T12:56:00.001+11:00

This Christmas will be the first time in 10 years that I can have a proper Christmas tree. By 'proper' I don't mean real, I just mean bigger than 30cm. I am very excited.

So excited that I want it up NOW! But I can hear my mother in the back of my head telling me not to put it up til Dec 1, just like I hear her saying you shouldn't whenever I open a birthday present early.

When do you think is the best time to put up your tree and decorations? What as made you pick that particular date?

If you've been lurking around here and haven't commented yet, please comment on this post. It would be great to hear your thoughts. I am looking at you.

thx.

Tree above by A Merry Mishap and seen on my Christmas Pinterest Board.

Food I love to make

2011-11-10T12:00:00.000+11:00

Within a blink of an eye I could probably write 1000 words on baking cakes, cupcakes and other sweet treats. I just love to bake. Cooking on the other hand, not so much. To me, cooking is so tediously about 'balancing flavours' and for all the time and effort you put in, you get, what? One meal? No thank you. Baked treats last a fews days or at least easily manage to feed 8 people. Have you tried cooking dinner for 8 people? That's tough work.

Over the past year though, especially since moving into a flat with a decent kitchen, I have found it enjoyable to cook dinner about once a week. This is big news!

The blog Smitten Kitchen has been the biggest help with this. I used to just look on there for posts about cakes and sweets, and never found a fault with any of the recipes, so I decided to give a few dinner recipes ago.

The first was the beef chili and sour cream biscuits. Oh-Em-Gee - My husband loved it so much - I've remade this 5 times this year (that's a BIG number ok!). The other night I even experimented (gasp!) and used turkey mince to make it healthier and Bang! it was a big success. I even had to draw on my baking knowledge on what to do when I realised I didn't have sour cream for the biscuits (the substitute is to put the same amount of cows milk in a cup, squeeze in a wedge of lemon and let it sit for 10 minutes, then use as normal).

The true success of this recipe is that I once made 2 batches of it for a dinner party of 8 people. One batch was as per the recipe, the other was adapted to be vegetarian. All was going well until I burned the bottom of the vegetarian pot. BUT it was all fine as it ended up having a 'smokey' flavour which I tried to pretend was intentional, but after a glass of wine I confessed to my guests.

The second awesome recipe from Deb that I'd recommend is the silky cauliflower soup. It's a creamy looking soup without cream! tah dah!

I hope you enjoy them too.

Nicki Minaj's biggest fans

2011-11-10T11:36:00.000+11:00

One of the high moments of my day (and a direct result of working from home) is watching some of Ellen as a pre-lunch break. I'm so glad I do because this is just so sweet and amazing.

This post is a belated Music for Mondayitis I guess.

Who put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop?

2011-10-28T12:32:00.000+11:00

Thought of this act this morning, made me smile. Happy Friday and weekend to you!

From the Melbourne Comedy Festival, 'Interrogation' starring Bob Franklin, Glenn Robbins and Jimeoin.

Notable Quotable

2011-10-20T11:37:00.001+11:00

I'm always looking on You Work For Them for new fonts and vectors for client projects and always get distracted by the lovely and sometimes hilarious quotes used to represent the type. A few of my new favourites are below.

In order: Generation Headline, Chalfont, Astoria, Generation Headline.

A new American Gothic

2011-10-19T13:56:00.000+11:00

This recreation of American Gothic by by Jesse John Hunniford from booooooom's Remake series is definitely my favourite American Gothic ever. Much better than that Paris Hilton one.

Red State Australian Release

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000+11:00

Red State is released in Australia TODAY!
When I saw this poster in Dendy last week I flipped out! I had no idea it would be here so soon.

Music for Mondayitis - Performing Pregnant

2011-10-10T16:04:00.000+11:00

A couple of years ago I posted about MIA performing on her due date, which was truly freakin spectatular - the only woman on stage and owning it. And in light of all the "Beyonce's PREGNANT!!!" exclaiming I figured it's worth reposting that video and compiling a list of "She's pregnant and performing" videos.

1. MIA Performs at the 2009 Grammys with Kanye West, Lil Wayne among others

Bad quality as the original was removed :(

2. Beyonce announces baby bump at the 2011

3. Beyonce's new video - Countdown

4. Bjork with Kukl

5. Pink's Raise Your Glass

Maybe I'm just cynical but I think it's a real shame that people are making such a big deal about Beyonce being pregnant while still releasing singles and performing. To me it reeks of a "that woman shouldn't be outside! She's pregnant!" attitude. But again, I'm cynical.

It feels extremely loud

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000+11:00

When I read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close I cried more than I have with any other book. When I watched this trailer for the movie version the emotions came rushing back to me so fast I thought I would throw up. My hands were on my face, just like they are on the character of Oskar above. I don't know if I could manage to watch the movie - I don't think I could handle the sadness*.

*If you havent read it, believe me it is so sad that I even told a friend not to read it.

Music for Mondayitis

2011-10-03T11:30:00.000+11:00

Ryan Adams has a new album coming soon. I can't wait. So let's reminisce in the meantime.

