# Australia...the Movie



## Leslie

I have been looking forward to this movie for the past two years. Anyone else? Opinions seem to range from "Oscar contender" to "big budget flop" and everything in between. Oprah likes it though!

*Luhrmann's 'Australia' epic picks up buzz from Oprah*

SYDNEY (AFP) - Baz Luhrmann hadn't even finished his much-anticipated outback epic "Australia" when the world heard the news that could make the film a blockbuster -- Oprah Winfrey loves it.

The acclaimed Australian director was still to put his finishing touches to the movie, which has been beset by production delays and shrouded in secrecy, when the US talkshow queen made her pronouncement.

"Our hearts are all swelling because, my God, it's just the film we needed to see," Winfrey said after watching a special preview of the sweeping romance set on the brink of WWII.

"I have not been this excited about a movie since I don't know when," she said during last week's broadcast devoted entirely to the movie and its stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

From a set designed to look like an Australian outback cattle station for the show, Winfrey served up praise for Luhrmann, congratulating him on "your imagination, your vision, your creativity, your direction."

Much is riding on the success of the movie, which has reportedly cost 20th Century Fox upwards of 130 million Australian dollars and was shot on location in Sydney and the country's inhospitable north.

The Australian film industry is hoping that it will result in a new-wave of US-studio backed movie-making here while tourism officials hope the romantic drama will inspire travel Down Under as "Crocodile Dundee" did in the 1980s.

The movie, which features an English aristocrat played by Kidman falling for the rough charms of a cattle drover played by Jackman as they cross the country, will likely benefit visually from the stunning scenery of Australia's north.

But for now, Winfrey's word is all there is to go on as to whether the epic, which also includes scenes of the Japanese WWII bombing of Darwin, will be a success ahead of its world premiere in Sydney on Tuesday.

But entertainment blogger for Los Angeles Times' film awards website 'The Envelope', Tom O'Neil, says that could be enough to sway opinion.

"Everyone trusts Oprah," he told AFP from the United States.

"American film critics had been dreading seeing "Australia" because it looks like a dud.

"It's the only major Oscar contender not shown to any journalists so that makes us suspicious that there's something really wrong with this movie.

"The release of the trailer didn't help anything at all because it's such a bland teaser for the film that it didn't suggest there might be anything extraordinary here. Everyone just kind of shrugged, 'Oh, it's "Out of Africa" 25 years later.'

"And what Oprah managed to do was flip that totally for Baz."

O'Neil said the "consistently clever and inventive filmmaker" behind "Strictly Ballroom", "Romeo + Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge!" could be in line for an Academy Award in 2009 if the film lives up to expectations.

"Baz Luhrmann is holding the biggest Oscar IOU of moderns times," he said.

"This guy was snubbed at the Oscars for "Moulin Rouge!". They owe this guy and if this movie measures up to his potential for greatness, the academy would love to heap recognition on him and make up for past oversights."

"The expectation is fantastic," agrees Geoff Brown, executive director of the Screen Producers' Association of Australia.

Brown said the Australian film industry was hoping the movie not only encouraged Hollywood to heap praise on Luhrmann but to bring more film production Down Under.

While Hollywood has acknowledged Australian expertise in filmmaking -- following movies such as "The Matrix" and "Happy Feet" -- this is the first time that an Australian has had full creative control over such a big budget movie made here, he said.

"The scale, the scope, the vision is very much Baz but it will for the first time, I believe, showcase Australia as a film producing country," Brown told AFP.

"It is a calling card to the world in our view about we can do."

Brown said he was not concerned that Luhrmann was still finalising the movie just four days before the film's simultaneous premieres on Tuesday in the places where it was shot -- Sydney, the northern city of Darwin and the outback Queensland town of Bowen.

"Baz hasn't finished any of his films," he said. "I think he is still working on "Moulin Rouge!". It's just his nature. He's a perfectionist."

"Australia" is due for release in Australia on November 26.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gwuaCEbRusx_kKbCSZ2nZvnT_-8g


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## Leslie

The world premiere is in Australia (3 locations) tomorrow night (Tuesday). Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman will be in Sydney.

*Australia pins high hopes on its most costly movie*

Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:47am GMT

By Belinda Goldsmith

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Amid a blaze of publicity, Australia rolls out its most expensive ever movie on Tuesday, hoping the grandly named epic "Australia" will attract overseas investors to revive the local film industry and also tourists.

Billed as a cross between "Out Of Africa" and "Gone With The Wind," the nearly three-hour romantic adventure with home-grown Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman is reported to have cost Rupert Murdoch's 20th Century Fox about US$130 million (88.2 million pounds).

"Australia" is a World War Two drama about an English aristocrat who travels to Australia and joins forces with a cattle "drover" or cowboy and an Aboriginal child to drive a herd of cattle across the stunning, rugged Australian landscape.

Geoff Brown, executive director of the Screen Producers' Association of Australia, said the industry hoped director Baz Luhrmann's film draw in investors and lure moviegoers back to Australian movies after a string of bleak, box-office flops.

"This is a truly cinematic film, a real epic, filmed in 1940s style. We just haven't had the opportunity to show our wares on this scale before," Brown told Reuters.

"This is the marketing tool for Australian film. It's an Australian film from beginning to end, shot in Australia with an Australian cast, crew, special effects, lighting, even director, and we are seeing this as a calling card to the world."

Tourism Australia has spent A$50 million on an advertising campaign and promotions linked to the film, aiming to make Australia a coveted destination as the global financial crisis hits tourism, as "Crocodile Dundee" did in the 1980s.

The campaign received a major boost last week when influential U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey described it as "the best movie I've seen in a long, long, long, long time."

FEAT OR FOLLY?

Local film industry watchers were not convinced after watching Luhrmann racing to finish the ambitious movie and reportedly battling studio executives over its length and ending.

"It's set to be either Australia's most fabulous cinematic feat -- or its costliest folly," wrote The Sydney Morning Herald.

But the local film industry was hoping "Australia" would put Australia back on Hollywood's map as a good location, with talent for filmmaking and as a nation producing top-class films.

Brown said reliance on government funding had seen a shift from popular, quirky Australian movies like "Muriel's Wedding," "Strictly Ballroom" and "Babe," to arthouse, darker movies.

This even drove away Australian moviegoers with government figures showing Australian films' share of the national box office dropped to 4 percent in 2007 from 10 percent in 1994.

Brown said "Australia" was one of the first films to take advantage of a new system for privately financing films introduced last year, under which the producer can claim back 40 percent of production costs through the tax system.

"This film is a great example. We can go to Hollywood and say we can cut 40 percent off costs," he said, but added the ongoing credit crisis would clearly make it harder to secure financing.

Luhrmann, known for "Strictly Ballroom" (1992), "Romeo and Juliet" (1996), and "Moulin Rouge" (2001), acknowledged it would be hard for "Australia" to meet high local expectations.

But he said even if the film was not a financial success, he hoped it would draw more international financing to Australia.

"The idea of people like Peter Weir or Australian directors who have global financing ... coming back and working in Australia, that's much more present as an idea," he told Reuters.

"Australia" opens in the United States and Australia on November 26 and in Britain on December 26.

($1=$1.56)

(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York, Editing by Miral Fahmy)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKTRE4AG0N920081117?pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true


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## Leslie

A few pictures from the movie:


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## Leslie

I have lots of pictures of Hugh in my photobucket


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## Leslie

It is a love story...


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## Angela

I can't wait to see this.. absolutely love Hugh Jackman! I may not be a big romance novel fan, but I LOVE love story movies!!


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## Betsy the Quilter

I can't wait to see this, was discussing it with a girlfriend last night...
Love Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and ABSOLUTELY am fascinated by the director Baz Luhrmann.  Loved, loved, loved Moulin Rouge!  (athough my other girlfriend who saw it with me thought it was the worst movie she'd ever seen and would have left if I'd shown any inclination, so your mileage may vary, LOL!)

Betsy


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## Leslie

I loved, loved, loved *Strictly Ballroom* so Baz gets points in my book for that. They say this is a cross between *Gone With the Wind *and *Out of Africa*. No matter what the critics say, I will be there on opening day!

A few more Hugh pictures...


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

I can't wait to see this movie also, I think it will be awesome! Last Wed or Thurs. Nicole Kidman & Hugh Jackson were on Oprah discussing the movie.


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## Leslie

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> I can't wait to see this movie also, I think it will be awesome! Last Wed or Thurs. Nicole Kidman & Hugh Jackson were on Oprah discussing the movie.


I wish I had known. It would have been the second time in my life I would have watched Oprah! LOL...

L


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## Leslie

Another picture, just to tease...


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

You are SO Bad!! Love the pics


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> I wish I had known. It would have been the second time in my life I would have watched Oprah! LOL...
> 
> L


http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20081023_australia


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## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20081023_australia


Oh, thank you, Betsy!

A few Hugh pics from the show (I figured you guys aren't interested in Oprah...LOL).


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

He is easy on the eyes that's for sure!!


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## Ann in Arlington

I guess it'll be nice for the Australian actors to not have to fake an American accent for a change. . . . .

Ann


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## Leslie

from the BBC:

*Australia's hope for Luhrmann epic*

By Nick Bryant
BBC News, Sydney

Australia is putting on its best cinematic face for an epic movie which it hopes will revive its struggling tourism industry and replicate the so-called Crocodile Dundee effect, which saw thousands of international visitors heading to this far-flung planetary corner.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the creative genius behind Strictly Ballroom and Moulin Rouge, Australia the movie - premiering in Sydney on Tuesday - showcases the country's best-known stars and most jaw-dropping landscape.

On top of that, the movie is that most genuine of rarities in the Aussie cinematic canon: an extravagant, big-budget, blockbuster of a film - in fact, 10s of millions over big-budget, if the production rumours are to be believed.

Luhrmann is known throughout the industry as the most exacting of perfectionists.

In recent weeks, the 46-year-old Oscar-nominated director has been in a frantic race to complete this homage to the land of his birth, with regular requests to the studio, 20th Century Fox, to push back the release date.

Rumour factory that it is, the whispers out of Hollywood are that the original ending of the film did not test well with trial audiences, because it failed to end on an emotionally uplifting note.

Luhrmann himself has remained tight-lipped, but recently told the Los Angeles Times: "What's interesting is I wrote, I think, six endings in all the drafts I did, shot three, and I ended up concluding the film in a way in which I, probably more than anyone, least expected.

"And there is a death in the ending of the film, by the way, it's a bit of a twist, and I won't give it away."

The film brings together some instantly recognisable Australian talent. Hugh Jackman plays the male lead, a rough-hewn cattle drover.

Nicole Kidman plays the object of his desire, a feisty English aristocrat, Lady Sarah Ashley.

There are parts for Bryan Brown (Cocktail, Gorillas in the Mist) and the great Jack Thompson (Breaker Morant, The Man from Snowy River).

And the equally great Bill Hunter (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Strictly Ballroom), who is normally the first name on any Aussie cast list.

Riches to rags

Set on the eve of World War II, and filmed against the sundried backdrop of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, it recounts the story of Lady Sarah.

She makes the long journey to Australia having learnt she has inherited a suitably massive swathe of land.

Her guide, as she embarks on an epic journey across this unforgiving landscape, is Hugh Jackman.

The couple, of course, fall in love, offering just the kind of improbable riches to rags romance that's sure to be a winner.

Another pre-premiere rumour has been that Fox wanted more love scenes between Jackman and Kidman.

In a country that is surprisingly needy of international recognition and validation, much is riding on Australia.

The tourism industry is hoping it will essentially become a feature-length advertisement: that Australia, the country, will become the real star of Australia, the movie.

The most recent Australian global tourism campaign, which asked: "Where the Bloody Hell Are You?," was deemed something of a disaster.

Overseas visitor numbers dropped 7.6% in September, and have been stagnant for the past couple of years.

So Tourism Australia has launched a tie-in global advertising campaign, with the catchline Come Walkabout.

So far, the pre-release buzz has the kind of electric crackle that illuminates the faces of producers and promoters.

Oprah Winfrey has been shown a rough-cut edit, and proclaimed it a delight - the most useful of endorsements, as America's incoming President could attest.

She did not hold back when Lurhmann appeared on her show: "Congratulations on your imagination, your vision, your creativity, your direction. Our hearts are all swelling because, my God, it's just the film we needed to see."

Australia opens in the UK on 26 December.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/7733409.stm

Published: 2008/11/17 13:27:58 GMT


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## Angela

Leslie said:


> I loved, loved, loved *Strictly Ballroom* so Baz gets points in my book for that. They say this is a cross between *Gone With the Wind *and *Out of Africa*. No matter what the critics say, I will be there on opening day!


Just don't spoil it for those of us that have to wait to see it!!


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## Leslie

Angela said:


> Just don't spoil it for those of us that have to wait to see it!!


Don't worry, I won't!


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## Betsy the Quilter

I saw part of the Oprah show.


Spoiler



There was quite a tease of a scene involving water. Women in the audience were fanning themselves.


 Jackman blushed, you could see it on TV.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Oh, thank you, Betsy!


Anything for a friend.

Betsy


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## chynared21

*Hmmm, I'm going to take a stab at this....Leslie, are you a big Hugh Jackman fan  LOL. Can't wait to see this!*


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## Betsy the Quilter

Don't know why you'd think that...

Betsy


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## Leslie

chynared21 said:


> *Hmmm, I'm going to take a stab at this....Leslie, are you a big Hugh Jackman fan  LOL. Can't wait to see this!*


Yes, I had two Australians that I was passionately in love with: Heath Legder and Hugh Jackman. Then Heath died.  So I got a Heath tattoo and transferred all my living love to Hugh. LOL. But Heath will always have a special place in my heart...

L


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## Leslie

I think we need another Hugh picture. This is from a few years ago. Believe it not, that's him...


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## Betsy the Quilter

Oh myyyy

sigh

Betsy


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## chynared21

Leslie said:


> I think we need another Hugh picture. This is from a few years ago. Believe it not, that's him...


*Ok, lets quote the pictue  I'm not into long hair on guys but this picture is yummy ;-)*


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## Angela

chynared21 said:


> *Ok, lets quote the pictue  I'm not into long hair on guys but this picture is yummy ;-)*


*sigh* Larry used to have hair like that... Larry used to have hair!!


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## Leslie

Angela said:


> *sigh* Larry used to have hair like that... Larry used to have hair!!


Hahahaha...!!!


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## Teninx

Judging from the response on this board, I may just wait outside the theater on opening night, saying "G'day, Miss".


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## Angela

Angela said:


> *sigh* Larry used to have hair like that... Larry used to have hair!!


Don't tell him I said that!!! hehe


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## Betsy the Quilter

Congratulations on your 900th post, Angela!  Woohoo, catching up with me!  And on such a worthy topic, too!

Betsy


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## Angela

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Congratulations on your 900th post, Angela! Woohoo, catching up with me! And on such a worth topic, too!
> 
> Betsy


Woo Hoo!!! Thanks Betsy, I hadn't even noticed!!
\o/


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## sjc

OK:  I don't know if looking   at that eye-candy makes me feel 29 again (hey I'd settle for 39) or if it makes me feel double my age.  Wow...sweeeeet.  I will be going to see the movie to: admire the gorgeous outback; the scenery must be outstanding and to learn about the cultural differences. I'm sure that it will be an educational experience.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Exactly why I'm going to see it.  Uh huh.

Betsy


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## Angela

sjc said:


> OK: I don't know if looking  at that eye-candy makes me feel 29 again (hey I'd settle for 39) or if it makes me feel double my age. Wow...sweeeeet. I will be going to see the movie to: admire the gorgeous outback; the scenery must be outstanding and to learn about the cultural differences. I'm sure that it will be an educational experience.


Yes, that's it... it is an educational movie. Now Larry will HAVE to go with me!! He likes educational movies!!


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## DawnOfChaos

Yes, I'm going to see it for the scenery. Yeah, thats it. <snicker> I don't even lie well online.

Hugh Jackman.....yum. That's why I'm going to see it.


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## Sailor

my hands are sweating as I type...I would LOVE to style his hair


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## sjc

Style his hair...I'd like to "style" *him*.


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## Betsy the Quilter

I've never heard it called that...

Betsy


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## Leslie

Style his hair, see the outback...you guys crack me up. Here's another....for fun.


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## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


>


Is that a "no doesn't work for me" smiley? What, you don't like the naked chest, the sexy smirk? Tell me...LOL


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Is that a "no doesn't work for me" smiley? What, you don't like the naked chest, the sexy smirk? Tell me...LOL


That's a "my tongue is hanging out: smiley.

Betsy


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## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> That's a "my tongue is hanging out: smiley.
> 
> Betsy


Okay, thanks for clearing that up! LOL...new picture coming along straightaway...


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## Leslie

For Betsy...


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## Angela

I just love the beach!!


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## Betsy the Quilter

When does this open again?

Betsy


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## Sailor

Oh My!

I have never heard of this guy before...now I know waaayyy mooore about him than I should.

There goes my sweaty hands again...is it getting hot in here? Oh no, I think something is wrong with my heart...it's palpatating...I think I might have asthma? funny I never had it before! Gee, feels like I just finished running a sprint


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## Leslie

The man is a triple threat...he sings, dances, and acts. This is from the 1999 Oklahoma revival on stage in London....


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## Sailor

Teninx said:


> Judging from the response on this board, I may just wait outside the theater on opening night, saying "G'day, Miss".


Gee, when did Teninx slip this messege in here? If you do that Teninx, you just might get jumped 

I was just going back over all the posts to make sure everyone's grammer and puncuations were correct. Yep, okay, looks like it's all good.


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## Angela

It's hard to see him singing and then picture him as Wolverine in the X-Men!! lol


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## Sailor

Leslie said:


> The man is a triple threat...he sings, dances, and acts. This is from the 1999 Oklahoma revival on stage in London....


I think I would like him better 'down under'...Australia that is.


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## Leslie

sailor said:


> I think I would like him better 'down under'...Australia that is.


You'll get it in a week....


