Australia's Answer to the Oscars - The AACTA Awards

Last night the AACTA awards were on television. And me being a bit of a film and tellie buff I was keen to watch.
It was nice to watch awards where Australian talent was showcased and the amazing work the Aussie TV and film industry does is recognised. 
So we're clear AACTA stands for:

Australian 
Academy 
Cinema 
Television 
Arts

This is AACTA's second year of awards. It's joined with AFI (Australian Film Industry) Awards, which has been running since 1958. 
Hosted in Sydney (cause it's not like there aren't any other gorgeous places in Australia to do it) and was planned to be hosted by Hugh Sheridan. But for reasons unbeknown to me, Russell Crowe took his place instead. 

Sorry Hugh, but I'd rather see Russell up there; sorry mate. 

Some big names in Australian film and TV (AKA the rest of the world has never heard of them) were nominated.
Movies and shows like The Sapphires (a big winner), Puberty Blues (another big winner), Wish You were Here and Howzat! Kerry Packer's War (another big winner) were out in force with actor's, writer's and gorgeous gowns and suits. Not to mentions some pretty statues at the end of the night as well. 

The thing that I noticed about the AACTA's is, only prestigious movies and TV shows are nominated (this has to do mainly with TV shows). There were no Home and Away's, Neighbours, The Wiggles or Bindi's Wildlife Adventures (though that one is a blessing really). 
It seems only higher classed TV shows were nominated. After all, you don't want to take all the shows...save some for the Loggies right? 

So here's my top 7 on how you know you're watching the AACTA's and not the Oscars. 

1 - Speeches are improvised (I only saw one person take out notes)

2 - the show only went for an hour

3 - When someone won, there was real shock on their face; not made up gasps of shock

4 - speeches included phrases like "I'd like to thank you mob", "holy crap", and "geez, thanks I guess"

5 - them speeches went for 2 minutes; no need for an orchestra 

6 - There were no Modern Family cast mates 

7 - Half the awards weren't even shown on air - hence the 1 hour time slot. 

So there you have it. A little taste in what goes on in an Australian award ceremony for our brightest stars on an average wage. 
As a viewer I would have liked a longer time slot and given air time to other awards. I don't even know what half the awards are I think - they didn't give them the time of day, unfortunately. 
The gowns were beautiful, if not some were a little revealing (I'm looking at you Cate!) and the men in suits were pretty attractive too - even if Hugh Jackman wasn't there. * sad face* 

Money Makes The World Go Round...So How Can I Get My Hands on Some?

Daydreamer is in a pickle. 
She needs some serious cash...and fast. 
Uni is starting soon, textbooks to pay for, parties to attend. 
But her cash flow is starting to dwindle, and some extra cash wouldn't go astray. 

Because I'm big on the Internet world (I surf it a lot more than what I should) I think a good idea would be to make a little dough on the Internet scene. 
There's a lot of paths you can take, and a lot of scams and frauds. There's also the chance to make money in pretty dubious circumstances - I'm looking at you cam girls! 

But what path should she take. Here are some options that I'll lay out (for my benefit, really). 

Money for your opinions: 
A big thing now is paying the public for their opinions on products, lifestyle, anything really. These come in the form of surveys (usually) that ask you questions on why you like a product, what brand of *insert whatever here* you buy, what attracts you to a product, blah, blah. The list goes on. As the Internet world expands so do companies expanding online to get the most out of advertisement and marketing - and they're willing to pay you for it. 

Freelance writing:
Now as a writer this stood out to me. May even be a path I chose to take. Websites will pay anything up to $5-$250 (according to some research) but this depends on the site, word limit and the time and type of article you will write. At times a certain amount of knowledge is required to take on an article and some require a formal tone. There are some available that aren't as stringent on the tone. 

Selling your hair online: 
'Whah, selling your hair!' I read somewhere that a guy who had 'virgin hair' (hair un-tempered in any way AKA no colour, artificial drying, straightening etc) is making big bucks for growing out his hair and selling it online. For long hair, people are willing to pay hundreds, even thousands. But make sure you pick a trusted and legit site. 
People use human hair to make wigs, hair extensions  hair on dolls, etc (just in case you were wondering). 

