Muse by Craig Ranapia

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Hamlet’s career as an impresario was short, messy and not well-received

Chortle.

Anyone who misses this (without good reason) deserves a damn good spanking and coal for Xmas.

Let’s prove there’s more to New Zealand culture on the world stage than Peter Jackson (I hates Hobbitses – blow me)

Peter Jackson was part of ANZ culture: Peter Jackson is no longer part of ANZ culture.

By "ANZ culture" I mean work that is grounded, nourished, thrives & and impresses & permeates our world here- I do not think tourism ventures actually do that.

Annnd, he's used a quintessential ENGLISH vehicle to do the majority of his work in. He ceased, a couple of decades ago, to do ANZ owrk.

Peter Jackson is no longer part of ANZ culture.

As much as I'd like to take umbrage at the preclusion, it sounds spot on. Sir Anthony Hopkins was a greater exponent of ANZ culture in the last decade. Still, have you got around to watching Heavenly Creatures yet Is?

work that is grounded, nourished, thrives & and impresses & permeates our world here

You'd have a hard time claiming none of those apply - not that I'm encouraging a protracted conversation when we've had this one before.

The craft of our local artisans involved in those overseas-financed productions is building a distinctive visual presence on screens across the world, drawing on our local cultures and landscapes. It may not be the expression you want to see, but it most certainly exists.

Memo to self: Never make a joke at your own expense. :)

And it was a joke - my ambiguity towards the other Holy Trinity is well on the record (and I agree with Sasha doesn't need to be rehashed) and I'm already suffering from Hobbit hype fatigue. :) But yeah, my cultural curmudgeon takes a personal day when our performers take it to the world.

Does it really have to be a zero-sum game, anyway? I'd suggest not - as I said, the whole point of the Globe to Globe festival is that the most English of dramatists crosses borders of language and culture with the greatest of ease. Hell, Shakespeare himself was a giant multi-cultural mixing desk who took classical myth, history and his own imagination and turned it into something rich and strange.

Toroihi raua ko Kahira is just one more link in the chain, and I'm going to be seriously fucked off if come Bardsday they're not present, accounted for and ready to burn down the house. Well, The Globe anyway. :)

“Heavenly Creatures” was, for me, the last ANZ work Jackson directed (and was otherwise involved in.) Have the dvd.

The Englishness of Christchurch was perfectly represented in that movie. Not least by casting one of its daughters; filming against the Gothic architecture; and having fantasy castles and knights in chainmail rather than pa and warriors.

Sasha

oi

Sorry. Again. Where is that bloody desk...

battered & hiding I’d guess – like mine, which is currently lurking out on the beach
(to the bemusement of sundry loops…)

The Englishness of Christchurch was perfectly represented in that movie

It is not English; and now much of the transplanted Englishness in the form of neo-Gothic buildings has upped sticks and stones, it will be interesting to see how that tired old myth plays out. Antique dealers here joke that they see so much stuff that "came out on the first four ships" that it would have taken 4000 ships to carry it all. The city has hundreds of years of Maori history for a start, then add in Pakeha settlement that was heavily Scots and Irish.

tired old myth

not disagreeing with you

A little bridie told me it was standing room only in the Concert Chamber last night - and they're expect similarly packed houses tonight and tomorrow. So, if you're going it might be a good idea to come early - and bring your dinner. :)

A little bridie told me it was standing room only in the Concert Chamber

If you start using pastries as sources, it'll end in tears.

bring your dinner. :)

Something Cornish? ;-)

t is not English; and now much of the transplanted Englishness in the form of neo-Gothic buildings has upped sticks and stones

Totally agree - except at the time of the murder, a large part of the CHCH population both believed and perceived the city to be "the most English city outside of England." (And that continued for another couple of decades.)

I was at primary school when the murder & trial took place but I still remember the headlines in both the Press & The Star, and the adults' horrified reactions (not least because we had the same odd* surname as one of the murderers...)

It was, and is, quite uncommon in ANZ

The Englishness of Christchurch was perfectly represented in that movie. Not least by casting one of its daughters; filming against the Gothic architecture; and having fantasy castles and knights in chainmail rather than pa and warriors.

And The Holy Roller was probably the last film made in ChCh before the quakes hit. Hence it's become something of an accidental time capsule.

next time I'll write 'Englishness' in quotes :)

Tomorrow. Don't let me forget it.

Consider yourself reminded, George. Two full houses, so I'd strongly recommend getting there early. Bring a book a thermos flask and some sandwiches. And don't forget to say hello!

What a pity I didn't get to say that hello! I arrived in the rain, a little before 6, to find wonderfully large crowds at the Town Hall. Anyone who was there wouldn't be surprised to know that many, including myself, missed out.

It all worked out even though, I met someone who'd also missed entry, and we had a wonderful night. Excellent people attend such events.