Ryuhei Kitamura - The Godzilla Final Wars Interview

Written By: Ken Hulsey

A lot of fans over at the "Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group)" on Facebook were commenting on how much they enjoyed "Godzilla: Final Wars", so I thought it may be fun to dust off my exclusive interview with that film's director, Ryuhei Kitamura, from 2004.


At that time, my website, www.kensforce.com (gone now...sadly) was the only English language website to be granted an interview with the Japanese director.

Actually there is an interesting story that goes along with this interview that I never shared on any of my sites. You see, when I found out that the world premiere of "Final Wars" was slated to take place in Hollywood, I contacted Grauman's Chinese Theatre to find out about getting tickets for the event.

They, in turn, put me in contact with a publicist from Toho here in Los Angeles. When she learned that I published a website that featured "Godzilla" related articles, she became very excited, and told me that she may have something interesting for me.

My curiosity was raised.....

A day or so later, the publicist contacted me and said that Toho knew of my site, and liked it. I was, to put it mildly, surprised by this. She continued to inform me that they wanted me to interview Kitamura for the site.

I was thrilled!

So, I sat down and hammered out a dozen questions or so for the director, and passed them on to the publicist.

This is where it gets interesting.

The publicist then translated my questions into Japanese and sent them on to Toho, were Kitamura then took time to answer them. They were then sent back to the publicist, again, here in LA, where she translated them back into English, and then sent them to me.

Somewhere along the way, I think that the intent of a few of my questions got misinterpreted, because in one answer, the film maker got a little angry in his reply.

So here we go, this is my interview with "Godzilla: Final Wars" director Ryuhei Kitamura from 2004:

Ryuhei Kitamura is considered by many to be the Japan's Quentin Tarantino, a young director with a flare for action and fast paced films. His prior films Versus, Azumi and Sky High featured the high speed action and sword play that has now become his signature style. For his latest film, however, the action movie king is taking on something much larger. The King of the Monsters. A challenge Kitamura was honored to take on.

I was honored to have been granted a short online interview with Ryuhei Kitamura in conjunction with the world premiere of Godzilla: Final Wars here in Hollywood. The reader truly gets the feeling of how passionate the young director is about this project. His desire to make this the greatest Godzilla film of all time comes through in his responses. It was an honor for him to be able to make a Godzilla film and he took the project very seriously. His desire was to make the best film possible without exceptions to return Godzilla to the throne not only as Monster King, but the King of Entertainment as well. A very bold idea from a very bold director. From this Godzilla fans world wide can only hold their breath in anticipation of what will surely be a Godzilla film like no other.

KH: You are best known for your action films featuring great sword fighting such as Azumi and Sky High. How hard was it to incorporate your style of film making into a monster (kaiju) film?

RK: It wasn't too difficult to apply my style to this film - I don't consider myself an action director. I felt it was my mission to make this film the coolest and most powerful super-entertainment film more than the past Godzilla films.

KH : Many fans know that you were scheduled to make your American film directing debut this year. What motivated you to make a Godzilla film instead of a Hollywood epic?

RK: No Japanese director would ever dare to say "no" to Godzilla films. I can make any Hollywood-style film but only a few can make Godzilla films, plus this is the 50th anniversary of Godzilla. I think this is the greatest challenge of my life to make this Godzilla film.

KH: What do you feel that you have done in this film that has been missing in the prior Godzilla films?

RK: Power and speed, I guess. In the recent films, Godzilla was too week. I wanted to make this film through action and wanted to convey to the world that this is the return of the monster king, so the screen is dark and hard,and monsters are speedy and powerful.

KH: Are you surprised at the amount of world-wide interest in this film?

RK: No, I wasn't surprised. It's Godzilla and so many fans are out there.

KH : Do you feel that the publicity of this film will help generate more interest in your prior films?

RK: I hope it will help generate more films for me. I'm sure a lot of people will see this film. I want Godzilla and my fans or anyone to watch and have a fun.

KH: Why were the monsters featured in Final Wars chosen over others from the series?

RK: I decided with producer Mr. Tomiyama, special effects director Mr. Asada and writer lined up historical action figures on the table and we decided democratically which ones should be in this film Final Wars. It was difficult because everyone had a different attraction to different monsters, but at the end we were happy with these selections for the film.

KH: A lot of the film's action takes place in Australia a place you used to call home. When you were planning the action did you stop and think, it would be great to destroy that landmark....that place would look great crushed by a monster...etc?

RK: I am furious with people who can't make the separation between reality and fantasy. In the fantasy world of Godzilla it is honorable that the landmarks are destroyed, I guess. For this film the world is a stage, and I chose my second home country -

Australia - and chose to destroy Sydney first, and I enjoyed it very much.

KH: Why choose Hollywood for a premiere over the Tokyo International Film Festival which has been host for the premiere of Godzilla films for over a decade?

RK: 50 years ago, the first Godzilla film inspired the world , and it was the King of entertainment films. But after 50 years Hollywood is the leading place for entertainment films, and Japan follows Hollywood's lead. After 50 years, I believe the greatest Godzilla film is completed, so Godzilla should be King again.

As a Godzilla fan I was truly inspired by Kitamura's passion for making Final Wars a unique film that would stand alone as the greatest Godzilla film of all time. It is rare to find someone who has this sort of pride in their films in the industry today. In picking Kitamura Toho has matched the right director with the right film. If he follows the style seen in the classic Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla (1974) with his own flare for action this film should be a treat for monster movie fans the world over.


The premiere of the latest, and possibly last, Godzilla film "Final Wars" will take place in Hollywood on November 29th at the famed Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Toho plans to do an event in the style of old-time Hollywood with Godzilla himself walking the red carpet. Of course the director Ryuhei Kitamura and the cast of the film will be on hand as well. In conjunction with the premiere Godzilla will be receiving his own star on the famed Hollywood Walk of Fame and will be riding on a float sponsored by Toho in the Hollywood Christmas Parade.

