Happy Leonforte - Pharrell Williams: VIDEO

Leonforte, in the province of Enna, in Sicily hold a very, very special place in my heart.

It is where beloved father grew up, it is where my mother moved to (from Catania) after World War II broke out (and stayed) and later, where they met and fell in love and married (before moving to Sydney, Australia).

My cousin, who lives in Sicily, just posted this video, and I kinda flipped. In a good way. 

Set against the backdrop of the infectious Pharrell Williams song 'Happy', it features a panoramic opening shot of Leonforte (yes, I know… the countryside looks like a scene from 'The Godfather'), it shows the '24 Cannoli' famous water fountain, and it shows the beautiful Sicilian people, who are as real as they come in Italy. I always say the lower you go down Italy's 'boot', the lovelier the people get, and the more delicious the food becomes.

Here's the vid:



The YouTube description says:

Happy Leonforte cerca di porre l'attenzione su tutto ciò che oggi siamo riusciti a creare, dal lavoro a ogni forma di aggregazione. Happy Leonforte vuole dare risalto agli angoli nascosti che ciascuno di noi guarda ma non vede; agli angoli che qualcuno non ha mai visto. 

Circa un migliaio di persone coinvolte, grazie anche alle tante realtà associative (ci dispiace per quelli che non appariranno per problemi di tempo e tempistica); 20 giorni di riprese volte a valorizzare ogni angolo di un paese che nasconde la propria identità; circa 5 minuti per concentrare, incastrare, 150 riprese diverse.

Da un work group a cura di Alberto Maria, Sandro Rossino, Giuseppe Guagliardo, Paolo Cremona, Sergio Rossino, Matteo Sturnio, Tano Purrazzo...un sentito grazie a tutti i leonfortesi che amano Leonforte e la rendono "HAPPY".

The famed water fountain is here below. Leonforte is a must-see part of Sicily, Italy:

Prince Mix Tape - Welcome to Australia

In honour of Prince's concert tomorrow night in Sydney, his first in Australia, here is a compile post on my fave Prince songs.

This one - 'Cream' - was a fave. Not only because I later ended up working as deputy editor at a magazine called Cream, it was because I really, really wanted to look like one of his two back up dancers (the one with the higher 1990s hair and sultrier makeup. And I wanted her outfit. True story):

Diamonds and Pearls:

And more:

Remember this one?:

Right song, wrong vid (John Travolta?):

Oh, I forgot just how good The Purple One is on guitar:

Naughty Prince:

What's your fave Prince song?

Milla Jovovich in Campari Calendar 2012 - part 2

Here is part two of the series of shots from the Campari 2012 calendar.

One of the most highly anticipated calendars every year (the 2012 edition will be the 11th for the brand), pictured here are the July-December photos, with the last image the back cover of the calendar.

To see the first six, go here:

http://josiesjuice.blogspot.com/2011/10/milla-jovovich-in-campari-calendar-2012.html

And to see the impressive behind the scenes video, watch this:

The Premise by Drambuie: 'The Dispensary'

Following a succession of innovative and original entries, Drambuie announced 'The Dispensary' as the triumphant winner of 'The Premise' 2011 competition www.thepremise.com.au

Victorious winners Matilda Swan, 23 and Simon Connett, 24 created their vision for a very cool apothecary-inspired bar, thanks to Drambuie’s rich history in folklore as a medicinal elixir.

As winners of The Premise, the duo received a $10,000 cash prize and were given a bar manager, security, alcohol supplies, bar equipment, bar facilities and staff, absolutely everything they will need to run The Premise.

"As the Drambuie story goes, Bonnie Prince Charles Stuart requested the Royal Apothecary to develop a mysterious elixir of expensive, rare, and delicious herbs and spices to keep up his hopes and strengths during battle” says Simon. “The idea of creating a traditional apothecary, with a modern twist, evoked powerful design qualities for us, as well as tying in perfectly with the Drambuie story. Our bar will be a stylish and exclusive dispensary, set in a spectacular location that is designed to attract Sydney’s elite, where the Drambuie elixir can be tasted, savoured and dispensed once more.