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## Leslie

In the meantime, here's the trailer:


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## Angela

Leslie said:


> You'll get it in a week....


There was just a preview on the TV and I had to stop and watch it!!


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## Sailor

I think I will go see it by myself during the afternoon. hee hee Only to see what Australia is like, I hear the outback can be beautiful.


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## Betsy the Quilter

It is a travelogue, isn't it?  A documentary?

Betsy


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## Angela

Betsy the Quilter said:


> It is a travelogue, isn't it? A documentary?
> 
> Betsy


I'm telling Larry it is an action/adventure movie that takes place in the outback... that is MY story and I am sticking to it!!


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## Anne

Is the movie based on a Book?


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## Angela

reader/Anne said:


> Is the movie based on a Book?


I haven't been able to find any evidence of a book... the dept. of tourism in Australia is big time behind this film hoping it will generate a growth in tourism.


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## Leslie

reader/Anne said:


> Is the movie based on a Book?


Not a book that I have heard. Baz Luhrmann (the director) has been working on this for years. Historically, it includes the bombing of Darwin which for Australians is the equivalent of the attack on Pearl Harbor to us.

L


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## Betsy the Quilter

Trailers:











This one's for Leslie






Betsy


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## Anne

Thanks Angela and Lesilie I was hoping it was from a book.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Love that six pack and smile! I would be content to sit across from him & look & listen to him talk...maybe.


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## Leslie

Good morning ladies (and any gentlemen who may be hanging around),

Thank you Betsy, for that video! I needed that. LOL

Hugh at Bondi Beach, Sydney. One of his favorite places to hang out, apparently. This was one he was filming Wolverine, thus, the whiskers.


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## Leslie

The director, Baz Luhrmann:


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## Leslie

*Love it, or loathe it ... this is Australia
*
Michael Bodey | November 19, 2008
Article from: The Australian

BAZ Luhrmann's sweeping epic Australia finally premiered in four locations last night as its director hosed down the country's outrageous expectations for the film.

"Not everyone's going to love it, not everyone's going to see it," the director said of his $180 million film starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and newcomer Brandon Walters. "All we can do is do our best and invite everyone to the party."

No matter what anyone thinks of the film - and initial reviews are positive without being effusive - Luhrmann knows how to throw a party. After viewing the 165-minute film, audiences in Sydney, Darwin, Bowen and Kununurra emerged to toast the biggest Australian film ever.

"It's not meant to be the second coming but it is meant to be let's have some fun and enjoy it, and that's what I came here hoping for," said Kidman, who plays an uppity English rose who falls in love with a rough-hewn drover, played by Jackman.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Kidman said. "Rarely do you get to make a film that you've dreamed of doing since you were little which is to be part of the Australian cinema and I haven't really had a film that's done that in a big way. The simplest thing to say about this is (it's) a celebration - for me and hopefully for this country."

Such is the film's scale, Australian screen royalty such as Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson and David Gulpilil play relatively minor roles.

"It's a big one," Gulpilil said, before announcing it would also be his last film. "This movie is bigger than Superman and Indiana Jones. This movie Australia is a true Australian movie."

Its initial impact was on Sydney city residents when a chunk of George Street was closed to accommodate crowds and guests.

The film also premiered in key shooting locations: Darwin; Kununurra, Western Australia; and Bowen, Queensland.

Australia takes place in Western Australia and the Northern Territory in the years leading up to and during World War II.

At its core is a touching story about an indigenous child, Nullah, played by then 12-year-old Broome local Brandon Walters, and Luhrmann's declaration at the top of the film that it concerns the Stolen Generations.

The film's indigenous liaison officer, Steve McGregor, said Luhrmann had worked with "respect". "There were aspects in the film that weren't culturally appropriate, and once that was pointed out Baz accepted that and said how much can we navigate our way through and still enhance the story," Mr McGregor said.

Brandon looked rightly bemused at an occasionally shambolic press conference before the premiere. He should expect further chaos; despite Jackman and Kidman's chemistry, Brandon is the best bet for an Academy Award acting nomination.

He admitted he hadn't heard of Kidman before the film and "I felt a bit scared when I first met her".

Kidman is now scared for Brandon. "I feel very protective of him. If the film does really well, he is going to need a lot of protection," she said.

Luhrmann said he had auditioned about 1000 Aboriginal boys before choosing Brandon for his talent, charisma and strength of his family. Brandon's father, Paul, appeared overwhelmed by the hubbub yesterday.

The film's importance to the Australian film industry is being overstated. Australia is created by one of this nation's few true auteurs and funded by a major Hollywood studio, Twentieth Century Fox (owned by News Corporation, publisher of The Australian). It will have little effect on the vast majority of Australian films, which are made for less than a tenth of its cost.

And predictions by local executives that the film would beat Titanic's record box office take of $57 million in this country were premature and unhelpful. The fervour only heightened as Luhrmann conceded he had struggled to meet the deadline for a November 26 Australian release.

Yesterday he joked that he had to be taken from the mixing studio on Saturday night in a straitjacket.

Jackman and Kidman viewed the film for the first time last night. For Kidman, it might signal a hiatus from the screen. "I'm in a place in my life where I have had some great opportunities but I may choose to have some more children," she said.

She agreed the film's expected success might be helpful after a run of commercial failures. "I have a quirky taste ... but that's my body of work and I'm not going to apologise for it," she said.

Australia opens on November 26 and is rated M.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24673499-2702,00.html


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## Leslie

And, an early review, from the premiere:

*
Baz Luhrmann musters an outback epic*

David Stratton | November 19, 2008
Article from: The Australian

BAZ Luhrmann's operatic approach to narrative is equally at home on the stage as it is on the screen. But the deliberate world of artifice and exaggerated reality that was a trademark of his earlier films, especially Moulin Rouge, doesn't work as successfully when transposed from an interior setting - a dance hall, a nightclub - to the spectacular reality of Australia's outback.

Initially, this gets the director's long-awaited epic, Australia, off to a shaky start. As the characters are introduced, there's a forced jocularity and a theatricality with which some of the actors visibly struggle. Fortunately, at about the 20-minute mark, the film settles down into what it should have been from the start: a romantic melodrama set in 1939-41 against breathtaking backdrops and a homage to the golden age of Hollywood.

The director's aims aren't entirely frivolous, however; there's a serious agenda, as revealed in the opening titles, which describe in frankly superficial terms, presumably with an eye to an uninitiated overseas audience, the meaning of the Stolen Generations.

Nicole Kidman, who worked well with Luhrmann on Moulin Rouge, plays the haughty Lady Sarah Ashley, an English aristocrat whose wayward husband, Maitland, owns a small cattle station, Faraway Downs, in the Northern Territory. Suspecting that the only reason Maitland lingers down under is because he's involved with Aboriginal women, Sarah makes the long journey to the territory to discover that Maitland has been murdered, apparently by King George (David Gulpilil), a tribal magician who wanders the district.

She also discovers that Maitland's untrustworthy station manager Fletcher (David Wenham) is in league with the territory's all-powerful cattle baron, King Carney (Bryan Brown) to steal the cattle from Faraway Downs and ensure the property is for sale at a rock-bottom price. Determined to thwart these machinations, Sarah enlists the help of the station's drunken accountant, Kipling Flynn (Jack Thompson) and a rollicking character known only as Drover (Hugh Jackman) to help her drive the cattle to Darwin where the armed forces, preparing for imminent war, have urgent need of meat.

Matters are complicated by the presence on Faraway Downs of 10-year-old Nullah (played by an impressive child discovery, Brandon Walters). The boy is King George's grandson, but he's of mixed race and (as we're reminded more than once in a sometimes repetitive screenplay) belongs nowhere. As Sarah becomes more and more motherly towards the child, his fate seems to lie with the authorities, who want to place him in the care of a white family, or with his grandfather, who wants him to go walkabout.

With considerable help from computer-generated material, Luhrmann creates a genuinely spectacular saga with this often impressive film; a cattle stampede towards a precipice and a Japanese bombing attack on Darwin are among the highlights. Still, given the status of his distinguished collaborators on the film's screenplay -- Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan and Stuart Beattie -- it's surprising so many cliches have found their way into the story. Given Luhrmann's fondness for old movies and popular songs, it's not surprising he manages to make frequent reference to The Wizard of Oz (which was released in 1939) and its famous song, Over the Rainbow, unlikely as this channelling may seem at first.

Given the considerable budget supplied by 20th Century Fox, it's no real surprise that all too often Australia seems aimed not at Australian audiences but at international, especially American, ones. Native flora and fauna are used in ways that once used to bring a chuckle or two in local cinemas and Australian slang is employed rather too insistently. The character of the all-powerful cattle baron, well played by a rascally Brown, is straight from any number of Hollywood westerns and the romance between the fish-out-of-water heroine and her dashing employee is also familiar from movie classics of the past.

Yet for all its flaws -- and Australia is not the masterpiece we hoped it might be -- the film is easy to take. This is partly because it looks so magnificent, partly because Luhrmann's vision is so stimulating and partly because the actors are, for the most part, so engaging in their roles.

The supporting cast is a rollcall of Australian acting talent, though some of them appear in blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos: among them Max Cullen as a drunken denizen of the Territory Pub, Bruce Spence as a conservative doctor and Arthur Dignam as a missionary. Barry Otto, as Carney's gofer, Ben Mendelsohn as an army officer, Ray Barrett as Sarah's old retainer and Tony Barry as an outback policeman have somewhat more substantial parts. Particularly good is David Ngoombujarra as Drover's loyal stockman.

There has been a great deal of speculation about the ending and whether it would be happy or sad. More curious is the extremely perfunctory, and barely explained, elimination of one of the film's key characters and, in the process, the abrupt termination of one of its most engaging performers.

Despite the behind-the-scenes pressures, and they were probably considerable, the result is clearly Luhrmann's vision. And though the film is, perhaps inevitably, uneven, the good news is that Australia soars more often that it plummets.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24671640-15803,00.html


----------



## Leslie

I've got to find some pictures!

*Baz a bit sad, a bit glad as he lets baby go*

James Madden and Lex Hall | November 19, 2008
Article from: The Australian

NICOLE Kidman was excited. Hugh Jackman was pumped. Little Brandon Walters thought it was cool. But for Baz Luhrmann, walking the red carpet in Sydney last night was a curious mix of relief, joy and sadness.

"I have been full of trepidation all day," Luhrmann said before the world premiere of Australia.

"But you know, we have all given so much into this film that it's time to let this child of ours go, and release it into the world. We're a bit glad, a bit sad."

There was no such ambivalence from the 2000-plus crowd who last night packed George Street in Sydney's CBD for a glimpse of the film's stars.

Despite persistent rain, the enthusiastic crowd -- many of whom had queued for three hours for a good vantage point -- were rewarded for their patience with a steady stream of movie stars, models, rock stars: Jackman and Kidman, their spouses Deborra-Lee Furness and Keith Urban, Jennifer Hawkins, Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch, Jimmy Barnes, Collette Dinnigan and Ian Thorpe.

Former rock star Peter Garrett was there in his current incarnation as Arts Minister, as were Liberal frontbenchers Joe Hockey and Julie Bishop.

Jackman and Kidman both expressed their excitement before last night's screening, as it was the first time they had seen the final cut of the film.

"I'm actually really looking forward to seeing it with a big crowd; that's how I wanted to see it," Kidman said.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Jackman and Luhrmann spent more than 40 minutes on the red carpet, chatting to scores of journalists and posing for photos with fans.

*Looking sharp in a navy three-piece suit, Jackman said he was overwhelmed by the reception.
*
"Tonight is a celebration," he said. "This is not a red-carpet; this is a one-off for me.

"And it's particularly special for me because the George Street cinema strip is where I used to come and watch movies when I was a kid."

Asked if he was sad about leaving Australia to live in New York, Jackman said: "I never leave Australia -- I'll always be back."

His wife Furness, in a striking, silver Lisa Ho-designed gown, said the premiere was "the biggest night for the Australian film industry for a long time".

"There's a great sense of national pride, which is fantastic; I'm really proud," Furness said.

Urban also told of his pride in his wife's work, but played down comments made by Kidman earlier in the day that suggested her movie-making days might be over.

"I wouldn't give much credence to that," Urban said. "She's a free spirit."

For Walters, the 13-year-old Aborigine who stars in his first film role, his first walk down a red carpet was "cool". He admitted that he was "too excited".

Walters said the best thing about making the film was "all the friends I made".

"But it was pretty hard work too," he added. "Sometimes I worked five hours a day."

Even seasoned actor David Wenham was struck by last night's reception.

"I can't remember one this big in Australia," Wenham said. "It reminds me of Los Angeles."

Luhrmann was among the last to enter the cinema, having spent almost an hour on the red carpet. Looking relaxed, he said the extraordinary hype surrounding the film did not add more pressure on set.

"I know that this film can't possibly live up to the hype, but the hype isn't important," Luhrmann said.

"But if the film makes a big difference to one person's life, then that in itself is an achievement."

Luhrmann did concede that the big test for the film would be whether American audiences warmed to it, and he would be promoting Australia in the US until March.

"Then I will be reclaiming my life, I'll take the family on holiday," he said. "I want to go walkabout."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24673489-15803,00.html


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

One of the things noted on the Oprah show, and I only saw part of it, was that the evolution of Nicole's characters clothing in the movie parallels the character's personal journey.  She starts out very starched and just so and the clothing gets more and more loose and unkempt.  I've watched the director's (and everyone else's) commentary on Moulin Rouge and this is typical of Baz (and many other directors, I'm sure).  Every little thing in the scene, from the color of a fabric to the lighting is meant to underscore a particular meaning or point he wants to make.  It was really fascinating to watch in Moulin Rouge and now I'm going to be watching for it in Australia the movie.  If I can remember when Hugh is on the screen.  I do wish he didn't have that awful mole thing though....

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

From the premiere...Hugh, his wife Deborra, and fans.


----------



## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> One of the things noted on the Oprah show, and I only saw part of it, was that the evolution of Nicole's characters clothing in the movie parallels the character's personal journey. She starts out very starched and just so and the clothing gets more and more loose and unkempt. I've watched the director's (and everyone else's) commentary on Moulin Rouge and this is typical of Baz (and many other directors, I'm sure). Every little thing in the scene, from the color of a fabric to the lighting is meant to underscore a particular meaning or point he wants to make. It was really fascinating to watch in Moulin Rouge and now I'm going to be watching for it in Australia the movie. If I can remember when Hugh is on the screen. I do wish he didn't have that awful mole thing though....
> 
> Betsy


Yes, I think he is an incredibly artistic director. I like movies with lots of detail and layers.

Hm, which awful mole thing?

L


----------



## Leslie

Hugh, Deborra, and David Gulilipil


----------



## Leslie

a few of Hugh and Nicole


----------



## Leslie

Hugh, Nicole, director Baz, and Catherine Martin (whoever she is!)


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Yes, I think he is an incredibly artistic director. I like movies with lots of detail and layers.
> 
> Hm, which awful mole thing?
> 
> L


In all the shots I've seen, there's been some big ol' thing on his right cheek....

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

From Times Online
November 18, 2008
*Review: Australia, the movie*

(Twentieth Century Fox)

Nicole Kidman and Brandon Walters in Australia, the movie
Anne Barrowlcough, Sydney

It has every Australian cliché you could hope for, from kangaroos and Nicole Kidman to aborigines going walkabout and, yep, Waltzing Matilda. There is even, within moments of the opening scenes, Rolf Harris's wobble board.

But Baz Luhrmann's long-awaited, and over-budget epic Australia manages, against the odds, to avoid turning into one big sunburnt stereotype about Godzone country. Instead, in what turns out to be a multi-layered story it describes an Australia of the 1940s that is at once compellingly, beautiful and breathtakingly cruel.

Described as a cross between Gone with the Wind and Out of Africa it bears, in fact, little resemblance to either movie - apart from a similarly spectacular landscape as Out of Africa and a plot line that loosely resembles that of Gone with the Wind.

In this case, Lady Sarah Ashley, a passionless English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman), inherits a vast cattle station in the Northern Territories only to find that the station is the target of a dastardly takeover plot.

Much against her will, she is forced to enlist the help of a local stockman known only as Drover (Hugh Jackman), to save the station by driving her huge herd of cattle hundreds of miles across the Kuraman desert to Darwin. Which is then bombed by the Japanese.

In the worst Mills and Boon tradition, Lady Sarah - whose emotions are as frozen as Kidman's forehead - and the rough neck Drover loathe each other on sight but, as they endure the harsh and rather dusty travails of the cattle drive they quite quickly fall in love. She even teaches him to dance. Under a boab tree.

But if it sounds shallow and predictable, Australia is, in fact, anything but.

The cliches are saved by little jokes and asides, as if Luhrmann is saying 'Yes, I know, but what can you do?' In an early scene, as the newly-arrived Sarah drives toward her station, Faraway Downs, with Drover, a herd of kangaroo lopes alongside their vehicle.

As Sarah "oohs" and "aahs" with melodramatic wonder, a shot rings out and one of the kangaroos falls, killed by an Aboriginal stockman riding, literally, shot gun on the roof of the car. The horrified aristocrat spends the rest of the trip staring at the hind leg of the kangaroo hanging disconsolately over the windscreen, and the trails of blood that trek through the dust on the glass.

*Later that evening she pops her head out of her tent door to behold the kangaroo being roasted for dinner plus (more importantly) the sight of a half naked Drover soaping himself down; a scene that will only do for Jackman what James Bond's swimming briefs did for Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, and will ensure Jackman as Craig's only viable cinematic rival as the heart throb du jour.*

But what gives the film its heart is something else entirely. This is also the story of Nullah (Brandon Walters), a mixed race Aboriginal boy left orphaned by the inhumanity of Australian law. The 1940s was the time of the Stolen Generation, when mixed race children were banned from living either with their Aboriginal families or within the white community, but were taken from their homes to be brought up in church missions.

