The Wah-Wah Diaries by Richard E. Grant

Richard E. Grant is best known for his acting but he is also a terrific writer and as anyone who has read his books or seen his interview with Andrew Denton on Enough Rope would attest, a total charmer. (I notice there’s a Facebook group called ‘I fell in love with Richard E. Grant after watching him on Enough Rope’.)

Wah-Wah, Grant’s directorial debut about his troubled childhood in Swaziland, came out in 2006. Released to coincide with the film was The Wah-Wah Diaries, his hilarious written account of what it took to get the movie made.

Wah-Wah (2005)

I orginally wrote this DVD review for The Australian back in November 2006. Posting it here now to go with my review of The Wah-Wah Diaries.

As a boy, actor Richard E. Grant witnessed his mother having sex with his father’s best friend. Later, in an alcoholic rage, his father nearly shot him. This doesn’t make for much of a childhood but it certainly gave Grant all the material he needed for Wah-Wah, his semi-autobiographical debut as a writer and director.

Mr. Brooks (2007)

Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner) is a ‘pillar of the community ‘cliché – a successful businessman with a loving wife and daughter and just an all around swell guy. What no one knows is that he also has a secret addiction and it’s nothing as common as booze, prostitutes or pokies. Nope…Mr Brooks just likes to kill.

The Pact (2002)

I know Sigrid Thornton can be pretty grating in some roles (and what’s up with those vitamin ads?) but she is normally associated with quality projects. Or that’s what I thought until now…

Harry Potter 1-3 by J. K. Rowling

A month ago I finally succumbed to my friend’s constant “You gotta read it!” hassling and decided to give young Potter a go. Yes, I know – how avant-garde of me, reading Harry Potter 10 years after everyone else! But I just couldn’t bring myself to waste precious reading time on a children’s book when there were so many great grownups’ books I wanted to read.

Yello!

“Welcome to my blog”, I say as I belatedly jump on the bandwagon.

I’ve finally conceded that blogs are not just for people who think the whole world cares deeply about what they did yesterday/what their child looks like in a silly hat/what they think about the latest Microsoft product. Yes, it is for those people too, but there are plenty of cool blogs and some people’s opinions and daily doings are actually a worthy read.

I certainly hope that Angry Ant will slot into the latter category but we’ll see…If nothing else, it will be a great way for me to keep track of my viewing and reading habits as it will be based mainly around movie and book reviews. I’ll probably throw in some TV as well, maybe even a play or a gig. Actually, anything ‘cultural’ – low and high, that catches my attention.

I’ve already written a couple of entries to get this thing started but hopefully I can keep a regular posting schedule…Enjoy….