I should note that this was my very first interview, so the questions were a bit raw, but overall I was pleased....and the folks over at Toho were pleased.

Overall the whole experience was a great thrill! I even walked the red carpet at the premiere of "Final Wars" just ahead of Godzilla himself. I was an once in a lifetime event that I will treasure all my days.

Godzilla 2012 Facebook Group Update: Immediate Success!

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Yesterday, when I first decided to create the "Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group)" on Facebook, I didn't know what was going to happen, or what to expect.

For the first couple of hours, things weren't very encouraging. There were four members and no one seemed to be very interested in the group.

It was, roughly, about that time that I posted an article on my other site, Monster Island News, announcing the launch of the Facebook group, and this new website/blog.

After that things changed in a hurry, fans began joining the group in swarms and the posts started coming fast and furious.

In my MIN post, I urged fans who joined the group to make their voices heard and to post everything and anything they thought, or knew, about "Godzilla 2012".

Well, they must have taken my words to heart because the discussions started almost immediately, and continued well into the late-night hours.

At this point I am happy to announce the the Facebook group has 138 members, who started 5 board topics, 4 photos, 4 links, and dozens of wall posts.

The board topics include:

The Budget
Who will Direct?
The Cast
Suitmation or CGI
Movie Plot

To be honest, I think that all these topics were started by member, David Nunez, who was literally on a mission Tuesday to get things rolling. My personal thanks go out to him and his tireless efforts.

I want to thank everyone who joined the group, and are continuing to join up. So far we, together, have created one of Facebook's most popular, and fastest growing pages. Good Job Everyone!

See Also: Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Facebook Group)

Godzilla 2012 In The News 03/31/10

Godzilla Returns
Minneapolis Star Tribune (blog) - James Lileks

As they say on Fark, Hollywood now officially out of ideas: American studio plans Godzilla movie. But they said that about the previous remake, in 1998. Here it comes again, 14 years later - Warner Bros. / Legendary will make a new one for a 2012 release. Why? Because computer effects have gotten better, and audiences’ attention spans have shrunk another 17%, so it will possible to make a movie with no plot


whatsoever and only a small portion of Shia LaBoeuf.

Read More

Godzilla to stomp back to theatres
Toronto Star - Koji Sasahara

Everyone’s favourite havoc-wreaking lizard, Godzilla, is on his way back to the big screen via Legendary Pictures, which has acquired the rights to develop and produce a new feature based on the iconic Toho Co. character.

The last major Godzilla outing, an American, New York-set version from Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, grossed $376 million (U.S.) worldwide in 1998, despite fielding major criticism. Toho quickly produced Godzilla 2000, in which the big beast took on an evil UFO, the following year.

Read More

Godzilla Due to Make His 29th Film
Pajiba - Dustin Rowles

Legendary Pictures has secured the rights from Toho Company to make another Godzilla movie in the United States. Warner Brothers will be co-financing and co-distributing the film stateside. A 2012 release is planned.

The movie will be about a giant lizard monster. He’ll probably growl a lot. Maybe stomp on some shit. Rain, the ocean, and power lines will likely be featured at some point during the film. He’ll probably spit some fire. I’m sure it’ll be in 3D. It will get terrible reviews. No one who sees it will like it. It’ll make $300 million.

Read More

Godzilla returns with the help of Warner/Legendary
Gather.com - Anthony Wendel

The King of the Monsters has been green lit to make a comeback. More than a decade after the disgrace that was Godzilla by director Roland Emmerich (Stargate, 2012) and Godzilla fans have been itching for another film to come out. This is mainly due to the fact that Godzilla’s creation studio Toho put the character on what was supposed to be a ten year hiatus. This hiatus will be interrupted by Legendary Studious who will be working in conjunction with Warner Brothers to help with the return of the film icon.

Few details currently exist about the film. All that can be known is that the studio will be trying to accomplish something in the vein of the message expressed in Godzilla’s first appearance, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which came out in 1954. Considering the nostalgia that this film has for many movies fan, there will no doubt be a high level of expectation that the studios will have to deliver.

Read More

Godzilla Returns, and Legendary's Got Him
True/Slant - Anne Thompson

The giant Japanese green monster Godzilla is back. So like The Hulk, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, The Addams Family, Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans and so many other familiar properties, Hollywood is going back to the well with a franchise and an easy-sell name. Sigh.

Last time, in 1998, Sony oversold Godzilla as a hulking surefire blockbuster, plastered on gigantor-sized billboards everywhere. But something went terribly wrong with Sony’s Roland Emmerich Godzilla. Part of it was that Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park dinosaurs were so much better. Also, Emmerich’s sense of scale was off: the thing was too big to be comprehended inside the frame. It wasn’t scaleable, somehow. Now, in an ever-expanding CG universe, anything is possible.

Read More

Legendary and WB to Bring Back... "GODZILLA" !
Oh My Gore !

Legendary Pictures announced today they are ready to start developing a new movie based on the legendary Toho Studios monster Godzilla, having acquired the rights to the character Toho created over fifty years ago in the 1954 film, which has since become a genre classic. Legendary is producing the movie through their deal with Warner Bros. with hopes to announce a director soon to helm the movie with the intention of having it ready for a 2012 release.

Toho has kept Godzilla alive through two generations of movies, many of which were only released in Japan. The last time Godzilla arrived on these shores, it was for a 50th Anniversary re-release of the original movie. Before that, Toho released one of the Japanese films in the United States as "GODZILLA 2000", and in 1998, director Roland Emmerich and his partner Dean Devlin tackled a reinvention of "GODZILLA" for Sony, a summer blockbuster that grossed $379 million worldwide despite generally tepid reviews and disfavor from the long-time fans of the character.

