some like it hot

Just been watching 'Some Like It Hot' again for a presentation I'm giving at Uni next week, and it has yet to get boring. I must have watched that film more than 20 times over the years and its STILL in my top 10 of all time. I read an interesting quote from Roger Ebert about Marilyn Monroes performance as Sugar in the film, he said that "it is an act of the will to watch anyone else while she is on the screen", and I couldn't put it better myself. She is funny and sexy but above all she is luminescent, and you can't take your eyes off her. Mind you, the film doesn't owe its success to her, it is Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis that give it 'guts' and sheer wittiness - but she undeniably lights it up when she's on screen.

My favourite film of Monroes is 'Niagara' where she at last had a decent role to get her teeth into, but 'Some Like it Hot' runs a close second for its sheer fun and beautifully pitched script.

torchwood touch wood

Just watching a tape of Torchwood, hmmmm I'm still not utterly convinced but I'm liking it a LOT more than I did Robin Hood (which I've given up on). Something about Torchwood still doesn't gel for me but I can't yet put my finger on it - maybe its because its trying too hard to be liked? Time will tell.

Sixty (six) six

Its been a bit of a tough week so far. I was looking forward to going to a talk at Napier by Director Richard Jobson on Monday past but unfortunately that wasn't possible as I was let down by the company I'm using for my case study homework in Screen Project Development. Blahhh, they suggested I email in questions but there was still no reply after close to a fortnight (I'm used to talking to people either face-to-face or on the phone when interviewing but I did as requested), and when I did get in touch, they told me they hadn't even looked at the questions and wouldnt' be able to in the short term!

Anyway since the deadline is tomorrow, the 16th and I'd already done all the research - the piece was pretty much written, I was just looking for a couple points to be cleared up and some relevant quotes - I was disappointed but figured I'd have to submit it as was without primary research.... BUT...... I must have been due some karma, because earlier today I had a bit of unexpected luck. A friend of a friend had suggested I email a writer friend of theirs in the hope that they might give me some industry perspective and voila, an email popped into my inbox this morning. Decision time - do I put in the work already completed even though it lacks a primary interview, or do I junk that for now and go with the new material. Actually once I'd read the email, it wasn't a difficult decision as the material was great and from a current film, Sixty-Six. Its been hard work with such a tight deadline, but the interview was too good not to use so I've gone with my instinct, written a new piece and submitted it.

In retrospect I'm happy with the decision, as the previous material can be used as a basis for another project.

Luck is a funny thing but after all the delays and messing about, I feel lucky today.