“We want to showcase the intricate details and ambience of ‘The Dispensary’ throughout the drinks menu also, with a selection of delicious Drambuie cocktails featuring fresh herbs and fruits” Matilda adds. “Many of these herbs we want to hand grow in the bar itself to stay true to the rich traditions of apothecary. Each of these exclusive concoctions will be versatile, making them perfect for both the cooler or warmer weather on stunning Sydney Harbour.”

Matt Thurlow, Spokesperson for Drambuie says: “Simon and Matilda have developed a creative and exclusive bar concept inspired by the Drambuie brand values of passion and mystery and we’re sure Sydney-siders are going to have a lot of fun visiting this venue!”.

Log on to The Premise Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ThePremise to follow the build of ‘The Dispensary’.

Visiting the venue on opening night was quite the experience - boarding a water taxi at the Man O' War steps (near the Sydney Opera House) and enjoying the five minute ride across the harbour, to then alight at the floating bar with a difference.

Enjoy the experience before it disappears - it will be operational until Saturday October 22, 2011.

Urban Boulder - jewellery with an edge

Lisa Simpson and Remo Carbone are the designers behind jewellery brand with an edge, Urban Boulder.

The duo are New York City-based (Remo is an Aussie) and are inspired by their surrounding urban landscape. They buy their opal directly from independent miners in outback Queensland - the result here speak for themselves.

(Check out their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/urbanboulder and Twitter page at www.twitter.com/urbanboulder

Say the duo: "We create contemporary jewellery inspired by the urban environment and crafted with natural precious elements. We draw upon every day, but often overlooked, details from the environment around us and reinterpret the shapes with boulder opal and silver into beautiful pieces of jewellery.

"Classified in the same category as diamonds, boulder opal – which makes up only a tiny fraction of the opal mined – contains every colour of the rainbow. No two stones are ever the same, so all of our pieces are one of a kind."

Indeed they are. For more on this wearable art, watch this video below:

Urban Boulder: inspiration and creative process from Urban Boulder on Vimeo.

Tara Lawson Jewellery - new must haves

So, I am a bit of a jewellery freak. A lover of all things that sparkle, interesting pieces to adorn myself with. So I was thrilled to be the first (thanks Colette and Nikki at Park Avenue PR!) to view the new collection from Tara Lawson.

Tara is an artist, jewellery designer and free-spirit living and working in Sydney (pictured here).

In late 2010, after designing for some of Australia’s largest jewellery houses, Tara has now released her own signature collection.

Featured here, her debut collection Lush Land, is a compilation of organic statement pieces through to the delicately layered.

Tara's signature style includes elements of geometry and nature, entwined with mystisim and magic, to create an earthy and luxe feeling. These designs are individually handcrafted and cast in precious metals and decorated with semi-precious stones.

Tara is inspired by nature and symbology, astrology, mystisim and magic, individualism and freedom. Her debut collection, like Tara herself, blends mystery with love, reminiscent of stories both intriguing and whimsical.

The pieces pictured are:

Phalynx Ring $40 and Phalynx Triset $50

Tear and Stone Ear (Blue Lace Agate) $120

Shagnet Necklace $220

Kinetic earrings (my fave!) $60, charm sold separately

For where to buy, just scroll down here: http://www.youngrepublic.com.au/index.php?dispatch=products.search&company_id=108&type=extended&search_performed=Y

Things Bogans Like - The Interview, with E. Chas McSween

This could quite possibly be the most excited I have been in posting an interview on Josie's Juice.

I came across this genius book some time ago, and lucky for me, one of the authors - E. Chas McSween - agreed to an interview.

If you haven't already read the book (hooked, I tell you), nor the blog (http://thingsboganslike.com/), you simply must.