Read More

What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla

What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla

Opinion by Armand Vaquer

The late George Putnam used to have his "one reporter's opinion" pieces on current events and politics. Well, here's mine on Legendary Pictures' Godzilla.

After settling down from taking care of some banking and buying a new microwave oven, I sat down and perused the news reports on Legendary Pictures' announcement of their planned Godzilla co-production (with Warner Bros.) that is slated for a 2012 release.

The wire service Reuters carried the story and this quote was included:

"Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise," said Thomas Tull, chairman and CEO of Legendary. "Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."

This gives me hope that the new American version of Godzilla will stay true to the character. Obviously, the Sony/TriStar Godzilla from 1998 was not what the fans hoped to see. Fans are still smarting over that one.

If you were to ask fans on what they'd like to see, they'd say that, 1.) Godzilla has to be recognizable as Godzilla. They wouldn't quibble over some tweaking of the design here and there (as long as it looks "cool"), but the design has to look like a credible Godzilla to make it work for them. 2.) Godzilla has to be the nuclear terror that serves as a metaphor for The Bomb or war itself. 3.) No campiness! Camp humor and nuclear terror are not a good mix. Keep it serious. No Siskel and Ebert lookalikes or actresses who can't convincingly cry, thank-you! 4.) A good storyline. If Godzilla is to appear in America, there has to be a good reason (plot-wise) for him to do so. Make a scary giant monster movie. It can be done, Cloverfield proved that! 5.) The special effects have to be top-notch. TriStar's special effects in their 1998 film were good, but some were not so hot (like the CGI baby Godzillas in Madison Square Garden). The effects have to be realistic and dazzling to the eyes. 4.) More screen time for Godzilla. The TriStar misfire had Godzilla disappear for a long stretch. If a company is willing to pay for the rights to use the character, then USE the character! 5.) If Godzilla is to be killed off at the end, don't make it happen so easily as TriStar did (a few missiles from fighter jets, c'mon!). His demise has to be extraordinary. Better yet, don't kill him (think sequel). 5.) As a fan, I want to see an American Godzilla movie that I can point to with pride and be able to tell people, "Hollywood finally got Godzilla right this time!"

Some fans would like to see Godzilla fight another monster. I am against this for one reason: they need to concentrate on getting the Godzilla character right. If they succeed, then they can do a monster vs. monster story in a sequel.

To see the full Reuters story, go here.

Godzilla 2012 Variety Article - Updated!

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Variety

Thanks to Dennis Mace of the Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group) on Facebook for pointing out that Monday's article about "Godzilla 2012" has been updated, slightly, with a little more info.

From Variety:

'Godzilla' stomps back to screen
Legendary Pictures gets rights to iconic monster

Durable special effects juggernaut "Godzilla" will return to the bigscreen in 2012, with Legendary Pictures producing.

Legendary will co-produce with Warner Bros., which is co-financing.

The "Godzilla" project's been something of an open secret in recent months after Legendary execs began talking with potential directors. Legendary held off on making a public announcement until it closed its rights deal with Japan's Toho Co., which has overseen more than 25 "Godzilla" films.

Legendary said it's planning to announce a director shortly, and indicated that its "Godzilla" will pay respects to the original pic rather than follow up on Sony's 1998 "Godzilla." In the 1954 original "Godzilla," the fire-breathing monster, mutated due to atomic radiation exposure, wreaked devastation on Japan but then defended the nation in later films from attacks by other monsters.

Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise," said Thomas Tull, chairman and CEO of Legendary. "Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."

Though Legendary won't say so publicly, its execs are described as being particularly keen to avoid duplicating the look and feel of Sony's 1998 "Godzilla," a contempo update with state-of-the-art special effects centered on the chaos and destruction accompanying the monster's arrival in New York City.

Read The Rest Of The Article - 'Godzilla' stomps back to screen

Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Facebook Group)

Written By: Ken Hulsey

With all the buzz generated yesterday, when it was announced that Legendary Pictures, in conjunction with Warner Bros studios, were going to make a new "Godzilla" movie for release in 2012, I thought that it was the right time to start an online fan page for it.

So, I logged on to Facebook this morning and created "Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group)" for fans of the "Godzilla" movie series to be able to post their thoughts about the project and also post rumors about the films plot and potential monster(s) designs.

Just about every media outlet ran a story about the film, which has created a great deal of interest in this new American made "Godzilla" movie.

I think that it is important that we, the fans, show our support for the film, and let our voices be heard, when it comes to what we would like to see (expect) from such a film.

With any luck, the folks of at Legendary/Warner Bros, will check in on the group to see what is going on, and possibly, take some of the opinions voiced there to heart.

I don't think that either the fans, or the studios involved, want a repeat of what happened with "Godzilla 98".

From the studios statements, it is apparent that they want "Godzilla 2012" to be something more along the lines of the classic films produced by Toho between 1954-2004.

I think that is what we all want.

I encourage all of you to join the group, and become very active in it. Of course, just joining will make a statement on it's own, and participation is not mandatory, but the more people we get to post messages the better.

I think that by doing this, all of us, that is to say the mass of Godzilla fans worldwide can play some part, however possibly small, in ensuring that "Godzilla 2012" will be both successful, and a movie we can treasure for generations to come.