Nullah's increasingly frantic attempts to escape from the 'coppers' and his symbiotic relationship with his grandfather, the mystical King George, played with awesome power by the renowned Aboriginal dancer and musician David Gulpilil, is treated with a stark honesty and is what actually makes this film truly Australian in both its best and its worst sense.

Brandon, 13, was discovered by Lurhmann in his local swimming pool in the West Australian town of Broome and he plays Nullah with a combination of mischief and tragedy that may turn him into the real star of the film, despite - or perhaps because of - the fact that he has never acted before.

Australia is reported to have gone $US30million over its $US100 million budget and right to the last minute there was speculation that it would not be finished in time for its Australian premiere.

Australian audiences - who are already in love with the film - are guaranteed to flock to the box office but Luhrmann needs the American market if he is to break even. If all else fails there is always Jackman, stripped to the waist, under the shower. That if nothing else should pull them in.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article5178513.ece


----------



## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> In all the shots I've seen, there's been some big ol' thing on his right cheek....
> 
> Betsy


I hope they don't take away my Hugh Jackman fan club membership card because I haven't noticed it! LOL

L


----------



## Sailor

Gee, I wake up this morning and out of ALL the boards to choose from, I pick this one to go to...


----------



## Leslie

sailor said:


> Gee, I wake up this morning and out of ALL the boards to choose from, I pick this one to go to...


Welcome, Sailor!


----------



## Sailor

instead of boards, I should have said posts, I think...don't know how these subcategories are named.  This is the only board I belong to, and my first.

I drank sooo much coffee yesterday I was up until I saw Harvey's name actually disappear off the 'who's on-line' list early this morning LOL

Now with ALL those youtube clips, I don't have to see the movie!


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Nicole is lovely. Loving all the pics Leslie! I can not wait for the movie, wish we could all have a "girl's night out together."


----------



## Shizu

Well... with all these posts, I have to go see the movie now. LOL


----------



## Gertie Kindle

My only experience with Luhrman is Strictly  Ballroom (I can't resist a movie about dancing) and Moulin Rouge (laughed so hard, I pulled several muscles).  My only experience with movies about Australia is The Thornbirds.  But I have been there.  Wonderful country.  Friendliest people I ever met.  

Good historical romance set in Australia is Sara Dane by Catherine Gaskin.  It's long been one of my favorite books.  

As for he movie, I'll wait until the DVD comes out.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> I hope they don't take away my Hugh Jackman fan club membership card because I haven't noticed it! LOL
> 
> L


I've been looking at a lot of stills from the movie, and most of them are of his left profile or semiprofile, or are from a distance or I think they've photoshopped it to make it less obvious. Here's one where it shows a bit:









In the previews I've seen twice, it's been much more obvious. If it only looked like it does in this pic, it wouldn't bother me...

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

gertiekindle said:


> As for he movie, I'll wait until the DVD comes out.


Not me, I'll be there on opening day!

I've actually decided I don't like DVDs for first viewings. I get distracted and don't concentrate. So I really make an effort to get to the theater to see movies I want to see.

L


----------



## chynared21

Leslie said:


> Not me, I'll be there on opening day!
> 
> I've actually decided I don't like DVDs for first viewings. I get distracted and don't concentrate. So I really make an effort to get to the theater to see movies I want to see.
> 
> L


*Out of curiousity...what does it cost to see a movie up there*


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Not me, I'll be there on opening day!
> 
> I've actually decided I don't like DVDs for first viewings. I get distracted and don't concentrate. So I really make an effort to get to the theater to see movies I want to see.
> 
> L


Some movies are meant to be seen on the big screen. This strikes as one that may fall in that category. Dances With Wolves was another. It really lost something on the small screen, but was one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen on the big screen.

Betsy


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## Leslie

chynared21 said:


> *Out of curiousity...what does it cost to see a movie up there*


The cheap movie theater, matinee: $6 (it just went up from $5)

The fancy movie theater with the bar in the lobby and automatic playing piano: $9. As I recall, this is what I paid for the opening night of *The Dark Knight* and it was an evening show. But I also paid the same price for the matinee of* Mamma Mia!*

L


----------



## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I've been looking at a lot of stills from the movie, and most of them are of his left profile or semiprofile, or are from a distance or I think they've photoshopped it to make it less obvious. Here's one where it shows a bit:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In the previews I've seen twice, it's been much more obvious. If it only looked like it does in this pic, it wouldn't bother me...
> 
> Betsy


Betsy,

Pictures are not showing up in that message...

L


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Betsy,
> 
> Pictures are not showing up in that message...
> 
> L


Hmmm that's odd I can see them in both the original and your reply...

Let me see what I can do.


----------



## sjc

Thanks to all of you with your tongues hanging out (mine is hitting the frig_ing floor!!):  Because of all the gorgeous pictures posted on this thread...I probably won't be on the boards tomorrow night.  Hubby has been in Arizona since Sunday and is coming home tomorrow...
I'll be busy  and won't be able to read the boards; thanks to all those HOT pics.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Betsy,
> 
> Pictures are not showing up in that message...
> 
> L


How about this


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

SJC tell hubby, compliments of Kindle Board!   Hope he has Thurrsday off!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

sjc said:


> Thanks to all of you with your tongues hanging out (mine is hitting the frig_ing floor!!): Because of all the gorgeous pictures posted on this thread...I probably won't be on the boards tomorrow night. Hubby has been in Arizona since Sunday and is coming home tomorrow...
> I'll be busy  and won't be able to read the boards; thanks to all those HOT pics.


It's a service we do for the Kindle widowers...

Betsy


----------



## sjc

ROTFLMAO!!  Betsy and Leslie; you two are making me drool.  Cut it out... Shi_...you are going to have me waiting for him on the front steps with just my slippers on and he's going to be exhausted at work Thursday (no day off). lol.


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

SJC you best go on to bed and rest up for tomorrow night!


----------



## Leslie

sjc said:


> ROTFLMAO!! Betsy and Leslie; you two are making me drool. Cut it out... Shi_...you are going to have me waiting for him on the front steps with just my slippers on and he's going to be exhausted at work Thursday (no day off). lol.


A woman after my own heart. Can I send you some saran wrap? 

Here's another Hugh pic. Watch it closely, he's winking at you...


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Leslie you are making many husbands happy tonight, tomorrow night, Thursday night!   That sounds kinda strange but you know what I mean.


----------



## sjc

Lol.  Saran Wrap...Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes...lol.  I love that movie; and that scene when she gets even with those two young brats in the parking lot...Oh yeah, well I'm older and I have more insurance!


----------



## Leslie

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> Leslie you are making many husbands happy tonight, tomorrow night, Thursday night!  That sounds kinda strange but you know what I mean.


I know exactly what you mean! When I was first married, I had this major crush on Richard Gere (okay, get it, the movie star crush thing is NOT NEW...it started with Robert Redford). Anyway, my husband got all bent out of shape when I was putting RG pictures up on the refrigerator (no Internet in those days) but over time, he came to realize...looking at pictures and reading stuff had a certain salacious effect. And since then, it has been all good...

Here's another...










My Hugh photobucket is deep...

L


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Well  that did it for me, I am going to see my hubby in his "man cave." TTYL


----------



## sjc

Back in the Day: For me it was Paul Newman...the late  Paul Newman
and Armand Assante and Tom Beringer and Kevin Costner and...


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Oh I still like them too SJC and ... Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford, Pierce Bronson, Tim McGraw (he has been in a few movies) and I do love his music.


----------



## Angela

Leslie said:


> A woman after my own heart. Can I send you some saran wrap?
> 
> Here's another Hugh pic. Watch it closely, he's winking at you...


LOL
I thought I was seeing things at first!! I looked at the picture first and then started reading, but before I could read the part that said he was winking, I would notice something moving and would stop reading!!  I love it!



sjc said:


> Lol. Saran Wrap...Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes...lol. I love that movie; and that scene when she gets even with those two young brats in the parking lot...Oh yeah, well I'm older and I have more insurance!


Those are 2 of my favorite scenes!! Loved that movie!! 



Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> Leslie you are making many husbands happy tonight, tomorrow night, Thursday night!  That sounds kinda strange but you know what I mean.


And I have to wait until Larry gets home on Friday!!   lol


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie, Hugh Jackman is People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2008--just heard it on Good Morning America!


----------



## Leslie

Ah, Betsy, that's wonderful news!!

L


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Time to buy my once a year copy of People....the rest I read at the doctor's and dentist's offices.

Betsy



Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Yes, I'll buy it too. I did buy People a few times back in January and February, when Heath Ledger died, so I may go over my quota for the year. Oh well, who cares! LOL

L


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie, were you able to see the image I posted earlier?  The one you said you couldn't see and I reposted from a different source?

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Leslie, were you able to see the image I posted earlier? The one you said you couldn't see and I reposted from a different source?
> 
> Betsy


Yes, thanks Betsy. And I don't know what that mole thing is because I don't think he has it in real life. He sure doesn't in that People picture you just posted!

L


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> Oh I still like them too SJC and ... Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford, Pierce Bronson, Tim McGraw (he has been in a few movies) and I do love his music.


I have a life-size cutout of Harrison Ford as Han Solo in my den ... Valentine's Day present from my daughter. You might want to check out HF getting his chest waxed on youtube. It's a save-the-environment video. I didn't get the connection, but enjoyed the view.


----------



## Sailor

Oh Geeze...I just prayed for the spirit of lust to leave me over this guy, and blam...here I am again ogling these pictures!
Oh man, this guy is going to be an eye-candy sweet-temptation that's hard for me to break.

AND, of course, _what is the first thread to be opened by me today?_ AUSTRALIA! 

My first movie star crush was Bruce Lee...LOL Only a few years ago did I get over that one! Hated his acting though


----------



## Leslie

This is news I can live with:


----------



## Leslie

*G'day! Hugh Jackman is new Sexiest Man Alive*
A romantic in a hard body, the Aussie star leaves women saying 'Oh my'
PEOPLE.com
updated 9:14 a.m. ET, Wed., Nov. 19, 2008

He's a triple threat: a star who can sing, dance and wield a weapon.

At 6-foot-2, all scruff and biceps, Hugh Jackman looms large in the epic "Australia," which he says kept him "dirty 95 percent of the time" and left people stammering, "Oh ... my ... God," according to costar Nicole Kidman, who adds, "Women's jaws drop when Hugh walks into a room."

Jackman's wife of 12 years, Deborra-Lee Furness, calls his perfect form "the Body of Doom - but I like what's inside": a romantic who sings ballads at home and makes pancakes for Oscar, 8, and Ava, 3. A hard body with a soft center - 2008's Sexiest Man Alive sat down with PEOPLE to reveal most of his secrets.

*"You turned 40 Oct. 12 and now you're the Sexiest Man Alive. What was your wife's response?"*
God bless her, she said, "I could've told them that years ago!" And then she said, "Obviously, Brad wasn't available this year." And I said, "That was a joke, right?"

*"Your marriage is a success story."*
In my early 20s, I didn't have a regular girlfriend. I was single and really happy about it. And then when I was 26, I met Deb on (the Australian TV show) "Correlli." She was my leading lady. It was just undeniable. I started planning to propose to her at about three months. We are happy. Deb and my kids have been the best things that have ever happened to me, without a doubt.

*"How do you keep the passion alive?"*
It's easy with my wife. She loves the idea of me coming home in costume because it makes her feel like she's having an affair in a good way. When we met, I was cast as a prisoner with tattoos and she'd say, "Don't take your tattoos off tonight!" and I'd be like, "All right!" But what works best with her is the stockbroker look. She also says, "Do your sexy dance for me," (an '80s-like, hip-swiveling number) and that works for me.

*"Are you self-conscious about any body part?"*
When I was younger, I had chicken legs. My nickname was Sticks.

*"What part do people like best?"*
My smile. Lately my pecs. I'm being honest!

*"What do you wear to bed?"*
I didn't wear anything until my daughter was born and we had a night nanny because I was working. I walked out stark naked, and she was reading a book. Now I like boxer briefs.

_*For more of Hugh's interview, pick up PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive issue, on stands Friday.*_

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27800751/


----------



## Leslie

I can't believe that someone would be so _cynical_ to suggest that Hugh only won this _esteemed_ honor because he has a new movie coming out! Humphf!

*Hugh Jackman Wins People's 'Sexiest Man Alive' Title*
By Robert Dougherty

The title of "Sexiest Man Alive" is one created by People Magazine, in a fake honor they hand out every year. The Sexiest Man Alive title is usually fought among the same old contenders in Hollywood. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon and more of their hunky friends are usually right at the top.

But this year, a new contender broke through the sexy ranks, according to People Magazine. Coincidentally, it came just as the new Sexiest Man Alive is about to be seen in a new epic film.

Hugh Jackman received the honor of People's Sexiest Man Alive in this week's new People issue. Jackman has been on the A list in both movies and the theater for most of the decade, but finally breaks through in the sexy categories this year.

Jackman got the Sexiest Man Alive title just before his new film Australia hits theaters. Director Baz Luhrmann cast Jackman as a 1940s Outback drover who gets entangled in romance with Nicole Kidman's English land owner, just before World War II breaks out.

After being tinkered with up to the last minute by Luhrmann, Australia will finally be released next week, having just premiered in the real Australia this week.

*Jackman has numerous shirtless scenes* and fight scenes that made Oprah Winfrey and her audience swoon when they discussed Australia last week. Now, in anticipation of more swooning from audiences nationwide, Jackman was officially honored for his sexiness by People.

Jackman first entranced people with his theater work, then made it big as a gruffer sex symbol, Wolverine in the X-Men films. Jackman won numerous theatrical awards a few years later as Peter Allen in the musical The Boy From Oz, and has hosted the Tony Awards. Next summer, Jackman will star in his own X-Men spinoff as Wolverine.

A few rumors have spread over the years questioning Jackman's sexuality, especially after playing the gay Peter Allen on stage. But Jackman's attractiveness seems to be under a lot less doubt now.

For over 20 years, People has honored the sexiest men alive, with Mel Gibson as the first winner in 1985. George Clooney and Brad Pitt have won it twice, with other recent winners being McConaughey, Damon, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Ben Affleck and Richard Gere. People even gave the honor to Nick Nolte in 1992.


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Oh Leslie, there you go again. I haven't seen SJC this morning, she must have slept in and probably gone to pick up that saran wrap for tonight when the hubby gets home.   I will be buying this issue of People.


----------



## Leslie

from the New York Post:

*The Sexiest Man Alive*

Posted by Jarett Wieselman at 9:55 AM on November 19, 2008

Yes, yes! I agree, I agree! People Magazine has dubbed *Hugh Jackman* 2008's Sexiest Man Alive -- I mean, he's been equally sexy for the past five years, but I guess timing-wise he didn't have a sweeping romantic movie coming out that needed a little extra oomph.

"Women's jaws drop when Hugh walks into a room," his "Australia" co-star Nicole Kidman tells the mag, possible due to the two physical features he claims people like the most. "My smile," Hugh says, before adding, "lately my pecs. I'm being honest!"

But there is also something to be said about seeing Hugh play the part of doting dad to his two children Oscar and Ava. But if Hugh is the Sexiest Man Alive, then his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, would technically be the luckiest woman alive, even if she refuses to let all the attention go to his head. Hugh tells the mag, "God bless her, she said, 'I could've told them that years ago!' And then she said, 'Obviously, Brad wasn't available this year.' And I said, 'That was a joke, right?'"

Keep reading to see if your favorite star made the list!

Speeding his way into the second slot is *Daniel Craig*, who became an overnight sex symbol after "Casino Royale" even though many of us first became aware of his animal magnetism way back in 2001 when he emerged from Lara Croft's shower in "Tomb Raider."

*Jon Hamm*, one of GQ's Men of the Year, is also taking a top spot on this list as well thanks to his sexy swagger and way with a cigarette as Don Draper in "Mad Men." Next up for Jon, a role in December's sci-fi remake, "The Day The Earth Stood Still."

I love that one of the Sexiest Men Alive is technically a boy - but for some reason this kid's appeal transcends age and gave an army of older ladies a younger lad to lust after. And it's not just* Zac Efron*'s fan base that's getting older, his style is becoming more sophisticated, too. "There's something timeless about suits. A few years ago I didn't own a single one. Now I've got a small collection going."

Star of the questionably canceled "Lipstick Jungle" *Robert Buckley* rounds out the top 5 thanks to his oft shirtless romancing of leading lady Kim Raver. Not only does he bring an innate sexuality to Kirby, but he plays the photographer as a hopeless romantic, for whom age is just a number. Something he aims to re-prove when he sweeps Heather Locklear off her feet in "Flirting with Forty."

The rest of the list breaks down like this:
#6. Blair Underwood
#7. "Gossip Girl's" Ed Westwick
#8. Michael Phelps
#9. Country singer Blake Shelton
#10. Classical performer Lang Lang
#11. Mark-Paul Gosselaar
#12. Javier Bardem
#13. Robert Pattinson
#14. Josh Jackson
#15. David Beckham

What do you think about the list? Is your favorite missing?

http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/archives/2008/11/the_sexiest_man.html


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## Leslie

Where's that famous smile, Hugh?










Now if we could just get him into #8's bathing suit....


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

I like Blake Shelton & Blair Underwood. I think Kevin Costner is sexy too. I have a loooonnnggg list come to think of it.


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## Sailor

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> I will be buying this issue of People.


Isn't People Mag one of those mags that can be downloaded onto Kindle? 
That way you wouldn't have to have highly glossy, colorful, giant sized pictures of Hugh to clutter up the house


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## Leslie

sailor said:


> Isn't People Mag one of those mags that can be downloaded onto Kindle?




Unfortunately, it isn't...



> That way you wouldn't have to have highly glossy, colorful, giant sized pictures of Hugh to clutter up the house


I think I might need to have some of those pictures cluttering up my house...

L


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> I can't believe that someone would be so _cynical_ to suggest that Hugh only won this _esteemed_ honor because he has a new movie coming out! Humphf!


I like what Hugh's wife has to say about this:

"What was your wife's response?"
God bless her, she said, "I could've told them that years ago!" 
And then she said, "Obviously, Brad wasn't available this year." 
And I said, "That was a joke, right?"