Here's what 'Chas' (masked, above) had to say about all things bogan...

So, Karl Stefanovic. Gold Logie winner. Thoughts?

It stands to reason. The Logies have little to do with talent, or quality programming, or even being on TV (to wit, Lisa McCune won one year when she hadn’t been on a show for over 12 months), but what Karl did have was a self-promotional streak a mile-wide, a willingness to debase himself (although not as much as Mel and Kochie; remember jumping in the ambulance at Beaconsfield?) and most importantly, a political populism that he would happily display each and every morning. Anyone who watched those love-ins with the likes of Ray Hadley can figure out his appeal. Appeal to the bogan’s sense of superiority, and do it with bad, ever-so-slightly risqué jokes, and you’re on a winner. That, and channel nine obviously invested a heap in his win (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpEp0SD_Sx4), which means they probably have fifty more interns SMSing votes in from various phones for a few weeks. Persistence pays!

I was most relieved to read that there is a vast difference between the ‘harmless’ bogan and the aspirational bogan (I consider myself to show some traits of the former). Explain the distinction between the two to the masses.

In essence, the ‘bogan’ of yore was simply a means to label poor people with a pejorative, which always seemed crude and pretty callous to us. The word bogan is possibly the quintessential Australian insult, yet it was being wasted on a tired cliché. We felt almost driven to try to redefine it (although only in our own social circles), to something that defines a series of behaviours that are crass, consumerist and insular. I guess that’s why we always get a little upset when we’re accused of class warfare. We’d argue the opposite. I mean, we’re certainly engaging in some form of social stereotyping, but we’re actively against picking on a particular class. Bogan is as bogan does, not where you live or how much money you have.

How do you gather such extensive, accurate information? Surely, some of the authors behind ‘Things Bogan Like’ are closeted bogans?

Well, I don’t think any of us would accuse the other of being bogan if we bumped into each other as strangers, but many of us certainly grew up in environments that are, or have been areas of rampant bogan expansion – Outer Geelong, Melbourne’s south east, the LaTrobe Valley, Ballarat, and India (India has more aspirationalism than you’d think!). Also, in our day jobs, we do a lot of economic research, and the economic and marketing side of boganity today is an ongoing theme on the blog – the bogan achieves individualism by purchasing more maxtreme versions of the things its friends and family have.

I am most fond of the term you’ve coined: ‘maxtremeness’. Explain the concept to the uninitiated.

Haha, that term was coined on a road trip coming home from Adelaide. We’d just seen a new brand of energy drink at a road house (energy drinks being, perhaps, the greatest distillation of bogan themes in one product, except for perhaps men’s deodorant), and decided that while the bogan wanted to be extreme, it wanted to be the most extreme. It wanted to take extremity to the max. You can see where I’m going…

I’ve always thought of the bogan as white, Anglo, suburban, racist. But what happens when bogan traits cross over to the cashed-up wog (OTT weddings, doing your back in, buying ‘big things’)? How would you define this sub-group?

I wouldn’t even think it’s a sub-group. We’ve never specified ethnicity in defining the bogan, yet many readers and commenters have insinuated that we’re only mocking white Australia, which isn’t true. What is true is that Australia is a predominantly white country, and we’re mocking predominantly Australian behaviours, so it stands to reason that people will assume we’re focussing on Caucasian Australians. A good example is the boat people debate. The bogan response, automatically, is ‘stop boats’, but this isn’t simply white Australians who are saying this – it seems to be a particularly strong theme in immigrant communities too. That’s because the bogan knows it’s on to something good (Australia) and is disinclined to share it.

Much of your list makes me cringe – and laugh hysterically - because it’s so accurate: Chrisco, joining moronic Facebook groups, personalised number plates, Two and a Half Men. Have you had negative, maxtreme reactions from bogans (who’d like to “glass you, you c*nt?”)

