The Pacific was partially shot in Australia and more importantly Melbourne about 2 years ago. The mini-series focuses on the US forces battle in WWII against the Japanese. The first two episodes follow a group of marines at home preparing to go to war and a battle defending  Guadalcanal from the Japanese. Don’t worry, no spoilers in this post.

The third episode of the series focuses on the US soldiers R&R time in Australia, in particular the warm welcome by Australians especially the young women. As many may remember the crew of The Pacific took over many places in Melbourne including Flinders Street station and parts of Carlton North.

A couple of scenes from what I believe is VISY Park Victoria Park.

Flinders Street Station

Rathdowne Street, Carlton North

Outside La Porchetta, Rathdowne Street, Carlton North

745 Rathdowne Street

Image taken from Google Maps

The Railway Hotel, South Melbourne

The newspaper in the background says “Heavy Penalties Needed for Tyre Thieves”. Apparently, there was a bit of tyre theft going on in Melbourne in the 1940’s as explained in an article from The Argus here and also here.

See more screencaps here.

The Pacific debuts in Australia on Channel 7 later in the year.

The TAC has run some pretty emotional and effective ads in its time.  “Pictures of you” has to be one of the saddest in my recent memory. The TAC has set up a website where you can find out more about each story featured in the advertisement. What’s really interesting is the choice of song for the ad and a little bit of Melbourne history behind it.

“Pictures of You” was originally sung by The Cure at a much faster tempo. Local artist, Angie Hart was commissioned by the TAC to do a remake of the song. According to her blog, when she first saw the video she cried (and that’s without the sad music).  Her bio on Wikipedia is an interesting read:

The family moved to Tasmania while Hart was still a baby where they lived in a Christian commune until she was 10 years old. They then moved to Melbourne to join another commune where they remained until Hart was 15 when, with the separation of her parents, the family left the church altogether.

It was this family disruption which led Hart to the Punters Club, a live music venue on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, one of Melbourne’s eclectic and bohemian inner suburbs. She frequented the venue to play pool and drink, though she was still under the legal drinking age. It often fell to bartender Simon Austin to eject her from the premises. Hart’s older sister was also bartending at the Punters Club in 1989 and when Austin, a guitarist and songwriter, mentioned he was starting a band and looking for a singer, Becky Hart suggested her little sister Angie.

The Punter’s club hosted many famous Australian bands in it’s time including Augie March, Jimmy Eat World, and Powderfinger. In 2002, it closed down and has been running as Bimbo Deluxe.  Most recently, the owner of Bimbo Deluxe, Cornerstone Hotels, has been put into receivership putting into question the future of Bimbos as well as a few other famous pubs around Melbourne.

By having my computer next to my television, I’ve learned a lot more about Melbourne today. Angie Hart is playing tonight at the Toff in Town.

Angie Hart

Youtube: The Cure-Pictures of You

Youtube: TAC Ad-Pictures of You

TAC: Pictures of You

Bea Arthur at the Melbourne Comedy Festival / Credit: David Knox

David Knox from TV Tonight posted this great picture of the late Bea Arthur at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy in The Golden Girls, died last week aged 86.

Back in the 90’s, in the heyday of The Golden Girls, Bea toured around the country including a show at the Comedy Festival. She came back in 2002 and performed again in Melbourne.  How did we pull such a big comedian back then and now we can barely get B list American celebrities? Kudos to a funny lady. Might hit channel #bittorent for some Golden Girls episodes.

TV Tonight: Remembering Bea

…when she’s always experimented with fierce, kooky designs and colours? Or does the fashion industry just pay homage to the safe and commercial look?

Above from left: 1st Runner-up Leigh Buchanan, 2nd Runner-up Petrova Hammond, Host Kristy Hinze and Winner Juli Grbac. Inset Winning designs from Juli Grbac. Image from Brisbane Times

Wait don’t answer that, ‘coz the first winner of Project Runway Australia, Queenslander Julie Grbac played it safe the entire season and won the competition based on the strength of her beautiful but nothing ‘out of the box’ women’s wear.

Monday night’s season finale left a bitter taste in my mouth. Granted, Melbourne representative Petrova was voted out earlier in the show and threw a high dice roll to return to the show. Fate smiled on her and I thought it was down to Petrova or the very stylish Lui Hon (who I thought brought minimalistic style to a whole new level) to win the competition. Had the judges any sense of what a reality fashion show-cum-competition is, our cute-enough-to-eat Petrova should have won by a mile. Why give these designers a chance to show off what they can really do i.e avant-garde, risky and leftfield when all you’re really doing is finding the safest choice?

But kudos to the three finalists. I was an avid (even rabid) fan of the show and did not dispute the credibility of the final three. After putting all the ‘passion in your fashion’, multiple plot twists and ridiculous deadlines, you’d have to applaud them for getting that far.

Petrova Hammond’s boutique Lady is located at Shop 3, 237 Flinders Lane Melbourne 3000. Drop in to say hi, congratulate or even tell her what you really thought of Mark Antonio’s hairdo. Or visit the MySpace website here.

The Beijing Paralympics 2008 is about to start, with the opening ceremony being shown on ABC1 from 9:50 pm this Saturday night.

Coverage will appear on ABC1, and a program guide for the first day is available on the ABC TV guide.