Betsy


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## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I like what Hugh's wife has to say about this:
> 
> "What was your wife's response?"
> God bless her, she said, "I could've told them that years ago!"
> And then she said, "Obviously, Brad wasn't available this year."
> And I said, "That was a joke, right?"
> 
> Betsy


Everything I have read about her, she seems like a pretty down to earth person. She a bit older than Hugh -- about 9 years, I think. They have 2 adopted children, Oscar and Ava. Deborra is an actress. I think her last movie was *Jindabyne*. It won a few Australian awards as I recall.

L


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Interesting, I am 9 years older than my hubby but he is much more mature.


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## KBoards Admin

Oh, dear, pardon me. I was wondering where everyone was, and was stumbling around looking for you, when I decided to peek into this girls-night-out party of a thread. 

I'm slowly backing out now, and quietly closing the door behind me. I'll be out in the other boards, hanging out with the guys and waiting for you women to return.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

LMAO Harvey! You are just now finding us, we've been lusting over here for the last 2 or 3 days.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Ladies I was watching E-News and the lead story was People's sexist man no less. Hugh was looking very hot.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Harvey said:


> Oh, dear, pardon me. I was wondering where everyone was, and was stumbling around looking for you, when I decided to peek into this girls-night-out party of a thread.
> 
> I'm slowly backing out now, and quietly closing the door behind me. I'll be out in the other boards, hanging out with the guys and waiting for you women to return.


ROTFL!

Think maybe the guys should start one about Nicole Kidman!

Betsy


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## KBoards Admin

^ Let's *not* encourage that! The guys may not be as restrained.

Although, after reading through this thread... I'm not so sure about that!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Plus you know we would horn in!  Not like you!

Betsy


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## Angela

lol... it wouldn't matter if the guys started a "boys only" thread or not... we outnumber them and we would take over just like we did in the _male vs female _ thread!!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> Ladies I was watching E-News and the lead story was People's sexist man no less. Hugh was looking very hot.


Linda, congratulations on 500 Posts!!!










Betsy


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## Kirstin

Leslie said:


> For Betsy...


oh JEEZ!!! How did I miss this thread?? I would drink his bath water..... j/s


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## Betsy the Quilter

Kirstin said:


> oh JEEZ!!! How did I miss this thread?? I would drink his bath water..... j/s


Welcome to the "girls-night-out party of a thread" as Harvey put it on his way out the door.

Betsy


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## Leslie

Harvey said:


> Oh, dear, pardon me. I was wondering where everyone was, and was stumbling around looking for you, when I decided to peek into this girls-night-out party of a thread.
> 
> I'm slowly backing out now, and quietly closing the door behind me. I'll be out in the other boards, hanging out with the guys and waiting for you women to return.


I want you to realize this started off as a _serious_ and _thoughtful_ discussion thread about the movie Australia. If it was supposed to be the Hugh Jackman Adoration Thread it would have been named accordingly. I had nothing to do with People and their announcement today which sort of derailed all _erudite _conversation... (Ladies, please don't bring Harvey's attention to the dates of any of the pictures posted here, okay?)

And now back to our regularly scheduled Sexiest Man Alive...(another pic from the archives)...


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> I want you to realize this started off as a _serious_ and _thoughtful_ discussion thread about the movie Australia. If it was supposed to be the Hugh Jackman Adoration Thread it would have been named accordingly. I had nothing to do with People and their announcement today which sort of derailed all _erudite _conversation... (Ladies, please don't bring Harvey's attention to the dates of any of the pictures posted here, okay?)
> 
> And now back to our regularly scheduled Sexiest Man Alive...(another pic from the archives)...


OK, that just tipped me over the edge...Fred (my husband), Fred, where are you!!

sorry gotta go

Betsy


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## Kirstin

Betsy the Quilter said:


> OK, that just tipped me over the edge...Fred (my husband), Fred, where are you!!
> 
> sorry gotta go
> 
> Betsy


Leslie - Fred owes you a BIG THANK YOU! ha ha ha


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## Leslie

Kirstin said:


> Leslie - Fred owes you a BIG THANK YOU! ha ha ha


Maybe you could turn a few of these into screensavers for your trip across the Atlantic? Hmmm?


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## Angela

Betsy the Quilter said:


> OK, that just tipped me over the edge...Fred (my husband), Fred, where are you!!
> 
> sorry gotta go
> 
> Betsy


ROFLOL!!


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## Kirstin

Leslie said:


> Maybe you could turn a few of these into screensavers for your trip across the Atlantic? Hmmm?


oh

my

god


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## Leslie

Kirstin said:


> oh
> 
> my
> 
> god


I just wonder where People has been for the last few years. I've known about Hugh for ages...

L


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## Kirstin

Leslie said:


> I just wonder where People has been for the last few years. I've known about Hugh for ages...
> 
> L


oh - I have been an admirer of his for a _*LONG*_ time. Chris won't watch movies with me that have Hugh in them. If he tries to speak - I give him the "talk to the hand" pose.


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## Kirstin

Leslie said:


> I just wonder where People has been for the last few years. I've known about Hugh for ages...
> 
> L


...but alas... he is happily married with kids. That is one damn lucky woman.


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## Leslie

Kirstin said:


> ...but alas... he is happily married with kids. That is one damn lucky woman.


Yes, she is. But I am actually happy that they both seem to be happy and accepting of who they are. You'll notice in the uber-sexy photo (in case you don't remember which one, I'll post it again) you can actually see his wedding ring.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


>


Leslie, I think that picture displayed smaller than you intended. I fixed it.

Betsy


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## Kirstin

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Leslie, I think that picture displayed smaller than you intended. I fixed it.
> 
> Betsy


I just laughed so hard I snorted!


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## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Leslie, I think that picture displayed smaller than you intended. I fixed it.
> 
> Betsy


Thank you Betsy. That was important. To highlight the WEDDING ring...  

L


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Thank you Betsy. That was important. To highlight the WEDDING ring...
> 
> L


Exactly. Because that's what this thread is all about, the sanctity of marriage.

Betsy


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## Leslie

Now, Betsy, you are a fabric professional...can we discuss how those jeans have faded in certain places and what might have contributed to their fading?

L


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## KBoards Admin

Hooh-kay, I accidentally opened the door again, and this is clearly not a good time. Don't mind me! Leaving now!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Now, Betsy, you are a fabric professional...can we discuss how those jeans have faded in certain places and what might have contributed to their fading?
> 
> L


Why, yes, Leslie, I can discuss that. I'm so glad that people are interested in technical information like this. First however, I'm going to have to bring the photo up again so people can see what we're talking about...



Leslie said:


>


The technical term is CROCKING. CROCKING is when dye is removed from fabric due to the fabric rubbing up against something. In this case, the fabric was CROCKED by Hugh's...well, perhaps we'll leave that part of the crocking process out. CROCKING occurs frequently in fashion denim when too much dye is applied at once, which means the excess cannot PENETRATE the fibers. The excess lays on top of the fabric, and there is no fixative that will keep it from CROCKING when rubbed against something like, well, again, we'll leave that part off.

Hope this helps.

Betsy


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## Leslie

Oh, that's so interesting Betsy! Thank you. I wonder if there is any crocking in these jeans?


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Oh, that's so interesting Betsy! Thank you. I wonder if there is any crocking in these jeans?


Why Leslie, thank you for posting a picture that shows so well the draping qualities of fabric when wet. Also, while crocking could certain occur, more likely the excess dye would just be rinsed off.

I'm so glad there are so many people interested in the properties of textiles....

Betsy


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Linda, congratulations on 500 Posts!!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Betsy


Thanks Betsy! I didn't realize it until I read your post. I'm trying to get ahead of Leslie  Love the champagne.


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## Leslie

Another good example of the draping quality of cotton jersey, this time when the fabric is dry.


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## Leslie

Good, I fixed my avatar. Now Hugh doesn't look squished. That was really bugging me...

L


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Leslie said:


> Another good example of the draping quality of cotton jersey, this time when the fabric is dry.


Wet or dry shirt makes no difference to me, he looks sooo good! I guess you saw Harvey found us here.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Harvey, we're just discussing textiles and costume design here, really!

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter

For those interested, Hugh Jackman will be on Regis and Kelly next Wednesday.

Betsy


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## Cuechick

I am not sure if I will see this movie, I do like Hugh, but find Nicole Kidman's jacked up face very distracting. 
I think all that collagen actually makes women look older, she is only in her early 40's and I think it sad cause I think 
she is a very good actress. However I know I will sit there wonder where she got a hold of a plastic surgeon back in 
the 1800's?

Oh, what I like best about Hugh is he seems perfectly happy with his curvy wife. In todays thin obsessed Hollywood, that is something to be admired.


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## Leslie

Octochick said:


> I am not sure if I will see this movie, I do like Hugh, but find Nicole Kidman's jacked up face very distracting.
> I think all that collagen actually makes women look older, she is only in her early 40's and I think it sad cause I think
> she is a very good actress. However I know I will sit there wonder where she got a hold of a plastic surgeon back in
> the 1800's?


Actually, the movie takes place from 1939-1941 but you could still ask the same question, even then.



> Oh, what I like best about Hugh is he seems perfectly happy with his curvy wife. In todays thin obsessed Hollywood, that is something to be admired.


Yes. And he really looks like he's crazy about his children, too. He seems like just an all around nice guy.

L


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Octochick said:


> I am not sure if I will see this movie, I do like Hugh, but find Nicole Kidman's jacked up face very distracting.
> I think all that collagen actually makes women look older, she is only in her early 40's and I think it sad cause I think
> she is a very good actress. However I know I will sit there wonder where she got a hold of a plastic surgeon back in
> the 1800's?
> 
> Oh, what I like best about Hugh is he seems perfectly happy with his curvy wife. In todays thin obsessed Hollywood, that is something to be admired.


Priscilla Presley's another example...SCARY. Did you see her last year on Dancing With The Stars? I'm all about aging as gracefully as I can. I earned all my wrinkles and gray hairs anyway, worked hard for them!


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## Betsy the Quilter

When I looked at Nicole, I just attributed it to makeup and Baz who does very stylized stuff...

Betsy


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## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> When I looked at Nicole, I just attributed it to makeup and Baz who does very stylized stuff...
> 
> Betsy


I actually think she's looking a little better lately. I heard that while she was pregnant she stopped with the botox. Maybe she'll stay stopped. That stuff does nothing but make women's faces look weird, IMO. (Now, Linda, I know you have a beautiful neck!).

I also think Nicole's face is still unfreezing from a decade of marriage to crazy man Tom Cruise, too. LOL

L


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Leslie said:


> I actually think she's looking a little better lately. I heard that while she was pregnant she stopped with the botox. Maybe she'll stay stopped. That stuff does nothing but make women's faces look weird, IMO. (Now, Linda, I know you have a beautiful neck!).
> 
> I also think Nicole's face is still unfreezing from a decade of marriage to crazy man Tom Cruise, too. LOL
> 
> L


So, so true Leslie, my neck is as smooth as can be. If I place a bag over my head and dress nicely I may could pass for 25 to 30. LOL Go over to the survey thread & read our fearless leaders smart aleck  post!!


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## Gertie Kindle

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> Priscilla Presley's another example...SCARY. Did you see her last year on Dancing With The Stars? I'm all about aging as gracefully as I can. I earned all my wrinkles and gray hairs anyway, worked hard for them!


Some quack got ahold of her and injected something similar to used motor oil into her face. On top of the problems with her face, she chose to stuff herself into dresses that looked like sausage casings. It was painful to watch.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie, could you please post another of your endless supply of Hugh Jackman photos?  The remembered image of Priscilla Presley on Dancing With The Stars is stuck in my RAM memory and it's all I can picture now!

Betsy


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## Leslie

Ask, and you shall receive...










I should point out that Hugh doesn't actually have grey eyes! Someone photoshopped them for this picture but I loved it so much, I just left it.

L


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## Leslie




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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Great picture...could those be bedroom eyes??


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Ask, and you shall receive...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I should point out that Hugh doesn't actually have grey eyes! Someone photoshopped them for this picture but I loved it so much, I just left it.
> 
> L


OK, I'm better now...


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## Buttercup

Wow! I stayed out of this thread for far too long.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Buttercup said:


> Wow! I stayed out of this thread for far too long.


Where HAVE you been Buttercup?


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## Buttercup

Heck, working, working, working ... but what could be more important than this?


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## Betsy the Quilter

Buttercup said:


> Heck, working, working, working ... but what could be more important than this?


Harvey keeps peeking in and then backing out hurriedly, LOL!

Betsy


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## Leslie

Welcome, Buttercup! Join the party...er, I mean, the thoughtful discussion group about the movie *Australia*. Betsy, aren't we supposed to get back on track with more convos about the costumes?


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Welcome, Buttercup! Join the party...er, I mean, the thoughtful discussion group about the movie *Australia*. Betsy, aren't we supposed to get back on track with more convos about the costumes?


That's right, I'm leading a discussion of textiles here, using stills from the movie and of Hugh Jackman as examples, simply for convenience as Leslie seems to have an endless supply of Hugh Jackman photos....

In this photo, note the juxtaposition of the fitted, nuetral shirt (examine it closely) with the texture and color of the bandana. Excellent design point. I frequently do this kind of thing with quilts.


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## Chad Winters

I need to go recruit more men to this forum.......


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## KBoards Admin

Thank you so much for this informative thread. I feel that I now have a real appreciation for the plot, cinematography, and character development in the movie Australia.


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## Leslie

A positive review from Variety!

Posted: Wed., Nov. 19, 2008, 5:22pm PT
*Australia*

(Australia-U.S.-U.K.) A 20th Century Fox release of a Bazmark production, in association with Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Film Partners. Produced by Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman. Co-producer, Catherine Martin. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Screenplay, Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan; story, Luhrmann.

Lady Sarah Ashley - Nicole Kidman
Drover - Hugh Jackman
Neil Fletcher - David Wenham
King Carney - Bryan Brown
Kipling Flynn - Jack Thompson
King George - David Gulpilil
Nullah - Brandon Walters
Magarri - David Ngoombujarra

By TODD MCCARTHY
Embracing grand old-school melodrama while critiquing racist old-fashioned politics, Baz Luhrmann's grandiose "Australia" provides a luxurious bumpy ride; like a Rolls-Royce on a rocky country road, it's full of bounces and lurches, but you can't really complain about the seat. Deliberately anachronistic in its heightened style of romance, villainy and destiny, the epic lays an Aussie accent on colorful motifs drawn from Hollywood Westerns, war films, love stories and socially conscious dramas. Some of it plays, some doesn't, and it is long. But the beauty of the film's stars and landscapes, the appeal of the central young boy and, perhaps more than anything, the filmmaker's eagerness to please tend to prevail, making for a film general audiences should go with, even if they're not swept away. Robust, but not boffo, box office looks in store.

Putting his "Red Curtain Trilogy" of "Strictly Ballroom," "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge" behind him, Luhrmann here embarks on an announced trilogy of epics, although it remains to be seen whether or not the intended first installment, his long-in-the-works but thwarted "Alexander the Great," is still part of the package. Although there are no homages here per se, other than explicitly to "The Wizard of Oz," one feels a multitude of influences coursing through the images, from the likes of "Duel in the Sun," "The African Queen," "Gone With the Wind," "Red River," "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Searchers," "Out of Africa" and "Giant."

But to a significant extent, the film is also a mea culpa, in a vast popular-entertainment format, for the cruel racial policies once imposed by the Australian government upon Aboriginals in general and, specifically, half-castes, who were aggressively swept out of sight. It was one of Luhrmann's best ideas to make the film's narrator the prepubescent Nullah (Brandon Walters), a charming boy who not only observes the vast sweep of the story but provides its fulcrum.

One of Nullah's first remarks, that the Englishwoman newly arrived at the remote Northern Territory ranch of Faraway Downs is "the strangest woman I'd ever seen," gets a laugh, as the sight of the prim, uptight and discomfited Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) definitely looks comically absurd. Coming there in September 1939 to deal with her husband's presumed infidelity, Sarah could scarcely be more out of place on the rundown estate occupied by rough cattlemen and Aboriginal help, and Kidman is unafraid to look ridiculous as her character presents herself at the brink of hysteria.

Self-consciously jaunty exposition and over-the-top boisterousness -- Sarah's lingerie is spilled out in front of a saloon for the delectation of the rowdy drunks -- gets the film off to a choppy start. But in broad, simple strokes, and with characters that are archetypes rather than real-world credible, Luhrmann makes very clear everything the audience needs to know: Sarah, finding her husband murdered, determines to hold on to Faraway Downs, which she can only do by driving 1,500 head of cattle to the Darwin port, where the Australian military will purchase them; the only one who can manage this is the Drover (Hugh Jackman), a rugged Aussie cowboy who's himself an outcast due to his friendliness toward Aboriginals; Sarah and the Drover are destined for each other, but only after much squabbling; bad guys -- King Carney (Bryan Brown) and Neil Fletcher (David Wenham) -- will try to thwart the drive, and Nullah must be protected from officials determined to send him to Mission Island, where half-caste boys are detained.

Manned by a motley crew consisting of the Drover, Sarah, Nullah, Drover's Aboriginal mate Magarri (David Ngoombujarra), a drunken bookkeeper with the colorful name of Kipling Flynn (Jack Thompson), household helper Bandy (Lillian Crombie) and Chinese cook Sing Song (Yuen Wah), the cattle drive starts at pic's 55-minute mark, and one imagines it will last a while. But after a dramatic stampede so CGI-heavy that it may as well have been animated, and a campfire interlude that ignites the inevitable between the Drover and the now loosened-up Sarah, the drive quickly comes to an end after just 25 minutes, leading to a notable mid-pic lull in Darwin during which it's unclear where things might be headed.