How to be the best dressed guest

2011-09-30T16:01:00.000+10:00

#weddings It seems they're everywhere. Especially on the blogs, on pinterest, on twitter. It's not hard to see that the internet has become the go to source for wedding planning if you're a bride. But what if you're a guest?

If you're a bride you can google "Top 5 wedding dresses" and be hit by hundreds of posts. When you type in "Top 5 dress for wedding guests" all but 2 of the first page results are for dresses for the BRIDE! Ahh well it's silly to complain, it's not as though that's how I'd find a dress to wear anyway.

For most of the weddings I've been to I've worn dresses borrowed from friends - special event clothes are expensive dammit! But now I have 3 weddings to attend in the next 12 months and I want to go shopping. Here I've created 3 unique 'looks' for each wedding and I'd like your feedback.

NOTE: this isn't a "fashion blog". This is just a post on me getting dressed in something other than jeans and a t-shirt. Alrighty?

I'm not sure of what the official 'themes' of each wedding are, since I'm not the planner (thank you baby Jesus) so I'm making them up based on the little I know and the personalities of the couples getting hitched. Let's go:

1. Hot summer - fun party - great music
Shoes: Rachel Comey Bend Sandal $240 @ Beklina. Dress: Suno Button Down Dress $283. Bag: Jill Sander Pyramid Clutch £258.33 @ NetAPorter.

2. Elegant - charming - uptown cityscape
Dress: Veronique Leroy black contrast dress $404 @ Opening Ceremony. Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs Petal to the Metal Flap Pouchette $240 @ ShopBop. Shoes: Marais USA Closetoe Wedge $115. Earrings $98 and 'No Sleep til Brooklyn' Bangles $88 by Kate Spade.

3. Dance your 70s shoes off cause we're in Vegas baby!
Dress: Sonia by Sonial Rykiel Brushed Silk dress @ NetAPorter. Earrings: I. Ronni Kappos Gold Earrings $175 @ Beklina. Purse: Vintage Green Faux Snake Skin Purse $19 @ nine20nine. Shoes: Vintage 70s Wedges $44 @ Dear Golden Vintage. Watch: Peacock Face Watch $29.95 @ Sportsgirl.

So there you go. 3 very different, very re-wearable outfits. Now to pick one! What's your favourite?

Pinata Love

2011-09-30T11:52:00.000+10:00

Golden Alligator by Oh Happy Day. Diamonds by Confetti System. Icecream cone Piñata by Simply Modern Mom.

The coolest wedding invite ever?

2011-09-27T08:30:00.000+10:00

In my line of work I like to think that the idea or the concept is always more important than the execution. But if you had to explain 'good design' to an alien with a bag full of contemporary wedding invites I think you'd have a hard time convincing them of this. So few of them seem to have an idea at all.

In the sea of lace applique, letterpressed type and fabric lined envelopes it's hard to believe that a simple wedding invitation design even exists let alone one with a concept. But one does, thanks to designer Cristina Moralejo. Look...

It says tying the knot so simply. And because it's interactive it really elevates the role of the user/invitee - they'll be a part of the big day, not just spectators. I think it's a stunning idea.

--

Just a couple of final notes I have to add: 1. I'm not hating on the current crop of wedding invitaion designers. For one I love the work of Ellie from Mint at Hello Ten Fold. 2. I was inspired too look for good invites because of Jordan's post on Real Simple about how once no one came to her party :(

Music for Mondayitis

2011-09-26T10:30:00.000+10:00

Oh 1999! It feels like a world away but for me it was a bit like music magic. Til this point in my life I'd been listening to the Spice Girls (and I still don't feel any shame about this) but I was ready for something else. Ben Lee stole my heart and so did a couple of other slight men.

It was a tough year to decide to step away from pop music too. Britney Spears' debut, the Dawson's Creek soundtrack and On the 6 by Jennifer Lopez are all key pop moments from '99. Tough indeed. I hope you enjoy.

Do you have any major years in your music memory?

Made my morning

2011-09-23T10:31:00.000+10:00

I'm a big fan of the music of The Swell Season and when I heard this morning that a documentary about the love and the relationship at the heart of the duo is being released this October, my heart skipped a little.

Found via Portable.

New angles from You Work For Them

2011-09-22T10:23:00.000+10:00

YWFT - Always a place for instant inspiration. Get angled and buy these vectors and font here, here and here.

New girls

2011-09-21T11:08:00.000+10:00

Screenwriter Liz Meriwether in the New York Times last year:

“I love characters that are on the edge of something, I end up always writing about people trying to connect and failing miserably, usually in a funny way. I’m pushed to these moments in people’s lives where real life does become absurd, and I think those are usually moments of grief or moments of extreme boredom or extreme anger. Or just trying to have sex with somebody.”

Meriwether wrote No Strings Attached, a film that I felt, in writing was something exciting, on screen not so much (just a tad to schmaltzy). It was also Natalie Portman's first Rom Com. This year she has written New Girl, a tv series staring Zooey Deschanel. Have you see it?

She's a screenwriter on the rise and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Top photo by Josh Haner/The New York Times.

Geoff Mcfetridge

2011-09-20T13:31:00.000+10:00

Inspiring title design for Where The Wild Things Are by Geoff Mcfetridge/Champion Studio.

