Mister Brisbane: My favourite things
Going out's still not an option, so here's a little of what's going on online and in my mind. Warning: contains traces of Joe Exotic
I was on a Zoom conference call — which, of course, is the new normal —and we were discussing the first thing we would do when the current Covid-19 enforced restrictions end. It’s an interesting question, but it’s flawed because they are likely to be removed little by little, meaning not all the things one might want to do will be possible at the same time. Since it’s a game, let’s assume they are. What’s the first thing you’d do? My answer* is at the end of this post.
NAME THAT FILM
Last week it was albums, this week it’s movies. Another one of those Facebook timewasters asks people to select an image a day for 20 days representing 20 films. Always impulsive, I did it all at once. Here’s a collage of my selections — which, I stress, are by no means my “greatest ever” nominees, just a selection of films I’ve enjoyed over the years. Some of the photos are less-obvious choices for the titles in question. See how you go with guessing the lot. Hint: two of these movies were on free-to-air TV about the same time last Saturday night.
DAY TO REMEMBER?
There is talk of a “new Anzac tradition” after Saturday, when people were encouraged to stand in their front yards, or on their balconies, as a show of support for past and present servicemen and women. While I have always respected those who fought for our current freedoms, attending the Anzac Day ceremony has not been a tradition in my direct family. My father, who served and was injured in World War II, never went to Anzac Day ceremonies. He didn’t even like to talk about the war, even though I know it affected him deeply. If people want to continue with this new form of commemoration, then I wish them well and hope they get something from it. But I also respect those who choose not to, especially those who are living each day with memories the rest of us couldn’t even begin to imagine.
PORT PROGRESS
A few months ago, it seemed that there was a news story every second day about Brisbane’s new cruise port, which is due to open late this year. Then came the virus, and its incidence aboard the Diamond Princess and Ruby Princess, and there’s not been a lot of positive news about the cruise industry since. The Port of Brisbane has been mostly quiet, with its most recent tweet about the cruise port being on March 8, focusing on the recent visit by Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. Three days earlier, it retweeted a post from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk noting that the $177 million new cruise port was supporting 250 construction jobs. According to the official website, it will also bring 760,000 visitors annually and contribute $1.3 billion in net expenditure to the Brisbane economy. It’s no secret that I’m a cruise-ship fan, and I will go to sea again — when it’s absolutely safe to do so. I’m supportive of the new cruise port, especially if it means more cruises will leave from and return to Brisbane — even if the site near the Luggage Point sewerage works (which, I believe, will be deodorised when ships are in port) is not ideal.
TIGER TALE
Like everyone else with Netflix, I’ve been watching Tiger King. What a twisting, and twisted, tale it is. None of the main characters really comes out of it looking good, and I occasionally have to remind myself that these are real people. You couldn’t make it up.
MEANWHILE …
Channel Seven has released this teaser video for the 2020 revival of Big Brother. In addition to the question we’re all asking — who will want to watch a show about people locked up in a house when we’re all locked up in a house? — I wonder how many contestants will end up with FM radio gigs by this time next year.
Fine wine delivery isn’t a new thing, but it’s becoming more popular since our movements have been restricted and we can’t get to our favourite bars and restaurants. Brisbane venture Once Upon a Bottle is launching “Sofa Sommeliers” to deliver wines hand-selected by the staff of some of the city’s top restaurants. You can register your interest here.
QPAC has a list of online arts performances here, and contributes to the genre with its own “At Home” videos, including the one below featuring Jason Barry-Smith and Luke Volker. You may also care to check out this video of Dame Vera Lynn and the cast of West End’s hottest (temporarily shut) shows singing We’ll Meet Again.
*My answer: I’d have an expensive meal and fine beverages. Longer term: travel.