Creating your own blog: 
Well this is funny isn't it? Despite Daydreamer having a blog, she doesn't actually make money from it. This is mainly because this blog is full of my own opinions and own interests (which clearly don't entertain the public as much clearly) thus not bringing in a big network. 
To create money from a blog:
Come up with a catchy, original name that can be remembered. 
Make it fresh and exciting as to keep people hanging around. 
Have a theme, aim and purpose. 

There are more ways to make money online - these are just a few - and Daydreamer is still on the lookout. 

Maybe, just maybe I'll find a money tree. That would solve my problems. 

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The Die has Been Cast, and My Life Has Died a Little With it.

It has been over a week now. 

A week since a massive part of my life ended. 

Ripped away from me, like Velcro. As the soft end, there was nothing I could do to stop the sticky side from being torn away. The all familiar Velcro sound was devastating. 

Whoa, got a little carried away with the Velcro didn't I?

But I'm not lying about a massive part of my like coming to an end. 

Those who are familiar with my problem would understand completely.

Last week (last Sunday to be exact) a show aired it's final episode. Ever. It's done. Gone. Out of my life like some cruel lover. 

Merlin has finished. 

Apparently the creators thought 5 seasons would be enough to satisfy the hunger of the fans they created. But not mine. 

I guess it didn't help that I didn't know it was the final season (ever!) until five episodes to go; I've been having panic attacks ever since. 

I should have seen the signs. Ever since Uther died, it was only a matter of time before they wrapped things up. 

And boy wasn't season 5 a ripper. The cast (as always) were amazing. I also need to give a big thank you to the writers - I always promised my best friend that if I became a writer for Merlin I would make sure you saw a hot guy without a shirt on at least once every episode. And with the Knights of the Round Table established...that wasn't hard. 

Now obviously I didn't become a writer for Merlin. But the Merlin Writer Gods heard my prayer, and made sure, even though I didn't write it myself, that sexy men were a plenty. So thank you. 

Made sure it was a big picture. No need to thank me. 

The plot, from the beginning of season 5, was leading to the finale. And every step of the way was worth it. The Mordred a good guy? plot was surprisingly heartfelt, interesting and entertaining to watch - even if you were screaming at Merlin to give him a chance. 

Morgana was bad-ass as ever. And absolutely loved her.

I also noticed Gwen's dresses this season were more busty than ever. Something for the guys hey?

But the finale. I was screaming every commercial. And as the hour drew closer I was wondering how the hell they were going to finish it in time. 

We saw things we were waiting for all season - you know? The big THING. 

I loved that moment, the moments afterwards, Arthur's reactions, everything. Very realistic I thought. 

The battle scenes at the beginning when Merlin finally joins them is spectacular - the magic used there is awesome. 

But I have some serious downsides. 

*!!!!!* If you have not watched the season finale of Merlin and don't want anything to be spoilt....stop reading now. I'll give you a heads up when you can start reading again*!!!!!* 

Mordred's death - man was this anti-climatic. 

I can understand why it was so quick though; he has magic, so any prolonging of the fight would have caused him to use it and thus ending Arthur's life then and there. 

2 - Arthur was injured. So he wasn't in the best fighting state to begin with.

3 - it was crucial that Mordred be the one to stab Arthur in the first place. 

But the death of Morgana - THERE WAS NO EXCUSE. 

It's not like she didn't have a challenger...Merlin was right there. 

I can understand that they have to work with the time they've got - but as a loyal fan I would have rather cut some of the war out and given more time for Morgana's death - she deserves it after all. 

No magic? How was there NO MAGIC in the Merlin/Morgana face off? - obviously not including the part where she used it to fling him out of the way. 

But apart from those small quibbles I had no qualms. 

Things that got me crying. 

Arthur - oh Arthur, you have served us well. As our King, knight and boy toy. 

I honestly cannot write any more about you otherwise I'll start crying again.