Music For Mondayitis

2011-09-19T10:00:00.000+10:00

Ahh week 2 of Music for Mondayitis. This week I wanted to share my FAVOURITE Australia pop star, Sia.

Do you often have strange memory associations? For me, when I hear the name Sia I think of Taylors Square, just by Oxford St. I dont know why. Can you tell me why?

It's strange because Sia is just the opposite of a urine-infested-park-fountain-homeless-abode. The complete opposite. She's light and fun and very boisterous. I've even considered her pipe-cleaner get up on the We Are Born cover as a Halloween costume, I'm sure it would be hilarious. And better than last years Sailor outfit. Anyways. Sia. Gorgeous.Have a listen...

Artist David Horvitz wants 58c from all of you

2011-09-16T11:30:00.000+10:00

Very legit and very novel. I'm looking forward to the results. Read more here.

And I love his final call to action at the bottom of the page:
AND OF COURSE, IF YOU HAVE DEBT, AND YOU LIKE THIS IDEA, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, STEAL THIS IDEA.

California dreaming

2011-09-16T10:00:00.000+10:00

I'm thinking this isn't the most practical desk (its price isn't), but it would be lovely to have. I am now a fan of its creator and etsy seller J. Rusten.

Inspired by...

2011-09-15T10:00:00.000+10:00

Art by Kim Gordon and Ele D'Artagnan. Both artists represented by Kerry Schuss.

Do you Instagram?

2011-09-14T11:00:00.000+10:00

Im just a tad addicted to Instagram. Are you? I mean I check it about 4 times a day! Follow me @brigittar. And leave me a comment with your name and I'll follow you back!!

Opening shots

2011-09-13T10:00:00.000+10:00

What makes a good opening shot of a movie? I don't know but I presume in some film Masters program you could find out. It probably has to do with setting the tone or introducing the hero or such and such but I reckon that's something that is done in the whole opening scene. I'm thinking specifically about what makes that first shot - that moment when the picture fades up from blackness and you take a little breath in, ready to be go on a journey.

I had a look through my dvd library to try and find some good ones and to see if there are any similarities. What I found is that the majority of opening shots fall into one of three categories: Character, Landscape and Metaphor.

I love that stare of Olive's and how the kaleidoscope of titles relax to reveal Will in his empty home. But this gaze of Woody Allen is strong, it tells us straight away that this movie really isn't about Annie Hall at all but about him. All these shots tie us to a character by showing us, the audience, something the other characters don't ever see.

Fargo scares me to this day and each time I watch it these almost invisible headlights through the mist it takes me right to that place of 'oh my gosh its so cold something bad must be about to happen'. 'Headlights through the haze' can also be seen in the opening shot of Brokeback Mountain, Aladdin and (sort of) Pretty In Pink.

Cloud shots are probably the most common landscape to open a film, it's up there with the 'drop into a city/window' as seen in Psycho and Run Lola Run. I'd like to think the cloud shot started with The Sound of Music and has been best imitated by Toy Story.

A metaphor for what? Well I wouldn't want to speculate, but it's obvious these opening shots are really trying to tell us something true about the story. Seeing these reminded me of a post by tv writer Jane Espenson (BSG, Buffy) on how the first page of a script should really get to the point of the story. She quotes Jeff Greenstein as saying: I am a big believer that the opening line of a pilot (or the opening image, or the teaser) should be the series in microcosm. The 'teaser' as Jane calls it is all about getting the central dynamic or central message on screen as perfect as possible and as soon as possible.

Jane goes on to add that if you're writing a script and 'you've just shrugged and started with your main character waking up in bed, then I'd suggest that you might've missed a really good opportunity'. But that said if you need to show that your character does a lot of laying around or wakes up in an interesting way it might work for you. Off the top of my head I'm thinking about the shot of Scarlett Johannson's butt on the bed during Lost In Translation's opening credits and how in Clerks how Dante falls out of the cupboard as the ringing phone wakes him.

What I have learned during this exercise is that while openings are critical they're often recycled. But I think that's ok. Something familiar (but not boring!) is always a nice easy step for the audience to take into a story, to suck them in quickly.

Do you have any opening shots (or scenes) you really like? Have I missed any critically important shots and need to be slapped? Let me know in the comments.

Note: All screenshots by me for the purposes of this post only.

Music for Mondayitis

2011-09-12T10:00:00.000+10:00

I always love For Me For You's Music Monday posts but being in Australia means they always arrive on a Tuesday. So I've been inspired to create my own Monday-Music posts that will land on the true Monday!

Country is a pretty underrated genre in my opinion. I'm not a fan of most popular country music but if something has a little twang or a hint of a banjo I am there. I discovered Jeff Bridges music by accident when his new album was featured on the iTunes homepage and wanted to give it a go straight away. The album is soulful and bluesy with straightforward melodies that I attempt to sing along too (I'm not blessed with a sing-aloud voice).

The first track is 'What A Little Bit of Love Can Do' and I've listened to it 27 times in 3 weeks! Seriously. I love it. You can watch the video here.