Early on, we copped a bit of hate (we even received death threats from white supremacists – see the previous answer!), and every now and then, a new person will stumble across the blog and attempt a poorly composed and spelled rant, usually along the lines of “you guys wuldnt now a bogan if u fell over one! Your just latte-sipping intellectual dicks!” The premise being that people have an image in their heads of bogans that is (and this is important) not them, and when they see anything that they like on our list, they write abuse before reading the piece explaining its inclusion. Naturally, their opinion of a bogan is flannelette, moccasins and a stubby.

It’s also funny that they always spell ‘latte’ correctly.

Misspelling kids’ names. Hands down, my favourite of your bogan list. This has annoyed the crap out of me for years. Is this fuelling the bogan’s desire to be unique (just like everyone else)?

Yeah, that’s been far and away the most popular thing we wrote; it really touched a nerve. The point I always make with this is that it’s the spelling that’s important. Everyone mocks Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin for calling their kid Apple, for instance, but as the she’s growing up, her friends won’t really consider Apple an unusual name. Uncommon, sure, but no less weird than, say, ‘April’. One’s named for fruit, the other for a month. Big deal.

The problem is, the bogan lacks the imagination (or the courage) to give their child a genuinely interesting name, but, you’re right, the quest for uniqueness continues unabated. Thus, they’ll take a normal name – say Brianna – but twist it, to Breeyannah. The parents think they’ve bestowed a lifelong asset to their child, when in fact they’ve merely ensured that they’ll have to spell it out to EVERYONE. Forever. It’s just dumb.

Reality TV is the bogan’s idea of heaven. Do you imagine a day when this genre will ever die?

Not for a while. Even if the popularity fails, it’s so cheap to make that TV stations will always look for a new way to tweak the reality formula to target the bogan’s flailing synapses. One thing’s for sure, though, it’ll keep getting ‘bigger’ and shinier, and flashier until the whole thing implodes under its own insubstantiality.

Where to now for the bogan? What’s next for this species?

That’s actually a really interesting question. The whole cycle of boganity is speeding up so much that it’s getting hard to tell. The central themes and behaviours of the bogan will likely remain unchanged for decades; conspicuous consumption, bandwagon jumping, insularity, self-interest, social climbing, conformism and reactionary politics. But it used to be that you could predict which social trend the bogan would adopt and besmirch next, but the speed of fashion and social trends these days makes it harder and harder.

That is the physics of the universe though, the arc of history bends, but it bends towards bogans. As soon as something becomes popular, it’s only a matter of time until people are willing to pay for it, then change it to whatever it is that makes them comfortable, which is inevitably the thing they last bought. Call it what you will, it’s unstoppable, it seems. So I guess, look at whatever present trend is doing well, and is likely to cross over into the mainstream, and that’s the one that people will complain about being ruined by bogans before you notice. And then give up and move on.

Check in on bogan updates - including the brilliant 'Friday Boganomics' - here: http://thingsboganslike.com/

The Popcorn Taxi Blog - "Gettin’ off your arse!" by Chris Murray

Popcorn Taxi hosted the world premiere of the highly anticipated, much-hyped film The Tunnel.

Here's a blog by Chris Murray, Creative Director of Popcorn Taxi, entitled "Gettin' off your arse!"





“Oh, it’s so hard making a film in Australia…”
“There’s no industry here, it’s just not worth it…”
“You’re better off going to the States and making something there…”

Bullshit.

A couple of guys, editors by trade, have managed to garner more hype for a low-budget film than any other in recent memory.

Officially launched last night at Popcorn Taxi, ‘The Tunnel” is the result of a unique model asking punters to spend $1 on purchasing a single frame from the film, sight unseen. The film is then ‘given back’ to the public via Bit-Torrent for a legal and free download. A fair trade if ever there was one.

Enlisting an enthusiastic first-time director; the comforting advice of a group of people who know their stuff, and an innovative online agency with a difference; the wheels were in motion and the pre-production plus a calculated hype campaign kicked into high gear.