Gwaine - basically the same thing as Arthur, but get rid of the king bit. 

And now, for the part I've been dreading to write about. 

That scene....

Yes don't act like it didn't happen! The very last thing we ever saw of Merlin was.....ah! I can't even write it...it makes it real. Not even joking, when we saw the last scene from Merlin and the credits started rolling, my brother looked at me and went "you can't un-see it!" and he was right. It's all I see in my head now. It's seriously screwed me over. 

*!!!!!* You can come back now folks*!!!!!*

So in conclusion...Merlin really was amazing. It's been an epic 5 years and I'm scared about how I'm going to spend my Sunday evenings. Maybe I'll watch it all again from the very beginning....on DVD. Whoo, no ads. 

Just don't mention Merlin to me. 

My brother does it for his own amusement...he says 'Merlin finale' and I burst into tears. 

Kinda like 'open sesame' really. 

Pitch Perfect Hits the Right Note - A Review

OK so the title isn't very inventive (I can imagine 10 million reviews on this movie with the same title) and yes I should be re-enrolling for University...but, I did go see this movie and I need to update Thought Bubble.

Ages ago a friend and I made the easy decision to go see Pitch Perfect at our local cinema. 
Why? 
It's a comedy - one of my favourite genres, 
It's a chick flick - also known as 'hot guys WILL be in this movie',
It stars Anna Kendrick - she plays one of the few good characters in Twilight, Jess (a human),
I heard great reviews about it,
and there was a new meme about it - which I wouldn't have truly understood if I hadn't of seen the movie. 

But the #1 reason for seeing Pitch Perfect was this fine lady... 

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Rebel Wilson.
Being Aussie as I am, I have known Rebel before she graced the international stage. I remember her in the comedy series 'The Wedge'  - an Australian show. Loved it, super funny. 
I saw her in Bridesmaids - a smallish part, but containing her natural comedic flair (if sometimes a little weirded out by her and Matt Lucas at times). 
I also want to see Bachelorette - watch this space. 

So yesterday off me and my friend went. 
One thing I noticed was how busy the movie theatre actually was. It was late afternoon on a Thursday and I didn't expect so many people there (though I guess it is the holidays).
I was even more amazed when Pitch Perfect had a line - the movie has been out for a while after all.
So we sat - I was next to some 5 year old - well at least she looked 5, as the lights went down, popcorn was in the air and the air-conditioning was blasted up. 

The movie opens with the finals of an A Capella music comp. 
Dancing, singing, live entertainment. 
It starts off with a bang. Very effective as the audience is thrust into the world of A Capella. 
We then meet The Bellas - an all girl A Capella group.
The audience gets taken a year or so later (after a projectile vomit incident) and we meet Beca (Anna Kendrick). 
Bad-ass, punk rock, DJ wannabe, we see her join the Bellas, fall in love, has some laughs, tears - the usual chick flick thing. 

I don't want to dwell on the storyline, but more talk about the stand-outs of the movie. 

Aubrey - played by Anna Camp. 
I had no idea who Anna Camp was before I watched Pitch Perfect. Since then, I have IMDB-ed her and seen she's been in quite a few things.
And on the screen it shows. 
On the outside Aubrey doesn't seem like a 3D character. Head of The Bellas after the others have graduated and left to find new members after her and Chloe are the last members left, Aubrey has to run this band of misfits and get them A-ready for competition - which, by the way, she does horribly.
She's tough, cruel and and A-grade biatch. 
But is it any wonder considering how the old Bellas leader treated her?!
With an unfortunate habit of projectile vomiting when stressed, Aubrey is more than just a 2D bitch. 

Chloe - played by Brittany Snow. 
I remember seeing Miss Snow, when she played bitch Amber in Hairspray. So I was eager to see if she was type cast as the bitch again.
I spent half the movie trying to find the fair skinned, blonde haired women before I realised she now looks like this...

Google Images

My jaw actually dropped when I finally realised who she was. And I was glad to see, she wasn't the bitch character. 
The funniest thing happens with her voice (not telling - you have to see it for yourself) and I couldn't stop laughing at one point in the movie because of it - really original and a total classic!