During my Jeff Bridges research I also discovered some amazing photographs on his site (which is full of awesome illustrations too). Most of the photos are from his time on set. The ones above are from the Crazy Heart shoot. You can see them all on his site, here.

Have a weekend

2011-09-09T12:38:00.003+10:00

Well zit's (sic) Friday and I'm pretty stoked to have Snacked up and running again. It's been fun. If anyone is out there, tell me, what are you doing this weekend? huh?

I'll be celebrating my birthday with a few beers and putting the winter doona back on the bed after thinking I was safe to switch it out last week - Sydney weather you make a springtime fool out of me!

Cheers!

Graffiti in Newtown

2011-09-09T12:28:00.000+10:00

My little bro came to town and it hit me hard that I had NO CLUE on how to keep a 12 year old entertained for 2 whole days. Shame on me really. But since he lives a pretty easy suburban life I thought I'd show him the mean streets (kidding) of my neighbourhood with a walking tour of street art sights. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon and I checked out some alleys that I never thought I'd walk down. But he loved it and that's what mattered.

Here is a google map of all the places we planned to hit on our tour of Newtown and Enmore before we got distracted by the bmx shop and moo burgers.

Get me some cacti

2011-09-09T12:09:00.001+10:00

During July, I was blessed to spend 3 whole weeks in Sunny Southern California. The trip was all about family and it was wonderful but one of the highlights was when I was all alone one afternoon in the most stunning garden I have ever seen.

Killing a few hours while my husband worked wasn't looking fun until ESB directed me to The Huntington. This place has an incredible library and botanical gardens where you can spend HOURS! (I did!) It's simply wow.

My favourite spot was the cactus garden. I have few words because I was in awe the whole time. Maybe I was so blown away because I'm Australian and we just don't see this stuff out here but I'm pretty sure that this place would have an impact on even the most seasoned Cactus connoisseur. If you're ever in LA, seek this place out, and if you want to get married there, I say do it. It's truly spectacular.

Pinning my faves

2011-09-09T11:45:00.000+10:00

Over the Snacked hiatus, a few wondrous social and design sites sprouted. I am in love with Pinterest and two of my faves to follow are Bri Emery of Design Love Fest and the ever snappy and anonymous EastSideBride - I am especially smitten with ESB's 'Stripes FTW' board.

a new blog

2011-09-09T11:25:00.001+10:00

The Quick Brown Fox Literally Jumps Over The Lazy Dog....

2009-07-30T08:29:00.001+10:00

Typography nerds unite!

Fashion from 1989....

2009-06-26T15:47:00.008+10:00

While searching for an appropriate image for the previous Academy Award post, I found this incredible set of photos by Alan Light from the 61st Academy Awards and Governer's Ball in 1989.

The fashion is just incredible, so I've posted some pics below. But what's also cool is the story of how Alan even ended up at the awards and how he bluffed his way into the ball. Full story here.

How cute is Jodie Foster! How cute is that shade of blue! I love the scrunching and the tail. However, it would be bottom heavy and without any straps I bet it was falling down all night.

You can't really see much but I love the beading and how Goldie Hawn's hair hasn't changed in 20 years!

Total pre-90's cool!

I really don't like this at all. But mostly cause it sort of looks like velvet which I hate!

All photos by Alan Light.

RadioLab: Stochasticity....

2009-06-23T14:56:00.002+10:00

I think you will like this particular RadioLab podcast on Stochasticity:

This hour, Radiolab examines Stochasticity, which is just a wonderfully slippery and smarty-pants word for randomness. How big a role does randomness play in our lives? Do we live in a world of magic and meaning or … is it all just chance and happenstance? To tackle this question, we look at the role chance and randomness play in sports, lottery tickets, and even the cells in our own body.

And catch the Stochasticity Bonus Video.

photo credit: flickr/Etherhill

Sound of Music public performance....

2009-06-03T17:06:00.001+10:00

How have I not seen this??? This made me want to get up and dance. And it brought the biggest smile to my face. Just watch this performance in the train station:

booneoakley....

2009-05-29T17:39:00.002+10:00

Last minute Friday post:

Have had a fun afternoon looking at the new site for ad agency BooneOakley. Check it out below. Or at www.booneoakley.com/

Highlights include:

The Agency's Vision

and The News Section

Blue dress....

2009-05-28T10:13:00.002+10:00

I love this pic and this dress. It's by Permanent Vacation. Found at Seamsters.

BSG....

2009-05-25T14:12:00.002+10:00

We're 5 years behind, but we just started watching Battestar Galactica anyways.

It. Is. Totally. Rad.

Agree?

H is for Holy Crap....

2009-05-20T10:33:00.003+10:00

Ages ago, I found this image:

And I set it as my desktop wallpaper and it made me smile each day. It's been replaced about a dozen times by now but I still remember it. Yet I have no idea where I got it or who made it, until now.

I stumbled across this post at Twig & Thistle. And I can't believe it. It's not just the H image but tonnes more. Turns out they are drawings on post-it notes and they're by Marc Johns. You can see tonnes more on his site here.

MIA performs on her due date...

2009-02-10T09:45:00.000+11:00

Incredible!

Remembering 1980's Australian tvc's....

