Not much shocks me, but I DO love watching documentaries that do shock. It's the perfect Friday night viewing, isn't it? People in love with statues and cars and wanting to marry the Eiffel Tower? Yep, that's me all over, playing voyeur, taking a peek into other peoples' lives. This one called 'Virtual Adultery and Cyberspace Love' was an eye opener, and my mouth was agape. Even if it is several years old - still shocking as. This doco was created by 'Wonderland' and commissioned by BBC. In light of the Ashley Madison scandal (where millions of user's details were exposed by hackers - read more here), here is the BBC-made doco in full below (watch the whole thing, then watch the end bit where the husband is basically telling his wife he will always be there for her, and she is… rolling her eyes. I can't even…):
It's a new trailer from the clever crew at Netflix Australia/NZ! 'Dinotrux' is here, from those clever people at Dreamworks, and your little kids (and big kids) will love it. And it is streaming right now on Netflix. Don't have Netflix yet? DO IT. Click right here. Here is the blurb: Welcome to a world of giant creatures that are half dinosaur, half construction vehicle and all awesome in DINOTRUX, the Netflix original series from DreamWorks! Meet Ty Rux, a massive Tyrannosaurus Trux, and his best friend Revvit, a razor-sharp Reptool. Together, the Dinotrux and Reptools join forces for the first time ever to build a bigger, better world and battle back against the biggest and baddest of them all: D-Structs, who threatens to wreck everything they’ve built. My kids (seven year old twins) LOVED it the screener we watched together - immediately! Here is the fab cover art for the show:
I will never forget the first time I saw David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' video, probably years after I first heard the 1983 song.
I was utterly fascinated by it. I just sat there, in a bit of a trance.
David Bowie filmed this by then already-a-classic song in an Australian pub? It's in the outback, in a pub full of mesmerising, dinky di, Aussie-as characters doing a some very fabulous freestyle dancing, some with beer-in-hand, with an Australia sloppy joe chucked in, too. It's totally a snapshot of that time and place, and the place was a pub in Carinda, a town in the far north of New South Wales, Australia, in the Walgett Shire local government area. And to see the Aboriginal community represented in a music video - brilliant. They weren't just 'props', either. They tell a story, but you want to know more. The red shoes, the trip into The Strand Arcade (old Australiana footage - the best), the juxtaposition of the cultures. I was intrigued. What IS this filmic gift?
Australian-based, UK-born journalists Ed Gibbs and Rubika Shah thought long and hard about this too (three years' worth of thought and thorough research), and have made it their mission to dig up much, much more about this seminal video clip.
Ed Gibbs and Rubika Shah, Cannes 2015
The result? This. 'Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under'. It's a much-anticipated documentary, and in news just in, the film's Australian premiere will be on Sunday August 9 at the Melbourne International Film Festival. (Stills below from the Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under Facebook page - follow them here).
Josie's Juice asked both Ed and Rubika one question: what this film means to them. Says Ed Gibbs, writer/producer on 'Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under': "I have been intrigued by this era of Bowie's career for years. Watching the seminal video for 'Let's Dance' (and its follow-up, 'China Girl') left an indelible mark on me as a young kid. It also gave me a completely fresh perspective on Australia. Fast-forward more years than I care to mention, and we have had an amazing experience uncovering the forgotten story behind these landmark videos. I can't wait to screen the film in Australia."
Says Rubika Shah, writer/director on 'Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under': "The values at the core of the story really resonate with me personally and it’s just so great seeing the forgotten stars of the video recognised for their part in Let’s Dance."
The music video was made by David Mallet, and Bowie himself described this video (and the video for 'China Girl') as "very simple, very direct" statements against racism and oppression ('Rolling Stone' magazine interview, with editor Kurt Loder).
In 'Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under', Ed and Rubika include previously unreleased footage of Bowie in Australia, and it will feature interviews collaborators, crew, and Loder. The stars of the vid - Joelene King and Geeling Ng - also feature.
See the website and stay updated by going here: http://www.letsdancebowie.com/ Starring David Bowie (archive footage), David Mallet, Julien Temple, Joelene King, Geeling Ng, Ross Cameron, Marcia Langton, Norman Jay, Kurt Loder, and Matt Coyte, the film's Australian premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival will be a fabulous complement to the ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) 'David Bowie Is' exhibition also next month. Let’s Dance: Bowie Down Under to premiere during MIFF on Sunday August 9, 2015.
