Tuesday 13 January 2004

In the velvet darkness

In the velvet darkness

Of the blackest night

Burning bright ...

There's a guiding star (a guiding star)

No matter what, or who you are

There's a light ...

Yep, we're off to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Sunset tonight, and gee have I been looking forward to it (I did try to persuade Tuxedo to dress up, because it would be fun and besides, he'd look great in fishnets but he wasn't keen, somehow).  I love this movie; we have it on DVD of course, and I have the 25th Anniversary Edition Soundtrack.  I know about all the script, and of course, every word of every line of every song.  Its a brilliant piece of work, this movie; its so funny and spoofy, and naughty, and has great, great songs.  One of the great musicals of our generation.

I have fond, very fond memories of this show.  I've seen it many times, live and on screen.  I've dressed up for it - either as primJanet or Columbia.  And while I haven't been in an actual production, I have sung many of the songs as part of a choral concert, way back when.

While I was at uni, and for some years afterward, I was in a great choir, the Perth Undergraduate Choral Society.  It was loads of fun, a constant party, very social, extremely lively and frequently kinda incestuous as to its sexual relationships, had a great membership - lots of people from different walks of life and ages, not just undergrads.  It was FUN.  I loved it - many of my boyfriends (occasional or recurring) during those years were members of PUCS, so it served me well in that regard (David did quite well out of it too ... but that's his  story).

Anyways, my first year we did a concert of "Choral Rock", which sounds horribly naff now, but back then?  Oh so fun.  A choral arrangement (SSAATTBB) of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, a few other rock and pop tracks, and the Rocky Horror selection - Science Fiction/Double Feature, Over at the Frankenstein Place and Timewarp (of course - which got encored TWICE). NOT Sweet Transvestite or Toucha Toucha Touch Me, not really surprisingly.  It was fantastic - the band was pretty good and professional - not lame at all.  I sung first soprano back in those days, so lots of high pitched screeching was required.  Plus jumping up and down.  We weren't exactly dressed up but we were allowed to make "modifications" to the usual chorister outfits (black pants/white shirts) with red accessories and other bits and pieces; I had a red feather boa and black ripped fishnets and long black gloves.  Hee. 

Darkness must flow

Down the river of nights dreaming

Flow morphia slow

Let the sun and light come streaming

Into my life ...

Should be fun.  I'm pretty sure that other people in the audience will dress up, and bring the usual props.  Sometime I'd love to go to a full-on Rocky Horror revival, where you HAVE to dress up, and do the full thing.  I'd be Columbia, for sure - even if Janet does get the best songs (Susan Sarandon is so damn talented) and I can't dance, let alone do tap.  I will get Tuxedo into fishnets and Rouge Noir lippy though, you can count on it. 

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

So, Kill Bill ... I know I wasn't expecting to like it, nor was I expecting to out-and-out rabidly hate it, I went mainly because Tux wanted to see it, and I was kinda interested, given the mixed reviews.  Also, kick-ass females fighting and beating the crap out of each other?  Always good value, in my book.

I loveloveloved it.  Really enjoyed it.  Its gone on my DVD wish list, immediately.  Stylistically it was SO impressive - the way the story was told (and it is only the first part, so lots to look forward to), the character development, the use of different media styles (anime, cartoon, black-and-white), the spoof on 70s style, and of course the sheer fun of it all.  The violence is presented in such a way that apart from the first fight scene, it is not shocking or gratuitous, but just silly and wild.  So many little things I liked about it, that I'm still thinking about.  I am looking forward to Vol. II, to find out why the DiVAS came after "The Bride" - I'm presuming because she wanted out of the organisation, but there seems to be a big revenge motivation there, what happened to her baby, and of course who is next on her hit list.  I thought there was nothing to look forward to in film, apres LOTR, and this is no LOTR its true, but at least there's something on the horizon.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

At Sunset Cinema:-

    David, Micah & Reuben                          Audience                                           Audience                           

            Audience                        Moi, looking dazed & confused (& fat)                    Audience

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

The whole jobsearch thing seems to be consuming a lot of my time, and Tuxedo's time, and friends' time right now.  Time of year?  Just one of those crazy things?  Who knows ...

Anyway my jobsearch issue is more angsty and bluesy than actual constructive resume-distribution and cover-letter-writing, and all that is a long story entwined with my physical health status/condition, and maybe I'll write about that another time - just not right now because maybe, its a bit of a downer.

Tuxedo is a bit angsty and stressed too - very unlike him, as he's Mr Mellow, and he doesn't really show it (unlike me).  But I know he's not happy about how things are going.  I know that going for two-three-four jobs a week and not hearing back from one of them is getting him down.  From my point of view, I think he's doing well.  At least there are jobs he can go for, that he'd potentially enjoy and be well qualified for; it would be worse if there were no jobs to go for - even more disheartening.  Also, I know Australians.  They're bloody lazy and apathetic, and a six week period before even acknowledging replies is pretty usual, in my experience.  But still that's no comfort, I know there's nothing I can do to make Tuxedo feel better about the work situation - except I know it will work out.  I'm confident in him; I know he has above-average skills and knowledge in his field, and he'll get there.  Neither of us like waiting, that's the thing, and it sure seems like we've waited enough.

Fifi and Magnum are going through the worrying-about-jobs thing too, which is kinda nice in a way, an extra element of camaraderie between we four.  Magnum has a possibility of a permanent job (he's currently freelancing, and doing well, as he should as he's fucking brilliant) in another state; he doesn't particularly want to leave Perth and Fifi sure as hell doesn't, but a permanent job is not to be sniffed at these days ...  Fifi too, is dissatisfied with her current employment situation;  she's self-employed in the beauty therapist business, has a tiny un-airconditioned room in a nearby gym.  She's not happy there, the facilities are crap and the owners of the gym are greedy, unpleasant young women.  Money is a constant worry, she works incredibly hard yet never really makes enough and after paying for stock, paying the greedy unpleasant young women rent plus additional fees, her take-home amount is pitiful; being slef-employed/freelance has got knobs on, far as I can see.  So she's looking for a permanent job in an existing salon where she'll work solid hours and get a regular pay packet.  I wrote her a little reference, saying how lovely she is, how thorough and efficient, how she does the most pain-free waxing ever, her eyebrow and eyelash tints are the best, how sympathetic and perceptive she is to clients;  all true, I hope it helps.  I'll still go to her for my de-fuzzing and tinting of course, so will Tuxedo. 

I  hope we all work it all out soon.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