The Bellas - 
These misfit of girls are great! Whether it's Hana Mae Lee as the barely hear-able Lilly, Alexis Knapp as the over sexually active Stacie and of course Rebel as Fat Amy. 

Things that let me down a little - 
*It felt a bit Glee at times, and I wondered if it was trying to jump on the Glee bandwagon. But then again, it's totally more kick-ass then Glee.
*Some character development was underdone - I thought Beca's room-mate would get more of a part (she had the potential) but her character more fizzed then shone for me. Same with other Bellas members.
* Kinda predictable in some parts - but that's a tiny quibble.
*The serious anti-climax of Bumper (the leader of The Bellas rival gang, The Trebles). 


My favourite scene was definitely the shower scene. I do realise this makes me sound like a lesbian, but trust me, if you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. 
Not only is it incredibly funny, but the reactions and actions of Beca (realistic) matched to those of Chloe's (totally out there) combines together to make a hilarious situation. 

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Do yourself a favour guys, and go see Pitch Perfect. 
It's literally something for everyone - well maybe not little kids, but definitely everybody else. 
It's funny, has memorable characters, a great storyline, catchy music, and a feel that makes you go "ah" at the end of it. 
Serious mood up-lifter, so check it out! 

Releasing The Gamer in Me - The Sims 2

During the holidays I've done many things.
Eat. 
Sleep. 
Eat.
Went to the beach. 
And ate some more. 

I haven't gamed much (bar from Neopets, which I don't know counts) so today I decided to embrace my gaming side and take out an old favourite. I picked The Sims. 
But which one? I have The Sims original on PlayStation various The Sims 2, and The Sims 3 on PC (my Mum had an addiction at one point; that's why we have so many). 
I picked PC, cause lets face it - those are the best. I also chose The Sims 2 original. 

Having that old, familiar Sims music that plays while it's loading brought back old memories and old characters I had created long ago - I remember this gay couple I created. They were probably my favourite. Oh, and all the old people. 

I chose to create my own neighbourhood. It saves me from having to talk to all the 'Mortimer's' and the 'Bob's' that go through the game. The other characters just annoy me. 
This also allows my characters to be friends/lovers/enemies/family to each other. 

So far I have two families - the Bachelors and the Bachelorettes. As you can see I'm going to pair them off. But with three women and two men - things are bound to get catty! 
While you play one household the occupants age. However the other households don't. So if you want them to all age together you have to rotate the houses you play and for the same length of time - which you don't want to be too long. 
This is an aspect of the game that annoys me. Having to play people you don't like so they can age can be frustrating and painful - especially if the people next-door are expecting a baby any day now. 

What I love his how personal and intimate you know your Sims. You can create their hopes and dreams, their fears. You know what they want in life and the sort of person they will be attracted to. This isn't as good as The Sims 3 (it's vastly improved) but much better than the original. 

Nothing much to say about the graphics. Obviously they also improve with each new The Sims, but Sims 2 graphics are pretty good - but I'm not fussed with that stuff anyway. 

Nothing beats The Sims. Being the #1 PC game of all time, that kind of speaks for itself doesn't it?
It's addictive. No one would doubt that. You get lost into a world very similar to your own - unless you want it vastly different from your own, which is doable too. 
You control everything - it gives you this power that entraps you and leaves you playing for hours; without any complaints of course. 
The game evolves, the characters in your game grow as does your neighbourhood. 
You can play it for half an hour or all day and whenever you choose to get off - when you come back, everything is as you left it. 

The Sims is something that only seems to get better. I also have The Sims Medieval - but I'll talk about that in it's own post; give it what it deserves. 

It's a game you can leave for years and then come back too. No matter what games you are into, how good a gamer you are, how long you have to play - The Sims benefits everyone's needs. 

Ew, I'm starting to sound like a salesman.

Basically - I was at my laptop all day playing The Sims, and it will probably be that way tomorrow was well. 
Sorry real life. Daydreamer has some characters to create. 

Sims away!