Please Join - Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group)

Thank You! - Ken

See Also: It's Official! A New Godzilla Movie Is Coming In 2012! / Get Ready With Your Finger Missiles And Robot Punch! The Shogun Warriors Are Coming To The Big Screen! / Japanese Uber Geekdome - Godzilla Related Cosplay & The Return Of The Life-Sized Gundam / "Godzilla 1985": 25th Anniversary / All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla's Revenge)(1969)(Toho) / A Godzilla Plush Doll For All You Little Monsters / Run For Your Life! It's Godzilla!!...No...Wait It's A Crustacean / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla Into Perspective / Legendary Pictures Announces New Godzilla Movie! / Roland Emmerich Proud Of Godzilla, Not Making Sequel / Toho Tells Comcast, "Didn't You Learn From Subway? You Can't Use Godzilla To Sell Cable TV!" / Peter H. Brothers' Ishiro Honda Bio To Be Published / G-FAN No. 88 Summary / Schedule Conflict Knocks Out Godzilla Film Fest / G-FEST XVI News / Preserving Godzilla And The Blu-Ray Announcement / Godzilla 3D - Opinions Swirling Swirling Swirling / Godzilla 3D Begins Pre-Production For 2011 Release / A Pin-up Girl Riding Godzilla - Now This Is Art! / Godzilla & The Monsters Of Mass Destruction Trailer / Steve Bissette Creates Special Artwork For New Hampshire Screening Of King Kong vs Godzilla / G-FAN #87 Summary / Ishiro Honda Bio Being Negotiated / Robert Scott Field Is Joining Kenji Sahara At G-FEST XVI / King Kong And Godzilla Invade The London Subway / King Kong vs Godzilla (1962)(Toho) / G-FEST XVI To Host Kenji Sahara / Photo Of The Week - Godzilla Goes On A Date / New Wooden Godzilla Figures Cost More Than Most Cars / Rare Video - Haruo Nakajima Puts On The Godzilla Suite One Last Time For Magazine Shoot / Toho Is Renting Out Godzilla And MechaGodzilla Movie Costumes

What's Really In Your Wardrobe?

Hello there lovelies,

The crazy conglomeration of fabrics you see before you is, in fact, my wardrobe. This post was inspired by Claire, of The View From Here who kindly showed us the mountains of style she has hidden in her wardrobe, and I've used it as somewhat of a learning/awareness exercise. But more on that later!

Contents of my Wardrobe (Eeek!)

Tops

• 27 T-shirts - 14 printed t-shirts (eg. this), 4 plain colours and 5 concert/show tees (eg. this).
• 6 dresses - including one strapless and two maxi-dresses.
• 3 Cardigans - 2 black, one covered in stars.
• 4 hoodies - my favourite is an Emily the Strange one covered in tiny little bones.
• 5 jackets - a denim jacket, a biker jacket, a plaid jacket, a black trench, and a black denim Earl Jean jackets, snagged for $10, with a RRP of $129.99
• 2 corsets - one beautiful pinstripe underbust corset made by Countess Von Belfry.
• 1 halter top, and 1 tube top.
• 6 singlets - three plain colours, three printed.
• 6 tank tops .
• 7 assorted vests, and other similar layering pieces.
• 2 button-ups - including the one I wore to my 21st birthday.
• 5 long-sleeve shirts - including my modification of an Emily The Strange tee.
• 1 mens designer button-up shirt (which I found at a garage sale).
  
  Bottoms
  
• 5 pairs of jeans - including a black pair, and my $19.95 Lee Riders and these.
• 5 pairs of other pants - including these babies.
• 2 pairs of cropped pants
• 10 skirts - including the Wolverine Slasher Skirt, that I made.
• 4 pairs of shorts - two short pairs, one pair of denims and a patchwork pair of mens shorts.

Accessories

• 1 pair of striped armwarmers, made by me.
• 14 hats - 1 bowler hat, 2 trilbys, 2 train driver style caps, 1 Wolverine cap, and the rest knitted berets and beanies.
• 4 belts - my usual studded belt, a patterned hip belt, an Emily The Strange belt, and one that says "Always Scores" with pictures of Space Invaders on it.
• 3 ties.
• 1 pair of suspenders (polka dot).
• 10 scarves - mostly matching the knitted beanies, and this one that I made.
• 12 pairs of shoes - 1 long gladiator sandals, 2 short gladiator-ish sandals, 3 pairs of boots, 2 pairs of heels, 2 pairs of Vans, 1 pair of Red Pepper platform boots ($2 from Thrift Shop) and a pair of skull-printed gumboots.
• 8 bags - including an Emily The Strange bag shaped like the head of a cat.
  

I actually learned alot from this exercise - firstly, that I really had no idea how much clothing I have amassed. The scary thing here being, that this is actually the smallest my wardrobe has been for a very long time. From now on I'm going to be much more careful about what I buy, especially when it comes to those ultra-cheap tables full of t-shirts. There's not really any reason why I need as many t-shirts as I have, let alone more. You're going to be seeing more of an effort to remix from me - as of this week, I am giving myself a $20 weekly budget for clothing purchases. So, if I spend $60 this week, I can't buy any more clothing for three weeks. I may need The Boyfriend to help me with this one, but I think it has to be done. I'm blowing too much money on more clothes that could really be useful for other things.

Secondly, my wardrobe has a very pronounced lack of anything that isn't casual clothing. I'm swimming (or maybe a more fitting word would be drowning) in casual. When I do buy things in the near future, I want to focus on more "dressy" pieces. I want to build myself a look that is a little more mature than I have currently. On this tangent, thirdly I noticed that compared to the "busy" and "statement" pieces, I have very few plain basics. I want to get a few more things like this - plain tops for layering, a LBD, some nice tailored pants.

I'm still struck by how shocked I was to find out how huge my wardrobe is. How about you guys? Do you have a good handle on what's in your wardrobe? Do you think you'd learn anything by cataloging what is in your wardrobe?

Until next time, xo.

(Nonsensical) Thought For The Day...

Marc Johns draws lots of kooky, cool stuff. This is my favourite.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today!

Hello there lovelies,

Welcome to another installment of my vanity - this is what I threw on after work yesterday to go late night shopping with The Boyfriend. It was a successful shopping venture. I managed to score Veronica Mars: Season Three for $22, and The Sims 2 Double Deluxe Pack for $25. Also, I got a "Where The Wild Things Are" t-shirt.

Outfit Rundown:

Dress: Tree of Life, $29.99
Scarf (worn as waist belt): Groove Accessories, $5
Tights: Kmart, $10
Boots: Were given to me by a friend. GIVEN. I offered to pay, and she gave them to me. Love my friends.