2009-01-28T14:55:00.002+11:00

Just a collection of old ads that I remember from when I was really young.

Hello My God. Kid singing when it rains.

Hello My God. Kids singing without rain. 1985 version.

De, de, de, Decore, re, re. Decore in the shower.

This isn't the version of the Solo ad I liked the most, but it's close enough.

Too young to remember this Crunchie ad. But I do remember that old packaging.

New In Sweet Alabama....

2008-12-19T15:41:00.006+11:00

I just saw the poster for the new Renée Zellweger rom-com New In Town and I can't believe the similarities between it and the poster for Reese Witherspoon rom-com Sweet Home Alabama. Similar type layout, fonts, colouring, set up, pose, props. An accident perhaps? Maybe.

Then I watched the trailer for New In Town and realised that both films share the same "a city girl in a small town" storyline. Is this for real?

The poster I understand - woman, luggage, striking pose - it could be for anything. But the when the storylines match up too I just think it's a bit pathetic. Doesn't Hollywood have any new ideas anymore?

*Update* I couldn't get this out of my head and went digging for more. It turns out that both of these movies are scripted by C. Jay Cox. That's right. The same guy.

I don't have a crush on Jim.... do I?

2008-12-10T10:39:00.001+11:00

drawminos....

2008-12-03T11:21:00.003+11:00

Drawminos is a fun interactive drawing/dominos game (duh!). I recommend it.

Totally got engaged....

2008-11-12T18:05:00.001+11:00

Totally proposed to by a pop up card! Amazing!

Darling, I Need Ya....

2008-10-22T10:16:00.002+11:00

The new video for the next Kid Confucius single Darling, I Need Ya. The single is also this week’s iTunes Single Of The Week, which is free to download here.

The band’s new album, The Let Go, will be out in stores and available on iTunes this Saturday.

PS. I'm in the video!

The City....

2008-10-21T17:19:00.000+11:00

The Dark Knight / Toy Story 2 Trailer....

2008-10-07T10:18:00.001+11:00

I share my height with successful men....

2008-08-15T09:49:00.004+10:00

NPR is talking about successful American men who are 5ft 7" in height. That's my height! I am as tall as Tom Cruise, Martin Luther King, Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan. Wow. These men are the same height and also really successful. I guess that means I can be too!

"We 5-foot-7 Americans are an elite if diminutive bunch. We see the world at eye level. We aren't so tall that our heads hover in the clouds, but we aren't so short that we need to crane our necks to see the light.
Many of us are rough around the edges. Call it a Napoleon complex if you like, but be advised that it's an advantage. We're just small enough to keep the fire of inferiority alive inside, and that flame, my friend, burns eternal. It keeps us warm no matter how cold it gets." Dennis O'Toole of NPR.

This news is so surprising to me. It excites me. This knowledge makes me smile knowing that I am not limited by my height at all. I know I am neither American or a man but wise people have said that wont hinder me in trying to be successful. I am so happy to know that my exact height is the golden ticket. It is a good news friday people.

Street View Australia....

2008-08-05T11:34:00.002+10:00

Street View Australia: Amazingly extensive.

This is the beach I grew up on, 45 mins north of Cairns, a really boring place that's ages from anywhere exciting. I can't believe they went that far north.

Man on Wire....

2008-07-30T16:24:00.000+10:00

I just watched this incredible trailer.

Man on Wire

Ira Glass....

2008-05-30T10:11:00.003+10:00

I love Ira Glass.

Ira Glass leads the radio program, and now television series, This American Life. The radio show, from Chicago Public Radio, is an anecdotal program that each week explores a particular topic relating to the ordinary, daily life of America. It's wonderfully insightful and entertaining.

But I have to say it took me a while to get on the "Loving This American Life (!)" bandwagon. Originally I thought it was too idiosyncratic and self aware and then I realised that was the point.

One thing you can gather from the radio show (that you can get as a podcast for one week after the show airs) is that Glass is someone you'd want to learn from. Someone who really understands their craft.

And in saying that I will post a current tv interview with Glass where he talks about storytelling, in particular storytelling for broadcast media. It's worth more than a subject at university.

Best of 'That's What She Said'....

2008-05-21T10:22:00.002+10:00

Video at Boinkology: The Office brings us us even more timeless “That’s what she said” moments.

via kottke.

Helen Hunt's film looks like my Mum's new favourite movie....

2008-04-14T14:12:00.002+10:00

Helen Hunt makes her feature film directorial debut with an adaption of Elinor Lipman's novel Then She Found Me. Staring Hunt along with Colin Firth, Mathew Broderick and Bette Midler I feel as those this movie was made for my Mum, and will be something I will love (even though I don't know why yet).

The maths at this stage show the common features of a film to suit my Mum:

Recognizable actors
Bette Midler (class of her own recognizability)
Humourous family drama
Theme 1: Divorced women can be strong without men
Theme 2: All women want to be loved
Theme 3: Hope

The trailer looks sweet. See it here.

garfield minus garfield....

2008-03-07T10:28:00.000+11:00

Imagine if you removed Garfield from a Garfield comic every day. How Genius would it be? As Genius as the blog garfield minus garfield. via it's nice that.

