TV: The Upside Down Show

most Aussie adults would recognise Shane Dundas and David Collins as comedians, The Umbilical Brothers.

But they also do a kids TV show, The Upside Down Show. It's on the ABC weekdays at 8am.

From a parents point of view who has had to put up with the likes of The Wiggles, Hi-5, Barney and Dora on a highly repetitive basis, it is a refreshing change to watch guys like these do kid friendly comedy that adults can get a kick out of as well.

My little one has taken a particular liking to the "Action Fingers; Knuckles and Pointy" but I am rather partial to The Schmuzzies.

Worth taking a look even if you don't have kids (click here for video footage)

As you wish

One of my all-time favourite movies is The Princess Bride.

Is there anyone who hasn't seen this movie? Man, I just love it.

For those of you who are *gasp* unfamiliar with it, the story is as follows.

Buttercup falls in love with her farm-boy, Westley. Westley leaves to seek his fortune so that they can marry. Buttercup hears that he has been killed by Dread Pirate Roberts and she ends up engaged to Prince Humperdinck.

Before the wedding, Buttercup is kidnapped by three outlaws - Inigo Montoya (a Spanish fencing master who is out for revenge for his father's murder), a Sicilian genius Vizzini, and a giant named Fezzik.

However, the outlaws are pursued by a mysterious masked man, as well as the Prince's minions.

You'll have to watch it to find out what happens.

Here is the brilliant Mandy Patinkin playing Inigo Montoya:



And here is Peter Cook in his small role (warning - spoilers). Just bwilliant.

Movie Time

I've watched 2 movies these last couple of weeks...

The good news...

Knocked Up
this was funny, not pee your pants funny but pretty funny in places. The story is quite predictable but it's easy to watch and leaves you smiling. Oh! and there is liberal use of the F word but it's used in humorous context and I didn't find it excessive or offensive. Hell if I'd found myself in that same situation I'm sure more than a few expletives would have slipped past my cherubesque lips too hee hee hee!
I loved the bunch of room mates, they were the funniest bit and the pregnant sex scene made me laugh out loud.
Don't stress about seeing it in the cinemas, there's no need. In fact unless your desperate, leave it until it becomes a weekly hire (or in Elizabeth's case, get it out from your local library on a rainy day where there's nothing else to do)

3 shishy stars out of 5





The not so good news...

Evan Almighty
was there ever any doubt in anyone's mind just how cheesy this movie was going to be? this is a 3 cheese pizza with extra cheese on the side.
it wasn't awful but it didn't grab me at all. The funniest bits, I thought, were the dance scenes in the end credits. Now that was funny!
Again predictable with a guaranteed warm fuzzy ending to the point of leaving me a little... Meh
Luckily it is a short film (1 hour 25 min I think) so not too much of my life has been frittered away.
At the end of the day I recommend you find something else to do with your time but if you like *cheese* then this might be to your tastes.

2.5 shishy stars out of 5

A Dirty Job - Christopher Moore

I love Christopher Moore. My favourite book of his that I've read (I've still got three to go) is Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. While A Dirty Job doesn't rate that high (third on the Moore oeuvre if you must know - behind The Stupidest Angel), it is still damn good.

If you like Terry Pratchett, you'll like Chris Moore.

A Dirty Job is a story about Charlie Asher, Beta Male. Charlie's life changes for the twisted when his daughter is born. That same night his wife dies and Charlie becomes a Death Merchant.

Not Death, you understand. Charlie likes to use the Salvation Army Santas as part of his analogy. He's like a Santa's helper. But for Death.

The cast of characters include his daughter Sophie, her two hellhounds - Mohammed and Alvin - his sister Jane, his staff Ray and Lily, and his tenants Mrs Korjev and Mrs Ling.

"Don't fuck with me Asher. If you keep talking like that I'll get another piercing, take X until I'm dehydrated like a mummy, talk on my cell phone until the battery is dead, then find some skinny, pale guy and suck him until he cries."

"So, it will be like a Friday?"

Six years down the track and he's come to grips with his second "job". But Death is a very temperamental thing and suddenly, things seem to be taking a turn for the worse. Not just for him, but for San Francisco. And it seems Charlie is smack-bang in the middle of the whole mess.

I would have liked to have seen more Sophie in the book. One of the funniest bits was when she was staying at Jane's place and Cassie (Jane's partner) wouldn't let her take the dogs into the bath. She declared that Cassie was an "anti-Semite sympathiser" and that "you can't trust the goyim". Her response when Charlie pointed out he was a goyim? "Oh my God, they're everywhere, like pod people!" She's six.

If you do choose to read Moore's books, when you read the ones set in Pine Cove, it may be an idea to read them in order. I didn't, and it didn't totally spoil it for me, but knowing how some things are going to end up, reduced some of the humour for me. Overall though, I highly recommend Moore's books.

Crossposted here