I've had this dress stashed in my wardrobe for a long time now, but I've had myself labelled as "not a dress person" for so long now that I never wore it. Dare I say, I think I may be becoming a dress convert. This one in particular is super comfy. I chucked on the scarf and boots before heading out of the house, but I was sprawled on the couch in the dress and tights before that. Way comfier than I ever would have guessed. Also, I'M A GIRL? WHO KNEW?

Until next time, xo.

A Dose of Style - Winter Inspiration

Hello there lovelies!

I've was busy browsing the interwebz for inspiration for some quirky Winter outfits tonight when I realised that I haven't shared any pretty pictures with you for awhile now. Naughty, naughty! So, without further ado, here are some looks you may see me rocking (read: ripping off) this Winter.

I'm going to say this upfront: I don't give a rats ass how many fashion "critics", or "enthusiasts" hated this fluffy ensemble. I freakin' love it. Plus, goes to show Miss Pixie Geldof has great legs, no? It combines two of the best things about Winter - snuggly clothes, and crazy hats.

Taylor, Taylor, Taylor. Ripped jeans looking this damn cool is possibly the only reason I'm glad that Australia has a fairly mild Winter. I can wear these babies without getting frostbit on my kneecaps.

Le ripped jeans making another appearance, on the legs of Peaches Geldof. Love this ensemble, right down to the ankle boots. (Note to self: purchase ankle boots).

For once Ashley Olsen beat her sister onto my inspiration list. The layers, the scarf, the beautiful jeans, the studded boots! I'm almost sorry I ever called you boring Ashley! Almost.

Loving the comfy looking ensemble on Jessica Szohr here. Nice muted colours, and the whole thing looks classy, but casual. Of course, it helps alot to accessorise with Chuck Bass. (I refuse to acknowledge that Ed Westwick actually exists - he is just Chuck Bass to me. Hey Chuck, what are you doing holding hands with Girl Brooklyn?)

Until next time, xo.

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim

Few artists posses me ability to fuse disparate musical styles in original ways and still end up with an enjoyable result. The latest project from David Byrne and big-beat pioneer Fatboy Slim does just that, and then some. The project features incredibly diverse guest vocalists - from established pop queens (Cyndi Lauper) to indie darlings (Santigold, St. Vincent), but manages to maintain a cohesive sound distinctive of either artist's past work.

It goes even farther though, kind of an experiment in cross-genre story-telling, pulling elements from breakbeat, disco, pop, all while telling the bizarre (yet fascinating) life story of Imelda Marcos - the former first lady of the Philippines, known for her extravagant spending during her husband's twenty-year dictatorship and the 3000+ pairs of shoes found in the royal palace when they fled, in 1986, from a populist revolution.

The album gets released April 6, but if you hit up David Byrne's website, you can stream previews of the entire album and download a free copy of the track "Please Don't," featuring Santigold. I highly recommend listening to it beginning-to-end as a first run through - this is one of the rare cases where the album format really does lend itself to the flow of the album.

What I Wore Today - Birthday Dinner

Hello there lovelies!

You know, one of the things I love about blogging is that while I post the pictures of what I wore today, I can in fact be chilling out in nothing but a superman t-shirt and a pair of boyshorts. Oh the trickery! Well anyway, earlier this evening I ventured out to the magical land of Sizzler for a friends birthday dinner, and this is how I was attired. This is one of my first adventures back into dress/skirt land.

Outfit Rundown:

Dress: Trade Secret (Lushous), $22.95
Chainmaille bracelets: All crafted by The Boyfriend
Bow Knee-High Socks: Were about $6 from somewhere I think?
Boots: Target, $40

Because all the cool kids pose on their couches.

I was actually surprisingly comfortable in this dress! The photos really don't do it justice, since I'm so tired now. My only problem - it gets quite short at the back when you sit down. Next time, I think I'm going to wear some leggings underneath, just so I feel a bit more "safe". But overall, a positive dress-wearing experience. What did you wear today?

Until next time, xo.

Style Statements

Photo by Me.

Hello there lovelies,

It seems like the time of year to do another set of style statements - Winter appears to be knocking on my front door. Cardigans and light hoodies have already been making appearances, even if that is mainly due to the torrential rain we've had for most of the past few weeks. I am pretty much over the moon about this sudden cooling in the weather, and about the fact that at work our Winter stock is rolling in. I love Winter fashion. As soon as the beanies, scarves and jackets start appearing, I start losing my friggin' mind. I'm like a kid in a candy store. A kid who really, really loves candy. Anyway, I'm going to lay out my goals for making this a more stylish winter.

• Take advantage of cool Winter accessories - There are so many cool accessories that just don't work in an Australian Summer. Scarves, chunky knitted hats, woolen tights, cute beanies, gloves, rainbow toe socks! *swoon* I'm so jealous of people who can wear these things all year round. This Winter I want to take advantage of all the great accessories I can wear in the cold.
  


• Try out some crazy layering combinations - Once again, I am supremely jealous of people who have weather that means they can layer clothes all year round. I love the layered look, but in Summer here it is impossible to do without dying of heatstroke. I want to try working more interesting layering into my wardrobe for Winter. (For layering inspiration, see Sal at Already Pretty - she rocks it hard).
  


• Buy new (more flattering) jeans - I have gained weight in the last year, but the main problem is that the weight has redistributed itself differently. Whereas I always had bigger shoulders than hips before, I now have a more hourglass-ish figure. I have these curvy hips and boobs that I never had before. I love it, but it also means that skinny jeans are no longer very flattering. Flares and bootcuts are my new weapon of choice, preferably in dark/indigo denim.
  


