PAULINE PLAYS THE CELLO WITH PADDY CASEY

Pauline was absolutely chuffed when the legendary Paddy Casey invited her to play cello with him on todays show. It was a bit surreal to see them practicing in the living room together trying to figure out the changes with Tom offering help from time to time.
Pauline wants me to explain that she had little practice, but I think she did a very good job.
Here is to Paddy and Pauline!
Hurrah.

ANNOYING ADVERTISEMENT

This advertisement which made me laugh at first is getting very VERY irritating.

But in saying that, this is brilliant. Enjoy Carlsberg and Mentos...

A GREAT WEEKEND FOR IRISH MUSIC

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

U23D

I was at a special screening of U23D yesterday in Dundrum.

As a U2 fan myself, I found the film to be majestic. The film has crystal clear 3D like I've never seen before at the movies. I have been fortunate enough to see The Muppets 3D, Terminator 3D and Shrek 3D, and while they were all amazing in their own ways, and good fun, technically this comes accross alot more robust. Those films all also play to the gimmicky nature of 3D; something which U23D cleverly avoids.

So if the cynics out there can put Bono moaning to one side - it's getting as boring now, as I'm sure Bono is to them - this is well worth the watch. But why don't we have an IMAX here in Dubin? The film was afterall filmed for Imax. Its a shame.

At the screening yesterday I gave Director Catherine Owens a BalconyTV card. BalconyTV 3D perhaps. Now there is a thought.

PAINTINGS

Following on from my PT Anderson story in the previous blog entry. Thus is fate that PT Anderson couldn't make the screening of There Will Be Blood in Dublin because he was busy picking up the award for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival.

So all the people I murdered in an effort to get a ticket, died needlessly. Shucks.

You know you are getting popular when fans from the far side of the world start painting pictures for you. From Natalie in Florida here is Stand on BalconyTV

STEPHEN O REGAN v THE DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL = THERE WILL BE BLOOD

I have a bit of an odd movie related story to tell. Warning: It has a bit of a back story, and name dropping and obligatory blogging moaniness. So if you are not in the mood for a bit of mindless indulgatory blogging turn away now.

Back story. As you may or may not know, I´m a big movie fan and wannabe film director. You may notice this as I try to write movie reviews here when I can.

My favourite film director is Paul Thomas Anderson. PTA as he is better known to the geeks amoungst us, is concidered a maverick young director. In his short directorial career he has directed only a few films including Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love.

While on holiday in LA a few years ago I met him by coincidence at a gig in an Irish bar! I was awe struck. Completly speechless. It was a bit like when Ed Wood met Orson Welles.

Since I met PTA I have made one short film of note. All the superficial aspects of the film are PTA inspired. ´Inspired´ is the wrong word. ´Ripped off´ is better.

So now we are at present day. I warned you this would be indulgent.

After going to a Saturday morning think thank for The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival in November, I got thinking to myself, what would really make the festival great?

With that I immediatly emailed the festival organisers. I suggested they screen PT Andersons new film (and first in five years) There Will Be Blood; but not only that; they should also try lure PT Anderson over to the screening with the films star Daniel Day Lewis.

The festival organisers responded promptly saying they would take the idea on board.

Truth be told, I didn´t really think they had a chance of getting the two stars over. The film has afterall been critically acclaimed and nominated for 8 Oscars. With the Dublin Festival taking place just one week before the Oscars the chances of luring them both over would be further decreased.

So you can imagine my surprise when at the beginning of February, as I was looking through the Dublin Festival guide, there was listed a screening of There Will Be Blood and in tiny small print below, guest appearances by director Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day Lewis!

I couldn´t believe it. I immediatly asked to buy a ticket. But it was already too late. SOLD OUT.

My reaction was instant...´but...but...but´

I knew that there and then I was doomed. I emailed the festival. Pleaded compassion. I begged. I complained. But no chance. No ticket for me.

That´s the end of the story in truth. The screening of There Will Be Blood takes place in the Savoy Cinema tonight at 7PM with PT Anderson and Daniel Day Lewis in attendance. An idea I suggested mid December.

Granted they may have had the idea before me, but no words up, no nothing. No compassion. No love. Its hard to take.

It is the Irish way these days. Thou shalt not help. Thou shalt not give a F.U.C.K about your fellow man.

There´s the moaniness.

Enough now. All I can say in closing is that I did manage to squirm a screening of There Will Be Blood last night. And suffice to say it is quite brilliant and true to form.

So Dublin International Film Festival Organisers = Mean
There Will Be Blood = Very Good
This blogger = Aggreived

SHORTLISTED FOR A WEBBY!!!

After all our moanings about Internet award shows, BalconyTV has 'sensationally' been shortlisted for a Webby Award!
Forget the Golden Spider awards; The Webby Awards really are the Oscars of the Internet world.
They are decided by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-member body of leading luminaries that includes members such as musicians Beck and David Bowie, Internet inventor Vint Cerf, political columnist Arianna Huffington, "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, Virgin Atlantic Chairman and Founder Richard Branson, and The Weinstein Company Co-Founder Harvey Weinstein. Members also include writers and editors from publications such as The New York Times, Wired, Details, Fast Company, Elle, The Los Angeles Times, Vibe, and WallPaper.
Now ofcoarse we are only shortlisted. Shortlisted to what, I'm not sure. But as we are shortlisted in the Online Film and Video Viral Category there must have been gabajillions on entries. So just being shortlisted I think is a serious achievement for us. I think.
This video probably best sums up The Webbys.