Tuesday Stuff....

2008-03-05T12:45:00.002+11:00

Best FARK headline of the day: "Democracy means you can vote for anyone. War means you voted for the wrong people".

Best rugby league moment in cricket ever.

Hillary on The Daily Show, promoting Super Tuesday The Sequel.

Does anyone else agree that the interesting photos on Flickr aren't that interesting?

Kelly Osbourne singing 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' is actually really good.

UPDATE: I forgot today was Wednesday.

Heidi and Britney singing together....

2008-03-04T10:22:00.003+11:00

Someone tell me this is fake!

What do two blonde paparazzi loving celebrities without a clue do when they want to generate even more press? They create an awful awful awful duet. Yes, I said awful. Seriously a Britney Spears & Heidi Montag duet? Listen to it here. This can't be for real!?!?!

I mean Britney would never sink this low would she?
Gosh, publicity whoring just went up to a whole new level.

via BuzzFeed

UPDATE: Apparently it's for realz (blah). But in a faux way. Heidi took an unreleased Britney track and added her 'vocals' to it. As reported by many.

Once won!

2008-02-26T09:53:00.002+11:00

I've mentioned the film Once a couple of times and it has to be one of the best films I have seen in years. I was so excited when the song 'Falling Slowly' from the film was nominated for an Academy Award for "Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)" as I hoped the film would get some wider recognition.

Normally as I watch the Oscars ceremony I really don't mind who will win as its generally a pick from a good batch, but last night I so wanted Once to win. And when it did, it was probably the first time I ever jumped out of my seat and threw my fists in the air.

After performing it wonderfully on the stage earlier in the night, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova took to the stage to accept their statuettes. I was so excited but very disappointed when Marketa was cut off by the music. Either way I went to bed not caring about the rest of the show.

What I missed out on though was Marketa being called back to the stage by Jon Stewart to finish her speech. But thanks to the power of youtube you can watch all of it here.

You can also see the live Oscars performance of Falling Slowly here. And the film version here.

More Hills....

2008-02-21T11:58:00.003+11:00

I really don't know why I post about The Hills. It's just so embarrassing that I am a fan and probably not something that I should broadcast. I know that. So laugh all you want. But that said I am so excited about the upcoming Season 3 extension. It premieres in the states on March 24 and there is a new extended trailer up here on MTV.com. We follow Lauren and Whitney to Paris and back again to LA, where we see more of Audrina, Justin Bobby, Heidi, Spencer and Brody. Seriously I cant believe I am posting this.

Attempt to: Complete List of Sweded Movies....

2008-02-14T12:00:00.026+11:00

I am a huge fan of director Michel Gondry and I am so excited about the upcoming release of his new film Be Kind Rewind (out Feb 22 in the states, March 20 in Australia). The plot works around the idea that video store employees recreate movies after the tapes are erased.

In the film this process of recreating and reshooting is called 'sweding' and Michel Gondry and actor Jack Black introduce the topic here in a video called 'How To Swede'.

Popping up on youtube and other places are tonnes of 'sweded' movies that people have created and this is my attempt to compile them all. Please submit via the comments any I have missed.

American Beauty.
Air Force One.
Alvin and the Chipmunks.
An Inconvenient Truth.
A Nightmare on Elm Street.
American Pie.
Apocalypse Now.
Around the World in 80 Days.
Armageddon.
Back To The Future Trilogy. (Thanks Anon!)
Back To the Future Part 2.
Bambi.
Batman Begins.
Be Kind Rewind.
Big.
The Big Lebowski.
The Birds.
Blade Runner. And again.
Boogie Nights.
Boys In The Hood. Official.
Braveheart.
The Breakfast Club.
Bridget Jones Diary. And again. NEW
Charlies Angels.
Children of Men.
Cliffhanger.
Contact.
Crazy/Beautiful.
Die Hard. And again.
Dirty Dancing. And again.
Dune. NEW
Easy Rider.
Edward Scissorhands.
ET. NEW
Exorcist.
Face Off.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. NEW
Fight Club.
Finding Nemo. NEW
Forest Gump. And again. And again. (Thanks Michael!)
The Forty Year Old Virgin.
Freaky Friday.
Full Metal Jacket.
Ghost.
Ghostbusters. Official.
Gladiator. NEW
Goldfinger.
Goodfellas.
Gone with the Wind.
Groundhog Day.
Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.
Home Alone.
Hook.
I Am Legend. NEW
Indiana Jones.
Jaws.
Jurassic Park. And again.
Juno. NEW
The Karate Kid. And again. And again. And again.
Kill Bill. And again.
King Kong.
Kindergarten Cop. NEW
koyaanisqatsi
Labyrinth.
Lars and The Real Girl.
The Last Samurai.
Lethal Weapon.
Lolita.
Lord Of The Rings. Part 1 & Part 2. And again.
The Matrix. And again. And again.
My Fair Lady.
No Country For Old Men. NEW
Once. (via /film)
Predator.
Pretty Woman.
The Princess Bride. And again.
Psycho. And again.
Purple Rain. And again.
Pulp Fiction. And again. And again.
Rambo.
Repo Man.
Reservoir Dogs.
Robocop. Official.
Rocky. And again.
Run Lola Run.
Rush Hour 2. Official.
Say Anything.
Scarface.
The Science of Sleep.
Scream. And again.
Shaun of the Dead.
The Shining. And again. And again.
Sideways.
Silence of the Lambs.
Snakes On A Plane. NEW
The Sound of Music.
Speed. And again.
Star Wars.
Star Wars Episode IV.
Star Wars - A Cardboard Hope. NEW
Star Wars Episode V. (via /film) NEW
Taxi Driver. And again.
The Thing.
There Will Be Blood. NEW
Titanic. And again.
Top Gun. And again. And again. (Thanks $10)
Total Recall.
Twister. And again.
Waterworld.
When A Stranger Calls.
300.