• Get my hands on some less casual Winter wear - We all know that I'm a big fan of hoodies and jeans. But I've noticed lately there is quite a deficit in my wardrobe when it comes to "going-out" gear. I'd like to get a nice structured jacket, and a blazer for more dressy occasions, as well as some dresses that I can wear without freezing my ass off.

Winter Shopping/Sewing List: Sequinned beanies, blazer, basic long-sleeved shirts for layering, woolen tights, long-sleeved white work shirts, new work cardigan, knitted vests, a sequinned jackets, Winter-appropriate dresses, some nice thick tights, well-fitting jeans in flattering styles, colourful tops to break up my inevitably black winter attire and of course, some comfy but flattering Winter gear from Jay Jays.

As usual, these aren't huge changes. I'm more trying to push my style evolution in a certain direction rather than overhaul my whole aesthetic. I've been feeling like I'm in a bit of a style rut lately, so I'm making an effort to break out. How about you guys? Any style changes of late? I know most of you are going into Summer, but I'd still like to hear about it.

Until next time, xo.

Post, In Which There Is Rambling.

Photo by me.

Hello there lovelies,

Things aren't always going to be easy. Life isn't always just going to go your way, and sometimes you will feel like you're pushing shit up hill. You will be overwhelmed. You will feel like you're all alone in a crowded room. You will feel like today is the worst possible day that you will ever have. You will feel frustrated, and empty, and cry until your eyes stop making tears. You will scream, you will swear, and you will punch the walls. You will want to tear your hair our, and yes, at times, you will probably wish you were dead.

At times, you will also be overcome with joy, and amazed with everything around you. You will smile, and laugh until you feel like you couldn't ever be happier than you are at this moment. You will dance, and cheer, and hug your friends like it's the last time you'll get the chance. You will love, and be loved with a fierceness & tenderness that you could never imagine. You will find happiness in the simplest things. There will be days where everything goes exactly the way you plan, and you feel like you could walk on water. You will feel strong, and fulfilled.

But, as I am discovering at the moment you don't really get to choose when these days come. I apologise if I have been a little quiet on the blog front this week. I recently found out that a good friend of mine is pregnant. While this is amazing news, it knocked me for a six in a way that I never counted on. Not many people know that, had things gone otherwise, The Boyfriend and I would be parents right now. When we had just met, we were young and silly (not to mention careless), and I fell pregant only a few months after we started dating. We were ecstatic, and and terrified, as most people are in that situation. But, not even two weeks after we found out, I miscarried. For a long time, I couldn't bear to sit next to a stranger's baby on a bus, let alone talk about children, or baby-sit. But after a while, the pain lessened and I could stand to be around children again. Pregnant women even. But hearing that this close friend of mine is pregnant - well, it feels like I just had the stitches ripped out of an old, puss-filled, searing wound.

Nonetheless, I know that this intense pain is a passing thing. Soon, I will be just as intensely happy as I have even been, and I'll probably be throwing around crafty ideas about things to make for the baby. Anyway, my point - you can't choose when life will open up these old wounds, or "thow you a curveball", if you like that metaphor. What you get on any particular day is always going to be a bit of a lucky dip. But, no matter how horrible things get, they can get better. To delve back into the metaphor, how you choose to ride the curves is all up to you. I choose to see that the bad times can, and will end. And as such, I accept that the good times will always end too. But that doesn't mean it's not worth trying to make them good.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today!

Hey lovelies,

Today's outfit is brought to you by The Merchants of Bollywood, which my amazing mother took me to see on Saturday night at QPAC. It was an incredible, vibrant show, filled with energetic dancers, bold colours and a great sense of humour. My outfit today is a mixture of colour inspiration taken from the show, and my current experimentation with finding casual lay-around-the-house outfits that don't involve jeans.

Outfit Rundown:

Shirt: bought at Merchants of Bollywood, $20
Belt: Trade Secret (Senses), $3.95
Orange Maxi Dress (worn under t-shirt): Cleo Magazine, FREE.

Obligatory making-a-jackass-of-myself picture. I'm more of a hip-hop dancer myself, but after that show, I think I want to give Bollywood dancing a shot!

I really like this incarnation of casual, and coincedently, so does The Boyfriend. I feel much more feminine, and less lazy than I do sitting around in my normal t-shirt and jeans combination. What do you guys think? What do you wear on days where you don't have to leave the house, and how does it make you feel?

Until next time, xo.

P.S: I didn't realise until today, finally taking pictures outside after the rain we've had, exactly how much blue is in my hair! Sweet.

Why The Bloodhound Gang Makes The World A Happier Place

Hey there lovelies,

I've come up with a new strategy for dealing with the inevitable build-up of frustration that occurs after working particularly painful days in retail. When the day finishes, I hurry out the door into my car, and then pump this song out through my crappy speakers:

At first glance, it seems like a pretty negative way to deal with things right? But here's the thing - I cannot, and I mean cannot listen to this song without cracking up laughing. By the time the song finishes, I'm laughing so hard, and in such a good mood that I've completely forgotten what annoyed me about my day in the first place. I get home with a smile on my face, completely ready to spend my time at home happily, instead of bitching about what happened during the day. (Of course, this isn't foolproof, I still bitch sometimes!). But that, my dears, is why The Bloodhound Gang makes the world a happier place.

Until next time, xo.

DIY Friday!

Hello lovelies!

Ok, ok, so there's actually ten minutes of Thursday left. But DIY Friday is just that much more catchy, don't you think? I have a whole stack of crafty goodness for you today. Onward!

A little bathrobe type thing that I made as a practical project for my dressmaking TAFE course. It was actually really easy - just a few simple measurements, and sewing together rectangles. If anyone is interested in a tutorial for this, I could probably knock one up.

Hahaha, ignore the fact that I ran out of black zippers, and had to use a white one. These pants were another TAFE practical project. Ignore the incredible high-waist, combined with baggy fit - I used a pattern from the late 80's/early 90's, when that was all the rage. This was the first time I ever made pants, how exciting. Making pants is really difficult at first. When you've never done it before, it can be really confusing figuring out which pieces go where, and how they all attach to each other. But once you figure it out, it's actually quite simple!