A fancy dress ball provides the platform for official racism and disapproval of the likes of Nullah, the Drover and even upper-class Sarah, who by now is determined to adopt the orphaned kid. Shadowing them wherever they go is Nullah's grandfather, King George (vet David Gulpilil), a mystical practioner of traditional ways who provides the film with its strongest link to the continent's native inhabitants.

After everything had looked so bright by the end of act two, everything is now in disarray, with the protags having gone their separate ways -- for his part, Nullah has announced his intention to do his walkabout. Final third is dominated by the Japanese bombing of Darwin (on Feb. 19, 1942, two months after Pearl Harbor) and the Drover's stealthy nocturnal attempt to rescue children from nearby Mission Island. Much has been made of Luhrmann's admission of having shot several different endings, and while pic irritatingly has several potential concluding scenes, the actual finale is rather touching, with a mixed mood that feels right.

Perhaps because it is largely an outdoor picture, the film's style is less ripe and florid than Luhrmann's previous three; although not as leisurely as many epics, the pulse is lower than the director's standard alarmingly high rate. Lensing by Mandy Walker, who shot such films as "Lantana" and "Shattered Glass" and previously worked with Luhrmann on his Chanel No. 5 campaign with Kidman, is excellent, but many of the images appear worked in different ways and the CGI backgrounds, particularly in the Darwin sequences, are not of the highest standard.

Crucially for such a glamorous big-star vehicle, however, the leads are beautifully lit. Alabaster-complexioned, with blonde hair pulled back tight and lips puffed, Kidman could scarcely be wound more tightly at first. But Jackman's Drover eventually works his ways on her, and she looks much better with a tan and in more native garb later on. Her intrinsic tension and worry are given a proper contrast by Jackman, whose sheer competence at everything he does disarms the lady's disdain for his uncouthness. Women and not a few men will marvel at a stripped-down Jackman's sculpted torso as he rinses himself off in the campfire light, and the actor, making his first film in his homeland in many years, acquits himself manfully no matter what the occasion calls for.

But equally vital is young Walters. Eleven when the film was made, the attractive non-pro has a natural ease and winning way before the camera as the character who represents the tension in the country's racial divide and historical conscience.

Other perfs are as exaggerated in line with the general approach, most notably Wenham's as the ever-evil Fletcher; Luhrmann may as well have pasted a Snidely Whiplash moustache on him and been done with it.

Score by David Hirschfelder and other hands never stops, while production and costume design by Luhrmann's wife and perennial collaborator, Catherine Martin, are notable without being as dominant as they were in the "Red Curtain" extravaganzas. Pic takes plenty of advantage of diverse natural Australian locations. 
Captain Dutton - Ben Mendelsohn
Cath Carney - Essie Davis
Administrator Allsop - Barry Otto
Myrtle Allsop - Kerry Walker
Gloria Carney - Sandy Gore
Daisy - Ursula Yovich
Bandy Legs - Lillian Crombie
Sing Song - Yuen Wah
Goolaj - Angus Pilakui
Ivan - Jacek Koman
Sergeant Callahan - Tony Barry
Ramsden - Ray Barrett
Old Drunk - Max Cullen
Father Benedict - Arthur Dignam
Dr. Barker - Bruce Spence

Camera (color, Panavision widescreen), Mandy Walker; editors, Dody Dorn, Michael McCusker; music, David Hirschfelder; production designer/costume designer, Catherine Martin; supervising art director, Ian Gracie; art director, Karen Murphy; set designers, Simon Elsley, Kristen Anderson; set decorator, Beverley Dunn; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS), Guntis Sics; supervising sound editor/sound designer, Wayne Pashley; re-recording mixers, Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer; visual effects supervisor, Chris Godfrey; visual effects, Animal Logic, Rising Suun Pictures, Iloura, Fuel VFX, Framestore, Photon VFX, Postmodern Sydney, LaB Sydney, Evil Eye Pictures, Hydraulx; associate producer, Paul Watters; assistant director, Simon Warnock; second unit director/stunt supervisor, Guy Norris; second unit camera, Greig Fraser; additional camera, Damian Wyvill; additional editors, Dany Cooper, Matt Villa; additional music, Felix Meagher, Luhrmann, Angela Little; casting, Ronna Kress, Nikki Barrett. Reviewed at 20th Century Fox Studios, Los Angeles, Nov. 19, 2008. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 165 MIN.
(English, Aboriginal dialogue)

Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&r=VE1117939080&c=31


----------



## Leslie

More wet costumes for Betsy's insightful analysis...


----------



## Leslie

from The Hollywood Reporter:

*Film Review: Australia
Bottom Line: In epic style, Baz Luhrmann weaves his wizardry on Oz.*
By Megan Lehmann

Nov 18, 2008

Opens: Nov. 26, U.S. and Australia (20th Century Fox)

SYDNEY -- With his audaciously titled epic "Australia," Baz Luhrmann has delivered a shamelessly melodramatic, often eccentric spectacle with true-blue blockbuster potential. The most expensive Australian film ever made is rousing and passionate. Despite some cringe-making Harlequin Romance moments between homegrown Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, the 1940s-set "Australia" defies all but the most cynical not to get carried away by the force of its grandiose imagery and storytelling.

And, yes, there are kangaroos.

Tourism Australia may have politely requested their inclusion, with hopes for a tourist revival riding on this $130 million Outback tale, along with what seems like the future of the entire local film industry. If Luhrmann felt the weight of that responsibility, it doesn't show. His "Australia" is much less earnest than the trailer suggests, layered with a thin veneer of camp and a nod and a wink to accompany the requisite Aussie cliches.

Having shunned the recent grinding run of bleak suburban micro-dramas, Australians are primed to embrace his monumental magic-realist vision, which honors the country's heritage and celebrates the invigorating majesty of its landscape.

Even if it does run a butt-numbing 2 hours and 45 minutes, the film has broad appeal for international audiences with plenty of stirring action sequences to make the blokes more comfortable with a particularly blatant shot of bare-chested Jackman lathering up under the shower.

Fashioned in the style of classics such as "Gone With the Wind" and "Lawrence of Arabia," "Australia" follows the fortunes of persnickety Englishwoman Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman), who inherits a sprawling cattle property in northwestern Australia.

Under threat of a takeover, she reluctantly enlists the help of a Marlboro Man-style stockman known only as the Drover (Jackman) to help drive 1,500 head of cattle across the Top End of Australia to the port of Darwin, ahead of its bombing by the Japanese.

Unlike "Gone With the Wind," which skirted the political context of the Civil War, the controversial issue of the so-called Stolen Generation is more than a mere backdrop for the emotional upheavals experienced by the film's leads. Luhrmann, who makes a habit of upending convention, has plonked the attempted assimilation of mixed-race Aboriginal children into Western culture front and center, making this as much a story of reconciliation between black and white Australia as it is between the untamed local and the aristocratic import.

Enter the film's breakout star: 13-year-old Brandon Walters, playing young mixed-race boy Nullah. By turns cheeky and heartrending, the limpid-eyed newcomer knits the disparate threads of this sweeping epic together, single-handedly lending this showcase of amplified emotions its true heart.

Pin thin and ramrod straight, Kidman gives one of her most engaging performances, occasionally harking back to the comic highs of "To Die For." Meanwhile, Jackman looks good in his Akubra bush hat.

Performances are strong throughout, particularly from David Wenham as Lady Ashley's malevolent rival and David Gulpilil as Nullah's mystical grandfather, King George.

While the "Wizard of Oz" motif is labored and the narrative hits a few speed bumps, all is forgiven when Luhrmann brings out one of his stunning set pieces, like a thrilling cattle stampede along a cliff edge.

Cinematographer Mandy Walker, who collaborated with Luhrmann on his award-winning Chanel No. 5 commercial, creates a sumptuous, painterly look, complemented by impeccable costume and production design from Luhrmann's Oscar-winning wife, Catherine Martin.

Production company: Bazmark Films, 20th Century Fox

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson, David Gulpilil, Brandon Walters; Director: Baz Luhrmann; Screenwriters: Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan; Producers: Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman; Director of photography: Mandy Walker; Production designer: Catherine Martin; Music: David Hirschfelder; Costume designer: Catherine Martin; Editors: Dody Dorn, Michael McCusker.

No MPAA rating, 165 minutes.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=11975


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Harvey said:


> Thank you so much for this informative thread. I feel that I now have a real appreciation for the plot, cinematography, and character development in the movie Australia.


And the costuming, Harvey, and the costuming!

Betsy


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

OMG I just saw Hugh dancing with Samantha (can't remember her last name) on E News. He had on a tight back T-Shirt showing off those nice pec's and black pants. Love the accent too, he was hot!   Replay pleezzzz


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> OMG I just saw Hugh dancing with Samantha (can't remember her last name) on E News. He had on a tight back T-Shirt showing off those nice pec's and black pants. Love the accent too, he was hot!  Replay pleezzzz


Yes, the clothing/textile discussion continues...monochromatic color schemes are very effective. 

Betsy


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

LMAO BETSY!


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Daily 10... Hugh Jackson in the same black T-Shirt and black pants lying on his belly in the sand at the edge of the water.   I think we will be seeing more and more of this sexiest man!!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> Daily 10... Hugh Jackson in the same black T-Shirt and black pants lying on his belly in the sand at the edge of the water.  I think we will be seeing more and more of this sexiest man!!


I have to say black fabric isn't the most practical fabric for lying on the beach....(just trying to keep the clothing discussion going) Sand will stick to certain places and show a distinct pattern...

Betsy


----------



## sjc

BETSY: thank God for that "R" in *C*r*OCKING* with that up close below the waist photo...I'm blushing!!

LESLIE: The movie execs should give you top billing for movie promtion person.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

sjc said:


> BETSY: thank God for that "R" in *C*r*OCKING* with that up close below the waist photo...I'm blushing!!
> 
> LESLIE: The movie execs should give you top billing for movie promtion person.


I typed very carefully...

Betsy


----------



## KBoards Admin

Harvey said:


> Thank you so much for this informative thread. I feel that I now have a real appreciation for the plot, cinematography, and character development in the movie Australia.


Ha, I see I shamed Leslie into posting some actual reviews of the movie.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Harvey said:


> Ha, I see I shamed Leslie into posting some actual reviews of the movie.


Harvey, really, this is a very serious thread! But since movies are a visual medium, we needed visuals to fully appreciate the movie!

Betsy


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I have to say black fabric isn't the most practical fabric for lying on the beach....(just trying to keep the clothing discussion going) Sand will stick to certain places and show a distinct pattern...
> 
> Betsy


My opinion exactly, did I leave that out? Silly me  It takes both of us to do the clothing/textile discussion. I have to look very CLOSELY at what Hugh is wearing, you know all there is to know about fabrics so you post the do's and don'ts in proper clothing.


----------



## Guest

Harvey said:


> Thank you so much for this informative thread. I feel that I now have a real appreciation for the plot, cinematography, and character development in the movie Australia.


Harvey,
Do you get tired of being your wife's arm candy? Me too. And the way they keep undressing us with their eyes!


----------



## Leslie

Hi Ethan,

Welcome to our thoughtful and erudite discussion thread. Glad to have you here.

Betsy, did you see Hugh on the Tonight Show? I, unfortunately, never manage to stay up that late. If you saw it, can you tell us about his thoughtful and erudite comments about the movie? Thanks!

Leslie


----------



## Leslie

To get the day started, we need a picture. This is from the filming of the movie, obviously! LOL.


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

LOL Leslie   I love the way the shirt is unbuttoned just enough for us to get a peek of that nice chest.   Betsy what do you think about the layering of the plaid shirt & solid shirt and the tight brown pants? Continuing the textile discussion for Harvey.


----------



## Leslie

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> LOL Leslie  I love the way the shirt is unbuttoned just enough for us to get a peek of that nice chest.  Bets what do you think about the layering of the plaid shirt & solid shirt and the tight brown pants? Continuing the textile discussion for Harvey.


Those pants look tight enough that Hugh might have another crocking problem....

L


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

LOL


----------



## Leslie

Let's start the day with another handsome Hugh picture. Betsy found this one...


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Thanks Leslie, perfect start to a Saturday morning. Love the way the black shirt is opened so we can see that gorgeous chest.  Besty what's your take on the black shirt with the pin stripped jacket?  I like the look myself, of course haven't seen a look of Hugh's that I didn't like.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Let's start the day with another handsome Hugh picture. Betsy found this one...


This is an excellent use of textiles and pattern to make a point. Note how the stripes in the lapel of the pinstriped suite bring one's eye directly to the subject of interest, and the black shirt does not detract....

Betsy


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Betsy the Quilter said:


> This is an excellent use of textiles and pattern to make a point. Note how the stripes in the lapel of the pinstriped suite bring one's eye directly to the subject of interest, and the black shirt does not detract....
> 
> Betsy


Thanks Betsy for your expert description of textiles and pattern. I'm expecting Harvey to stumble in any minute now to check it out since he is experimenting with new looks for " 2nd Sexiest Man Alive."


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Betsy the Quilter said:


> This is an excellent use of textiles and pattern to make a point. Note how the stripes in the lapel of the pinstriped suite bring one's eye directly to the subject of interest, and the black shirt does not detract....
> 
> Betsy


I find the excessive width of the stripes to be somewhat distracting. I can't comment on the shirt, because the poorly placed hand makes it impossible to see how far down it's unbuttoned.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Yes, Gertie, I can see the points you're making.  Thank you for your contribution to the textile discussion here.  You may find some of the earlier textile discussions in the thread of interest, too.

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yes, Gertie, I can see the points you're making. Thank you for your contribution to the textile discussion here. You may find some of the earlier textile discussions in the thread of interest, too.
> 
> Betsy


Yes, I've been sort of lurking here. So educational. I never knew that the wear shown at the stress points of jeans was called crocking. Truly, it's a good day when I've learned something new (hem-hem).


----------



## Leslie

I also think the contrast of fabric against the leather seat makes an interesting point-counterpoint.

I would like to see Hugh in leather pants to be able to further assess the contrast.

L


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Leslie said:


> I would like to see Hugh in leather pants to be able to further assess the contrast.
> 
> L


Excellent point ... black, of course, and butter-soft ... wait, I've been reading too much Karen Marie Moning.


----------



## Leslie

I did find a leather jacket. Still searching for the pants. But this will give us a starting point for our discussion.


----------



## Leslie

A contrast in costumes...from Kate & Leopold


----------



## Leslie

According to People magazine, this is what Hugh is reading right now. I know I am a pretty devoted fan but somehow, I just can't see getting into this...











L


----------



## Guest

Sexual.  Deeply so.


----------



## Leslie

Bacardi Jim said:


> Sexual. Deeply so.


Let me tell you about a few of the books I have really enjoyed in recent months...


----------



## chynared21

Leslie said:


> The cheap movie theater, matinee: $6 (it just went up from $5)
> 
> The fancy movie theater with the bar in the lobby and automatic playing piano: $9. As I recall, this is what I paid for the opening night of *The Dark Knight* and it was an evening show. But I also paid the same price for the matinee of* Mamma Mia!*
> 
> L


*Nice...it's $11 here and I think a matinee is a dollar cheaper *


----------



## chynared21

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Why, yes, Leslie, I can discuss that. I'm so glad that people are interested in technical information like this. First however, I'm going to have to bring the photo up again so people can see what we're talking about...
> 
> The technical term is CROCKING. CROCKING is when dye is removed from fabric due to the fabric rubbing up against something. In this case, the fabric was CROCKED by Hugh's...well, perhaps we'll leave that part of the crocking process out. CROCKING occurs frequently in fashion denim when too much dye is applied at once, which means the excess cannot PENETRATE the fibers. The excess lays on top of the fabric, and there is no fixative that will keep it from CROCKING when rubbed against something like, well, again, we'll leave that part off.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Betsy


*LMAO, thanks for the lesson Betsy...learn something new everyday *


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

You can look it up.



Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Hugh stopped by to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. He hopes we will all be at Australia tomorrow for the grand US opening. I am trying to decide between the 12:10 pm or the 3:40 pm show myself...


----------



## luvmy4brats

I don't know if this picture has been posted, but I found it today and thought of you guys.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Hugh stopped by to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. He hopes we will all be at Australia tomorrow for the grand US opening. I am trying to decide between the 12:10 pm or the 3:40 pm show myself...


I don't do opening days of movies for the same reason I don't do Black Friday. I might go Sunday with a girlfriend who works during the week; usually I go during the day during the week.

Betsy


----------



## chynared21

luvmy4brats said:


> I don't know if this picture has been posted, but I found it today and thought of you guys.


*I'm not into Hugh as much as some here *looks around and whistles* but I do like this picture...yum.*


----------



## Guest

Alright you guys, you've pushed my buttons and now, in the interest of equal time, let's give a "shout out" (thanks Sarah!) to Nicole:


----------



## Leslie

To continue our textile discussion, there is a very interesting slide show about the costumes in the movie at the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/31/movies/20081102_MARTIN_SLIDESHOW_index.html

L


----------



## Leslie

Ethan, welcome! Glad to have you join us movie fans! That's a great picture, thanks for sharing. Nicole does look beautiful there.

L


----------



## Guest

Thanks, and I am loving your indepth discussion about all things Hugh.  I am assuming that you have him as your perpetual K screensaver....


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> To continue our textile discussion, there is a very interesting slide show about the costumes in the movie at the New York Times.
> 
> http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/31/movies/20081102_MARTIN_SLIDESHOW_index.html
> 
> L












Thank you for posting that, I really enjoyed it...and to continue the textile discussion, the above image, from the NYTimes slideshow, shows the excellent interplay of textures that can be achieved--the tightly woven fabric in the shirt, probably cotton though it could be wool, the moleskin pants and the leather belt.

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Ethan said:


> Thanks, and I am loving your indepth discussion about all things Hugh. I am assuming that you have him as your perpetual K screensaver....


Actually, I don't. I have the bars of music that match my decal girl skin! But his visage is the wallpaper on my computer.

L


----------



## Leslie

From the premiere of the movie in New York City:


----------



## Guest

Leslie said:


> Actually, I don't. I have the bars of music that match my decal girl skin! But his visage is the wallpaper on my computer.
> 
> L


Alas, you are beyond hope.