In-the-can in a staggering non-sequential 14-day shoot (including pick-ups), the post-production process (edited completely by the writer/producers) melted into the wee hours and with a teaser and a few behind-the-scenes offerings plus an opening credit sequence, the film was launched to the media on Dec 7, 2010.

Fast-forward to May 2011 and much has happened. A sneak-peak at A Night of Horror Film Festival to a packed house; a DVD distribution deal with Transmission Films inked, a sales agent in Cannes, a Showtime release schedule and an exclusive deal with Bit-Torrent to be actively promoted to their 100 million plus subscribers. Not bad.


To read the rest of this brilliant blog, go here: http://www.popcorntaxi.com.au/2011/05/blog/gettin-off-your-arse/

Something Little Special, by Amy Clarke

Meet Amy Clarke. She started 'Something Little Special' around a year ago, with beautiful examples of her clever handiwork here.

A woman of many talents, her 'day job' is as graphic designer at radio station NOVA969, but Amy needed a creative “me time” outlet outside of work, and decided to start her own stationery company.

Something Little Special is just that. Amy specialises in designing pre-printed invitations and greeting cards for all occasions. Anything from the children’s birthday party (make that double the invites for my twinnies), to a hen's night (oooh, I remember those!), or even high tea (yes, please!).

Says Amy: "I combine my love and passion for design, paper and parties and put all that I can into making some beautiful products. I make sure I print onto 100% recycled paper, which also suits the rustic style of invitations I create - bonus! I feel that it's important to be conscious of the product you're using, and having something chemical-free around little kiddies is far better.

"I have always loved stationery and paper. I could spend lots hours and money in paper shops. However, I find these days that invitations are becoming too impersonal, with just a click on Facebook or an email invite. I feel that people need to hold and appreciate an invitation for a special occasion. I’m trying to bring that personality back into parties!

"My products stand out because they are so unique. My love for florals, animals and beautiful colours make my invitations completely original. My goal in the near future is to open up a little quirky paper shop. It’s as simple as that. I could sell gorgeous patterned paper, stationery, knick knacks and talk to people all day long! How fun!"

Now that is completely infectious enthusiasm. And I must admit I have always been a little envious of that kinda skill and creativity. Cooking, yes. Creating quirky cards and artwork... not capable. But Amy is.

The Kiddies Party Pack (pictured) is one of her best sellers, and features 15 birthday invites, 15 custom birthday lolly bags, and 15 thank you cards. The Party Pack costs $35.00 and you can buy it on www.somethinglittlespecial.com.au

Then there are the baby shower invitations, in a yellow hue, for those who don’t know the gender of the baby/ies (Best. Surprise. Ever.). They come in a pack of 15, including envelopes, and are only $18.

All Amy's greeting cards are $3 each, and include this cute zebra greeting card, one of her best sellers, as well as the quirky deer thank you card (my fave), with the text connected to its antlers.

For more info and to buy Amy's cards, see www.somethinglittlespecial.com.au/

Angry Boys: Chris Lilley's next cult hit

It's hard to pinpoint what's most exciting about the TV new series Angry Boys.

Firstly, knowing we will see the comedic genius that is Chris Lilley on the small screen again (and that we'll be introduced to four completely new characters!).

Equal first is seeing whether the finished product (12-parts, half hour each) lives up to the massive hype. (It will).

The magnitude of this new TV project is something to behold: Angry Boys is bigger in every way than the two previous series - created by Chris Lilley and his long-time producing partner Laura Waters, from Princess Pictures - We Can Be Heroes (2005) and Summer Heights High (2007).

This time, there were three broadcasters in three different countries to keep happy, and this time (in an Australian first) HBO was a co-producer (the US broadcaster has a reputation for edgy programming - Sex & The City, Entourage, True Blood). And Angry Boys was already a pre-sale to the UK's BBC, renowned for their distinctly British comedies.