RATING AND WORLD DOMINATION

We are delighted to have of hit our target of 150'000 video views for the month spread accross the now massive BalconyTV Archive. This is not only fantastic for us, but great too for the many bands and performers who have appeared on the Balconys in both Dublin and Hamburg. The truth is we have hit our target two days ahead of schedule. Once again this is thanks to this mans recent infamy.
The next couple of months are very exciting for BalconyTV. We are planning/hoping to launch a BalconyTV London in April. Touch wood. And we are going offer to license out the format to other cities having already had interest from as far a field as Rome, Sydney, LA, Norway, St. Louis. Quite a few basically. It could all be very very cool.
Who needs MTV?

CLOVERFIELD AND JUNO

Cloverfield is brilliant. I don't think I've been as childishly excited watching a movie since Jurassic Park. Its rare these days to witness truely amazing film making in Hollywood blockbuster fuluffle. So its a major thumbs up for that.
But if I see that Juno trailer again...well...well who knows what I'm likely to do. It makes my skin crawl. There are two moments in particular that make me shudder...
When the girl says 'Honest to blog' and secondly when Juno says 'Go Carol'. Uhhhhhhhhh. Infact I think every line in this trailer makes me convulse.
Watch and vomit.

A TAD BITTER

So we survived the Digital Media Awards 2008. Alas we didn't win. The winner of Best Entertainment Website went to Phantom.ie. As they do a great job supporting new music from Ireland, we give them kudos. Kudos.
Tom was convinced we would win. I was convinced 3 would win as they were sponsoring the whole event and had two nominations in our category! But in fairness they didn't win, and thus is life.
After holding our own BalconyTV Internet Awards last year in protest at the outrageous entry fees and attendance fees for the various Irish internet award shows, we decided to give the Digital Media Awards the benefit of the doubt last night. They did after all award us Best Music Website last year when we were in our infancy, and it would hopefully be a great night out. Albeit expensive. Cough. Almost 700 squid.
But while sitting there at the beginning of the night I looked around. Was this really even enjoyable? I suddenly remembered that I felt exactly the same at Golden Spiders. The whole occasion is far more boring than needs be. Dragged out by a five course meal that is akin to a country wedding dinner. Peppered with bullshit insincere chat.
- 'Who are you here with?'
- 'Who are you here with?'
- 'Oh I really must give you my card.'
- 'Here take mine.'
- 'Oh thats really interesting. Branded emails you say.'
- 'Oh please yes, top up my wine. All the way to the top. A self induced coma sounds good.'
'5.99 Spar Special Offer. Yummy.'
The awards show, like the Golden Spiders on the face of it, promotes a funky, youthful internet industry, full of energy and vitality. But a true look at the nominees displays a turgid commercial scene devoid of ideas and vitality. And the presence of youth was sadly lacking.
How can the 'definitive industry award night' be without the likes of RTE.ie, Entertainment.ie, Ireland.com, Menupages.ie, Irishhealth.ie etc? Well its because they didn't bother paying to enter.
Shamtastic. Enough really is enough.

DMAS

You may notice that in todays show Tom tells everybody that he has a gig tonight. Ofcoarse he does not, as he completly forgot that he has to attend the Digital Media Awards. He needs a diary; so if anybody wants to send one in, donations welcome.
It's hard to believe it's a year since we won Best Music Website at last years DMAs. This year the music category has gone, and we are simply nominated in the Best Entertainment Website category. Hmmmmmmm. I'm not sure what our chances our tonight, but we plan on schmoozing.
I notice that our views are higher than usual recently. I think its because of this mans Eurovision controversy. Go Dustin.
Yesterday I went to see The Savages which is brilliant to say the least. Go see it. BalconyTV gives it Two Thumbs Up. Five Stars. Etc Etc.
And finally, Funzo posted this BalconyTV video on our MySpace comments board...

MEDIA RAMBLINGS

Sorry for the lack of emails. I've been uninspired. I'm still unispired, but am now writing out of duty to the good people of Nebraska who read regularly.
Together we will go hand in hand...
Sorry I've got that whole Super Tuesday buzz going on. I was going to stay up and watch the results last night being the avid media watcher/pop culturist I am. It was definitly more tempting that the Super Bowl over the weekend.
Stop, start, stop, start, advertisement, start, statistics, stop, stop, advertisement, stop, STOP, STOP!!!!! It would do your nut in.
Nevertheless, I was reading that 97.5 million people watched it stateside. Making it the second most watched TV in event in America ever! Second only behind the finale of Mash! Who would have thought it?
What has any of this got to do with BalconyTV. Nothing at all. Just musing to myself out loud in this blogspace really.
I wonder how many people will tune into the finale of BalconyTV?!
Probably alot.
Probably more than alot.

CHANGES AND DIRTY 9s

Subtle changes all about on the main page. Go to the BalconyTV Music Video Awards page and see our cool new video player featuring full awards coverage.
Go to the BalconyTV Crew page and see video players for myself, Tom and Pauline. And apart from that a general reorganisation.

If you happened to catch 'Deis Roc' on TG4 last night you may have spotted BalconyTV favourites The Dirty 9s. They are competing for a 10'000Euro prize.

Heres some footage from the show. Can anybody spot where they are being intervied?