----------



## Leslie

Nicole with her husband Keith Urban, who is not the sexiest man alive but thankfully, he's not Tom Cruise, either!










Notice how I subtly snuck Hugh into the picture, too!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> From the premiere of the movie in New York City:


Love Nicole's dress. Nice juxtaposition of pattern and color.



Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Review in the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/25/AR2008112502454.html

"But what's most fascinating about "Australia" is how Luhrmann subtly turns the tables and, at least structurally speaking, makes Jackman his leading lady. Whether he's being photographed in all his bronzed, bare-chested glory or arriving for his Cinderella moment decked out in a dashing white dinner jacket, it's Jackman who enjoys the adoring gaze usually reserved for female stars. And he rises to the occasion, exuding that ineluctable tincture of warmth, sex appeal and sheer talent that makes it possible for him to upstage not just Kidman but also an entire continent. "

Betsy


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Ethan said:


> Alright you guys, you've pushed my buttons and now, in the interest of equal time, let's give a "shout out" (thanks Sarah!) to Nicole:


Gorgeous pic of Nicole, Ethan. You forgot one thing though, there has to be a textile/fashion description of what she is wearing.  Can you give that or perhaps another guy, ahhhh I am very afraid of what Bacardi Jim may say. 

Linda


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

That's right, this is a textile discussion thread...



Betsy


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Thank you for posting that, I really enjoyed it...and to continue the textile discussion, the above image, from the NYTimes slideshow, shows the excellent interplay of textures that can be achieved--the tightly woven fabric in the shirt, probably cotton though it could be wool, the moleskin pants and the leather belt.
> 
> Betsy


Oh, I love a dirty, sweaty man!  Great textile description, you have risen to the occasion once again Betsy. Is your hobby of quilting how you became so knowledgeable about fabrics?

Linda


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Yes, while I primarily use cotton, I love all fabrics and using specialty fabrics in quilting can be challenging if you don't know how the fabrics interact.

Plus I'm good at bs'ing.

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Thank you for posting that, I really enjoyed it...and to continue the textile discussion, the above image, from the NYTimes slideshow, shows the excellent interplay of textures that can be achieved--the tightly woven fabric in the shirt, probably cotton though it could be wool, the moleskin pants and the leather belt.
> 
> Betsy


Obviously not a washable fabric. Note the sweat stains (drool), not to mention the shrinkage factor.

I have to admit that I watch the Oscars for the gowns, but I always especially watch for Nicole. Not only is she beautiful, but clothes always look perfect on her.


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yes, while I primarily use cotton, I love all fabrics and using specialty fabrics in quilting can be challenging if you don't know how the fabrics interact.
> 
> Plus I'm good at bs'ing.
> 
> Betsy


LOL, it sounds believable to me. You're a good BS'er.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Not too much bs....



Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Roger Ebert gives Australia three stars:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081125/REVIEWS/811259991

...Still, what a gorgeous film, what strong performances, what exhilarating images and -- yes, what sweeping romantic melodrama. The kind of movie that is a _movie_, with all that the word promises and implies.

L


----------



## Leslie

Preliminary review: 2 thumbs up. Definitely worth seeing!










L


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

My husband saw Hugh Jackman this morning and read the Post's review and now he wants to see it too!

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Longer review (and trying to avoid spoilers)....

It is like three movies in one: western, love story, then war movie. Everytime you think it is ending it starts up again.

Lots and lots of Hugh goodness although the famous shirtless shower scene occurs early and goes by fast. So keep your eyes peeled.

I went in wanting to like it and I did. I can see how people who want to find something to criticize can. But that was not my attitude. I was hoping for entertainment and I was entertained. It was a good old fashioned movie -- everytime the bad guy came on screen, the bad guy music played. Sweeping, epic scenes. Lots of, "Oh no, what happens next!?"

I thought it was great. I'll be seeing it again, I am sure, probably with my mom and daughter.

L


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie, pretty much what the Post review said, but shorter, good job!

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

I should probably add, I went with my 20 year old son and his friend, and they both found it entertaining. The western and the war movie is enough for the testosterone crowd; the love story and magic stuff will satisfy the women in the audience. A winner for all.

The theater was not packed but all the other patrons seemed to be m/f couples in sort of the retired age range. I felt young and my son and his friend felt really young!

L


----------



## Guest

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> Gorgeous pic of Nicole, Ethan. You forgot one thing though, there has to be a textile/fashion description of what she is wearing.  Can you give that or perhaps another guy, ahhhh I am very afraid of what Bacardi Jim may say.
> 
> Linda


Linda,
This is not my forte since my heart beats strongly in my throat at times like these. Here goes: see Nicole, she gives a come hither look having just stepped off her stage after twirling on her silver pole while wearing a most awesome fishnet whatchamacallit that shows off the stretchability of this incredible fabric (available in various colors at your nearest K-Mart). 
Hey, its not Shakespeare, but I'm indulging at the moment and some things have to be over looked.


----------



## chynared21

Ethan said:


> Linda,
> This is not my forte since my heart beats strongly in my throat at times like these. Here goes: see Nicole, she gives a come hither look having just stepped off her stage after twirling on her silver pole while wearing a most awesome fishnet whatchamacallit that shows off the stretchability of this incredible fabric (available in various colors at your nearest K-Mart).
> Hey, its not Shakespeare, but I'm indulging at the moment and some things have to be over looked.


*An "e" for effort Ethan *


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Ethan said:


> Linda,
> This is not my forte since my heart beats strongly in my throat at times like these. Here goes: see Nicole, she gives a come hither look having just stepped off her stage after twirling on her silver pole while wearing a most awesome fishnet whatchamacallit that shows off the stretchability of this incredible fabric (available in various colors at your nearest K-Mart).
> Hey, its not Shakespeare, but I'm indulging at the moment and some things have to be over looked.


LMAO Ethan, that was priceless!  I look forward to more pics and textile discussions from you.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Ethan said:


> Linda,
> This is not my forte since my heart beats strongly in my throat at times like these. Here goes: see Nicole, she gives a come hither look having just stepped off her stage after twirling on her silver pole while wearing a most awesome fishnet whatchamacallit that shows off the stretchability of this incredible fabric (available in various colors at your nearest K-Mart).
> Hey, its not Shakespeare, but I'm indulging at the moment and some things have to be over looked.


Ethan, welcome to the textile discussion group. Well done!

ROTFL 

Betsy


----------



## Guest

chynared21 said:


> *An "e" for effort Ethan *


Hey, I said I was KUI (Kindling Under the Influence) so, honestly officer, I promise not to drink and Kindle at the same time ever again! NOT! 

p.s. - it would have never happened if I just had a designated Kindler at my side. Alas....

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!


----------



## Leslie

Notice the lovely drape of the fabric in this shirt....


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Yes this picture illustrates the draping properties of knit fabric very well.  (He should have taken it off the hanger a little before he put it on, LOL!)

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yes this picture illustrates the draping properties of knit fabric very well. (He should have taken it off the hanger a little before he put it on, LOL!)
> 
> Betsy


"Here, Hugh, let me straighten that shirt for you. It just needs a little smoothing here, and here, and here, and here and ..."


----------



## MonaSW

gertiekindle said:


> "Here, Hugh, let me straighten that shirt for you. It just needs a little smoothing here, and here, and here, and here and ..."


Here, let me take that off for you... I can get those wrinkles out.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

gertiekindle said:


> "Here, Hugh, let me straighten that shirt for you. It just needs a little smoothing here, and here, and here, and here and ..."


Yes, I'd like the job of Hugh's shirt straightener....

Betsy


----------



## Dori

Holey Moley.  I had not been to this thread since I am not a movie goer.  What have I been missing.  I love the description of the fabric of the female.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

MonaSW said:


> Here, let me take that off for you... I can get those wrinkles out.


I can't say that since I'm domestically impaired and I do try to be honest.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Dori said:


> Holey Moley. I had not been to this thread since I am not a movie goer. What have I been missing. I love the description of the fabric of the female.


Yes we're having a great textile discussion!

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Interesting commentary about the movie...

*"Australia" a nod to American journeys*
By Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle
Updated: 11/27/2008 08:52:00 PM MST

Its director is Australian. Its stars are Australian. Three of its writers are Australian. It's set in Australia. It takes an epic lens to a rough-hewn era in Australian history. And, oh yeah: It's called "Australia."

But Baz Luhrmann wants us to get one thing straight. His film is not actually about Australia. In making it, he wasn't trying to capture the scope and richness of his homeland.

"Strangely, no," he says. "It's called 'Australia' in the same way it's called 'Casablanca.' 'Casablanca' is not really about a town. It's 'Casablanca' as a metaphor for refugee people - people going somewhere, coming somewhere from somewhere else. 'Australia' is a metaphor for the far away."

By this thinking, the country is just the canvas for the story - a place of wide, forbidding landscapes where characters embark on their own hazardous emotional journeys. The film, Luhrmann says, "is about people who are unhappy in their life and have lost the ability to feel."

Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman are well-known to American audiences. In "Australia," they play a rugged cattle herder (or "drover") and a prim English noblewoman who meet, argue, join forces against a villainous rival and drive 1,500 cows through the Northern Territory to the port city of Darwin - just a few years before its bombing by Japanese forces in 1942.

Along the way, they (Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, that is) fall in love. It's inevitable: Both of them are, to put it mildly, gorgeous.

Getting Luhrmann to expound on the nature of Australians, or the Australian-ness of "Australia," is a mostly fruitless undertaking.

But he does describe it as "Australian in its DNA." And with a cast that includes several aboriginal actors, the movie directly addresses the nation's mistreatment of its native peoples - in particular, the "Stolen Generations" of indigenous and mixed-race children who were removed from their families and reared in missions, orphanages and foster homes.

Back in February, "Australia" was in post-production when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology to the aborigines - roughly 40 years after the practice ended. "That's the great scar of our history . . . an undealt-with issue," Luhrmann says.

He worked those stolen children into the script, but "I wanted not to be didactic about it - in the same way as 'Gone with the Wind' and slavery."

"Australia" has obvious kinship with other chestnuts of American cinema, especially "The African Queen."

Luhrmann isn't surprised by the comparison between John Huston's beautifully crabby riverboat tale and his own film's opening act, in which a Bogarty Jackman ferries a Hepburnish Kidman across the Outback, quarreling along the way. He isn't surprised because that was his plan all along.

The movie is meant to be a feast, he says - a large and sumptuous repast offering a splash of comedy, a helping of action, a forkful of social activism, "a big dollop of drama" and a simmering vat of romance.

To hear him tell it, Luhrmann tied grandma's apron around his waist and decamped to the kitchen, where he cooked up a little somethin' for everybody.

The result is "a huge entertainment, a banquet of cinema" that begs comparisons with a certain national holiday. When he goes there - and you know he will, because you can hear the gravy in his voice - he makes the analogy with magnanimous cheek.

"The bottom line is," he announces, "I'm inviting all of America to 'Australia' for Thanksgiving."

OK, so he's been feeding that one to journalists all day. But he means it. And he misses the olden days of "Thanksgiving cinema.

"I tried to make something very old-fashioned new again," Luhrmann says.

http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_11084383


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Interesting commentary about the movie...


One of the things I liked about Moulin Rouge was the homage paid to many other movies, it's something he does.

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> One of the things I liked about Moulin Rouge was the homage paid to many other movies, it's something he does.
> 
> Betsy


Yes. For the trivia minded, Barry Otto, who played Doug Hastings in *Strictly Ballroom* shows up in *Australia *as Administrator Allsop (I only know that was the character from IMDb!). I recognized him immediately.

L


----------



## Aussie01

I love the textile discussion and can say that any fabric looks wonderful drapped over that Aussie hunk a spunk... translation, very attractive man.

Jo


----------



## Dori

Aussie01 said:


> I love the textile discussion and can say that any fabric looks wonderful drapped over that Aussie hunk a spunk... translation, very attractive man.
> 
> Jo


Hunk a spunk, laffing head off.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Aussie01 said:


> I love the textile discussion and can say that any fabric looks wonderful drapped over that Aussie hunk a spunk... translation, very attractive man.
> 
> Jo


Jo, thanks for contributing some authentic flavor to this discussion!

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Welcome, Aussie01! Didn't you appreciate the beautiful scenery in the movie* Australia* and how it showed off your country to great advantage?

L


----------



## Aussie01

Leslie, I haven't had time to see the movie but I lived the scenery. Part of the movie was shot at and around Bowen in Queensland which is about 150 miles north of the place I call home. Bowen was chosen because it still has an old time Australia feel with original early 1900's buildings.

I'm heading home for Christmas so will probably go see it with my family.

Here is a link to the Bowen sets if you are interestedhttp://www.tourismbowen.com.au/australia_movie/australia.html

Jo


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Great link, thanks!

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Thanks for that link, Jo. Great pictures. I actually have been following the making of this movie for the past few years, so I was familiar with Bowen and the sets they built. The finished product -- the movie version of the city of Darwin, looks great, IMHO.

Here's an interesting bit of trivia I just picked up from IMDb:
_
Hugh Jackman was cast as the villian but when Russell Crowe dropped out Hugh was offered the role of the Drover. This I heard in an interview with Baz Luhrman yesterday._

Apparently Baz also considered Heath Ledger for the role of the Drover but decided he was too young...and I think he would have been. It took me awhile to realize it but Hugh and Nicole are playing characters in the movie that are their real life ages: 40.

L


----------



## Angela

Thanks for that link, Jo... Australia is one place I hope to visit someday.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Angela said:


> Thanks for that link, Jo... Australia is one place I hope to visit someday.


I've been there, and the people are just fantastic. Friendliest I have ever met in all my travels.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Today, I'm going to Australia...the movie, that is.

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Today, I'm going to Australia...the movie, that is.
> 
> Betsy


Be sure to report back and let us know what you think of it. Keep your eyes peeled for the bare-chested Hugh soaping his chest scene. It comes early in the movie and goes by fast...well, too fast for me, that is!

L


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Today, I'm going to Australia...the movie, that is.
> 
> Betsy


I'm going for the scenery...


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Be sure to report back and let us know what you think of it. Keep your eyes peeled for the bare-chested Hugh soaping his chest scene. It comes early in the movie and goes by fast...well, too fast for me, that is!
> 
> L


Looking forward to doing a complete textile report. Going with a fellow quilter.

Betsy


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Can't wait for your report Betsy!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Working on it.



Betsy


----------



## Angela

Well, Betsy... how was the movie??


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

OK, here goes. No spoilers.

I really enjoyed the movie. Moulin Rouge is still my favorite Baz Luhrmann movie, but this was very good.

Things I loved:
the bare-chested Hugh soap scene, early in the movie.
Hugh in a dinner jacket.
Hugh not in a dinner jacket...
LOL!

Seriously, when he appears in a dinner jacket (that's been in previews), I leaned over to my girlfriend and said "he cleans up good!" and she said "he dirties up good, too" which pretty much sums up Hugh in this movie (and his acting is good, too).

Good story, good acting. As a director, Baz Luhrmann creates a kind of hyper-realism, adding details and creating digital transitions that really present his vision. I'd have to say the story line might have been a little thin, but the things Baz hung on that frame were great to watch! It's really a mini series wrapped up in a movie. As the reviews have said, it's a western, it's a romance, it's a war movie, and it's a fantasy. And the recurring theme of the treatment of the Aboriginal people was well done. The young boy who plays Nullah, the Aboriginal boy, is the heart and soul of the movie.

I also loved the homage to other movies, which Baz does a lot of. The first thing I thought of when I saw Hugh in the first scenes of the movie was that they had intentionally made Hugh look as much like Clint Eastwood in his early western movie days as they could:

















My husband came along and loved the sweeping history and vistas of Australia. He's going to be researching WWII in Australia now.

It's a long movie (2 hours and 45 minutes), but it didn't feel that long!

I'd give it a 3 stars out of 4 and heartily recommend this movie!

Betsy


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Sounds great Betsy, I hope to see it this weekend.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I mean seriously, who can go wrong with watching Hugh Jackman for almost 3 hours?

Betsy


----------



## Angela

Sounds wonderful! Thanks for the update Betsy... maybe I can get Larry to go with me when I go to Houston later this week.


----------



## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I mean seriously, who can go wrong with watching Hugh Jackman for almost 3 hours?
> 
> Betsy


My thoughts exactly!

L


----------



## Leslie

Box office for the 5 day Thanksgiving weekend:

TW	LW	Title  Studio Weekend Gross Theater Count    Average	Total Gross	    Budget

5 - Australia Fox $20,000,000 - 2,642 - $7,570 $20,000,000 $130,000,000


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Does that mean it was 5th in the rankings?

We went on a cold rainy Sunday afternoon during the ******* game and when many people were heading home after the holidays, I'd say the theater was 2/3s full.  Not great for opening weekend but considering the day, maybe pretty good.

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Yes, fifth...behind Four Christmases, Twilight, Bolt and Quantum of Solace. 

I have a feeling this will be a "word of mouth" movie.

L


----------



## Leslie

from the Huffington Post:

Michael Jones
Posted November 30, 2008 | 08:17 PM (EST)
*
In Praise of Australia*

Let those without a heart beating in their breasts give _Australia_ less than four stars. Those who boo kids at Easter Egg hunts, yell at referees at junior hockey games, sneer at sunrises, cut in line in front of little old ladies, give out healthy snacks at Halloween, talk during the Star Spangled Banner... they will laugh and slang at _Australia._ A pox on them. They prove that they are not really members of the human race.

For if you have a heart, if your thick cynicism barely covers a romantic soul a mile wide, if you teared up at the last scene in_ In America_, if John Wayne in the doorway at the end of _The Searchers_ made you feel something somewhere in you, if you have a pulse, you will love _Australia_.

I have looked at the reviews: two stars, two and a half stars, I did not read them.