If you already a Netflix user, you'd be a fan of Netflix for your own different reasons.
Even those of you who haven't experienced it yet (seriously, do it. You won't regret it. You also may not leave the house and become a total hermit, which sometimes, just sometimes… is not a bad thing) and have done your research KNOW that it's quality TV and LOTS of it. Whenever you want, on any device, exactly where you paused it last, and picked it up again on another device. For someone with a short attention span like me, who needs to be excited about something I am doing or working on all the time, this is the perfect way to watch TV.
For some, it's binge-city: finally watching all the shows you've been dying to watch. 'Mad Men'. Any Chris Lilley series. All of Ricky Gervais's stuff, including the incredible series 'Derek' (only Ricky can serve up a series set in a nursing home and have it be unexpectedly funny and dark and moving and SO unique).
Or you can revisit all your fave shows, and gorge in one go on all the good stuff. Me, I need breaks. Lots of them. Way too much happening at any one time, blogging to do, work to do, you know, kids to raise.
For me, now that I have Netflix I suddenly get enough of all the docos.
I watched 'The Queen Of Versailles' after reviewing it when it was first released, and became instantly hooked watching it again. Gosh, the adage mo' money, mo' problems is relevant here.
I have 'Fat Sick and Nearly Dead' (parts one and two - I didn't know there was a part two!) lined up in my 'favourites' list. 'Hot Girls Wanted' - just… wow. The exclusive-to-Netflix doco on the porn industry, specifically the amateur porn industry, and what really happens, how the young women are recruited, how long they last in the industry, and candid, raw interviews with the girls and the 'recruiters'. It all makes for uncomfortable but strangely engaging viewing. That 'Latina Abuse' video clip? Disturbing, and bloody horrible. Imagine young men watching that and thinking it's normal. YIKES. The stat on the doco: in 2014, abuse porn websites averaged over 60 million combined hits per month. The stats on porn clicks in general are quite incredible. Like this one: more people visit porn sites each month than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined. Here, some screenshots from the opening scene of the doco:
The scene where a mother confronts her daughter after she discovers her child's is exchanging a life of sex in exchange for money… confronting, and as real as it gets.
The scene where the girl is finishing off a sex scene and is later shown talking about "that last part, I hated", and in the doco describes being "terrified" and "I didn't know what to do." Here is the doco blurb: "A cinema verite look at the disturbing exploitative world of amateur porn." - LATimes. An official 2015 Sundance selection, Hot Girls Wanted shines a light on the thriving "amateur" porn industry through the experiences of five young women in the business. Produced by Rashida Jones, Hot Girls Wanted is only on Netflix. Here is the trailer:
Netflix is worth getting just for the exclusive content. Too many to list here. So easy to access. Click here for more.
Josie's Juice is part of the 'Stream Team' blogger team for Netflix Australia New Zealand.
A teenage daughter of 'Queen Of Versailles' stars David and Jackie Siegel has been found dead at the family's Florida mansion.
Victoria Siegel, 18, was found unresponsive by sheriff's deputies at the 'Seagull Island' mansion on Green Island Cove just after 2pm on Saturday (US time).
Victoria - the second eldest of the couple's eight children - was taken to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead. David Siegel is the founder of the Orlando-based time-share company Westgate Resorts, which has grown into an empire of 28 resorts across the US, and also owns the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino and the Cocoa Beach Pier. The Siegels are likely best known nationally for Lauren Greenfield's 2012 documentary, "Queen of Versailles," which followed them as they built a second 90,000-square-foot mansion, dubbed Versailles House - which they have said they hope to (finally) complete by David's 80th birthday in May 2016.
This is how Jackie announced it on Twitter:
It is with great sadness that we ask you to respect our privacy during this tragic time and the loss of our beloved daughter, Victoria.
— JacQueline Siegel (@JackieSiegelusa) June 7, 2015
And on Facebook:
It is with great sadness that we ask you to respect our privacy during this tragic time and the loss of our beloved... Posted by Jacqueline Siegel on Sunday, 7 June 2015
Jackie and David just appeared on 'CelebrityWife Swap USA'. Here is the entire episode:
No comment has been made by the couple beyond the above, with David set to make a statement in the coming days.
Here is the Siegel family, below. How terribly sad this news is.
Ah, deep breath. This is as hard to watch as it is heartbreakingly beautiful, raw and honest. And it's a big part of our lives: death. Starting on December 18 at 9.30pm on ABC2, 'The Final Word' is a brand new Australian doco focusing on this very topic.
Says the YouTube video description: "When death is at your door, how will you view the world and your place in it? Four terminally ill Australians from vastly different backgrounds take us on a confronting, uplifting and surprisingly humorous journey as they look back on their life and consider their 'final words'." Here is the clip:
Says director Daniel Mansour (below, left, with co-producer Tim ‘Gonzo’ Ryan):
“I have always wondered
why death is such a taboo subject in the Western world when it is embraced by
so many other cultures. I’ve read a lot about life and death over the years,
from various Buddhist and psychology texts to the classic paperback tearjerker
‘Tuesdays With Morrie’. Many of these books indicate that towards the end of
life a certain sense of clarity and peace resides upon most. While this might
be true, I have never seen this on screen purely from the perspective of those
about to die.
This made me wonder, if
you knew your one and only shot at life was about to end, how would you view
life? When death is at your door, what actually matters?
The aim was to create a
film where we simply listened to the life reflections of those facing their own
mortality. To do so, we provided each subject the opportunity to speak their
mind in a candid manner. No agendas were to be pushed; I just wanted to have a
conversation with each person about life through the prism of death.
If you have been touched by death, and who hasn't, really (and even if you have been lucky enough to not lose anyone close to you), this is essential viewing.
In a year when I have attended six funerals, several of which I was close to/related to the deceased, this is the kind of doco I am actually drawn to.
A friend once asked me: "Why do you watch 'Six Feet Under' when death upsets you so much?", alluding to the death of my father when he was 57 and I was 13, and my subsequent hyper-sensitivity and awareness to people, and the elderly and the vulnerable.
The answer: it's just something I am very present to and has not only made me grow up very quickly, it has ensured I appreciate life in its fragility and beauty and vulnerability. This is a gift, not a burden.
'The Final Word' will screen on Wednesday December 18 at 9.30pm on ABC2.
Watching 'In Vogue: The Editor's View' - produced by HBO Documentary Films to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the iconic US edition of the magazine in 2012 - was mesmerising. It screened for the first time on Australian TV last night [on Showcase, on Foxtel. It will re-screen soon. Watch it in HD... glorious] and I sat and watched the whole thing like *this [*mouth agape] drinking it in. Vogue celebrates 120 years of impeccable fashion coverage, and this one-hour documentary, directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, this time does not shine a light on the legendary Anna Wintour (she is the focus of 2009's 'The September Issue'), but on the fashion editors behind the publication: eight staffers from past and present who oversee the magazine's elaborate photo shoots, and who "have always been our secret weapon," says Wintour. Says Anna Wintour in the doco: "Fashion is so universal now. It has been embraced by everybody. But to me, that's what so interesting about fashion... is that fashion is a refection of our times. Fashion can tell you everything that's going on in our world, with a strong fashion image." So elegantly, eloquently said. Watch the trailer here: Behold, some of the US Vogue magazine covers of recent times, starting with one of the most breathtaking covers I have seen, featuring Blake Lively. So beautiful, engaging, classic:
And this, Beyonce - the March 2013 edition. I have this and I am inhaling its beauty right now:
Do you have a memory of your fave Vogue edition/cover/era? I do. As a young teen [from about age 13] I'd borrow the latest edition of Australian Vogue from my local library and would be transported to another place. And okay, yes... occasionally I'd rip a page out and stick it on my bedroom wall. Until I started work at age 15 and could buy my own copies. And stuck photos of these incredible photo essays all over my walls. I was ob-sessed. What are your memories of Vogue, and which is your favourite/s international edition/s?
Just yesterday, we lost an incredible man. Bryce Courtenay. An Australian author who more than made his mark while he was on this earth. Here is his heartbreaking farewell message, recorded just days ago. He knew his time was up:
Here is a report uploaded by ABC news overnight:
And here - get the tissues - is his last masterclass for authors:
I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to work alongside my PR pal Anna in getting the word out there about an extraordinary documentary series called 'Family Confidential.' During the last series, the talented executive producer of the series Laurie Critchley managed to secure the Courtenay family as subjects for her latest series. This was a huge coup - the extended Courtenay family has always been private [in fact, this series is the only time his two surviving sons have ever spoken publicly about the man they know – as a father and author, and on the very mixed impact he has had on their lives] and Bryce himself rarely gave interviews. Incredibly, Bryce always swore he would only reveal his autobiography to the cameras just once in his lifetime. Little did he – or the filmmakers know – that they had taken what was probably his last remaining opportunity to do so. Six months after the ep first aired he announced his stomach cancer diagnosis. In the lead up to the episode's screening I dealt with Bryce's partner in life Christine a great deal, in securing interviews for Bryce. She is all class, and it was clear the two were deeply in love. She had his back in a major way; cared for him immensely. Here is a photo of Bryce and Christine, courtesy of 'Family Confidential':
The 'Family Confidential' Courtenay family episode, which screened last year, was set for a re-screen on ABC1 this coming Monday November 26 at 8pm many weeks ago. Bryce: how is your timing, eh? Impeccable until the very end, you lovely gentleman. Here is a clip from the upcoming episode, on truth and the writer:
And another clip, on growing up without a family:
This clip: on missing his first deadline:
Here is a very precious Courtenay family pic, courtesy of 'Family Confidential' - of a younger Bryce with his young children Adam, Brett, and Damon:
Do you have memories of reading Bryce books? Share your thoughts here. Here is the cover of his just-released last book 'Jack of Diamonds':
"Breast cancer is not a pink ribbon." This is the intro on the website for 'The Scar Project'.
The above is just one of the many photos from the unique project, which is a series of large-scale portraits of young breast cancer survivors shot by fashion photographer David Jay. Serving as an awareness raising campaign, The Scar Project puts an unfiltered, raw face on early onset breast cancer, while paying tribute to the courage and spirit of so many brave young women. The Scar Project is an exercise in awareness, hope, reflection and healing. The mission is three-fold: raise public consciousness of early-onset breast cancer, raise funds for breast cancer research/outreach programs, and help young survivors see their scars, faces, figures and experiences through a new, honest and ultimately empowering lens. And now, the series of breathtaking pics has been turned into a doco, to be screened on Australian TV.
Here is a trailer from the photo shoot:
Australian-born, NYC-residing filmmaker Patricia Zagarella (a multi-award winning producer, whose films have been honoured and screened at numerous national and international film festivals - 'Walk Like a Man' was Patricia's 2007 directorial debut) answered some questions for Josie's Juice, in line with the special screening: What
spoke to you about being involved with this project?
Patricia: When I first saw David Jay’s Scar Project I was captivated by the raw
reality conveyed by his photos. Striking and beautiful, yet confronting and
almost brutal, they push the viewer to a place normally contentedly avoided. I
was both shocked and saddened, but drawn to the images like a magnet. Despite
that the photos spoke volumes, I had a barrage of questions screaming in my
head not only about the young women in the photographs but about the
photographer: who was he? Why was a successful fashion and beauty photographer photographing
young breast cancer survivors? Why did he embark on this journey and what
motivates him to continue? What are his intentions and are they being realised?
After I reached out to David Jay – I discovered a genuinely kind and caring man.
How
well did you know David and how did he ‘sell’ the idea to you?
Patricia: I didn’t know David
before this project. We have a mutual friend, who was visiting from Australia. She randomly bumped into him while on her visit and he told her about the Scar Project. She then sent me a link and my co-producer, Nicola and I, were completely
blown away by the photographs – the beauty and the pain. Every woman’s eyes
screamed a different story but they had all been touched by breast cancer.
When
you were interacting with the subjects for this doco, what struck you most
about the women affected?
Patricia: We were an all female team during the photo shoot
sessions, our goal was to be unobtrusive and document the event, what we found
was a palpable transformation taking place before us. Women would come to the
door a little nervous and shy and by the time they left, they were proud with a
sense of strength. Every single woman exuded a beauty in her strength and
attitude, which David did a great job in capturing.
Did
you find the journey emotionally draining and/or uplifting?
Patricia: The entire project has been incredibly uplifting. I
have been so touched by all the brave women we filmed. I have learnt so much,
about celebrating life and living in the moment, I remind myself of that daily.