A skirt I made up from scratch, using the leftover material from making the pants, and the remnant green tulle I bought the other day. This one looks heaps better in real life - edgy, but elegant.

Oh, how I love these things. It turned out that I didn't have enough faux fur to execute my hooded-scarf-with-cat-ears plan (I'm going to splurge on some rainbow faux fur, and do it with that), so I made a regular scarf and a pair of mittens instead. I can't wait until it gets a little colder so I can wear them in public!

Fellow DIYer's, what have you been making lately? I hope you've all been on creative rolls like mine! I've gotten a bit behind on checking my favourite blogs this week, so I can't wait to pick up some inspiration from you guys.

Until next time, xo.

P.S: As you probably noticed, I am now a black-head again. It's funny how this colour feels natural for me. Enter bonus picture of hair, plus my facial expression as my head explodes from all the creative DIY ideas slamming into each other in there.

Rob Threezy

I was all about Rob Threezy's "The Chase." Yea, it was epic. Sadly, I hadn't heard much from the dude of late. Until "Your Love," that is. The track comes from his Let's Go Ravers E.P., which recently dropped on T&A. Cop it here.



No time for extensive writing in the midst of this finals nonsense. Pray for me and such - I'll be back to legit posting soon.

Thought For The Day...

"I have to go down to Florida and get married because that what's expected of me." And the fucking insane part is, he ain't even crazy about the chick he's marrying or Florida, never mind the fact that he's got a perfectly good chick right here in Jersey who he's nuts about and even Anne-fucking-Frank can see that she's nuts about him — God knows why. And she likes you for who you are, man. She ain't trying to stuff you into a box you'll never fit into, not to mention that she's carrying your hideous fucking C.H.U.D. of a kid. Jesus, if you had any sense whatsoever, you'd fucking stop trying to bray it up with the rest of the sheep and live your life the way it makes sense to you, you fucking ass.

- Randal Graves, Clerks II

Wisdom really does come from the strangest places sometimes. I am in love with this speech.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today! + Blogger Award

Hey there lovelies!

Right now, I am watching Clerks 2. But earlier today, I headed into the City with The Boyfriend, his sister and a few of her friends. We did a little shopping, a little loitering, and a little aimless wandering. Anyway, I thought it was the perfect occasion to debut the Wolverine Slasher Hoodie in public. Interestingly, it got far fewer wierd looks than the Slasher Skirt. I wonder why that is?

Outfit Rundown

Wolverine Slasher Hoodie: Made by me, around $10

Black t-shirt (worn underneath): Kmart, $10
Jeans: Kmart, $30

Boots: Target, $40

Chainmaille bracelets: crafted by The Boyfriend

Also, I got given a blogger award by the lovely Alex of Shut Up, Vita. Thanks Alex! So now, you lucky people get to learn seven things about me.

1. I am left-handed, for serious yo. So, if anyone can point me in the direction of left-handed knitting instructions, that would be just freakin' great.

2. I loooove Jay and Silent Bob. Clerks, Clerks 2, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back - I eat that shit up. I don't care if people think that the humour in these movies is immature and lame, I can't get enough of them. Actually, if someone could hook me up with Mallrats and Chasing Amy, my life would finally be complete.

3. I think I may be deranged. I rearranged the things I have in a display cabinet, and realised that alongside 80's My Little Pony, teddy bears given to me by The Boyfriend, and Hello Kitty, I have Goth dolls, a replica Velociraptor skeleton, a teddy bear with an axe, and the Freddy vs. Jason smackdown right in the middle.

4. My new favorite band is The Reel Big Fish. Check out Don't Start A Band, She Has A Girlfriend Now, and Beer for a taste of the ska magic.

5. The Boyfriend and I own seven different versions of Monopoly. We are nerds.

6. About a month ago, The Boyfriend and I celebrated our three year anniversary. As silly as it sounds, we've been practically living together since around two weeks after we met. I officially moved in around three months after we started dating, after six months we had the kitties, and just after a year we got our puppy. People say we moved really fast, but we only get one life and I've never been happier than when we started living together.

7. According to our new electric bathroom scales, I am 34.8% muscle. Sweet.

Now, without further ado, I'm going to pass this award on to a few bloggers that I think really rock. (Don't feel obligated to do the meme, I just wanted to point out your awesomeness).

Max from Queen Of The Trailer Park
Autley from Heaps of Heart
Anni Sugar from Hand in Unlovable Hand
Stace from Tee & Fame

Thanks for the wonderful blogs ladies!

Until next time, xo.

P.S: I had fun in the Lincraft remnant bin today. See that tiger print faux fur? I'm gonna make me a hooded scarf with cat ears and a pair of mittens out of that. Heck yes. The others are some stretchy faux denim, green tulle, and white sparkly knit fabric. I love you Lincraft remnant bin!

A Dose of Style - Blogger Edition!

Hello there lovelies!

So, today is the day where you find out that I'm super lame, and a little creepy to boot. Maybe, just maybe, I have a folder on my laptop labelled "outfit inspiration", that is filled with pictures of the awesome outfits other bloggers wear. Maybe I look through this folder whenever I'm having trouble coming up with something cool to wear. Maybe I sometimes just flip through it to remember what damn awesome style the blogging community has. And maybe I'm going to distract you from my creepiness with some pretty pictures.

This is Sal from Already Pretty. Amazing blog with great reads on body image & style, among other things. And girlfriend knows how to rock a nice pair of boots. I adore her unique, yet understand style.

Say hello to Kasmira, from What I Wore Today. This lady does some brilliant layering - she is my new number one layering inspiration for the upcoming Winter. I love her ensembles that are crazy, and yet totally work.