Read on for more information on our local paralympians…

(more…)

In other news, racist Pauline Hanson-supporter granny Terri has won Big Brother 2008. Oh it’s a good day for all bigots out there. Including the voters. What were they thinking?

Feel free to flame.

I can’t understand why Foxtel did not purchase the rights to show all live matches of the European 2008 Football Championships. Even SBS, who has been such a staunch supporter of football all these years, are only showing eight selected games live. A phonecall to Foxtel revealed that for a Foxttel subscriber to watch the games live, one has to pay an extra $15 on Setanta Sports (one of the sports channels) to watch the game. What a load of hogwash. The Sports package is already costing me around $21/mth, and none of the channels are worth watching.

Fox Sports 1’s showing bloody live NRL games and Fox Sports 2’s showing bloody live AFL games. Fox Sports 3 was, until recently, interesting as the French Open was on. National Geographic Adventure is worth watching, but I don’t want to be reminded how beautiful Earth is and how lacking I am with holidays. ESPN and Fuel just loops loud, college rock music over a montage of supposedly ‘cool’ sports such as skateboarding and surfboarding. Pfft. And that channel devoted to horse racing…..don’t even get me start on it.

Seriously, who’d be watching these oval ball games or other channels at all when the Euro 2008’s going on. Hell, where are the priorities?! I know they’re broadcasting at different times with all Euro 2008 games shown in the middle of the night, but it shows the Foxtel executives’ – no doubt oval ball fans – myopic view of the one true game.

Of course, adrock2xander is not putting up with this racist football attitude. A couple of requests and de-activation later, I’ve unsubscribed my Sports channel and activated the Movies channel instead. I can always watch my football games via live streaming.

adrock2xander is still seething with anger.

Have any readers, in the last five months, purchased a Samsung LCD/Plasma television during their buy-one-get-one free promo? I bought the sleek LA40M81BDX (above) in February from The Good Guys in Maribyrnong and Samsung had promised to deliver the tellies within six to eight weeks. I say that’s hogwash, as we’re now approaching the middle of May, and it’s almost 11 weeks.

Confirmation email aside, I’ve not received any phonecalls, follow up emails or mail whatsoever. I say, how hard is it to send my free 19″ telly to my doorstep?

Granted, it was a good deal. For $1973 inc. gst, I got myself a relatively large LCD television and a free 19″. Now that’s a steal.

But steal or not, it’s still a restless wait for the Samsung contact that’s never gona come. Or is it?

Yoohoo…anyone working in Samsung here? Get your fucking act together already! My bedroom looks empty and rather forlorn looking without a shiny screen looking back at me.

Hey I’m all for publicity, controversy and ratings, but Big Brother 2008 has definitely gone out of its way to make itself ‘different’ this year.

Turn on our tellies and you’d not have missed this friendly-looking grandmother who professed that ‘Religion is the root of all evil’. Click on the Big Brother website and her profile indicates she’s a right wing Pauline Hanson fan. There’s also an accusation of migrant people coming into this country with all their problems. Just, wow. Well done Channel Ten. You can’t top that.

If BB2008 ever needed an ambassador for their show, Terri’s the one. Terri is a warm, friendly and caring person, who has views and opinions just like anyone else. I believe Channel Ten has gotten it right this year, with its eclectic lineup of (boring people notwithstanding) one metre tall belly dancer, a high pitched-sounding bloke, a tattooed UFO believer who looks like a sex maniac and the obligatory Asian. Oh, and don’t forget Mr Corey ‘I don’t give a fuck I was just having fun’ Worthington who is rumoured to be an intruder to the house. I wonder if he’s apologised to his parents for all the embarrassment he’s put them through.

Speaking of Asian, the look on Terri’s face was priceless when Nobbie first walked into the room. And it’s hilarious she voted for Nobbie ‘coz he’s too ‘touchy-feeley’. I guess she’s never really been loved by her husband before.

I’m sad she ended up being the first to be voted out.

Racism, we have no room for that in the society we live in.

And BB2008.

*chuckles*

PS: adrock2xander has never cared for BB. With Terri’s eviction, there’s one less thing for him to talk about.

I’ve always enjoyed a little bit of decadence in my lifestyle, and being a member of Sensual Ball satisfies that little bit of egotism in me. Granted, I don’t partake in any of the sexual cruises or swinging parties that dot their itinerary. But it’s always interesting to find out what the other side of the fence has in stall for the ‘unfortunate’ ones.

Several weeks ago I received an email from Sensual Ball alerting me to the casting of Australia’s version of Temptation Island. I had a good laugh upon looking at the application forms (both singles and couples). I thought they’re really thorough and professional. Well, when you’re messing around with the lives and relationships of people who’re committed to each other, you leave no stone unturned.

Here’re some of the questions:

1) Can you imagine being unfaithful to your partner under any circumstances?

2) Why are members of the opposite sex attracted to you?

3) Why are you a great partner?

Just for chuckles I submitted my application form (for singles). Every reality show needs the obligatory Asian who gets voted out within the first two weeks.

Check it out guys and send in your applications. Who knows you might just end up on TV with me :O

NOTE: Sensual Ball website is not safe for work.

EDIT: Argh I just found out that the deadline for applications falls on the 27th. What a pity.