It is the first time in Australia that a partnership of this magnitude had been made to acquire a show. And the brokering was something else: 17 lawyers in three different countries over many months of negotiating, which means Angry Boys will be seen across the globe within weeks of its Aussie premiere (Wednesday May 11).

Says producer Laura Waters: "One of the biggest challenges in making a Chris Lilley series is to keep the show, its characters and plot, a secret. With so many locations, so many extras and the ease with which information can travel on a global scale, it was a massive accomplishment that confidentiality was kept. Everyone involved in the show wanted to keep the surprises for the audience".

Filmed like a documentary, the production of Angry Boys takes attention to detail to a whole new level.

To create the six characters, Chris and Laura brought together the same team of collaborators from the previous two series, with the team building the worlds of two of the characters who live in global locations (Jen Okazaki in Japan, and S.mouse in Los Angeles - more on the other characters later).

More than 3500 people were auditioned for roles (both actors and non-actors) from Australia and overseas, to find the right fit for the 89 main roles and 1228 extras. More than 850 scenes were lit and shot over the duration of filming in over seventy locations.

Authenticity was of paramount importance: still photographs of the characters from their childhoods, for example, were meticulously planned and designed to ensure that every detail was correct.

Another example: hundreds of extras were called to a major shopping centre to be the actual 'audience' for S.mouse's live performance (only on-screen for seconds), and fully produced songs were mastered and large-scale music video shot for S.mouse's hit singles.

Chris has even written and composed the theme music and all the songs for Angry Boys. The music was recorded with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with Chris on grand piano for some pieces. As in previous series, Bryony Marks arranged the theme music with Chris and also composed all the incidental music.

And so, the series itself: shot in a mock documentary style, Angry Boys explores what it means to be a 21st century boy.

Lilley plays all six characters: Gran Ruth Sims, a juvenile justice centre worker, twins Daniel and Nathan Sims (who featured in We Can Be Heroes), black rapper S.Mouse, surfer dude Blake Oakfield, and Japanese mum Jen Okazaki - mother of a "gay" skateboarding champion.

Gran has been garnering some pre-show press with her racist retorts. Examples:

"Get your lazy Abo a... off the couch," she says to one of the young detainees.

During a soccer match at the centre, she yells: "Kick it negro... Come on Coco Pops, I thought wogs were meant to be good at soccer."

Lilley has said about Gran: "To me it's very clear this character is from another generation and is getting away with horrific things. Her behaviour is not appropriate. To me, that's so blatantly obvious that it's really funny."

There will be criticism by those who don't 'get it.' Indeed, Lilley has said he is not worried about that: "I make it for the people who love it and get it."

ABC TV Executive Head of Content Creation, Courtney Gibson says “The scripts are absolutely terrific: once again Chris is pushing comedy and character somewhere really challenging and ambitious. Moving forward with HBO and the BBC as partners means the series will play on the world stage right after we premiere it here in Australia.”

Sue Naegle, President, HBO Entertainment has said, “Chris Lilley combines a wicked sense of humour with fearless insights into human nature, which gives his comedy a universal appeal. We were thrilled to share Summer Heights High with the U.S. audience and are sure that Angry Boys will connect with our subscribers and the media.”

Interviewing Chris in 2005 for his pre-show press for We Can Be Heroes, I found myself chatting with a modest, almost shy man. Excited by what I'd seen on preview disks, I spoke with someone who clearly deflected his comedy genius (even the NineMSN ads screening at the time, where he played the 'MSN Butterfly', were funny). Indeed, the 36 year old is now renowned for his reticence for publicity and interviews.

Three years in the making, Lilley has his fans champing at the bit for a glimpse of Angry Boys.

You will have to wait until next week for full eps.

In the meantime, these clips (true fans will have no doubt already seen them) will whet your appetite: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/angryboys/video/clips.htm

Angry Boys premieres on ABC1 on May 11 at 9pm.

UPDATED: see the episode two trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbAlbJKKgtE