Current Affairs/News on TV

I watched a really interesting episode of "The Newsroom" last night. The Newsroom is a great show about what goes on in a cable Network Newsroom in the States, they have  a big star newsreader and go-getter producers. They try to maintain their integrity as a serious news reporting network. (There is nothing like that in Australia!) (In fact it is desperately hard to find any real news on TV anywhere in the world- when I go back to Australia it is all about lost dogs, someone killed in a car accident, politicians being...well...politicians. Basically easy to find tabloid stuff).

Anyway, last night was about how they lost ratings to another network that was more like "ACA" or "Today Tonight" in Australia. This other network showed Mothers who were beaten, women who killed thier babies, stars sleeping with other stars...you know , the trashy stuff. It rates, sad but true right?

So, in last nights episode the owners of the network (Like Rupert Murdoch) demanded that this reliable and credible news team...start to cover trashy stories...and they did it...why? Well...to get the big interviews with the big time politicians, world leaders, Mafia head honchos, anyone who is anybody...you need ratings.

If you don't do the trashy stuff, you don't get ratings. If you don't get ratings, you don't get the big stories...is it any wonder TV news is so fucked up!

Thank God for the Internet.

Favourite Albums

I had some very interesting comments from my mate Geordie Jim...(Damn Newcastle!) about my greatest movies...he had some beauties that I missed out on...but mostly, we like the same genre of movies...

Now, what about music? My favourite albums will probably cause more of a stir because music is so much more personal than movies...I find most of my favourite albums are  from my teens...I suppose that is because that is the most impressionable time of your life. But then again...I was a teenager throughout most of the seventies and there was some defining music made around that time. I often wonder if my son Jake, who is 16 and has some great taste in music, will include albums from his teenage years when he compiles his list of greatest albums in 30 years time?

When I was an impressionable teenager music really was my main influence. I mean there was Lillee, Thomo and Marshy from the Australian Cricket team. And Sammy Newman and Billy Goggin from Geelong Footy team...and of course my biggest influence, my Dad John. But music is the thing that sticks in my memory mostly from my teen years...so much great music from those days...

One interesting point here...some of the albums I have in my top 10 where only discovered by me in my 30's...I never really listened to the Stones or the Beatles when I was young...I was into Glam Rock, so much of my faves come from that Genre...but as I got older...I started to appreciate people like the Stones, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Beatles, Elvis, etc....funny huh?

I nearly put in some greatest hits albums...but they are not 'real' albums are they?

Oh well, here is my list of my favourite top 10 albums of all time. This is not definitive...there are albums I will miss out on like Dark Side of The Moon, but I only have 10 so here goes...

1. Slade Alive - Slade.

This was released in about 1972 and it completely blew me away. I had to buy a new copy every 6 months as I kept wearing it out. (It cost about $1:99 at the time I think) I love "Get Down and Get With It" as Noddy Holder screamed the words and demanded the crowd to "Get up on your feet and Get Down and Get With It" My Mum hated it "TURN THAT BLOODY THING DOWN STEVEN" ha ha ha. This definitely is my No 1 favourite album of all time.

2. Get Your Ya Ya's Out - The Rolling Stones.

Again a live album from 1969 I think.  This is a classic Stones Blues/Rock album. Every track is a classic. It has my number one all time song on it; "Honky Tonk Woman" plus "Street Fighting Man" and an amazing version of  "Midnight Rambler". This is the Stones at their absolute very top. Great album. You have to get a copy of Get Yer Ya Ya's Out.

3.Slayed – Slade

A hard rocking, blues inspired album from my all time favourite band. They do an amazing version of the Janis Joplin classic “Move Over”. Some great blues rock songs plus Slade greats “Gudbye to Jane” and “Mama Weer All Crazee Now”. Awesome!

4. Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones.

I think the Stones were at their best when Mick Taylor was in the band. So many great Stones classics on this album. “Brown Sugar”, “Bitch”, “Sway”, Wild Horses” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”.  Inspirational.

5. Welcome To My Nightmare - Alice Cooper.

The greatest concept album ever! Rock theatre at it’s best. This album is pure genius and a massive spectacle.  Incredible varied album and amazing live in concert.  My favourite tracks…the title track, “Only Women Bleed” “Department of Youth” “Cold Ethel” “Escape” and of course…”Steven”. 

6. Hysteria - Def Leppard.

Not from the 70’s but what a brilliant album. Every song was my favourite at the time and I still love every single track.  I seriously do not have a favourite track, they are all my favourites…

7. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John.

A classic double album from Elton John. I love this album as it has huge variation and it was done with EJ’s best band with Nigel Olsen, Dee Murray and Davey Johnson in his band. Every song is a classic but the biggies were “Candle in the Wind”, “Bennie and The Jets”,  “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “You’re Sister Can't Twist” and of course “Saturday’s Alright For Fighting”. 

8. Live - Status Quo.

I guess this is kind of a greatest hits but it is a live concert from 1975 and it is a belter! A double album that takes you right into the concert hall with them. This has the original ‘classic’ line up and like most live seventies album, they are recorded ‘real’ and I think sound so much better than modern ‘live’ recordings. Includes the hit "Roll Over Lay Down" plus all the other Quo classics.

9. Cosmos Factory - Creedence Clearwater Revival.

“Ramble Tamble”, “Before You Accuse Me” “Travelin Band” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” “Run Through The Jungle”, Up Around The Bend”, “Who’ll Stop The Rain”, “ I heard it Through The Grapevine” and “Long As I Can See The Light”. Sounds like a greatest hits album right? But it’s not…it is just one of about 8 albums CCR recorded over a 4 year span in the late 60’s and early 70’s. These guys were releasing 2 albums every year!  Nowadays we are lucky to get one album from an artist every 2 or 3 years! Amazing album from 4 geniuses.

10. Abbey Road - The Beatles.

This was their last and I think best album. Although how the hell can you pick a best Beatles album?  I just love “Come Together”  “Something” “Oh Darling!” “Here Comes The Sun”, “Golden Slumbers” and Carry That Weight”. I mean …come on…this is a classic.

Well that is ten…but there are so many I have left out … Pump-Aerosmith, Made In Japan -Deep Purple, Rumours - Fleetwood Mac, Destroyer – Kiss, Schools Out – Alice Cooper, Alive – Kiss, Piledriver - Status Quo, Sweet Fanny Adams  - The Sweet, Ram - Paul McCartney, Frampton Comes Alive - Peter Frampton, Desperado - The Eagles, A New World Record – ELO, Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd, Black Butterfly -Buck Cherry, Glitter-Gary Glitter...ha ha ha...yep!, City to City -Gerry Rafferty, Let It Rock -Georgia Satellites - technically a greatest hits album but was one of their first records released in Aus...., Guns and Roses…a lot of great songs  but I’m not sure they had a decisive ‘great’ album,  The Lonesome Jubilee -John Mellencamp, Led Zeppelin again a great band with heaps of great songs…but I can't pick one ‘great’ album, 12 Pound Toothbrush -Madder lake, Midnight Oil… no one album but great songs..., Brood -My Friend The Chocolate Cake, Hot August Night -Neil Diamond, A Night At The Opera-Queen, Exile On Main Street -The Rolling Stones, Hello -Status Quo, Desolation Boulevard -The Sweet, Under A Blood Red Sky -U2, Right Here, Right Now- Van Halen, Slide It In –Whitesnake, Live...In The Heart of the City –Whitesnake, Tapestry- Carole King, Hotel California - The Eagles... Elvis...great songs...but one great album? I am trying to think of some recent classics but I am struggling...Michael Jackson-Thriller? But even that was 80's...

This is a very personal thing isn't it? Try it…this is an incredibly difficult thing to do…so much great music.

Interesting that from my top ten, seven are from the seventies, two are from the sixties and one is from the 80’s. I think you have to look very hard to find a classic album since the 80’s. I know this is showing my age but I honestly think pretty much everything great in music

My favourite movies

So today is Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you and all that...I love it as Star Wars is one of my all time favourite movies.

It got me thinking about my favourite movies...we see a lot of lists of people's fave movies but most of those lists are full of 'arty' type movies and I think they are rarely an honest 'expose' of what movies people really like. So here is my honest list of my favourite movies of all time. I can't really put them in order as they all have a special place in my heart...some movies are special for the time when you saw them...others are just good fun..still others maybe had some kind of influence on your life.

Now, I am a film producer so my list should be full of obscure movies that no one has heard of right? Well...no. Even though I try to be a 'creative' producer, my tastes are really pretty basic...many times I love a photo or a painting and my more 'creative' colleagues think I am an idiot...so I like things to be 'accessible' and 'fun' I don;t want to think about a movie...I don't want to make a feature that really makes people think. I like movies to be an escape...to let people 'get away' from their own lives for a couple hours and live a complete fantasy. So, with that in mind here is my list of my top ten all time favourite movies.

If you read this I would love to get your opinion on this list and maybe give me your list...but don't be a wanker ok? Be honest and don't be embarrassed if you like a daggy romantic comedy...I have one in my top ten!!!! ;)

1. Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope. What can I say? This movie blew me away and I have watched it at least once every year since it was released in 1977. I was 17 when it was released and of course I wanted to be Luke Skywalker or Han Solo. Everyone did!  Star Wars has also given us the greatest villain the screen has ever seen...Darth Vader, wow! In 1977 this was state of the art and incredible. I think it still is.

2. The Magnificent Seven. I love cowboy movies. My brother got me into the 'Trinity" movies when I was young and I still love Westerns to this very day...especially the old ones. This was the goodies versus the Baddies and the goodies where not all good either...but what amazing characters. Yul Brenner, Elli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn! What an incredible all star cast. I love this movie.

3. Rear Window. To be honest, I like anything by Alfred Hitchcock but as this stars one of my all time great actors in it - James Stewart, this is my favourite.  Grace Kelly is also a babe! Great drama and a very simple shoot. Basically one set...not too expensive for the producers point of view :). I would love to make a movie like this one day.

4. Lord Of The Rings Trilogy.  If you ever get a chance to read director Peter Jackson's biography about the making of this film, do it. This is one of the more incredible feats in movie making history. He had so many problems...told most of the big studios to get...lost and still managed to make an incredible series of movies. He filmed them all at the same time in NZ which is also amazing. I know many of the crew who worked on this production and they all speak very highly of Peter Jackson. So with all the studio problems, money issues, making three films all at the same time...PJ still managed to be a great and inspiring leader to all the thousands of crew members. Wow! The movies are incredible and flawless...I mean this is a massive undertaking and it just worked brilliantly! Amazing movies from an amazing director.

5. The Wild Geese. This is just a rip roaring war adventure movie about a bunch of washed up old guys who are called together for one last mission. And what a cast! Roger Moore, Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Hardy Kruger, Stewart Grainger. Fantastic. Just good fun! Why not?

6. The Dirty Dozen. Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, George Kennedy, Trini Lopez, Robert Ryan, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Clint Walker.... every one of them dirty and rotten who are asked to save thier country in return for their freedom. You know...the idea for this movie has been done so many times...but this was one of the first. Great cast...great war movie...beautifully filmed and edited.

7. A Bridge Too Far. I know I know...another war movie...well, I love war movies, especially when they have a brilliant story, brilliant cast and are directed by Richard Attenborough. This was also written by the greatest screenwriter of all time, William Goldman. Cast includes... Michael Caine, Dirk Bogard, Sean Connery, Ryan O'Neil, Gene Hackman, Donald Pickering, Edward Fox, Anthony Hopkins, James Caan, Colin Farrell (!!!), Hardy Kruger, Liv Ullman, Elliot Gould..take a breath....Ben Cross, Ben Howard, Denholm Elliot, Peter Gordon, Laurence Olivier (!!!!!!!), Robert Redford, John Ratzenburger (Norm from Cheers!),  Michael Graves, Richard Attenborough, Winston Churchill (Uncle Winny to me....), Adolf Hitler (yes the same), Dwight D Eisenhower...you get the picture right? And that is only half the cast...can you imagine how expensive that cast would cost nowadays? Anyway...great picture...true story... and amazing direction.  When I was filming in Holland last year I kept going to all the places in this movie...I was so excited and everyone I was with thought I was stark, raving mad! :) Go see it!

8. Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood directed this movie...he was also the star...he directed himself playing a grumpy old racist war vet who saves the lives of his Korean neighbours after they try to steal his prized car, a '72 Gran Torino. Now Clint is an old guy and to direct and star in a movie of this quality is amazing. He shot it in one month with an unknown cast and man it is an incredible movie. I think Clint's performance in this is one of the best I have ever seen.

9. To Sir With Love. I love this movie. Sidney Poitier is a black high school teacher in a low class English suburb. He has a nightmare with his kids but turns them around and by the end of the movie...they are good kids who have learnt life lessons from thier teacher. Sounds daggy yeah? But this is a superd film. Beautifully directed and amazing performances.

10. Citizen Kane. This movie is amazing today...but it was made in 1941!!!!!  I mean...cameras in those days where so big they could not be moved! But have a look at the camera moves and special effects in this movie...wow. How did they do it? Orson Welles directed and starred in this movie! Great movie and has to be in in everyone's top 10. "Rosebud"...







Special mention to The Godfather, Jaws, Back to the Future, Raiders, most Jack Nicholson films including Easy Rider, The Great Escape, Butch and Sundance, Ghostbusters...yes Ghostbusters,  Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, All Monty Python movies especially Holy Grail, Spinal Tap :), Alien, Rocky, Shawshank Redemption, Cuckoos Nest, ET, The other 2 Star Wars movies...the good ones, Vertigo and every film Alfred Hitchcock ever made, all John Wayne movies, To Kill A Mockingbird...I should have put that in...,  and then there is the Blob, Day of the Triffids, Mad Max, Casablanca,  the original Superman with Christopher Reeve, Die Hard, Toy Story, Wizard of Oz I guess....oh you get the picture...

Well there are lots of great movies and there are also lots of crap movies. I can buy movies here in Saigon for one dollar so I have seen a lot of bad movies I can tell you. I might make a list of the worst 10 movies of all time...easy...Titanic, Pearl Harbour and 8 musicals....pick any of them, they are all horrible...ha ha ha.

A few weeks ago...

I'm sitting in a little cafe in the backpackers area of HCMC. It's called Pham Ngu Lao. There are heaps of restaurants and bars and lots of street 'touts' trying to sell you everything from cigarettes to wallets to books to hammocks to weed...(all at 4 times the price they sell to the locals...)
Pham Ngu Lao has always been the place the tourists come to and it is full of cheap hotels and restaurants. It used to be pretty rough area and even today you need to be aware of pickpockets and people ripping you off, for years not many of us 'locals'(people who live here as opposed to tourists) would come down here as it was not really 'Vietnam' but having lived in Saigon for nearly 8 years I am used to pretty much everything so even though it is still a little too 'touristy', I am liking the Pham Ngu Lao area more every day.

I recently moved into an apartment near Pham Ngu Lao so I am spending some time down here for the 1st time and I have to say...I am starting to really like the energy of the place.

I usually spend time in restaurants and cafes in the centre of Saigon but the Government seem intent on taking the soul out of the centre of the city and turning it into a soulless business area...they keep tearing down beautiful buildings and putting up ugly concrete hi rise everywhere...they seem to be trying to get everyone to move to district 7 or district 2 but again they have built ugly concrete hi rises there, apartments this time..thousands of them...but it is also soulless...(think docklands in Melbourne and you start to get the idea)

So places like Pham Ngu Lao are starting to become one of the few places still with history and character. So I am spending more time here...and I like it...if you come to Vietnam...maybe it is better to stay somewhere else...but you should come to Pham Ngu Lao to check it out...

Friday 9th March 2012. 6:24 PM

 I'm sitting in Pham Ngu Lau at the Buffalo bar. I'm sitting outside drinking Tiger beer in plain bottles....(WTF?) But it tastes good. I am waiting to have a meeting that has been delayed by an hour. The weather is perfect, warm with a gentle breeze. Perfect. 

The music is classic 70’s, “Baker Street” is on now and they have played Foreigner “It Feels Like The First Time”, “Alright Now” by Free and “More Than a Feeling” by Boston. God it's fantastic! Some of my top ten songs of all time right there! The waitresses are dressed kind of trashy but they seem nice. It's a real tourist area and it is the first time I have sat here... Oh now it's "Oonga Oonga Oonga Chaka, Oonga Oonga Oonga Chaka  " ha ha ha “It's more than a feeling....I'm high on believin'...” ha ha ha. 

I'm sitting on a busy cross road on De Tham Street and even though I have been here 8 years it still amazes me how they don't kill each other on the roads. No one - and I mean NO ONE, gives way to anyone... They don't appear to even touch their brakes! Shit!' Amazing no accidents... Ha ha ha.  

I live alone and life can get pretty lonely sometimes but this is one of those nights where I am happy to be alone and soak up the atmosphere... I guess this is what people who like to travel alone feel like. It really is wonderful.

Saigon can be so alive sometimes…there is always something going on and not one day is ever boring. In fact I never know what is going to happen from one day to the next…and it has been that way for 8 years!

This can be a wonderful city…

Oh no! Now they’re playing… “Welcome to the Hotel California….such a lovely place….” Ha ha ha…

You gotta love it.... 

Still in Saigon

Well here I am, still in Saigon after nearly 8 years...wow! The absolute longest I ever spent living anywhere was 5 years.

Why am I still here?

Even though things are changing fast in Vietnam, it is still a great place for expats to live. Despite inflation it is still relatively cheap and the lifestyle is fabulous. But the reality is that the people are beautiful, some of the nicest people in all of Asia.

I have recently house moved again, this is what...the 7th move in 8 years? (and to think I hate moving!) But hey...the removalist cost me $38 for the truck including 2 guys to carry my stuff and they did a good job too! I moved into a nice 2 bedroom apartment. I broke up with my GF after nearly 2 years so now I am living alone again. I like living by myself and about 5 minutes from my apartment is this fabulous fresh fruit and veggy market...it is around the streets but the food is so fresh every day...so now I am starting to cook for myself as well...(not very well mind you but I am having fun). My apartment is also exactly 25 minutes walk to the best bar in the world "Phattys"! :)


It is amazing how Vietnam is changing and developing. The thing I notice the most is the way the local Vietnamese are really starting to become more involved in business and there is now a massive emerging middle class. There seems to be so much money in Vietnam, a lot of nice, new (expensive) cars (a brand new Rolls Royce was parked outside my apartment a few days ago)  and many exclusive shops are opening up here. There are amazing huge shopping malls being built and as a result the whole of the city is changing before my eyes.

One huge downside is that they are pulling down beautiful old French colonial buildings and replacing them with huge, glass fronted office buildings all over the place. There does not appear to be much thought going into town planning (is there anywhere in the world?) and my biggest fear is that downtown Saigon will turn into a cold and miserable place just like Melbourne's Docklands (without the water). Like Docklands...that would be a huge opportunity lost for Vietnam. I hope I am wrong.

Mud Bath in Nha Trang

I am currently in Nha Trang for a few days and yesterday I went to have a mud bath. Let me tell you it was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. If you do nothing else when you are in Vietnam, make sure you go to the mud baths in Nha Trang. You soak in this hot, wonderful mud bath for 20 minutes or so...it really is relaxing and feels amazing on your skin...even if you do look like one of those guys from Apocalypse Now - covered from head to toe in mud....:). It feels great and is really invigorating. Then you get out and wash the mud off and have a wonderful really hot and clear bath in beautiful clean spring water. Then you top it all off with a wonderful massage and then a swim in the warm hot spring swimming pool.  You will never feel more relaxed! And this all costs less than 400,000 dong per person (about $20!!!!) Give it a go. It is wonderful!