Who
do you want to have see this doco and what do you want them to get from it?
Patricia: I want people to see that there is beauty in
imperfection. It’s okay to have scars and to look at them. Our goal, which is The
Scar Project's chief objective, is raise awareness and ensure everyone knows
that young women can and do get
breast cancer. Early detection is the best prevention! The more people that see
the film or the Scar Project photos, the bigger the impact.
To coincide with 'Breast Cancer Awareness
Month', the Style channel on Foxtel is screening the heart-wrenching yet inspiring documentary 'Baring It
All' - tonight.
In this Daytime Emmy award winning special, viewers get a
moving, thought provoking look into the lives of four young brave women - all
in different stages of battling breast cancer as they agree to become subjects
in David Jay’s world-renowned photographic series, The Scar Project.
This powerful doco by Australian filmmaker Patricia Zagarella explores
the lives of not only these young females and their new reality but also the
impact that cancer has had on their loved ones. Together Patricia and David put
a human face to the heroism of breast cancer survivors and the life-changing
journey that unites them all.
“For these young women, having their portrait taken seems to
represent their personal victory over this terrifying disease. It helps them
reclaim their femininity, their sexuality, identity, and power after having
been robbed of part of it battling the cancer. Through these simple pictures,
they seem to gain some acceptance of what has happened to them and the strength
to move forward with pride,” said David Jay.
David is a pro in high gloss covers of the fashion and beauty industry and has been shooting for over 15 years. His images have appeared in myriad international magazine and advertising campaigns. Like so many others personally touched by breast cancer, David was
inspired when a dear friend of his was diagnosed with the disease. He also took the time to answer some questions for Josie's Juice:
David, your project is incredibly inspiring –
how did you first come up with the actual concept?
David: I never intended to
shoot The SCAR Project. It evolved very organically after my dear friend
Paulina was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 29. Within two weeks she’d
had a mastectomy. A beautiful, strong, young woman, I had taken Paulina’s
picture a hundred times since she was 17. I saw her soon after her surgery and
knew I would have to shoot her again. I took her picture because, perhaps as a
photographer, taking pictures is my way of confronting, understanding and
accepting the things I see.
How do you allow your subjects to be completely
comfortable to the point of getting them to be naked up top?
David: Having spent the majority of the past 20 years shooting fashion
and beauty professionally, I perhaps approach nudity with a sense of both
appreciation and compassion. Requires a great deal of trust. If I have been
given any gifts in my life, this trust is the greatest. Far greater than
whatever minor gifts I possess as a photographer.
What do the women say to you when they shed
their clothing and allow themselves to be vulnerable – how do they tell you
they feel?
David: In general they don't say anything... I
often wish would! Ultimately I trust my intuition completely. I have said in
the past that I am acutely aware of
how emotionally exposed the subject feels standing in front of me. They have nowhere
to hide literally or metaphorically. There is a beautiful honesty and truth in
that moment. I respect it deeply. How did you come about choosing Patricia for
this project, and when did you decide you wanted to turn it into a doco?
David: I
actually didn't choose Patricia. The idea of a documentary had never occurred
to me. One day I received a telephone call from Patricia. A friend of a friend
had shown her the images of The Scar Project. She said she was both moved and
fascinated by it and would like to do a documentary. Would I be interested?
Fast forward three years: Baring It All has won an Emmy . . . and more
importantly, Patricia and I are best friends.
Who do you want to have see this doco and what
do you hope they get from it?
David: It’s primarily meant to be an awareness raising campaign for
young women. The Scar Project is not about taking beautiful pictures of women with breast cancer but rather about
taking honest pictures of women with
breast cancer. I’m not going to just show half the story —that everything’s going
to be fine and these girls have breast cancer but they’ll just go on with their
lives—because that’s not the case. I wish that was the case but the reality is
that some of these girls are dying and it’s important to have their story out
there as well because that is the reality of the disease.
As difficult as it is to look at the portraits in the gallery,
it’s important that they are there. Ultimately, The Scar Project is not really
about breast cancer. It’s about self-acceptance, compassion, love, humanity.
It’s about accepting all that life
offers us... all the beauty... all the suffering too... with grace, courage, empathy and
understanding.”