I walked into the movie uninfluenced by words, but worried by the lack of eight down in today's New York Times crossword puzzle: critical acclaim. Biased? Perhaps, I love Baz Luhrmann's movies, but was resigned not to like this movie. I had read a scathing catty critique of all things Nicole Kidman that made me wonder at her status as Baz's favorite actress. I had read of Luhrmann scurrying to recut the movie days before its premiere. I went hopeful, but wary.

And then, from the graphic beauty of the opening credits to the bigger than the Outback story line, Baz had me at G'day. All the most popular of fictions swirling around its epic story: improbable love, class differences, larger than life characters, incredible landscape, life and death. And, my favorite story technique, an omniscient narrator speaking from some time in the future about the past that you are viewing. A movie with highs and lows, tensions built and equitably satisfied, a soaring score, a major throwback, stirring, Hollywood epic.

I just reread that paragraph and I hope it entices you to go see Australia, but, I realized I hadn't even mentioned cattle drives, bar fights, war, violence, mystery, love unrequited, love requited. It is such a big movie that at one point, halfway in, I fully expected a dissolve to a 'Intermission' sign and cocktails in the lobby discussing what we had all just seen and then back in for the climax. Australia feels like one of those big road show movies of the fifties: _Ben-Hur_, _Cleopatra_, _The Ten Commandments_, _The Longest Day_.

Most interestingly in such a classically told movie, is its historic story line on Aboriginal racism. Modern movies usually treat race and other au courant social issues with a bludgeon, making critical opinion an exercise in proving one's bonafides. As in_ Crash_, an Oscar winner which will be as unwatchable in ten years as 'Ordinary People.'

_Australia _has at its core, a story of race. It tells that story in a way that makes everyone understand the injustice and cruelty through character and event. There is no treacle, nor superiority, nor moral wallowing.

I once met Jimmy Pike, an Aboriginal artist, who found success in prison, drawing dreams with magic markers. He and his family danced at an Australian government function I attended. They were forced to wear adult diapers to hide their nakedness, with the smell of a two thousand year old culture assaulting our aftershaved, perfumed, and deodorized senses. I didn't realize then, but do now after seeing _Australia_, how demeaning an experience it must have been to them and should have been to me.

Repugnance to racism does not overwhelm Australia but is an integral part of the story. No bludgeon to make its points, but a narrative flow that involves us all in discovering and understanding its evil. The characters are as compelling as the narrative: the youngster who plays a mixed race boy real; Hugh Jackman heroic and with a masculine beauty that Baz Luhrmann is unashamed in reveling in (there is a soap and suds soft porn shot so compelling that Mormons in California might reconsider their Prop 8 vote); a dastardly bad guy that joins the ranks of classic movie bad guys; Nicole Kidman, unlined but not distracting in her unworldliness, effective as Lady Sarah Ashley, effective in portraying love and the need to be loved in a highly sympathetic way; Bryan Brown, not seen on the screen of late, a robber baron who would give the Rockefellers a run for their plutocratic money.

Four stars. Or ten points. Or A+. Or a confession that _Australia _is so sappy in some parts that I had to do the old look at the ceiling and hope that no one noticed the welling eyes. Two stars? Two and half stars? Criticism based on plot holes, improbability, unbelievability, or a sentimental script? Piss on the hard hearted bastards. They watch six movies a day in little rooms with pasty porcine nerds scribbling notes while eating take out. If you love movies and watch them in real movie houses with fellow movie lovers, _Australia_ is just for you, mate. But, bring a box of tissues, and, remember that the heart will always trump reason if given half a chance. Especially in a movie like _Australia_.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-jones/in-praise-of-emaustraliae_b_147041.html?view=print


----------



## Leslie

More on the box office...from the Los Angeles Times:

The biggest disappointment was the opening of 20th Century Fox's "Australia," but the company's own marketing campaign may be partly to blame.

On the one hand, Fox wanted moviegoers to consider the movie set in pre-World War II northern Australia as a sweeping epic in the same vein as such classics as "Lawrence of Arabia," "Gone With the Wind" and "Giant."

On the other hand, its fifth-place opening at $20 million hardly seemed in epic proportions.

But Fox executives said Sunday that they had been anticipating an $18-million start for the movie, starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman.

They pointed out that director and co-writer Baz Luhrmann's films, which include "Moulin Rouge" and "Romeo and Juliet," start slow and then build momentum. Also, they noted, it was the only top five film that was playing in fewer than 3,000 theaters and its 2-hour and 35-minute run time meant fewer showings per day.

Chris Aronson, Fox's senior vice president of distribution, said the movie would become "the adult choice among wide- release films" this holiday season.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

> p*ss on the hard hearted bastards. They watch six movies a day in little rooms with pasty porcine nerds scribbling notes while eating take out.


Love it....

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Leslie said:


> if John Wayne in the doorway at the end of _The Searchers_ made you feel something somewhere in you


That one gets me every time.

I'll be watching out for the DVD. I know this is a big-screen kind of movie, but I'd rather have a permanent copy than spend $20 for a ticket and must have theater snacks (okay, I'm weak).


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

gertiekindle said:


> That one gets me every time.
> 
> I'll be watching out for the DVD. I know this is a big-screen kind of movie, but I'd rather have a permanent copy than spend $20 for a ticket and must have theater snacks (okay, I'm weak).


At AMC, large popcorn with free refill. I finished the free refill last night at home. Very, very weak.

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

I am going to see it in the theater again and I am sure I'll have the DVD on pre-order as soon as it is announced.

L


----------



## Angela

I don't know if this has been posted or not but...

Hugh will be on the The View this coming Friday morning.


----------



## KBoards Admin

I watched Hugh Jackman in _Deception_ yesterday.

Gotta admit, he is a dashing guy. Even when


Spoiler



playing someone evil


.


----------



## Leslie

Ah, *Deception*. Not such a great movie...I actually saw that in the theater. Yes, I am a die-hard Hugh fan. I also wanted to see Michelle Williams.

L


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Review of Australia in Newsweek:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/171193


----------



## Leslie

Hugh in a type of shirt we haven't seen before...to renew the discussion.










L


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Leslie said:


> Hugh in a type of shirt we haven't seen before...to renew the discussion.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> L


Oh yes by all means let's renew it with *this* shirt! I love the way the cotton shirt is low in the front showing off the nice chest.(I'm a chest hair kind of gal) Uummmm nice biceps, triceps.... and moving on to the nice fit of the jeans; what about those thighs girls?  Betsy where are you?


----------



## Aussie01

That isn't a shirt it's a singlet.  Especially designed for hunks of spunk to show off their muscles and hairy chests or for middle aged men to emphasise their well earned beer bellys


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Aussie01 said:


> That isn't a shirt it's a singlet. Especially designed for hunks of spunk to show off their muscles and hairy chests or for middle aged men to emphasise their well earned beer bellys


ROFL


----------



## Leslie

Aussie01 said:


> That isn't a shirt it's a singlet. Especially designed for *hunks of spunk to show off their muscles and hairy chests* or for middle aged men to emphasise their well earned beer bellys


Obviously Hugh is the former, not the latter 

L


----------



## Wisteria Clematis

Good heavens. I am off today so I was able to catch Hugh's appearance on The View (fanning myself furiously). All I can say is WOW. He was definitely wearing some interesting textiles, but of course I was primarily interested in the intellectual content of his remarks about making the movie. Leslie I hope you recorded this interview. You will find it very enlightening.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Hugh in a type of shirt we haven't seen before...to renew the discussion.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> L


Lots of nice contrasts, textile wise. The white of the shirt vs the dark jeans; the looseness of the shirt vs the tightness of the jeans; the skimpiness of the shirt vs the complete coverage of the jeans.... Nicely designed photograph.



Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Wisteria Clematis said:


> Good heavens. I am off today so I was able to catch Hugh's appearance on The View (fanning myself furiously). All I can say is WOW. He was definitely wearing some interesting textiles, but of course I was primarily interested in the intellectual content of his remarks about making the movie. Leslie I hope you recorded this interview. You will find it very enlightening.


No, I never tape anything because I don't watch TV so I never know what's on. I wonder if it will pop up on YouTube? Wisteria, maybe you could fill us in on a few of the more enlightening comments? Did he discuss sharing spit with Nicole, for example?

L


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Lots of nice contrasts, textile wise. The white of the shirt vs the dark jeans; the looseness of the shirt vs the tightness of the jeans; the skimpiness of the shirt vs the complete coverage of the jeans.... Nicely designed photograph.
> 
> 
> 
> Betsy


Yes, Betsy, the photo represents a nice use of light and shadow. Details are so important, though, don't you think? Again, a poorly placed arm disallowed any search for potential crocking, which is, in itself, light and shadow.


----------



## Wisteria Clematis

Leslie said:


> No, I never tape anything because I don't watch TV so I never know what's on. I wonder if it will pop up on YouTube? Wisteria, maybe you could fill us in on a few of the more enlightening comments? Did he discuss sharing spit with Nicole, for example?
> 
> L


He shared how Barbara (his wife) came to watch the filming a few times and asked him to please wear a specific costume home that night! And he talked about falling off his horse at least ten times.....he fibbed about being able to ride in order to get the part so they ended up giving him riding lessons. And there was quite a discussion about one scene (I haven't seen the movie myself yet so can't be real specific) where he was supposedly showering but the director had him actually pouring oil all over his body. Of course that was only so that anyone who is visually impaired would be able to see his musculature without straining their eyes. Very thoughtful of the director. Evidently half the stage crew ended up swooning/practically passing out that day.


----------



## Leslie

Ah, the magic of YouTube...apparently there are five segments of the interview but by happenstance I started with number 4 which shows the interesting use of light and liquid in filming this movie....along with some insightful comments by Hugh.






L


----------



## Wisteria Clematis

Good job Leslie! You jumped right to the most intellectually stimulating portion of the interview. I'm proud of you.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I'm so glad that we keep this on an intellectual level; discussing the artistic merits of the movie, unlike that Men's Adventure thread or the other one with the sci-fi bimbo pictures.... 

Betsy


----------



## Dori

Maybe we need a textile thread.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Dori said:


> Maybe we need a textile thread.


Good suggestion, Dori. There are actually other hun ... er ... men who wear textiles.


----------



## Leslie

gertiekindle said:


> Good suggestion, Dori. There are actually other hun ... er ... men who wear textiles.


Yes, very true. As a point of reference, I've always liked the look of the textiles on this man in this picture and how they contrast in such an interesting fashion with the sand. To keep this on topic, Heath was also Australian, but from Perth, not Sydney, like Hugh.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

When did Heath lose his foot?

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> When did Heath lose his foot?
> 
> Betsy


He didn't. But don't you see? he was obviously the inspiration for some of David Gulipil's poses in *Australia*.

L


----------



## Leslie

Of course, some men don't care for textiles, but we won't discuss them here! I post this only for informational purposes.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I put better lighting on my computer screen and now I can see the foot.  Yes, definitely an inspiration--another connection with Australia.

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Thanks, Leslie. We must cover all aspects of textiles, or lack thereof.

Accordingly, here is my contribution, which I like to call "Textiles in Motion."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDk1Z22EDAw


----------



## Leslie

gertiekindle said:


> Thanks, Leslie. We must cover all aspects of textiles, or lack thereof.
> 
> Accordingly, here is my contribution, which I like to call "Textiles in Motion."
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDk1Z22EDAw


Those are definitely textiles in motion! Thank you Gertie.

Now, here is an example of textiles and dancing not seen at all in the movie *Australia*. Very interesting contrast of Hugh's performance here, vs. that of the Drover. If you are short on time, I suggest you advance to about the 3 minute mark for maximum effect.






L


----------



## Leslie

Now I find this _extremely_ interesting! A Cannon towel (textile connection) ad from WWII (*Australia* connection) featuring soldiers (men connection). I am sort of wondering what the folks in the Men's Adventure thread would think of this picture?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Leslie said:


> Now I find this _extremely_ interesting! A Cannon towel (textile connection) ad from WWII (*Australia* connection) featuring soldiers (men connection). I am sort of wondering what the folks in the Men's Adventure thread would think of this picture?


I think my parents have been lying to me about what went on in the 40s.

Oh, yes, textile thread. Did you notice the snowy whiteness of that towel?


----------



## Leslie

I knew, Gertie, this gives a very different image of the war than all those old movies I've watched! LOL.

More towel textures, contrasted with palm fronds.










I have to ask, were these ads supposed to be reassuring to the wives and girlfriends left at home? Imagining their husbands and boyfriends having naked romps in the warm waters of the South Pacific? LOL...


----------



## Dori

Should some of these posts be moved to the Skins thread?


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Now I find this _extremely_ interesting! A Cannon towel (textile connection) ad from WWII (*Australia* connection) featuring soldiers (men connection). I am sort of wondering what the folks in the Men's Adventure thread would think of this picture?


I wonder if they were bathing in oil, as in Hugh's shower in the movie Australia? Awfully shiny bods.

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Dori said:


> Should some of these posts be moved to the Skins thread?


Rolling on the floor...

Betsy


----------



## Wisteria Clematis

Dori said:


> Should some of these posts be moved to the Skins thread?


Lol. Absolutely!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Dori said:


> Should some of these posts be moved to the Skins thread?


We can always count on you to get to the heart of the matter, Dori. 

As for the second "True Towel Story," notice the curious juxtaposition of the bathers in the bubble filled canoe and the strategic placement of the palm frond.


----------



## Leslie

gertiekindle said:


> We can always count on you to get to the heart of the matter, Dori.
> 
> As for the second "True Towel Story," notice the curious juxtaposition of the bathers in the bubble filled canoe and the strategic placement of the palm frond.


Also notice the Aboriginal children in the background watching the bathers in the "buna bathtub" (bubble filled canoe). Obviously another inspiration for the movie *Australia*.

I am so pleased with our ability to keep this thread totally on track. Thanks, everyone, for your cooperation.

L


----------



## Leslie

I found another, for our edification and discussion...apparently this artist also did pictures from the American Revolution...if we feel like delving that far back.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Leslie said:


> I found another, for our edification and discussion...apparently this artist also did pictures from the American Revolution...if we feel like delving that far back.


Apparently some of these young men are out of uniform ... wearing khaki towels instead of the Royal Cannon Whites. I'm going to have to look more closely, but I think that pool they are swimming in was formerly used to water sheep in the Australian Outback.


----------



## Leslie

Here's an interesting picture. Betsy, do you know what fabric the jacket is made of?


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> Here's an interesting picture. Betsy, do you know what fabric the jacket is made of?


Very nice....it shows grain line and a nap, so I believe it might be a brushed cotton, contrasts nicely in both color and texture with the black silk shirt.

Perhaps taken at one of the Australia premieres? (To bring this back sort of on topic. We've been accused of being off topic, LOL!)

Australia continues to get good review in the movies to be seen lists. Hopefully it will continue to grow. I've seen it mentioned in some of the early Oscar buzz too.

Betsy


----------



## Leslie

I am planning on going to see *Australia* (again) next Saturday, with my mother and daughter. Yahoo!

I have been diligently searching for a screen cap of the bathing by the fire scene. No luck yet. 

L


----------



## Dori

Glad to see that you are ok Leslie.  When you go 30 mins without a post to this topic I get worried about you.  LOL  j/k


----------



## Leslie

Dori said:


> Glad to see that you are ok Leslie. When you go 30 mins without a post to this topic I get worried about you. LOL j/k


I am glad to know _someone_ is looking out for me! Thanks, Dori!

L


----------



## Gertie Kindle

The subject of my _Textiles in Motion_ vid won first place on SYTYCD Canada. $100K and a Mercedes. Just shows what the proper use of textiles can do for you.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Yes, perhaps we could submit this thread in a competition... 

Betsy


----------



## Marci

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yes, perhaps we could submit this thread in a competition...
> 
> Betsy


      

LOL!

Marci


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yes, perhaps we could submit this thread in a competition...
> 
> Betsy


Great idea! We'll be the judges, and we'll have to inspect the entrants up close and personal.


----------



## Leslie

from Entertainment Weekly:

*'Australia': Four reasons to love the embattled epic*

Dec 8, 2008, 07:24 AM | by Jami Lundborg

*Australia*. It's gotten a mixed response from critics. It plummeted 53 percent at the U.S. box office this weekend to earn a meager $7 million. It's even struggling to draw viewers in the country from which its two stars, director, and subject matter all hail. And yet, in spite of the dark cloud that's following Australia, the latest directorial effort from Baz Luhrmann, I'm not ashamed to say I thoroughly enjoyed the one-time Oscar hopeful. And for those of you who might accuse me of being blinded by 165 minutes of certified Hugh Jackman hotness, I present four other reasons (beware: some spoilers included) why I loved the film:
*
1. Australia looks and feels like a storybook brought to life*: As you'd expect from a Luhrmann production, nothing about this film reflects the drabness of everyday life. From the richly beautiful backdrops (the wharf in particular) to the moments of magical realism (Nullah stopping the stampede), the film overcomes its slightly cliché storyline with undeniable artistic splendor.

*2. Brandon Walters is completely winning as Nullah:* Seriously, if this little boy's performance doesn't melt your heart, then you might want to schedule an EKG and make sure you actually have one. Those big brown saucers of his! The way he delivers his "I sing you to me" line! Come on, even if you're an Australia hater you gotta give me this one...
*
3. Jackman finally gets a chance to flex something other than his muscles:* On top of his more, um, aesthetic gifts, Jackman is an undeniably watchable actor whose talents are often wasted in blah films (see: Someone Like You, Van Helsing). Yet in Australia, the final scene in The Territory (a bar in Darwin) boasts a beautiful performance by the Aussie. There are plenty of grand, emotional moments in the movie, but, for me, Jackman's reaction to the barman's refusal to serve his black friend was the most affecting of all.

*(3.5. Okay, yeah, I'll admit it: Jackman has never looked hotter.)*

*4. Australia is a love letter to classic cinematic romances:* They may not make 'em like they used to, but with this film, Lurhmann pays loving tribute to the sweeping epics of the past. And even if he doesn't deliver a film with the grace and depth of, say, Gone with the Wind, I can't help but admire his ambition.