NOTES:
- Those marked as 'official' are from the film and can be found on the official website and/or on the Be Kind Rewind youtube page.
- Read more here and watch the official trailer here.
- View Michel Gondry's sweded Be Kind Rewind trailer here.

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SWEDED LIST UPDATED: 14 March 2008.

Needless to say is that I have had many enquiries about this, with more people linking to this than anything else ever posted in the 3 years of Snacked. Thanks to all those who linked to this and to everyone who submitted their videos and other ideas.

I did have some media enquires and the questions I was asked got me thinking about what makes a sweded movie a sweded movie. And so I want to use this update as a way to explain some which are 'missing'.

For example, Brandon Hardesty's videos are absent as they were not made after the film, nor are they labeled as 'sweded'. And the PropellerTV ads are fantastic, but weren't made with the intention of 'sweding' something for the fun of it.

It may seem a little futile and pedantic, to have such rules, but my initial goal was to create a list of sweded films. Sweded as in inspired by the film Be Kind Rewind, which is where the term came from. I just think its more fun that way. The other option is that I create a list of every homemade video online that parodies another film and that's really no where near as fun, and frankly I wouldn't have the time. This list took long enough!

Also a final note, there is a sweded movies site thats compiling stuff as well.

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SWEDED LIST UPDATED: 17 April 2008.

I am totally surprised that this is still going, and that the majority of my traffic is to this page. It astounds me.

The first thing to update this time round, is that the film has been released in Australia! Woo hoo!

Secondly, I have added a couple of new Star Wars videos, which are probably two of the best I have seen. The others that I have added include Juno, Dune and Snakes On A Plane. Also, it was about time someone did Gladiator and someone has! so that's up there too.

The Hills....

2008-01-24T10:32:00.000+11:00

I love The Hills. Yes, I just admitted that in a public forum. I love it. I love that it is real and fake, I love that its a spin off show - not an original - I love that its perhaps the best from of entertainment around.

Many people have theories on the Hills and why it is important or significant or revolutionary. These theories are all generally true, even the conflicting ones, even the ones which disagree with each other. This is the basis of my theory of why the Hills is imporant/significant/revolutionary.

The Hills combines reality with drama. It proposes itself as a 'reality show' but when you watch it you know its not real. There's something fun in that I know its star Lauren Conrad is a real person, and thats her name and when I watch it I can point at things that are hers, such as 'that's her house', 'that's her roommate Audrina', 'that's her boss', 'that's her dress that someone gave her to wear to look good for the show' and so on.

But I know that even though 'that's Lauren with her friends' that everything other than the existence of these people is sculpted to form the parts of a drama. Drama requires situations and conflict and tension. On The Hills the situations and conflicts and tension are constructed by people other than Lauren Conrad. This is what makes this show important. The Hills gives us everything we wanted from Big Brother but didnt get. The creators of the show saw that too much of the conflict and tensions in reality can be boring and drawn out. What was needed for reality shows to work was something other than reality.

And why is this significant? It's significant because its something we have never seen before. Sure most reality shows have some element of fakeness to them, a little bit of constructed drama here and there but The Hills goes all out. It's shot on film and there are no talking head moments and more importantly we never see anything to do with the fame that being on The Hills has brought its stars.

The way each episode is presented is to tell the viewer that all of this is real, but the way it is shot tells the viewer that all of it is fake. Fake in the sense that Friends and Sex and The City are fake: a bunch of people paid to play out the lives of characters.

I cant wait for the rest of season three to begin. In the meantime I watch full episodes on mtv.com and pray that the writers strike wont affect the production of season 4.

All photos from mtv.com. For better Hills coverage than I could ever provide visit songs about buildings and food.

Feist video for "I Feel It All" ...

2008-01-24T10:29:00.000+11:00

YouTube - Feist - "I Feel It All" OFFICIAL Music Video

TED | Talks | Erin McKean....

2008-01-21T10:24:00.000+11:00

Erin McKean gives such a great talk about redefining the dictionary at TED and you can watch it online. But I have to point out that my favourite bit is this quote:

"Serendipity is when you find things you weren't looking for because finding what you are looking for is so damn difficult."

Watch it here TED | Talks | Erin McKean: Redefining the dictionary

Love is blind, so read with braille...