Meet Audi! Fashion For Nerds is one of my latest discoveries, and boy am I glad I stumbled across it. I have a great amount of respect for any lady bringing this much fashion prowess (and badass) to the scientific community.

Oh Lady Smaggle, how I adore you. Your style posts are a light in the darkness of my dreary world (why yes, I am a little melodramatic tonight). Oh, and you're Australian. Sweet.

And last, but certainly not least, we have Rabbit from Rabbit Write. This lady is not a fashion blogger, but she has a very quirky, unique style. Plus, she writes great in-depth posts about topics that are relevant to all of us - from body image, to relationships, to sex, to feminism.

Whew, that's about all from me for tonight. But rest assured, this won't be the only blogger edition of A Dose of Style! There are so many awesome, and stylish bloggers out there. I haven't even scraped the surface of my "outfit inspiration folder." I mean, what?

Until next time, xo.

P.S: If any of you lovely bloggers would rather not be included in this post, just email me and I will remove you. You're great either way!

BIGSTEREO + Baby Monster + Friendly Greg

Oh my dear sweet goodness, S.X.S.W. is almost upon us. The most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching, and I feel the need to tell you fine folks about a couple of wee parties I'll be DJing. We'll start with the BIGSTEREO and Radar Maker party (which also happens to be the BIGSTEREO Records launch party as well as the Baby Monster release party). I'll be playing early 'cause I'm not a superstar, so show up early to catch my sets and I'll buy you a drink. (I won't buy you a drink.) RSVP here, get Twitter updates here, etc.

Bigstereo, RadarMaker & The Glitoris Present: from Pomp&Clout on Vimeo.

My MySpace page, my Twitter, and all other sorts of things about me as a DJ. Once again, I need more gigs, so get at me!

DIY Madness!

Hello there world!

I've had a pretty amazing day today - spent all of it sewing, watching old episodes of Family Guy and listening to The Reel Big Fish. Unfortunately, now I have to go and clean my house for the upcoming rent inspection tomorrow. My sewing supplies have somehow ended up all over the living room. My oh my, how did that happen? Anyway, I had to show off the fruits of my labour first.

Monkeys in a barrel! I'm starting to work on some Winter clothes now, since we're coming up to the end of Summer here. This is a resized men's t-shirt from Jay Jays (I'm in love with the 3 for $15 table), combined with some sleeves I hacked off something else. I think it was a womens long sleeve shirt from Target, but I could be wrong.

Another Winter recon! The pink Emily The Strange "Cute Is Dead" was getting a little short for me, now that I've gained weight and *ahem* actually have boobs again. My newfound boobage almost made it a midriff top, so I chopped up another shirt to make it into a layered-look Winter top. The stripes line up and everything, so I'm proud. Oh, also in these two pics, you get a bit of a look at my $19.95 (RRP $119.95) Lee jeans.

Here we have a little experiment in skirt making - the bubble skirt, tutorial found in Generation T: Beyond Fashion. It's made from three t-shirts, and is lined on the inside. I was a bit dubious about the whole thing while I was making it, and it ended up quite a bit longer than I intended, but I'm still pretty happy with the end result.

Fellow DIY'ers, what are your latest projects? Keep my inspiration coming, haha! Now, I'm off to tidy the house. I probably fail at life for only starting at 10PM, the night before my rent inspection, but the house is suspiciously clean already. So, win or fail, you decide!

Until next time, xo.

Acid Girls + Maya Vanya + Friendly Greg

I've been M.I.A. for a minute. My bad. Finals + trying to get my life in order before heading down to S.X.S.W. have kept me busy like whoa. Anywho, I'm back. And to kick things off, check out this (relatively) old video for Acid Girls' "The Numbers Song." This tracks been one of my favorite's for quite some time now, so not posting the video until half a year or so after it dropped is simply inexcusable. Meh, whatever. I'll be sure to make up for it by partying extra hard during their set at the Welcome to L.A. party at S.X.S.W. Follow the link for R.S.V.P. instructions.



Also. Be sure to check out my new mix for the Next Generation DJ contest. This mix was good enough to place me eighth overall. Congrats to Maya Vanya (the winners) - we're all heaps jealous. And of course, thanks to Let's Mix and their co-sponsors. Peep the final results here.

Fake Breasts, Fake Tans, Fake Instruments from Friendly Greg at Letsmix.com.

On that note, please throw a party at S.X.S.W. and please book me to DJ it. Come on folks, help me get some experience and exposure! Follow me on Twitter, friend me on MySpace, etc. Blah, blah, blah.

Hey, It's Ok!

Photo by me - Taken at Kiama, NSW 2009.

Hello there lovelies,

I thought it was about time for another one of these. So, remember, it's completely and totally ok for you:

To pass up a boozy night on the town to read a book, hang with your partner, or curl up on the couch with a DVD; to smile for no particular reason; to not smile for no particular reason; to own more crazy hats than you could ever possibly need; to be proud of the tiny biceps you're slowly cultivating; to watch your favourite TV shows/movies over and over again, until you know all the words; to secretly be madly in love with Chuck Bass (or Blair Waldorf for that matter); to be happy when everyone else is sad (or sad when everyone else is happy); to jump around like an idiot when you have pins & needles in your hand/foot; to listen to crazy ska bands; to decide not to brush your hair today; to have no real idea where your life 'is headed'; to drink so much iced coffee that it may have replaced your actual blood supply; to look in the mirror & think "Fuck, I'm hot"; to not wear high heels, or even skirts 90% of the time; to somehow feel more in control of your life because you finally bought a new yearly planner; to repeatedly say "I love (insert character here) during movies, about different characters; to not want to be a runway model; to pretty much exclusively wear the 3 for $12 Jay Jay's underwear because it's so damn cute; to spend time staring into nothingness; and to love your life so fiercely that it hurts.

Really, its ok! I promise.

Until next time, xo.