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/12/australia-hugh.html


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## Gertie Kindle

I like Baz Lurhman.  I like Nicole Kidman.  I like Hugh Jackman.  I like Austrailia.  Should be a winning combination.  

I don't go to the movies, but I will def get the DVD.


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## Cowgirl

I went to see Australia last weekend.  My comments for what it's worth...  The little boy steals the show.  He is so adorable and a great little actor.  Hugh...well ...let's be honest that's the real reason I went to see the movie!!!  All I can say is he does not disappoint!  Nicole was ok.  My only complaint...the movie is a good  30 minutes too long (IMO)and I would say most who were at the movie agreed.  One man at the end of the movie actually yelled out loud that he would shoot himself if the movie didn't end.  The beginning of the movie drags on way too much...that's where I think it needed to be cut.  The rest of the movie moved along and I love a happy ending so I would give it 4 stars out of 5.


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## Leslie

Thanks for your review, Cowgirl! I think that merits a picture from the movie...


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## Sandpiper

Just heard . . . Hugh Jackman is going to host the next Oscars !


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## Leslie

Sandpiper said:


> Just heard . . . Hugh Jackman is going to host the next Oscars !


OMIGOD!!!!!


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## Leslie

This is huge! It may even get me to watch the Oscars again, which I swore off after* Brokeback Mountain* lost to the godawful Trash, er, I mean *Crash*.

L


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## Leslie

*FLASH: Academy wants Hugh Jackman to drove, er, host Oscars*

"Deadline Hollywood Daily" columnist Nikki Finke reported Thursday that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was thinking "outside the box" in terms of who it wanted to host the 81st Academy Awards show in February, and today she provides a specific name: Hugh Jackman!

Jackman, who was recently named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive," seems to be an inspired choice. He's dashing (wavy hair, killer smile), strapping (6-foot-2, built), likable (smart and kind) and tremendously talented (acts, sings, dances). He's been groomed for stardom like the classic leading men: He tackled the stage in "The Boy from Oz" (2003-2004) and became Broadway's darling, winning a Tony; he was introduced to movie-going women in a rom-com, "Kate and Leopold" (2001), earning a Golden Globe nod; and he picked up his guy's-guy credentials in the "X-Men" films (2000, 2003, 2006), each of which topped the box office. And although his latest film, "Australia," has been a critical and commercial disappointment, he gave an endearing performance and has escaped most of the blame.

So is Jackman game? Finke reports that he is - on the condition that the format of the show be slightly altered to better fit his strengths, which do not include stand-up comedy. A shakeup probably wouldn't be the worst thing for the Oscars, the ratings of which have been sagging for the last decade. The Academy has already brought in new blood to produce this year's show, Larry Mark and Bill Condon, and both of them have apparently been very receptive to Jackman's request and are prepared to cut out the traditional opening monologue.

My sense is that this could be a brilliant alliance that would last for years. The most frequent and successful hosts in the past - Bob Hope, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, etc. - were all familiar faces in Hollywood but still essentially outsiders, figuratively (they were best known for their work in another entertainment medium, such as television, stand-up comedy, etc.) and literally (most were from New York). Jackman fits both criteria perfectly, and if his success at hosting the 2003, 2004, and 2005 Tony Awards is any further indication, he would be a resounding success at the Oscars.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/files/2008/12/flash-academy-w.html


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## Sandpiper

Leslie, it was announced on WGN radio in Chicago that Hugh WILL be hosting. ??


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## Leslie

Sandpiper said:


> Leslie, it was announced on WGN radio in Chicago that Hugh WILL be hosting. ??


Yes, Access Hollywood says it is confirmed, too. Yippee!

L


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## Leslie

* Hugh Jackman to host new-look Oscars*

The Associated Press
Friday, December 12, 2008

LOS ANGELES: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has confirmed that Hugh Jackman will host the 81st annual Academy Awards.

The academy said Friday that the 40-year-old Australian actor, recently named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive," will host the Oscars

Jackman stars in Baz Luhrmann's romantic adventure film "Australia" with Nicole Kidman.

The actor first claimed fame as Wolverine in the "X-Men" movie franchise. His other movie credits include 2006's "The Prestige" and 2004's "Van Helsing."

With new producers, a new set director and even a new music director, the Academy has been hinting at an all new look and feel for this year's Oscars telecast on Feb. 22.

http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=18637331


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## Gertie Kindle

Maybe this will boost attendance at the movie, too.  I wonder if he'll wear those gold lame pants?  The Oscars are all about glitz and glitter, after all.


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## Leslie

gertiekindle said:


> Maybe this will boost attendance at the movie, too. I wonder if he'll wear those gold lame pants? The Oscars are all about glitz and glitter, after all.


My fantasy is to see Hugh in black leather pants, but the Oscars are all about tuxedos, right? Sigh...

L


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## Betsy the Quilter

He could wear that white tux from Australia...post that pic again, could you?



Betsy


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## Leslie

This one? Oh wait, you want to see the SUIT...


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## Leslie

I can't seem to find one that shows him standing on the steps as he makes his entrance into the party. Darn!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> This one? Oh wait, you want to see the SUIT...


no, that one works...


Betsy


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## Gertie Kindle

Leslie said:


> I can't seem to find one that shows him standing on the steps as he makes his entrance into the party. Darn!


Betsy, is that the proper cleaning method for those types of textiles?


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## Betsy the Quilter

_edited to try to make the photo show up!_

I found this one that shows a bit more of a close up. I believe that Nicole's dress is silk. Silk is quite hardy and able to hold up to the rain without shrinkage and damage; it's more a question of the colorfastness of the dyes involved. If we could only get between her and Hugh we would be able to tell if any color came off onto his white jacket.  Yes, that's the only reason we would want to get between her and Hugh, I'm sure.

As for Hugh's jacket, the fact that it is probably made from a fine wool could mean that the rain is a problem... It would depend somewhat, I believe on how the wool was processed, but with proper handling afterwards it might be ok. Some blocking for sure would be required.

I do so like these textile discussions....

Betsy


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## Leslie

My friend Paul found this tuxedo pic...


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


> My friend Paul found this tuxedo pic...


Aaah, very nice tuxedo...



Betsy


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## Sandpiper

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I believe that Nicole's dress is silk. Silk is quite hardy and able to hold up to the rain without shrinkage and damage; it's more a question of the colorfastness of the dyes involved.


Correct re question of dyes. Many years ago I wore a dark-color silk shirt over white pants. Uhhhh! Dye from the shirt rubbed off on white pants. I'd bought the shirt from very reputable store. They made good on everything. Refund for the shirt and paid me for the pants as the dark dye would not come off.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Yes, that's known as crocking, when dye rubs off (see earlier in this thread for a discussion of crocking and some photos demonstrating this.)  Some dyes are very hard to set properly, and to get intense color manufacturers often really saturate the threads with dye, this will come off.  It's often hard to tell and a good store will do what your store did.  In the quilt shop where I worked, if a fabric would keep bleeding when washed, we would stop selling it.

Betsy


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## Leslie

I'll refresh everyone's memory on the crocking issue...


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## Betsy the Quilter

Thank you Leslie.  Yes, the light areas in Hugh's jeans are caused by the process called "crocking."  These are areas where the dye is removed through rubbing.

Betsy


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## Sandpiper

Leslie said:


> I'll refresh everyone's memory on the crocking issue...


Who what which issue is that, Leslie?


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## Gertie Kindle

Yes ... crocking ... rubbing ... and I thought I was too old for hot flashes.


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## Leslie

Have I posted this before? For a long time I thought this was a bathrobe, but after detailed study of the textile involved, I realized it was actually a coat...


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## Gertie Kindle

Leslie said:


> Have I posted this before? For a long time I thought this was a bathrobe, but after detailed study of the textile involved, I realized it was actually a coat...


Okay, I've decided HJ can play Jamie (Outlander). This pic did it for me.

How do you guys feel about dying his hair red and putting him in a kilt?


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## Leslie

gertiekindle said:


> How do you guys feel about dying his hair red and putting him in a kilt?


I haven't read the book yet, but...

not carrot-top red, but I could live with a deep reddish-gold chestnut sort of color. And a kilt sounds just dandy.

L


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## Gertie Kindle

Leslie said:


> I haven't read the book yet, but...
> 
> not carrot-top red, but I could live with a deep reddish-gold chestnut sort of color. And a kilt sounds just dandy.
> 
> L


Jamie's hair is "auburn, copper, cinnamon and gold."


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## Leslie

It is times like this that I wish I was more skilled with Photoshop, so I could make a Hugh Jackman dress up doll!

L


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## Leslie

Ethan said:


> What you need is a HJ hand puppet!


Well, puppets are nice, but I want something like this 

http://savivi.deviantart.com/art/Regency-Hero-Dress-Up-Doll-101669291


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## Ann in Arlington

Leslie said:


> Well, puppets are nice, but I want something like this
> 
> http://savivi.deviantart.com/art/Regency-Hero-Dress-Up-Doll-101669291


I beginning to worry about you. . . maybe it's time for an intervention. . . 

Ann
(really glad the link wasn't to a life size doll as I feared. . . . . .)


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## Leslie

Ann Von Hagel said:


> I beginning to worry about you. . . maybe it's time for an intervention. . .
> 
> Ann
> (really glad the link wasn't to a life size doll as I feared. . . . . .)


I think it's just all these historical novels I have been reading. And Australia was historical, too!

L


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## Aussie01

HJ would make a great Jamie!  WOW, hugh in a kilt.  Think of all the textile discussions we could have about that!

Jo


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## Leslie

Aussie01 said:


> HJ would make a great Jamie! WOW, hugh in a kilt. Think of all the textile discussions we could have about that!
> 
> Jo


I know. My heart flutters just thinking about it. Mel Gibson in a kilt? Bleh. Hugh? Yeah!

L


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## Gertie Kindle

Leslie said:


> I know. My heart flutters just thinking about it. Mel Gibson in a kilt? Bleh. Hugh? Yeah!
> 
> L


Jamie is 6'4" So it's got to be Hugh. Of course he's a bit old for Jamie (23), but who cares.


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## Leslie

gertiekindle said:


> Jamie is 6'4" So it's got to be Hugh. Of course he's a bit old for Jamie (23), but who cares.


Meh, details...

L


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## Leslie

I am back from seeing Australia a second time and I have to say, it was better than the first time. Since I knew the story, I could focus on characters and dialog and picked up quite a few things I missed the first time around. I was also able to study the textiles more closely than I did last time. For example, the white tuxedo:


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## Leslie

A pic from the London premiere on Dec 10, 2008:


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## Gertie Kindle

HJ was on Biography yesterday and I caught the end of Kate and Leopold.


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## Daisysmama

Another big HJ fan checking in.

Whoopie G. announced on the View today (Monday) that Hugh will be hosting the Oscars this year.  Sheri S. was wondering if he would be any good since he isn't a "comic".  Well, she obviously hasn't seen him on any of the recent talk shows where he is just hilarious!!  He'll certainly be a lot funnier on the Oscars than Sherri and Cameron Matheson were on the Daytime Emmys this last year!!!


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## Leslie

Welcome, Daisy!

Big Hugh fans are always welcome here. I'm very excited about the Oscar news -- I may actually watch the whole show for a change and not fall asleep after the first hour.

We are looking forward to Hugh in a tuxedo.










L


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## KindleJaneRRT

OMG! I think I found my new home!  Can anybody please answer me this question, what is it about Hugh Jackman that makes that man so damn irresistible!  Is it the accent, the smile, the furry tummy, WHAT?!


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## Marci

Hi, Everyone -

I'm starting a game that may be of interest to you HJ fans. It's in "Not Quite Kindle" under _The Hugh Jackman Stump Leslie Game_.

I'm anticipating many more photos of HJ to be posted there 

Marci


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## Leslie

KindleJaneRRT said:


> OMG! I think I found my new home! Can anybody please answer me this question, what is it about Hugh Jackman that makes that man so damn irresistible! Is it the accent, the smile, the furry tummy, WHAT?!


The fact that he seems like a completely down-to-earth likeable guy, the eyes, the hair? I've been trying to figure out the same thing for ages.

L


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## Betsy the Quilter

KindleJaneRRT said:


> OMG! I think I found my new home! Can anybody please answer me this question, what is it about Hugh Jackman that makes that man so damn irresistible! Is it the accent, the smile, the furry tummy, WHAT?!


Well, Jane, you didn't waste anytime getting over here, did you! LOL! This is a thread dedicated to the textiles worn in the movie Australia. Yeah. That's our story and we're sticking to it.

Betsy


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

I caught a little of E-Weekly last night, enough to see Hugh in Wolverine (I think that is what they said) He was almost *nekkid* so there was very little textile to discuss. I just *don't* have a problem with that at all.  

Leslie you probably know the title of the movie. I was so distracted by Hugh I wasn't listening, just looking. *very closely*

Linda


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## Leslie

*X-Men Origins: Wolverine*.

I have not been able to watch any of those X-Men movies, despite the presence of all that Hugh goodness. I have also not seen *Van Helsing*.










Believe it or not, I did watch the two episodes of Hugh's failed TV show, *Viva Laughlin*. It was really bad but I did like the way Hugh looked, despite the show!


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

That's the one, I knew you would know!


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## Leslie

I thought we needed to revive our textile discussion. Check out this leather jacket!


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## Leslie

Leather contrasting with the wool scarf, pants of unknown fabric (this is when we need Betsy!)


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## Ann in Arlington

I don't care about textiles but everyone's pretty cranky because of the weather.

This helps.  

Ann


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Definitely helps!! Puts a smile on my face. 

Linda


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## Betsy the Quilter

I like a man who can carry a doll in public, LOL!

uhn, uhn, uhn.  Look at the drape in those pants.   I suspect a lightweight wool.

The wool works well with the leather jacket.  I also like the possibly wool liner in the collar, and the three snaps are a nice detail.

Betsy


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

I am loving that light weight wool Betsy!  

Linda


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## Gertie Kindle

Betsy the Quilter said:


> uhn, uhn, uhn. Look at the drape in those pants.  I suspect a lightweight wool.
> 
> Betsy


I see what you mean about the drape, but it still has enough give to stretch nicely where needed.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

gertiekindle said:


> I see what you mean about the drape, but it still has enough give to stretch nicely where needed.


LOL GertieKindle!


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## Leslie

Crocking in New York on December 29th...


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## Betsy the Quilter

Same scarf as in the earlier pic, it goes as well with the knit jacket as it did with the leather.  Not fond of the hat, but the jeans with a bit of the shirt sticking out below the jacket all work well.  Nice mix of textures.

Betsy


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## Leslie

Betsy, on the left, that's Hugh's son, Oscar. Notice he is copying his dad with his scarf tying technique. What do you think Oscar's pants are made of?

L


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

His son is so handsome, love the curly hair!

Linda


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## Betsy the Quilter

Same scarf technique, and he's also going for a layered look.  Like father, like son.  I think the pants are probably black or brown denim with a shiny finish.

Betsy


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## Leslie

I knew we were ahead of our time. Australia was nominated for an Oscar for Best Costume Design.


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## Marci

LOL

Marci


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## Leslie

Let's talk textiles, shall we? First promo pic for the Oscars. Notice the tuxedo, the texture on the collar of the shirt...


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## Marci

All right, Leslie -

Will Hugh be clean-shaven or stubbly at the Oscars.

And, you throwing a party  

Marci


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## Leslie

From that picture, he looks stubbly. And apparently, that is what everyone says is the sexiest man look. I'm not sure I agree but when we finally get together to consult on textiles, we can consult on skin texture, too  

An Oscar party sounds good! And that is just a few days before the arrival of K2.

L


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## Gertie Kindle

Leslie said:


> From that picture, he looks stubbly. And apparently, that is what everyone says is the sexiest man look. I'm not sure I agree but when we finally get together to consult on textiles, we can consult on skin texture, too


Stubbly just looks unshaven and scruffy to me unless it's Indiana Jones. I prefer a beard, myself.

I do notice that the whiteness of the shirt sets off the tanned goodness of the skin. The black of the tuxedo also blends nicely with the hair.


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## Daisysmama

Just wanted you all to know that Mr. Jackman is bringing out that gorgeous tux just in honor of my birthday on the 22nd....that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

Oscars...oh yeah, that too!!!


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## Betsy the Quilter

There's nothing like the drama of black and white, and the smooth texture of the tuxedo's lapels against the crip white of the shirt.

And I prefer clean shaven Hugh for the Oscars...

Betsy


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## Leslie

The DVD for Australia came out on March 3rd and so there has been a revival of interest in our textile discussions related to this movie. To refresh our memories, I'll post a few movie photos:





































Oh wait! That last one isn't from the movie. Silly me! But it's still an interesting textile, so I'll let it stand.


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## tlshaw

Ok, can you tell it is a boring Friday at work? I don't have much to do, so am catching up. I didn't read this Australia thread much before. Was just reading it and noticed the discussion about Hugh as Jamie. Yeah, that would work. I love Jamie...


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## Betsy the Quilter

Leslie said:


>


Excellent photo for a textile discussion, Leslie. For one thing, you can tell that the red is a knit fabric by the way it conforms to the underlying surface despite major disruption.

In addition, the smoothness of the red contrasts nicely with the ornate gold trim.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington

Ladies, this IS meant to be a family friendly board!  

Ann


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## Leslie

Just so everyone knows, that is a real picture of a real matador. He wasn't injured, thankfully, although he had to get a new pair of pants due to the, as Betsy described it, "major disruption in the fabric."  

L


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## Anju 

I actually had to go get my glasses to see what this was    Good textile discussion though.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Australia the movie is on HBO tonight at 8PM EDT.


Betsy


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## Pushka

You guys are so funny.  Hugh is gorgeous though!  I have seen him close up (ie 2 feet away) and he is just one sweet guy.  And has a great personality to match.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Two feet away!! We are SO jealous!  We love Hugh here on KB.  Next time you're within 2 feet, be sure to invite him to drop by.  

Betsy


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