2008-01-21T10:12:00.000+11:00

This gorgeous vase is designed by Jessica Marie Lertvilai and is titled 'Love is Blind'. The ceramic vase is covered in love letters translated into braille. Its stunning.

via The CANADIAN DESIGN RESOURCE

'woot' the word of 2007....

2007-12-14T10:36:00.000+11:00

seriously, no kidding. 'Woot' is the word of 2007 according to a Merriam-Webster poll. I wonder if t will make the dictionary!
see more at l33t-Speak Gets Legit; 'W00t' selected as Word of the Year | The Underwire from Wired.com

LOLCat Bible

2007-10-10T14:35:00.000+10:00

Truly a fascinating phenomenon. Crazy web geeks (like me) translate the bible into lolcat speak.
loving it.

From the Gospel of Matthew, Verse 18-25:

18. Now, teh burth of teh Christ was liek dis: After Marry and Joseph were all "We's gonna get marrieded, kthnx", but before dey could had hankiez pankiez Mary was all preggy from the Holey Ghosty.

19. Joseph was all liek "Oh snap, dis embarrassin. I's gonna hide mah wife".

20. But when he was tihnkin, zomg, angel frm Ceiling Cat was in his dreems! Angel sayed "Hai, don't be fraided to has Mary for ur wife, cuz her baby be frm Holey Ghosty.

21. "And she gonna made a son, and you gonna call him Jesus, cuz he gonna save ppl and pwn dere sinz. Kthxbye."

22. So all dis was all did so it'd be all liek Ceiling Cat sayed it was gonna be. His profet was all liek:

23. "Hay guise, look at dis, teh virgin iz all preggers, and dey gonna call him Immanuel", dat be joospeek for "Ceiling Cat wit us"

24. Then Joseph woked up, done wat teh angel frm Ceiling Cat tolded him to, and was all liek "U wit me now lol" at Mary.

25. And dey didnt has teh hankiez pankiez til affer dey gets a son and calleded him Jesus. Ktnx.

ahhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
see LOLCat Bible Translation Project

Juno

2007-09-19T14:54:00.000+10:00

Add two smart dudes from Arrested Development
Mix with Jen Garner and my all time favourite Allison Janney
Then let the mix rest under the watchful eye of cutie pie Ellen Page
Then bake in a Jason Reitman tray.

You just made a Juno cake.

It looks yum.

Watch it here.

Michel Gondry....

2007-05-30T10:17:00.000+10:00

I have to say that I think I am in love with the brain of Michel Gondry.
There is something crazy going on up there that I just cant get enough of.

Thats why this ad for HP is so good. Directed by Cat Solen (whom I also adore after her DCFC Directions video).

HP - Michel Gondry
Uploaded by firat

Google Maps Street View...

2007-05-30T09:40:00.000+10:00

heck yes this is amazing....
Google maps, with 360 street views.
check out San Fran

I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?

2007-05-28T11:31:00.000+10:00

Is anyone else in love with I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?

Once....

2007-05-22T13:48:00.000+10:00

Once is said to be a modern day musical, set in Dublin, that follows the journey of two people with a unique love.

Winner of awards at the sundance film festival I hope it makes its way to our shores. The trailer looks remarkable and ends with the question.... how often do you meet the right person?

Ze 4 Britney

2006-12-19T12:54:00.000+11:00

My favourite celebrity is named as a scientist in today's zefrank.
the show with zefrank: 12-18-06

Britney divorces Kevin!

2006-11-13T18:12:00.000+11:00

Stages of Kev

This is truly wonderful news, and I figured was worthy of a wonderful celebration.
Stay tuned for some pics of the party!

The Science of Sleep

2006-08-08T13:22:00.000+10:00

I have mentioned this before, but now there is an amazing site with it, so it worth repeating.
Michel Gondry's next feature will be The Science of Sleep. It looks wonderful. I cant wait. Go have a look at the totally rad site and view all the clips.

The film follows Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) who "exists in the blur between reality and his fantasy dream world, where he imagines himself the host of a TV show. He falls in love with his beautiful neighbor Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) after a ridiculous piano moving incident, but his overtures are sadly, more fantastic than real." (from imdb)

Tristram Shandy

2006-07-21T11:33:00.000+10:00

Go see it!
Freakin Awesome. The only film i have seen in 3 months, apart from X3. My stomach hurt and there were tears. Holy Crappola.

Do the Karen O

2006-07-14T13:40:00.000+10:00

A great video for The Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Cheated Hearts" is on stereogum. Hilarious!

Holy Crap! Gmail gives me my dream calendar

2006-05-18T10:45:00.000+10:00

yay! its everything i wanted. seriously the number of times i thought to myself, I would love a calendar online, and now i dotn have to worry about it. yesss, napoleon style.

ps. i am now a uni graduate.

teh fuel! i just care about the bananas

2006-05-08T18:09:00.000+10:00

i dont care if you are paying $1.40 a litre. dang it people, $1.40 is the best thing thats happened to the environment in years.

BUT bananas? really. I used to moan when they were $3.00 a kilo, but 9.96?!?!?!?! Coles, get a life. The cyclone didnt do more than ten bucks a kilo worth of damage. I even have proof in the form of my eye witness mother. So screw you coles, you will be lucky to see any of my banana money in the future.